.
[-Continuation-]
.
[-Hachiman's POV-]
"Then, guess you will be doing another run, huh?" He suggested, his tone light but brooking no argument.
Phew, Totsuka is super scary…
At that moment, I realized that behind Totsuka's cherubic exterior lurked a mind as sharp as a tack.
….
.
"Hmm, this should be it."
The fluorescent lights of the small canteen buzzed overhead as I fumbled with the plastic bag, double-checking its contents.
Four cups of instant noodles and an equal number of sodas for both Toutska and Zaimoukuza.
Yah, my earlier lackluster bluff had failed spectacularly as Totsuka whispered some Sagely insight in Zaimoukuza's ears, who then set off a rant about betrayal that still echoed in my ears.
I had made a strategic retreat downstairs, this time with complete intention to fetch food, but if I am being honest, it was more an escape than anything else.
Nonetheless, I do kinda feel bad for leaving them waiting far longer than I intended, whether it was intentional or not.
So, despite the bone-deep weariness seeping into my limbs, I pressed on, determined to complete this self-imposed mission.
Again, in a roundabout way, this unplanned dinner could be considered my party for my successful love confession, especially since I am footing the bill myself.
Guess, they really don't need to know that, huh?
WAIT!!!
Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Isn't there someone who absolutely needed to hear this news?
Before I could second-guess myself, my fingers flew across my phone screen, muscle memory taking over as I dialed a familiar number.
–Ring!Ring!Ring(:connecting the call)
The ring pierced the quiet hall. One ring. Two. Three. Then–
–tutt(:answered)
"Ryota! You there?" I blurted, barely containing my glee.
His voice crackled through the speaker, tinged with hesitation. ["Not exactly. So call me lat–!?"]
I steamrolled right over him, too keyed up to notice his tone. "Remember all your shameless bragging about your girlfriend without even being slightly conscious of her also being my teacher? Well, eat dust, my buddy. I have got some news for you."
["I don't get what you're saying. So I will ring–!"]
"Yeah, yeah, save it." I cut him off. "Time to take back every smug comment you have ever made. Your boy is off the market. I am dating Yuki–?!"
["Oh, is that right? Haha, that's great, I guess?"] Ryota's voice dripped with forced cheer.
Eh? What a fake ass act.
I frowned, thrown off by his lackluster response. "Drop the act, man. Your poker voice is worse than an in-game announcement."
"Anyways, don't go around saying anything to Ms. Hiratsuka yet. You know how she is, she would probably blab to Yukinoshita's sister faster than you can say 'confidentiality'."
["....."] A pause. Then. ["Haahh, Unishida's sister, right? The one from overseas? Haaa, I knew it!"]
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my brain. "Unishida? Who is that? And overseas? When did I fly over the country? I am talking about Yukinoshita Haruno. Yuinoshita Yukino sister."
["You sure? She is that Yukino?"]
"Yes, she is that Yukinoshita." Pride swelled in my chest like a balloon.
["Naah, that can't be her?"]
"Royota, I am not yanking your chain. Why would I–!?"
–tutt(:call disconnected)
The call cut off abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone in disbelief.
"He hung up on me." I muttered, bewildered. "Tsk, he probably thinks I am lying."
....
.
[Scene Change: Ryota's Location]
.
[-Third Person View-]
"Naah, that can't be her?" Ryota's voice carried a hint of desperate hope, clinging to the possibility that the other party would get a hint, despite knowing full well it was already over.
Hachiman's indignant reply crackled through the speaker. ["For crying out loud, Ryota! Why on earth would I make this up? I am telling you–!"]
–tutt(:call disconnected)
With a sharp inhale, Ryota's thumb found the end call button, abruptly cutting off his friend's protests.
His hands moved mechanically, slipping the phone into his pocket and making sure to switch it to silent mode, but he knew that the damage was already done and it is beyond repair, acutely aware of the steely gaze fixed upon him.
The luxurious office shrank back to its usual silence, broken only by the soft ticking of an antique clock on the wall.
Across the room, separated by a polished mahogany desk, sat a middle aged man, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly trimmed, his expression as unreadable as ancient stone.
Ryota's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. The silence stretched between them like a rubber band ready to snap.
"Heh..." A nervous chuckle escaped Ryota's lips before he could stop it.
The forty-five-year-old man wasn't just a friend of his old man.
