.
[-Continuation-]
[-Same Day(:Evening)-]
.
[-Third Person View-]
Service Club.
Following the new positions, Yukino sat close to Yui, their chairs practically touched.
Their heads were fixed on the phone Yukino held.
The faint glow illuminated both their faces, reflecting the series of photos Yukino had just received from Hachiman.
"Oh my gosh, Yukinon!" Yui exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement and adoration, as she gazed at the latest picture of Kamakura striking a proud pose.
"How is it even possible for a cat to be this adorable? It's like he knows he is being photographed! That's sooo smart."
Her gaze softened, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
"Maybe... I should get a cat too." She mused, her voice quieter now, as if remembering something from her past
Yukino's gaze softened as she looked at the screen, a mix of emotions playing across her features.
"Kamakura's charm is... difficult to explain." She admitted, her voice carrying a hint of warmth that wasn't often there.
One can notice the fact that she is also referring to the cat with his full name 'Kamakura' instead of the short version, similar to the owner of the cat, who is also her boyfriend.
It was hard to miss the fact that she referred to him by his full name—Kamakura, not the more casual Kai or any shortened version.
It followed the same formality the cat's owner, her boyfriend, always insisted upon.
And Yukino's choice to use it was no accident.
It was a conscious decision, one she made deliberately, almost instinctively.
"Though I must say, I am more surprised that he–" She paused, as if carefully choosing her next words. "–actually took the time to do all this."
Yui giggled, nudging Yukino with her elbow in a playful gesture. "Hikki's totally smitten, isn't he? I bet he spent hours on this, just to make sure you weren't mad anymore. It's kind of sweet, in that weird, Hikki way of his, don't you think?"
A faint blush crept across Yukino's cheeks, her expression softening for a brief moment before she caught herself.
With a slight shake of her head, she attempted to regain her usual composure.
"I wouldn't give him that much credit." She murmured, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her true feelings. "He knows he's skating on thin ice. Still, this was... unexpected."
"Oh, come on!" Yui playfully bumped Yukino's shoulder. "You totally love it, admit it! Look at how much effort he put into this!"
"This one's even better! You should totally make it your phone background or something!" She swiped to another photo, where Kamakura was captured mid-leap, looking like a miniature lion on the hunt.
Yukino shot Yui a sidelong glance, her expression a mix of amusement and feigned consideration.
"Don't you think that would be a tad excessive?" But even as the words left her mouth, the corners of her lips twitched upward, betraying her amusement.
Yui's laughter filled the room, bright and infectious. "No way! You have got to reward Hikki for his hard work. I mean, this is like, the peak of boyfriend material right here!"
Knock–!
Before Yukino could formulate a response, a sudden knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
Fush–!
The knock was brief and perfunctory, barely waiting for acknowledgment before the door swung open.
Hachiman stepped into the room, his face set in its usual mask of indifference.
His eyes quickly scanned the scene before him, immediately zeroing in on the two girls seated side by side, their heads almost touching as they leaned over the phone.
A flicker of emotion passed across Hachiman's face - surprise? Discomfort? - as he took in their close proximity.
It was the kind of intimate scene that made him feel like an intruder in his own club room.
Maybe that is exactly why Yukino reacted in such a way towards his yesterday's antics.
Hachiman wasn't dumb.
He knew Yukino isn't oversensitive or averse to even minute public affection.
In fact, he was sure she wouldn't have minded if they were alone.
He understood that Yukino is just considerate to make sure Yui doesn't feel uncomfortable when she is in the club.
Yui belongs here just as much as Yukino and Hachiman.
'Why are they sitting so close?' The memory of something similar flashed through his mind.
His gaze drifted to Yui's hands, which were clutching a familiar-looking phone.
Recognition dawned in his eyes as he realized it was Yukino's device, and the images flashing across the screen were none other than his carefully crafted cat portraits.
Yui was the first to notice his presence. Her eyes lit up, and a grin spread across her face like wildfire.
"Hikki!" She exclaimed, waving the phone like a hard-won trophy. "These pictures are absolutely adorable! Since when did you become such a talented photographer?"
Yukino chimed in mockingly remembering all her experiences. "Ah, Yui, you shouldn't doubt his talent as a photographer. He is quite sneakily professional, to the point that even the subject wouldn't know they were being photographed. Isn't it Hachiman?"
Hachiman stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as the full situation dawned on him.
He jabbed. "When did my talent in photography become a pressing club matter? Or is it just... someone complaining about not being in place of my superstar cat?"
