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[-Continuation-]
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[-Yukinoshita Yukino's POV-]
The meeting begins.
However, instead of focusing, I find myself exchanging glances with Hachiman, our eyes meeting in a silent conversation.
In that brief moment, we both reach the same unspoken conclusion.
This meeting isn't just ineffective. It's utterly pointless.
The endless jargon being thrown around had nothing to do with actual productivity.
After studying the room, my gaze went back on Hachiman, conveying a subtle message.
But as I look at him again, something catches my attention.
Hachiman's eyes are changing - they are starting to shrink slightly…
The lids slowly dropped as if gravity had gained an extra pull on them, the faint twitch in his expression as his head began to nod.
Not now. My heart races as I instantly realize what's about to happen.
And I couldn't let that happen.
I can't let this unfold. My expression tightens, and I give him a silent warning, shaking my head just enough for him to notice.
'Don't even think about it.'
But my warning proves futile.
It's like watching a disaster in slow motion, impossible to stop.
Hachiman's head lowers more with each passing second. Finally, with all the grace of a cat finding a warm spot, he lets his head rest gently against my shoulder.
Not only had he ignored my unspoken plea, but he had also decided to make my shoulder his personal pillow.
The audacity of this man.
My boyfriend, yes, but still.
We are in the middle of a meeting - where one is supposed to stay awake and, ideally, participate.
I sighed internally, but outwardly I kept my composure.
My pen freezes mid-sentence on the paper, my focus completely drawn to the absurdity of the situation.
If I wasn't juggling these notes and papers, I might have given him a sharp pinch on the thigh, just to snap him out of this embarrassing nap.
But I can't move without drawing attention, and the last thing I want is to cause a scene.
Besides, I can't entirely blame him.
Glancing around the room, I take in the constant droning of voices barely punctuating the stifling atmosphere.
This isn't just 'boring' - even that would be too generous.
It's a waste of time, the kind that almost begs for someone to fall asleep out of sheer rebellion.
Even I, who pride myself on enduring such affairs, am struggling to stay engaged.
I moved slightly under Hachiman's weight, but he barely budged. His breathing is slow, and even the rhythm betrays how comfortable he becomes.
For all his faults, I couldn't entirely fault him for this.
Still… to fall asleep on my shoulder, right in the middle of the meeting?
That was pushing it. I resisted the urge to nudge him awake.
No, I couldn't just let this go unpunished. Maybe I had been spoiling him too much lately. It wasn't good to let him think he could get away with things like this.
If nothing else, I was going to have a word with him about it once he woke up.
Still…
As his soft breaths continued against my shoulder, the corners of my lips twitched, fighting the urge to smile.
He was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
But he was my ridiculous.
Despite my initial irritation, there's something endearing about how comfortable he feels beside me and how naturally he drifted off as if my presence alone gave him peace.
I glance down at his face, his expression now calm and serene. For a moment, just a brief moment, I let the frustration fade.
Maybe I can spoil him a little more?
…wait, what was I even thinking?
I shifted slightly under his weight, feeling his breathing steady against my shoulder. It was soft and almost soothing, but also terribly inappropriate.
The meeting was still ongoing, and here he was, completely checked out, oblivious to everything.
At least he had the foresight to take the last seat, tucked away from most people's view.
I had no choice but to sit beside him, though.
Leaving him on his own felt like a recipe for disaster, and of course, he went and proved me right.
As I sit here, trapped between my sleeping boyfriend and the droning meeting, I can't help but wonder how this will all play out.
The clock on the wall ticks away, each second feeling like an eternity. I try to focus on the speaker at the front of the room, but my attention keeps drifting back to Hachiman.
His warmth against my side is both comforting and distracting.
I find myself holding my breath every time someone looks in our direction, silently praying they don't notice our predicament.
The papers in my hand rustle softly as I try to maintain an air of attentiveness, all while supporting the dead weight of my slumbering companion.
But then again, when did Hachiman ever care about causing a little trouble?
…
As the meeting draws to a close, I find myself in an awkward predicament.
Hachiman was still blissfully unaware, his full weight pressing into my side, fast asleep.
The thought of everyone turning to look at us, no, at him, the 'sleeping genius', sent a wave of awkwardness through me.
I shifted slightly, trying to feign indifference, though the heat rising to my cheeks made that difficult.
Then, just as I feared, the meeting ended.
The moment I dreaded had arrived.
The room begins to stir with the telltale signs of an ending session.
Papers rustle, laptops shut off, chairs scrape against the floor, and voices rise in casual conversation.
I brace myself for the inevitable as my mind is already racing for ways to explain this… situation.
But to my surprise, the reaction isn't as catastrophic as I feared.
Most of the group seemed relatively unfazed. In fact, they reacted more with bemusement than anything else.
