Chapter 2 - Chapter I: The Service Club's Newest Member

Arc I: The Demon of Sōbu

Chapter I,

The New Member of the Service Club

Sōbu High School.

Service Club.

4:42, PM

The rays of the sun reflected the sunset across the club's windows.

The scent of tea filled the club room with calm.

Yukinoshita held her teapot, while pouring into Yuigahama's cup for the second time.

A slight smile tinged the corners of her pale lips.

Doing this for her companion had become part of her routine whenever she was in the club. She could not find the right words to define what she felt, but she wanted to do it, it made her feel useful.

When the cup was nearly full, she lowered the teapot, and brought her companion to her left side.

"Thank you, Yukinon!", Yuigahama addressed her friend, grateful and cheerful as always.

Yukinoshita nodded, showing a small smile.

"You're welcome, Yuigahama-san", when she answered, she took a deep breath. And she could not ignore her other companion.

Hikigaya, Hachiman.

"Should I pour him some?" the doubt emerged "Would he want it?" she wanted to know, she did not want him to accept it simply out of "Should I ask him?" it would be good for him, Yukinoshita thought. Tea was better than that sugary drink he always had. More questions, she was overthinking it. It took her four seconds to pour tea for her companion.

Steam rose from a disposable cup.

"Drink it before it gets cold…"

Yukinoshita pushed the cup toward him.

When Hikigaya saw Yukinoshita going to her seat, he was interrupted by the steam from the cup in front of him.

"A-Ah, dōmo (thanks)" as he took the cup, he began blowing on the steam. "I hope it's not too hot", Hikigaya said to himself as he blew on it. "I have a cat's tongue"

A few seconds later, Hikigaya began drinking it.

Sweet, but not too much, but still a little hot.

Then Yukinoshita accompanied him.

She inhaled the aroma of the tea.

A smile escaped her.

While the room filled with the scent of tea, Yuigahama read the pamphlet her friends had given her.

The school was preparing a trip to Kyoto for the second-year students. This was normal, there was always a trip for the upper grades at the end of the year. It would be a school trip. This was something most schools did.

The pamphlet explained to the students that Sōbu High School would take them on a three-day trip to Kyoto. This was to enrich and learn more about the culture of their beloved country. It listed the places they would visit, such as tourist sites, points of interest, temples, and more.

As she continued reading, one place made her stop so she could see it better.

A beautiful, perfect place.

A straight path where the light passed through the bamboo trees that welcomed the fortunate place.

"Arashiyama Chikurin no Komichi…" a slight murmur escaped Yuigahama.

"Yuigahama-san, did you say something?" Yukinoshita's voice startled her companion.

"Nandemo nai, nandemo nai (nothing, nothing)" Yuigahama answers, hurriedly moving her hands. She did not expect Yukinoshita to hear her. At least Hikigaya did not, he was more focused on his light novel. So, to lighten the atmosphere, Yuigahama begins to speak. "You know, I wanted to go to Okinawa, but apparently everyone else chose Kyoto. Like all the schools, right, Yukinon?"

Yukinoshita noticed how Yuigahama wanted to start a conversation after that awkward moment for her, so she followed along with the conversation that had just begun.

"Personally, I prefer Kyoto, Yuigahama-san" she answers with the same calmness as always.

"Oh, yeah… Doushite? (Why?)" Yuigahama speaks while tilting her head slightly.

"There are many things to do in Kyoto" Yukinoshita lowers her cup. "For example, being able to see our culture and history up close and—"

"That's not the point" Hikigaya interrupts, without taking his eyes off his book.

Yukinoshita's eyes look at Hikigaya with some interest.

"Ara…" her tone slightly curious. "Then, why are we going to Kyoto?, If it is not for a particular lesson, Hikigaya-kun."

"It's to teach us a simulation of life in society" Hikigaya's words make both girls tilt their heads in unison. Although Yuigahama does so a little more. Seeing this, he continues. "Let's suppose a hypothetical situation" Hikigaya coughs to clear his voice. "If you go on a business trip, you won't be able to choose either the food or the lodging. Although if you manage to compromise, you can have a degree of fun. They train us to have that mindset, not to complain. That's how it is…"

"Hikki…" a dejected tone is directed at him. "Your school trips sound boring and sad."

Yuigahama knew about Hikigaya's pessimism, but she expected him to at least enjoy something as simple as a trip.

"He's right, Yuigahama-san, Hikigaya-kun" Yukinoshita speaks. "You should also have things you would like to see, don't you think?"

When Hikigaya hears his companion's words, he admits it.

He nods.

"It could be…" Hikigaya answers, and thoughts come to his mind. "I could take a bath with Totsuka…" he thinks for a second.

"But I still haven't figured anything out yet" Yuigahama's voice interrupts Hikigaya's thought. She rests her elbows on the table and supports her head with her hands. "And you, Yukinon? I'm sure you already know what you want to do…"

"I have an itinerary…" Yukinoshita answers. And when she sees her reflection in the tea, she manages to make a mental map of the places she wanted to see.

"An itinerary…?" Yuigahama questions, looking at her friend.

To which Yukinoshita nods.

"Yes, I'd like to see Ryōan-ji Temple, or Kiyomizu-dera. Although I'd like to go to Rokuon-ji and Jishō-ji first…"

"Rokuon-ji…?" Yuigahama questions again as she straightens up.

She did not remember any temples by that name.

"It sounds like the name of a minor character" Hikigaya joins Yuigahama, equally confused.

"They are known as Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji" Yukinoshita clarifies as she takes a small sip of her tea.

"You should have called them that from the beginning, Yukinon" Yuigahama complains.

"But I think…" Yukinoshita begins. "I'll go to Ryōan-ji first, I'd like to see the famous dry garden. It is one of the most representative examples of karesansui, where the arrangement of the rocks is designed so that you can never see them all from a single point. And Kiyomizu-dera, on the other hand, was built without using nails and offers an impressive view, especially in autumn."

Yukinoshita tilts her head slightly, and continues.

"But I also like Rokuon-ji, since it is known as Kinkaku-ji, reflecting not only its golden structure on the pond, but also an aesthetic philosophy based on harmony and balance. And Jishō-ji, or Ginkaku-ji, represents a more refined beauty, very different, but equally significant…" she takes another sip of her tea, and lowers the cup again. "Oh, something like that…"

When Yukinoshita finished, both Yuigahama and Hikigaya were surprised by the amount of information she knew about Kyoto.

"You're like a tour guide" Yuigahama speaks in amazement.

"A tour guide?" Hikigaya answers, surprised. "It's like a tourist brochure" he was equally astonished, so he thinks. "Is it my imagination? Oh, she's actually excited."

"Knowing things about Kyoto is normal" Yukinoshita answers with her usual calmness. "It's general knowledge."

Both Hikigaya and Yuigahama look at each other. They both smile, but Yuigahama's laughter gets the better of her, laughing a little louder.

"Naki ka? (What?)" Yukinoshita turns to her two companions.

"Nothing, nothing!" Yuigahama answers quickly.

Yukinoshita did not understand what exactly Yuigahama was laughing about, so she drops the subject.

A few seconds were enough for the scent of tea to fill the room again. The small group relaxed.

Yukinoshita drank tea, Yuigahama looked at her phone.

Although Hikigaya would not admit it, he liked these moments.

Just the three of them—

The wooden door creaked.

Three sharp knocks deafened the room.

The sound it produced broke the peace.

The three of them shifted their eyes toward the door.

The echo the sound produced was enough for it to be heard throughout the entire room.

A silence arose, becoming uncomfortable.

"Who could it be?"

Hikigaya wonders, directing his eyes toward the door.

The scent of tea was no longer the only thing in the room now.

Hikigaya straightened up in his seat, without realizing it.

His eyes did not move away, he felt an uneasiness in his stomach. A feeling similar to not knowing what is in the darkness.

"Hiratsuka-sensei? No. She never knocks on the door. Then… a student…?"

The three of them still stared at the door in silence, waiting for someone to do something.

"Yukinon" Yuigahama's voice breaks the silence. "Could it be a student?"

Yukinoshita does not answer immediately. It was too late for a student to come to them. She thinks that perhaps it is Hiratsuka-sensei, but if it were her, she would have simply entered. "Yukinoshita, I'm coming in!" she remembers her adviser's voice. "A student? At this hour?" Yukinoshita answers Yuigahama. "That is rather unusual."

Her words reserved toward her companion's idea.

Yukinoshita thinks that would be strange. Since, thanks to what Hikigaya did at the Cultural Festival.

He was now known as the most hated boy at Sōbu.

The rumors about him spread far too quickly.

Who would want their help?

However, Yuigahama was not convinced.

"Even so" she replies. "If it's one of our classmates, we have to help him, right, Yukino?"

Yuigahama's pleas make Yukinoshita look at Hikigaya, waiting for him to help her.

As he feels Yukinoshita's eyes on him, he tells himself.

"Don't look at me" Hikigaya thinks. "She's your friend."

Yukinoshita sighs with a tired expression.

"Yes!" Yuigahama jumps out of her seat with great joy. When she reaches the door, she looks through the circular glass at the silhouette. "A boy… tall" she says to herself.

When she brings her hand to the grille, a slight shiver travels down her back, the cold in her hand begins to fade as she slides the door.

Finally, she sees him.

A tall boy, his hair is light brown like the sunset.

His eyes are golden in color.

