Minor note: The events in this chapter take place during third year, just so you know.

Chapter 6: As always, Hikigaya Hachiman joins in.

It was hot…Too hot… Undeniably, ruthlessly hot. The heat was unlike any other I felt before, almost to the point of being supernatural.

If only Amaterasu went back to her cave… [1]

I gazed up at the white ceiling above my head, feeling a drop of sweat trickling down from my forehead. I had half a mind to wipe it but I fear that anymore energy spent in this heatwave would result in the collapse of my whole body.

The sweat made my shirt stick to my skin and finally, I decided to move to get rid of this annoyance. The fan whirring in front of me made no different as any cool air that it blasted out was obliterated by the Sun's wrath.

Even though turning on my stomach comforted me for a brief moment, the stickiness soon returned. I groaned loudly before gazing at the coffee table, hoping that there may be some form of liquid or anything that could turn my mind into a blissful, frigid landscape.

Instead of a cold bottle of oolong tea, I found an empty can of MAX coffee and my lifelong partner, PSP-san.

Oh, PSP-san and MAX coffee. If only you could ease the harshness of this weather.

But even so…maybe playing a few games might distract me from the heat. Yeah, good idea…

And so with that thought in mind, I struggled to reach to reach the top of the table. Within a few minutes, my struggle paid off as my hand barely grasped the plastic covering of the PSP. Using all of my remaining strength, I situated the console right above my face as I pressed its power button.

The screen flashed brightly for a moment before turning black again, reflecting my incredulous face.

My one and only hope of salvation had just run out of battery.

I dangled my arm hopelessly at my side before dropping the PSP on the floor below.

Will I die like this? Without making any impact on this pitiful, cruel world?

I was going to write a book about the stupid hierarchy of society and its negative impact on the residents. It was going to center around the life of a lonely but enlightened boy. The book will be focused on his social troubles and his roundabout ways to expose this crap of a system society have.

Maybe the book will be named 'My social life is as wrong as I expected' and I was going to take up a pen name of two almost repeating names. Then it would go on to win the Nobel Peace prize for literature and maybe get an anime adaptation…

Gaaah! The heat was messing with my head again.

Speaking of heat, doesn't it seem that every time a summer breeze passed by; you don't feel any coolness whatsoever? It makes you think that the breeze will cool you down, only to treat you with the hot, harsh slap of reality. Like spicy foods and water.

The feeling of hopelessness was amplified as more sweats trickled down my forehead. Was this what stranded people feel? Maybe I'll leave my mark so that someone…anyone knows that I was in this house.

Maybe a summer haiku would do… Hikigaya Hachiman's Haiku. Yeah, it got a nice ring to it.

Any thoughts of writing a fine piece of literature were soon interrupted by the ringing of our house phone. Being in the sweaty and tired state I am, I didn't bother answering the phone. In a few seconds, it will just transfer it to voice mail anyway so I'll know who was calling and why.

A beep sounded the start of the transfer as the voice of my mother filled the room with a generic transfer message. It wasn't long before the voice on the other side spoke up.

"Ah, Onii-chan," I immediately recognized the voice that rang throughout the room, "I know you're there. You're waaaaay too lazy to leave the house so just call me now, 'kay? I'm in quite a pinch…"

Lethargy was instantly lifted from my body as the scared tone of Komachi filled my ears. I immediately went to the house phone, startling Kamakura who was sleeping near the couch.

Dialing back her number as fast as possible, I lifted the device up to my ear; hearing the monotonous beeps over and over before the same voice of my sister was heard once more.

"Komachi? What trouble are you in this time?"

"You're rude, Onii-chan." She stated bluntly, "Anyway, I'm kinda lost and I don't know how to get home."

My eyes widened almost immediately, "Tell me what you're seeing right now."

I tried to answer as calmly as I could and in response, I heard a cheerful voice. Wait, why was she being cheerful?

"If that's the case then I'm seeing lots of people passing through gates and such." She paused for a while before continuing, "The gates are small and metallic and- oh! I see a sign 'Sta-something'"

"You're at the station." I narrowed my eyes even though she wouldn't be able to see it, "You've been there lots of time so you know how to get back, don't you?"

"Well, truth is…I've been shopping for gifts for a boy in my class…"

…Boy…

My ears perked up at that singular word but I let her continue. "Go on."

"I'm not lost…more like, surrounded by unknown, quite possibly dangerous people."

I sighed softly, "Fine, you're at the station, right? I'll call you again when I get there."

"Okay!" She replied cheerfully.

As I put the phone back down in its place, I finally began to realize my sorry state of clothes. Maybe I could take a shower first and have a fresh change of clothes before picking up Komachi. Yeah, that would be for the best. Don't want people to confuse me as some sort of sexual harasser…

…Curse you, summer heat!

Despite literally dragging my feet up to the bathroom, any exhaustion caused by the heat was soon washed away, quite literally, by the refreshingly cool water. Speaking of which, when did Komachi leave the house? In the sixteen years that we've been together, I am the one that wake up first (Even though she's the one that prepare breakfast).

Either she is secretly a spy for the head of a secret organization or I was just careless about who was leaving the house.

I left the shower feeling quite satisfied. Scratch that, I was really satisfied, almost to the point of hopping around the house. As I snooped around my closet looking around for a shirt that would be both comfortable and won't stick easily, I was met with the sight of a mostly empty closet.

Now, I'm not a person who would own a lot of clothes but right now, there were only my jacket, a couple of shirts that is clearly not suited for summer, two shirts that were suited for summer and some pants.

Either moths raided this place or Komachi got something to do with it.

Well, whatever. I could always question her when I picked her up. With that goal in mind, I decided on a plain blue shirt and a pair of shorts. Just as I put on my choices of attire, the house phone rang again, prompting me to rush towards it despite knowing that it was most likely Komachi.

Picking up the house phone of the second time of the day, I sighed loudly.

"What is it now, Komachi?"

"Onii-chan, why are you not here yet!?" Yup, definitely Komachi, "I'm really, really scared, y'know."

"Ah, sorry." I stated as apologetically as I could while picking up my own phone, "Some things came up…"

It was only a shower though.

"Is that so…Well-."

Komachi abruptly stopped talking which raise some feelings of concern inside of me. However, I waited for her to continue and surely enough, she did.

Except for those background voices.

"…Ah, sorry. I can't go with you right now; my brother's picking me up…" It sounded as if she was whispering. Wait, what if Komachi was threatened into going with a bunch of shady teenagers?

"Komachi, you're at the station, right?!" I confirmed once more.

"Yeah, I a-."

I didn't wait for her to finish as I slammed down the phone and immediately dashed out the door, startling poor Kamakura once more. I contemplated about using the bike to get there but if I use it to get to the station while in my state of mind, I'll definitely get into more troubles.

Screw it, Komachi's more important!

