Arc I: The Demon of Sōbu
Chapter VII,
Do We Have a Deal?
Hikigaya Residence
9:22, PM
The night had arrived.
The reflection of the moon was heavy.
It did not feel like before.
Out of the corner of Hikigaya's eye, a light made him turn his gaze to the right.
He saw his little sister, leaning over and looking for something in the refrigerator. She was still angry. She had the indifferent look she had inherited from their mother. He did not know how he was going to remedy this. It had already been days since their dispute.
So he took the first step.
But she was faster.
Komachi straightened up, her hands going toward her knees, and stood up.
She began heading toward the door when…
"Komachi…"
Hikigaya's hurried voice could be heard throughout the Hikigaya household.
"Nani?" (What?)
An annoyed and sharp voice answered.
Hikigaya swallowed. "Would you like to have some coffee?"
"Sure", she answered without further ado.
Komachi did not even turn around when she spoke.
"Good…"
The hot water fills the cup, Hikigaya takes his time, pours in the coffee, and continuously stirs the liquid with a wooden stirrer. Meanwhile, Komachi waits patiently, leaning against the counter. Without much desire to talk, or even be there.
Hikigaya finishes, and turns toward his sister.
"Here", he says, slightly tilting the cup toward her. Komachi takes it and begins walking toward her room again.
"O-Oh, Komachi…" his somewhat raised voice comes from Hikigaya. "I need…" his tone returns. "I need some advice…"
Komachi, still without turning around, drops her shoulders.
"I'm listening", her voice was the same. Annoyed. However, she turns toward her brother and gives a small smile. Hikigaya responds with a laugh. Both siblings began to laugh.
"But first", Komachi speaks again, "don't you have something to tell me?"
Hikigaya nods.
"Yeah…" he says, scratching the back of his neck. "It was my fault, what happened the other day, I shouldn't have said that", when he confessed, he felt a weight lift from him. "I'm sorry."
"And for acting like that?" Komachi raises her voice. She expected more apologies. "And saying it like that? And those eyes…?"
"Mmh-mmh", Hikigaya barely manages to murmur. "Yeah, about that too, I'm sorry…"
Komachi inhales deeply, this time cheerful as always.
"I'm sure you did something stupid, and you made a mistake."
Komachi was not entirely wrong.
"Something like that…" Hikigaya manages to say.
However, Komachi continued. "Besides, you haven't apologized."
Hikigaya twists his smile.
"I know…"
"But you're my brother, so it's okay", Komachi declares with a smile. "Now it's your sister's turn to forgive you, and besides…", she leans toward Hikigaya. "I'm sorry too."
Hikigaya blinks a couple of times, but before Komachi looks at him, he answers.
"Don't worry about it, I forgive you", his tone sounded conceited.
"Baaaah", Komachi makes the sound of vomiting. "Don't say it like that, it sounds stupid", she says as she takes a few steps toward her brother. "So, what happened?"
Hikigaya walks out of the kitchen.
"It's a long story."
Komachi smiles again, following him with her gaze.
"Ii yo" (It's okay)
"I see", Komachi begins. "Very typical of you, Onii-chan", as she places her cup on the table in front of her, she resumes speaking. "But, you know, I'm probably the only one who understands", she clarifies as she brings both hands toward herself. "I've lived my whole life alongside you, so that's why I understand you", Hikigaya remained silent, listening to his sister's words. She was right. "I can say…", Komachi continues. "That you're an idiot and laugh" she explains, tilting her head. "Oh, I can think: He's really hopeless…" she says, turning her gaze toward nothing. "But deep down, I could feel sad… but it's different for everyone else…"
Hikigaya's mouth opened slightly, he was impressed by his sister's understanding, he knew she was smart.
"I see…", he barely responds.
"I'm sure Yukino-san and Yui-san…", Komachi continued. "It hurts them because they have no idea what you're thinking", she inhales air to continue. "Onii-chan, you're good to me, but you're only like that because I'm your sister, right?" Komachi concludes without taking her eyes off her brother. "If I weren't, I bet you'd be as far away from me as possible."
Hikigaya could not deny it.
"Maybe you're right…", he replies. But he sets that aside. "Well, putting that aside", he speaks confidently while looking at his sister. "I'm grateful that you're my sister", Hikigaya declares proudly. "Oh, I'm sure that gives me a lot of points, Hachiman."
A few small tears come from Komachi.
"Onii-chan", her childish and tender tone comes out as she covers her face with both hands. "Although…" suddenly, both her hands lower and a completely serious look is reflected on her face. "If you weren't my brother, I would definitely keep my distance."
"Mmmh", Hikigaya murmurs, but still expectant. "Well, that's your opinion. But come on, I have some positive qualities, don't I?" he responds with a tone expecting to hear them.
Komachi quickly shakes both hands.
"As if you had any! You're so annoying!"
Hikigaya slightly furrows his brow.
Accepting it.
His sister was right, lately he had been very annoying.
"Demo (but)", Komachi speaks, letting her head fall onto her brother's shoulder. "Spending fifteen years together with you makes me grow attached, whether I like it or not", Komachi raises her gaze toward Hikigaya cheerfully. "Oh, that must have given me a lot of Komachi points!"
Hikigaya nods with a small smile.
"Yeah, fifteen years together is a long time", he says as he reclines on the sofa.
"And there'll be another fifteen…" Komachi says, returning to her brother's shoulder. "Oh, more years… if you manage to behave."
"Don't say stupid things", Hikigaya replies.
Still on his shoulder, Komachi gets up and starts poking Hikigaya's cheek with her finger.
"How many years do you think I've spent listening to your nonsense, huh?" she says in an annoyed tone. "From now on, try to control what you do, Onii-chan", Hikigaya turns to look at his sister's face. Just to appreciate her. "Wakatta? (Understand)"
Her eyes reflected a sister's concern.
Hikigaya knew it and felt it.
"Y-Yeah, I understand", he manages to murmur.
Komachi smiles, and once again goes to her brother's shoulder, this time more relaxed and cheerful.
"And it's not just you, Onii-chan", she mentions. "You'll always have me", she clarifies, letting out a small sigh before continuing. "I like Yukino-san and Yui-san. So it wouldn't be good for the club to disappear, so…" a brief silence rises. "Even if it's only for me, and for my friends, isn't there anything you can do?"
Hikigaya smiles, his eyes going to the ceiling as he takes in what he needs to say.
"Well, if it's for my sister, I have no choice."
Komachi nods with great joy.
"Exactly, do it for me, so you have no alternative."
Hikigaya's hands go to Komachi's hair and he starts ruffling it.
"You're right", he replies without stopping his small gesture of affection toward his sister. Hikigaya needed this. For someone to listen to him, and who better than his sister. A brief pause stops his hands as he says something more. "Arigatou (thanks)"
Komachi gives a smile that makes Hikigaya relax.
"Dou itashimashite (you're welcome)."
So that's the answer… Komachi supports me…
I was wrong.
I told her almost everything.
Tobe's request when he wanted to confess to Ebina. Then for me to confess and receive her rejection and the words that Tobe needed to hear.
"I'm not looking for a relationship right now."
Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the club has gotten worse.
And not only because of that.
Matsuba…
I couldn't tell my sister about that guy. Or about what happened at PALCO, with Hayama and that guy…
What was his name, Amagi…? Amari…?
Anyway, it didn't matter.
I just need time to sort this out.
All this time I've been trying to find a reason… a single reason to protect that place, the club… and now I have many more reasons to do so.
And to prevent Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui from becoming student council presidents.
Bullies, gangs, leaders…? Matsuba.
What should I do?
Sōbu High School
Class 2-F
12:25 AM
About that…
"I have no idea how to do it, and I'm running out of time!"
Hikigaya shouts to himself.
