….
[-Continuation-]
.
[-Hachiman's POV-]
"…Anyway." I thought, shaking my head slightly. "It seems the date has officially begun."
I walked up to the direction board where they were standing in front.
"Oh, you guys are early." I say, approaching them.
Yukino's response was swift and precise. "Arriving early five minutes before the designated time is standard conduct in society."
Her voice carried that familiar tone of absolute certainty, as if reciting from some universal rulebook of proper behavior.
Next to her, Yuigahama nodded enthusiastically in agreement, her orange hair bobbing with the motion.
The corner of my mouth twitched at the sight - Yukino's typical nonchalance was one thing, but seeing Yuigahama cheerfully agreeing like an eager parrot was almost too much.
"Right, right." Yuigahama continued, her eyes bright with excitement. "Yukinon was really early too. I thought I was here early myself, but Yukinon was the first one here."
At this observation, something shifted in Yukinoshita's composed demeanor.
"...I just didn't want to deal with the crowded train." She muttered and turned her head away, a faint flush creeping onto her cheeks.
In that moment, her black hair, which clearly contrasted against her white coat.
She is definitely looking forward to Destinyland.
I thought, watching her failed attempt at nonchalance.
So earnest...
With our trio assembled, I found myself scanning the station. "It's just the two of them left, huh?"
"Ah, if you're talking about Iroha, she is over there." Yuigahama gestured with an eager smile, pointing toward the corner of the station.
Following her gesture, I spotted Isshiki emerging from the station's corner shop, her arms laden with snacks, looking pleased with herself.
Trailing closely behind her was none other than Hayama Hayato.
They came together…
I noted, though it wasn't exactly shocking news.
Just as I am mentally settling into the idea of our five-person group, another figure appears behind Hayama - Miura.
Of course she is here.
She probably had insisted on tagging along, her stubbornness clinging onto Hayama like a vine.
The parade doesn't end there, and just behind her were Tobe and Ebina, adding to the odd assembly.
I tapped my fingers against my lips, surveying the scene unfolding before me once more… but live this time around.
Did they all show up in the show too?
Honestly, by now, the details are slowly slipping through my brain, and let's not even mention the deviations that happened to the plot.
"Uh, who is paying for all these extra tickets?" I directed my question toward the two girls, hoping for some clarification.
Yukino's eyebrow arches elegantly.
"That's what you were worried about?" Her voice carries notes of pure disbelief.
"Hikki… you are so petty sometimes." Yuigahama adds her own critique to the mix.
"Who are you calling petty?" I counter, injecting a hint of defiance into my voice. "If Yukino wants the world, I will give it to her."
"Why? Because it isn't yours?" Yuigahama interjected, her expression almost childlike in its mischief.
Doesn't matter. I mean, I could always take over the world first, then give it to her...
I thought, but kept that particular thought to myself.
"Also, it's not petty. It's called money management." I added, dismissing her comment with a wave of my hand.
"...you know what's weird? I thought you would be all grumpy about Miura showing up." Yuigahama also added in a dismissive manner, shifting the topic unexpectedly.
I shrugged, keeping my voice level. "It's true I don't see her as significant, but it's not to the point of being a nuisance either. And besides, I don't get to decide what she does with her free time... Do I? It's her life."
Still.. that doesn't mean she can just crash our plans. But whatever. I thought.
Before I can dwell on it, our little gathering gets crashed by the newcomers.
"Senior, good mooorning to you!" Isshiki exclaimed cheerfully.
"Yeah." I responded with a brief nod, as minimalist as possible.
Following right next to her was Hayama, who spoke to me with a meek smile.
"…Hey."
"Yo…"
The words we exchanged were short.
"Hallo, hallo."
"Huuuh? Hikio's here too?"
Miura's head peeked out from behind Ebina, surprise etched on her features as she spotted me.
I couldn't resist but respond.
"Oh... Miurooo's here too?" I matched her tone with exaggerated surprise, pretending I had just noticed her presence.
If looks could kill, the glare she shoots me would have me six feet under. But please - I have faced down scarier things than Miura's death stare.
Actually, it's kind of hilarious.
For a moment, I even found her cute in that bratty way, like a little kid throwing a tantrum.
Like Komachi when I eat her pudding.