As I hopped on to my trusty bike, I felt a strange sense of danger. It wasn't really threatening but it was there. To confirm my suspicion, I dismounted my bike to take a look at its compartments.

…Not like this…

I could feel the summer breeze pass by me as my mouth hung open slightly. Why? Simple, my tires were flat. This must be a cruel joke, played by some unknown god out to get me. If you want test my undying, brotherly love; then so be it!

And so, underneath the sweltering hot sun, I took off to the station; intent on rescuing my sister from any conceivable troubles that she might got herself into.

Despite the station coming into view, I felt my legs already giving out to the non-stop running that I did. I could faintly see her silhouette off in the distance…Probably…

I walked a few more steps before stopping entirely, the lactic acid in my muscles finally catching up to me. I could barely stand as I propped my hands on my knees. Just as all hope was lost for this caring brother, the voice that I desperately needed to hear finally rang out to me.

"Onii-chan!"

Bouncing up and down energetically as she always does, Komachi might as well hop over to my location.

I wiped the sweats of my forehead as I looked up at the cheerful face of my sister. Any fatigue that plagued my body before was almost entirely gone as I began to stand straight up again. I huffed and puffed for a while before settling myself down.

"Well, shall we go home?" I asked Komachi as I turned into the opposite direction.

"Ah, wait; Onii-chan." She half-requested, half-commanded, "I haven't done all my business here yet, y'know."

"Is that so…" Summer vacation definitely won't end tomorrow so I still got some time left anyway. "Well, I guess I could come with you. Who are you buying it for anyway?"

Komachi raised her finger up to her lips, prompting me to raise my eyebrow in question.

"It's a se-cret!"

"Fine, whatever." I shrugged it off. After all, I can just…have a talk with the 'boy' she mentioned right? That's right, a talk between men….

I followed behind Komachi, albeit slowly as my feet were still sore from running all the way from home. A couple of steps later, I could faintly see someone waving to us in the distance and to my surprise, Komachi waved back.

I was sure that it was just her friends. Girls' hangouts and all that fun stuffs girls do.

Closing the distance between her friend and herself, Komachi excitedly lunged herself towards her friend's destination. And it was at that moment that I finally discover who was actually waiting for us.

Not a friend.

Not a boy.

But a woman who looked too ripe for her current attire. I instinctively gulped as I hesitantly walked forward as well.

"Ah, Hikigaya." The figure smiled, a bit evilly, might I add. "About time you show up. I was considering going to your house to drag you out of there myself."

I have no doubt about the person who stated that somehow joking yet ominous sentence. But if she was here, didn't that mean Komachi trick me?

How could you?! I thought blood was thicker than…whatever she promised you.

"But seriously," Hiratsuka-sensei crossed her arms, "Why didn't you answer my messages?"

"I…have to feed my cat…"

Instead of answering, she looked at me dead straight in the eyes. No wait, it was more like a glare. Like the one Kamakura use against unfamiliar objects.

"Well, whatever. You're here so that's done."

"What am I here for anyway?"

Hiratsuka-sensei smirked, "Service club activities, of course."

Somehow, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, "What do you mean Servi-."

"Ah, Yui-san, you're back!" Komachi exclaimed enthusiastically. Wait, Yuigahama was here?

Yuigahama walked up to us cheerfully, carrying two plastic bags that were obviously loaded with food items.

"Yahallo, Hachi!" She waved eagerly at me to which I responded with a meek nod. If she was here, that meant that others were not far behind.

Sure enough, more people came towards us. As I expected, they weren't far behind. Two girls engaged in a one-sided conversation, three guys conversing merrily with one another.

Wait, those people are just Hayama's clique and a smaller boy who I felt a strange urge to have a men talk to. On closer inspection; it's that bug of a boy, Kawasaki Taishi.

It can't be… Are we going to spend eight days repeating the same event for 15531 times?! [2]

"So why am I needed here again?" I asked once more.

"I told you, didn't I? Service club activities." Hiratsuka-sensei replied haughtily.

"If it's the Service club activities, then why are those guys here?" I pointed my finger at Hayama and his group, who smiled awkwardly in return. "Also where's Yukinoshita? She's the president of the Service club, right?"

"Sensei, I think you should just tell Hikitani-kun the truth, y'know."

It was Tobe who spoke up, greatly surprising me. Damn it Tobe, who's Hikitani by the way?!

"Fine," Hiratsuka-sensei let out an exasperated sigh, "We're going to a hot spring."

Well, that action was logic-WAIT, no it wasn't!

"Why a hot spring?"

"Hikigaya," She wagged her finger, "Maybe it's time you should stop asking 'Why' and start asking 'Why not' instead."

"Okay then why can't I go back home?"

She put a single hand on my shoulder and squeezed it quite tightly. Sensei, please stop. You're hurting me.

"I am doing something nice for you so shut up and accept it."

Meep.

I let out an almost inaudible 'Yes'. "But why are you spending the school's funds on hot spring?"

I'm not usually a role model student but if words get out that she used the school's funds on just hanging out with her students, it will not doubt backfire on her. How? She will gain a reputation of a delinquent teacher while we, the students, will be labeled as delinquents due to not stopping her. Not that I have a reputation to begin with anyway.

"Well, I just so happened to win an all-expense paid trip for five people to the hot spring," She proudly exclaimed her exploits.

"Not only that but when I attend a bachelorette party, it just so happen that my friend who was getting married is actually the owner of said hot spring so hearing my luck, she decided to pull some strings so that it's a trip for ten people! Aren't I lucky or what?"

Eh, amazing luck sensei. Now if you can only direct that luck to something else that you sorely lack.

I didn't bother to tell her what I thought of her so called luck because she would totally decimate me physically if I did so.

"Alright, seeing as we gather everyone already; let's get on the bus."

I didn't notice it before Hiratsuka-sensei mentioned it but there was literally a bus situated right behind us and I was completely clueless about it. Have my senses really gotten that dull? I blame the hot weather. Yeah, that's right. It's totally the hot weather.

Komachi, Yuigahama and the others boarded the bus just as fast as that thought passed through my head. On the way in, Komachi and Yuigahama gave me a cheerful grin while Hayama gave me an obvious forced smile.

Jeez, you don't have to act like that if you hate me, you know. It makes me feel uncomfortable too.

Taishi was the last one to enter besides me. He also gave me a friendly smile as if provoking me. I made a mental note to drag him to an isolated location and give him a nice manly talk.

Entering the bus, I quickly noticed that everyone had already taken their seats with each other except for Hiratsuka-sensei who decided to sit at the front alone. That bug Taishi had situated herself near my sister, happily chatting away with her. I decided to keep my calm for now since I'll have all the time in the world when we get to the hot spring.

Now, what to do when everyone has taken their seat on a bus? Simple.