He was sitting with both arms stretched out over his desk. He had been thinking all night about possible solutions, but none seemed to be the right one. He couldn't talk to Yukinoshita, since it would be pointless, she was too proud, and if he talked to Yuigahama, it would also be pointless, she was too determined.
"Damn, what do I do…" he mutters to himself again.
There was no way out.
"Mmh!" a small murmur from Yuigahama could be heard.
"How about something about wearing casual clothes, instead of the uniform?" Yumiko suggests.
Yuigahama nods fervently.
"That could work!" she says as she brings the tip of her pencil to the sheet in her notebook.
"It would also be nice if there were no backpack inspections", Ebina mentions. "I really hate it. Sometimes they confiscate my volumes that some friends give me…"
"That only happens to you, Ebina", Yumiko replies, with some disappointment.
"I-I'll write it down just in case", Yuigahama brings her pencil back to the sheet.
But Yumiko stops her. "You don't have to."
"How about making food free in the cafeteria?" Aisaka speaks.
Yuigahama's eyes shine. "Oh, that could work, Aiko-chan", she replies, quickly writing it down.
Yumiko nods, accepting Aisaka's idea.
"Also, I'd like it to be possible to eat lunch on the rooftop", Yumiko says, leaning back in her chair. "They won't let us go up there now, why would they do that? It's stupid."
Hikigaya, who had been listening to the small group of girls, decided to get up from his seat. He needed silence and to clear his head.
His body passed through the door, no longer hearing Yumiko's voice.
"Oh, it's just that Haru—"
Aisaka suddenly stops.
"Mmh", Yumiko murmurs. "What was it, Aisaka?"
"Nothing, nothing", she says with a smile, shaking both hands.
And the words turned into murmurs.
Hikigaya arrives at the library, not looking for anything in particular, perhaps a book that might clear his mind. When his hand brushes against the spine of a book, it struggles as he tries to pull it out.
"How hard can it be?" he says to himself. Suddenly, several books fall on top of him. "Mmmh…" he complains, lowering his legs.
He puts one book on top of another, stacking them, but a somewhat robust shadow covers the light above him.
"You look pathetic, Hikigaya Hachiman", when Hikigaya turns toward the shadow, he sees him.
Hikigaya gathers the books again. "So it's you…" he speaks without any emotion. "Zaimokuza."
"HA, HA, HA."
His laughter fills the place.
"What are you doing here?" Hikigaya speaks as he finishes gathering the books. "Do you need something?"
Zaimokuza, with both hands on his waist in a presumptuous manner, nods.
"What a stupid question", he begins. "This is where I come to have lunch, and…" he pauses briefly to kneel down to Hikigaya's height. "To ask you if the information about the Demon King was useful to you." Hikigaya sighs. It reminded him of one of his problems. "Mmh, what's wrong, Hachiman?" Zaimokuza speaks again.
Hikigaya shakes his head without raising his eyes.
"Forget it, you want…"
"Come on, say it."
"No, no, leave it. It doesn't matter." Hikigaya still had his eyes fixed on the floor. "I shouldn't involve others in this."
Zaimokuza shakes his head.
"Don't say such stupid things", he speaks, puffing out his chest. "How many times did you have to listen to my stupid talks?" he says, placing his hand on Hikigaya's shoulder. "It won't be a problem to listen to yours." Hikigaya looked at him with an expression of surprise, he really didn't expect this from him. So when he was about to say something, he was interrupted. "I feel great being able to help the weak…" Zaimokuza finishes.
Apparently, he wasn't done.
"You know, you were actually being pretty cool, right up until the end", Hikigaya speaks.
Zaimokuza adjusts his glasses, proud of himself, as if he hadn't heard Hikigaya's words.
"So?" he says proudly. "Was my information useful to you?"
Hikigaya raises the corners of his mouth, Zaimokuza's eyes shine.
He already knew the answer.
"No", Hikigaya answers, without a hint of remorse.
"What?!" Zaimokuza jumps backward in shock.
"In fact, you copied that laugh from the beginning, didn't you?" Hikigaya asks without emotion.
"AH!" Zaimokuza screams again, rolling across the place.
"That's why you came in with too much confidence, right? You thought the information would be useful. What good is it to me to make a storm in his class?" Hikigaya continues. "Besides, why do you keep writing like that? Didn't Yukinoshita traumatize you enough when you made that request?"
"AH!"
He screams again, as if each word were a blow to his abdomen.
"So don't act like someone cool around me", Hikigaya stands up this time. "But yeah, I do need your help with something else."
Zaimokuza stops spinning on the floor.
"Seriously?"
Hikigaya nods.
"I need a favor…"
Saizeriya
2 Chome-2-39 Inagekaigan, Mihama Ward, Chiba, 261-0005, Japan
12:33, AM
"And also bring a latte", Zaimokuza speaks to the waitress. "Two crepes, and a white chocolate."
"Right away!" she replies excitedly.
When the waitress disappears from Hikigaya's view, he turns toward the boy in front of him.
"Don't you think you ordered too much?" he mentions, bringing his hand to his pocket in search of some coins. "I'll be the one paying."
Zaimokuza takes off his coat, placing it on the back of the chair. "Leave me alone, Hachiman. You interrupted my lunch. It's the least you can do. Treat me."
Hikigaya lets out a slight grunt.
"Damn, I should have waited until the second break," he thinks.
Zaimokuza returns to sit in the chair. "So, give me the details. How bad are things in the club?" a brief pause occurs. "And with the Demon King?"
Before even thinking about answering, Hikigaya did not entirely know whether he could fully trust his companion.
It wasn't distrust, it was fear.
Real fear.
If he told him everything that had happened, he could put a target on his back.
Gangs, delinquents from other schools. Even Matsuba.
The air leaves him.
"It's bad. It's beyond me."
Zaimokuza opens his eyes in surprise.
He knows Hikigaya. He knows that very few things scare him. This was not the God of War he knew.
"Tell me…" he replies, as he brings his elbows to the table and interlaces his fingers, using his hands as a backrest, like a certain character from a 1990s anime. [1]
Hikigaya deliberately copies Zaimokuza's pose like a reflection in a mirror.
"You're really going to make me say it…"
"I don't know what you're talking about…" drops of sweat fall from Zaimokuza's forehead. Hikigaya's posture darkens, a more pronounced grunt comes from him than before. "I'm sorry…"
"Seriously!" Zaimokuza's shout startles the people sitting near their table.
"Shut up, you're making the others look at us strangely", Hikigaya immediately brings his hands to Zaimokuza's shoulders and centers him back in the chair.
"Oh, Hachiman, this is bad", Zaimokuza brings his hands to his hair. "If you had no chance before, now it's nonexistent."
"Don't remind me, would you…" Hikigaya murmurs with a furrowed brow, bringing his eyes to the window on his right. "But we can do something."
Zaimokuza immediately turns toward Hikigaya.
"Do something? Gangs, leaders, delinquents, and the Demon King…" Zaimokuza puffs out his chest, brings his eyes forward, and returns them to Hikigaya. "It's impossible, Hachiman!"
Once again, the people in the restaurant immediately look at the two boys.
"Lower your damn voice!" Hikigaya mutters.
Zaimokuza flinches when he sees too many eyes on him.
"A-Ah, right… I'm sorry…"
After a couple of seconds, Hikigaya straightens up in his seat.
A sigh escapes his mouth.
"I just have to make sure Yukinoshita doesn't make any deal with Matsuba…" Hikigaya drops his elbow onto the table, resting his head on the palm of his hand. "It won't be that complicated, right?"
His eyes meet Zaimokuza's.
"Difficult? Friend, it'll be impossible", he replies. Hikigaya slightly twists his mouth, knowing that he's right. "Ah, from the way you tell me your situation with the Service Club, the Ice Empress isn't going to listen at all…"
Hikigaya nods.
