This one-shot takes place the day before Hachiman's graduation.

Disclaimer: I do not own Oregairu, and as usual, this story is not mine. As for the original author, I tried to track down a proper name, but the closest I could get was the following (seemingly) random string of characters: LbeDggmp36

And, uh, cats say 'nyaa~' in Japan. Rather, humans imitating cats say 'nyaa'. Weird, huh?

For the sake of this fanfic, please imagine that white cats avoid using capital letters when they cry out.

Original title:

Hachiman: "Isshiki?"

Iroha: "…It's been a while."

(At the shoe racks after school)

"Hm? Isshiki? What are you doing in such a place?"

"… I was waiting."

"… For Hayama? That guy's still in the classroom."

"No, not for Hayama-senpai…"

"Then, the other two from the service department? They should still be talking in the clubroom. For the time being, anyway. If you go there now you should be able to catch them before they leave."

"No, that's not it."

"Wrong again, huh. Next up would be… Tobe?"

"Tobe? …Who?"

"Even as a joke, that reaction's going too far. Well, I don't know who you're waiting for, but you'd likely have a better chance of finding them by going straight to the classroom rather than waiting here."

"That'd usually be the case, wouldn't it? Anyway, wanting to go home as soon as possible on a day like this, it seems about right for senpai."

"Actually, I'm the normal one here. Taking their time chatting amongst themselves, it'd be easy to incorrectly assume that they didn't want to go back."

"Well, tomorrow's the graduation ceremony, after all. It's their last chance as high school students to talk to each other about memories of the past."

"Memories, huh…"

"Senpai, don't you have any good memories from your time here?"

"Well, of course. Meeting Totsuka. There couldn't possibly have been a better moment of my high school life."

"Uwaaaah…"

"Don't back away like that, it could seriously hurt my feelings, you know?

…

Anyway, I should be heading back now."

"That's right. Well then, shall we go?"

"… Hah?"

"What's wrong?"

"You… weren't you waiting here for someone?"

"Well, I was waiting. But then you arrived, didn't you, senpai?"

"You don't mean to say…"

"Yes, I was waiting for you, senpai."

"What is it, what's your objective this time? Is there more student council work to help out with?"

"I'm not the student council president anymore, you know?"

"Ah, that's right, isn't it…? Then, are you trying to extort something from me? I'm sorry, but it's useless, you'd be wasting your time. Right now I only have 500 yen in my wallet."

"Just what kind of person do you take me for…

I wanted to have a little conversation with you, senpai. That's all there is to it."

"If there's something you want to talk to me about, isn't it fine to do so here?"

"Nnn. Well, here would be alright too, but if possible I'd like to change the location."

"… I'm not going to the gallery."

"That's not what I had in mind, don't worry. Besides, nobody would want to try sell pictures to a high school student with only 500 yen."

"Well, I'll go get my bicycle, so wait for me around the school gate."

"I'll come with you. Otherwise you'd use it as a chance to run away."

"Do you really have that little faith in me…"

"Heeh. Did you perhaps believe that any of your previous actions had given me good reason to trust you? Senpai, you're a surprisingly positive thinker, aren't you?"

"…"

"Well, if you want to escape, that's fine, but please look forward to tomorrow's graduation ceremony, senpai."

That's right…

.

.

.

Yesterday, while talking to Komachi

Komachi: "Ehh, really? Iroha-san, you really hadn't heard?"

Iroha: "Un…"

Komachi: "To have not even spoken to Iroha-san about it, that useless brother of mine…"

Iroha: "It can't be helped. Recently, we haven't had a chance to meet."

Komachi: "Iroha-san…"

Iroha: "… After senpai graduates, we might never meet again…"

.

.

.

"Oi."

"… Senpai?"

"What are you doing, standing around all dazed like that. I have my bicycle now, let's go."

"Se, senpai, you're… you're late…"

"You, just why are you crying?"

"Huh…? Why, why am I…"

...

"Here, Isshiki. Drink this and calm down."

"Th-thank you very much…"

"Uh, well, sorry for being late. It's entirely my fault."

"No, that's not why I was crying..."

"Oh, is that so?"

"… probably."

"Quite the ambiguous statement. It's your own feelings, you know?"

"That's precisely why I don't fully understand them. My own feelings. Just why, do I…"

"… Just what is it?"

"…no, it's nothing.

…

… Senpai."

"…"

"Excuse me…?"

"Ahh, sorry, I wasn't listening properly. So, what was the story again? Something about Totsuka being an angel?"

"You've never been able to hold a proper conversation before, have you senpai? I haven't even said anything yet."

"Is that so…?"

"Really, this person… anyway, all the passing high school girls must be quite fascinating to watch, huhh."

"Just what are you saying? My eyes are reserved for Totsuka and Totsuka only. And as you can see, Totsuka is nowhere to be seen."

"Aahh, I get it, enough already. So, what were you really looking at, then?"

"I could hear the sound of a cat crying out, so was trying to figure where it was coming from."

"A cat?"

Nyaa!

"… Oh, there really is one, senpai. Just where might it be, huh?"

"Judging from the direction of its cry, I'd say somewhere around that tree over there."

"Why don't we have a look? Don't you think the sound it's making is a bit unusual?"

"Well, it's probably just having a fight over its territory, but I guess there's no harm in having a look."

(A while later)

…

NYA~! NYAA~!

"Where is it? I'm sure I could hear the noise coming from this area, but…"

"…Ah."