Due to my experiences with field trips and such, I had learned one simple trick that allows everyone to sit by each other while not getting in their way. Even though it was a fail-safe trick in case those people didn't allow me into their group or Totsuka isn't in the trip. And so, I decided to sit at the back of the bus.

Plus, Komachi's seat was right in front of mine so I could prevent any sort of activities that Taishi would try.

I mean, no one in their right mind would take the back seat, seeing as interactions with other people will be hard, the bumps from the ride would be amplified even further at the back and you can't enjoy the scenery.

Of course, there are some people that wouldn't be considered as normal.

By some people; I, of course, meant the Service club.

"…What are you doing?" I asked Yukinoshita, who was lying on Yuigahama's laps.

Oi, if this keeps up, I might start calling you Yurinoshita.

"I'm just feeling a bit under the weather today." She replied, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"If that's the case, then why don't you just stay at home?"

This time, she opened her eyes before sitting in an upright position and smoothing out any wrinkles on her shirt.

"The heat was too much for me to handle earlier but," She smiled teasingly, "That won't be enough to knock me down."

"Whatever."

I sighed before sitting on the left side of the seat. Luckily, the seat was large enough to accommodate four people so I didn't have to worry about squeezing in with them.

From the corner of my eyes, I could spot Yuigahama fidgeting slightly. Well, it didn't concern me so I didn't pay that much attention. It wasn't until the bus started that she finally cracked.

"Umm, Yukinon, Hachi!"

We both turned our head at her voice. It was a half-shout, loud enough for me to cringe but quiet enough to not disturb the rest of the bus. Being closer to her, Yukinoshita replied almost immediately.

"What is it, Yui-san?"

She brought her overly large plastic bags from before, taking out a couple of snacks out from it.

"I thought that…y'know, you'd like to share some with me." Yukinoshita appeared slack-jawed for a moment before smiling and nodding briefly, taking the sweets from Yuigahama.

"Ah, snacks!" Komachi exclaimed as her head popped out from the right side of her seat. "Can I have some, Yui-san?"

"Sure!" Yuigahama replied cheerfully, fishing out more snacks from her plastic bag which Komachi accepted gleefully.

"If you're eating like that; you'll get fat soon, you know," I intervened swiftly. After all, a little sister's health is the number one priority for any brother. "And also, aren't snacks meant to be eaten during the trip?"

Both Komachi and Yuigahama pouted angrily at my comment. Wait, even Komachi?! It was for your sake, you know!

"You don't talk about a woman's weight, Hachi!" Yuigahama tried to hit me but seeing as I was at the far side of the seat, it was impossible. Lucky me.

"As usual, you have no tact whatsoever, Hachi-kun." Yukinoshita stated somberly. I grunted slightly to express my frustration before trying to at least change the topic.

"Anyway, Komachi. Did you really pack all my necessary clothes without even asking me?" Komachi scratched her head awkwardly at my question.

"Hehe…" She began putting her fingers together, twiddling it slowly, "I thought that since Onii-chan had done so much for me, I thought about repaying you. So…y'know, I just want you to relax so I packed up your things so you won't have to worry…"

Komachi looked at me with upturned eyes, her lips slightly apart and trembling.

That look is unfair. Too unfair!

"Ah, that must have earned tons of Komachi points!" She pointed out cutely, breaking out of her helpful sister persona.

"Komachi points…?" Yuigahama mumbled absentmindedly. Not that I expect her to understand anyway.

I spotted a head poking slightly above Komachi's seat. It must have been that bug Taishi. With our eyes making contact, he swiftly dropped his head.

Afterward, Komachi returned back to her seat with snacks in hand and I leaned back against the seat. I sighed in exhaustion and confusion. After all, I just ran all the way here from home and now I'm on a bus going to a hot spring. What kind of causality is that?

At least, I was lucky that there were only ten people in the bus (Minus the driver) so there was little to no noise except for Tobe's obnoxious discussion. Ten minutes into the ride and I was already starting to get bored.

I was going to look at the scenery but then again, I was sitting at the back seat.

Talking with someone? Definitely not.

Maybe a nap would do for now. With that thought in mind, I began leaning further into the seat, shifting ever so slightly to get that one perfect spot of comfort.

As I closed my eyes, I could hear rustles of fabric in the background. It was probably just Yuri-Yuigahama handing out more snacks to Komachi and such. But any thoughts of comfort were soon vanquished from my brain as a soft fabric landed on my face.

If it wasn't for hot weather, I would definitely just lay there with that fabric on myself throughout the trip.

"Clean yourself up," I lifted up the piece of fabric to look at Yukinoshita, who was looking at me with some degree of contempt. "You are already a hazard to be around. Please do not amplify that by being unhygienic."

I said nothing as I accepted the offer and wiped my face and arms with the towel. When I was done, I gave it back without any words and she also accepted without a single word.

As I returned back to taking a nap, I could feel a presence near my face. No, it wasn't a towel. It was a hand. A hand holding a chocolate bar to be precise.

"I thought you'll be, like, hungry." My eyes followed the arm until it landed on a pair of peach eyes. Yuigahama grinned from ear to ear; unaware of the position she was putting Yukinoshita in as the latter was in the middle.

I glanced at Yukinoshita briefly, seeing her slightly uncomfortable fast as she tried as hard as she could to not disturb our one-sided transaction.

"…Thanks." I reluctantly accepted the chocolate before tearing off the wrapper. I had to admit; I was definitely hungry as I only had a cup of instant ramen for lunch earlier.

The snack was smaller than I expected and as a result, within the span of few measly seconds; I completely gobbled down the small piece of bitter delicacy.

Now what to do…

Seeing as I finished my snack for the trip, I once again attempted to fall asleep or just rest my eyes on something. It wasn't long before a poke knocked me out of my stupor.

As I turned slowly at the person who did this, I made sure to clearly express my face of frustration. This skill is one of my one hundred and eight special skills that was made to ward off unwanted attention from annoying acquaintances.

It was recently modified to ward off against attacks from Iroha. Can't say it was working well since she just shrugged it off but Iroha was on a whole other level compared to my current target.

Said target was holding another piece of the chocolate bar that I slightly enjoyed. Just slightly.

"Want another one, Hachi?" She still had that same grin on her face despite being exposed to my 'Can't-Deal-With-You-I'm-Tired" face. Our silent and one-sided battle went on for about five seconds before I conceded. Seriously, my Great Wall of Hachiman is getting weaker.

I accepted the second piece of chocolate without any words and began eating it once more.

One thing I noticed about our third year is that Yuigahama got bolder. Like a lot bolder.

She doesn't mind getting up close and personal with Yukinoshita and I often caught them at least five centimeters apart when in the clubroom. She never get flustered anymore and often intrude on my and Yukinoshita's personal space (Mostly Yukinoshita's). One might say that Yuigahama is turning into the second Iroha.

I shuddered at the thought. If Yuigahama is the second coming of Iroha then we might as well pray for salvation as our new god passes judgement upon us mortals.