His eyes fall on a fixed point in front of him, blurring Zaimokuza's silhouette.
So his thoughts overwhelm him.
"Zaimokuza was absolutely right. How the hell was I going to solve this? Yukinoshita isn't going to listen to me. Matsuba, a delinquent, possibly a gang leader in Chiba. It sounded like the plot of a current shōnen manga with perhaps twenty-two chapters, and a possible twelve-episode anime currently in production, which will probably get a second season thanks to worker exploitation and— Damn… I went too far… work, now I'm even more depressed", the haze dissipates, and Hikigaya's eyes return to Zaimokuza. "Although maybe I have a chance."
Zaimokuza stops looking at the table in front of him and responds.
"Seriously?"
"Hasegawa", Hikigaya clarifies, but before he can continue. "He can help—"
"He's his minion!" Zaimokuza shouts this time without holding back. The diners once again turn their heads toward the pair of boys. Hikigaya hides his face, covering it with his hand. Meanwhile, Zaimokuza, feeling their gazes, leans forward. "His minion will help you."
"First: Don't call him a minion… he'll probably kill you if he hears you", he replies while still keeping his face hidden. However, Zaimokuza simply swallows when he feels an invisible rope around his neck. "And as for helping me, maybe, yeah. Everything I told you, he told me."
Zaimokuza nods fervently.
"I understand, I understand. Hasegawa-dono also wants to overthrow the Demon King."
Hikigaya slightly furrows his brow upon hearing the strange way Zaimokuza put it.
"I suppose."
"And do you know why?"
Hikigaya raises his head. "Hm?"
"Yes, do you know why Hasegawa-dono offers you his help?"
Hikigaya falls silent. He remembered that he had not actually given a specific reason. "Hasegawa said he helps me because he likes me…", Hikigaya thinks for a second. Then speaks. "Well, he didn't really give me a reason, exactly…" he comments, interlacing his fingers. "Besides, I wasn't going to tell him he helps me because he likes me, I'd die of embarrassment."
Zaimokuza crosses his arms.
"That's bad, Hachiman."
Hikigaya merely raises an eyebrow, confused and curious.
"Really? And why?"
Zaimokuza laughs confidently upon hearing Hikigaya's incredulous voice.
"Think about it. As you said, Hasegawa-dono was a delinquent, he knows things about that world, right? So, if the Demon King leaves, Hasegawa-dono could take control, couldn't he? Maybe that's why he helps you. To use you as bait, and when everything goes wrong, BAM! He takes control."
This time, Zaimokuza's conjectures make Hikigaya open his eyes slightly.
"Incredible…" Hikigaya says to himself. "Plagiarizing manga and light novels to create one of your own can bear fruit". Hikigaya's thoughts deepened. "Zaimokuza was partly right. The only reason Hasegawa helps me is because he likes me… there had to be more. Why is he really helping me?"
Suddenly, Zaimokuza's voice pulls him out of his reverie.
"HA, HA, HA, you're very gullible, my friend Hachiman!"
The diners did not forgive him this time.
Some men and a few women stood up to go to the counter and speak with whoever seemed to be in charge of the place.
The waitress who had served them returns with nervous steps and a small smile. Her clean, neatly arranged hair falls over her forehead.
"Guys", the girl, between twenty and twenty-two, begins. "Some customers are a little upset about your shouting. If you'd like, I can bring you the bill. Would you like it split?"
Hikigaya sighs in annoyance.
"I hate you, Zaimokuza…"
"Oh, there you are!"
A shrill feminine voice comes from behind.
Komachi.
"What are you doing here?" Hikigaya speaks immediately.
Komachi puts both hands on her waist.
"Well, since you're making an effort for me, I thought I'd make an effort too", Komachi's arms open to the right, pointing at a couple of Hikigaya's schoolmates. "So, Ta-chan! I brought some people to help!"
Hikigaya sees two familiar faces.
Kawa… Kawa… never mind, she wears black lace.
"Hey…" she barely greets, moving her hand.
Along with Saika Totsuka.
"Hi, Hachiman."
And two more, and one of them was Kawa… black lace's brother. And a girl wearing the same uniform as Komachi. But what Hikigaya noticed first was the boy.
"And what's that bug?"
"Onii-chan!" Komachi shouts angrily. "He's not a bug, he's my friend, Taishi-kun."
The boy in question was Komachi's classmate.
"Hello, Nii-san", the boy greets with a bright smile.
Hikigaya quickly furrows his brow.
"Don't call me Nii-san…" he says without taking his eyes off him.
"And you don't call my brother a bug", Kawasaki quickly defends her brother.
Suddenly, the girl, almost the same height as Komachi, but relatively taller, approaches her.
"Komachi-san", she says as she approaches her. "I don't think we should be here."
Komachi quickly pretends to have tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Huh?! But Nami-chan, you promised you'd help me", Komachi pleads in a falsely pained tone. "Do you want to abandon your best friend?"
"What? No", the girl replies. "I just think—"
"Don't worry, Nami-chan", Komachi changes back to her usual tone. "We'll just help my brother and leave."
Nami sighs, accepting it.
"Okay…"
Komachi takes a few steps and raises her fist toward the ceiling.
"All right, let's begin with Operation Keep Yukino-san and Yui-san in the club!"
Totsuka's and Taishi's arms go up energetically, followed by Kawasaki's and Nami's two small hands.
"Hello, nice to meet you, my name is Hasegawa Nami, I'm Komachi-san's classmate", the girl says, bowing toward everyone at the table. "I hope you'll take good care of me."
Hikigaya opens his eyes.
It had to be a coincidence.
"Hasegawa…"
He repeated it.
And not only that. The girl's features were Hasegawa's.
Her skin tone, her black hair, but with slight mahogany-brown tips.
Hasegawa had a younger sister, he had mentioned her in their conversation.
How common was the name Hasegawa?
Could she be his sister?
He wanted to ask, but he didn't want his sister's friend to think he was some kind of weirdo, and even so, he had to know.
"Hasegawa-san", Hikigaya addresses the girl. "Do you have siblings?"
The girl immediately nods with a small smile.
"Yes, Hikigaya-san. Two, actually", the girl says. "I have a six-year-old younger sister and my eighteen-year-old older brother." Nami immediately opens her eyes. "A-Ah, actually, he goes to Sōbu High School, maybe you know him…"
Hikigaya nods.
"Yeah, I know him…"
Nami opens her eyes in surprise.
"You know Nii-san?"
Hikigaya tenses up upon hearing the question.
Knowing him was a question that was too big for him.
"A-Ah, I think so… he and—"
Komachi, at the speed of light, fixes her eyes on her brother.
"Onii-chan?" she calls, not recognizing him. "Do you know Nami-chan's brother? Why?"
Hikigaya felt some pressure. He had omitted the new members of the club. But it was clear that at some point Komachi had to know. So he takes a deep breath and…
"He attends the Service Club."
Nami nods, still astonished at the declaration.
Meanwhile, Komachi seems to melt into her seat, perplexed.
"Wow, I didn't know Nii-san went to a club… or could even be in one…" Nami responds, bringing her finger to her chin thoughtfully. She tries to remember a moment when her brother had mentioned anything about a club, but nothing comes to mind.
Komachi jumps back to her senses, standing on the chair and looking directly at her brother, annoyed.
"Onii-chan!" she calls out loudly. "There's someone new in the Service Club", she declares with her hands on her waist. "And it didn't occur to you to tell me first!"
"A-Ah… well, it's j-just that I…" Hikigaya can only avert his eyes, raising his hands in surrender. "You were upset… and I didn't want to bother you…"
"You could have told me at any time!" Komachi immediately retorts.
The two siblings argue. Although it seems more like a hunt.
A predator and its prey.