His irises were like molten metal.

Two locks of hair protruded from his hairstyle.

His uniform was complete, jacket, neat and clean vest. But he wore a tie that did not belong to the school. Red with yellow lines and a cross on its knot.

Yuigahama's eyes rose until she could see the boy's entire face.

A perfect smile, making him seem to have fangs instead of teeth.

"Ho—"

Yuigahama closes the door instantly.

"It's my imagination…" she tells herself.

She could not believe it, it was impossible that it was him.

So she slides the door open again.

"Wha!—"

The sound of the door closing again, much louder this time, echoes through the room.

The sound startles Yukinoshita.

Hikigaya, who had taken a sip of his tea, almost chokes.

"Damn it, I burned myself again", he curses to himself.

Yukinoshita straightens up in her seat.

"A-Ah, Yuigahama-san, could you tell us what you're doing?" she asks as she sits upright again, pretending that the loud noise had not affected her.

"Yukinon!" Yuigahama shouts in a whisper. "The Dark Prince is here!, What do I do?" [1]

Yuigahama's voice was somewhat out of control, with a hint of panic.

Yukinoshita had never seen Yuigahama act like this. Usually, she was always cheerful and lively with everyone.

Even with Hikigaya.

"The Dark Prince" she immediately thought, she had never heard that nickname before. Nothing more than a ridiculous one. She did not know about the rumors, but that title was quite distinctive. So she asks. "The Dark Prince?"

Her confusion was evident.

"Oh, please. Even you should know who he is…" Hikigaya addresses her, while wiping the drops of tea he had spilled. "I thought you knew the names of every student."

Hikigaya's words make Yukinoshita smile.

"That seems more like a nickname than a name, Hikigaya-kun" Yukinoshita answers with a satisfied smile as she corrects her companion. "But no, I don't know who they are talking about…"

She confesses again and turns to look at Yuigahama, then returns her gaze to Hikigaya with a look that could be described as tender.

Hikigaya could not evade her gaze.

Looking directly into her blue eyes, appreciating that slight coating in her eyes. Making them shine. By instinct, he swallows without meaning to.

"Mmmh…" he coughs to clear his throat.

But Yuigahama speaks first.

"Seriously, you don't know who he is, Yukinon?" she comments, somewhat surprised.

Yukinoshita shakes her head again.

"I'm afraid not, Yuigahama-san."

"He was the student who beat up several students from Kaihin, they were taken to the hospital" Hikigaya speaks, recovering. "They say he never stops smiling. Besides, I thought he had been expelled, he hadn't attended classes for about four or six months. I think…"

Yukinoshita brings a finger to her chin.

"Apparently Hikigaya-kun knows him well…" Yukinoshita clarifies in a calm voice. "Could it be that Hikigaya-kun has a friend?"

"Not at all…" Hikigaya immediately answers in an annoyed tone. "Zaimokuza told me."

Hikigaya remembers his conversation with his non-friend. A great source. They both shared the second year of Class C. He had said that he used rumors like that to create the Demon King of his light novel… plagiarized.

Yukinoshita, still keeping her finger on her chin, tilts her head slightly.

"Zai… Zaitsu-kun? Your friend?"

Hikigaya shakes his head.

"He's not my friend…"

Yukinoshita speaks again and asks about what Hikigaya said.

"Expelled, you said, right?"

Hikigaya nods.

"Yes, Yukinon" Yuigahama speaks this time. "That boy is terrifying. They say the screams of the people he beats up can be heard through the school speakers. Even Yamato-kun said he fought with him once."

"Yamato? Who is Yamato?" Hikigaya asks quickly.

"Hikki!" Yuigahama shouts, annoyed. "He's our classmate. He didn't come for a week because of that" she answers with slight annoyance. But even so, Hikigaya still seemed not to know who she was talking about. "He's friends with Ōoka…" Yuigahama speaks again. But still nothing. "And Hayato-kun…"

"Oh…" Hikigaya barely murmurs.

Yuigahama pouts slightly at Hikigaya. She wanted to change that. She wanted him to get along better with her group of friends, but no one made an effort.

Neither them, nor him.

That somehow hurt Yuigahama.

"I understand" Yukinoshita's voice makes Yuigahama turn to her. "Another violent… bully" Yukinoshita begins to murmur. "Hikigaya-kun's friend…"

"He's not my friend" Hikigaya answers with a slight growl. "I don't even know him."

But Yukinoshita ignores Hikigaya's words and continues with her introspection.

"Abusive, Hachiman…"

"Oe" Hikigaya protests. "Don't use my name as a synonym for violence."

"Sou, sou (right, right)" Yuigahama intervenes. "Yukinon, don't be so hard on Hikki. At least he isn't violent. He's very soft…" Yuigahama points at her companion with a smile.

"Thanks for calling me weak, Gahama-chan" Hikigaya thinks. He turns toward the door, and he is still there. "Yeah, well, whatever. He's still at the door."

Both girls look at the shadow his silhouette cast through the glass of the door.

"Oops!" Yuigahama walks toward the door. But she stops a few steps away from it. "Yukinon… should I open it?"

Yukinoshita is surprised by her companion's attitude. She was not scared, but she was acting in an uncomfortable way. So she stands up.

"I'll do it."

When Hikigaya hears Yukinoshita, he tenses. He would prefer to stay seated, but he did not want her to get close to that guy.

He had heard the worst things about him.

And although Hikigaya did not believe the rumors, surely there was something true among them.

"Wait, Yukinoshita-san" Hikigaya speaks.

"What…?"

The way Hikigaya spoke makes Yukinoshita stop.

She had not even realized it.

"Maybe he doesn't want anything. We should just leave it like that…" Hikigaya begins to speak. "Besides, we only have about ten minutes before we leave. What would be the point of seeing to him? It would be better to wait until tomorrow…" Hikigaya's voice, although it did not waver, sounded uneasy, as if he were trapped. A stammer almost escaped him, so he continues. "He's just a bully, right? We don't want anything like that here. Maybe he just came to bother us. It would be best to call Hiratsuka-sensei."

He hated it, he hated empty words.

An empty speech.

Yukinoshita heard Hikigaya's words, she heard him and saw that he was genuinely distressed.

He was worried about her…

She looks at him in amazement, and a slight reddish tint begins to emerge on her pale cheeks. But the sun behind her prevents him from noticing.

Unlike Yuigahama.

The words, the tone, hurt her. A physical pain that burned inside. She did not want to see this. Something in her, in her chest, began to hurt.

She knew what it was.

But she did not want to feel it.

Not now.

She did not want to see it.

So, her eyes looked at the shadow cast by the Dark Prince's silhouette, she began walking quickly toward the door. Immediately, her hand goes to the grille. The anguish she had felt moments ago was gone.

She slides the door open, and sees him.

An unwavering smile.

And while he plays with his fingers, making his nails crack, he addresses Yuigahama.

"Can I talk now?" he speaks in a charming tone with the corners of his lips raised.

Yuigahama nods.

"You can" she answers, inhaling air. "I nee—"

"Matsuba, Haruto" he grabs Yuigahama's hand at an abnormal speed. "It's a pleasure to meet one of the protagonists of the Cultural Festival. Such a cutie."

He gives her hand a slight squeeze and pulls himself inside using Yuigahama's hand.

"Cute…?" Yuigahama barely murmurs, almost inaudibly.

It was clear that he had bewildered her enough for her not to react. Being called: Cute. By someone other than her mother or father, made her blush fiercely. It was not deep, nor romantic, but unexpected enough to make her cheeks burn.

Matsuba, now inside the club room, did not even hear Yuigahama. He had left her where he wanted her, at the entrance, standing there like a plant.

Upon entering the room, he looks around and sees the two students who interested him.

The most hated boy at Sōbu and the Ice Queen.

Sitting at opposite ends.

Adorable…

His smile involuntarily widens.

"Excuse my sudden visit" Matsuba continues as he looks at the two students. He opens his arms in a theatrical manner. "But I saw your fiasco at the Cultural Festival. "What a great performance!"

He briefly turns to look at Hikigaya, but his eyes shoot around the room with animosity.

Yukinoshita furrows her brow upon hearing him.

"Our fiasco?"

The words lodged like a thorn. She did not know what he was referring to, and that irritated her more than she would like to admit.

"Fiasco…" Yukinoshita murmurs in annoyance.

Meanwhile, when Hikigaya felt his eyes on him, he saw his reflection for a second.

The hair on his back stood up, his skin prickled. He did not believe he could be referring to what happened on the rooftop. It was impossible that he knew. The only ones who were there when it happened were her friends, Hayama and him… and Sagami herself…

"Mmmh…" Hikigaya barely manages to murmur.

Unless he…

"Ha, ha, ha" Matsuba's laughter fills the room, interrupting Hikigaya's brief thought. "I hadn't laughed this much since I was at Keiai Gakuen High School. Ha, ha, ha…" his voice lowers. "So many screams…" but an upbeat tone emerges instantly. "And I couldn't resist! So I came to your wonderful club. But not before asking your adviser to make me a member of the club."

Hikigaya's heart nearly stops.

"Adviser…?" Hikigaya speaks as quietly as he can. He could not believe it. "This guy overpowered Hiratsuka-sensei" Hikigaya brings his hand to his forehead, astonished and afraid.

Matsuba laughs a little more, taking a few steps around the club room.