Yukinoshita…is still Yukinoshita. Somewhat. No, that wasn't right. One might say that she became Yukinoshita-er. She had no major changes in attitude but she somehow changed.

Great, now I'm just using tautology.

As for myself…well, I can't say much since I would say that I didn't change all that much but other people would disagree, especially Komachi who is sure to point that out every time we have a short scuffle.

I didn't bother to take notes of other people in the class, especially Hayama and his group. After all, why would I remember something I wouldn't associate myself with after high school?

Wait, if I'm following that logic then doesn't that mean that I have no use taking notes of Yukinoshita and Yuigahama's personalities as our grades, goals and choices of university are worlds apart?

I sighed quietly as I began to clear my head of any unnecessary thoughts. Our minds are like laptops. Not those state-of-the-art ones but the crappy, old ones. It is slow and sluggish, can literally break under extreme pressure and stress and worst of all, if you put too much unnecessary information in it, it will most likely crash.

Oh human minds. If only we can replace the old ones with new ones in a similar fashion to replacing hardware.

And just like laptops. It needs to be shut down once under extreme pressure.

It isn't a stretch to say that despite being a preferred seat in a bus, the back seat is definitely not comfortable. Mostly due to the fact that if there is a bump, you'll feel its full effect multiplied.

But then again, what's a trip to the hot spring without some bumps?

Over the course of the trip, I was jolted from my seat at least five times or more. It was really hard to ignore those bumps and not to mention, the incessant noise coming from Tobe and Yuigahama.

I opened my eyes slowly before taking a peek out of the seat's window in front of me. It was small but definitely enough to allow me to see the terrain. Green, green…oh and an occasional utility pole.

My current dilemma was that I couldn't go back to sleep if I tried due to Tobe's excitement nor could I distract myself with anything since Komachi probably didn't pack any books and I wanted to conserve my phone's battery.

Another bump interrupted my train of thoughts as I was almost jolted out of my seat once more. Before I could return to assessing my current situation, a weight landed on my shoulder.

I looked over slowly and was met with a surprising amount of black hair. Leaning forward a little, I caught a tuff of pink hair over said black hair.

Now…should I consider myself lucky or unlucky?

I was sure that the situation I was currently in right now must have been lifted from a B-rated harem anime. The timing for the situation, how it played out, who was involved in it… it is as if some sort of divine being is watching me and my every moves. If you're watching this scene, divine being, you're not doing me any favors.

Well, at least I don't have a mysterious voice inside my head telling me to 'CHOOSE' every minute of the day. [3]

Alright, time to get to action. It was obvious that I could just push both of them away but with the bus's current speed and the chance that there might be another bump up ahead, I might as well push them all the way off their seat.

I could ask Komachi for help but the most likely outcome would be her giving me a thumb-up, replying with 'I'm proud of you, Onii-chan' and sink back into her seat. What about that bug next to her?

…It will be a cold day in hell before I ask for his help.

Reluctantly weighing my choices (Or lack thereof), I decided to ask Komachi for help.

"Komachi."

"What is it?" She replied groggily, not even bothering to lift herself from the seat.

"Give me something soft like a cushion or something."

"What for?" Once again, she didn't even bother to face me.

"Just do it." I heard a deep sigh before the sound of rustling fabrics filled my ears once more. It wasn't long before Komachi lifted her head up from her seat to give me a cushion.

I extended my hand out to grab out, which was difficult since Yukinoshita was leaning on my shoulder but Komachi held it just a bit out of my reach. She had that look on her face that I know all too well. It was a look that signified that I was firmly in her grasp, that she is a god and I am but a peasant, depending on the mercy of said god. Her face was somewhat reminiscent of a certain Yukinoshita sister yet still held a tinge of adorableness.

It was disturbing.

"Hooh, Onii-chan's finally making a move?" Komachi placed her free hand right in front of her mouth in a pitiful attempt to suppress a grin.

I made no attempt to retort seeing as this was an obvious bait. When she let her guard down for a slight moment, I swiftly snatched the cushion from her grasp, feeling a tad proud of myself in the process.

"Jeez, Onii-chan. You're no fun." Komachi narrowed her eyes and pouted angrily, "Anyway, good luck!"

She went back to her seat, leaving me to contemplate what she meant by 'Good luck!' Was it a 'Good luck' so that I can get Yukinoshita off my shoulder thus also getting Yuigahama off without bothering any of them? Wait, I didn't even tell her why I need the cushion.

Whatever.

My plan was to push them off just slightly so that I can put the cushion between my shoulder and Yukinoshita's face. I mean, even that's better than having her bearing down on my bare shoulder. As I began puffing up the cushion for maximum softness (Even though it's redundant), I failed to notice that the weight that I was trying to get rid off was gone.

As I turned my body to complete what I set out to do, I was met with the pleasant surprise of nothingness. My eyes lingered on my empty shoulder for a while before a yawn caught my attention.

Turning to the source, I spotted Yukinoshita slowly covering her mouth as she yawned. She could almost pass off as Komachi if she got cut her hair short, stop glaring, stop being cold and loosen up. Basically… everything but her yawn is like Komachi's.

I continued to stare at Yukinoshita, who still didn't know that she was sitting near an actual person. She soon rubbed her neck in obvious pain and I felt guilty just looking at her. After all; I had a soft, fluffy cushion in my hands and I was letting a girl deal with her pain all by her lonesome self.

I sighed deeply.

"Here." I handed the cushion to Yukinoshita who began rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She looked at the cushion for a while before looking back at me.

Once again, I sighed.

"Just take it." I was too tired to deal with her right now, "Your neck's sore, isn't it?"

As much as I want to change the current social paradigm, there was something about girls when they are unaware of their surrounding that make them seem so helpless. Even though it's unfair that they already got special treatment from society, Mother Nature also decides to further increase their prowess.

That's truly unfair.

Taking the cushion, albeit reluctantly, Yukinoshita continued to stare at me; still holding the cushion without actually doing anything to it.

"…You seem unusually nice today, Hachi-kun."

It wasn't like I want to. Nature just made it that way.

"And what's wrong with that?" I leaned back against my seat lazily.

Yukinoshita finally got to work, pushing Yuigahama slightly off her shoulder and on to her laps while the latter simply breathed in and out, unaware of her situation.

Oi, stop making it warmer than it already is.

She finally placed the cushion at the back of her head and relaxed her body against the seat.

"I didn't say there's anything wrong. Though…" She stared at me with her neck slightly bent, strangely resembling a certain Gahara. [4] "If you're this nice that means there is something wrong after all."

"Can't I do something without an ulterior motive?"

"You doing anything without an ulterior motive is just as rare as Yui-san having a perfect score in liberal arts." I winced at her comment.

"You do realize that she is right next to you." I glanced briefly at the sleeping Yuigahama, "Sleeping on your lap, no less."

