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[-Continuation-]
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[-Hachiman's POV-]
Orimoto, caught up in the moment and seemingly oblivious to the minefield she was tap-dancing through, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and let out an embarrassed laugh.
"Aah, that reminds me." She chirped, her voice light as a feather, utterly at odds with the bomb she was about to drop.
"Hikigaya confessed to me once!"
??!!
Haa… there it is.
Of course, it had to come up now.
This girl, Orimoto, was really starting to piss me off.
I had steeled myself to be indifferent to her presence and let bygones be bygones.
After all, it was only after getting my memories, that I had managed to get over the emotional pit of her rejection and started looking for something genuine again.
It was the toughest actually since that rejection was what led me to develop complete distrust towards any girls and question their every motive as if I were some sort of teenage Sherlock Holmes.
Ironically, it was also the reason I found myself drawn to Yukino.
She always presented her honest feelings, regardless of how sharp-edged they might be.
Her bluntness was like a breath of fresh air in a world of saccharine falsehoods.
It was exactly the company I needed for my weary heart.
So, I resolved to let things slide as long as Orimoto didn't overstep any boundaries.
But this? This was a step too far.
Completely uncalled for and unnecessary to bring up the past like this.
Under normal circumstances, I might have shrugged it off.
However, Yukino was here.
My girlfriend.
I understood that Orimoto had no obligation to keep my adolescent fumbling a secret.
However, wasn't there some unspoken rule of basic human decency to not spill it in the present situation?
The level of maturity wasn't too much to ask for, was it?
Moreover, it doesn't even seem like an innocent slip of the tongue.
It was a conscious choice to not only embarrass me but also to rile up Yukino.
My blood boiled more so for the latter reason.
…
Yukino, who had been maintaining her cool expression, went utterly still.
The air around her seemed to crystallize, dropping several degrees, as if her internal ice queen had decided to manifest physically.
Haruno's eyes widened in delight, like a child who had just been handed the keys to a candy store.
"Oh my." She purred, her voice a mix of surprise and barely contained excitement. "Please tell us more, Orimoto. This is absolutely fascinating!"
Orimoto, seemingly ignoring the tension, continued blithely on.
"It was back in our second year, wasn't it, Hikigaya? You gave me a letter and everything. It was quite sweet, actually."
I felt my face heat up - not out of embarrassment, but out of sheer frustration.
As she was recounting my past, it became clear that she was using -me- as a tool to chip away at Yukino's composure.
I have always wanted to protect Yukino.
Rationally, I knew she was more than capable of holding her own. Yet, the urge to shield her cannot be rid off.
I can't stand the very thought of anyone looking down on Yukino.
Be it Haruno, or even her mother.
But this?
The thought of Orimoto using me as a pawn to undermine Yukino made my jaw clench.
There was nothing in this world I despised more than being a weak spot for the person I cared for most.
"That's so cute!" Haruno cooed, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "But Hachima-!"
"Big Sis." Yukinoshita's voice cut through the air like a blade of ice. "I believe that's quite enough."
The tension in her words wasn't aimed at Orimoto, but rather at Haruno.
Yet Haruno's smile never wavered. Instead, something in her eyes shifted, like a predator reassessing its prey.
"Oh? But we are just getting to the good part, Yukino." Haruno's eyebrow arched delicately. "Don't you want to hear more about Hikigaya's romantic past?"
Yukino's posture, if possible, became even more rigid. "I fail to see how events from middle school bear any relevance to our current situation."
Orimoto, seeming to finally grasp the gravity of the situation, attempted to backpedal. "I-I am sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. It was a long time ago, and–!"
"There's no need for apologies, Orimoto." Yukino interjected, her voice eerily calm. "As you said, it was a long time ago. People evolve. Mature. Learn from their... experiences."
The way she said 'experiences' made me wince internally.
–cheekk!
Suddenly, the legs of my chair screeched against the floor, loud, clumsy, and completely out of place.
If Yukino's earlier grace had been like a swan's poised departure, mine was more like an old rusted car scraping against a curb.
"Right. We gotta go."
I blurted, before anyone had a chance to reject or question such an abrupt exit.
Instantly, I felt every pair of eyes shift in my direction.
Yukino, Ryota, Haruno, Orimoto, her friend, they were all watching.
My declaration still hung in the air, blunt and unrefined, but I didn't care.
There was no point in worrying about social niceties when the other party couldn't care less.
As for what my action can be labelled?
Again. Couldn't care less.
This wasn't about fleeing or being a coward.
Not really.
There was no real threat to run from.
I could have tried to explain things over, to laugh it off, and downplay it as ancient history.
But why bother?
I owed no explanations to 'them'.
