Oregairu Vol 12, Chap 4

Oregairu V12 Chapter 4: Until today, that key has never been touched.

Credit to Hikikomori and his Nii for most of Chapter 4 Part 1. Remainder was done by YuiYahallo.

Credit to takei for sharing their “fanfiction”, actually a translation from Japanese of Part 2 - 4.

Credit to opie1122 for the remainder.

Credit to YuiYahallo for editing the entire chapter from the Japanese source.

===BEGIN PART 1===
In February, the weeds had yet to sprout.

Even with the sensation of spring drawing closer, cold weather returned frequently, and the seasons shifted only on the calendar. It will take some time for these desolate trees to bud anew. Even for the boulevard that rested along the park riverside, the landscape still reflected a dreary setting.

On the usual cycling route to school, a spirited wind blew in from the sea, bringing with it a heavy scent of winter.

Thanks to the consecutive holidays, or perhaps Komachi’s thank-you from the other day, I became somewhat listless, but this cold breeze that swept my face opened my eyes like I was waking for the first time. The entrance exams that spanned a total of three days were over, and that feeling of everyday life returning again welled up inside of me.

I supposed that was just my body adapting to this commute route. For nearly two years of traveling on this street, I'd been unconsciously winding corners that should be rounded, and taking the most natural and suitable actions at the stoplights.

Since I’ll be doing this for another year, I’ll probably be able head to school with my eyes closed. No, if I had to say more precisely, it’s that I’ll be using this path for only another year. After that, I’ll drown myself in nostalgia, and maybe even stop by this street sometime, when I feel like doing it. But seriously, I only have one year left to call this path my route to school.

Whenever, whatever, and wherever, time limits always exist. In the mornings and evenings, the sun always rises and sets - but If we have to assign special meanings to occasions like “the first sunrise of the year”, or “ the sunrise over the top of a mountain”, then the sun will lose its property of eternity.

Perhaps, such things could similarly be said for relationships. Komachi and I have the relationship of being siblings, and that in itself was an everlasting fact. However, since we’ve become aware that we were no longer children back in the days, it could be said that the level of our relationship had somewhat slightly changed.

I surely believed that we siblings would be more mature, even if it was just a little. Though, to begin with, after being together for the past 15 years, Komachi and I were fully aware that our relationship was *not* going to drastically change.

Since Komachi and I belong to the same family, I guess it’d be fine to keep it as is. I believed she  was already out of luck, and in giving up, she had no choice but to accompany me for the rest of her life. Together, she would accompany her Onii-chan to hell.

–However, for those who are not in such relationship with me, I wonder how long would they be able to accompany me?

As I pondered on those thoughts, I finally reached the side gate.

While squeezing the brakes gently to reduce speed, I slipped myself between other people and bicycles. Just like that, I turned the handlebars and slid my bike into an empty slot.

I locked my bike which had come to a creaking halt. When I lifted my head, I noticed that there were more empty slots around me than I expected.

While tying myself in knots over why the bike parking lot felt so spacious, I walked towards the main building entrance at a moderate pace.

It’s possible that, thanks to the days off, students passing by appeared more spirited, as they were playfully chatting along the way. Their echoing voices sounded more noticeable than usual.

Because of that, I found the answer to my previous confusion.

Currently, third year students were at the height of their exam preparation, and they were free to choose if they wanted to come to school. Thus, most of them were absent, leaving the parking lot much more spacious than usual. Both the first and the second floor of the building were very inactive. The classrooms along my way to the stairs from the entrance were all deserted, which is why students’ voices in the corridor were more noticeable.

The quiet and frigid atmosphere made them uneasy, and therefore, they chose to talk more to each other.

When I thought of that, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loneliness behind those voices.

Yet, even so, when I arrived at the classrooms for the second years on the third floor, I could hear the affectionate, noisy voices. Actually, it’s pretty damn noisy. I couldn’t care less about how you spent your days off, so just shut up! Hey, you don’t have to bring out your phone and exchange your photos because, well, didn’t you already upload those pictures to the SNS’s anyway? Your friends may have seen them already. They probably reflexively pushed the “like!” button, and then immediately forget about it. Ah, I see, that’s why you’re showing them again on purpose. Oh my! How thoughtfully prepared you are! A two-stage attack to close the gaps! (TL: ‘A two-stage attack to close the gaps’, or ‘隙を生じぬ二段構え’ in Japanese, is a line that comes from Urouni Kenshin https://kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Hiten_Mitsurugi-ry%C5%AB)

While I thought about such things, and avoided the hallway flooded with Instagrammers, I heard the sound of light footsteps coming closer from behind me. To give some way, I stepped slightly to the right. Then, my left shoulder was hit softly.

“Hachiman! Good morning!”

When I turned around, I saw a person whose features looked more Instagramy than any other subjects out there. It was Totsuka Saika, who wore a windbreaker over a school jersey.

“Y-Yeah… Good morning…”

When I somehow gave him a reply, Totsuka jokingly smiled as if to signify that his mischief was a success. Shortly after, he asked me in a low yet seemingly teasing voice if I was surprised. Because of that, I could only nod while I stopped breathing. Goodness! Teasing Master Totsuka-san, you are! (TL: Reference to Teasing Master Takagi-san, a animanga series by Yamamoto Souichirou)

No, of course I’d be surprised. I mean, why is he this cute? Isn’t your girl power too high when you hide your lips behind your excess sleeves and playfully giggle? Hey, hey, now is not the time to upload those photos of the fashionable hoods that are seemingly sold somewhere like Daikanyama or Nakameguro. This is that thing! This is what you call *the girl power*! Come on girls, show some dignity and reflect on yourselves. For the time being, I’ll just keep hitting the “like!” button on Instagram that’s located in my heart.

And, after hitting the button for 16 times, I calmed my palpitation, and brought my breathing back to normal. (TL: “16 shots per second”, or 十六連射, is a reference to Takahashi Meijin. You can read about his anecdotes here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takahashi_Meijin) I finally had the emotional leeway to examine Totsuka carefully.

His slightly long, fine, white, glossy, and soft hair that reflected in the light was a bit messy. The way he adjusted his racket case that was shouldered on his back was quick and adroit, and he floated a smile that was vigorous and fresh. The complexion of his cheeks appeared hearty as if they were dyed pink. I see. It seemed that his morning practice just ended, and soon after that, he hurried his way here.

Could it also be that there’s a faint trace of a citrusy spray-on deodorant? If so, then I must inhale it as much as I want, stash it away in my chest, and allow my red blood cells to carry it throughout my body. Such a thing was the only good manners for a gentleman. I inhaled deeply with my nose, exhaled through my mouth, and then started talking.

“Nice work on the morning practice. You’re amazing, even when it’s this cold.”

“Yup. Though, I’m already used to it.”

While Totsuka was keeping pace with me, he answered with a wide smile. I am positive that his smile held more confidence than modesty.

“Freshmen are coming soon. So, in order to show them the most attractive side of us, I need to work harder.”

He clenched his fists in front of his chest as if saying ‘Ganbaru-zoi’ to himself to cheer up. (TL: ‘Ganbaru-zoi/I’ll do my best’  is a catchphrase by Suzukaze Aoba, a character from animanga series New Game. The whole catchphrase is 今日も一日がんばるぞい/I shall do my best for the day as well!) His features that displayed such a fighting spirit looked really adorable, pleasing, charming, dependable, and cute. I’ll say that almost all adjectives that are generally meant to describe good things are applicable descriptors. In the end, I could only look at him with tearful eyes because my ability to formulate words ceased to exist. I don’t need to use words anymore… Nevertheless, perhaps slightly confused by me quietly staring at him, Totsuka looked up with his upturned eyes, and tilted his head.

“What are you guys going to do with the freshmen?”

“Huh?”

When I was asked about something unexpected, I ended up letting out a bewildered voice while my eyes were still locked onto him in a daze. After that, Totsuka thought that his question may have been ambiguous, so he added out more words while waving his hands.

“Well, now that the Service Club has become a proper club, so wouldn’t it be a problem if freshmen don’t join your club?”

I’m not sure about whether we were doing club activities properly in that regard, but… I tilted my head as I thought about that.

“I wonder… As an underling, I dunno. Also, I have no idea as to how our club came into shape in the first place… I was almost forced and then threatened to join the club, as if I was treated like some sort of prisoner.”

“Ahaha, I see…”

“That’s why I don’t think freshmen will join.”

As I spoke to Totsuka, he laughed bitterly and gently lowered his eyes.

“I see… That’s a little unfortunate.”

If freshmen won’t be joining, then, certainly, the existence of the Service Club will soon become history. While it was such an obvious thing, I came to realize it once again. I hastened my pace and led Totsuka by one step. In this position, where my expression won’t be visible, I let out a weary sigh.

"It's disappointing for me as well... I wanted to say those Senpai-like things to a Kouhai at least once - 'You're not the only one facing tough situations. Everyone has crossed that path.' Or something like, 'If you give up here, things won’t work out no matter where you go.', and stuff."

“W-What an unlikeable senpai…”

From behind, I could feel the traces of what seemed to be a slightly troubled smile.

“Ah, that’s not what I meant! I just thought that the Service Club was a wonderful club, so I
wanted it to continue in the future…”

Totsuka vigorously leapt towards me and fell in line by my side once again. When he looked up at me, there was a feeling of anxiousness and worry coming my way.

“…Well, doesn’t that depend on the club president and advisor? I’m merely an underling, so I
have no grounds to cast a vote on club issues.”

So, I spoke a pure, unadulterated truth.

Hearing my words, Totsuka giggled.

“The way you said that made you sound like an office worker.”

His words sounded like he was joking and complaining, but he might have just hit the nail on its head.

My stance has always been the same, even until now. Work that comes in the form of requests and consultations was born, and problems and challenges often came with it, so I tried to settle it to the best of my abilities. As for my own wishes, they weren’t really relevant. I’ve always just said, ‘it’s because it’s purely my job.’

Thanks to that, the words that I returned next were also blended with self-masochism.

“Right? When I begin to work in the future, things are only going to be tougher and shittier, right? So I absolutely do not want to work.”

While laughing about my comical statement, we arrived at the classroom. We then waved lightly to each other and headed towards our respective seats.

