In A Matter of Seconds, Hikigaya Hachiman Comes to Term with It (End)

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The prizes that I got were a dog toy, a pair of expensive-looking traditional hairpins, and a tumbler. I didn't want any of them, so they were safely kept in Yuigahama's plastic bags. The girl was humming a happy tune as we made our way to the fireworks-watching spot. The fireworks show was about to begin.

"Ah, Hikki, I want to buy some Takoyaki."

"Aren't you full already?"

"W-Well, to be fair, I didn't eat much!" Yuigahama said bashfully before hitting my arm playfully.

We stopped at the nearby Takoyaki stall. Yuigahama ordered before I could open my mouth, saying that she wanted to pay this time. I was not one to reject free food—as long as she didn't make it herself—so I didn't bother to reject it. While we were waiting, I sensed someone's gaze. I frowned lightly and turned my eyes in the direction where the gaze came from.

I found a group of girls staring at us. They had the decency to look away upon meeting my gaze, but one of them maintained her gaze. She had brown hair that reached down the nape of her neck and grey eyes that looked at me in curiosity. Her otherwise unremarkable, makeup-enhanced face looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Yuigahama noticed that I was occupied by something as she turned to me. "Hikki, is something wrong?" When she turned in the direction of the group of girls, she exclaimed, "Ah, it's Sagamin! Yahallo!"

"I knew it was Yui!" the person called Sagamin chirped happily before walking to us, followed closely by her group.

I quirked my eyebrow at Yui and she immediately smiled wryly. "It's Sagamin, Hikki! Our classmate."

"Oh, is that so? No wonder she looks familiar."

"Geez, you should pay more attention to our classmates."

We returned our gaze to Sagamin—a faker, I noted—as she stood silently before us. She was trying to be sneaky about it, but I could tell she was eyeing me up and down. I stared at her and she must see my displeasure as she immediately avoided my gaze. She turned to Yui, leaned forward, and whispered conspiratorially.

"So…who is this hot guy? Your boyfriend? No wonder you are not interested in any boy at our school. I would too!"

"E-Eh…he is not my boyfriend. We are just a f-friend."

I silently noted that Yuigahama slightly hesitated when she called me her friend, but I wasn't disappointed. I was the one who kept saying that we were no more than acquaintances.

"Then, you don't mind introducing me to him, do you?"

"Eh, you don't recognize him?"

"Is he a student of our school?"

"It is Hikki our classmate."

"Eh!?"

Sagamin turned to me with a shocked look. Oy, I just got fit and a bit taller. There is no need to act like I was a different person! I clicked my tongue inwardly and frowned to show my displeasure. If I was still the human Hachiman, I wouldn't let it show on my face, but being a Vampire made me care less. I had a way wilder thing going on, so worrying about offending someone was at the back of my mind.

"You are Hikigaya Hachiman?" Sagamin asked dubiously.

I merely hummed in response.

"You look different from what I remembered."

"I am quite surprised that you even remember me, but to answer your puzzlement, summer holiday does that to teenagers."

Probably taken aback by my passive-aggressive statement, Sagamin cleared her throat. "W-Well, it's nice meeting you two here. My friends and I are going, so see you guys at school!"

She went back to her group and left, after letting her friends wave goodbye at us. Conveniently, the Takoyaki Yuigahama ordered was ready at the same time. She paid for it and we immediately headed to the fireworks-watching spot. Unfortunately, we were quite late as every space was already taken. Of course, the place was big, so we kept looking.

After some time, we realized we were outside the VIP spot. The place was reserved for important people, so we wouldn't be able to use it even if it had enough space for us.

Turning to Yuigahama, we were about to leave, when someone called Yuigahama, "Yahallo, Gahama-chan!" Only one person called her that way and it was no other than Yukinoshita Haruno. "Going out with your boyfriend? He looks familiar," she remarked as she walked to us.

Good. Haruno doesn't know me. Let's just leave and—

"N-Not my boyfriend! It's Hikki, geez!"

Ah, Yuigahama, why do you feel the need to introduce me to everyone who recognizes you? Let them not recognize me, damn it!

"Oho…? My, my, I almost don't recognize you, Hikigaya-kun. Did heartbreak do that to you? Did you break up with Yukino-chan? No wonder you are here with Gahama-chan!"