There was only one person here I felt accountable to only one whose discomfort could slice through my usual indifference like a hot knife through butter.
Seeing her unease, knowing I was the root cause, was something I couldn't stand.
We needed to get out of here, to find a quiet corner where words could flow freely between us, where I could set things right.
Without thinking, I gently reached for Yukino's hand resting on her lap.
I felt the faint tremor in her fingers as they intertwined with mine.
Her eyes flickered towards me, a hint of surprise flashing in them, but she didn't pull away or demand an explanation.
Instead, she moved in sync with me as I gently tugged her to her feet, her movements as fluid and graceful as ever, despite the underlying current of tension between us.
That alone told me everything I needed to know.
"Yukino." I said, my voice steady. "Let's go catch that movie I mentioned earlier. Actually... scratch that. Let's make it a proper date. You and me."
The room seemed to hold its breath. Every eye was on us, but their gazes slid off me as nonexistence.
"Now? As in, this very moment?" Yukino asked, startled by the sudden suggestion, her brow slightly raised.
I paused, sensing hesitation. "You don't want to?"
A soft shake of her head, accompanied by the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of her lips, eased my concerns. "No, let's go. I would like that."
Relief washed over me at her approval.
I turned back toward the group, barely acknowledging their presence.
"Well, you heard the lady. We have got places to be. Catch you late.," I nodded briefly toward Ryota and Haruno, their expressions unreadable. "...You too, Orimoto, and... uh, her friend. Farewell."
We left the table, Orimoto's stammering voice trailing behind us, and Haruno's amused smirk undoubtedly followed our every step.
I could feel their stares on our backs, but I didn't turn around.
There was no point.
The only thing that mattered now was getting away, just the two of us - away from the eyes and the noise.
As we were about to descend the stairs, something clicked in my mind.
I stopped abruptly, causing Yukino to pause beside me, her hand still gently clasped in mine.
"What is it?" She asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.
I turned around, glancing back up toward the table we had just walked past.
The awkward energy of the group was palpable, and I could feel their confused stares following our every move.
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. "Hold on a second."
Fumbling in my pocket, I fished out a small keychain. I held it aloft, locking eyes with Ryota, who remained seated at the table, looking for all the world like a deer caught in headlights.
"Ryota, catch this." I called out, lobbing the keychain in a graceful arc towards him.
He snatched it out of the air with ease, his expression morphing from surprise to amusement. "What's this all for?"
"Thank me later."
I replied cryptically, offering a brief wave as I turned back towards the exit, Yukino's hand still firmly clasped in mine.
There was no need to wait for his reply.
I didn't feel like riding my bike back home right now.
It felt like it would only become an unwelcome 'fourth' wheel between the both of us.
But I couldn't leave it behind either.
So tossing Ryota the keys felt like killing two birds with one well aimed stone - problem solved with minimal fuss.
Together, we shouldered our way through the café's heavy door and stepped out into the bustling street.
Behind us, we left a tableau of varied reactions – Orimoto's complicated face, her friend's stoic silence, Ryota's mild amusement, and Haruno's eyes glinting with that ever-present calculating smirk.
But none of it registered on my radar.
Because at that moment, Yukino's hand was still in mine, and for once, that was all that mattered.
Or so I thought.
The moment we stepped outside, Yukino pulled her hand away from mine.
?The abruptness of it startled me.
I glanced down at my now empty hand, feeling a strange pang of disappointment.
She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, almost like a barrier, a subtle way of making sure her hands weren't free for me to grab again.
It wasn't just her body language that threw me off, though.
It was her sudden silence.
Is she... upset that I hid it from her?
I tried to read her expression, but she turned her head away with a huff at a lightning speed.
That startled me even more.
Despite not having my bike, we continued walking.
"..." - "..."
The pace was slow, and the silence between us wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it certainly wasn't the companionable quiet we had grown used to.
Determined to see her face, I leaned slightly toward the direction her head was turned.
But Yukino was quicker, looking in the opposite direction, like she was trying to avoid me.
In that split-second before she turned, I barely managed to catch a glimpse of her face in that brief second - a flash of puffed cheeks, irritated blue eyes, and twitching eyebrows.
And that's when it hit me.
Yukino Yukinoshita, my girlfriend, was pouting.
She wasn't angry.
She was sulking, similar to a child who just found out they weren't the firstborn, and they weren't invited to their parents' wedding.
It was so... unexpected.
It was childish. Absurdly, ridiculously childish.
And it was devastatingly cute.
Like seriously, it was just pure childish whining.
My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, it felt like every other part of my body halted in protest.
My eyes had been blessed with this sight, and every other organ demanded their share of the privilege.
I could barely contain myself.
Yukino, usually composed and elegant, was standing beside me, pouting like a little kid.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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