Friends? 

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[-Continuation-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

As I was closely observing my soundless cracker being burned, I felt a little sleepy.

"Here you go..." A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I glanced up to see Hayama offering me a drink.

"MAX Coffee, right?" I double-checked before accepting.

"Yes, it is." He replied, settling in beside me with a sense of ease.

–gulp~

That hits the spot. I thought.

Taking a sip, the rich flavour washed away my sleepiness instantly.

"Good job today, Hayama." I praised him.

"It wasn't much." He replied modestly.

"Seriously though, I had my doubts, but you played the villain role perfectly. It was so convincing, it's almost like you've had a lot of experience." I said jokingly, though the underlying message was already conveyed to him.

"Honestly… I did witness… a few experiences." Hayama admitted in pauses.

He continued getting into flow. "I have seen it happen. In fact very close to my eyes that it's become ingrained in my mind. However, all I did was observe and scuff it away as a small incident….. till the end, I remained as ignorant as I was. Just recently, I have been understanding reality thanks to you."

?! …that got me for a second.

Maybe I was caught off guard because I was not expecting my words to impact him enough to think back or even ever open up about it to me, and I didn't prepare for it.

I guess he is learning that being straightforward doesn't always suffice.

Hmm, this way we might actually be decent ..…friends.

I just need to nudge him a little further down the path.

"...well, you at least know now that's not how it is."

I responded, though I couldn't muster much sympathy without knowing his backstory. Even if I did know, I suspected I wouldn't feel much different-perhaps nothing at all.

"You know, things would probably have turned out better if I had realised what's happening around me."

"And, maybe… Yukinoshita would have also been more like her sister than she is now." Hayama commented, bringing Yukinoshita's name into the conversation.

..…was he talking about what might have happened to Yukinoshita all along when he said he witnessed a few experiences? But…

I.COULDN'T.CARE.LESS.

His words struck my nerves. Really deep.

–crush!

The tin can in my hand, now half empty after a few sips, was immediately crushed, spilling the rest of the drink outside.

"H-hey, don't spill…?" He muttered, clearly taken aback by my reaction.

Ignoring his stunned expression, I spoke with a firm tone. "What do you mean, 'like her sister'? ….Yukinoshita is fine just the way she is. There is nothing that needs to be changed."

"I-i didn't mean it that way…" Hayama stammered.

"I don't care." I responded.

"Hayama... Listen carefully, I like Yukinoshita." I said, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

"So don't ever talk shit about her in front of me again, understood?" I demanded.

"I...I don't know what to say." Hayama stuttered, clearly at a loss for words.

Not only him, but I found myself in a similar predicament, as the anger within me slowly subsided.

Damn it, what did I just do?

"There's nothing you have to say. Just remember, be mindful of your words when it comes to her." I concluded sternly as I got up.

"But before that, when did all this happen?" He questioned me, in a rather...sympathetic way.

"You don't need to know."

Today, amidst our conversation, I came to the realization - Hayama and I could never truly be friends.

We would forever remain at the level of classmates until graduation, and perhaps mere acquaintances afterward.

But that's it.

That's where the line would be drawn.

"…screw you. That came as kind of a shock just now." He said with an uncharacteristically hateful tone.

" G'night." I muttered, signalling an end to the conversation and opting not to prolong it further.

But as I moved to leave, Hayama spoke again, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"That wasn't a joke, right?" He pressed, seeking confirmation.

Before I could respond, he seemed to answer his own question. "Probably not."

He finally finished it off with a greeting. "Yeah. Good night."

….

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[-Next Day-]

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"You really didn't sleep throughout the journey, hmm…?" Ms. Hiratsuka said, her surprise evident in her tone.

"Of course not. If I want to live a long life, the least I could do is not sleep when I am in the passenger seat."

If Ryota had heard what I said, he would probably be fuming with flames right about now.

"Aside from that, it was my win." I said with a challenging tone.

This was the actual reason for my sleepless journey.

"So, what do you want… remember you said I could reject it if it sounded absurd?" Ms. Hiratsuka reminded me.

"I will save that for later." I replied.

"But before that, what are we gonna do about this?" I gestured toward the people who were sound asleep in the back seats.

"I don't know…"

"Wake up, sleepyheads!" I called out loudly from the front seat of the minivan, hoping to rouse them from their slumber.

After a few minutes of endless pursuit, we managed to wake everyone up.

Surprisingly, the first one to wake up was Yukinoshita, although I had intended to wake up, Komochi. It seems she's surprisingly sensitive to sounds.

Next was Totsuka, followed by Yuigahama, and finally, Komochi.

Oh, yeah, Hayama and the gang had already gone their separate ways, including Ryota.

He mentioned having some urgent business to attend to, saying something about receiving a call from his old man….. and I didn't press any further.

We were right in front of a familiar looking building.

It was the school I went to every day.

The time was just past noon.

Out on the road, each and every one of us stretched and let slip a yawn.

We unloaded the baggage from the minivan and drowsily prepared to go home. The boiling heat radiating off the asphalt did not help with the drowsiness.

Once everyone had checked to make sure nothing was lost, we shuffled into a line.

Ms. Hiratsuka gazed at us with satisfaction.

"You guys all did well. The training camp lasts until you reach home. Be careful on your way back. All right, you're dismissed."

She had a smug look on her face for some reason.

My guess was that she probably had these lines all worked out before we had even departed…

Adjusting the bag slung over her back, Komachi looked up at me. "Brother, how are we gonna get home?"

"Guess we will take the bus on the Tokyo-Chiba line." I said.

"Why don't we do some shopping on the way home." Komachi suggested.

"Nope, some other time, I am feeling really sleepy." 

I must have been truly worn out, because I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment if I closed my eyes for even a few seconds.

It seemed like Komachi understood the situation and complied with my wish.

"Aye aye, Vice-captain!" She answered cheerfully with a crisp salute.

Vice-captain? Who is the captain, then?

"If we are taking the Tokyo-Chiba line, won't Yukino come home with us too?" Komachi asked.

This little brat already had her priorities set, didn't she? And it seemed I definitely wasn't at the top of her list.

"Indeed… then I will accompany you halfway." Yukinoshita nodded firmly.

"It would be our fortune to be accompanied by a person like you." I said with the utmost formal tone.

"Brother, why are you making fun of Yukino…"

"Yes, Hikki, don't imitate Yukino."

In her defence, these two individuals protested.

Whose side are you on, Komachi?

"I am not. I was being serious." I clarified.

"But that aside, how are you guys planning on getting home?" I asked.

Yuigahama and Totsuka exchanged glances.

"I was thinking of catching the train…" Totsuka said, his voice soft but clear.

"Me too." Yuigahama added, her tone bright as always, though there was a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

"Okay, sure, then. See you later." I answered, trying to be casual.

It was around time for us to utter farewell greetings and head down our own paths.

–screech~(:car stopping)

With a low, quiet hum, as if it were driving along incognito at a leisurely pace, the side of a black hired car appeared before us.

.

[To be continued….]

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