"Yeah, Hikki!" Not caring about their bickering, Yui chimed in, still giggling. "Kai is a total superstar!"
Yukino just humped her head away.
Seeing that, Hachiman let out a long, drawn-out sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course… This is what I get for trying to make amends. Never again…"
…
Soon after a few minutes, discussion regarding Kamakura's modeling career gradually subsided as the trio settled into their usual club routine. Until-
Knock–!
There was a gentle knock at the door, a polite tap that immediately drew all eyes toward it.
"Come in." Yukino called out, her voice calm and composed, her gaze shifting toward the door.
After a brief pause, the door slowly creaked open.
"Seinor..."
A single girl was pressing against her eyes with her baggy cardigan while her flaxen hair fluttered about as she entered the room.
It was Sobu High's newly elected student council president, Isshiki Iroha.
Despite her lofty title, her uniform remained as unkempt as ever, tie loose, cardigan far too big for her frame, and an air of feigned helplessness clung to her every move.
Yui blinked in surprise, her brows lifting as Isshiki stepped inside.
Beside her, Yukino's expression softened into a barely perceptible squint, watching with curiosity.
As for Hachiman? His face contorted into what could only be described as disgust.
His inner monologue practically screamed across his features: 'She's barely warmed the president's seat, and she's already here? This can't be good…'
Iroha, oblivious, or more likely, indifferent, approached Hachiman with a cute, clingy voice, pathetic even, while paying no attention to others' hesitant looks.
"Fueee..." She purposely broke into tears while moaning. "Seniorrr, this isn't good, this isn't good…"
As sly as ever. Hachiman thought, watching Iroha's masterful performance.
Iroha was pushing all the right buttons, trying to stimulate their desire to protect right now.
Yui, ever the peacemaker, stepped in.
"Iroha, what's wrong? Here, have a seat." Her voice was warm, a stark contrast to the chill that had settled over the room.
"Ah, Senior Yui, thank you very much." As if by magic, Iroha's breakdown evaporated.
She settled into the offered chair, her earlier distress seemingly forgotten.
Yukino, watching this transformation with a raised eyebrow, spoke up. "Why don't you tell us what's troubling you?"
Iroha nodded, her demeanor shifting once more. "The thing is… The student council's first job started last week."
"Ah, you are already working, huh? That was quick!" Yui responded back.
Iroha nodded as well. But the moment was fleeting. Her face scrunched up in distaste as she continued.
"And so, that job is suuuper bad…"
…
After going through many deviations, Iroha unraveled her tale, punctuated by dramatic sighs and pleading looks - finally leading to the true reason for her visit.
Yukino summed up: "So, if I understand correctly, the previous student council agreed to a joint Christmas event with a nearby high school, but it fell through. Now your council is attempting to resurrect the project?"
Iroha nodded vigorously. "Exactly! I thought it would be a breeze when I first agreed, but..."
She trailed off, her earlier enthusiasm deflating. "But I didn't know it's meant to be for both older folks and little kids, which sounds like a real headache..."
While Iroha's distress painted itself across her features, Hachiman's mind had latched onto a different detail entirely.
"Which school are we talking about here?"
Iroha blinked, momentarily thrown by the shift in focus. "Huh? Oh, it's Kaihin Sougou High."
….
.
After that, the clubroom turned silent, the weight of the task ahead settling over them like a heavy blanket.
In the end it was settled - the Service Club, led by Yukino's decisive nod, agreed to lend their assistance.
"Okay, Senior Yui." Iroha chirped, her earlier despair nowhere to be found. "Let's meet at the front gate after this. I will be right over there."
"Eh, we have to start today…?" Yui's eyes widened in surprise.
"I am sorry, there isn't that much time left…" At that, Iroha had an apologetic face.
Yukino nodded, her voice cool but accommodating. "That's fine. We will gather our things and meet you at the front gate."
"Thank you so much! I am in your capable hands." Iroha grinned, bowing deeply before practically skipping out of the room, her footsteps fading into the distance.
As the echo of Iroha's departure settled, the three club members began preparing to leave.
Yui grabbed her bag, adjusting the strap on her shoulder, while Yukino neatly folded her notes into her organizer.
Hachiman, true to form, lazily draped his bag across one shoulder, his eyes darting between his clubmates.
Leaning back slightly, Hachiman's gaze drifted to the ceiling. A long-suffering sigh escaped his lips before he broke the silence.
"Yukino." He began, his tone suspiciously casual. "Mind if I take a back seat on this one?"