His full name is Yukinoshita Renjiro, Yukino Yukinoshita's father - the very same Yukino that his friend Hachiman had just unwittingly dragged into this mess.
As the implications of what had just transpired washed over him, Ryota felt a mixture of dread and exasperation.
In the privacy of his thoughts, a single sentiment echoed : Curse you, damn Hachiman.
He finally met the older man's gaze, noting the lack of visible reaction - which, he knew, was more terrifying than any outburst.
His friend's fate had just been sealed tighter than a pickle jar, and he had probably signed his own death warrant in the process.
But hey, what are friends for if not to find a twisted amusement in each other's epic screw-ups?
….
[-Few Minutes Before(:the epic disaster)-]
.
The seriousness in the room was playable as Ryota and Yukinoshita senior sat across from each other, their conversation about business matters hanging in the air like a fragile soap bubble.
–Ring!Ring!Ring
However a sudden ringtone shattered the silence.
Ryota's phone buzzed insistently in his pocket, like a trapped wasp demanding freedom.
"Excuse me, uncle." Ryota replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
He fished out his phone, his stomach doing a backflip when he saw Hachiman's name flashing on the screen. His thumb hovered over the 'decline' button.
The older man across the desk - Yukinoshita senior - waved a weathered hand. "Go on, Ryota. It must be pressing, given the hour. But make it quick." He remarked, his tone as crisp as freshly ironed linen.
With the reluctance of a man walking the plank, Ryota answered. "Hello?"
["Ryota! You there?"] Hachiman's excited voice cut him off, so loud that it echoed in the quiet room.
Ryota winced, feeling Yukinoshita senior's gaze boring into him as he was about to give him some privacy.
However, just as the older man had been about to offer some privacy, but noticing it was a casual conversation from other parties, he decided it was unnecessary.
Ryota didn't need to put it in the speaker. The room's atmosphere was built so quiet that it ensured that every word was crystal clear, even without a speakerphone.
Oblivious to the powder keg he was igniting, Hachiman barreled on. ["Remember all your shameless bragging about your girlfriend, without even being slightly conscious of her also being my teacher? Well, eat dust, my buddy. I have got some news for you."]
"I don't get what you are saying. So I will ring–!" Ryota tried to interpret his words as effectively as a paper umbrella in a monsoon.
"Yeah, yeah, save it." Hachiman cut him off. "Time to take back every smug comment you have ever made. Your boy is off the market. I am dating Yuki–?!"
"Oh, is that right? Haha, that's great, I guess?" Before Hachiman could spell the name, Ryota's forced cheer.
["Drop the act, man. Your poker voice is worse than an in-game announcement."]
["Anyways, don't go around saying anything to Ms. Hiratsuka yet. You know how she is, she would probably blab to Yukinoshita's sister faster than you can say 'confidentiality'."]
"....."
???And that was the moment Ryota realised he messed up. He shouldn't have picked up the call.
.
[-Back To The Present(:Ryota's Side)-]
.
As Ryota's call with Hachiman faded into silence, the office seemed to hold its breath.
Yukinoshita senior leaned forward, his fingers curling under his chin.
"Well now, Ryota." The older man's voice cut through the tension like a katana through silk. "It seems we have a new matter to discuss. Tell me about this... friend of yours."
Hum…. What should I say about him….?
Ryota nodded with a thoughtful look, feeling a mix of unease and dark curiosity in his stomach. Poor Hachiman. His victory was about to turn into a serious blunder.
Anyway, it was time for that as his mind raced, grasping for something - anything - positive to say about Hachiman.
He absently scratched his head, buying time as he mentally flipped through his friend's qualities like a rolodex(:business card).
I should probably be highlighting Hachiman's positive qualities, right?
Now, what is the quality of him that comes under a good one?
Good qualities, good qualities… There's got to be something... He thought frantically.
But as the seconds ticked by, punctuated only by the soft ticking of an antique clock on the wall, Ryota came to a startling realization.
He couldn't think of a single redeeming quality that would impress the formidable man before him, who has been on his throat for more than an hour for approving a few signs of papers.
Ryota thought with a mental shrug. Well… not my circus, not my monkeys.
He took a deep breath, ready to serve up whatever half-truths he could muster about his soon-to-be-doomed friend.
Still though he couldn't help but marvel at the cosmic joke of it all.
How in the world had a simple phone call morphed into this Shakespearean tragedy? He wondered.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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