Thanks to the classroom heater, it was much warmer here than in the hallway. The ambience in the classroom was much more lax because of that. For those sitting close to the doors, the cold air entering through the gaps around the door froze them miserably. In comparison, for those sitting close to the windows where the heaters were located, a lot of them lazed around because of the heater’s blessing. Kawasaki Saki, who was sitting in the front row next to the window, rested her chin on her hand with her eyes shut, appearing as if she was dozing off.

On the other hand, when I looked at the people in the back rows next to the window, they had high spirits as usual. Tobe was at the center of attention with him cheerfully talking about one thing or another, probably because of the chocolate making event that was held the other day that ended nicely.

Perhaps there were some changes happening to their relationship after that event. Even while Miura failed to judge the right distance, she closed it up a little bit. Ebina also made progress, while maintaining an appropriate distance to others. As for Tobe… well whatever. It seemed like he’s having fun, and he’s Tobe, after all. So, yeah, whatever.

However, for that one guy who said that the event was good… Since I was currently staring at
them, Yuigahama, who was in that group, noticed me.

Yuigahama faintly opened her mouth, and slightly waved her hand to me. Doing such things made me feel a little embarrassed, so please stop it… However, it’s not like I can ignore her, so I gave a small nod in return.

Then, following Yuigahama's gaze, Miura and the others also glanced towards me. Miura soon returned her gaze back to her smartphone while twirling her hair, and Ebina let out an “ohhh” as a reaction to recognize me. Tobe and the others seemed to quietly say things like, ‘yah’, ‘yo’, and ‘hey’, instead of proper greetings. How classic of them.

As such, Hayama Hayato greeted me with a “good morning” by simply smiling and moving his eyes. In response, I nodded with a “yo,” then quickly dragged the chair from under the desk.

I rested my chin on the desk and closed my eyes.

Now that I think about it, this was kind of strange.

We don't actively call out to each other and exchange greetings in the morning, but we have grown familiar enough that we will silently exchange greetings with each other, should our eyes happen to meet.

If you wanted to know when this started, the answer to that was extremely simple. It began when I first started to cast my eyes and observe them.

When I first joined this class, I was already aware of Hayama and the others, even if only as a part of the classroom scenery. Despite that, I knew their names, some information about them such as what clubs they were a part of, and I recognized them as individuals.

However, it is hard to say that I knew them.

…Even now, it’s not like I really know them.

Perhaps, due to those thoughts of mine, or maybe because of the greetings that we exchanged and I was not used to, I felt uncomfortable sitting here.

I couldn’t compose myself for some reason, so I immediately stood up from my seat.

It’s at times like this where I should just run away to the restroom. Running away was shameful, but useful. (TL: refers to the manga series 逃げるは恥だが役に立つ, which literally translated to the aforementioned sentence, but is better known as ‘The Full-Time Wife Escapist’ or ‘We Married as a Job’ in the English speaking community. It was later adapted into a TV drama starring Aragaki Yui and Hoshino Gen.) Not long ago, a famous comedic duo was involved in a car accident. They ran away, put on their best behavior, then came back and even made fun of the incident in their jokes all the time! (TL: Refers to Inoue Yuusuke, one of the Japanese owarai duo NON STYLE. The incident happened in Dec 2016, but the court had ruled that it would not proceed with his prosecution. The duo resumed their activity in March 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_Style)

I quickly left the classroom and smoothly finished my business in the restroom. Maybe I should get myself a drink along the way as well… With that, I aimed for the vending machine. With the time being what it was, I saw students hurrying their way down the hallway in hopes of just barely being late. Compared to earlier, they were much quieter now.

Thanks to that, the sound of the footsteps behind me weighed heavily on my mind. The presence that I felt behind me was keeping its distance noncommittal, yet close. The footsteps followed me in a calm manner.

When I stopped in front of the vending machine, the footsteps from behind also stopped after a delayed step.

I swiftly grabbed my usual MAX Coffee and promptly stepped aside, and the owner of those footsteps slowly walked forward, and pushed the button that indicated black coffee.

“I’ve heard about it.”

That person, who crouched to get the can from the vending machine, started talking without turning to look at me, with an attitude of certainty that I would stop there.

If this was before, I would’ve been bothered, and my words sharp, but this was not the case anymore.

Since I understand that Hayama Hayato was the kind of person who says things in an irritating manner, I was not irritated at all.

Above all, I knew that he came to specifically tell me something. In that case, I was not irritated in the slightest. Ugh, no! I was actually quite annoyed!

Seriously, why were you speaking like that…? The way he spoke was like he’s testing me, which was kind of similar to a certain individual’s way of speaking…

Well, there were times when a person’s usual way of speaking was contagious. Perhaps that alone was the proof that they’ve known each other for a long time.

That is why it can also be said that the way Hayama brought *this matter* up looked extremely natural.

“It seems like it must’ve been tough for you. A little weight fall off your shoulders?”

He lightly tossed the seemingly hot coffee can in the air, and, while juggling his coffee, finally looked at me. He continued with a face that gave the impression of a know-it-all. Did you know it, Raiden…? (TL: Reference to a famous catchphrase from Sakigake!! Otokojuku. Pixiv Encyclopedia https://bit.ly/2UhOGiM) As I muttered those thoughts within me, I tilted my head.

"Huh? What do you mean? Umm, are you talking about my little sister? Is this about her entrance exams?"

"No."

Hayama sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“That also must have been hard on you, but… Ahh, that’s right. Would you please tell your
sister ‘You are doing a great job preparing for the exam’ for me?”

“No, what is up with you? Why should I do that for you? Though, I’m happy you care. Thanks.”

Compared to Hayama’s bright smile, when I looked at him with my dull eyes, he blinked in surprise.

“I certainly didn’t expect you to say thanks in return to that.”

Hayama pulled the pop-tab off from the coffee can. As Hayama put it to his mouth, he wore a bitter smile. Hey, it’s not strange for me to say thanks, you know? Rather than my behavior, your good manners are certainly more surprising in that you didn’t forget to say the cheering words to Komachi, even at a time like this…

However, since Hayama is indeed a man of good manners, he quickly brought the digression back to his main point.

“Setting your younger sister aside… I’m here to talk about the other younger sister.”

The other younger sister? Who are you talking about? Did you mean Keika? No, she is a seriously potentially dangerous little girl… So, while I figured it would be best to pretend that I didn’t hear that, when I did so, Hayama Hayato’s expression grew serious.

If I were to keep feigning ignorance, he’d definitely say something like, “I see, I see, so you are that kind of guy, huh?” and he’d certainly interpret it in his own way.

We have generally seen through each other’s intentions already.

As a matter of fact, both Hayama and I just noticed that both of us assumed that we understood each other in our own ways, which caused us to feel disappointed, to give up on one another. Finally we even accepted this fact, and did nothing but force our self-centered sentiments onto each other.

The words we spoke toward one another never took the form of a concrete question, and they were somewhat off the mark. We neither bothered to confirm if our words were reaching the other person, nor were we able to hold our words back.

Although we understood that our stances contradicted one another, we still couldn’t ignore each other in the end. Our exchanges were filled with self-centered monologues, and ironic, insinuating remarks.

“…Well, it seems things are only going to get rougher after this, but I don’t know.”

“Certainly.”

Hayama forced a smile and tossed the can from which he had finished drinking. The can drew an arc as it flew across and flawlessly landed in the garbage bin. In the quiet first floor of this building, a shrill sound echoed throughout its halls.

Making sure that it landed, Hayama put away his smile and let out a sigh. I couldn’t quite guess if that sigh was a sign of satisfaction or loneliness. While I couldn’t gauge the meaning of that sigh, Hayama promptly started walking.

“…But, it’s better than before. I’ve always thought that nothing would change.”

His words came to my ear while he faced away from me. Apparently, he didn’t intend to wait for me to reply. After all, he probably never thought that I was going to say something.

Ahh, just as I expected, this was our usual exchange of conversation. Wait, no, I didn’t think I could even call this a conversation.

We muttered things that we didn’t even want to say to the other person, like we were squeezing them out and throwing them up. Hearing the other person’s words, each of us accepted them on our own accord, only to forcefully assign them a meaning according to our own understanding. Therefore, rather than describing our behaviors as giving an interpretation of our words, what each of us did was perhaps close to being the Kaishakunin of the other person. Even words that could have formed a meaningful conversation were cut short, and then each of us would attend to the other person until the final moment befell. (TL: From Wikipedia - A kaishakunin/介錯人 is an appointed second whose duty is to behead one who has performed seppuku, the Japanese ritual suicide, at the moment of agony. The role played by the kaishakunin is called kaishaku.)

Hayama was already a few steps ahead of me. As I followed him from a reasonable distance, I looked back on the conversation we just had.

Where did Hayama hear about this piece of information that Yukinoshita was moving back to her parent’s house, I wonder? Was it from her parents? Or, probably from Haruno? Perhaps, did he hear it from Yukinoshita herself? Did Yuigahama possibly talk about it as in her conversation with him? In any case, none of it made a huge difference. The implication of any of those would be the same, after all.

In the end, I got the feeling that Yukinoshita Yukino's actions were changing the *thing* that even Hayama Hayato thought would never change.

However, I was glad that Hayama treated that as a positive thing. Given that he has maintained a long-time relationship with the Yukinoshita family, especially with those two sisters, if he said his words with certainty, then that's enough for me to trust his words.

Thanks to that, I felt more or less relieved. I was relieved that Yukinoshita Yukino was doing her best in various aspects while I wasn’t aware of it.

Back when he asked me if it was *a weight off my shoulders*, I intentionally acted like I was confused and asked if he was talking about Komachi, but perhaps his way of putting it wasn't wrong after all. The pain that I faintly felt in my chest was slightly similar to the one that I felt when Komachi thanked me.

Therefore, this pain that I felt was indeed the proof that I was doing the right thing.

The distance between us didn’t change during the time we walked back to class.

Classes were about to start. The students, who were almost late to class, ran by Hayama and  gave their morning greetings to him, and Hayama would return the greeting with a gentle wave.

For some reason, my glare kept focusing on Hayama’s waving arm.

I suddenly realized that perhaps Hayama was thinking about the same thing I was. Just like how I look after Komachi, he probably felt the same about her, or them, both of whom were also quite close to him as well. I kept imagining myself being in his shoes at my own will, during this short period of time as we made our way back to the classroom.