"It's okay. Despite her lack of natural understanding of liberal arts, she is a hard worker. She picked things up quite fast when she puts her mind to it." Yukinoshita closed her eyes.

"You're a tutor now?"

"It is rather tiring to teach her." Well, of course. It seems that Yukinoshita truly believe that Yuigahama can actually learn liberal arts to the point of qualifying for her choice of university. At least I had some faith in Yuigahama, coupled with some doubts as well.

After all, too much faith is never good.

"Why don't you come by sometimes, Hachi-kun?" Yukinoshita stated rather teasingly, "Yui-san said that it's rather boring with just the two of us."

God of romantic comedy. I salute you.

Not only did you put me into an awkward situation earlier, you also decided to put me into another one right now. I only did one good deed today, you know.

"I'm sure my literal arts grade is nothing short of amazing." Liberal arts was one of those subjects where I feel comfortable bragging about. Komachi says that it's the only subject that I can brag about…

She's wrong! Totally and utterly wrong! I'm just better at liberal arts!

"True. You somehow made it to the top two in our year."

I smirked briefly. As much as I like number three, number two is mostly not noticed by other people as much as number one. After all, who remembers the guy who landed on the Moon second? Unless that person is an astronomy geek, there's no way that they'll remember.

My apologies, number three. You shall be missed.

Silence once again pierced the air.

Yukinoshita had fallen asleep while I was inwardly justifying my like for number two. Which was really rude of her, might I add. She was supposed to be the epitome of manners, poise and grace but right now she was just like any other drowsy girl on a bus.

Minus Yuigahama sleeping on her laps, of course.

Seeing as my second good deed for the day was done, I soon drifted off into my own slumber as well…

Everything around me was gray. Black and white would also be acceptable but gray was the first word that popped into my mind.

My surrounding was a playground. But instead of lush, green grass; I was greeted with gray once more. Could the world get anymore duller than this?

I walked around aimlessly before coming across a group of children playing with each other. But despite all that bustling energy that each and every one of them has; there was no sound. Their laughter made no sound. The rustling grass made no sound. Their teacher berating them made no sound.

It was strangely soothing yet slightly disturbing at the same time.

I spotted a lone figure sitting on a swing set. No one was around him as he pushed the swing alone with little to no energy. On closer inspection, it was…me, except younger.

You can get through it, me!

Despite my rather early descent into solitude, I didn't feel any regret. Old me probably thought on how to end this social hell but then again, this hell was just heaven in disguise.

One blink was all it took for the scene to change. This time, it was a middle school. My eyes were immediately drawn to a figure who appeared to have some sort of glow around him. Despite that obvious glow, his surrounding was still gray and monotonous.

I watched him walked through the gates and the pathway of the school. Once again, no sounds were made even though the motions of student's mouths were present. Other students had at least one or two friends to accompany them but this boy.

It was obvious as for who he was.

Without even noticing it, the scene changed to that of a room. A very familiar room. But it was different from all the other scenes.

I could see colors. It was faint but it was still there nonetheless. I could also smell the slight scent of tea lingering in the room.

Sunlight filled the room as two figures locked gaze, not knowing that there was an observer amongst them. I had to admit. It was fun being an observer instead of a player in this crappy game we call life.

The door burst open, revealing the cheerful voice of a person that is so nice and cheerful that it was a crime.

She brought about more colors than ever before, brightening up the clubroom and to a certain extent, the gray characters that inhabited it.

"Hikigaya-kun." A voice called out to me. No, she called out to that other me. After all, I was just an observer.

"Hikki."

Another voice called out, presumably the second girl but I wasn't looking at them at all. I was just staring at the wall. Changing my view to their interaction, I was met with two faces.

One of cheerful disposition and the other of slightly cheerful yet dignified disposition.

"Hachi-kun." She called out for a second time, obviously addressing me. I involuntarily gulped as her face was close. Too close, in fact.

"Hachi." That other voice rang through my ears.

I turned a bit to my right and there she was in all her smiling glory. She was too close as well.

They were moving ever so closer as I moved backwards. It wasn't long before my back hit something which forced me to stop my motion but those two weren't stopping at all. They were still moving closer and closer.

I closed my eyes without a reason. But I could still feel them getting closer.

"Hachi…" What was with this turn of events? First, everything was gray and peaceful and now everything turned colorful yet oddly disturbing.

"Hachi!"

I opened my eyes begrudgingly and was greeted with the same sight of the two girls in my dream. Except this time, their faces were laced with worries and slight frustration.

"Hachi, we're already at the hot spring, you know?"

Hot spring…hot spring…Oh right, we were going to the hot spring.

It truly baffled me how simply worrying about my sister's wellbeing lead to this…mess. Well many factors contributed to this such as Hiratsuka-sensei's threat, the fact that I came all the way to the station and my sister's wellbeing.

So clearly, Komachi's safety was the reason for everything.

I wiped a stray strand of drool on my mouth, hoping nobody noticed since they were all leaving the bus. However, feeling like I was being watched, I glanced upward; meeting a pair of blue eyes looking at me with disgust.

We didn't say anything as we soon got off the bus. Being the caring older brother that I am, I carried Komachi's luggage which also included mine which was heavier than those training weights athletes use.

We soon got help from a few staffs which eased my aching muscles a lot.

Our room arrangement was pretty simple. Three rooms, with two of them belonging to the students and one belonging to Hiratsuka-sensei. Damn that woman.

But wait, since Tobe, Hayama, Taishi and I were in the same room that meant that I could have some alone time with Taishi. The bug who dare intrude on the innocent realm that is my sister's mindscape shall be given a stern talking to. That's right, just a stern talking…nothing more, nothing less…

By the time we finished unloading our luggage of the bus, which was fairly easy thanks to the staffs, the sun was starting to set. The plan was to freshen up before having dinner, courtesy of the hot spring.

I went in fairly late, seeing as how I needed to wait for Komachi to unpack due to my clothes and other essentials being in her luggage. Then without even waiting for her older brother, she rushed off to the bath without so much as a glance.

Sometimes I wonder why I put up with her.

Getting into the bath, I found myself alone again. They must've finished way before I got here. Aah, I could use the hot water for my aching body. I wonder if humans are naturally masochist since things that are supposed to hurt us, satisfy us instead. For instance, hot spring and spicy foods.

After finishing washing myself up, I walked to the hot spring to find out that it's actually an open-air hot spring. For the first time, I was glad that it wasn't winter. As hot as the water was, I was sure that the cold wrath of winter would conquer it anyway.

Those three guys were already dipping in the hot spring, chatting away without a care in the world. It was a good thing the other guests weren't in here. Honestly, Tobe must be responsible for the most amount of oxygen wasted daily. Someone should give him an award for that.

I got into the hot spring slowly to test its temperature.

I take it all back! I wish it was winter instead.

