We Need To Talk

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[-Continuation-] 

…

[-Third Person View-]

"I… I see, so it was true… I thought as much."

Nao Yamamoto's voice barely carried across the half empty classroom.

Just beyond the partially open door, Fujikura stood rooted to the spot, her heart heavy as she watched her friend.

The scene before her unfolded with the inevitability of a tragedy she had seen coming but failed to prevent.

Fujikura had tried to prevent this, of course - quietly nudging her friend to reconsider before things escalated to this point.

But she had also harbored that tiny spark of hope for Nao.

Sure, rumors had circulated, of course, whispers of a relationship between Hachiman and Yukino, but rumors were just that.

Yet there still left room for doubt - for the smallest sliver of hope, a belief that maybe, just maybe, things were not serious.

And that uncertainty had been enough to nurture both doubt and possibility in Nao's mind, just as it had for ….many others.

Everything changed after yesterday's student council meeting with Kaihin Sougou High School, which Fujikura attended.

But this changed after yesterday's meeting Fujikura and the rest of the student council had with Kaihin Sougou High School.

There was no mistaking - the chemistry between Hachiman and Yukino was undeniable.

She recognised the almost visible understanding of the easy connection that only came from a serious relationship and deep familiarity with each other.

Fujikura's stomach twists with regret.

If only she had recognized the signs sooner, perhaps she would have urged Nao to abandon this idea altogether, or try to convince her even harder.

But by the time she had learned the full extent of Hachiman's relationship with Yukino, Nao had already slipped that letter into his locker.

The worst part?

Fujikura, understanding that her friend had already decided on confessing, was actually the one who encouraged Nao to make her confession public.

Her judgment was clouded by Hachiman's unconventional approaches during the Cultural Festival - convincing her into assuming him as nothing more than a calculating player and borderline manipulative in her eyes.

Now, she watches as Nao retreats from Hachiman's well-meaning but clumsy attempt at consolation.

Fujikura steps forward, catching her friend's arm as she passes.

She offers Hachiman a quick, respectful nod before sliding the classroom door shut with a soft thud.

"Nao..." The name comes out gentle, an invitation to talk rather than a demand.

Her friend's shoulders sink further, followed by a quiet exhale.

"Let's go." Nao whispers, the words barely audible.

Fujikura nods and turns to lead the way down the corridor.

They haven't even taken a step when both girls freeze, their movements halting suddenly.

It was because of the person in front of them.

There, leaning against the wall with casual grace, stands a figure that makes their hearts stutter.

One arm folds beneath her chest while the other brushes away a strand of dark hair with deliberate precision.

But it's her eyes - those piercing blue eyes - that hold them in place, sharp and knowing as winter frost.

The question blazes through both their minds with the intensity of lightning:

How long has she been there?

Yukino Yukinoshita remains motionless, her presence filling the corridor with an authority that needs no words or movement to assert itself.

Her gaze sweeps over them with surgical precision, and both girls feel stripped bare beneath that analytical stare, as if every moment of what transpired in the classroom has been laid out and examined with meticulous care.

"Yukinoshita..." Fujikura's whisper barely made it past her lips.

A wave of guilt hit her chest - not just for Nao, but for the mess she had helped create with Hachiman and Yukino too.

Especially for Hachiman.

Their interaction with him had been brief, yet it was enough for her to understand that he wasn't the most comfortable with strangers.

She had seen how he had made the effort to speak yesterday, pushing himself into a situation that wasn't easy for him.

And now, after all that, here they were.

Realizing the mess that had unfolded and her role in it, Fujikura couldn't shake the sense that she had let him down.

Across from her, she watches Yukino now, struck by how the other girl acknowledges them with nothing more than a calm nod, as if they have merely passed each other in the hallway on any ordinary day.

There is no trace of awkwardness in her demeanor - only a composed indifference that speaks volumes about her intention to move past this situation.

In one fluid motion, Yukino pushes herself away from the wall.

Her movements are deliberate as she strides toward the classroom door.

What Fujikura doesn't know is that Yukino has been there since the beginning, standing just outside the classroom, watching the scene unfold.

She had been there since getting Yui's text, watching everything play out like a silent guardian.

Fujikura, lost in her thoughts about the fallout from Nao's confession, had completely missed Yukino's arrival until this moment.

The realization strikes Fujikura like a sudden gust of wind - Yukino had chosen to wait rather than intrude, respecting the delicate moment even as she inadvertently became witness to it all.

One thing was crystal clear about Yukino's approach - she wasn't there to make a scene.

So, she waited patiently outside, while she didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she did hear quite a bit of the conversation that happened.

She had heard more than she anticipated, and the information simmered in her mind.

Also just now, when Yukino turned her gaze towards Fujikura and Nao, there was no hint of anger or resentment in her eyes.

Instead, they radiated a certain intensity, a pure passion that both girls could sense - an incredible amount of it.

Under the watchful gaze of them, Yukino reached for the classroom door, and the hinges creaked softly, cutting through the silence of the corridor.

Almost unconsciously, Fujikura and Nao find themselves drifting in behind her, as if pulled by some invisible force.

When Yukino opened the door, the three girls came into the picture of the 2-F classroom.

From an outside perspective, one might have thought that Yukino was dragging the two girls along with her.

Her eyes swept across the room, searching for Hachiman, while Fujikura and Nao flanked her, caught between anxiety and curiosity.

Meanwhile, Yui and Totsuka were engaged in a light-hearted conversation with Hachiman, their laughter mingling with the soft murmurs of the other students discussing the recent commotion.

But as Yukino entered the classroom, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

The once lively chatter faded into an uncomfortable silence, like a curtain dropping on a performance.

All eyes turned toward her, and a pin-drop quietly enveloped the space.

Ignoring the scrutiny, Yukino's gaze settled on Hachiman, who was leaning back in his chair, an expression of surprise etched across his face.

"Yukino…" He greeted her, his voice laced with curiosity and concern.

"..." She doesn't respond immediately.

Instead, she walks to his desk with the purposeful grace of someone who knows exactly what they need to do.

When she reaches him, she pauses, her expression.

"We need to talk." She said, her voice steady but quiet enough to be intimate.

"What about?" He replied, his tone shifting to match her seriousness, though a hint of confusion lingered.

Yukino glanced back at Fujikura and Nao, who stood frozen in place, then turned her focus back to Hachiman.

Meanwhile, in the background, there were some manners starting as they finally settled from the sudden entrance of Yukino…

"Dude messed up…" Muttered Kato, a lanky guy with messy hair, his voice barely above a whisper.

His tone was half-sympathetic, half-amused, as if he found the situation both tragic and entertaining.

"Yeah, you bet." Replied Tanaka, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "I mean, did you really think she would just sit back and let it slide?"

"She… looks pissed."

The laughter and comments spread through the room like wildfire.

Several students exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of intrigue and glee at the unfolding drama.

"You want to talk right here?" Hachiman questioned, unbothered by the background noise.

"Yes... if you don't mind." Yukino replied.

"Yeah, I don't." Hachiman replied quite nonchalantly.

.

….

[To be continued…]

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