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[-Continuation-]
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[-Third Person View-]
Yukino's voice wavered slightly as she bid Hachiman goodnight, her usual poise cracking just a bit.
"You as well, good night. Um, thank you for walking me back and... everything."
The words hung in the air between them as she turned, the hotel lobby's warm glow engulfing her retreating form.
Her return to her room was characteristically silent, except for her usual purposeful stride that gave way to a slightly dazed expression.
She paused at the door, lost in thought, before giving it a gentle knock. It swung open almost instantly, revealing a classmate in fluffy pajamas, hair sticking up at odd angles clearly ready for bed.
But the moment she saw Yukino, her face lit up with a smile.
"Oh, Yukinoshita! Where have you been so late?" The girl asked reservedly but her tone was light and teasing, with a hint of genuine curiosity behind it.
Yukino simply nodded in response, her expression unreadable as she stepped inside the room. The room smelled like a blend of green tea and teenage girl, with hushed giggles providing the soundtrack.
The space looked like a slumber party explosion had gone off. Futons were scattered across the tatami in a haphazard array, each occupied by a girl finding comfort in her own unique way.
One girl sprawled out like a starfish, another curled up like a cat, while a couple of them sitting cross-legged engrossed in quiet conversation.
As Yukino tiptoed through the futon minefield, a classmate looked up from a deck of cards spread before her. "Hah, Yukinoshita, why don't you join us for a game?"
"Sorry, I am a little tired today." Yukinoshita replied, her voice carefully neutral, betraying none of the turmoil within.
Without further ado, she got herself to comfort by changing into her pajamas, carefully tugging her teacher's coat into her belongings and set onto arranging her own futan.
She then sank into her futon, immediately pulling the blanket over herself, tucking it securely around her body until she was entirely cocooned. Only the faint outline of her form beneath the blanket was visible as her fingers clutched at the soft fabric, knuckles whitening with the force of her grip.
Beneath the covers in the darkness of her self-made sanctuary, Yukino's heart did an impressive imitation of a hummingbird's wings.
Her mind kept hitting replay on a scene she desperately tried to push away - the warmth, the closeness, the feeling of being embraced.
She shook her head like a cat trying to dry off, as if the physical motion could banish the thoughts right out of her mind.
Flipping onto her stomach, she pressed her face into the pillow. Don't think about it, Yukino. Don't you dare think about it.
But as hard as she tried, the memory surged back, a soft, delicate touch on her lips' heat flooded her cheeks, making her blush furiously, and she found herself squeezing the pillow with both hands, grateful for the blanket hiding her flushed face from her roommates.
–buzz!buzz(:mobile notification)
Just then, her phone buzzed with a notification.
The sound jolted her out of her thoughts, and for a moment, anticipation gripped her. Oh no. Please don't be him. I can't handle that right now.
Reluctantly, she reached for her phone, peeking at the screen from beneath the blanket and bringing it close to her face. The screen illuminated her delicate features as she read the message.
[Yui Yuigahama]
To her relief, it was from Yui. A tiny sigh escaped as she opened the message.
Yui : [Yahallo, Yukinon! Still awake or sleeping?] Yui's text practically bounced off the screen with its usual pep.
Yukino's lips quirked into a half-smile. She could almost hear Yui's bubbly voice echoing in her head.
After a moment's hesitation, Yukino's thumbs hovered over the keypad tapping out a reply. "No... I am wide awake. Don't think I will be getting much sleep tonight, either."
The reply came almost immediately, the worry evident even through the screen.
Yui : [WHAT HAPPENED??]
"...." Yukino stared at those capital letters like they were shouting at her.(Author : Haah, just like my readers)
Her cheeks warmed, a rosy hue spreading across her pale skin. She bit her lower lip considering what to say.
It's fine, right? It's just Yui. She whispered to herself, as if trying to psych herself up.
She began typing : "It's Hachiman-?!"
–but reached to a halt, her brain finally catching up with her fingers.
Her face burned anew. Hastily, she deleted the text and tried again, her heart pounding.
"It's Hikigaya…."
She hit send before she could second-guess herself, then buried her face in her pillow, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement.
Yui's reply materialized almost instantly, making Yukino's heart quiver.
Yui : [Ugh, of course it had to be Hikki! What did he do this time?]
Yukino couldn't help but crack a smile that softened the tension in her chest.
She could picture Yui now, probably sitting bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide with curiosity and a mischievous grin on her face.
Her fingers danced above the keys as she pondered her next move. How could she possibly explain the complexity of what she was feeling?