Kawasaki rests her head on her hand. Touched by what she sees.
She also had her little disputes with Taichi. In which she always won. Of course, she behaved differently. A side of her that was not seen at school or anywhere else. So seeing Hikigaya somewhat relaxed gave her something to think about. He wasn't that loner who wandered the school hallways.
Here, he was simply a boy cornered by his little sister.
Something she found cute… and attractive.
"Service Club?" Nami asks, confused, turning to Komachi. "What is that?"
Komachi turns to her friend and explains with a pause, while still holding onto the collar of her brother's shirt.
"It's a club where the goal is to help people", Komachi explains.
Nami tilts her head in adorable confusion. "Is it something like… when you don't have the answers to a test and someone gives them to you?"
Komachi shakes her head using Hikigaya's body.
"No. What the club is supposed to do is give you the tools. A simple example is the following. If a fisherman needs help, the club will give him a fishing rod, not a fish."
This time, understanding the idea, Nami opens her mouth in amazement.
"Ah…"
Hikigaya makes a grimace.
"Is that the only example?"
It reminds him of the first day he met Yukinoshita.
Komachi ignores Hikigaya's words and, at the same speed as before, turns to her brother.
"Onii-chan!" she shakes him angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?! Since when?!"
Hikigaya swallows.
"Since before the trip to Kyoto."
Komachi crosses her arms.
"And I was the only one who didn't know?"
Komachi's eyes go to Kawasaki first.
Kawasaki raises her eyebrows, understanding the girl. "Yeah, I knew."
Then they go to Totsuka.
"I think so, Komachi-chan", he answers with a slight smile.
And finally, Zaimokuza.
"I'm sorry. But I swore loyalty to the God of War and—" Komachi's eyes deepen, no longer looking like those of an adorable little girl. This makes Zaimokuza swallow and start to sweat. "A-Ah… I…! By the Eye of—" the drops of sweat run down faster than before. So Zaimokuza gives up. "Yeah, I knew."
"Who are they?" Komachi returns to her usual gaze, still annoyed as she leans toward her brother, looking directly into his eyes.
"As I said, Hasegawa-san's brother and—"
Komachi throws herself to the floor, pretending to be defeated.
"A boy?! No! This lowers the chances, Onii-chan!"
Hikigaya, feeling a sort of emptiness in his stomach, can only wait for his sister to finish her little comedy act.
"And also a girl, Aisaka-san…"
Komachi quickly stands up, and as if the weather were obeying her will, the rays of the sunset illuminate her.
"Onii-chan, you still have a chance… Okasan", Komachi cries. "Onii-chan still can."
This time, Hikigaya found no humor in it. So he takes his time straightening the collar of his shirt.
"Komachi, you want to sit down."
She nods, still wiping the faint marks at the corners of her eyes.
"Yes, Onii-chan…" when Komachi returns to her seat. "Then that's all, right? I wouldn't want any more surprises…"
"A-Ah… yeah…", Hikigaya barely responds.
A silence that felt suffocating rises over the table.
It did not take long before Kawasaki, Totsuka, and Zaimokuza all look at Hikigaya, waiting for him to mention the final member of the Service Club, but it seemed he was not going to say it.
Kawasaki understood completely.
Talking to his little sister about Matsuba would be like walking on fire. She had a younger brother, so she understood that feeling better than anyone else.
Protect.
So he simply brings his drink to his lips.
Totsuka, just like her, remains silent. It was none of his business. And he did not want Komachi to torture Hikigaya any more.
However, Zaimokuza only thought that Hikigaya had forgotten.
"Oe, Hachiman, you're not going to tell her about the Demon—" Hikigaya's kick was faster than anything else.
Komachi raises her gaze.
"Hm?" her head turns toward her brother and Zaimokuza. "Demon?"
Hikigaya shakes his head.
"Nothing, Zaimokuza just tripped when he got here", Hikigaya's dead eyes rise. "Right?"
This time, Zaimokuza catches on and shakes his head in confirmation, while bringing his hands to his knees. "A-Ah… Hachiman…" his hoarse voice comes from his throat in pain. "I think my knee…"
Kawasaki simply sighs with a certain weariness and disappointment.
Totsuka just smiles lightly.
"I'll go get an ice pack."
Kawasaki gives her drink to Zaimokuza.
"Here."
A brother had to protect his siblings.
So, if he could prevent his little sister from knowing about that guy's existence, he would do anything.
"So this is about the student council? If that's the case, why not let Yukinoshita or Yuigahama run for it? Who would be the president?"
Kawasaki begins the conversation.
"A-Ah, yeah, Komachi told us on the way here", Totsuka says. "But I want to know why you want to prevent those two from being elected…"
Zaimokuza nods.
"Good question", he replies, looking at Hikigaya. "I have to say, going to war against them is foolish."
Hikigaya avoids the question, he did not want to answer.
He would die of embarrassment.
"T-You're right about that, but…"
But Komachi approaches. "Onii-chan, I want those two to remain in the Service Club", she says without taking her eyes off her brother's face. "Honestly, I don't care about the student council elections."
Hikigaya hesitates. "I understand…" he clears his throat. "But what am I supposed to do about Isshiki?"
Komachi furrows her brow. "Onii-chan, is this Isshiki-san person someone important to you?"
"No, no, not at all", Hikigaya answers without hesitation.
"Then what's the problem?" Komachi asks again, without taking her eyes off her brother.
"Well, you know, a request is a request…", Hikigaya answers, crossing his arms.
But Komachi still did not give in.
"What's more important to you, your work or me?" she says, raising her voice slightly.
Hikigaya straightens up in his seat.
"Obviously you", he answers without hesitation. "I don't want to work", he concludes proudly.
There is a momentary silence at the table.
"Mmmh", Komachi murmurs. "I feel like I'm digging my own grave", she says, looking at the table. Nami sympathetically places her hand on Komachi's back. "But anyway, what are you going to do, Onii-chan?"
Hikigaya stops crossing his arms.
"Let's see… the priority is Komachi's request, keeping Yukinoshita and Yuigahama in the club. And given the situation, there isn't much I can do. The only card I can play is…"
"I'll have to come to a negotiation with Isshiki…"
Zaimokuza trembles.
"But she's a girl, right?" His stammering was obvious. "Can you negotiate with them?"
But Hikigaya closes his eyes, thinking.
"If Isshiki Iroha is acting like this on purpose, then it could be said that she'd be easy to negotiate with," Hikigaya remembered the girl's silhouette, her tone charming. Childish and silly. Her light-brown hair. "In short, she just wants to protect her image…" he tells himself. "That's why she wants to avoid the speech, she could end up with a bad reputation, which means my approach to this is wrong from the start…"
Hikigaya opens his eyes.
"Kawasaki."
The girl cleaning her brother's cheek turns toward Hikigaya.
"Mmh?"
"I want you to write down the names of who you'd like as student council president."
Kawasaki wrote them down.
Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, Hayama, Ebina, Miura, Sagami, and finally Tobe.
"Oh, and you, I suppose", she says at the end.
Hikigaya nods.
"Yeah, very funny, but you already know I couldn't get even two votes."
"I know. I just wanted to say it."
Taishi jumps out of his seat happily.
"I'd vote for you, Nii-san."
Hikigaya forces a smile, stretching his arm upward.
"Hontou? (Really?)" he says, waving his arm. "Why don't you come over here and tell me."
Kawasaki furrows her brow in annoyance, stopping her brother with one hand.
"I could ask Nii-san for help, Hikigaya-san…" Nami comments, somewhat embarrassed.
Hikigaya turns his head when he sees the girl. He lowers his arm while shaking his head.
"No, no, Hasegawa-san… your brother has already helped me too much…"
But he is interrupted by Zaimokuza's words.
"Oh, and why don't we ask the Demon King for help?"