A smirk creeps onto my face before I can stop it.
Miura caught my expression and quickly turned away, but not before I spotted the storm of irritation brewing in her eyes.
Nearby, Tobe, who had been silently observing, suddenly exploded into laughter.
"Nah, nah, Yumiko, Hikio's waay too hilarious. It's Hikitani anyway."
They were both wrong, of course.
"Oh… it's Tobniii." I shot back, mimicking his playful tone with a teasing grin.
"Haa… it's Tobe." He corrected me, still chuckling.
"Tobni." I insisted stubbornly, a smirk still plastered across my face, refusing to let go of the joke.
"Tobe…"
"Tobniii…"
Just then a gentle tug at my jacket sleeve pulled my attention away.
Yukino stood behind me, her expression a perfect blend of irritation and reluctant amusement, like someone trying not to laugh at a bad joke.
"Hachiman, save some face for me, could you?" Her voice carried that familiar mix of exasperation and fondness that I'd grown accustomed to.
"Well, they started it…" I murmured in protest, a hint of defensiveness creeping into my tone.
My attention shifted to Hayama. "You are the one who invited them over."
He gave me an apologetic smile, one that felt almost rehearsed. "Yeah… I thought it would be more fun with more people."
I could tell he didn't mean it, not one bit.
"Hum... You should have said so." My mouth twisted with skepticism.
"Sorry about tha–!" He began, but I cut him off.
"Should have mentioned that I could invite someone too! I thought it was only for the 'event members' exclusive." I lay it on thick, pretending to be more annoyed than I actually am.
By 'event members,' I mean the five golden tickets we had.
Just five.
Not this whole parade we have got going now.
Sure, I knew there would be more than five people joining today, but they didn't need to know I'd already figured that out.
It was the perfect excuse waiting to be used, like an ace hidden up my sleeve.
"Hikki, inviting someone? Who could it be?" Yuigahama chimed in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, clearly eager to stir the pot further.
Bingo.
She took the bait like a pro.
Sometimes being predictable has its perks, Yuigahama.
Now came the interesting part - watching 'his' reaction to my answer.
And no, I wasn't thinking of inviting Ryota.
I had someone even more interesting in mind.
Besides, even if I wanted to call Ryota, he was buried under a pile of work right now, so he wouldn't be able to make it.
Aha, I suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for Ms. Hiratsuka.
Maybe we could go on a double date sometime… Yeah, that sounds like a plan for another day.
Anyway, to Yuigahama, even Yukino's gaze sharpened, and it was clear she, too, was interested in my answer.
Even Hayama leaned in slightly, a flicker of intrigue in his eyes.
"Well, it's Haruno." I replied, keeping my expression as deadpan as possible.
Yeah, that's who I had in mind.
Just like Yuigahama has been playing matchmaker with Hayama and Iroha, I had my own little scheme brewing when I saw those tickets yesterday.
Why not throw in a wild card like Haruno into this mix and see what unfolds?
The reactions were fascinating to watch, like a three-act play unfolding before me.
Yukino's eyes flickered with fear, but it wasn't her usual sister-induced anxiety.
This was different - more like the dread of imagining Haruno loose in an amusement park, probably plotting ways to turn every ride into an opportunity for chaos.
Hayama's expression was a whole jigsaw puzzle of emotions- a blend of excitement, sadness, and a hint of joy, all mismatched and layered together.
This freaking bastard was confusing me again.
What game was he playing in that head of his?
Meanwhile, Yuigahama, surprisingly, maintained the most composed reaction of all, her excitement tempered by the unexpected turn of my invitation.
"Haruno? As in Yukinon's sister?" Yuigahama asked.
"Yeah." I confirmed.
Honestly, the idea hadn't even been in my mind until about half an hour ago.
Haruno was just one text away, but I had decided to hold off.
Let Hayama deal with today's incoming confession first - no need to pile on too much drama.
He needed to survive today to satisfy my curiosity tomorrow.
Yukino crossed her arms, a small frown creasing her brow. "What makes you think she would want to go with us?"
I shrugged, brushing off her skepticism. "I don't know, maybe she's tired of her usual routine? A little fun wouldn't hurt her."
Hayama still remained quiet, his expression unreadable.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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