"Ha, ha, ha… curious woman. I don't think she'll ever get married…" Matsuba mentions. "So—"

"Wait" Yukinoshita stops him.

Matsuba turns to look at the owner of the words.

Hikigaya turns to look at her. He had not noticed that Yukinoshita was standing up and had begun walking around the table. He was so focused on Matsuba that he did not see what was happening around him.

Matsuba leans toward her.

"Yes…"

Yukinoshita, now a few meters away from him, continues.

"Matsuba-kun… right?"

Matsuba, who until a few seconds ago had been scanning the room with his eyes, now had them fixed on Yukinoshita's.

His smile grows wider.

Hikigaya feels a knot in his stomach.

"Mmmh…" he nods.

Making his smile deepen.

Yukinoshita immediately furrows her brow upon seeing him. His attitude bothered her. It was irritating, invasive, and completely lacking in respect.

"Hiratsuka-sensei has not informed me about a new member" her polished and icy tone made her displeasure stand out. However, instead of frightening Matsuba, it had the opposite effect. So Yukinoshita, noticing this, continues. "I don't know what kind of joke this is. Oh, yes, if you're only here to make fun of us, I ask that you leave. If you refuse, I will inform Hiratsuka-sensei, Matsuba-kun."

His smile sharpens.

"Yes, Yukinon, you're right!" Yuigahama shouts from the door. She moves toward her friend, standing beside her, and continues. "If you only want to make fun of us, we'll tell Hiratsuka-sensei."

Hikigaya, who remained in his seat, did nothing but stare at Matsuba without blinking. He tried to read him. He couldn't, he saw nothing.

He was only smiling smugly.

He could not find any reason why the Dark Prince of Sōbu would be in their club. He did not know how to predict him. He could predict other people's intentions. It was clear that Yukinoshita would speak first, assert herself against him, regardless of what the rumors said. But he had no idea how he would react to her…

That was what worried him.

But he did know one thing. If things began to escalate, he knew what he had to do.

His breath escaped him. He felt as though his head were spinning.

He knows what he has to do.

The only thing he can do.

Sacrifice himself.

"Yuigahama is right" Yukinoshita speaks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hiratsuka-sensei will come. If you hurt us, you'll be expelled from the school."

Matsuba merely made the corners of his lips rise higher.

"Itoshii… (dear)"

A slight tint immediately rose across Yukinoshita's cheeks.

"Itoshii…"

Yukinoshita repeats in a murmur, without realizing it, she covers herself more with her arms.

Her heart began to race.

The red in her cheeks turned bright red.

Matsuba's lips stretch, revealing more teeth in his smile.

"If I wanted to hurt someone here…."

The charming tone began to change. It was like hearing the static of an old television.

His smile widened much more than before, revealing sharp teeth.

"I… would… have… DONE IT already."

Hikigaya opens his eyes instantly upon seeing him.

"Is he a demon?!" Hikigaya screams to himself. "He calls Yukinoshita: Dear, is he looking to get himself killed?!"

Yukinoshita, whose cheeks were still flushed, was not alone. Yuigahama, although the nickname was not directed at her, also developed a slight red tint.

"No!" Matsuba raises his voice, changing to his cheerful tone. "I want to help!"

Seeing how incredibly his way of speaking changes, Yuigahama becomes even more confused.

"What did he just say?" Her embarrassment disappears due to the confusion. "Help?"

"Help!" Matsuba repeats with great joy and begins laughing and stroking Yuigahama's hair. Just as he would with a confused puppy when it loses its owner or the place where its food bowl is always kept. "Ha, ha, hello! Are you there, brainiac?"

Matsuba's hand messes up Yuigahama's hair. Annoyed, she moves away from him, trying to fix her bangs. She lets out little pouts at Matsuba, annoyed.

Yukinoshita, who had not reacted, takes a deep breath, brings her hand to her forehead, and gently rubs it.

"Help…" she continues, massaging her forehead. She had not thought his words would affect her so much. "Help, with exactly what…"

Matsuba stops playing with Yuigahama's hair and returns to Yukinoshita.

"This club!" He does not abandon his cheerful tone. He stands between both girls, spreading his arms, while his hands grip their shoulders. "This thing you're trying to do, this foolish club…" But with a quick movement, he pulls Yuigahama away from Yukinoshita's side, holding her in front of him. "I want to help you run it."

Yukinoshita now had a new tint of red on her cheeks.

"A-Ah, run it?" Yukinoshita tries not to reveal any more of her nervousness, taking a few steps back.

"That's right!" Matsuba once again approaches Yukinoshita, raising his cheerful tone even higher.

Hikigaya did not take his eyes off him.

What was he after?

He tried to read him again, looking for anything. But nothing, he was not showing anything.

What does he want?

Hikigaya watched him approach Yukinoshita. He was far too invasive.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy? Does he think he's a foreigner?" Hikigaya thinks. "Doesn't he know anything about personal space? Or even that you shouldn't touch a girl with such familiarity."

Yuigahama was now a few meters away from Yukinoshita, with Yukinoshita's back in plain sight and Hikigaya behind her. So she repeatedly turns toward Hikigaya.

Her face said it all…

"Hikki, help her."

But all he could do was swallow.

Yukinoshita takes a few steps away from Matsuba.

"Why?" she asks without taking her eyes off him.

Matsuba quickly removes his hands from Yukinoshita and turns to face her.

Now the three of them were positioned in a perfect zigzag within his peripheral vision.

"Why do people do things?" Matsuba answers. "Because they're completely bored!" He brings both hands to his cheeks and stretches them. "Inspiration hasn't come to me" he stops and begins playing with his locks of hair. "Doing the same thing as always has become monotonous and it's missing that certain something" he moves his hand like a chef taking spices to season his dish. "That's why I came here to create something new in entertainment! Ha, ha, ha!"

His laughter can be heard throughout the club room.

"This guy is really strange" Hikigaya tells himself.

Yukinoshita, who was listening carefully, was more relaxed this time. She controlled her breathing, and her blush had almost completely disappeared.

"So participating in a festival is entertainment to you… Matsuba-kun?" Yukinoshita speaks.

She really did not understand what he wanted.

Participate in extracurricular events?

Build relationships?

Make friends?

Hikigaya tenses slightly upon hearing Yukinoshita's statement.

"Ha, ha!" Matsuba laughs. "Sō yo, anata… (that's right, darling)" Yukinoshita tenses again, but controls her flushed cheeks. "Forcing a person onto a stage, breaking down in tears, is the purest thing there is, dear. True passion! Memorable performances! That is the talent I want to support."

Yukinoshita slightly narrowed her eyes.

"Ah… Samagi-san… I had forgotten" she straightens her posture and briefly turns to look at Hikigaya. "Right, Hikigaya-kun made Sagami-san come back to give the results. I never thought he was capable of making her cry," her eyes shift toward Matsuba. "Is that why he wants to join the club?"

Yukinoshita brings her eyes back to Hikigaya, but he quickly avoids them.

Hikigaya's thoughts overwhelm him.

"Did he see it?" Hikigaya thinks. "Damn it…"

Meanwhile, Matsuba begins taking a few steps around the room, eventually stopping at the window before quickly turning around.

"In the end, the world is a stage and a stage is a world…. of entertainment."

Golden was reflected in his eyes.

More than before.

Yukinoshita turns her eyes toward him.

A blush on Yukinoshita's cheeks was visible.

But that did not stop her from bringing her fingers to her chin.

She thought, it was more of a conjecture than a reality.

"A stage is a world of entertainment…" Yukinoshita repeated to herself. "Matsuba-kun sees it as entertaining, how a person cried while on stage. Nee-san… encouraged Sagami-san. She saw her arriving late to meetings, told her: That's what a president does. Only to watch her fall afterward…"

That way of thinking, she knew very well.

Her older sister.

She hated the way she thought.

And with this, she could prove it.

That she was wrong.

"Matsuba-kun, then…" this time Yuigahama speaks, taking his words in the least cruel way. "You're saying that you want to help other people, right?"

"Ha, ah! Of course not, not in the slightest!" Matsuba answers. "Ooooooh! Helping. The existence of what ought to be…" he moves toward the window behind him. "No, no, no" he watches students coming and going. "There is nothing to help save those students from. The problems they get themselves into are their responsibility, and they will have to live with the consequences and regret" Matsuba turns, looking at Yukinoshita. "And that is their punishment! You cannot help undo what has already been done."

When Matsuba finishes, he leans against the window frame and once again looks at the students.

Hikigaya opens his eyes.

He was surprised, he could not believe what he was hearing.

"Did he really just say that in front of Yukinoshita?" Hikigaya tells himself.

He even felt a little sorry for the Dark Prince. If he did not know Yukinoshita, he would not know what was going to happen, but he did, he knew her.

So Hikigaya closes his eyes, considering this day over.

"Then why do you want to join the club…" Yukinoshita's words were so icy that they seemed to challenge him. This only made Matsuba smile more. "If it is not to help others, Matsuba-kun."

"What?!" Hikigaya screams to himself. His eyes widen as he hears Yukinoshita. "What the hell is going on?"

Yukinoshita let it pass?

Everything Matsuba said was a direct provocation. Not only to the club, but to the very ideology that had guided Yukinoshita ever since he had known her.

Ever since he had entered this nearly empty room.

Matsuba, who still kept his eyes on the students moving from one side to another, smiles even more upon hearing Yukinoshita's words.