Just like my tongue, my body wasn't suited for this hot environment. I soon got used to it but it was still uncomfortable nonetheless.

To add even more frustration, I just had to be sitting next to Taishi. Any simple brother would straight up murder the kid on the spot but I am not most brothers. I won't murder him or hurt him…yet. So to calm my brotherly instincts, I decided to move away from the group as they were gathering at one spot.

The sound of splashing water caught my attention as it originated from the other side of the bamboo wall. I wondered how those three didn't notice the splashing of water on the other side.

I closed my eyes as I let out a sigh of content. Once you get used to the warmness emanating from the hot spring, it can really be a soothing remedy for an aching body. It also doubled as a block for Tobe's incessant mouth.

"Yui, why are you hiding under water?"

Crap, the wall was too thin.

"Umm…it won't stay down…" The voice of Yui faintly replied.

"Is that so…" Miura was probably the source, seeing as out of the four girls; she's probably the most straightforward out of the bunch. Not counting Hiratsuka-sensei.

Soon, I heard even more splashes of water. "Hmm, how did you get them so round and full?"

Hold on. Did I hear that right? Round and full…round and full… And we're talking about Yuigahama here. 'Round and full' mixed with Yuigahama equals…

Stop it, brain!

I slapped myself swiftly to knock myself out of my self-induced trance.

"H-Hey, Hikitani-kun. You're alright?" Tobe waded through the water to come closer to me, "You seem kinda red, y'know."

Of course, I'm not alright and who's the hell Hikitani?!

"Y-Yeah, j-just not used to the hot water that's all…" I replied weakly. I guessed the heat really got to me after all. Yeah, it was just the heat…not what ever was going on the other side.

"Ya sure? Maybe you should, like, dip into the water." He let out a big laugh, "It'll totally help you get warmed right up!"

I laughed meekly at his blatant attempt at humor. Hayama and Taishi were also looking at me, a mild hint of concern in their eyes. Tch, the day Yuigahama aces the mid-term exams is the day I'll accept your concern, you bug.

Tobe soon swam back to meet the two other stooges. Well, at least I could accept Tobe's concern. He was like the male Yuigahama except he's louder, more obnoxious and less full and round…

I slapped myself once more but this time, those three were too busy to notice my actions. Good.

"Maybe you should just get it wet?" The voice of Miura suggested.

"I guess so. Can you help me? I want to get it wet as soon as possible."

My eyes twitched involuntarily. Were they doing this on purpose? Knowing that someone was behind this thin wall? They must be! It's all just a ploy, I tell you!

There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of water hitting flesh reverberated through my ears. Gasps of shock and embarrassment were sounded as I felt my face getting hotter and hotter. Was the water always this hot?

"A-Ah, Miura. That's too much, y'know!" You tell me. If you were in my shoes right now, you would scurry back to those three stooges on the other side. No, be strong, Hachiman. The Great Wall shall not be broken down today!

"What's wrong with too much? It's better than, like, too little; y'know." Heh, at least I can agree with you on that one. I mean stop talking damn it.

"I'm getting too hot!"

This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.

The heat wasn't going down, my vision was starting to get blurry and my breath was erratic. This wasn't my idea of a relaxing time at the hot spring. It was completely and utterly the opposite.

Think of Totsuka. Think of Totsuka. Think of Totsuka. But instead of my white haired angel appearing, he was replaced by that pink hair bimbo. Why did he have to change class?! And why was Hayama's clique able to stay together?! Someone must be pulling strings from somewhere above.

Due to my rather flustered state, I began to get more sensitive to the sound and heat of my surrounding. Which was really bad, considering that I could hear the sound of water splashing against skin even clearer than usual.

"Hikigaya-kun, are you alright?"

Through my blurry vision, I made out a tuff of blond hair. Hayama…probably. I tried to respond but my voice got caught up in my throat and instead of replying, I was gasping for air.

"Maybe you should get out, y'know." The voice that I recognized as Tobe advised me. I heeded his advice as I struggled to get out of the hot water. Taishi or a figure that closely resembled Taishi tried to help me out but I refused him. After all, if I had accepted his help then I might actually show him mercy.

Once I made my treacherous journey through the bathing area while simultaneously trying to not fall down, the heat on my face began to dissipate…somewhat. I quickly changed into my clothes so that I could cool myself down as soon as possible.

Maybe I could have dinner first. Wait, Hiratsuka-sensei said that we'll have dinner together. Damn that woman. Well, I could just change into the kimono that the hot spring provided and lay around in my room.

The heat wasn't completely gone but it was enough to assure me that I won't fall down. I grabbed my stuffs in one swift motion before heading out into the hallway.

Now which way was to my room again?

This is what I hate about huge hotel or hot spring. Every hallway looks so similar to one another; you might as well be in a glass maze.

Reluctantly, I decided to turn right because…gut instincts. Probably. After all, if my room wasn't in that direction, I could just backtrack here again.

But just as I turned, something bumped into me. Or rather, someone.

Good grief, can't I get through today without any bumps?

"Hachi-kun…"

My eyes struggled to make out the blob in front of me but judging by her words, it was most likely Yukinoshita.

"Yukinoshita? You're out so soon?"

"Unfortunately, I do not do so well with heat."

I rubbed my eyes as she explained. "Is that so…"

"Speaking of which, why are you out so soon?"

The heat from before returned as my brain was bombarded with memories of what I heard in the hot spring.

"A-Ah, well… I also don't do well with heat…" I briefly glanced at Yukinoshita, who looked at me with disinterest, "Also, what was going on at your side anyway?"

"Oh my," She faked a look of disgust, "Even while relaxing in the hot spring, you still succumbed to your nature, Hachi-pervert-kun."

I grumbled incoherently which looked like the reaction she was hoping to get since she soon dropped her act.

"Well, it's not my fault that the wall was too thin and you guys were too loud."

"Is that so…Anyway, to answer your inquiry; Yui-san just forgot to untie her bun before getting into the bath so she required some help getting it off."

…Bun…

My ears perked up as various thoughts filled my mind, most of which were completely unsafe for further description. Naturally, with curiosity (And some…other thoughts) embedded into my mind, I inquired even further.

"What do you mean by b-bun?" Crap, get a hold of yourself, Hachiman!

"Isn't it obvious?" She looked at me dubiously before pointing to her head, "I'm talking about her hair bun. Maybe the heat made you less sensible than you already are."

She was talking about that kind of bun. I could already feel my shoulder dropping in relief…or was it disappointment? Anyway, it was reassuring enough that I let out a deep sigh.

"Keep sighing like that and you'll pass Tobe-kun for the most amount of oxygen wasted in a day."

Oh look, we actually agreed on something.

I didn't reply but kept on walking past her. She followed me soon after though she was just probably going to her room as well. After all, our rooms were in the same hallway so if one of us find out the actual location, we would both benefit on it. But if we both got lost…

Let's just say that's why I was leading the way.