At the moment when Hayama put his hand on the classroom door, the distance between us had lessened.

===BEGIN PART 2===

As the end of the school day approached, even the classroom that seemed so silent in the morning began to bustle with activity. It felt like the entire school building was steadily growing more and more feverish.

Perhaps because club activities had been put on hold during the entrance exam period until today, those in the sports clubs were becoming especially animated. The shouts of the baseball club and rugby club could already be heard resounding across the field.

Even in our classroom, along with Hayama's group, those into sports had already left, and the other students were also slowly dwindling in number.

Club activities, huh. …Did I have club activities today? Maybe not? For now, perhaps I should go there and find out. While lost in thought, I slowly prepared to leave, carefully rising from my seat. Upon doing so, I heard the pitter-patter of flurried footsteps approaching.

These footsteps must be… With a sneaking suspicion, I turned around. At that exact moment, the other party tilted their head as if trying to peek at me. As a result, both our faces ended up startlingly close.

"W-Whoa! You scared me…"

"Ah, s-sorry!"

Swaying pink hair tied up in a bun; innocent, wide-open eyes; a breath leaking from her supple lips; her chest, standing out as it warped in a big way due to the momentum of her recoil; the sweet smell of citrus as she turned away her face to separate our gazes that had met.

With every one of those features at point-blank range, my heart leapt even faster.

As I was breathing out a big sigh, Yuigahama glanced at me.

"Really, you're way too surprised."

Unable to hold it in, Yuigahama released a puff of laughter, then while lightly hitting my shoulders, giggled. Please no, it's all sorts of embarrassing and I feel like dying a few times over already… You speaking in a loud voice even drew several gazes to us, you know… For now, could you stop touching my upper arms? It's so overwhelmingly effective, that I might even put in some strength and start showing off my muscles.

"...are you going to the club?"

"...Y-Yeah. I suppose."

Still struggling to suppress the thumping in my chest from the earlier surprise, I responded to her in a somewhat disoriented manner. For a short while, Yuigahama appeared to be thinking, but soon she quickly nodded.

"...Is that so. I see. Wait just a sec, okay?"

Yuigahama immediately rushed back towards Miura and the others. After exchanging a few words of goodbye, she gathered her bag and numerous other belongings in one jumble, then hurried back to my location.

"Let's go."

With that being said, she suddenly pushed my back as if to urge me on. Ehh, hey, I'm already moving now, so please don't push… It is especially important at times of crisis like this, that you properly follow the rule of *Do not push! Do not run! Do not talk!*. (TL: Japanese people have been taught from very young to follow various rules when there’s an emergency, such as an earthquake. The aforementioned three-phrase rule is the best known one: 押さない、駆けない、喋らない) At my level, the awareness of disaster prevention routines was so strong I even avoided talking to people on a regular basis.

No, I was actually in a personal state of emergency. We had gone to the clubroom together before. However, I had the feeling that the two of us leaving the classroom together was an unprecedented first.

Which is why, I unconsciously turned to look back, concerned about the attention we would receive. However, those remaining in the classroom were scattered, the majority of them focused on the person that they are talking to in front of them and not paying us any heed.

As for the two with whom Yuigahama had been speaking earlier, I glanced in their direction. Ebina was waving her hand saying goodbye to us, and Miura was tugging at the curls of her hair. They weren't particularly suspicious of us.

I was secretly relieved by that.

My inner thoughts aside, to other people though, this must be a typical everyday scene.

Both of them took it for granted that Yuigahama would head towards the Service Club clubroom after school. Since they also knew that I was a member of the Service Club, the two of us leaving together for the clubroom must have been a very natural scene to them.

In the past, I think we would have been both faced with strange gazes from the others. Not just towards myself, but also towards Yuigahama.

I had not given it any thought, back in the time when I still lumped the hierarchical elite together under a single label. However, by interacting as individuals and catching glimpses of each other's circumstances and backgrounds, using those as clues it has become possible to infer all sorts of things. Although I would not equate it to understanding, we would come up with some kind of reasonings ourselves, and in that way, get to know each other to a greater extent.

Of course, the same could also be said about the girl currently walking beside me.

Perhaps because several minutes had passed since the end of school, the hallway leading to the special building was even more lacking in human presence than usual. Just as usual, it was full of cold, parched air.

Nevertheless, by no means was it chilly.

The reason was, that I had Yuigahama beside me… maybe because she was carrying a fluffy bed sheet? When I quickly glanced to the side, the tip of Yuigahama's chin was buried in the bed sheet she carried in her arms. Just why was this girl bringing along a bed sheet. Linus? Are you Linus? Is it because this was Chiba, and hence it’s somehow connected to Peanuts, I wondered? (TL: A popular American comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts, has a character Linus van Pelt, who is often seen carrying a security blanket. Incidentally, Chiba is the largest producer of peanuts and hence is nationwide famous for its peanuts.)

"Actually, what's with the bed sheet, something up?"

It’s kind of awkward that we had been walking in silence along the way, so I attempted a casual question to start off the conversation. On doing so, with a "huh?", Yuigahama tilted her head questioningly.

"Bed sheet? Ahh, you mean the blanket?" (TL: In the original text, Hachiman used a Japanese term meaning ‘bed sheet’; whereas Yuigahama used the foreign loanword ‘blanket’ as is.)

"Aren't they the same thing… What, is there a subtle difference? Like with ‘pasta’ and ‘spaghetti’? Don’t just arbitrarily use foreign loanwords here and there regardless."

"Ehhh? But it says ‘blanket’ on the label here… Wait, aren’t ‘pasta’ and ‘spaghetti’ both foreign loanwords as well…"

Immediately after Yuigahama pouted her lips and spoke in a dissatisfied voice, she suddenly came to a realization and frowned. Damn, she got me… However, not particularly minding her reaction, I instead took a long hard look at the blanket. There was the fact that it was folded up, but even so it was by no means very large. Perhaps about as large as half a tatami mat. With that sort of size in mind, I recalled the perfect words to call it. (TL: Half tatami mat is about 0.8m^2, or 8.6 sq ft)

"So it's one of those, a lap blanket."

Upon me saying this, Yuigahama nodded, with her face comfortably buried in the blanket.

"Ah, yeah, that's right. Something like that."

"Humm. Didn't you already bring a lap blanket?"

I suddenly recalled a typical scene in the clubroom - at one time or another, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita sat next to each other, using a single blanket sheet like sharing a kotatsu. ‘Ahh it must be nice to be so warm; ughhh, over here it's so cold. I want to go home already.’ Such were my thoughts at the time that I remembered so well.

It's awfully cold in the place where I sit, you know… Feeling slightly envious, I looked at the blanket that Yuigahama was carrying. As I did so, Yuigahama blinked her eyes.

"You pay surprisingly close attention…"

"W-Well, rather than me actively paying attention, it just naturally entered my field of vision…"

"Naturally…"

"Ahh, well, I just have a broad view, for some reason"

I said that on the spur of the moment, but in reality I was not so sure about having a broad view. No matter how much I turned my head away in embarrassment to avoid looking directly at Yuigahama, at the edge of my vision, I was still able to see Yuigahama's face as she buried a reddened cheek in the blanket.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Also audible were the sounds of wind knocking against the windows, and of the small breaths quietly escaping next to me.

Crap, this silence was making me super anxious! I don't know why, but I felt like I was digging my own grave there. If this silence kept up, after five seconds, and it’ll end up as ‘the Wrong Answer’, giving me a grade like “Bad Communication”! My remuneration will decrease! Even though a ‘Perfect’ is probably out of the question, I would like to at least achieve a ‘Good’, no, a ‘Normal Communication’ grade. Well, even if I managed to get a ‘Perfect’ grade, it's not like there would be an increase in the Affection Points anyway. (TL: A reference to Idolmaster Million Live! Theater Days. In the game, when a conversation is triggered between the player and the characters, and if the player doesn’t act by picking a response within a certain period of time, the player would get a ‘Bad Communication’ grade.)

Therefore, I blurted out whatever came to mind.

"Wait, so you bought another lap blanket despite already having one? Just how many laps do you have? Are you a centipede?"

"I'm not! It's a freebie that came with the magazines I bought!"

Suddenly raising her head, Yuigahama talked back at me. However, that vigor quickly faded away. Her expression fell with her eyebrows turning into a / \ shape, and her face dispirited. She began to grumble somewhat.

"...Before I knew it, I had tons. I'm really not sure how to get rid of them."

"A-Ah. I see…"

So you're getting rid of it...? Well, it's true that during the winter season you would receive an indiscriminate number of freebies, special items, or presents, especially those blanket kind. Come to think of it, I felt like we had those here and there in our house too. I caught glimpses of them at around the same frequency at which you receive dishes at the Spring Bread Festival. Those dishes really don't break, so they quickly pile up over time… (TL: Of course, who could ever forget about the Yamazaki Spring Bread Festival. White dishes galore. You must have gone there at least once. Here’s their 2019 campaign page https://www.yamazakipan.co.jp/campaign/2019/spring/index.html)

When I went "mm, mm" in assent, Yuigahama nodded in return with a smile on her face.

"That's why I brought it from home. After all, it's still cold these days. And also…"

Suddenly, Yuigahama cut her words short. Her gaze was suddenly turned to face forwards. Drawn in, when I looked in that direction, there was the Service Club clubroom.

As if taking a pause to choose her words, Yuigahama softly inhaled.

"...I was thinking, if by any chance the club activity continues for a little longer, why not leave it in the clubroom?"

After adding those words in a mutter, she immediately fell silent, then looked down as if slightly troubled and uneasy. Watching her profile from the side as she did so, I couldn’t say much but only give her short responses like "ah" or "I see".

It might have been better to crack a joke here, just as usual. However, no such deception had come to mind.

- If the club activity continues, huh.

Echoes of a belief in its demise were present in her way of speaking.

While still unable to produce a proper response to the words that had come my way, the two of us arrived at the clubroom. Instead of speaking, I placed a hand on the doorknob.

However, although the door made a single loud clunk noise, it did no more, refusing to budge.

"...It's locked."

When I said this, Yuigahama peered over my shoulder, looking at the door.

"So Yukinon hasn't come yet…"

As Yuigahama spoke, she shifted her luggage under one arm, then began rummaging in her coat pockets. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, and then began walking.

"I'll go get the key."

