Rumors

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[-Continuation-]

[-Two Days Later-]

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[-Hachiman's POV-]

A week had slipped by as my hands tapped nonstop on the keyboard of my brand new laptop, drowning myself towards finishing the frameworks of my latest project.

It had also been three days since I had swung by to visit Yukino's to clear the air.

You know how it goes - small misunderstandings can turn into big deals if you don't nip them in the bud.

Anyway, Yukino, being the same diligent student, was back at school the next day, playing catch-up with all the classes she had missed.

As for me, even on Sunday - the sacred day of rest - had been sacrificed on the altar of productivity.

Unlike the breezy, almost carefree approach I took for crafting [Candy Crash] digital designs, I had a level of caution and attention to detail that even bordered on obsessiveness when it came to - [Minecraft].

It's funny actually - both of them have one similarity.

The language of blocks, yet in such different dialects.

Candy Crush is - matching the blocks - with simple swipes and matches - restricted moments.

Minecraft, on the other hand, dropped you into a - world of blocks - infinite possibilities.

Anyway, coming back, I had spent most of the day working on architectural blueprints and environmental impact reports - they were the foundation upon which our entire [Minecraft] project would be built.

Before a single block could be placed in the game, we needed to understand the real-world principles and physics that would inform our digital constructions.

The more I prepare, the better I can explain the concept - confidently.

For me, as of now, the most vital thing is - make sure everyone on my team understands the three dimensional vision and overall concept.

It is a slow process.

However, I couldn't afford to have anyone doubting the main idea or struggling to grasp the unique concept of blocks that formed the very essence of [Minecraft].

Each cube in Minecraft wasn't just a building block - it was a pixel in a greater picture.

….

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And, just like that - in an instant, the end of the weekend passed, inevitably leading back to this moment.

Today's Monday.

And here I am, staring at the sign above the door -

Class 2F.

That's what it said, plain and simple.

And I was just one step away from re-entering my uneventful high school life.

A world where my biggest concern should have been whether I remembered to charge my phone, not... whatever this was.

Step.

...and I was in.

As usual, the second I entered, a few heads turned in my direction.

The typical, fleeting glances you would expect when someone walks into a classroom - look, recognize, and move on.

But something was off.

Normally, those brief, passing glances should have faded away the second they realized it was just me.

Instead, they lingered, and more heads were added.

….and soon enough, a chain reaction unfolded, whispers, and looks spreading like an uninvited spotlight.

One perk of my ear and I could practically hear the silent exclamations of - 'Did you hear?' and 'Is it true?' - radiating from their widened eyes and slack jaws.

It's already making the rounds, huh?

Three days.

Two school days and a Sunday off.

That's all it had taken for juicy gossip to catch like wildfire.

And, of course, I didn't need to be a detective to know who sparked it.

Sagami.

I made my way to my desk, hyper-aware of the eyes following my every move.

Sagami had been at the bakery that day, doing a terrible job of pretending she wasn't eavesdropping on me, Zaimokuza, and Hayama.

….and honesty, she wasn't subtle about eavesdropping, acting like she was casually scrolling through her phone.

It was obvious to anyone paying small attention - well, anyone except for Zaimokuza, who probably wouldn't have noticed even if she had been holding up a sign saying, I am eavesdropping.

When I spotted her, I had a gut feeling things would snowball from there.

Hayama had caught it too, naturally, and he even offered to interfere with his usual brand of charm and social influence - suggesting he could quietly keep her from running her mouth.

But I waved it off.

Figured if it goes out, it got out.

Deep down, I knew better.

People like Sagami?

They live for this stuff - so trying to shut her up would have just made it worse.

So there was no point playing cloak-and-dagger with high school gossip, especially when I half-expected this result.

Besides, it's not like we were trying to hide it, just... not inclined to broadcast.

But now here we are, with Sagami doing exactly what she does best, spreading rumors like she is auditioning for the role of class tabloid editor.