On the way to our rooms, I was able to snatch myself a MAX coffee from the vending machine and we both found Hiratsuka-sensei lounging around on a massage chair, oblivious to everything around her.

So instead of bothering her, we snuck past her rather hastily; confusing a few of the other guests.

We reached our rooms without any troubles and went to our separate path without as much as a word. It was for the best, I guess. I still need some time to cool down from that conversation I overheard in the hot spring.

It was just her hair bun. Her hair bun. Just her hair. Nothing but her hair.

I eventually convinced myself to let it go as I found out that the room has a charging station. So, being the opportunist that I am, I quickly refilled my dying phone.

The other three didn't arrive yet so I had the room all to myself. After changing into the kimono that the hot spring provided, I played with my phone for an uncertain amount of time before setting down my futon so I had something to rest on while playing.

Later, I watched some random channels on the television that came with the room before switching back to my phone again. This never ending cycle continue for a while until those three arrived and we got called on for dinner.

To say our dinner was uneventful…was definitely an understatement. Apart from the few jokes, the Tobe tried to crack, there was little to no sound except for the clanking of chopsticks and dishes. Which I greatly enjoyed because of that rather traumatizing experience in the-

Nope, repress the memory, Hachiman!

After we finished dinner, like all good camping/hot spring trip needs, all nine of us (Hiratsuka-sensei decided to visit 'Massage-chair-san' once more) gathered at the boys' room.

Honestly, it was a hassle but as always, my opinion was ignored. Screw my right to voice my opinion, I guess.

"Hey, Tobe. Could you, like, get us some drinks from that vending machine outside?" Miura asked-No, commanded Tobe.

As Tobe got up, he addressed Hayama, "Hayato-kun, mind helping me out? Y'know I can't possibly carry all those drinks by myself."

Before Hayama could replied, Yuigahama got up, "I-I can go help if you like."

"Nah, Yui. Can't possibly trouble a girl with carrying stuffs, y'know?" Yeah right. All those times Yuigahama was forced to buy drinks for you guys. Just be glad that it wasn't Totsuka that you subjected that torment on to or I'll definitely bust your head.

But Totsuka's not in our class anymore so he'll be safe from that torment. But on the other hand, I can't see him as much as in second year…

"Sure."

Hayama nodded with a smile plastered on his face as he followed Tobe outside.

Now then, we just have to wait for our drinks, right?

"Umm, Yukinoshita." Miura spoke up again. "It's totally awkward asking you this while you're relaxing but I need your help."

"With what, exactly?"

Yuigahama punched her open palm in realization, "That's right. Yukinon left the hot spring waaay too early so she didn't hear you."

Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow in curious suspicion as Miura seemed to be fidgeting nervously.

"Well, ya see. I kinda…want to…" She glanced at each of us briefly, "…confess to Hayato…"

"Is that so?"

Well, what a calm reaction you have there, Miss President.

"But why though?" Everyone turned their head to me. Well, it was expected seeing as I'm the last person they'll expect to help Miura. Then again, I did help her with that case of Hayama's career path.

"Hayama isn't a person who likes changes and neither do you."

"Yeah but…" Miura took a deep breath before slamming her hands down on the table, "It's already our third year so if I don't act now then I…"

Everyone stared at her but no one said a word. The tension was off the charts.

"…I…just don't want to regret anything…"

So sending Tobe out was just a distraction. Heh, I guess these guys have brains after all.

"So basically, you want us to help you set the mood?" Yukinoshita asked after giving Miura's request some thought.

"Well, if you put it like that…then kinda…"

"Hmm, maybe we should, like, think about the place! You can't just confess in a room, y'know!" Yuigahama chipped in as usual. Since when was everyone so supportive anyway?

"Umm," Taishi raised his hand, "The sky in this area just so happened to not be polluted by lights so it can serve as an amazing stargazing field."

"Oooooh, nice idea, Taishi-kun!" Komachi cutely gave a thumb up to Taishi before turning back to our discussion to which the latter responded with an awkward rub to his neck and a hopeful stare to Komachi.

Don't you get any idea, punk.

Our rather one-sided discussion continued on as they threw around a couple of ideas, most of which was rejected outright by either Miura or Yukinoshita. Eventually, it was decided that when Tobe brings Hayama back, we would act naturally while Miura makes an excuse about a forgotten item outside thus bring Hayama along because she is scared of the dark.

Now that I thought about it clearly, it really sounded stupid. Well, whatever. I have nothing to lose anyway.

"Yo! We're back!" Tobe made his presence known to everyone in the room he carried a bunch of drinks with Hayama following behind him soon after.

After getting everyone their share of drinks, we made eye contact signifying the start of our operation.

"Hayato," Miura called out to her friend softly, "I think I forgot something outside the building. Can you come with me?"

Woah, that was straight to the point.

"Sure, I guess." Hayama replied, albeit reluctantly. Of course that would be the suitable reaction if you got asked to go outside the moment you step into a room.

With our operation said and done, we had nothing to do except lazing around. Even Tobe wasn't talking. I guess tension is another way to shut him up.

Soon after, Komachi stood up. "I'm going to check outside for a bit. I think I saw a ping pong table out there."

As she got to the door, she turned back to us.

"Come on, Taishi! I can't play by myself, you know!"

"R-Right!"

He got up shakily before heading to the door, grinning stupidly as he did so. Well, at least I know that Komachi can take care of herself if that bug tries anything.

So once again, tension and silence filled the air.

"Why don't we have some sweet sake? I got some from sensei." As expected of Tobe. You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you? Well, I guess this time it was okay.

"You sure we can have some?" Ebina asked nervously.

Tobe appeared surprise at her voice before breaking down into a full blown grin.

"It's okay. Totally okay. Sensei wouldn't actually give us any alcohol, yeah?"

Knowing Hiratsuka-sensei, she might have actually done that.

So from the plastic bags full of foodstuff that Yuigahama brought, we got a few plastic cups which were enough for all of us with a few to spare. I had my doubts about the sweet sake so as Tobe pour it down my cup, I stared at it as if determining its composition.

Hmm, maybe I could get another MAX coffee. With a tangible plan in mind, I stood up and headed straight towards the door.

"Hachi, where're you going?"

"Just going to get something I forgot."

Along the way to the machine, I spotted Taishi and Komachi busily playing their pretty even game of table tennis. At least, nothing strange was happening. Except for Hiratsuka-sensei on the massage chair but then again, Hiratsuka-sensei wouldn't be classified as normal either.

I returned to the room rather joyful. After all, a nice relaxing evening with a warm MAX coffee in hand. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to spend my evening.

Of course, not everything will be perfect.

"Hachiman." A voice growled slowly. I could barely turn my head as something or someone got a hold of my kimono, dragging me along with them in the process.