Komachi immediately turns to her brother.
"What is he talking about, Onii-chan?" her worried tone emerges. "The eighth-grader syndrome again?"
Hikigaya twists his smile.
"No, nothing like that", Hikigaya glares at Zaimokuza. "He's no one important."
He swallows briefly.
"Could I ask Matsuba for help with this?"
The question arises in his mind.
But Komachi's gaze does not leave him.
"Onii-chan", she calls him. "Make sure you talk to Yukino-san and Yui-san about this, okay?" Komachi does not take her eyes off her brother's eyes, she needed confirmation. "Promise me."
Hikigaya nods, bringing his hand to Komachi's head.
"Sure, but it won't be of any use if I can't sound convincing", he clarifies. "First, I have to prepare the ground."
"Onii-chan, you're always so logical, but you always skip several steps in the process", Komachi says, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder. "I'm worried."
Hikigaya smiles.
"It's okay, I already know what I have to do…"
But once again, what Zaimokuza had said came to mind.
Matsuba could help him…
"If the club disappears, his entertainment disappears too, right?"
Hikigaya's Reluctance
12:08, PM
The idea was simple.
Create multiple accounts on the social media platforms used by students at Sōbu. With the names Kawasaki had written down. It would be simple, Hikigaya and Zaimokuza would use the list of names to create accounts promoting the candidates. That way, they could easily reach thirty votes. And without lifting a finger, he would get the votes he needed.
Hayama Hayato for president
Was the name of one of the many accounts.
[We're looking for votes for the nomination. Write your name and class if you follow me. Let's help the Prince Charming of Sōbu win. This account is for finding people willing to nominate him for student council president.]
Hikigaya would have written.
Then with the following names.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuigahama Yui, Miura Yumiko, Ebina Hina, Tobe Kakeru…
The accounts immediately began gaining followers.
Hikigaya did not really know how social media worked. The name itself made it implicit. But he did know about social behavior. This would create an avalanche for him.
While Hikigaya continued staring at his computer monitor in the early hours of the morning, he could not stop looking at the statistics.
A third of the students at Sōbu.
Hikigaya takes his phone and dials Zaimokuza's number.
A couple of seconds. "What happened?"
"We have enough numbers", Hikigaya replies without taking his eyes off the monitor. "Let's do the next phase."
Change the names to Isshiki Iroha's.
"Mmmh", Zaimokuza's small murmur comes through the speaker. "I can't say this is a method I like", he confesses. "It's very risky, Hachiman."
Hikigaya brings his fingers to his eyebrows, scratching them.
"Zaimokuza…" he calls him in a slightly bad-tempered tone.
But he immediately changes his regret into something else. Whatever it was. "But don't get me wrong! I'm not worried about you! I'm worried that I'll be responsible for doing this with you, but I really don't care, since I enjoy doing things from the shadows."
Zaimokuza laughs through the speaker, but without changing the false tone copied from a certain smiling student.
"You're a complete scumbag", Hikigaya says. "I like that", he replies without receiving an answer. "But don't worry. Even if someone tries, they won't be able to find who did this. These accounts won't exist tomorrow", Hikigaya clarifies, easing his companion's nerves. "And you know, Zaimokuza. A problem isn't a problem as long as no one sees it as a problem."
Sōbu High School
Class C-1
First break
Hikigaya arrives at Isshiki's class, with the plan only partially formed in his head.
When her classmate comes to tell her that a boy from Class 2-F was looking for her, Isshiki immediately turns her head toward the door, but when she sees Hikigaya, her face changes to one of displeasure and disappointment.
"I'm sorry", Hikigaya speaks to himself.
"Senpai, copying all of this is really difficult", Isshiki complains in her usual childish tone. The girl sighs before continuing. "Ah, and changing the subject, was the girl from before your girlfriend, the one you were with last week with Hayama-senpai?"
Hikigaya was still writing.
He was still going over his plan in his head.
He had brought her to the library, he needed silence, but Isshiki was not helping.
But when he heard Isshiki's words, he could not believe it.
"Some guys almost took you God knows where, and that's the only thing she remembers", Hikigaya tells himself. "Incredible."
Hikigaya sighs.
"Who knows?" he murmurs without interest in Isshiki's words.
Isshiki complains. "Huh? Come on, tell me, there won't be a problem, right?"
"Maybe I'll tell you when we're finished with this", Hikigaya mentions without taking his eyes off the paper.
Isshiki apparently gives up and returns to her task.
"Well, if that's all, it doesn't seem like there's a problem."
When Isshiki said that, Hikigaya saw his opportunity.
"By the way…" he speaks without taking his eyes off the paper. "Hayama… you like—" Hikigaya interrupts himself. "What do you think of him?"
Isshiki is left speechless upon hearing Hikigaya's words for a couple of seconds.
"Huh?" Isshiki barely speaks. And quickly covers herself. "What? Are you trying to flirt with me?" Isshiki leans forward, bringing her hands to her legs. "Sorry, it'll be useless. I already like someone else."
Hikigaya furrows his brow.
He could not believe it, she rejected him without him even confessing.
"That's not it", Hikigaya clarifies. "I just wanted to know what you thought of him."
Isshiki calms down, and looks upward, actually thinking about the question.
"Let me think", she begins. "He seems like a nice guy, so I'd like to seduce him—, take his hand or something like that…"
Hikigaya leans back slightly.
"She was really going to say seduce him…?" Hikigaya thinks briefly.
Isshiki resumes the conversation.
"Nee, nee, Senpai, by the way, what's the point of doing this?"
Hikigaya straightens up in his chair.
Phase three.
"Actually, I suppose there isn't any point at all…"
Isshiki furrows her brow.
"That sounds very vague…"
Hikigaya nods. "She's right. Well, no matter what you do", Hikigaya begins. "You can't beat Yukinoshita or Yuigahama. So yeah, she's right, this is vague, and useless…"
Hikigaya does not take his eyes off the paper. Isshiki did not say anything at first, her attitude was no longer the same as it had been a second ago.
"Well, it's not like I want to win", Isshiki begins. "But the possibility of winning scares me a little."
However, Hikigaya continued, still not hearing Isshiki's frustration. He needed that from her.
"Even so, you have no chance of winning", Hikigaya says, driving in another nail.
Isshiki furrows her brow with even more presumption.
"Yeah, well, it's not like I care…"
Hikigaya smiles slightly.
Pushing her pride…
"Besides, I'm sure you only got nominated" Hikigaya speaks again. "They only did it to make fun of you. I bet they're laughing right now. And when you lose, they'll laugh even harder."
Isshiki's pencil stops moving.
Spitting on her ego…
"That doesn't bother you?" Hikigaya inquires. "If someone makes fun of you, the logical thing would be for you to make fun of them, right?"
Isshiki grips her pencil.
"Yes, I would like to, but…"
"You can."
Isshiki raises her eyes curiously.
"What?"
Hikigaya takes the list of votes out of his backpack. "What do you think you've been writing all this time?"
"Names?" Isshiki answers the obvious.
Hikigaya's jaw tightens.
"Yes, and they're your nominators", he clarifies. "They're the list of votes for Isshiki Iroha."
Isshiki opens her eyes in surprise as she takes the list, looking at the names.
"But I already have the list of the names of the people who nominated me."
Hikigaya nods.
"But the rules say you need at least thirty, but there is no maximum limit", he drops the list on the table. "There has been a campaign on the internet supporting you as president, which adds up to a third of all the students in the school. With all these people supporting you, you can win."
Isshiki still hesitates. "But this is very sudden. Besides, even if I'm elected, I don't think I can be a good president", Isshiki continues. "I don't think I can handle the responsibility, and besides, I'm the president of the soccer club."
He knew it, Hikigaya knew it. But he knew where he could attack.
