Text

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[-Continuation-]

[-Same Day -Noon-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

–ding!

….and sent.

With one final click, the message was on its way to the intended recipient(:receiver).

The person I texted isn't much of a secret.

It was Yuigahama Yui.

And the content of the message isn't much of a secret either.

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[-Yuigahama, are you joining the club activities today? We have something to discuss-]

=====

…

A simple and straightforward question and reason, if you ask me.

Come to think of it, the last time I texted her was during the Kawasaki siblings incident, and that was also my first text to her.

I am pretty certain that by now Yukinoshita must have already reached out to Yuigahama and asked her to attend today's club activities.

In that case, you might be wondering if Yukinoshita went back on her word by asking Yuigahama to return.

And in a way, it might be true to some extent.

No. I am not putting down Yukinoshita for what she did.

I understand very well why she would do that.

As a club, it was necessary for us to move on and not hold onto the false hope of her return. Confronting her and getting closure on whether she would stay or leave permanently was the best course of action.

Anyway, regardless of my opinion, I can confidently assume that Yuigahama must have given a positive response to Yukinoshita's text.

I mean, come on, Yukinoshita requesting something and Yuigahama rejecting it is highly unlikely. At least, that's what I believe.

So, why did I feel the need to confirm if I was that confident?

Trust me, I wouldn't want to if I had the option to avoid all this trouble...

The main reason is that I still don't have Yukinoshita's contact number.

And no. I am not complaining.

…maybe, just a little.

But in all seriousness, there is also another reason, which is - I am the club's Vice President.

Ring any bells?

I highly doubt it.

Well, what can I do? I mean, I am sure, from another point of view, everyone would think I am just doing what I am doing, which is only to spite Yukinoshita or just for fun.

But I am pretty serious, though. Like totally.

So I think someone who is holding a responsible position as Vice President, I have a duty to keep the club together.

...moreover, a little effort from my side is the least I can do to clean up all this mess that is rooted from me. That was my thought process behind it.

There is also one more fact that needs to be addressed here - Yesterday, we didn't encounter Yuigahama at the shopping district.

If we had met her, I might not have sent this text. Who knows?

Returning to the topic, Yukinoshita and I not bumping into Yuigahama was quite surprising in many ways.

Despite the fact that I joked about the whole [Plot Armour] thing, I was actually somewhat serious, you know?

...if we had met Yuigahama yesterday, I might have believed - Well, not entirely, but to some extent - that certain things were destined to happen regardless of my involvement.

I know whether the whole story unfolds the same way or not doesn't hold much significance to me, but having a clue about how things might go down isn't a bad thing, right?

Just hoping I didn't stumble onto some weird conspiracy where Yuigahama did come to the shopping district, but we somehow missed each other.

Nah, the worst-case scenario would be if Yuigahama did show up, saw us from afar when Yukinoshita and I were pretending to be a couple, sticking close to each other, and she decided not to show up, assuming her own theories about the situation.

She would be heartbroken.

…*gulp, now, that's some serious drama.

Just thinking about it sends a chill down the spine.

Ahem, okay, enough about the serious stuf-

"Hachiman, what are you doing?" A cute, shy voice interrupted me from my side.

Oh, by the way, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, I just finished my lunch about ten minutes ago.

…and yes, it's in my usual dining spot… Enjoying the sweet scent carried in the air with a subtle touch of saltiness from the nearby beach area.

Let's fast forward to what happened after my lunch. I typically hang out there until the break time is over, but today was not 'typical,' after all.

Not feeling up to the task of descending the stairs and climbing back up just for a few moments of peacefulness, I decided to settle in the classroom.

And you know what happened after that…

"Hachiman! Hachiman…!" I was interrupted once again by the same voice from earlier, with an equal or perhaps even higher level of cuteness.

I shifted my attention towards the source.

As I turned, a vision of beauty unfolded before me, a face that could captivate anyone who happened to gaze upon it.

"What are you thinking so seriously…" Totsuka inquired, a genuine concern evident in the soft tones of his voice.

Is he? Like really worried about ME?

That's new… When was the last time someone greeted me with such a warm, caring smile?

As I pondered, a fleeting image of my family crossed my mind, but regrettably, it only brought back memories of taunts and irritation imprinted on their faces.

Let's not delve into those 'dark' memories.

"Nothing, really." I replied, offering a reassuring nod.

Yeah, let's not corrupt him with my thoughts.

The world could use more people like him and Hayato.

"So, how is your club doing?" I asked, sidestepping any serious topics.

"It's going really well. Everyone has been working really hard." He replied with a radiant smile, his eyes sparkling like crystals, exuding enthusiasm and positivity.

Almost too bright…

"Hmm... that's good." I responded, averting my gaze from his radiant eyes that nearly blinded me.

"So…" He started fiddling with his fingers nervously(:shyly) and opened his mouth to speak.

Oh, what's this sudden shift in the air…

"Hachima-"

–Ding!(:mobile notification)

But before he could complete it, a sudden mechanical noise interrupted us(:him).

"Sorry about that. Just a minute, Totsuka." I apologised quickly and pulled out my phone.

If it were any other time, I might have thought of checking it out later, when I am free. In fact, I would have turned off the notification in the first place.

But not now…

Opening my inbox, I checked the text.

And as expected, it was from Yuigahama.

Before reading the message, I did a quick scan around to find an orange head. Mind you, I did so stealthily.

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[-Yeah, Hikki, I will join the club today. Is there something special today? Because Yukinon also messaged me, you know-]

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….

Well, at least text messages are as bright as her usual self.

I decided to text her back quickly.

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[-I don't know. Maybe a Club meeting. Anyway, see you in the club room-]

=====

….

I didn't give away any information about the presents, as it was meant to be a surprise.

After tucking my phone back into my pocket, I glanced at Totsuka, who had a grin on his face…

Can you believe it?

"Who was it, Hachiman? Is it your girlfriend?" Totsuka asked with an intrigued expression.

Girlfriend, huh…?

I wish, man.

I wish it was something like that.

But before we get into that, Totsuka, what happened to you?

Where did the Totsuka with his soul as pure as an angel that descended from the heavens go…

Is it because of my influence? It is not right?

If it is, and the class girls find out about this, I am going to be ripped apart alive with no mercy.

…*gulp.

For the second time today, I gulped. The mere thought of it sent a shiver down my spine.

.

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[To be continued….]

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