Honestly, I Miss Him Already

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[-Continuation-]

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[-Yukinoshita Yukino's POV-]

It was the second day of work at the community center after our school.

…at least it is the second day since we, the Service Club, had joined, as the Student Council was already at it for over a week.

To my right, Yui sat nodding along, her expression one of polite but vague understanding of the ongoing discussions.

Every so often, she would chime in with a small 'Mm-hm!' in sync with the discussion, though I had a feeling most of it was going over her head.

Iroha, positioned to my left, practically does the same but puts on an even more elaborate performance with her nods.

I must admit, she has elevated the art of -pretending to listen- into something that gave away almost a… rehearsed act.

She angled her head perfectly towards the speaker, displaying a practiced focus in her expression. It almost looked convincing, if you didn't notice the occasional glazed-over look in her eyes.

My gaze drifted toward the empty seat at the end of the row we were sitting in.

If he were here, he would probably be sitting over there, wouldn't he?

Or… would he sit beside me?

The question lingered, quietly intriguing.

What would he choose, his self-imposed isolation or sitting close to me, the person he claims to like, to be with?

Sigh… Honestly, I miss him already.

My pen taps against the notepad in an irregular rhythm, betraying my wandering thoughts.

Maybe we should find some time to go on an outing after this event is completed?

It certainly feels like it really has been too long since our last one.

Besides… my parents have been persistently inquiring when I am to bring him over.

Especially my mother - somehow, she remains the only family member who hasn't had the pleasure of 'his' company or knew very little about him.

As the thought lingered, a treacherous smile began to form on my lips before I caught it.

No.

I schooled my expression, forcing myself to refocus on the meeting in front of me.

This isn't like me at all.

Since when did I become so... distracted?

This was no way in line with my way of doing things.

The realization came to me very recently with startling clarity - my usual composed and attentive demeanor has somehow been infiltrated by his casual approach to life.

If I needed to be precise - my boyfriend's usual carelessness and occasional irresponsibleness have rubbed off on me in ways I never expected.

Though the thought both unnerves and amuses me, I know I can't let that happen. 

We can't both drift through life without considering the consequences of our actions.

Someone needs to maintain focus to anticipate the hurdles ahead - which in our case, that someone, without question, must be me.

My internal struggle is interrupted as Tamanawa commands attention at the front of the room.

He seemed to finally and finally gathered the loose ends of everyone's input, weaving together a plan.

He then adjusted his glasses, giving Isshiki a significant look.

"That being the case." He said, his tone serious. "I would like to expand the scale of the event. What do you think?"

…that sounded... ambitious, to say the least.

The sheer audacity required to propose such a thing at this stage leaves me momentarily speechless.

Sigh, things cannot continue this way.

I will have to address them and redirect things moving forward.

Moreover, I can't rely on him to solve every problem - not when he is already juggling his internship responsibilities.

Who was it that called him irresponsible?

A small voice in my head mocks my earlier criticism of his supposed irresponsibility.

The irony doesn't escape.

I can proudly claim that, among all our peers, he might as well be the most conscious and clear-minded regarding their future profession.

However, he didn't just stop with having vision.

He has already made significant strides in his chosen career path, while the same peers who mocked him are still struggling to define their futures.

The memory of when he first revealed his progress to me still stings with its clarity.

It was the first time I truly questioned my own accomplishments.

I had always subconsciously taken pride in my steady progress while believing I was ahead of the curve.

But now…

All I wonder is - maybe it isn't truly as impressive as I had believed.

I am not sure.

Have I truly been giving it my all?

If so, why does it suddenly feel like he has left me behind?

However, I am conscious of deeming this isn't the time for self-doubt.

Doubting my effort now wouldn't do any good.

For now, my priority is ensuring everything runs smoothly until Hachiman returns in the coming days.

He deserves to come back to order, not chaos.

And I need to make sure that happens.

"Do you mind if I share my opinion?" My voice cuts through the murmur of discussion.

"..." The room falls silent.

Tamanawa and the others look at me with slightly startled expressions, as if they had forgotten I was there.

"No… Of course not. We are here to discuss, after all. Anyone can share their opinion freely." Tamanawa recovers quickly with a professional smile.

"Thank you." I straighten in my chair, my spine rigid with purpose.

"About the scale of the event - yes, expanding it would definitely add more impact." I pause, letting the words sink in before delivering the critique. "But... it would mean extra work for everyone involved."