"Why do you want to be here?" Yukinoshita asks again, but this time she takes a few steps toward him with more confidence than before.

Matsuba feels her approaching and, in a quick movement, turns around and begins walking toward her.

His smile widens.

"Consider my person a work of charity" Matsuba says as he takes Yukinoshita's hand. Her face slowly turns crimson. But he ignores it. And begins spinning her around as if it were the climax of a waltz. "I want to see the school's scum try to reach their dreams on the mountain of solidarity we will provide…" he stops the continuous spins, then embraces Yukinoshita by the shoulder, holding her just centimeters from his jaw. "Only to watch them fall repeatedly into the same pit of despair caused by failure…"

Matsuba's breathing briefly becomes agitated.

It was like watching a predator staring at its prey.

Instead of showing fear or displeasure at Matsuba's words, Yukinoshita simply removes his hand from her shoulder.

"Of course…" she murmurs, ignoring how his voice was becoming more severe.

Her embarrassment was gone.

Replaced by confusion.

Yukinoshita briefly looks at Hikigaya.

He notices, but he could not do anything.

Their gazes meet.

But without Hikigaya realizing it, Matsuba wraps an arm around Yukinoshita's waist, pushing her out of the club.

Yukinoshita opens her eyes in surprise. She did not expect that, but when she was about to speak, Matsuba already had her just inches from the door, leading her outside.

"Without a doubt, I sense great things here, and who better to help you than me, sweetheart!" Matsuba shouts excitedly, taking Yukinoshita out of the club.

And as the two of them leave, the Dark Prince's voice becomes harder and harder to hear.

Hikigaya could not believe what had happened.

That guy barged into their club, said as much as he wanted.

And he could not do anything.

So the best thing he could do was talk to himself.

It was the only thing he could do.

Now.

"Yukinoshita-san is strong."

However, he did not truly believe his own words.

"Damn it."

Only a few seconds passed, and the silence became unbearable.

Yuigahama breaks the silence, as always.

"Hikki, what do we do? Matsuba-kun took Yukinon" she speaks in a trembling voice. "Do you think he could do something to her?"

Hikigaya pales.

He did not want to hear it, he did not want to imagine it.

"Yuigahama-san" Hikigaya's voice is serious. "Don't say something like that. Although I don't find it funny that Yukinoshita-san calls me a potential predator. Don't say that, not even as a joke. Not again, please…"

Just thinking about it makes his stomach churn. Thinking of Yukinoshita, vulnerable with someone like Matsuba, was disgusting. He did not want to think about it, because if he did, he knew exactly how far he would be willing to go.

Yuigahama realizes what she said.

The way she said it.

She opens her eyes and immediately answers.

"I'm sorry, Hikki."

The sound of the door is heard again.

"Yukinoshita…"

Hikigaya's words.

"Yukinon…"

Both thoughts coincide.

"Douzo (come in)" Yuigahama speaks.

A blond head.

Hayama Hayato.

"Hello" he greets them.

However, he was accompanied by someone else, Tobe Kakeru.

"Hayato-kun, Tobecchi" Yuigahama addresses them. "What are you doing here?"

Although Yuigahama's tone was normal, light. There was a certain confusion. At that moment, she did not want to receive anyone in her club. Even if it was a request.

Hayama noticed the way she spoke.

He did not know Yuigahama all that well, but it was easy for him to know when someone was not being completely sincere. Meanwhile, Tobe only fidgeted back and forth without paying attention to her, or to anything.

"Where is Yukinoshita-san?" Hayama asks abruptly.

The way he said it was not annoyed. Nor did it show hostility.

Just an immediate need to know.

However, Hikigaya did not take long to figure it out when he saw him. His brow furrowed. Without turning to look at him.

"He's not here" he answers. The tone was clear, and a thought crossed his mind. "If he can't help himself… how can he help her."

One, two, three seconds. Hayama nods.

"I understand, Hikitani-kun" he says. After a brief pause, he takes Tobe by the shoulder, guiding him outside. "We'll come another time."

"A-Ah, but Hayato-kun, we nee—"

"We'll come back later. Another time. We can wait…" the tiredness could be heard in the blond's voice as they walked down the school hallway.

As the sound of both of them faded away, silence fell once again.

The sound of the clock weighed on Hikigaya.

Yuigahama said nothing.

He raises his eyes to the clock. The second hand advances until it marks the next hour.

Time kept moving, and Yukinoshita still did not return.

Hikigaya did not want to think about the worst-case scenario, but his mind would not obey him.

The door slides open again. Fifteen minutes had really passed. They seemed like hours.

Hikigaya unknowingly began breathing again.

But it opens only enough to show the hand of whoever was opening it. Then Yukinoshita enters, calm as always, and behind her, him.

Hikigaya clicks his tongue.

He had hoped Matsuba had not returned.

Yukinoshita walks to the center of the table, her eyes closed, and her chest rising and falling. Now she was standing between her two club companions. Her subtle but clear expression. She had news.

So she takes another breath once again.

"I've considered Matsuba-kun's proposal" she says, moving her hand to point at him. Both Hikigaya and Yuigahama turn to look at him. To which he smiles. "And from now on, he will attend the club. He'll be able to participate in any requests he wants to help us with. We were just clarifying a few points."

Hikigaya felt a hole in his stomach.

"It can't be…" he murmurs.

He could not believe it.

Was this really the same Yukinoshita he had met, the one speaking now?

Yuigahama had an uncomfortable smile.

"Now Matsuba-kun is…" Yukinoshita speaks again. "He is the Vice President of the Service Club."

Hikigaya could no longer contain his silence.

Vice President?

"So he bribed Yukinoshita into giving him that position" Hikigaya tells himself. "I didn't even know such a position existed" a couple of seconds were enough for Hikigaya to speak. "Yukinoshita. You can't be serious."

A growing desperation could be heard in his voice.

Matsuba's smile, far from disappearing, grows wider. Hearing Hikigaya's displeasure, his anger, his frustration, and his discomfort made the corners of the smile he had worn since entering the club room stretch even farther.

"Yes, Yukinon" Yuigahama speaks. "Don't you think it's too soon? Maybe we could wait a little…"

Yuigahama's words made Matsuba smile even more.

Hikigaya notices it, his frown becoming even more pronounced. He seemed to feed on their desperation.

"This guy…" Hikigaya tells himself. So the Monster of Logic emerges. "And you allowed him to join just like that? What about Hiratsuka-sensei?" Hikigaya no longer cared that he was present. He could wait for Matsuba to leave and have Yukinoshita alone, but Matsuba's attitude was unbearable to him. "Don't you think it's a little… presumptuous? We know nothing about him."

The words came out at great speed.

Yukinoshita maintained her calm attitude, her eyes closed as she listened.

Meanwhile, Yuigahama tried to say something else. Her eyes looked at Hikigaya, then back at Yukinoshita. She fervently nodded at the words Hikigaya was saying to her friend, with an expression of bewilderment and her eyes wide open.

"Hikigaya-kun" Yukinoshita opens her eyes to look at him. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it, it was Hiratsuka-sensei. While I was out, I received her message authorizing him."

Again came the sound of Hikigaya clicking his tongue.

"Tsk, that woman."

And while the three students were focused on one another,

Matsuba moves across the room until he reaches Yukinoshita.

"So…" he speaks, extending his arm toward her and opening his palm. "Do we have a deal?"

His smile widens, his golden eyes gleam.

"No. No deals" Yukinoshita immediately pushes Matsuba's hand away. "You'll be the vice president. You'll help with whatever you want, and you'll be free to decide whether or not to participate in the club's activities. There's no need to make any deal."

Hikigaya opens his eyes wider.

"A deal?" he thinks to himself.

Matsuba closes his palm, brings his hand back to himself, and takes a few steps around the room, his index finger resting against his chin.

"Mmmh, mmh" he hums. "Fine, that seems fair to me."

While he continues walking around the room, he touches a few things, running his finger across their surfaces and lifting dust. When he sees the place where Yukinoshita keeps her teapot, he smiles.

Two cups, with three people.

His eyes turn to Hikigaya.

And his smile grows even wider.

Hikigaya looks at him with displeasure when he feels Matsuba's eyes on him. So he looks away from him and—

"Smile, friend!" Matsuba was inches from his face. He strokes Hikigaya's chin with his index finger. "They say you're never complete without a smile!"

"What?!" Hikigaya jolts. "How the hell did he get here so fast, I didn't even see him!"

Hikigaya angrily removes Matsuba's finger, his anger bordering on rage.

Matsuba's smile grows wider as he watches Hikigaya's eyebrows furrow even more.

While Matsuba bothered Hikigaya with his index finger, Yuigahama walks quickly around the table in front of her to reach her friend. She grabs Yukinoshita's arms, which were still crossed over one another across her chest.

"Yukinon" Yuigahama whispers. "Are you sure about this? We, this…"

The words would not come out.

Matsuba continued walking around, leaving Hikigaya alone.

When he sees Yuigahama with Yukinoshita, he approaches his two companions. He wanted answers too. More than that, he hoped that with Yuigahama's ability to convince Yukinoshita, she would make her change her mind about bringing someone else into the club.

Since it's just the three of them, right?

Just the three of them…

"I'm sorry" Yukinoshita begins. "Hiratsuka-sensei didn't give me another choice. Her text message was clear. If we don't get more members, the school will close the club. We don't do much, and the school could use the club room for other activities."