A few sympathetic nods come our way, as if Hachiman's impromptu nap is a completely normal occurrence.
No one seemed genuinely displeased - at least not outright.
As the group shuffled out, I let out a quiet breath of relief, daring to hope we might escape relatively unscathed.
But, of course, that brief moment of peace was shattered.
"Uh… did Hikki fall asleep?" Yuigahama's voice cuts through the air, her tone a mix of curiosity and barely contained laughter.
She leans forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she takes in the scene before her.
Isshiki, never one to miss out on potential entertainment, chimes in with a soft chuckle. "Senior really just... did that, huh? Right in the middle."
I shot them both a look, trying to keep my composure. "Well, I suppose brainstorming was a little too taxing for some." I murmur, glancing at Hachiman's peaceful face.
He remains blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding around him.
To my surprise, the Kaihin Sogo representatives seem unfazed.
Tamanawa, the student council president, offers a sympathetic smile. "Guess he really embraced the 'relaxation' part of our break." He said with a light laugh. "We were just about wrapping up anyway."
My gaze drifts to a familiar face - the girl from Hachiman's middle school. Her name escapes me, but her disapproving look is unmistakable.
"Does he... always do this?" She asks, her tone wavering between curiosity and judgment.
"Yup!" Isshiki chirped before I could even respond, her grin widening. "That's just Senior for you. Efficient to the end." She waved it off, clearly more entertained than offended.
Yuigahama giggled, adding. "Honestly, it's kinda impressive. I mean, Hikki would be the only one to pull something like this and still look like he is contributing somehow!"
I open my mouth, ready to salvage what's left of this absurd situation, but the reactions around me give me pause.
The middle school girl clicks her tongue, folding her arms. "Hmph, I guess if anyone were going to slack off in a meeting, it would be him."
But Tamanawa raised a hand, shaking his head lightly.
Tamanawa, however, raises a hand in a placating gesture. "It's fine. Honestly, it's kind of refreshing. Everyone's so tense during these things. Maybe we could all use a little more of that laid-back energy." His smile widens as he glances at me. "He has got a good support system, it seems."
Support system? The words echo in my mind as I try to process their meaning.
Is that what they think I am doing?
Keeping Hachiman in check?
Of course, I support him, but perhaps not in the way they imagine.
As I struggle to form a coherent response, I feel Hachiman begin to stir against my shoulder.
His eyelids fluttered open slowly, like someone gently coming out of a deep dream and finally returning to the land of the living.
His head lifted slightly from my shoulder as he finally rejoined the present world.
Eventually, I could see the sleepiness melting away from his face, replaced by confusion as he surveyed the room.
"Huh...? Did I miss something important?" His voice was groggy, but his expression shifted to one of faint realization as he noticed everyone watching him.
"You didn't miss much." I replied dryly, fixing him with a pointed stare. "Just the entire end of the meeting, and now you are the center of attention."
Hachiman blinked, the faint realization setting in as he noticed all the eyes on him.
He shrugged with that signature resignation of his, letting out a sigh. "Well... that's one way to contribute, I guess."
Isshiki, ever eager to chime in, leaned forward, her grin wide and mischievous. "If this was a student council meeting at our school, Seinor, I would have crowned you as the real MVP."
Yuigahama laughed again, her cheerful voice filling the room. Even I couldn't help but smile, though small, at the absurdity of it all.
This is my boyfriend, and despite everything, I find I don't mind it.
Well... maybe just this once.
Hachiman peels himself off me and stands, stretching languidly as if he's just woken from a peaceful nap at home rather than in front of an entire room of people. The casual nature of his actions only adds to the surreal atmosphere.
After adjusting himself, he begins his usual routine. He starts with an apology aimed at the students from other schools, especially those from Kaihin Sogo High.
His words are polite, but there's that familiar tone of indifference, as if he knows most people have already moved on.
He excuses himself to wash his face, returning minutes later with slightly damp hair.
Without missing a beat, he resumes apologizing, this time to our school's students. It's clear none of them are bothered in the slightest.
Even the student council members from our school, the so-called 'trio', seemed perfectly fine with the situation.
In fact, I got the distinct impression that they expected nothing less from Hachiman.
It was as if falling asleep in the middle of a meeting was just part of his unpredictable charm.
I couldn't help but feel a slight pang of confusion.
Was this... admiration I was sensing?
From the same people who usually reserved that kind of respect for more diligent students? For people like... me?
Wait, when did this happen?
I wondered, glancing at my now-awake boyfriend, who completed his apologizing session.
His expression was one of genuine regret, though I couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't all that sorry.
What had he done to them?
Somehow, in the midst of all this, he had managed to charm his way into their good graces, and I had no idea how.
What magic spell did you cast this time?
But honestly, I didn't mind it.
I just watched as he navigated the situation, half-amused and half-annoyed, but... mostly amused.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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