"Even so, certainly juggling both positions can be difficult", Hikigaya agrees with her. "But you'd be letting something big slip by. Guess what it could be?"
Isshiki draws back in confusion.
"Experience, I suppose?" Isshiki thinks. "And a good recommendation… by the way, Senpai, you're acting just like a teacher, you know?"
"You're wrong", Hikigaya shakes his head. "What you'll get is this…" before speaking, he coughs. He hadn't imitated a voice in years, or since Komachi had started getting embarrassed by it. "It's my first year as student council president, I still attend my club, so try to do your best", Hikigaya coughs to clear his throat after that crude childish voice. "Do you understand? Since you're a first-year, your mistakes will be overlooked. And when you don't want to do student council work, you can use the club as an excuse. Or vice versa, whichever you prefer."
But Isshiki's doubt still persisted.
"But even so, it would still be a difficult task, right?"
The doubt was killing Hikigaya's plan. But he would use his last card.
"Then, you can go to whoever you want for advice, like Hayama." When Hayama's name was mentioned, Isshiki opened her eyes, as if she hadn't noticed something that had been there from the very beginning. Hikigaya saw this. He had her. "I'm sure he can help you with some things. Even if you meet him after the club, you can walk home together."
Isshiki was impressed, she really was.
"Senpai… is it possible that you're smart…?"
Hikigaya smiles, this was already done.
"Sometimes", he answers proudly.
Isshiki looks at the papers again, at the countless names.
"If that's the case, I can't refuse with so many people supporting me", she says while looking at the list of all the names. "I think this would be good… besides, I don't want my classmates to laugh behind my back…" Isshiki smiles slightly as she looks at the list. Then she looks at Hikigaya again. "All right, I'll let you convince me, Senpai. Wow, you're really smart, Senpai."
A silence rises between them until—
"Did I hear that right?!"
A sweet and charming voice emerges from the hallway.
"Hikigaya-kun being called smart", she continues, her footsteps moving toward where Hikigaya and Isshiki were sitting. "That would be almost like asking pigs to look at the sky", her laughter can be heard throughout the place. "It would be impossible."
His smile, wider than before, becomes visible and…
"Matsuba…" Hikigaya mutters, annoyed. "What are you doing here?"
With not the slightest hint of ending his continuous mockery.
"Isn't it obvious?" He leans toward Hikigaya theatrically. "As you know, I am now the club's vice president, and like every good vice president, I have the right to know where my dear clubmates are. And I am worried that such a great clubmate as you haven't been coming to the club. How egotistical can you be? Where is my fun?"
Matsuba clarifies without taking his eyes off Hikigaya. Hikigaya can only furrow his brow in displeasure at having Matsuba so close. Then he turns to Isshiki, cracking his neck, tilting his head slightly.
"Ojō-han (young lady)…" [2]
Isshiki jumps from her seat in a certain amount of fear upon seeing her superior's smile.
Just hearing him makes her feel chills.
"Y-Yes, Matsuba-senpai?" Isshiki stammers as she speaks, forcing a smile.
"Your classmates have prepared a group apology for you. They feel very sorry for what they did to you by nominating you without your consent," he informs her without losing his smile, though there was slight frustration. "Why don't you go to your class? I'm sure they ARE WAITING FOR YOU."
He shows all his teeth, which looked like large, sharp fangs.
"A-Ah, y-yes, I'm going" Isshiki says, quickly getting up from her chair. "Senpai, see you later, and thank you."
Isshiki runs toward the library exit.
When the girl disappears from both of their sight, Hikigaya does not take his eyes off Matsuba. This would be an opportunity for the loner.
The Demon and the Loner.
No distractions, no one around, only Matsuba and him.
At last, he will be able to find out what he wants.
Matsuba walks to the chair that had belonged to Isshiki and sits down in it presumptuously, crossing his leg. He leans back with pretension, his eyes moving down across Hikigaya's entire face.
And his smile grows.
"I see you're a complete mess" Matsuba speaks presumptuously and without losing his mocking tone. "You haven't been sleeping well, right?"
Hikigaya furrows his brow.
"I'm always a mess, this is nothing new. Besides, I'm working on the request, what do you want? I was busy with Isshiki—"
"Wait, my friend, don't be so defensive" Matsuba clarifies with a smile. "I just wanted to know what you've been up to lately."
Hikigaya furrows his brow. "Don't call me friend," he says to himself.
Matsuba picks up the papers, without much interest.
"So this is what you do after falsely confessing to someone you felt nothing for, and ruining your relationship with your beloved crushes, just to please a stupid group of friends…", his tone of voice deepened, but without losing the mockery for even a second.
A slight flush, but even so Hikigaya furrows his brow further.
Again, with that.
"You don't know what you're talking about, I didn't do it for that" Hikigaya clarifies, annoyed. "So if you came to make fun of me—
"Make fun of you! What mockery?", Matsuba clarifies. "My friend, I came to congratulate you. You know, I have to applaud you. Never, ever had I seen such a magnificent display of self-loathing as yours, it was simply incredible, bravo, bravo. It was absolutely entertaining. You had an expectant audience, terrified of what you would do, and you did not disappoint at all", Matsuba licks his lips. "You should have seen Yukinoshita-san's reaction, it was simply beautiful."
Beautiful?
"Is this guy serious?" Hikigaya says to himself. Never in his short life had he met someone like this. "What does he really want?" he thinks again.
Hikigaya straightens himself in his seat and leans forward.
"What do you want, Matsuba? Why are you in the Service Club?"
But Matsuba seems confused, only to recline in his seat.
"I already told you, to entertain myself" he says, but this time he smiles more and looks Hikigaya directly in the eyes. "I came to your club because I love watching someone fight for something they believe is significant in their life, and then watching them fall spectacularly…" Matsuba brings his body almost over Hikigaya. "Just like you're doing, good job!"
He quickly returns to his seat, crossing his right leg.
"Good job? This guy is really annoying" Hikigaya's jaw tightened.
The memories of Sagami came to his mind again. Now he no longer had any conjectures; he was sure he had been there. Watching him destroy Sagami and make her go up on stage on the verge of tears.
That was what he wanted to see.
That's why he was disappointed when he didn't see him do anything when they were in Kyoto with Tobe and Ebina. [3]
However, when he falsely confessed to Ebina, his entertainment returned.
But he saw something, a flash, but it was something nonetheless.
"So that's what it is, huh?" Hikigaya doesn't believe it. He couldn't believe it himself. He had heard the worst about him. How he terrorized students. Threats. The school protected him. It couldn't be just entertainment. "I heard you were going to help Yukinoshita, I'm right about that?"
Matsuba briefly raises his eyebrows suspiciously.
"I did" he replies without stopping his smile. "She asked for my help, how could I refuse those tender marine-blue eyes…"
Hikigaya nods, but feels a minuscule repulsion when Matsuba mentions the detail about the color of her eyes.
"Yes, if she becomes the student council president, the club will cease to exist", Hikigaya begins putting the papers into his backpack. "Your fun will consequently cease to exist as well, right?"
Matsuba narrows his eyes. Hikigaya was right, and he could use this, make Matsuba help him.
They both want the same thing.
The club to continue.
"Yes, it could be" Matsuba replies. "However, Yukinoshita-san, I see her as very determined. Her, and Yuigahama-san" Matsuba smiles more.
Hikigaya hesitated.
He might be right.
He needed Yukinoshita to give up on the election.
And his sister's words were not helping.
He could show them both the list of nominees, explain to them that they did not need to run for the election to solve the request. Yuigahama would accept it, she does not want the club to disappear, but Yukinoshita was a different story, perhaps she did not want it that way.
"I see…" Hikigaya replies.
Matsuba smiles at the tone of voice he hears.