My fingers moved on top of the stack of papers in front of me. "I am sure no one here is opposed to putting in 'extra' effort, but we need to discuss whether we actually have the capacity to execute this expanded vision."

I lift the meticulously prepared stack of papers, my trump card in this discussion.

"These…"

I say, tapping the sheets with deliberate emphasis. "...are the points we've covered over the last few days in these 'brainstorming sessions.' After careful analysis, nearly 95% of these ideas aren't feasible given our current constraints– be it budget, manpower, or time."

Tamanawa glanced over the papers, nodding reluctantly. "Yes... true, but to make this feasible, we would need to hold more discussions and work together to develop viable solutions."

A smile plays at the corner of my mouth as I deliver my response. "Then we will spend all our time in meetings and discussions - not actually organizing an event."

The words brought a wave of murmurs rippling through the group as my point sank in.

Tamanawa's frown deepens as reality begins to crack his idealistic facade.

But I can see in his expression that he isn't fully convinced yet.

Getting someone like him to embrace practicality requires more finesse than just direct opposition.

"But I agree with you." I say, nodding with calculated understanding.

?? This prompted a few surprised glances from around the table.

They had probably expected me to dig in further, to throw out more counterarguments.

But I knew if I kept opposing, it would just make us look uncooperative.

Instead, I softened my approach.

"As I pointed out earlier, we're facing three main challenges- budget, manpower, and time." I pause, letting my gaze sweep across the room. "These aren't isolated problems - they are interconnected, more than they might seem."

Tamanawa's slight head tilt tells me I have caught his interest.

The metaphorical hook is set.

"So." I continued. "If we can solve one, the other two will be easier to address. For instance, additional funding could help us hire more help or invest in efficiency. Alternatively, streamlining our scope could help us stay within budget while reducing workload."

I paused, letting them digest the idea. "In other words, if we solve one issue, the others become easier to manage."

Tamanawa nodded slowly, intrigued. I put my last card.

"Your proposal to expand the event could actually be one solution." I observe thoughtfully, watching his expression brighten.

"More participants means more hands on deck, reducing time pressure. Greater interest could address budget concerns. And the networking opportunities..."

I let the words trail off, creating a space for their imagination to fill.

The approach I am currently using is something I have learned from watching Hachiman, though I had stripped away his usual cynicism from it.

Hmm, guess he really had a huge impact on me? Was this same to him?

No.

No distractions.

Coming back, if there's one thing I have learned from him, it's this- convincing someone isn't about hammering in a point.

It's about guiding them, step by step, until they believe it's their own conclusion.

And judging by the reactions I am getting, the strategy seems to be working, and we were getting there.

Ideas began to flow in one after another, each one building momentum.

"Maybe we can involve the regional community somehow." One proposed.

"In that case, we should aim to bridge the generational gap." Another builds on the momentum.

"What if we invited a nearby high school to join in?"

The last suggestion catches particular interest from the Kaihin Sogo High representative.

"High school? That's certainly an option, but..." I chimed in, injecting just the right amount of doubt into my voice.

The end result was almost within reach.

Then Tamanawa makes his move, exactly as anticipated.

"I have some reservations about that. I think we would get a better synergy from two schools fostering a close relationship and coordinating their efforts. What do you think?"

The conversation shifted as one of the others proposed. "...I see. Then it would probably be better if we didn't include another high school. Perhaps a college or something similar?"

The ideas kept coming. "What about the nearby elementary school? We could tap into a different audience beyond just high school students."

Tamanawa nodded in agreement.

"..Hmm, I think that will work, this way, we can make it fun to work, and we could garner the help from the elementary students in the region… and also solve some other issues."

It seemed like we were finally reaching a consensus.

Tamanawa continued. "Our side will handle the APPOINTMENT and NEGOTIATION with the elementary school. After that, I would like to ask the people from Sobu High to handle the rest."

"How does that sound?" He inquired, looking for confirmation.

"…Oka-" Iroha began, ready to agree, but then she hesitated, casting a nervous glance in my direction.

She quickly corrected herself. "That might be a bit challenging, considering all the paperwork still pending. How about this? We can share some of those responsibilities with your team, and we wouldn't mind handling what you proposed."

Tamanawa pondered her suggestion for a moment.

"We will do so…" He replied, nodding in agreement.

With that, the meeting drew to a close, and everyone began to gather their things.

…and Iroha got a big thumbs up from the student council members.

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….

[To be continued…]

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