"Eh? Ah-"

Yuigahama attempted to say something. Simply brushing her off with an "it's fine, it's fine" waving of my hand in response, I quickly made my way towards the staff room. The door to the Service Club clubroom had only ever been unlocked by Yukinoshita.

I only realized it now -

The fact that every time, she was the only one who always held the key, and I had never touched it, ever.

===BEGIN PART 3===

I opened the door and peeked into the staff room. Perhaps because the entrance exams had just ended, things seemed rather hectic.

Every desk I could see was stacked with this and that, and a mountain of paper. The voices of people having conversations or talking on the phone could be heard all over the place. It's going to be difficult to ask where the key is, dude...

At times like this, it was best to call out to Hiratsuka-sensei. After all, that person was pretty much always in the staff room either watching anime shows or eating.

Quietly saying "I'm coming in…" while feeling like I was sneaking in to do some kind of morning prank, I stepped inside the room and headed towards Hiratsuka-sensei's desk. (TL: Sneaking in someone’s room to do morning pranks is a classic thing to do in Japanese entertainment TV programmes in Japan.)

It was a desk I had been called to and paid visits to countless times before. However, I was met with an unfamiliar sight.

Normally it would be in a state of ‘rock and uproar’, a jumbled mess of papers, envelopes, coffee cans, or freebie figurines. (TL: ‘Rock and uproar’, or どったんばったん大騒ぎ, comes from the opening theme of Kemono Friends.) However, today the desk was neat and tidy. Aside from a string bound black notebook and a ballpoint pen lying by its side, there was not much else on top of it.

For a moment, I wondered if it was someone else's desk. But the swivel chair there had its back facing the wrong direction, something very like Hiratsuka-sensei would do. However, the figure of the person herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Ohh, if it isn't Hikigaya. Something up?"

As I turned my head this way and that in search of the source, a voice called out to me from a slightly far-off location. On looking, I saw Hiratsuka-sensei's face poking out from a partitioned off reception space, holding a cigarette in her mouth. Ah, come to think of it, she did abuse that place as a smoking area.

Her hand, previously waving, now beckoned me to come closer. Obeying, I headed towards her. It would seem that she had been doing some kind of paperwork but was currently taking a break from it. Perhaps to go with the cigarette, in her hand was an unopened can of coffee. Chosen for this role was of course, the MAX Coffee. ‘After all, he is someone very special to you now’. (TL: This is a line from a Werther's Original commercial that I must have watched many years ago, dubbed in Japanese. If anyone else wants to relive their childhood, here you go. US English version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sUaD2r11oE, the Japanese dubbed version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yi9_uCw2NY  The line can be heard towards the end of the commercial. Here I use the line from the original English version and hope that it rings a bell to you.)

"Uh, I've come to take the key."

Sitting down on the sofa in the reception area as offered, I informed her of my business. On doing so, Hiratsuka went "oh?" with a mystified look on her face.

"If you're looking for the key, Yukinoshita took it just now…"

Exhaling a puff of smoke, she knocked the ash off her cigarette. As I grimaced at the distinct smell of tar and the feeling of wasted effort from our paths not crossing, Hiratsuka-sensei laughed in exasperation.

"Can’t you at least contact her to check? HouRenSou is important, you know." (TL:HouRenSou is a Japanese abbreviation for Reporting, Contacting, and Consulting. )

"Uh, I don't know her number."

"...And neither does Yuigahama?"

"Aah, well…"

Faced with a suspicious look, I did my best to laugh off the matter. Is it something I can say, that my only intention coming here had been to take the key?

However, even if I did not put it into words, Hiratsuka-sensei must have already guessed something. She gently shrugged her shoulders and smiled at me. Finding her lukewarm gaze strangely uncomfortable, I twisted my body to the side.

On doing so, the figures of the other teachers and office staff came into view, as they noisily toiled away.

"It seems kind of busy around here."

When I took advantage of that to change the subject, Hiratsuka-sensei squinted in the same direction.

"Hm? ...Aah. Well, we are already at the end of the year, after all. It's always like this around this time."

Hmm, I see. I had thought the commotion was due to the entrance exams, but apparently that wasn't the only reason. It looked like there were various things to do, such as graduation and students moving up to the next year. Additionally, since Hiratsuka-sensei's responsibilities were with us second year students, she might have very little to do with the incoming first years.

"It seems like the increased workload before the end of term or fiscal year end is the same no matter where you are. My parents also seemed rather busy lately."

"Well, I think the fiscal year end date will vary across different companies, but indeed most companies set the cut-off point to be the end of March. As a result, we have to work to match that pace, so things are already getting this crazily hectic… I want to go home… Final reports, ends of term and deadlines can all go to hell."

Hiratsuka-sensei spoke bitterly, mixing in complaints as she hung her head.

But you seem pretty free, as opposed to the words that you spat out… As I thought this, I silently stared at her. While I was being silent, Hiratsuka-sensei realized my unspoken concern.

"Ugh, I'm busy too, you know? Honestly busy, you know?"

Suddenly straightening up her body, she ostentatiously puffed out her cheeks. Hmm, sadly, had she been just a little bit younger that would have appeared genuinely cute… But for Hiratsuka-sensei to do that to me at her age, it comes a full circle and on the contrary seems rather cute. Oh my, in the end, she's still cute!

"Right now I'm… well, taking a break, okay? A short one, okay? Hear that?"

Speaking with a certain emphasis on those words, Hiratsuka-sensei pressed her cigarette into an ashtray. My misgivings were also being stubbed out together with. However, I do believe that there was that old adage that says ‘there was no smoke without fire’...

"You say that, but your desk is awfully tidy."

"W-Well, when you're busy, you unconsciously engage in that sort of escapism, you know."

Hiratsuka laughed and scratched her head, as she sidestepped the issue.

Well, I do understand the sentiment though… When you're very busy, you become disoriented and start to lose track of what is going on, and suddenly find yourself playing games or something, right!? Hmm, it can't be helped. She's innocent. Blaming her in this situation would be barking up the wrong tree. If anything, the work is the one at fault. Work is evil. A ‘hate work, don't hate people’ attitude is crucial.

I too, folded my arms, nodding in agreement. As I was doing that, Hiratsuka-sensei let out a small sigh.

"Still, I should probably get around to putting my work in order as well…"

Rather than directing it at me, she seemed to have said it to herself and leaked out that murmur. Hiratsuka-sensei's gaze fell on the nearby ashtray. In it by now was already neither fire nor smoke, but simply a lingering smell.

Despite having considered myself used to the smell by now, I still found myself unconsciously frowning, possibly also because I had ended up recalling my conversation with Haruno-san. The smell that I sensed that night had also been this oppressive. It was a smell that incited a sense of discomfort from somewhere. Trying my best to forget that, I quietly stood up.

"...I should get going."

"Yes, please do so."

Hiratsuka-sensei followed me to escort me out.

Just as I was about to leave the reception area, she called out to me from behind.

"Hikigaya."

"Yes?"

Stopping to turn around, I saw Hiratsuka-sensei with her mouth slightly open. However, without saying a word, she motionlessly looked at me.

That gaze contained none of the usual sharpness. Yet, it also differed from the gentle look she would show from time to time.

It was my first time seeing her with such a look. As a result, I became all the more curious about the continuation of what she said in almost a sigh. Hence, I tilted my head as if to prompt her.

However, Hiratsuka-sensei closed her eyes and slightly shook her head. Then, she grinned, smiling brightly like a young adolescent.

"...Nothing. Here, catch!"

At the same time as her shout, with an awkward throw, the can of coffee in her hand came flying towards me. I somehow managed to catch it. I looked at Hiratsuka-sensei, wondering what the hell was this about.

Thereupon, Hiratsuka-sensei ‘kyaruruun’ ♪ placed her hands to her cheeks, ‘pachiin’ ☆ winked, and ‘pero~’ stuck out her tongue.

"Keep the thing about me slacking here a secret, okay☆? "

Woww, annoying… What's with the Yumekawa! impression? (TL: Yui Yumekawa is a character from Idol Time PriPara. The anime was aired in April 2017.) Eh? Then, is this can of coffee a bribe that was meant to keep my mouth shut? Well, even if you don’t give me any bribe, it's not like I have anyone to tattle to…

For now, in contrast to her movements, I decided to respond by saying "Capisce!" with a sideways ☆ Peace sign, then left the staffroom. (TL: Another Idol Time PriPara reference. The main heroine Laala Manaka makes this lasting impression. So I had to use her catchphrase Kashikoma! (Capisce!) somehow)

If the clubroom door had already been unlocked, then there was no need for me to hurry.

After all, at about this time Yukinoshita should have already arrived at the clubroom and let Yuigahama in. While juggling the can of MAX Coffee received earlier, I leisurely made my way to the clubroom.

Not only was there no sign of Yuigahama outside the clubroom, but also within it, I could hear the voices of two people talking. Thanks to those voices, it felt like a certain warmth now dwelled in the scene that had been wintry until a short while ago.

Even the door that had refused to budge not too long ago now smoothly slid open. Since the heater had been switched on, the scent of black tea mingled with warm, soothing air in the clubroom. Beyond the door, I found the two of them seated in their usual places at the end closer to the windows.

With a single greeting, I pulled out my usual chair on the same side as the hallway.

"Sup."

"Hello."

Just about done with her tea preparations, Yukinoshita stopped pouring black tea into a cup, raised her head up from looking at the cup, and showed me a smile. However, her expression immediately turned apologetic, with her eyebrows dropping downward.

"I'm sorry. We must have just passed and missed each other… I should have contacted you."

"Aah. Well, it's alright."

As if to say "I did it on my way buying this coffee", I showed her the can of coffee. When I did so, Yukinoshita exhaled a sigh of relief. However, in contrast, next to her, Yuigahama stopped breathing and puffed up her cheeks.

"I did say I would call her…"

I found myself smiling wryly at Yuigahama, as she voiced her complaints.

"No, I don't remember you saying that…"

"That's because Hikki left before just before I was about to say it."

"Um, but I left for the MAX…. Ah, never mind, actually it’s my bad. I'm sorry…"

In the face of her glare, I tried to use the can of MAX coffee in my hand as an excuse. However, feeling Yuigahama's gaze growing colder, I ended up straightforwardly apologizing to her.

"...It's fine."