"Is it true?" The words floated across the classroom, carried on a wave of curiosity, and barely contained excitement.

"So, it's Yukinoshita, huh?" Another voice whispered somewhere to my left.

I tried to tune out the whispers, but they were as persistent as that one mosquito that always finds its way into your room on a summer night.

I could almost imagine Sagami's version of events - Did you hear? Hikigaya's dating Yukinoshita! - probably said with wide eyes and a hand dramatically covering her mouth.

I slid into my seat at the back, pulled out my notebook, and flipped it open - all while ignoring the stares with as much indifference as I could muster.

The whispers behind me were like a badly tuned radio - all static and the occasional clear word.

'Yukinoshita' and 'Hikigaya' seemed to be on heavy rotation in today's gossip playlist.

As I thought back to that day, I realized how careless I had been.

Sure, it was fine since we weren't trying to hide anything, but if I had been trying to keep it under wraps, it would've been a real headache.

But then again, with Zaimokuza involved, any attempt at subtlety with him around is like trying to whisper in a megaphone.

I also know that it is just the beginning.

This wouldn't end with a few stares and whispers.

No. I firmly believe rumors like these had legs.

They ran through the halls, across classrooms, and, inevitably, into the ears of people who actually mattered.

I was going to have to talk to Yukino about this, wasn't I?

I am a little curious how she is going to react to this.

How do you even bring that up? - Oh, hey Yukino, funny story, everyone knows we are dating. Ha ha. How awkward.

…yeah, that wasn't going to go well.

I glanced at the empty seat from the corner of my eye, half expecting it to have some answers.

It didn't, unsurprisingly.

But then I have decided to search for better in this situation.

The murmurs floating around weren't all doom and gloom.

At least not all of them.

I mean, sure, there were some that had that classic high school disbelief - 'No way, it's him!?' - reaction, dripping with disbelief and a dash of ew.

However, there was another tone mixed in, quieter but definitely there. It was more of an - 'Oh, so it's him…' - kind of vibe.

Thoughtful, almost... accepting?

It was subtle, unconscious even, but it was real

Yeah, both reactions sounded the same at first, but they weren't.

One was in absolute disbelief.

The other was more like people connecting the dots and slowly realizing that it kind of made sense.

At first, they were confused, but then the pieces started clicking into place.

Oh, they're always together... Oh, remember that time at the cultural festival?... Actually, it kind of makes sense...

And to my surprise, this calmer, more accepting tone was winning out.

More heads were nodding thoughtfully than scoffing in disbelief.

Good. That's… good.

It was like all the groundwork I had put in during the cultural and sports festivals hadn't completely evaporated from their memories.

Maybe I wasn't just the - weirdo loner - anymore.

Progress, I guess?

The whispers weren't as venomous as they could have been.

But this was just one classroom.

Things could still get ugly elsewhere.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the gossip fog -

"Hachiman."

I looked up to see Totsuka, turning around in his seat with that trademark smile of his.

You know the kind - the sort that could probably end wars if given the chance.

He said - "Good morning."

- either blissfully unaware of the gossip swirling around us or choosing to rise above it like some kind of gossip-proof superhero.

"Morning." I grunted back, without a care about the mummers.

Totsuka's fingers touched his lips, a curious expression creeping onto his face.

"I have been meaning to ask… how is everything going? You seem kind of… distracted today."

Distracted? Me?

I did a quick sweep of the room, catching a few people quickly averting their gazes when I caught them staring.

Totsuka followed my line of sight, but instead of pressing me, he just chuckled softly.

"You know, people have been talking about something recently. I didn't really pay attention to it, but now I am starting to wonder if it's about you."

"Yeah… you could say that." I mumbled, grateful for Totsuka's tact.

I mean, I wouldn't have minded if he had asked more, though.

It was Totsuka, after all.

.

….

[To be continued…]

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