Hikigaya opens his eyes.

"That's why" he thinks.

The three of them look at one another, and in a moment of habit, Yukinoshita and Hikigaya.

Her crystalline blue eyes looked into the dead-fish eyes of the boy.

She wished she could say it…

"Did I do the right thing, Hikigaya-kun?"

But she knew that no matter how much she wanted to, the words would not come out.

The sound of footsteps stops.

"And where are the other club members?" Matsuba walks toward Yukinoshita. However, there was not a trace of mockery in his tone, but he never stopped smiling.

He slowly approached Yukinoshita, getting closer and closer, dangerously close to her face.

"Too close, too close!" Hikigaya screams to himself. Yuigahama smiles awkwardly. But she turns to look at her companion with a seriousness that makes him confused. "Don't look at me, Yuigahama, do something!"

Yukinoshita had a slight tint of red on her cheeks.

"Mmmh…" she murmurs. And looks at her two club companions with slight embarrassment.

Matsuba smiles.

"Ha, ha" he laughs, while tugging on a strand of Yukinoshita's hair. "We're going to need more than that."

The sound of the door once again interrupts the room.

Matsuba heads toward the door. When he opens it, there was no one there.

The camera moves downward.

A girl with reddish hair is revealed.

"And who is she?" Hikigaya asks himself.

Matsuba grabs the girl around the waist with both hands, showing her to the group as if she were a puppy.

"This girl is Aisaka Aiko."

Upon seeing the new girl, the first thing Hikigaya thinks is…

"Short" he tells himself again.

She was shorter than Yuigahama. A little more than five centimeters below her shoulder.

"Hello" Aisaka speaks excitedly, waving her hand. "I'm Aisaka Aiko. Second year, Class B. You can call me by my first name, don't hesitate" Aisaka's hand does not stop until Matsuba stops it. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. It's been so long since Haru-kun made new friends."

"Friends…?" Hikigaya murmurs almost inaudibly.

Without realizing it, Yuigahama does not notice. She startles and comes back to herself.

She had not realized it.

Everything was happening too quickly.

She did not want this….

"A-Ah, Yahallo, Aiko-chan. I'm Yuigahama Yui. Second year, Class F. You can call me by my first name too."

Yuigahama stammers a little as she introduces herself.

"Hikigaya, Hachiman. Same" he raises his eyes when he speaks.

Yukinoshita takes a breath before speaking.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aisaka-san. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino" her polished and dignified tone sounds. "I belong to Class J, second year. I'm the president of the Service Club."

Aisaka smiles upon hearing Yukinoshita.

"You can call me by my first name, Yukino-san."

Yukinoshita jumps slightly upon hearing her name so openly. Someone using her first name so casually catches her off guard.

"A-Ah, I understand…" Yukinoshita answers.

But she takes a deep breath. Considering how her afternoon had gone. Hearing her first name was barely a minor annoyance. Her eyes inevitably slid toward her now-vice president.

But Matsuba simply smiles at her.

When Yukinoshita was about to speak again, Aisaka speaks.

"There are only two women here" she begins looking around the entire room. And her eyes widen. "Oh, my God! What a filthy place. It really needs a feminine touch, and most of the people here are women. No offense."

Obviously, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are offended.

Hikigaya covers his mouth with the fist of his hand, holding back his laughter.

"Does something amuse you, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita looks directly at him. Her icy voice freezes the atmosphere instantly.

"A-Ah, no. No" Hikigaya inhales air. "It's nothing."

"Hikki…" Yuigahama says weakly, with slight annoyance.

Hikigaya swallows.

"I'm sorry."

What good would it do to argue with them? He would only lose.

Aisaka runs all over the place, cleaning extremely quickly. Removing large amounts of dust, and moving several desks with ease.

"No, no. Not this either…" Aisaka says while cleaning. "Nope, what is this?"

As Hikigaya watches the girl stack the chairs, he is a little astonished. She was very fast, and strong. At that height.

And once again, the sound of the sliding door makes itself present throughout the room.

"Hiratsuka-sensei" Hikigaya thinks.

But what appears is a head of black hair. A boy, his height was greater than Matsuba's.

Perhaps he was a third-year.

His skin had an olive tone. With a small scar on the right side of his chin.

"Hey, hello" he says without turning to look at the others. "I was told I could get more credits here… and…" the boy in question sees the group, looking at Hikigaya first. Then Yuigahama, and finally Yukinoshita. His face frowns. "What is this?, A romantic comedy?" he murmurs to himself. His eyes wander around the room and see who is standing a few meters beside him. "You…"

The annoyance in his voice was obvious.

"Hajime!" Matsuba answers with a smile as he approaches the newcomer, draping his arm over his shoulder. "My friend. Good to see you. I'm glad you arrived so quickly."

"Fuck me" he curses, running a hand over his face. "Why the hell are you here? You know I was about to be with that girl and…" he interrupts himself upon seeing the girls present. "What the hell do you want now?"

Matsuba lightly squeezes his shoulder, ignoring his personal space.

"My friend" the golden eyes draw closer to his black eyes. "I'm doing charity work. So I took the liberty of having your adviser send you here…" Matsuba moves even closer to his iris. "I hope you don't mind."

The clarity of his voice lowers so that only he can hear it.

"What?! Bastard" when he was about to push Matsuba, he dodges by simply taking a small jump backward. "You think you can pull that card whenever you feel like it?! You think I owe you my soul?!"

"More or less" Matsuba replies with a mocking smile.

Upon hearing the statement, he clicks his tongue. He knew how his 'friend' operated. As Matsuba called him.

"I don't do charity, Prince" he begins walking toward the door, but Matsuba suddenly appears in front of him, stopping him.

"Well, I thought that with your great attitude and welcoming presence, you'd be the perfect face to bring unfortunate souls into the club" Matsuba returns to the center of the room, leaning against the table. "And if you prefer, I can make your stay here more welcoming."

Matsuba pulls a sheet of paper from his inner pocket with his adviser's signature.

He starts walking toward Matsuba.

"Ha! You seriously think you can compare with one or two credits?" When he sees the paper, he snatches it from Matsuba's hand. "Well, you guessed right."

"Excellent!" Matsuba says happily.

Hikigaya, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama all watched the exchange of words in silence.

Seeing the atmosphere, Yuigahama tries to speak.

"Mmh, hello. I'm Yuigahama Yui, nice to meet you, etto…"

When Hajime heard Yuigahama, she gives a small jump. His eyes were more intimidating than Hikigaya's.

Seeing this, Hajime curses.

"Damn it" so he takes a deep breath and speaks again. "I'm Hasegawa Hajime, Class A, second year."

Yuigahama shows a slight smile.

"Nice to meet you, Hasegawa-kun. My name is Yuigahama Yui. I hope we get along."

Upon hearing the name, a small memory comes to Hikigaya's mind.

"Hasegawa, Hajime" he repeats the name to himself. He had heard it before. When Hikigaya noticed the silence that had risen, he hurried to speak. "Hikigaya Hachiman."

But Hikigaya still had his doubts.

By the middle of their second year, there was already a popular topic. Rumors about a student who had been expelled. But if that student had been expelled, it could not be him.

Right?

Hasegawa nods to both of them. He puts his hands into his pockets while directing his eyes toward the last girl.

"Yukinoshita Yukino, I'm the president of the Service Club" she introduces herself with a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hasegawa-kun."

Hasegawa nods, copying Yukinoshita.

"Pretty" Hasegawa thinks upon seeing her. "The pleasure is mine…" he answers and begins walking toward the desk in front of him.

When he grabs the wooden desk, Aisaka stops him.

"Hajime-kun" Aisaka's smile shines as she looks at him.

"Ai-chan?" Hasegawa lowers his gaze to her. "I hadn't seen you, how are things going?"

Aisaka brings her hands behind her back.

"Things are going well, Okaasan. She asks when you'll go to dinner again" Aisaka answers while pointing to the side of her chair. "By the way, that's your seat."

Hasegawa looks at the desk. His jaw tenses.

"This guy. He already has the places where we'll be sitting" he thinks as he goes to sit down. His eyes instinctively go to Matsuba. "What is he planning now?" He turns back to Aisaka and rests his head on his hand. "I'll see. I've been busy."

Their eyes meet, to which Matsuba stretches his smile.

Seeing that the silence had returned, Yukinoshita speaks again…

"Matsuba-kun, although I would like to attend to the requests of your…" she stops for a moment to look at the new faces in the club. "Friends…" she doubts that they are. "I'm afraid it's almost time for us to leave, so—"

"Ha, ha" Matsuba's laughter sounds. "They're not here for that, Yukino…" he pauses briefly, and continues. "…shita-san" she opens her eyes momentarily. Which makes Hikigaya furrow his brow. "They will be the new members of the club."

Yukinoshita opens her eyes in surprise.

"Club members!" Yuigahama shouts. "But this is so sudden."

Hikigaya remained silent, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Members…" Yukinoshita repeats without any emotion. "I don't remember agreeing to accept any more members, Matsuba-kun."

"Well, as vice president, I took the liberty of bringing in more hands" Matsuba moves around Yukinoshita, playing with her hair. "So, my dear president. You can relax. They will obey you in whatever you ask."

Yukinoshita looks at them. The red-haired girl and the tallest boy in the entire room.

She did not quite understand it.

"Do whatever I ask" she tells herself.

Hikigaya still looked at the new club members. He felt so helpless at being unable to do anything.