Yuigahama released the air from her sulky, puffed up cheeks, then took a sip from the mug she was holding in her hands. Watching that exchange of ours, Yukinoshita softly giggled, then with the teapot in hand, directed her gaze towards me.

"I made tea… Would you like some?"

"Aah, thanks. They do say sweet things enter a different stomach."

"You'd say that about coffee, too!? Though it is true that it's super sweet!"

With a semi-horrified expression, Yuigahama looked at the can of MAX coffee. Of course I would say it. If you like to hear, this thing is indeed far sweeter than the low carb, low fat sweets you get these days…

Well, let's save the MAX Coffee for when I am slightly peckish. For now, I shall have this black tea for my After-School Tea Time. (TL: A reference to the main band of the series K-ON!, Ho-kago Tea Time. You are disqualified if you don’t get this reference.)

"It's ready. Here."

"Yep, thanks."

Taking a sip from the cup of tea that Yukinoshita poured, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could feel the stiffness in my body loosening up.

As a result, I noticed that I had been bracing myself the whole time.

And also, at the same time, noticed that I unconsciously had become relaxed from that moment.

Because of that, the flow of teasing words that I had been letting slip until a short while ago came to a halt, and I could do nothing but exhale breaths tinged with moisture.

Even though I would not have considered silence at all troubling in the past, right now I found an awkward, tightening atmosphere extremely terrifying.

I sneaked a sidelong glance at how Yuigahama was doing, and found her staring into her mug, observing the ripples as they formed on the surface. Judging from her condition, I sensed that Yuigahama was in a similar state of mind.

However, Yukinoshita was different.

In the midst of the silence myself and Yuigahama were keeping, Yukinoshita broke the ice with a calm smile on her face.

"Um, thank you for the other day…"

She placed both hands on her lap and softly bowed her head. Her movements were indeed fluid and beautiful.

After seeing that, I was slightly relieved. Her beautiful, straightened posture, endearing hair whorl, and faint smile felt like something that I had seen somewhere before, though I had no evidence to back up this suspicion. Thanks to this feeling of deja vu, I managed to utter a few words in a way that was even gentler than I expected.

"...Did the move go well?"

Although I had already heard from Hayama in the morning, I purposely asked her anyway. As expected, these things should be heard from the person herself. Yukinoshita nodded and continued.

"Yes. Although I would not really call it a move… Besides, Yuigahama-san also helped out."

When Yukinoshita turned a warm gaze towards Yuigahama, Yuigahama gently waved her hands in front of her chest.

"Ah, not at all, it was no problem! I didn't even do very much to help…"

Possibly being modest, Yuigahama laughed in embarrassment, combing her hair bun and turning her face away. However, Yukinoshita did not avert her gaze in the least.

"You really did help me out a lot. Thank you…"

Seeing that bright and calm smile that gave me an impression of a clear sky, I felt like I was dreaming at that moment.

Being the subject of that gaze for the whole time, Yuigahama finally snuck a peek at Yukinoshita. Then, their eyes met. With a smiling, tearful expression, Yuigahama nodded and released a trembling breath.

Possibly finding that response embarrassing, Yukinoshita became somewhat bashful as well.

"Perhaps I should bring out some tea-cakes."

From there, the clubroom grew faintly warmer, and the aroma of sweetened black tea filled the air. As the evening sun began its descent, its light streamed into the room, dying the air in color.

Suddenly, that air shook. It was the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Come in."

After Yukinoshita responded in a calm voice, the door slowly opened.

===BEGIN PART 4===

A solitary ray of light streaming through the window escaped through the slightly open door. The cold air blowing in from outside stirred up the background warmth, feeling just like a gust of wind.

One of the windows in the hallway had probably been left open for ventilation. Fresh air began to flow into the clubroom in which the heater had been turned on.

"Excuse me!"

The one who had ushered in that breeze, Isshiki Iroha, beamed at us as she stood by the door. However, she didn't appear to have any intention of venturing any further inside. Eh? Why isn't she coming in? Or rather, are you going to leave the door open like that and let the cold air slip in? When I sent her a reproachful gaze to that effect, Isshiki leaned an index finger against her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

"Umm, there is a computer here, right?"

"We have one, yes…"

Somewhat confused, Yukinoshita replied to this sudden inquiry. Upon which, Isshiki nonchalantly asked yet another question.

"Can it play DVDs?"

In response, Yukinoshita tilted her head in contemplation, then moved to take out the laptop kept inside the desk drawers. However, even without the need to do that, I already knew the answer.

"It's an old model, and thanks to that, it can play DVDs."

"Heeeh…"

For some reason that impressed her…

"Is something wrong?"

"No, just checking."

"Haah… No, what exactly are you checking…?"

With a light wave of her hand, she made a face that said "nothing much, really". However, after this exchange of conversation, she perhaps finally felt like entering the clubroom. She reached behind with a hand to close the door, then walked over to us while grumbling about something.

"I could have bought and watched the digital version on the Internet, but in that case you don't get a receipt. You need a credit card and stuff for that kind of thing, right?"

"Even if you ask us for confirmation…"

The bewildered voice came from Yukinoshita, but the three of us shared that same facial expression. What was she saying? While we wondered and gave her such doubtful looks, Isshiki briskly booted up the laptop.

"You see, I rented a DVD. Since the student council's computer is a new model, you can't use it to watch DVDs."

Heeh… so you guys have a new one, do you…? It must be nice to have money… Well, it is true that most of the newest laptop models no longer have disk drives equipped… As I was thinking about such things, with a rustling motion, Isshiki pulled something out of her bag.

It was a palm-sized, white, rectangular box.

"…What's this?"

Yuigahama timidly poked it several times with her fingertip. Good question indeed. What was this? Tofu? Or so I thought, but it seemed to have buttons as well as something resembling a lens. Which means it couldn’t have been tofu, huh…

While firmly gripping the box, Isshiki plugged in a cable, then began connecting it to the laptop. Looking at her do this, Yukinoshita let out a "heeh" of admiration.

"It might look awfully small, but it’s still a projector."

"That's right. Ah, one moment, I'll lower the screen."

Isshiki answered with a nod and stood up. She then lowered the rolling screen that dangled in the corner of the clubroom. The screen made a whooshing noise as it unfurled.

Just what are you expecting? (TL: This sentence is a (mis)quote from the Japanese-dubbed version of Commando (1985). https://bit.ly/2GiWITz and the original clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkj_-5WMBGQ) As I watched over her while wondering that, Isshiki pressed a button on the box. Thereupon, a soft machine whirring noise could be heard. A short while later, the image displayed on the laptop was projected onto the screen.

"Heeh~ Amazing."

"Yes, it's quite a clean image."

Yuigahama's mouth was wide open, while Yukinoshita had her arms folded with a hand placed to her chin. Responding to the two of them, Isshiki wagged a finger, slightly cleared her throat, and puffed out her chest.

"Apparently you can also use it to project a smartphone screen, among other kinds of device!"

"Heeh. Ah. But… this must have been expensive, right?"

Her astonishment increasing, as if it had just occurred to her, Yuigahama jokingly asked a question while smiling "nufufu". Upon which, Isshiki flung her arms wide open and answered.

"Well, actually! For only now, with the student council budget, this is essentially free to me!"

"That’s the worst kind of product pitch on a TV commercial…"

There's nothing more suspicious than a promotional line calling something "essentially free". Be it those "essentially free to play" games, or those pyramid selling schemes that claim to 100% yield a profit in the mid-to-long term, you shouldn't place your trust in them so easily. "I won't be fooled! I will never be a pay-to-play player! I'll just gacha roll with the Apologems you get after maintenance!" Or so, I solemnly vowed as I watched in silence. (TL: Apologems after servers go down for maintenance is a Fate/Grand Order game reference. Apparently WW is being very salty in that regard haha. You should understand what I’m talking about if you play the game, at least if you play on the Japanese server.)

"Actually, what's is this projector for?"

It seemed like the projector was still brand new, since it still had the transparent seal of protection affixed to it. When I asked, Isshiki stared hard at the projector while tilting her head.

"I suppose it's… newly bought equipment in case we need it, huh?"

No, even if you say something like "Jumping power, huh…?" to us... Irohasu-oniisan, could you please put in more self confidence while giving us an exposition on the appeal of the student council's new friend Projector-chan…? (TL: Another Kemono Friends reference. It was taken from the short clips inserted in commercial breaks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6BNqL2F9Xk You can refer to at around 16 seconds in, where the exposition on Serval, the main mascot of the Kemono Friends Franchise, is not-so-confidently narrated by the caretaker Shinzaki-oniisan.)

"That is not the point of my question. I am asking what you brought this here for…"

Yukinoshita pressed a hand to her temple as if holding back a headache. Yes, that's right. I, too, wanted to ask that question.

"Well, about that…"

As she said this, Isshiki spun a DVD disc around the tip of her finger, then inserted it into the disk drive. Perhaps noticing something from seeing that, Yuigahama suddenly stood up.

"A movie? Is it a movie? Are we watching a movie?"

Yuigahama, starting to get a little excited, cheerfully began drawing the curtains. At the same time, she switched off the lights, one after the other. Come off it, we can't possibly be watching a movie in the clubroom, can we…?

Or so I thought, but what got projected on the screen were clips I just might have seen before.

There was a Statue of Liberty, a lion roaring, letters being lit up, and even a rippling wave, and stuff. (TL: Respectively referring to Columbia Pictures, MGM Leo the Lion, 20th Century Fox, and Toei intro logo. You are probably familiar with the first three, but the last one looks like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlXDF0dbPrw) Eh? We're seriously watching a movie?

Completely disregarding my bewilderment, Isshiki shifted her chair to a location where the screen would be more visible. In addition, Yuigahama moved the table topped with snacks to the front. They've got everything prepared… Eh? We're seriously watching a movie?

With things already reaching this point, Yukinoshita perhaps decided that she had no choice but to go with the flow, so she began to brew more tea… It looked like they really did intend to watch a movie.

===BEGIN PART 5===

In a dark room where the curtains had been blocking the lights from coming in, the only source of light was the dim rays shooting from the projector to the screen. Had I been at an actual cinema or a movie theatre, I would have been able to better concentrate on the movie and enjoy the story.

However, the place that we were watching the movie was the clubroom, not a movie theatre. As a place where we spent our ordinary daily life, the room had become a space colored by an unusual scenery. Thanks to that, it all felt strange to me, rendering me restless and uneasy.