Finally, she began to type.
"Yui... today was... different. I am still trying to wrap my head around it."
The reply came quickly.
Yui's enthusiasm practically leapt off the screen : [I am all ears, Yukinon! You can tell me anything.]
Yukino took a deep breath and started recounting the events. "We grabbed some ramen with Ms. Hiratsuka… and then took a stroll in the park."
Yui : [Ooh, sounds promising! What happened next?]
Yukino can practically imagine Yui nodding her head up and down in sudden excitement.
Yukino's cheeks burned as she typed: "Well... he said he likes me."
She left out a lot of details, her embarrassment too great to say everything clearly.
Yui's response was like a verbal explosion : [Hold up! Are you telling me he CONFESSED? Like, for real? Yukinon, why didn't you start with that bombshell?!]
Before Yukino could even think of a reply, another message popped up: [But wait a sec! That's all you are gonna say? How did he do it? What were his exact words? I need ALL the juicy bits!]
Yukino let out a soft sigh, realizing she would have to elaborate. She recounted the walk and Hachiman's quiet but heartfelt confession. Despite her initial reluctance, she found herself spilling more details than she had planned, like a dam finally cracking.
There was a pause that felt longer than a Monday morning before Yui's next text appeared.
Yui : [Yukinon... this isn't just your average, run-of-the-mill confession, is it?]
Yukino's brow furrowed like a confused kitty as she typed. "What do you mean?"
The next message made Yukino's heart skip a beat.
Yui : [He asked you to marry him?? But again that's soo Hikki.]
Yukino felt her face burn even hotter, burying it in her pillow for a moment before she could bring herself to reply.
Before she could compose herself, Yui fired off another text: [So... what did you say, Yukinon? Don't leave me hanging!]
Yukino's fingers trembled like leaves in a storm as she typed: "I... I said yes."
Yui : [Holy goddess! My bestie's engaged!]
Despite feeling like she might spontaneously combust from embarrassment, Yukino couldn't fight the smile tugging at her lips. She could almost hear Yui's excited squeal piercing through the text.
Yukino typed: "It's not... we are not... It's more of a promise for the future, I think."
Yui : [Still counts in my book! I am over the moon for you, Yukino.]
Yukino hugged her phone to her chest like a teddy bear, warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with her blanket cocoon.
"Thanks, Yui.... I am happy too. Unsure and a little lost, but happy."
Yui : [That's totally normal. But you have got this, and you have got me, and you know I am already designing bridesmaid dresses in my head."
Yukino couldn't help but laugh softly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have university to think about."
Yui : [Fine, fine. But I am calling dibs on maid of honor. No takebacks!]
As Yukino's thumbs danced across her phone screen, Yukino felt the tension slowly leaving her body. The whirlwind of emotions was still there, sure, but chatting with Yui was like finding a sturdy branch in a storm.
Just as she was about to bid her virtual goodnight, her phone buzzed again.
Yui's message popped up like an excited jack-in-the-box: [Heads up, I am totally gonna mess with Hikki tomorrow! It will be fun to see him squirm!]
Yukino smiled, imagining Yui doing exactly that but she was curious how he would respond as she thought it would be differ from what Yui is imagining.
Nonetheless she cautioned: "Just... don't be too hard on him, okay?"
Yui's response came with a winking emoji that practically radiated mischief: [No promises!]
Yukino was so wrapped up in her digital conversation that she might as well have been on another planet. The rest of the room faded away like background noise.
?...? As she continued to text, a tiny giggle escaped her lips, five pairs of eyes directed towards her with surprised expressions.
Her five classmates, who had been chatting nearby, suddenly found themselves with front-row seats to the rarest of shows - Yukino Yukinoshita, Ice Queen, melting right before their eyes.
"Hey, this is suspicious..." One girl stage-whispered, elbowing her friend hard enough to make her wheeze.
Another cocked her head like a curious puppy. "Whoa, totally. But Yukinoshita can giggle? I have never seen her so... expressive."
"Ten bucks says it's a boy." A third chimed in, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"Make it twenty." The fourth agreed, nodding like she had just cracked the Da Vinci code.
The fifth girl, however, seemed skeptical. "C'mon, guys. This is the Yukinoshita we are talking about. The day she shows interest in someone is the day pigs sprout wings and do the cha-cha."
"You have got a point there." The first conceded, still eyeing Yukino like she was a particularly interesting science experiment.
Meanwhile, in her own little bubble, Yukino remained blissfully oblivious to her newfound audience being too busy tapping away at her phone.
….
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[To be continued…]
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