Meanwhile, Yuigahama walks to her seat, which was now gleaming and almost polished.

"He did all this with a simple rag" she tells herself. "Impressive!"

When Matsuba sees Yuigahama sit down, he begins walking toward Yukinoshita's chair and drags it toward the far end of the table.

"President, please…" Matsuba smiles as he brings the chair toward him.

Yukinoshita, with no desire for further discussion, begins walking toward her seat.

As she sits down, Matsuba gently pushes the chair in.

"Thank you, Matsuba-kun" Yukinoshita answers with a small blush on her cheeks as she sits.

Meanwhile, Aisaka finishes cleaning the dust off Hikigaya's seat.

He simply watches what is happening. When Hikigaya feels Aisaka's eyes on him, he turns toward her. Then he looks at his completely gleaming chair.

"Mmmh, dōmo (thanks)… Aisaka-san" Hikigaya murmurs with slight signs of discomfort.

Aisaka smiles and immediately goes to her seat beside Hasegawa.

The table was arranged with the new members sitting across from Yuigahama. She and Hikigaya were now closer together. Yukinoshita took the seat at the head of the table.

The head.

Now there was only one empty seat. The left side of the table beside the president. Then came Aisaka, followed by Hasegawa, leaving him almost at the end. Leaving the far end of the table free. A place for those who request the club's help.

Everyone was seated in their places, except Matsuba.

Matsuba gets ready to go to his place beside Yukinoshita, but before doing so, he takes a breath.

"Now, for our first activity, I would like to—"

The sound of glass breaking as it fell to the floor makes the room tremble.

"What was that!" Yuigahama shouts, getting up from her seat very quickly.

Hikigaya's eyes widen when he sees the object that was thrown.

A stone.

Matsuba tilts his neck toward the window. The stone passed centimeters in front of him. An almost perfect trajectory, one might say. His smile could not grow any wider. His eyes shone with excitement.

Yukinoshita turns her neck toward the window, bewildered.

"Matsuba-kun, what does this mean?" Yukinoshita speaks angrily as she immediately stands up. "You told me you wouldn't cause any disturbances."

Matsuba turns toward Yukinoshita at a speed that makes his neck crack deliberately.

"That's right…" he answers with a childish smile. "I didn't cause this."

Hasegawa was already picking up the stone, which had a piece of paper wrapped around it.

"It says here: To Matsuba, Haruto…"

Yukinoshita, without taking her eyes off Matsuba, furrows her brow.

To which Matsuba, without stopping his smile, slightly tilts his head.

"Mmmh…" he answers with his usual murmur.

Yukinoshita brings her hand to her temple with great annoyance.

"What is that?!" Hikigaya was impressed. He had seen firsthand how Matsuba dodged the stone without even looking. "He's a shōnen manga character."

He could not believe it, he had moved his head a few centimeters.

Hikigaya stands up and heads toward the window.

But…

Hasegawa reacts first, grabbing Hikigaya by the shoulder.

"Hikki!" Yuigahama's shout makes Hikigaya react.

A second stone had reached the back of the room.

Hikigaya feels a hand on his shoulder. Hasegawa. Then his eyes go to the shard of glass that had almost reached him.

From the stone's perspective, everyone's reaction could be seen.

Yukinoshita brings her hand to her chest, relieved. Yuigahama lets out a sigh.

"Damn…" Hikigaya mentions. "That was close" he thinks to himself. When he turns to look at Hasegawa. "A-ah, thanks."

Hasegawa nods.

"No problem, friend" he answers and begins walking toward where the stone landed.

Yuigahama runs to Hikigaya.

"Hikki, are you okay?"

Hikigaya hesitates, still dazed.

"W-What? Yes, yes" he answers hurriedly. "I'm fine, Yuigahama-san."

Yukinoshita's eyes do not leave Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya-kun…" her words are almost inaudible.

However, that was not the case, everyone could hear Yukinoshita clearly.

The loner involuntarily opens his eyes in surprise, and a shyness that nearly reaches his cheeks.

Yuigahama sees this.

"We should call a teacher!" she shouts, making everyone turn to look at her.

Breaking the tension from a few moments ago.

However, Matsuba ignores what she said and walks naturally toward the broken window. Upon reaching it, he uses the sleeve of his jacket to clean away the traces of glass. Then he leans against the frame, crossing his arms, while looking outside at a boy with messy hair.

"Matsuba Haruto! Come out, you damn demon!" the boy's screams grow louder.

Matsuba leans on his arms as he looks at the boy. Fascinated. It was as if he were watching an ant trying to get attention.

Yukinoshita, still bewildered, looks at Hikigaya. She blinks rapidly. It was as if someone had possessed her for an instant. Coming back to herself, she takes out her phone, searching for Hiratsuka-sensei's contact. Upon seeing the icon, she looks at her other companions. Yuigahama was looking at her with concern, Hikigaya with signs of embarrassment, Hasegawa was too far away to see him. Aisaka was completely calm, sitting in her seat without moving, and before calling, something made her reconsider the idea.

Matsuba.

She looks at his confidence, at how he leaned against the broken window without a care. As if it were something funny, as if he were entertaining himself.

"This is a problem…" she thinks. "I can solve it…"

So Yukinoshita puts her phone away. Although she does not lose Hiratsuka-sensei's contact. So while putting it into the pocket of her vest, she begins walking toward the window, standing beside Matsuba. Without getting too close to him.

When Hikigaya sees this, his fingers tense. He almost runs toward Yukinoshita. He follows her steps, unknowingly having Yuigahama holding onto the length of his shirt. Now the three of them were to Matsuba's right, at different levels.

Yukinoshita at the front, Yuigahama at the back, and Hikigaya in between them.

Hasegawa, upon seeing this, sighs, and still approaches the window. There was no need for him to stand beside anyone. Aisaka, who was still sitting in her seat, watched the situation. There was not much she could do, the danger was far away, and the stones had never reached her. Not to mention Matsuba was there. So she simply went to the window as well, slipping between everyone's legs until she reached the front of Matsuba, standing on tiptoe to look outside.

"Matsuba! Get down here, coward!"

The boy shouts again with much more force than before.

Matsuba smiles even wider.

Yukinoshita notices, but makes no comment.

Hasegawa raises his eyes.

"Aren't you going to do anything, Haruto?" he asks with moderate surprise.

It was not typical of the Prince of Sōbu.

The boy once again brings his hand to the ground and picks up another stone.

He takes aim and throws it at Matsuba's head.

A dry sound.

The impact is stopped in Matsuba's palm.

With a simple downward and upward motion of his hand, he throws it back at the boy like a marble.

The trajectory was clean. An almost perfect diagonal line was visible.

The impact hit the boy's leg.

"Damn!"

The boy staggers in place and falls to the ground.

Matsuba begins walking toward the club door.

"Alright…" he raises his voice toward everyone. "My dears…" his eyes gleam thanks to the sunset reflected in his golden eyes. "Let's see what our first request wants!"

Aisaka is the first to follow him toward the door, followed by Hasegawa. When he crosses the doorway, the two look at each other. Matsuba smiles while pointing for Hasegawa to follow Aisaka down the stairs.

Hikigaya, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama look at one another.

Their stunned expressions at what had happened differed in degree among them.

So when Hikigaya takes a breath, preparing to leave,

he is interrupted by Yukinoshita walking ahead of him.

Yuigahama follows her, looking at Hikigaya, waiting for him to follow them.

"What the hell is Yukinoshita doing?" he tells himself as he follows both girls. "We don't know what he'll do, why the hell are we following him?"

Hikigaya begins to think. He had heard the worst about Matsuba. Rumors about the Dark Prince of Sōbu. Violent, sadistic, unpredictable…

When the three of them cross the doorway, they find Matsuba smiling.

Yukinoshita takes a few steps forward, then turns around.

"Go ahead" her words showed neither concern nor fear. Her arms were crossed over her chest, like a wall.

"Yukinon…" Yuigahama's faint voice escapes her.

Hikigaya sees the small interaction between them, so…

"I don't think—"

"Hikigaya-kun" Yukinoshita calls him. "Please, go ahead."

Interrupted, Hikigaya's jaw tenses, and he glances at Matsuba, only to see his smile. He nods at what Yukinoshita said and begins walking.

Yuigahama watches Hikigaya walk down the hallway and then turns back to Yukinoshita. She nods and begins following the loner.

Now the two of them are alone again, Yukinoshita takes some time to observe Matsuba.

His smile was not entirely unsettling. She looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and caution. Matsuba was reflected in her eyes. Without uttering a word, he makes a subtle gesture, leaning slightly, and with a small movement of his hand, indicates for Yukinoshita to walk first. She furrows her brow suspiciously. However, his behavior is so natural that it forces her to walk, whether out of astonishment or curiosity.

Or perhaps a mixture of both.

When Matsuba walks, he comes level with Yukinoshita.

"You have a plan" Yukinoshita speaks, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Right?"

Matsuba turns to her.

"Mmmh!" he murmurs in an upbeat tone. "Of course, my dear."

Yukinoshita's cheeks burn again with embarrassment.

"Could you stop that? It's annoying."

"Huh…?" Matsuba tilts his head. "What, dear?"

Yukinoshita simply sighs, but her cheeks were still tinged red.

When everyone reaches the ground floor, the group heads toward the courtyard.