Above all, the sound came from the laptop’s internal speakers, to which everyone had taken their seat close, and thus made it feel a bit crowded.

Thanks to that, I could not help but get nervous, moving my body around restlessly. Each time I did, I’d come in contact with the person beside me. There were sounds of uniforms rubbing when in contact, the gasps of surprise when someone was unintentionally touched by another person, or small secret whispers to someone’s ear.

(Illustration P189: Isshiki Iroha sits on the chair, with her arms holding her knees. Hikigaya Hachiman rests his chin on his hand.)

This was all I could remember, while the contents of the film had barely been recorded in my memory.

What I did get, was that this wasn’t a movie, but a foreign TV drama, and a very coarse overview of the plot. It seemed to be a story about teenagers that takes place at an American high school. ‘All in all, sports people sure are scary. The caste system there seemed pretty tough for the students there as well.’ were my opinions after watching the movie. Around halfway through the film, my heart had finally given in and I stopped paying much attention. And after that, I felt like I had become a meditating monk, fighting against the klesha in my mind till the very end.

Just when I was about to achieve enlightenment, the film finally ended. The ending credits rolled and turned out to be shorter than I expected. As it finished, Ishikki turned the projector off.

“Ah~ That was entertaining~”

Yuigahama said, as she stood up to open the curtains. The outside was already completely dark. After turning the lights on, I could spot Yukinoshita closing her eyes and nodding in satisfaction.

It looked like everyone enjoyed the movie… I was distracted by other things, so I could only vaguely remember the content of the movie… While I thought about that, Isshiki, who seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood, began to sing in a low voice and clean up.

“~Dancing Queen~ Hnnfufu,fufu~n.”

She was singing one of the songs that had played at the end of the movie, as I remembered clearly. However, she began to hum the second half, perhaps because she didn’t understand the lyrics.

I really didn’t want to intervene while she was in such a good mood, but there was something I had to ask. Taking advantage of the moment when her busy hands stopped moving, I slowly began to speak.

“Eh. Why did you decide to watch the movie here?”

“It wasn’t a movie, but a TV drama.”

“Whatever it is. It doesn’t matter...”

How bothersome, those movies where Americans in high spirit celebrating stuff should all just be called Hollywood movies. Those movies where the actors begin dancing for no apparent reason should just stay as Indian movies. All films are like that, right? Well, this was a foreign TV drama, though… As I gave a deep sigh, Ishikki’s face turned somewhat surprised.

“You didn't like it that much, Senpai?”

“No, I probably would have liked it, had I paid attention to it, but rather, the poor and unpleasant scenes stuck in my mind more than anything else…”

Those were the scenes that I occasionally paid attention to and ended up remembering them, but above all, the truly hardest part was being surrounded very closely by these girls in this chamber…

“By the way, I imagine you all liked these types of movies.”

“Well, you could say that. They're just interesting, as expected.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

When Isshiki said it with an affirmative attitude, Yuigahama followed and agreed. Yukinoshita also nodded without saying a word.

”Huh, I see…”

I had also casually watched other series, including “24”, “Prison Break”, etc, and found them quite entertaining, but this foreign drama we had just watched sometimes got very muddy, making me worn out in the end.

“Well, I guess this is the type of stuff that girls would rather like to watch.”

As I murmured, perhaps annoyed by my way of speaking, Yuigahama and Ishikki’s faces both turned a little grumpy.

(Yuigahama) “I don’t think it’s just girls. Guys can enjoy it just as well, though.”

(Isshiki) “That's right. In fact, if a girl says she likes movies that are just normally popular among girls, that’s a reassurance. On the other hand, if a girl says she enjoys ‘Mad Max’ or ‘The Avengers’, then she must be affected by her boyfriend.”

(Hikigaya) “What? Seriously?”

Hearing something that I found hard to ignore, I ended up questioning her back reflexively. Thereupon, Ishikki grinned maliciously.

(Isshiki) “Well, 80% or 90% of the time.”

(Hikigaya) “Hey, please stop saying things like that. Think about those guys who feel happy because they find out that the girls they talk to happen to like the same set of movies that they like. You are sending these guys to hell. There are indeed a certain number of girls that like those types of movies…”

My evidence to support that claim would be Hiratsuka-sensei. In fact, her favorite movies were ‘Tremors’, ‘Battleship’ and ‘Pacific Rim’! I nearly fell in love with her when she told me that… Anyways, quoting her as the evidence isn’t exactly reliable and trustworthy. As I thought about what type of movies regular girls may be into, I quickly turned my eyes to Ishikki, who then giggled.

“That’s why I’m saying, girls who like movies that are elegant, vivid, cheeky and daring, such as ‘Amelie’, are way better!”

It looked like this girl just gave a very impassioned speech… Also, the example that she gave is quite old, though… Well, it is a pretty popular movie, after all, so there were lots of way to watch it nowadays, which is why I understood her a bit…

“Hmmm… So what is your favorite movie?”

As I asked, Ishikki made a kyururun~ cute pose, puting one of her hands on her cheek with a cute smile on her face.

“‘Amelie!♡’”

“How cheeky…”

“Also, you sounded like you are lying.”

‘It sounded like a choice made by a sub-culture wannabe poseur bitch.’ - I almost said that immediately following the comments made by Yuigahama, who wore a questionable face, but before I could say it, Yukinoshita spoke with a calm voice, after taking a sip from the tea cup with her eyes closed.

“It’s a pretty good movie, though.”

That was close! Good thing I didn’t say anything. Everyone's preferences do vary in terms of their favourite movies, or anything really, so it’s best to respect their opinions. You never know when you might step on someone’s landmine and infuriate that person, after all!

Unfortunately, in this world, there are people who even though respect others’ opinions, but end up stepping on those landmines anyway.

“I see. Yukinoshita-senpai does seem like the kind of person who enjoys shows like these.”

“I sense malicious will in the way you put it.”

Seeing Yukinoshita frowning and throwing a cold look at Isshiki, Isshiki’s body suddenly froze. She quickly hid behind me. Watching all this, Yukinoshita put her hand on her forehead and sighed as if she had had enough.

“Then, why did you decide to set up a movie screening here all of a sudden?”

“Oh, right, right, about that.”

Also remembering the question I had asked earlier, I adjusted my shoulders to face her. Ishikki clapped her hands when she remembered her request.

“I wanted to watch the movie and use it as reference material’. Everyone would think I’m killing time if I started watching it in the student council room, after all.”

(Yukinoshita) “That’s still not a good reason for choosing this place to watch it…”

(Hikigaya) “Watch it at home. At home.”

“It’s because I wanted to test out the new projector I had just bought. We don’t have a projector screen like this in the student council room or at my house. I’m also the type to not work outside business hours.”

It didn’t matter what type of advice that Yukinoshita or I gave. Ishiki didn’t flinch and kept smiling. In that case, she’d probably buy some speakers next time using the Student Council budget, just so she could have a complete home theatre set, something only applicable to her.

While I thought of that, Yuigahama slightly raised her hand.

“What do you mean by ‘using it as reference material’? We just watched the movie normally, and didn’t really do anything special.”

“You guys know how the graduation ceremony is coming up right? After that, there's something like a thank-you party. Well, the student council is in charge of it, that’s why I wanted to watch it.”

“Oh, a thank-you party…”

I went on alert for what could be coming next, pushed myself back from my chair, and had my rejection pose ready, all so that I could demonstrate to Isshiki that my intentions were to not help with anything that she said. In fact, Isshiki seemed to just ignore my movements. She crossed her arms, and began to think of something with a concerned look.

“The truth is, we could easily bring some tables together and provide the space and occasion for everyone to chat happily, in order to show our appreciation to the teachers. This is pretty much just like what a normal thank-you party is supposed to do in that regard. But thinking about when I’ll be graduating, I think it’d be better to do something fancy now  in preparation for my turn. …Ah, in addition, in this way, those who are graduating this year will also appreciate it and be happier as well.”

‘Wow! At least at the end of her speech, she did add some considerate words to the graduating class. Irohasu has grown up.’ - Heh, like I would think that way. Rather than that, the fact that her level of selfishness had developed to this extent felt a bit refreshing in a way… Actually, I ended up feeling impressed by her somehow. At that instant, a similar sigh with the same tone as my own could be heard by my side. When I turned to look, Yukinoshita had an understanding look as she nodded.

“I see, that’s why it was a prom movie.”

“Ah, just as amazing as I thought, Yukinoshita-senpai! Amazing.”

Isshiki clapped her hands, praising Yukinoshita.

“It’s not a big deal. Anyone could have guessed it from the context of our conversation.”

Yukinoshita’s demeanor was calm, but her chest was slightly sticking out proudly. She also blushed as she looked a bit embarrassed. What an easy-peasy gullible girl…

Regardless, now I could understand what was going on, thanks to Yukinoshita nailing the question. So Isshiki’s visit here has to do with proms… Wait, so, what’s a prom?

“Pro-? What? Proactiv?”

The thing that cures your acne? After asking for a word that I wasn’t used to hearing, I noticed I was asking the wrong person. Yuigahama responded to the question with her own.

“Pu-ro-mu... peaches?”

“That’s ‘Plum’. You really do like peaches…”

“Eh? Ah, yeah I do.”

Ehehe - Yuigahama’s smile was all over her face. What’s with that reaction. She looks super cute. Wait, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to know more about what this ‘prom’ thing is.

So, please enlighten me, Yukipedia-san! Hence I turned my face to her, Yukinoshita proudly wiped the strip of her hair off her shoulder, and smiled triumphantly.

“Plums are also called Sumomo in Japanese. Although both peaches and plums are classified under Rosales Order, Rosaceae Family and Prunus Genus, they are technically different Species. In fact, it could be said that they are closer to cherries genetically. ”

“That’s not what I wanted to know…”

“Eh, eh, but, Sumomo is also Momo, yet Sumo and Momo are closest to Sakuranbou?” (TL: Peach is Momo in Japanese. Cherry is Sakuranbou in Japanese. The original sentence in Japanese reads like a tongue twister - すももももも、すももももももさくらんぼう/Sumomo mo momo, Sumomo mo Momo mo Sakuranbou.)