Yukino paused, straightening her posture before responding. "Should I have asked your opinion before accp–!"
Hachiman interfered. "Nah, you only accepted it after getting a nod from both of us."
"Then may I know the reason?" Yukino inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Hachiman's response came slowly. "...you know the other stuff, right? I am just... preoccupied with that for the next couple of weeks. Not sure I will be much help."
Understanding flickered in Yukino's eyes. "I see. That's acceptable."
As she turned to leave, Hachiman's voice stopped her. "One more thing. Just a heads up about who we might run into from Kaihin Sougou."
Yui's eyes widened in shock. "Hold on, you have friends from Kaihin Sougou High?"
Hachiman felt offended. "Yeah, no. Not a chance."
"What about the school concerns you?" Yukino pressed, intrigued by Hachiman's uncharacteristic unease.
Hachiman exhaled. "...sigh, I have a hunch it's where Orimoto attends."
Yukino's eyebrow arched, a perfect curve of skepticism. "You remembered their uniform from our brief encounter?"
"Well, I should be careful not to go anywhere near the school premises, right? So yeah, I made a mental note." Hachiman explained, his tone a mix of defensiveness and resignation.
"And yet, here you are, entangled with the very same institution." Yukino observed, a hint of irony coloring her words.
"With the kind of luck I have, anything's possible." Hachiman's response was a mutter, barely audible.
Yukino's reply was swift and merciless. "On that, we are in complete agreement."
Her rapid-fire response stung Hachiman more than he cared to admit.
He stared at her, hoping for some sign of reassurance, but found none.
Internally, he sighed, a part of him wishing she'd offer some comfort, perhaps something along the lines of:
'If your luck were truly that abysmal, you wouldn't be in a relationship with someone like me.'
But of course, such sentiments were too much to hope for.
This was Yukino, after all.
Her sharp wit was as much a part of her as her piercing blue eyes.
….
[-Hachiman's POV-]
As we approached the shoe lockers, a familiar scene unfolded between my two other clubmates.
The soft murmur of Yukino's voice drifted toward Yuigahama's ear.
"Remember our trip to Chiba?" Yukino began, her eyes briefly flicking in my direction before settling back on Yuigahama. "Well, Hachiman's wish to deliver a souvenir to Haruno sparked …quite the chain of events."
Yuigahama's eyes widened in anticipation. "Wait, what do you mean? Like, what happened?"
Yukino paused, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before continuing. "My parents found out about our relationship. Both of them."
The gasp that escaped Yuigahama's lips was almost comical in its intensity. "Your parents know? Yukinon, that's huge!"
Yukino nodded, her expression calm despite the weight of the revelation. "Yes. And if that wasn't enough, while we were out, we ran into one of his middle school classmates. The whole situation was… Tiring."
Sympathy washed over Yuigahama's features, her eyes softening as she processed the information.
Without warning, she enveloped Yukino in a warm embrace, her actions speaking louder than words ever could.
As Yukino tensed slightly at the sudden contact, Yuigahama's gaze found mine over her shoulder.
Her eyes narrowed accusingly, as if I had personally orchestrated this entire debacle.
"Hikki, how could you put Yukinon through all that?"
I felt a twinge of indignation.
Hey, I was there too! Why was I suddenly the villain in this story?
I cursed under my breath, feeling more than a little put out by the sudden shift in judgment.
"Oi, I went through it all as well, you know." I grumbled, but my protests fell on deaf ears as Yuigahama continued to console Yukino.
By the time we reached the shoe lockers, the girls were already slipping into their respective shoes.
Sighing inwardly, I turned my attention to my own locker, eager to escape this sudden shift in group dynamics.
As I reached for my shoes, something felt off.
Huh..?
There was an unfamiliar weight resting atop them, a presence that shouldn't have been there.
I ignored the sensation at first and just pulled my shoes out, hoping it was nothing.
And that's when it happened.
As soon as I pulled my shoes free, something fluttered off the top - something light, like paper, but heavier than it should have been.
It didn't fall right away, either.
Instead, it floated through the air, drifting lazily and spinning as if putting on a show.
In that moment of suspension, in mid-air, I caught a glimpse of it.
Pink. Glittery. Shiny. Lightweight.
…A letter…
My stomach immediately did a backflip, and my heart leapt into my throat.
I could feel the blood drain from my face.
However, the pink envelope continued its lazy descent to the ground.
Finally it came to rest, landing at someone's feet.
I didn't need to look up to know whose they were, but I did anyway.
I glanced up.
Yukino.
…and I am dead.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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