When they arrive, they see the boy who had thrown the stone writhing in pain, clutching his leg. His movements were exaggerated, his gaze trying to maintain a facade of courage he did not possess.

Matsuba stops a few steps in front of the group.

His posture straight and relaxed, his smile intact as he looks at the boy, taking pleasure in it. It was as if he were watching a show for his own amusement.

"Matsuba! You finally show your face!"

The boy tries to stand up. Until he succeeds. Adopting a fighting stance.

His hands raised and his fists clenched.

Matsuba tilts his head sweetly.

"Do I know you?"

The confused boy lowers his fists, offended more than angry.

"Damn you! Don't you remember me?! I'm Kanayaki Kaito!"

Matsuba's golden eyes blink.

"Mmmh?"

The boy, now Kanayaki, clenches his fists much tighter, frustrated by the indifference he receives.

"We fought two days ago!" Kanayaki shouts. Meanwhile, Matsuba moves his head from side to side, showing even more confusion. "In Kurosana!"

"Oh, yeah, I remember now" his fist hits his palm.

"See!" Kanayaki shouts excitedly.

"That store had delicious pastries" Matsuba brings a finger to his chin. "Were you the one who sold them to me?"

"What? No!" Kanayaki shouts again. When he moves toward Matsuba, he cries out in pain. "Ouch!"

He had bitten his tongue.

"Kanayaki-kun?" Yukinoshita speaks, standing beside Matsuba. "Did I say it right?" Kanayaki immediately trembles at Yukinoshita's icy gaze.

Kanayaki sweats, hesitating under Yukinoshita's gaze.

She intimidates him.

"Yes… you said it right…" Kanayaki answers with slight embarrassment.

Yukinoshita takes a step toward him.

"Why are you trying to fight Matsuba-kun?"

Kanayaki takes a few steps back.

"A-Ah, because… etto, we're enemies…"

Yukinoshita raises her eyebrows.

"Enemies? I see…" she answers, bringing her index finger to her chin.

"Yes!" Kanayaki shouts, wide-eyed.

Yukinoshita looks him in the eyes again.

"Could you stop shouting? It's annoying, Kanayaki-kun."

"A-Ah-ah, yes… gomen (sorry)" —he murmurs in defeat.

As Yukinoshita analyzes the situation, she sighs.

"Kanayaki-kun" she addresses him, and instinctively, the boy straightens up. "You know you could have seriously hurt someone, right?"

"No…" Kanayaki murmurs with his head lowered.

"Kanayaki-kun, I don't know what your problem with Matsuba-kun is, but from what I can see. This won't accomplish anything. If you really want to do something against Matsuba-kun, you need to be direct, talk. And not throw stones."

Yukinoshita takes a breath and continues elaborating.

Her words were clear, she spoke with patience and authority. Explaining the consequences that could result. The importance of controlling his emotions and the uselessness of violence without purpose.

Everyone paid attention in their own way.

Hikigaya understood what Yukinoshita was saying. Meanwhile, Yuigahama watched her, fascinated by how she controlled the situation. Something she could never do. Hikigaya, now more relaxed, looked at the boy, Kanayaki. He seemed weak to him. He did not look strong, or like a delinquent. He was short, thin, and had a look that would not scare even a fly.

However, when Hikigaya's eyes turn toward Yukinoshita, the rays of the sun prevent him from seeing clearly, and he sees Matsuba.

Hikigaya was confused.

"Why hasn't he hit him?" Hikigaya thinks for a moment.

This was not the demon he had been told about. The rumors said that people who looked at him the wrong way were sent to the hospital. This situation was obviously more serious than that.

Hikigaya had counted on that.

The Monster of Logic did not rest. He could use this situation to have a teacher see him, and then Matsuba would be expelled.

Sōbu did not tolerate any kind of violence.

And yet he is still here…

Hikigaya still watches him, and sees what Matsuba looks at with delight.

Yukinoshita.

He looks at her. Hikigaya felt something new in his stomach again. But also, something new, anger? Rage, frustration, irritation.

Absolute annoyance.

Fear. Anguish. Pain.

Hikigaya was feeling everything he had never felt in his entire life, all in one Tuesday afternoon.

It was a sensation similar to that of prey being stalked by a predator.

Dread.

What does he want from her? What does he want from her? Does he like her?

Questions and more questions flooded Hikigaya's mind.

Aisaka is surprised.

The way Yukinoshita spoke, the way she expressed herself. Yukinoshita's attitude in calming the situation seemed incredible to her, worthy of admiration. She expected Matsuba to take care of it. That was usual ever since she had known him. But he did not.

Meanwhile, Hasegawa watched where Yukinoshita's bullet was headed, so to speak. Her words, her way of expressing herself. An idealist, he assumed. Surely her parents were politicians. Perhaps she was one. The surname Yukinoshita seemed familiar to him, he had heard it somewhere before.

He looks at Matsuba.

He was smiling more than usual, was he excited?

Hasegawa, accustomed to these situations, sighs. Just like Hikigaya, he was worried because Matsuba had not done anything yet.

It was not typical of the Dark Prince.

The prince Hasegawa knows was erratic, cynical, horrifically mocking. In fact, the moment he merely dodged the first stone, he could have easily reached him and returned it instantly, knocking the boy out and leaving him there… almost dead.

"Is he planning something?" Hasegawa tells himself as he watches Matsuba continue staring at Yukinoshita. "This girl doesn't know what she did. She awakened the dragon that had been sleeping…"

Even though Matsuba had been calm over the past year, now…

Hasegawa hoped he was wrong.

"Do you understand, Kanayaki-kun…?" Yukinoshita finishes her lecture.

"…Yes…" Kanayaki murmurs.

Matsuba smiles.

"Ha, ha" he laughs as he turns toward the others behind him. "I see I don't have to do anything anymore. Our president solved the problem."

"Idiot! You let your guard down!" Kanayaki shouts.

The boy's fist heads straight for Matsuba's face.

Yukinoshita opens her eyes in surprise. She thought she had solved the problem. Yukinoshita turns toward where Matsuba is, but there was nothing there. She only sees Hikigaya, Yuigahama, Aisaka, and Hasegawa.

"Where is he?" Yukinoshita's eyes were wide open. "Did he leave?"

When Yukinoshita sees the eyes of her companions, they were not looking at her, nor at Kanayaki, but at whoever was behind him.

"Ha, ha, ha" the laughter is heard once again. "Mmmh, you shouldn't have done that" Matsuba's hand wraps around Kanayaki's shoulders. "Dear…"

Matsuba's grip tightens around his shoulder, and with a pull backward, he falls into the shed, ending up buried in soccer balls.

The group had different reactions upon seeing this.

Yukinoshita was more than surprised. Her blue eyes were wide open.

Yuigahama had her mouth open, astonished.

Hikigaya's eyes were wide as plates.

Hasegawa was not really surprised. It was normal for him.

"At least the boy didn't bleed" Hasegawa thinks to himself.

Aisaka, with a calm smile.

"It's a good thing Haru-kun is so nice, I forgive him" the girl thinks.

Now that everyone was silent, Matsuba addresses Kanayaki.

"And thank you for another memorable memory" he says while bowing mockingly toward the boy buried among the balls.

Balls roll around the area, Kanayaki tries to speak with the little strength he has.

"N-No problem…" he barely murmurs.

Matsuba turns to Hasegawa.

"Hajime, be nice and bring our new friend."

Hasegawa lets out a tired sigh, walks to the shed, and carries Kanayaki over his shoulder.

Everyone looks at Matsuba.

"Alright… Who wants to bake cookies!" Matsuba raises his voice excitedly. Aisaka immediately raises her hand. "I know a recipe. My aunt taught me when I was about Ai-san's size" Matsuba takes Aisaka's hand and leads her along. "In fact, my aunt and I, we almost burned down the house! Ha, ha, ha" Matsuba's laughter rises. "I know you'll love it."

Matsuba begins walking through the middle of the group.

Aisaka follows him, taking little hops. Meanwhile, Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, and Hikigaya look at one another.

The trio did not know what to say or do, other than follow Matsuba inside the school.

"This guy is going to make us live through hell…" Hikigaya thinks, without stopping his steps. His eyes go to Yukinoshita, and then to Yuigahama. "Damn…" he barely murmurs.

Leaving Hasegawa at the back, carrying an unconscious Kanayaki over his shoulder.

"I'm sure…" Matsuba speaks again. "Starting tomorrow, we'll have more fun than ever…"

The group begins to follow Matsuba, and a voice begins to emerge from the words written.

"So don't stop reading, ha, ha… ha…"

Dismissal time, Sōbu entrance

6:32, PM

Matsuba and Aisaka walked together toward the entrance of Sōbu.

It was always like this, but during Matsuba's absence, while he was away, Aisaka walked home alone.

Today, thank the gods, it was not like that.

Aisaka looks at Matsuba, his usual smile, but less malicious, rather calm. As she walked, she held both ends of her backpack. She felt somewhat uneasy. She wanted to ask Matsuba where he had been for the past few months. No one knew anything about him during that time.

He did not usually disappear like that for no reason.

And just as she was about to speak, his voice sounds.

"Don't you think they're nice?" Matsuba speaks, with a honeyed voice that reflects his mockery.

Aisaka shakes her head positively.

"They're really cute, Haru-kun" she answers as she remembers. "Ah, Yukino-san liked your cat-shaped cookies."

