Official. Undeniable.

.

[-Continuation-]

.

[-Hachiman's POV-]

"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.

…

Unbothered, time continued to tick by, dragging its feet as I sat through the monotony of my first and second period classes.

By the time the third period ended, I was feeling slightly more awake, but not by much.

Now, with the fourth period upon us, I was in full-on survival mode.

Once this was over, it was lunch break.

The atmosphere in the class was predictably noisy, living up to its reputation as the liveliest in the school.

Chatter bounced off the walls, but I tuned it out, as usual.

Fourth period was modern Japanese, and as the chimes rang, Ms. Hiratsuka entered the room.

Upon entering, she paused briefly, scanning the class before tilting her head with a small smirk.

"You guys sure …overly lively today? Did something happen?" She said in her usual dry tone. "Well, let's begin class."

She specified a page from the textbook and began reading something from the book while writing it on the blackboard.

I propped my chin on my hand and flipped open my textbook, ready to go through the motions.

My eyes shifted mechanically from the textbook to the blackboard and then to my notes, but none of the words stuck.

They were just shapes and lines, floating somewhere beyond the scope of my concentration.

It wasn't long before the hand scribbling on the blackboard stopped.

I didn't notice at first, still lost in my blank routine, but when I did finally lift my head, Ms. Hiratsuka's sharp gaze was already trained on me from the front of the room.

"Hikigaya."

"...yes?" I jolted in my seat, the sudden call of my name snapping me out of my daze.

She exhaled a deep sigh, the kind that said she had been expecting this. "Make your way to the faculty office after this."

Those words hung in the air for a moment before she descended from the platform and casually exited the room.

Wait, what about class…?

Or so I thought, but when I looked around, everyone had already put away their textbooks and notes.

Tables were being moved, lunchboxes were emerging - apparently, I had zoned out so hard I had missed the end of class entirely.

Getting the hint, I put my class supplies together and stood up from my seat.

With a quiet sigh, I slipped out of the classroom into the hallway, and just ahead, I spotted Ms. Hiratsuka walking leisurely toward the faculty office.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, well, not more than usual anyway, I quickened my pace, catching up to her as she turned a corner.

Even without looking back, she probably knew I was right behind her.

Faculty office talks usually aren't pleasant.

We soon reached the faculty office, and she opened the door without a word, stepping inside.

I hesitated for a moment at the threshold, taking in the room's familiar sight - desks cluttered with papers, stacks of books, and a general sense of organized chaos that seemed to mirror the teachers' workloads.

Ms. Hiratsuka turned and gestured for me to come in, her expression unreadable.

"Sit down." She said, motioning toward a chair in front of her desk.

I was already halfway into the chair before she even finished.

I shot her a quick look that said - Yeah, I know, my bad - but she didn't acknowledge it, instead rounding her desk to settle into her seat.

She leaned back, folding her arms as she looked at me. "It looked like you weren't paying attention at all in class today."

"Haa. Well, today wasn't that much so it's rather easy to understand."

When I said that, Ms. Hiratsuka had a slightly displeased expression. "It's because only your test scores are good that it's a problem."

"..." Ms. Hiratsuka paused for a moment and began to speak. "Isshiki said she will run for the student council elections."

"Took her long enough." I muttered, more to myself than to her.

"..." Ms. Hiratsuka didn't respond again.

She just sat there, silent as a statue, clearly waiting for... something.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"

"What more do you want to hear?" She countered, her lips curving into a barely there smirk.

"Tch." The sound escaped me before I could stop it as I pushed myself up from the chair. "You could have said that in class instead of dragging me all the way here and wasting my energy."

She shrugged, completely unbothered.

"I am going." I announced, heading for the door.

"Go on, then." She waved dismissively, shooing me off like an annoying fly.

Just as I was about to step through the door, her voice chimed in from behind, dripping with amusement -

"My, my, someone is impatient to leave? It seems our resident cynic has finally found someone willing to put up with his charming personality. Ah, the folly of youth."

I could feel the smirk in her tone, but I didn't bother turning around.

Still, I couldn't resist throwing one last remark over my shoulder. "Yeah, finally… I thought I might have to stay single for a long time, following in my teacher's footsteps. Thank god that didn't happen."

I didn't wait for her reply, though I could imagine her bemused expression as I walked away.

I could almost feel her smirk even though I wasn't looking at her.

