Free Charity

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[-Continuation-]

[-Location : Chiba Village-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

"Your dress is also nice." I complimented her once again.

??..!! This time, she was genuinely surprised.

However, instead of her usual excited self, it was more like a 'seriously?' type of surprise.

She even checked out her dress twice, but no matter how she looked at it, it was just her regular, plain sleepwear.

"It's nothing special." She deflected modestly. Then she added with a hint of curiosity. "What's with the sudden flattery?"

"It's not flattery." I persisted, a hint of transparency creeping into my tone.

Wanting to steer the conversation in a different direction, I shifted gears. "So, how have you been?"

"Ehh-um?" Yukinoshita responded, sounding a bit taken aback.

"I mean, it's been a while since we saw each other since the summer break, right?" I pressed on.

"...I am fine." She replied, choosing her words carefully and short.

"Did you miss me?" I asked, hoping for a positive response.

"..I was a little bored." She replied bluntly, surprising me with her frankness.

"...ouch. Is that all?" I muttered, lightly tapping my chest and feeling a bit deflated by her honesty.

But then, not dwelling on it for too long, I quickly added. "Guess you have it easy since there's someone like me who missed you."

"..?You mean the Service Club activities…?" She seemed puzzled by my confession, unsure of its implications.

"Nope. I meant exactly what I said." I clarified with a small smile, hoping to reassure her of my genuine feelings.

"..." Yukinoshita stared at me with a blank face, revealing no emotion, adding to the awkwardness of the moment.

Man, I don't think this is working.

As the silence lingered, I noticed her delicate fingers smoothing down her hair with deliberate movements.

"...weird.." She muttered under her breath, a hint of complaint in her tone.

"What did you say? I couldn't catch it correctly." I inquired, curious about her muttered words.

"You had your chance."

Seems like it is getting nowhere.

"So, you were also out for some stargazing?" I asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, clearly having no idea why she was here.

Despite my curiosity about details and my attempts to remember them, the excitement of the moment overwhelmed any attempt to recall details. All I could think about was my meeting with her, and nothing more.

Yukinoshita then let slip a sort of gloomy sigh. "Miura tried to pick a fight with me in the cabin." Her face was downcast, looking rather depressed.

Wow, seeing her lose her cool like that was unexpected. But then again, dealing with Miura is always a handful.

"I can totally see that happening." I agreed, but there was also an unspoken question in my tone, like, 'Is that all?'

I mean, that can't be the only reason, right? Come on, a little back-and-forth between them isn't out of the ordinary.

"You did win, right?" I inquired, mirroring my expression.

Yukinoshita gave me an odd look, different from her usual competitive demeanour I was expecting. Instead, there was a hint of dejection in her eyes that said, 'Let me explain' and continued her story.

"I spent about thirty minutes demolishing her arguments until she cried. I did something very unbecoming…"

Haah, she won the war but lost the battle.

"So naturally, you ended up feeling bad and came out here." I took the liberty of completing her sentence according to her stance.

"Indeed. I never thought for a moment that she would cry… Yuigahama is comforting her as we speak."

"Well, I for myself never thought you were the type that is weak to tears." I commented, noticing a hint of self-reflection in her eyes.

She shot me an annoyed glance, clearly not thrilled with the word 'weak' I used in my sentence.

"Now you know." Yukinoshita replied, keeping it simple.

Huh, she actually admitted it. That's new. I half-expected her to come back with some snarky retort.

Then she looked away, signaling that she didn't want to delve into that topic any further.

"Do you like stargazing?" I asked, trying to shift the mood.

"Not particularly..."

Well, at least she doesn't see it as a total waste of time, right? Why can't these girls just give a straight answer? It would make things a lot simpler.

"...why don't you take a look then? It's pretty relaxing." I suggested, holding out the binoculars I had.

"I might as well." She agreed, taking them from my hand.

"You are awfully serious about this new hobby of yours." She commented, giving the binoculars a skeptical look that seemed to say, 'Is this thing even working?' before letting out a sigh that implied 'never mind.'

"Something like that." I replied lacklusterly.

I added, though I don't think she registered it. "And yes, it's still in working condition."

"..." Yukinoshita raised her head towards the sky and started taking in the twinkling stars silently.

Having nothing to do, I also gazed up, and I had to admit that, compared to the city, you could really see the stars clearly from every inch of this place.

They were shining brilliantly, corresponding to the lack of lights everywhere else.

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"So is that fight about the same elementary school girl you met during the camp?" I asked, and my tone was casual.

And just to clarify, there was no surprise in her demeanour upon hearing about everything that had transpired today. Even then, I wasn't supposed to know, as I was absent when the event transpired.

"It was in the beginning, but we went away from the topic as we argued." She didn't deny it.

"You are really going out of your way for a girl you don't even know." I remarked, shaking my head with familiarity.

"We have been doing things solely for people we don't know this whole time. I don't extend a helping hand to people I know through association." She reminded me coolly.

True, I couldn't agree more. We really have been doing free charity work. I thought.

She mused, her voice distant. "Besides… don't you think she resembles Yuigahama somewhat?"

"Weird, I never thought that way." I replied, unsure, and added. "I mean, from what I heard, don't you think she resembled you far more? In fact, I thought the reason you were so adamant about helping her was because you find her situation similar to yours."

"Wrong." She declared it firmly. "What made you think that? And if she truly is similar to me, as you claim, then perhaps she doesn't need our assistance."

Wait, is she serious?

"What do you mean by that..?" I asked, a mix of confusion and annoyance clouding my thoughts as I tried to grasp her perspective.

Yukinoshita explained that her tone was matter-of-fact. "She needs to toughen up and face the world on her own to survive. Only by overcoming challenges on her own and defeating her adversaries can she truly grow."

So basically, you're implying that someone like 'yourself' doesn't require assistance, especially from others.

Tsk, I don't like it at all.

"So you're saying you don't want anyone interfering in your life or offering help, but you have no problem meddling in someone else's life."

That's such a hypocritical thing you are trying to do, Yukinoshita.

"Why did I get involved in all of this?" She mused aloud.

I pointed it out. "What do you mean 'get involved'? You have been part of this from the beginning."

"...Nhn." She sighed softly before posing a question. "What are you trying to convey, Hikigaya? What's your stance? Are you objecting to my decision to help her?"

"All I can say is, I am here to help you anytime." I declared, making sure she truly and clearly understood my feelings.

…welp, no hurry. Let's deal with her personality slowly.

"Again, it's not about me, but the girl." She reminded me, her voice softening slightly. "But that should be enough."

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[To be continued….]

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