Matsuba laughs at what she said. He remembers how he had disarmed the cold Yukinoshita with a couple of cookies.

But even with the calm atmosphere, Aisaka tries to find out…

"Haru-kun…"

"Ai-san" Matsuba interrupts again. "I forgot something" he says as he stops in his tracks. "Go on, my girl, I'll catch up with you in no time."

Aisaka notices his smile.

It was not malicious, or sinister, just a normal and simple smile.

Aisaka nods, giving a small smile. Watching as Matsuba disappears into the darkness of the hallway back toward the school.

Through the infirmary window, some students and teachers could be seen passing by.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up…"

The boy turns toward the masculine voice that makes his skin crawl.

"Matsuba…"

His smile rises.

The moonlight makes his golden eyes shine.

"And I thought you'd forget about me. You usually do" Matsuba speaks as he takes the nurse's follow-up sheet. "Fall down the stairs. I see Hajime-kun still knows how to do his job" he puts the sheet down, looks at the boy, slightly tilts his head. "Now… uh, Kanikama? Katsudon? It started with Ka, right?"

The boy furrows his brow, annoyed.

"Kanayaki" he murmurs.

"That's it!" Matsuba taps Kanayaki's leg. "Good, now that we're alone, will you tell me?"

Kanayaki straightens up in bed.

"Tell you… what?"

Matsuba twists his smile.

"Oh, come on, Kana…" he goes blank. "Friend-kun" his smile rises again. "Just tell me who it was and you won't owe me anything anymore…"

Kanayaki moves slightly away, gripping the bedsheets.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't owe you anything."

"Don't do that" Matsuba smiles more. "Don't."

Somehow, Kanayaki becomes more confident without realizing it.

"Do… what?"

In an instant, Matsuba grabs Kanayaki by the collar of his shirt.

"So this is how you repay me, Kana-something" Matsuba speaks, tightening his grip on the collar and pulling him toward himself. "Forgive me for the insult. Do you really have no idea what I can do to you?" his smile stretches, revealing his teeth. "I could easily throw you off the roof. The headlines would say: A poor student could not endure the bullying of his classmates, so he decided to end his pathetic life."

Kanayaki's breathing becomes irregular.

He feels a great weight pressing down on him.

Kanayaki's throat goes dry. His eyes widen.

"E-Okay, okay" he speaks quickly as he moves backward. "I-I'll tell you…"

Matsuba returns to his natural smile and adjusts the boy's shirt collar.

"Speak" his voice becomes deep in the blink of an eye.

Kanayaki's eyes widen upon hearing his voice, and he swallows.

"I-It was a girl, she told me" he takes a deep breath and speaks again. "S-She told me to challenge you to a fight. She promised that if I did, she would give me thirty thousand followers on Mixi and Instagram…"

Matsuba tilts his head without stopping his smile.

"What kind of girl?"

Kanayaki quickly shakes his head.

"I never saw her. It was all through messages" he clarifies while desperately searching for his phone in his clothes.

Matsuba's voice becomes darker.

"Mmmh" he is irritated that Kanayaki does not fear him enough. "What avatar did her contact have…?" Matsuba did not have time to wait for him to find his phone.

Kanayaki fervently nods at the order.

"Y-Yes, her avatar. I don't remember what it was, but the color of her hair w-was… a-ah, damn it, p-purple! Yes, murasaki (purple)…"

Matsuba smiles instantly.

He knows who it is.

With a jump, he gets to his feet.

"Purple… mmh…" Matsuba smiles wider, stretching the corners of his lips. "Let's keep this between us, is that clear?" Kanayaki quickly nods without taking his eyes off the golden eyes. When Matsuba walks toward the door, he turns around before leaving. "Oh, and we'll keep in contact. Remember. You owe me…"

Matsuba walks toward the exit again, leaving Kanayaki alone in the infirmary.

The room's light goes out.

"Damn it!" Kanayaki shouts in fright.

Matsuba's laughter can be heard throughout the school hallway.

"Ha, ha, ha" the laughter echoes through the darkness.

Kanayaki growls in annoyance.

"That guy…"

Chapter 1 Note: The New Member of the Service Club.

Who are the new characters?

Matsuba Haruto, known as the Dark Prince of Sōbu. He belongs to Class C, second year.

His hair is dark brown, with two locks of hair sticking out. Golden eyes, a light tan complexion, a height of 1.80 m, and a slender build. His blood type is AB. Born in Kyoto, but lived much of his childhood in Hokkaidō.

He is arrogant, conceited to the very core of his being. His favorite things are the color blue, having others fear him. He hates overly sweet things. He loves tea, silence, and white cats. He is amused by people who pretend to be someone they are not.

He lives with his maternal aunt, Matsumae Mizuki, due to the proximity of her home to Sōbu. His family consists of his father, Matsuba Satō, and his stepmother, Matsuba Shiori. His biological mother, Matsumae Natsuko, left his father when he was 7 years old, moving to Tokyo.

A small piece of real historical information. The Matsumae clan (松前藩) was the only feudal domain (han) established in Hokkaidō during the Edo period.

However, in this fictional work, I will use that information to simulate a conflict between the two Matsuba and Matsumae families, the father's family and the mother's family. Because of the similarity between their surnames, both families were distant relatives, and what the clan leaders did was marry off the younger members. This continued even into the present day. Haruto's parents' story will be that they were never in love, they simply followed the orders of their clans.

Moving on, when he arrived at Sōbu in his second year, everyone collectively thought he would be the Hayama Hayato of Class C. He had everything. He was attractive, got along well with everyone, and most importantly, he never stopped smiling.

That was why they nicknamed him: Prince. When one of the upperclassmen tried to pick on the new pretty boy. Everything broke loose. The rumors did not stop during the first few days. They said he had injured him so badly that he would never return to school.

Then, another incident. Nearby schools reported that a Sōbu student had seriously injured other students. The school denied it, but that did not matter to the student body. Another rumor emerged when they saw him in Chiba's red-light district causing disturbances and destroying establishments.

Thanks to this, it did not take long for him to take over the school. The students made this known, but the teachers and the institution itself seemed to protect him.

Since then, they have called him: Dark Prince. However, he had been missing for 6 months and two weeks. He had not attended classes, nor had he been seen around the streets of his area. Unlike the others in his hierarchy. He controls the Sōbu area and now, recently, Kaihin as well. But before those two, he attended Chiba Higashi High School, where his first nickname originated as the Demon of Hiragishi.

School: 1 Chome-18-52 Todorokicho, Inage Ward, Chiba, 263-0021, Japan

But he stopped attending and transferred to Sōbu, no one knows why.

Now he wanted to join the Service Club simply to keep entertaining himself. He is not looking for romance, friends, memorable memories, or anything genuine. He simply wants to have fun.

"Long live the Vice President of the Service Club!"

Hasegawa Hajime, a former leader of one of the largest gangs in Chiba. He belongs to Class A, second year.

His hair is raven black, as are his eyes. He has an intimidating gaze and a small scar on his chin. He is taller than average, standing at 1.84 m. He has a robust, muscular build. His blood type is B. Born in Chiba.

He is a calm, composed boy, unlike how he was before Sōbu. He tries not to get angry with others. His favorite things are extra-spicy ramen. He likes the sound of birds. He drinks too much coffee. He hates sour things. He is fond of dogs. He has a Labrador. His family consists of his mother, Hasegawa Haruka, and his younger sisters, Hasegawa Umi, 6 years old, and Nami, 15 years old. His dislikes include his father. Haruto does not scare him. But he knows that if he fought against him, he would lose without a doubt. He also dislikes it when people pronounce his surname incorrectly, and when anyone flirts with his sister Nami.

He has been at Sōbu since his first year. He failed his second year because of an altercation, but no one knows why he was not expelled, instead being punished by having to repeat his second year. He has several friends in the most dangerous areas of Chiba. He does not have many friends at Sōbu. He has had several girlfriends, but he has never dated any of them seriously. As mentioned before, he belonged to one of the largest gangs in Chiba. However, it had become distorted over time, thanks to the new gang leaders who were rising. It is still believed that Hajime is involved with the gangs. He was known by the nickname: The Black Whirlwind.

Aisaka Aiko, belongs to Class B, second year.

She is a girl with reddish hair and honey-colored eyes. She is slender and stands 1.43 m tall. Her blood type is A. Born in Chiba.

She is cheerful, likes making friends, and is energetic. She is good at athletics. She has good grades and ranks tenth in Sōbu's overall scores. She usually gets along well with others. She is a model student in her class. She likes black tea with far too much sugar. Cats of all colors. She does not like people shouting. Her family consists of her mother, Nanoka. She lives only with her.

She is Haruto's loyal servant, so to speak. She is loyal to him no matter what he does. He defended her and her mother from some thugs when she met him. This happened before she entered Sōbu and before he became known as the Dark Prince, when he was still a student at Higashi High School. Since then, she has regarded him as an older brother.

She does not believe the rumors, and she hates it when people speak badly about others. She does not let herself be intimidated by others.

And that is all for our two bishops.

As more chapters go by, there will be more details about them.

Thank you for reading.

TRIVIA

[1] – Yui already knew Haruto thanks to the rumors. She is sociable, so she would have to know about him. Her and Hachiman. I did it this way so that the legend of the Dark Prince would be established. And as for Yukino, it is a small reference to the first episode of the anime. When she gets excited that Yukino knew Yui, but not Hachiman.