"Ya know, I n-need to know somethin," That same voice attempted to talk through its various hiccups, "Why the hell aren't you looking at me?"

"Yuigaha-?!" I didn't get to finish my question despite already recognizing the voice and face of my attacker.

"And that too! Why the hell aren't you calling me Yui? Is it so hard?!" She got up close to my face and I could smell…alcohol? What the…

Somehow, I managed to break her hold as I scurried to the table on which the supposedly 'Sweet Sake' lied upon. I only touched a bit of the bottle before Yuigahama pulled me back. In defense, I looked for someone that can actually protect me. Namely Tobe, Ebina or even Yukinoshita!

…But as faith would have it, my dear defenders were reduced to mere bystanders.

Ebina was collapsed on the floor, her face flushed and mumbling something.

Tobe was huddling up in a corner, also mumbling something though despite being drunk, he looked quite depressed. Yeah, he was definitely drunk. There's no way that Tobe would stop talking on his own.

I didn't get a good look at Yukinoshita since Yuigahama forced me to look at her only.

"Seriously, why are you still lookin at them? I got everythin a guy wants. Cute hair, cute face and I even got a bigger rack than Miura, dammit!"

My current situation was what you describe as…inexplicably horrible. Horrendous even. Was Yuigahama some sort of karate master that her talents can only unleashed in a fit of drunken rage? I thought you need to be fluid and unassuming while using it, not wrecking everything in sight! [5]

"Umm, Yuiga-!"

"And I told you. Just call me Yui, dammit! Is it so hard? Say it with me, YU-I. YU-I."

Maybe I could run for the door. Maybe I could use my small understanding of martial arts that I got from television shows to power my way through... Yeah right, as if that could work. Why weren't the hotel staffs hearing this? They installed thin hot spring wall but just so happened to installed thick bedroom walls.

Just my luck.

"Excuse me, Yuigahama-san." Tobe spoke up courteously, which was even stranger than the deranged Yuigahama, "You shouldn't shout like that unless you want your throat to dry up in which case-."

"Huh?! The hell's your problem?!" Yuigahama released her hold on me before grabbing on to Tobe. That might be the only time I'll owe him…but he won't remember it anyway…probably.

Your sacrifice shall not be in vain.

I made sure to salute him mentally before checking with the last person I expect to get drunk. The president of the Service club, Yukinoshita Yukino.

But as I said, someone above must enjoy messing with me.

"Eh, Hachi-kun?"

"Thank goodness. Yukinosh-!"

Instead of the usual snarky remark, Yukinoshita leaped for me, practically pouncing on me in the process. The smell of alcohol filled my nostril once more but it was not as strong as Yuigahama's breath.

"Ya know, I always wanted a cat~," She made a grin which I could only describe as…Komachi-esque but she soon turned it into a childish pout, "But that landlord wouldn't allow me! Totally unfair!"

"Yukinoshita, you're not being rational here." I tried to at least reason with her.

"So I thought that you could become my pet~" Oh great, she couldn't even hear what I was saying. "So come on, let's train and stuff, 'kay?"

"T-Train…?"

"Yeah, come on~ Say Yukino." She grinned once more. It's so Komachi-like that it must be a crime to be this…cute…

"Look, Yukinoshi-."

"That won't do at aaaalll~ Yu-Ki-No~. Say it with me Yu-Ki-No."

I won't attempt to fight back , seeing as the results with Yuigahama proved to be nothing but troubles.

"Y-Yukino…"

"That's right, that's right~" Yukinoshita gave me another toothy grin, "Paw!"

I was sure that no one saw it but it was still an embarrassing experience as I reluctantly obeyed the drunken Yukinoshita.

"Now, jump into your master's arms!"

"…Excuse me?"

Instead of answering, Yukinoshita extended her arms before gesturing with both of them for me to come in.

I was sure that my eyes were twitching like crazy, "…I can't."

She crossed her arms and pouted for a while before speaking up once more.

"I guess it can't be help." Thank to who is pulling the strings up there, "That just means I'll come to you!"

I take it all back. To the person pulling the string up there, screw you!

Without any further warning, Yukinoshita leaped on to me and I could definitely feel her various…parts on me. I attempted to push her away but her hands were as tough as Yuigahama when she's unleashing her Mach Punch. [6]

The various memories and sensation from earlier in the evening returned, prompting my face to heat up again. Yukinoshita's…things aren't actually round and full but it was there…

I wanted to slap myself at the thoughts but with Yukinoshita holding both of my arms in place, it was rather difficult. Plus there was also contact between my body and her…parts.

The heat returned tenfold as I could feel myself hyperventilating again but Yukinoshita didn't care. She just kept on hugging me, snuggling between my neck and shoulder. It eventually came to the point where she got up to one of my ears before whispering.

"Y'know… I just want you to call me Yukino, 'kay?" She buried herself deeper into my neck. Despite falling asleep, Yukinoshita's grip didn't falter. In fact, it multiplied.

I looked over to my fallen 'comrade' on the other side.

Tobe was still getting harassed by the power-crazed Yuigahama while Ebina was still muttering some incoherent words though I swore I could hear '…HachixHaya…'

The door swung open as a rather pleased woman made her way inside, only to stop at the doorway. Behind her were Hayama, Miura; whose face clearly told me that she didn't follow the plan. Komachi and Taishi followed soon after.

That first woman was Hiratsuka-sensei, of course.

"Hey, is Tobe still around? I accidentally mixed the sweet sake with actual sake…" She trailed off at the last part, finally realizing our situation.

Yuigahama beating up a depressed Tobe, Ebina passed out and Yukinoshita cuddling me.

Those five appeared slack-jawed for a solid five seconds before Hiratsuka-sensei burst the bubble.

"Oh boy…I really messed, didn't I?"

After all the mess she put us through, she still had the tendency to downplay it with an awkward rub of her neck. Her gaze eventually landed on me which I returned with a sharp glare.

No, sensei. You didn't just mess up; you fucked up…

Soon, with my energy dissipating, hyperventilation and the heat from the still clinging Yukinoshita, I collapsed on my back with one thought one my mind.

Mental note. Never. Ever join a trip hosted by Hiratsuka-sensei ever again. Even if it's for Komachi's wellbeing.

[1]: Amaterasu, a Shinto Goddess, hid in a cave when Susano'o pissed her off which also hid the sun.

[2]: Reference to the Endless Eight arc in the Haruhi Suzumiya series.

[3]: Reference to Noucome.

[4]: The famous neck tilt of Senjougahara Hitagi, Monogatari series.

[5]: Reference to the Drunken Fist fighting style.

[6]: Pokemon attack.

End note: That was an unnecessarily long chapter and I do apologize for any mistakes/plot holes .etc. I had a few doubts about ending this story on the 6th chapter since it made my organizational tendency tingled but nonetheless, I had fun writing this chapter and the story as a whole. See you in some other stories.