"Mmmh, Hikigaya-kun, I'll propose something to you" he begins. "I don't want the club to disappear either, so why don't we… make a deal."
Hikigaya raised his eyebrows too quickly.
"A deal…" he repeated.
There it is.
And suddenly.
"Never make a deal with him…"
Hasegawa's voice suddenly came to him.
His voice dries up.
"A deal?" he begins, hoping nothing leaks through. "What kind of deal?"
Matsuba smiles, unknowingly.
"I'll make sure Yukinoshita-san and Yuigahama-san give up on wanting to run" Matsuba states his terms. "And in exchange, you will owe me a tiny favor" he smiles even more. "Simple, right…?"
Hikigaya could not believe it, it was obvious there was a trick, but he did not know what it was.
Matsuba extends his hand toward Hikigaya, waiting for the handshake.
"So…" Matsuba continued.
A small favor?
Hikigaya was not stupid enough to make a deal with such ambiguous terms.
Matsuba's hand was still suspended a few centimeters from Hikigaya.
"...Do we have a deal?"
Hikigaya looked at his hand, it was firm and straight, evidence that he did this regularly.
But he would not fall for it.
"No."
Matsuba's hand clenches.
His fingers curl into his palm, a red hue becoming visible.
He thought he had him.
So he answers.
"No?"
Hikigaya shakes his head again.
"No, I need your help to solve this", Hikigaya gets to his feet. "The club will continue, Yukinoshita will not become the student council president."
Matsuba stretches the corners of his mouth.
"You sound very confident, Hikigaya-kun" he reclines in his chair. "But if I remember correctly, Ai-san mentioned to me that Yukinoshita-san did not accept your method…", his smile grows even wider. "The only thing you will accomplish is hurting her. Is that what you want? Like last time…"
His smile seemed to never stop growing.
Hikigaya lowers his eyes slightly.
Matsuba was not entirely wrong.
He was right.
"That's true…" Hikigaya replies. "But I'm still going to try."
Matsuba laughs.
"Please, do you really think you're going to win? That girl could never beat Yukinoshita-san", he says without stopping his smile. "Oh, Yuigahama-san. They'll run your protégé into the ground. What a cruel Senpai…"
His smile widens even more.
"Idiot."
But Hikigaya had a plan.
"Yes, perhaps you're right" he begins to rise from his seat. "But I only need Yukinoshita and Yuigahama not to run."
Hikigaya begins walking toward the library exit, leaving Matsuba still reclining in the seat.
Not without first…
"Wait" Matsuba's voice had changed, becoming deeper. Hikigaya instinctively stopped, feeling his throat go dry. So Matsuba spoke again. "Tell Yukinoshita-san that Hajime and I won't be attending today" Matsuba raises his voice, without even turning to look at Hikigaya. "I have something to do, and I need extra hands, see you tomorrow… dear."
Hikigaya, hearing those words, nodded and continued on his way.
His hand clenches his shirt.
"What the hell was that…", he thought.
Hikigaya did not know it, but…
He had struck a nerve of the Demon of Sōbu…
Service Club
4:45, PM
The sunset was becoming more pronounced. The orange color filled the room.
"Then, you won't change your minds", Hikigaya's voice is heard throughout the room.
Yukinoshita nods. "No, I won't change my mind" she places both hands on her legs, unconsciously covering herself. "This is for the best…"
"I won't change my mind either" Yuigahama's voice comes.
Her body was leaning forward, her hair hiding her eyes. Her hands were on her legs.
It was as if she were preparing herself for something.
But without knowing what.
"There is no reason for you to participate", Yukinoshita says again.
She did not understand why her companion was doing what she was.
What was the logical reason?
"Even so, I will" Yuigahama continues. "And I have no intention of losing…"
"Why are you doing what you're doing?" Yukinoshita finally asks.
Yuigahama curls further into herself.
"Because if you leave, Yukinon, there won't be a club anymore…", she replies. "I don't want that."
Yukinoshita shakes her head.
"That won't happen, it doesn't have to be that way…"
Yuigahama turns her eyes toward Yukinoshita.
"But…"
"She is right that you don't have to run", Hikigaya interrupts. "And I didn't say it just for you, Yukinoshita-san, but for you too, Yuigahama-san. Neither of you…"
Yukinoshita turns her gaze toward him.
"What do you mean by that?" Yukinoshita speaks with some anger. "I thought it was clear that your proposal had been rejected."
Hikigaya calmly nods. "Yes, but I'm not referring to that."
"What?" Yukinoshita looks at him, confused.
"Forget about that, and look", Hikigaya shows the one hundred eighteen sheets.
The list contained several names, including their grades and classes.
2-A Takuya Takahashi, 2-C Ichigo Nakamura, 1-B Sora Fujimoto, 3-C Ren Ishikawa, 3-D Aoi Yamamoto, 2-G Kaito Suzuki, 2-C Mei Kobayashi, 3-A Daiki Matsumoto, 1-H Rina Yoshida, 1-C Yukariko Tanaka, 2-B Hina Watanabe, 3-A Tsubasa Nakajima, 2-G Akira Saito, 1-A Mio Kato, 2-D Shun Inoue, 3-C Haruka Kimura, 1-E Kazuki Hayashi, 3-B Nanami Shimizu…
Both of them read the names, impressed.
"Did you do this?" Yukinoshita asks, astonished.
Hikigaya shakes his head. "No, surely it was a volunteer who had too much free time."
Yuigahama continued reading the names.
"There are a lot of people."
"Yes, there are several people, accounts that supported her, she is very popular…" Hikigaya speaks. "With this, we will fulfill the request I had with Isshiki. She told me during the first lunch break, apparently she wants to be president now", Hikigaya gives a small sigh as he remembers. "So she no longer has to run in the election… either of you."
Yuigahama looks at Hikigaya for an instant.
"Support accounts…" she repeats.
Her hand moves toward her phone, while her fingers brush across its screen.
Hikigaya sees it, a small drop of sweat runs down, but Yuigahama brings her hand back to herself.
"What a relief…" Yuigahama says. "Then I don't have to run anymore…"
Hikigaya and Yuigahama both look at each other.
But the sound of small movements makes them look at Yukinoshita.
"I see…" she says. "Then, there is no problem or any reason for me to do anything…" her gaze avoids both of them.
Yukinoshita takes a deep breath.
"That is right…" Hikigaya replies, looking at her.
Yukinoshita, without taking her eyes off the floor, replies. "Yes… I see it…", but her voice is low and the wind blows. "And I thought you understood me", she gets up from her chair. "I'll go tell Hiratsuka-sensei."
Hikigaya saw it.
Her eyes, her gaze, wasn't that what he wanted?
He had avoided it.
Matsuba… was right…
"Ah! Yukinon, do you want me to go with you?" Yuigahama addresses her friend.
Yukinoshita, slightly shaking her head without needing to look at her, replies. "There is no need."
Yukinoshita crosses the door, leaving Hikigaya with Yuigahama.
Her footsteps fade away after a few seconds.
Hikigaya swallows.
"Uh…" he tries to speak. "I'm sorry."
Yuigahama immediately jumps. "Huh? Why are you apologizing?"
"Well, you were working so hard, weren't you?" Hikigaya clarifies. "I saw it in class… all that campaign stuff and the campaign speech."
Yuigahama shakes her head.
"Ah, about that. It's okay" she replies. "Unlike you, I didn't do much. You also did a lot, right? Just look at you, your hair has grown out, and it's a complete mess…"
Hikigaya tenses his jaw.
"Mess…" he repeats to himself.
It had not even been four hours, and he had already heard those words twice.
"I'll fix it" Yuigahama walks over to Hikigaya's seat.
"You don't have to", Hikigaya replies, trying to escape her assault.
"It's okay, it's okay" Yuigahama brings her hands to his hair. "It's no problem."