Yuigahama-san’s brain is completely disoriented. (TL: ‘Disoriented’ reads さくらん/Sakuran in Japanese, which makes it sound like Cherry. It’s a pun.) Maybe it was because of the ‘Sakuranbou’ part. ‘One more time!’, is what I would like to have asked Yuigahama to repeat in a quick manner just as she had, but I’ll leave it for another occasion.

“Back to our conversation, so what’s this ‘prom’ thing?”

Yukinoshita nodded as she said “Let’s see...”, thinking of the words to begin her explanation next.

“The word ‘prom’ comes from ‘promenade’. Basically an abbreviation for a dance party. I think that…it’s something like a dance party that western schools do at the end of school year. Well, it wouldn’t be too wrong to think of it as a lavish, fancy graduation party. Don’t you remember something like that in the drama that we just finished watching?”

Oh… I see. So that American-style party in the film ‘Dancing Queen’ was a prom. When I nodded to myself, I suddenly realized something.

“Eh? That wasn’t fiction? People really do that kind of stuff?”

“Yeah, that appears to be the case~ It seems to be quite normal actually. Umm…”

Isshiki took out her cellphone, and began to tap the screen and search for something. Soon, she seemed to have found what she was looking for, and then showed us the screen.

“Tada~”

“Ohh…”

From the screen, I could see couples in tuxedos and vividly colorful dresses in the middle of a fancy party. Even though the location changed depending on event, be it the gym, a club with a DJ, a dance hall, or just an outdoor venue, everyone seemed to look equally dazzling. In fact, no one in those videos looked like a high school student…

“Look, look! It would be a super hit on Instagram! I super want to do something like this!”

“Stop thinking and judging things from such a senseless perspective…”

Isshiki was referring to the photo in which girls in dresses exit fancy limousines and walk into the dance hall. Guys would probably be more interested in Temjin rather than limousines… (TL: MBV-04-G Temjin is a robot featured in Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Operation Moongate. The ending of ‘Limousine’ sounds similar to that of ‘Temjin’ in Japanese.)

Though, it wasn’t the time to be thinking about Virtual-On.

It seemed that the prom parties that Isshiki had shown us were at a higher scale than the graduation party we had in mind. I felt like they looked slightly different from the ones you’d simply find at those night parties with swimming pools, where those party people are fired up in high spirit. They didn’t resemble the so-called ‘Juicy! Party! Yeah!’, either… (TL: Juicy! Party! Yeah! is voice actress Takahashi Chiaki’s signature greeting phrase.)

Maybe because it comes from a different culture, or because of my own tastes , I couldn’t really imagine a prom dance in our school.

“Why not just have normal graduation party…? Why make it a prom dance…?”

Having asked that, Isshiki put one of her hands past her pink vest and placed it onto her chest, and announced in a loud voice.

“Fufu~n, because I’ll be the prom queen!”

“Ooh…”

What the hell is this girl saying… As I wondered, I decided to ask Google-sensei what a prom queen is.

Apparently, prom queen refers to the most beautiful girl in the school and by year, who shall be chosen by her classmates. On the other hand, there is also a prom king, who is chosen from the guys…

“I see… In our year, Hayama would definitely be the prom king…”

“Well, I guess so. In other words, Hayama-senpai would be the king, and I would be the qu… Ah!”

Apparently, as she spoke, Isshiki seemed to realize the time paradox. After an obvious cough, she turned to me with a smile.

“Actually Senpai, this is a completely unrelated question, but how about flunking a year?”

“Of course not…”

“Don’t be like that! You’d end up as a Ronin anyways, so it’s the same deal, right? In fact, you’d have a lot extra to gain from the Special Student Discounts.” (TL: Ronin/浪人 refers to those third year high school students who fail the college entrance exam and thus have to stay in high school for another year. Special Student Discount/学割 refers to price discounts that are only offered to students, such as cell phone plans, monthly train passes and restaurant coupons. Her argument is weak because most of these benefits are also applicable to college students.)

“Could you stop deciding these things for me on your own? Besides there’s more cons than pros in that scenario. I’ll also apply to those less privileged universities, so I won't become a Ronin, either.”

After I reassured my point, Isshiki puffed her cheeks and pouted her lips.

“I see… Then how about helping me with the prom instead?”

“Instead…? Instead of what…”

With her expression suddenly changing from puffing her cheeks to putting on a shameless face, Isshiki spoke confidently as if saying “I’m gonna make a compromise proposal just for my senpai!” In addition, what she had proposed was something I couldn’t ignore, so I got a little bit troubled by that.

“Hold on. You do intend to make prom happen?”

“Yes.”

I asked her, with my eyes and voice both conveying the hint of expecting a negative answer. However, Isshiki responded affirmatively with an unfazed look. All I could do was sigh.

“It would definitely be impossible to plan something like that at this point. Above all, it’s the type of stuff I’m not good at doing, making it even worse.”

“Y-Yeah… I think it would be fun, though… But I guess it could be difficult, too.”

“That’s true…”

Yuigahama smiled bitterly with a troubled face, and Yukinoshita put one of her hands on her forehead as she closed her eyes. It seemed like we were all in agreement. Seeing that two of us had already expressed opinions of its difficulty, even Isshiki seemed to back off a little bit.

“Ahh, well, I knew that, but I still want to make it happen… Is it really impossible?”

Her voice no longer sounded as firm as before. As she asked the question, she held onto the edge of her jacket, while her eyes slightly looked up with a begging expression. Her attitude was not only foxy, but also with the same destructive power as usual, the type that would make me want to fulfill her request.

In fact, I could already foresee that things would definitely go bad if we didn’t reject her request for a prom right now.

Despite the knot in my throat that made feel a bit guilty, I managed to somehow force the words of rejection out of my mouth.

“It’s not like I can’t or don’t want to help, but more like because I really don’t believe it’s possible in any regard… I can give a lot of reasons for that… of course, I don’t have to list them and I’m sure you understand.”

I felt like there was no need to explain further. There were many things that are missing or we simply didn’t have enough of them - such as time, funds, personnel, experience, information, and many others. I was certain that Isshiki also understood it without needing me to explain it to her.

If she still insisted on requesting help, then she probably had some particular reason for asking such an absurd request… In that case, it would probably be the most realistic for us to just listen to her explaining her motives, and to come up with some kind of compromise.

While I was trying to come up with a solution, Isshiki made a ‘hmmm’ sound. It looked like she was thinking something.

“I see… I understand. Then we, the student council will take care of it on our own.”

“Yeah, it’s for the best… Wait what?”

I looked at Isshiki again for the second time, thinking I may have misheard something. In fact, that didn’t seem to be the case, nor did it sound like she was joking.

Isshiki suddenly raised her face and gave me a stern look. I could definitely see a sense of clear determination residing in her eyes.

“Did you hear what we said?”

”Yes. That’s why I decided to do that only by ourselves.”

After saying that, Isshiki gave us a bold, invincible smile.

After hearing her determined proclamation, I didn’t think there was anything I could do at this point. I didn’t try to stop her, or say ‘good luck’ to her. Instead, the words that came out of my mouth disappeared and turned into almost just a sigh.

“O-oh… I see…”

I was not the only bewildered person here. Yuigahama seemed just as surprised as I was. We both reflexively turned to look at each other in puzzlement. I looked over at Yuigahama and continued to ask with my eyes ‘what’s going on?’, to which she gently shook her head in response indicating ‘who knows…’ Meanwhile, Yukinoshita had her eyes closed and didn’t participate in our eye contact.

Because of that, it seems that only Isshiki could give us the legitimate explanation to solve our confusion, so we stared at her closely.

“Eh, your surprising looks really trouble me and I don’t know what to say… Yes, I understood in the first place that it would be difficult to hold the prom. Of course, being rejected by you all was within my expectation. I’m not that stupid, after all.”

Isshiki spoke in a bothered, upset tone, but as such, Yuigahama and I seemed to finally understand.

“Ah, in other words, you had planned on asking us for help anyway, even knowing that we would say no?”

“I see. So that’s why you looked unprepared when you showed up earlier to negotiate with us.”

Hearing our words, Isshiki twisted her lips slightly and avoided looking at us, as if trying to force her words out.

“A-at least I was thinking, that having you watch the drama together would make you all more interested in having a prom dance…”

That’s the same as coming unprepared… At least it’s good that she was being honest. Isshiki coughed a bit as if clearing her throat while I observed her with a warm gaze.

“Well, if you change your minds, come hang out at the student council. You’re always welcome! So much that I’d never let you go home!”

“Your intentions to exploit us were so transparent… So you are still determined to make this prom dance happen…”

“Yes.”

Isshiki’s answer hadn’t changed. She had already made up her mind. However, her rationale behind that decision hadn’t convinced us by a single bit. This was going to be very concerning and bothersome...

As I kept asking myself what we should do, Yukinoshita began to speak.

“If I may ask, why are you so insistent on holding the prom?”

Perhaps due to the sudden question Yukinoshita just asked, Isshiki’s shoulders shook in surprise. From the way she phrased her question, it seemed to be directed towards Isshiki, though she appeared to have been thinking about other things for a while.

And perhaps because of that, Isshiki’s reaction was also delayed.

“Eh, ahh, I did say, it’s that, because I want to be prom queen…”

“But that won't be realized until two years later, right?”

Isshiki stumbled over her words. When Isshiki paused, Yukinoshita sneaked her question in, and immediately continued asking her questions. Isshiki responded while grazing her cheek and occasionally brushing her hand over her hairline along her neck.

“Eh, hmmm, I need to first lay the cornerstone to prepare for that from now on.”

“Assume that the prom dance will take place within two years. You don’t have to prepare for anything now and will still be chosen as the prom queen.”

“I-I see… What?”

Isshiki glared at Yukinoshita, unable to comprehend any bit of what she had heard. Yuigahama and I had looked at each other, having the same thought. Yukinoshita gave a slight sigh at the suspicious glare she had received from Isshiki.

“I’m saying that there is definitely no need to hold the prom this year.”

“No, I definitely wasn’t talking about that.”

Isshiki spoke in confusion, but Yukinoshita disregarded her words. She only gave her a shrewd gaze as she waited for Isshiki’s answer to her question. Isshiki seemed to flinch a little bit as she seemed overwhelmed by Yukinoshita’s gaze. However, after a split second, Isshiki clapped her hands and found a way to respond.