It wasn't often I got the last word in, but today, I wasn't in the mood to stick around for more jabs.

…

.

I walked down the hallway, a bit of a spring in my step, my thoughts already jumping ahead to lunch.

I hadn't even gotten a chance to eat yet, thanks to the unexpected detour to the faculty office.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me of that fact.

When I finally returned to my classroom, something - or rather, someone - caught my eye.

Her dark hair spilling perfectly over her shoulders, the soft sheen of it catching the afternoon light filtering through the windows.

….and that flawless pose leaning against the wall.

It was hard to miss her. Impossible, actually.

Even in the bustling school, where students moved like currents in the hallways, she stood out, poised and composed, as though the chaos around her was beneath notice.

What the? - what is she doing here?

"Yukino?" I called out, breaking into a half-jog as I made my way over to her.

She didn't even blink at my approach. Her icy gaze landed squarely on me with a flicker of annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Instead of answering directly, Yukino raised an eyebrow. "Where were you instead of eating lunch in your usual place and roaming the campus like a stray?"

I sighed, keeping it short. "Faculty office stuff. Long story."

She didn't move. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on me, not liking my short reply. "I wasn't aware the faculty had taken to scheduling meetings during lunch hours."

"It wasn't exactly scheduled." I again kept it short and pressed, trying to steer the conversation in a clearer direction. "But never mind that. What brings you here?

Her gaze flicked toward the door of my classroom for just a fraction of a second before returning to meet mine. "I was looking for you. Obviously."

"I mean for what?" I pressed, puzzled by the formality of her visit.

"Here. This is for you." Yukino said, extending her hand to offer me something.

It was a can of Max coffee.

"I happened to purchase an extra." She stated matter-of-factly.

…yeah, like I would believe that. You never liked its flavor.

I scratched the back of my neck, still perplexed. "You could have just left it with Yuigahama, you know. No need to wait around out here."

??That's when the script flipped.

In a move so uncharacteristic it left me reeling, Yukino's hand reached out, her slender fingers wrapping around mine with surprising strength.

The coolness of her skin contrasted sharply with my own warmth, sending a jolt through my system.

"Why must you question everything?" She huffed, a note of exasperation coloring her voice. "I am offering you something. Just accept it."

Before I could formulate a response, she practically thrust the can into my grasp, as if the physical act would silence any further inquiries.

Hey… hey…

Why was she being so pushy all of a sudden?

As my brain scrambled to catch up, I noticed Yukino's eyes flick towards my classroom door.

Following her gaze, I realized the once-closed door now stood slightly cracked open.

A parade of familiar faces peeked through the gap -

Yuigahama's bubblegum hair is impossible to miss.

Totsuka's angelic features are practically glowing with curiosity - a dead giveaway.

Tobi is trying, and failing, to be subtle - like others but failing miserably.

….and you, yeah, you - Hayama.

I also saw you there, lurking!

Just because your head turned the other way doesn't mean I won't notice when you glance over your shoulder every now and then.

These sons of a-!?

Quit it already.

Haven't any of you lads heard of personal space?

…and Tobi, really? - I can't complain about you since I also eavesdropped on your confession.

As for Totsuka…

I mean, who the hell corrupted that pure angelic soul of his again?

Ignoring all the prying eyes, I returned my attention to Yukino, studying her closely.

Her posture remained impeccable, her expression a mask of cool indifference.

But beneath that façade, I sensed a current of... something.

She knew.

She had to know.

She was acutely aware of our audience, of the dozen pairs of eyes fixed on us.

And - she was deliberately causing this.

All of it.

I leaned back against the wall, the cool metal of the coffee a stark contrast to my suddenly warm palm.

"You caught me off guard there." I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Yukino's response carried a hint of challenge. "Oh? I wasn't aware that surprise visits were only exclusive to you."

"They are not." I replied simply.

I knew exactly why she was here, or rather, I just figured it out - this wasn't just about coffee or a casual visit.

Yukino was annoyed, and - this was her way of silencing the whispers, showing everyone that the rumors about us weren't just gossip anymore.

It was the truth.

She was making a statement, loud and clear.

Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita were a couple.

Official. Undeniable.

This was about staking her claim, showing the world, our world, that Hachiman Hikigaya was already taken, and so was she.

Turns out, she is the protective type.

And honestly? I wasn't complaining.

….

.

[To be continued…]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★

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