Yuigahama's hands begin stroking Hikigaya's scalp, her hands moving through his hair, pushing it back. Massaging his head slowly. She enjoyed the moment.
"You worked really hard…" Yuigahama says.
"No… actually, I didn't do much…" Hikigaya replies.
Yuigahama's hands continue, until she hugs his head.
"Thank you, for protecting this place… you know, deep down I expected it. I knew I wouldn't be able to beat Yukinon" Yuigahama explains, her voice was melancholic. She felt her words were true. "And that, if by luck, or coincidence, I won. And became the student council president, I wouldn't be able to come back to the club" Yuigahama sighs. "But none of that happened, thanks to you… Hikki…"
"You're wrong…" Hikigaya barely replies. And he brings his hands to his head, trying to remove Yuigahama's. "That's enough."
Yuigahama takes a few steps back.
Hikigaya's eyes lower toward the corner of the room, listening as she moves away.
Then he hears the sound of a chair.
"Hikki, you worked really hard!"
Hikigaya raises his eyes. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It's because you've done a lot" Yuigahama clarifies again.
"Forget it, will you? I haven't done anything…" Hikigaya replies, already a little angry.
But Yuigahama keeps insisting. "Of course, you haven't done anything that I haven't seen" she says, lowering her voice a little. "But if I had seen it, I'm sure I would have seen you doing something that isn't easy at all…" Yuigahama explains, trying to make her words reach Hikigaya. "I don't think I could change the way you do things, even if I wanted to…"
Hikigaya's eyes widen.
"Change the way I do things…" Hikigaya repeats to himself.
Yuigahama moves a little closer to him.
"I haven't been able to do anything… and I can't stop thinking whether I made the right decision, if it was difficult for me. It must have been worse for you. After this, we can go back to how things were before, right?"
Hikigaya stops looking at the floor and goes to Yukinoshita's chair.
"I don't know."
They both look at Yukinoshita's seat without saying anything else.
However, the words were still there.
"I thought you understood…"
Hikigaya did not take his eyes off the seat.
"If there is no problem to solve, if there is no reason for her to do something. People can't say whether to act or not. There is a possibility that I was wrong. That's the doubt I have left, that's all."
And so Hikigaya continued those words inside himself, until his gaze went to the other chairs.
"By the way, where is Aisaka-san?"
"Oh, she's helping me make the campaign posters" Yuigahama answers without any concern.
The two of them turn toward each other, looking at one another for several seconds.
Hikigaya's eyebrows rise, waiting for Yuigahama to realize it on her own.
"Oh! That's right! I hadn't noticed" Yuigahama takes out her phone to call Aisaka and cancel her request. "Hikki! Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Hikigaya sighs to himself.
"This girl…" he thinks to himself.
A few days later
Student Council
3:54, PM
"So they apologized to you, huh?"
Hikigaya asks while leaning against the wall behind him.
Isshiki nods, confirming it with boredom.
"Yes, it was strange, everyone gave me apology gifts", she mentions, placing a finger on her chin. "I think Matsuba-senpai terrified them quite a bit. In fact, I would have preferred him to hit—, to tell them that it wasn't right to do that…"
Hikigaya sighs.
"She was going to say hit…" he says to himself.
Isshiki reclines in her chair.
"Well, leaving that aside. Here I am. This is thanks to you, but don't expect much either."
He understands, but Hikigaya really hopes Isshiki will put in some effort.
"Yes… even so, my sister is going to enter this Sōbu next year", upon hearing the words, Isshiki shifts her gaze toward him. "So at least try to improve something."
Isshiki is startled upon hearing the words.
"What?! Are you trying to flirt with me again?! I-I'm sorry, you're being too unpleasant! And that's really creepy! Stop trying, it's useless!"
Hikigaya was moderately surprised.
"Her way of rejecting me is different from the first time", he thinks to himself. Hikigaya straightens himself against the wall so he can leave. "Fine, do your best."
"Oh, Hikigaya-kun, help me."
The voice belonged to the now-former student council president.
Shiromeguri, Meguri.
Upon hearing the request, Hikigaya can only nod.
"Sure", then he looks at Isshiki. "See you later, Isshiki."
"You know, Hikigaya-kun, I thought this would be different…"
Shiromeguri begins the conversation.
The hallway seems to have no end as she carries the boxes.
"Ah, yeah…" Hikigaya replies.
"That's right, I really expected Yukinoshita-san to be my successor as president" Shiromeguri clarifies. "In fact, I'm sure there would have been no need for a vote."
Hikigaya raises his eyebrows, slightly confused.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, aside from being a Yukinoshita, she had Matsuba-kun as her ally, I'm sure no one would go against her" Shiromeguri laughs softly.
Hikigaya did not understand it.
"Go against her…" he says to himself. "What a way to put it."
However, Shiromeguri continues.
"That's right, Matsuba-kun would be the vice president, Yuigahama-san the delegate. And you could help with general affairs."
Hikigaya slightly furrows his brow.
"Why am I the only one who doesn't have an official position?"
Shiromeguri's faint smile becomes visible.
"Mmmh, I'm sorry" she hides it with a small smile. But her imagination briefly grows. "And then, I would get to the council room, even after graduating. I could have gone anytime, to talk about how fun the cultural festival or the sports festival was" Shiromeguri expresses her thoughts. "Sorry, I've been imagining it that way for the past few days."
Hikigaya nods. Imagining it as well.
"Hypothetically speaking… if it were possible to go back in time. And do things differently… would things have changed?"
He did not know…
He did not want to know.
And the sound of their footsteps fades away.
Chapter 7 Note: Do We Have a Deal?
This is the final chapter of the first Arc: The Demon of Sōbu
For the introduction of one of the new characters.
Hasegawa Nami, the sister of our grumpy former delinquent.
She is 14 years old. Her skin tone is the same as her brother's, mahogany brown. She has shoulder-length black hair, with a slight brown tint at the ends. She is in the same class as Komachi. She is her best friend. They have known each other for a year.
Her story in the work will not be relevant, she will be a motivation for Hajime.
And that concludes the first Arc.
Important: Take a certain pause for a while. I will change some minor things in some chapters. I am going to restructure and edit them. I do this in my main language first and then translate it into English. So it is very possible that there are bad interpretations or errors that those who read it in English may see as incorrect or poorly written. So I will take some time to correct the seven chapters.
So that's all, thanks for reading.
TRIVIA
[1] – Referring to the character Ikari Gendo from Evangelion. Possible crossover. But this will be set in the universe of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ikari Shinji Ikusei Keikaku.
[2] – Ojō-han: It is a traditional Kyoto/Kansai way of addressing a young girl, especially with a certain degree of politeness. In this case, it wasn't, but Haruto usually communicates this way. はん (han) is a regional variant of さん (san) and gives it a more Kansai-specific nuance.
[3] – Scene from Chapter 3, The Demon Brings More Demons:
"Hey" Tobe calls. "They say it's better to tie it at the highest part to receive more blessing."
Tobe opens his eyes in surprise. A second later, he gives Hikigaya a thumbs-up.
"Why does he always do that?" Hikigaya says to himself.
Tobe snatches the paper from Ebina, which surprises her a little, and all she can do is watch as Tobe begins tying it at the top.
"There" Tobe says as he makes the last turn around the paper.
Ebina smiles kindly.
"Thank you, how gentlemanly."
The atmosphere was calm, comfortable. But Matsuba's eyes were somewhat disappointed. He heard all of Hikigaya's chatter toward Tobe.
Hikigaya begins walking away from Ebina and Tobe, and sees Matsuba standing in front of him with a simple smile, his head tilted and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What?" Hikigaya says.
A moderately annoyed tone rises.
"Mmmh, nothing" Matsuba replies, returning to his smiling attitude. "I expected something more."