“Ah, but see, there's no guarantee that I’ll be student council president near year! That’s why there’s no alternative other than to start planning it now.”

“Though if you wanted to be the president, you’d probably be chosen again. For starters, there aren’t many candidates in the first place, that way even if there’s a final election, you’d probably win due to your merits and experience that you’ve accumulated until then. As I see it, there is no problem with planning all this starting next year.”

The meaning of each word that Yukinoshita put in her mouth looked gentle, but the sharp tone of her voice made it seem like she was blaming and cornering Isshiki. The conversation, that seemed more like an interrogation, made Isshiki even more speechless than before.

“Well that… umm… Yes, you might be right, but…”

“In that case, you can start preparing next...”

“That won't work!”

Yukinoshita words were interrupted half way. A while ago Isshiki was overwhelmed by Yukinoshita’s words, but the words that she had let out just now had no traces of doubt and hesitation in them. Yukinoshita looked into her eyes, as if demanding an explanation of her intention.

“Even if I propose a prom next year, it would probably end up in the same situation again and be regarded as impossible. Just as what you guys said a moment ago, it will be rejected the same way, or they will say something like ‘there's not enough time’ and I’ll probably end up giving up again… That’s why, it doesn’t matter how hard it is, or if it ends in failure, I have to start planning now for what’s coming next. Otherwise,…”

Isshiki let out her words in pieces. In the end, the words Isshiki had spoken stopped in their tracks. I could only hear a light trembling in her breath that she tried hard to contain.

Just when I was about to ask her if she was alright, suddenly, her flaxen hair started to shake greatly.

“I have to do it now, because it might be done on time only if I start now.”

After forcefully lifting her face, Isshiki gave Yukinoshita a strong and firm look. Nevertheless, after directly receiving such a look, Yukinoshita’s expression did not change at all.

“Why would you go this far to do it? For whom?”

Isshiki blinked her eyes after being caught by surprise by her question. Perhaps she was taking her time to think how to respond, her jaw-dropped expression actually looked quite innocent. But soon, Isshiki wore a triumphant smile.

“For myself of course!”

Isshiki Iroha proclaimed in a loud, proud voice - her hand placed on her chest, her back bent backward, and her chest slightly pulled forward.

I’m impressed, Isshiki. What you just said might be true, or it might be a simple lie to hide something else. The fact that you advanced faithfully in your words was worthy of praise. It would be extremely inconsiderate at this point to ask for more reasons or explanations from her.

Yukinoshita blinked a few times in disbelief, perhaps because she had been surprised as well, but she smiled a moment after.

“I see. Thanks for giving me the response.”

Yukinoshita’s smile was really a genuine, happy one, as if she had heard exactly what she wanted to hear from the bottom of her heard. Or perhaps, she had only asked it simply out of pure curiosity. She certainly seemed that way to me - because her following words just came out seamlessly from her mouth, as if she had prepared them from a while ago.

“Then, I’ll help you.”

“Ah? Eh? Seriously, are you okay with that? Wow! Yukinoshita-senpai, I love you so much! Also, what was that about earlier? ItWasReallyScaryReallyThoughIWishYouWouldNeverDoThatAgain.”

While saying that, Isshiki quickly ran towards Yukinoshita and hugged her tightly. With an extremely upset look on her face, Yukinoshita coldly uttered ‘wait a second…’ in a low voice and then forcefully pushed Isshiki away from her.

After seeing such a warm scene, Yuigahama and I sighed almost in unison.

“Well, if the superior has already made her decision, it can’t be helped. It’s time to work…”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

With a slightly bitter smile, Yuigahama nodded in response to the complaint that I said to myself.

In any case, the next goal for the Service Club had now been decided. If a task arose, we just had to complete it. After I got up to stretch, and moved my arms a bit, Yukinoshita called us in a gentle voice.

“Could you hear me out for a bit?”

“Hm?”

Perhaps a little bit nervous, Yukinoshita sat up straight as Yuigahama and I both turned our eyes to her and stared at her intently.

“What I decided just a moment ago was a personal decision that I made on my own, so I have no intentions of making you help if you don’t want.”

“O-oh. What are you talking about?”

I stared firmly into her eyes, wondering what she had said. Yukinoshita then straightened her posture after taking a slightly deep breath.

“Well, what I mean to say is… It’s not a decision I made as the leader of the club, so I don’t believe there's any authority behind the decision that I’ve just made. That’s why you can take it as something that isn’t part of club activities. Of course, I would be grateful if you two can help as well. I just want you to know that I plan on taking responsibility over this prom dance by myself and making it happen accordingly. In other words…”

Yukinoshita’s words had become unclear and less audible as she continued to speak. Perhaps frustrated by how she should express herself, the hands she placed on her lap grabbed onto her skirt firmly, while she bit her lips lightly with her face looking down, as if she was having a hard time saying her following words.

Hearing her words that sounded completely off the point to me, I quickly tilted my head in confusion. In fact, I remembered myself making this kind of fallacy once before as well. I’m afraid that Isshiki Iroha was probably feeling the same way as I was.

However, these words put out in the air were much broader than mine.

“So that means, we’re free to participate if we want to.”

Yukinoshita looked at me after hearing my words. She was about to open her mouth in hesitation. However, before she could do that, a very gentle voice resounded instead.

“You’re wrong, Hikki.”

Her words should have seemed to point out my mistakes, but the tone of her voice didn't seem to carry any blame, warning, or disapproval. As if being attracted by her gentle tone, which vibrated with a feeling of fleetingness and the emptiness of a feather falling softly in the air, I looked at Yuigahama, and saw her shaking her head lightly. She then lowered her face towards the desk and sighed faintly.

After taking a short moment, Yuigahama gave a gentle smile towards Yukinoshita.

“Yukinon… You want to do this on your own, with your own power, right?”

Yukinoshita nodded without any hesitation.

*Ah, I see.* As I thought, I could feel an understanding relief, free from the burden that I had in my mind. Indeed, I was wrong; I had been wrong.

Always and at any time, after repeating her words and wrapped her thoughts in numerous layers of words, she always held back the most important words from being spoken out. With a gentle and soft voice, Yuigahama clarified and pointed them out for me, via only a few words.

With her lips trembling, Yukinoshita breathed in a little bit of air and said.

“We have no choice but to do *it* now. If we start now, we might make *it* before it’s too late… The same thing could be said for myself.”

Isshiki opened her eyes wide in surprise. She looked at Yukinoshita in a daze. I believe that Yuigahama was probably the only one here with composure. Yuigahama was probably the *only* person who *always* understood Yukinoshita’s words correctly.

“That’s why I would like to properly start working on it now… I’d very happy if you are there to watch me carry it out.”

“That’s fine. In that case, I won’t stop you, but promise me something.”

Yuigahama quickly lifted her pinky in front of Yukinoshita, who seemed a bit confused and had only lightly extended her arm. However, after waiting a moment, it began to get closer to Yuigahama’s in a cautious fashion, until they finally came together.

“Promise me, don’t do anything foolish and overwork yourself. In addition, if there aren’t enough people or if you need help, definitely let us know. Even though you are helping not as a member of the Service Club, we’re still friends, after all. As a friend, I’d like to offer my help when the time comes…”

“Yes, I promise… Thank you.”

After making a pinky promise, Yuigahama cracked a smile on her face, giving such an innocent, bright smile as she always did.

“Hm, well. I don’t think I have anything else to say. How about you, Hikki?”

Being asked by a voice that sounded as clearly as a bell’s ring, but I was unable to react immediately.

“Ehhmm.”

I could only give a reply that sounded almost the same as a breath. I wasn’t even sure what I had replied to. Thereupon, Yukinoshita raised her head and gave me a worried look.

“Am I wrong about something?”

“No. That’s fine. I suppose.”

“You only give vague answers.”

Yukinoshita smiled. My voice was also mixed with smiles. I had finally understood - what I had found in that beautiful bow, what those indirect, roundabout words had actually meant to express. Of course, this all somewhat felt like a deja vu to me. Of course, this would convince me completely. This feeling of relief and loneliness was something I had already experienced.

“I see, I think I understand, for the most part.”

Isshiki murmured softly. Her face looked a bit tired. The sigh she gave out sounded painful and burdensome as well. Perhaps noticing that, Yukinoshita began to speak gently.

“Sorry... I hope you are fine with this. You probably won't feel too confident with just my help, but…”

“Ah, no. That kind of worry doesn’t concern me at all.”

Isshiki returned a smile to Yukinoshita, who had bowed her head. After that, Isshiki quickly stood up, approached Yukinoshita and leaned her body sideways to look into her eyes.

“In that case, could you please come to the student council room starting tomorrow?”

“Yes, let’s do our best.”

“Yes. Let’s do our best, Yukinoshita-senpai.”

After giving a playful bow in thanks, Isshiki quickly picked up her things and turned around.

Perhaps finding the end of Isshiki’s sentence strange and unnatural, Yukinoshita tilted her head. Isshiki disregarded Yukinoshita’s reaction, said goodbye and walked towards the door. “Seeya Seeya”, she shook her hands before closing the door and exited the room.

After I saw her leave, it was only the three of us again in the classroom. It had already been way past the school’s designated departure time. Things could get real ugly if we didn’t leave soon.

“It’s about time we leave as well.”

Yukinoshita spoke to us after confirming the time on the clock. Both Yuigahama and I nodded to her words and soon began to prepare leaving. After folding her blanket that she had put over her knees, she held it under her arms and walked out of the room.

In the same manner, I began to walk towards the corridor, with Yukinoshita following me from behind.

The total darkness that enveloped the campus made the hallway feel rather chilly. The two areas that were separated by just a slim door felt so different in that regard.

However, the cold, which I could feel in my skin once I left the room, was indeed the proof that the atmosphere in the club room had been soothing and cozy.

Since the request wasn’t considered part of our assignment from the club activities, starting tomorrow, I won’t have any reason to come back to the clubroom. It made me feel a bit reluctant and regretful to leave the place if I looked at it that way.

However, I’m sure that *self-sufficiency* and *independence* would feel somehow similar to this feeling. I felt a bit lonely, but also proud, similar to my peaceful yet eventual separation from Komachi as her brother. Therefore, this is something that is worthy of my blessing.

As if leaving something valuable inside, the door to the club room was locked.

She was the only one who always held the key, and I had never touched it, ever.

===END CHAPTER 4===