Like always, Haruno assaulted me with a one-sided conversation and invaded my personal space. Yuigahama looked uncomfortable on the side but still tried her best to smile. I looked down at Haruno and met her curious gaze. She was quite taken aback when I didn't say anything before backing away.

"Well, there is no need to get serious, Hikigaya-kun. I was just joking," she waved her hand playfully before looking at me questioningly. "What are you guys doing by the way?"

"We are looking for an empty spot," I answered calmly.

"Aha! Just join me here in the VIP section! No one but me is interested in watching the fireworks."

Yuigahama and I looked at each other before accepting Haruno's offer. We immediately sat down and waited for the fireworks to start. I was content with the silence but the women on either side of me, unfortunately, didn't share the sentiment. Yuigahama struck up a conversation and Haruno gladly engaged with it.

"Where is Yukinon, Haruno-san?"

"I thought you guys purposely ditched her." Haruno looked at Yuigahama in mock puzzlement.

"T-There is no way we would do that! It's just…she hasn't responded to my message and I think it will be rude of me to bother her," Yuigahama returned sadly.

"I see…. Well, to answer your question, Yukino-chan is at home. In events like this, I am the only one required to come. I would have stayed at home too if it wasn't for my mother. She is scary, you know? Even I feel quite reluctant to go against her. That is why we were surprised when Yukino-chan asked to live by herself. It was a rare chance where Yukino-chan went against Mother and expressed desire, after all."

The two chatted and I opted to be a listener. They talked a lot about Yukinoshita and I felt like intruding on her privacy with how much Haruno revealed. Thankfully, the fireworks show started. As the booming sound filled the air, the two immediately got quiet. I took out my phone and took some photos of fireworks. I also took a recording, intending to brag about it to Komachi.

As I looked through the photos, I pondered about what I was about to do. Eventually, I decided to just send a photo of the fireworks to Kiss-Shot and ask her what she was doing. She immediately replied that she was busy doing paperwork and told me to enjoy myself. I didn't want to bother her, so I ended the chat with a simple cheer.

"Are you three-timing, Hikigaya-kun?" Haruno asked with a hesitant look which seemed quite genuine.

"One, I am not in a relationship with anyone. Two, do you think I am capable of pulling that off?" I answered calmly.

"Eh, why not? You can easily juggle multiple easy women with that look."

"Well, thank you, but I won't do it. There is no merit in indulging oneself in a shallow relationship."

"That's Hikigaya-kun for you," Haruno remarked with a smile, prompting me to quirk an eyebrow. "Anyway, I will be hearing good news from you and Yukino-chan."

"You shouldn't tease your sister too much. She will most likely commit seppuku if you keep pitting me with her."

Haruno laughed boisterously and then leaned her head on my shoulder. I had done more intimate things with Kiss-Shot, so I didn't recoil in surprise. I rarely even found myself surprised these days. Yuigahama noticed what Haruno was doing and decided that she should move closer. She didn't lean her head on my shoulder but our bodies were practically glued together.

We immediately left the spot as soon as the fireworks ended. Haruno decided to tag along, bothering me as we walked outside. Responding curtly to everything she said, we eventually found ourselves outside. A familiar black limousine was already waiting for Haruno.

"Do you guys want a ride home?" Haruno offered.

"T-That is…" Yuigahama looked awkwardly at me and the parked limousine.

"The accident was a long time ago. The scratches are gone." Noticing our silence, Haruno soon realized her mistake. "It wasn't Yukino-chan's fault, you know? Our driver was careless at that time."

Raising my hand as I sensed that Haruno had a lot to say, I said, "I know. I am not one to get caught up in the past. I have moved on from what happened, so don't worry. Also, we would like a ride home."

Haruno was visibly surprised by my response and then sighed in relief. She nodded with a smile and invited us into the car. Yuigahama still looked a bit uncomfortable, but I nodded at her to tell her it was okay. She loosened up and we soon found ourselves sitting silently in the car. Haruno also decided to keep quiet, seemingly afraid to exacerbate the mood.

The fact that Yukinoshita Yukino pretended to not recognize us from the accident was slightly disappointing, but I didn't dwell on it. I had been perceiving her the way I wanted which was the one whom I admired. I was so deluded by my view that I forgot that Yukinoshita was a human; therefore, she also lied sometimes. I could accept it.

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Honorary Mention:

Venerable Immortal Gwiber

Venerable Immortal P. Felipe

Venerable Immortal W. M. Jones