"Did you find it?"

"…Ahh, it's right there, Isshiki. See that black cat?"

NYAA!

"… Why is this cat, clinging to the tree like a cicada?"

"Who knows…"

NYAAAAA!

"It sounds awful. I wonder what the matter is?"

"Perhaps it's gotten its nails stuck in the wood and can't move?"

"Tha- that's terrible then, isn't it!?"

"O-oi! That's da-"

"Stay right there, cat, I'm coming over to help you now…"

N-NYAAAAA!

"Eh."

"… Since stray cats aren't used to people, they try to escape when approached, just like this one is doing right now, you know…"

"N-now what do we do? It's climbed further up the tree…"

"Sooner or later it'll come down by itself."

"That's…"

"Cats are like that."

"But, this one's so small, though?"

"It's fine. No matter what height a cat falls from, they can turn around and skilfully land on their feet."

"…Senpai, please help me out over here?"

"You, could you listen to what people are saying? Rather, if I climbed up there and then fell, then what?"

"In such a situation, wouldn't it be fine if you just turned around and made a skilful landing?"

"I'm not a cat, you know."

"… I understand. Thank you."

"How did it go?"

"It seems that for the case of stray cats that run away when people approach, they won't dispatch a rescue team."

"…Is that so, Isshiki. Did they leave any instructions for us?"

"The operator said that if we just back off and watch from a distant place, the cat should come down by itself, but…"

"What. It's settled, isn't it?"

"… such a small kitten, will it really be able to come down safely?"

"It's fine. I told you earlier, didn't I?"

"…"

"No need to get so teary-eyed. In the first place, it's not even your fault that the cat climbed up the tree, is it?"

"But…"

"It running away was unavoidable. Since it hasn't yet gotten used enough to humans to be able to distinguish between good and bad intent."

"… that's just too sad. Certainly, if it continues to run away from encounters with people, it will never get harmed by a person. But, at the same time, it wouldn't ever be able to experience human goodwill…"

"… That sophistry, such a thing can only be said if one has never been harassed by human malice."

"… Do you really think I've been living in such a blessed environment this whole time, senpai?"

"…"

"When interacting with people, it's impossible to not come into contact with unpleasant emotions. Even so, without fail, you can always seek refuge in the kindness of humans.

…

At the very least, I've experienced that. Being saved by a person. Well, it was a very warped form of kindness, though."

"Isshiki…"

(Isshiki turns away at this point)

"Well then, what shall we do now?"

"Eh?"

"Senpai, think about it too pleaseee."

"…"

"As expected, there's no other choice but to watch over it from afar, huh?"

"…For your situation, was watching from afar also the right decision?"

"…That's none of your business, senpai."

…

"…"

"It's not coming down, is it!?"

"It'll be coming down soon enough, just wait."

"I wonder if this is really all right…"

"One way or another, it'll manage."

"Irresponsible!"

"No, it really can't be helped, can it? This is the right way of doing things, after all."

"Keeping watch from a distance, you mean?"

"If you approach it, it'll run away, so just wait silently. That much is good enough, right?"

"But what if you wait and it still doesn't come, senpai…?"

"Wait, wait, and keep waiting. Eventually, it'll come here from over there."

"…I wonder. I've been waiting for more than a year, but until this day, the distance hasn't lessened at all…"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"…As expected, senpai would never understand, even given a lifetime."

nyaa~!

"Nn? Seems like another one has come along."

"Heeh? Where, senpai?"

"See it near the roots of that tree? A white cat."

…

nyaa!

…

"You're right… Do you think they're siblings?"

"That might be the case."

nyaa!

NYAAAAA!

"That white cat, seems to be calling out to the black one that climbed the tree…?"

"Seems so."

nya.

Nyaa.

"Senpai! Mo- it's moving!"

"I get it already, stop hitting me!"

Nya~

"Keep going, just a little further to go…"

"Don't worry, Isshiki. From that height, it'll still be fine if it falls."

"Please don't say such an ill-omened thing!"

NYAAAAAAA!

"- It really fell, senpai!"

"No, like I was saying, cats…"

"Go over there and check on it, please!"

"…Are you fine staying here?"

"It's fine already, hurry up and check, please!"

"I get it…"

…

"…Ah."

"H-how is it?"

"Safe."

"What a relief… is it fine if we go over there?"

"Well, that much distance should be fine."

Nyaa.

…nyaa.

"Unexpectedly, it didn't run away, huh. So twisted. I wonder who it reminds me of?"

"…Why are you looking at me?"

"…Um, senpai. Why do you think, that black cat came down?"

"I wonder why. Possibly it was just feeling hungry, or it just couldn't sense the presence of any more humans nearby. Or else…"

"What is it?"

"Maybe it just responded to that white cat's call."

"…"

"…What."

"I was just thinking that it was surprising for senpai to say such a thing."

"…Is that bad?"

"No, not particularly… I was also thinking the same, after all.

…

Senpai, isn't it about time we should be heading back?"

"You, didn't you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"I'll talk about it on the way back."

"I see. Then… shall we get going?"

"Yes, let's go."

…

"…So, just why, are you sitting on the back of my bicycle while I pedal? Isshiki."

"Isn't it because I'm tired…? Senpai."

"I don't know anymore…

So, what's the story you wanted to discuss?"

"I heard that senpai was going to be entering a rural-area university."

"…Did you hear that from Komachi?"

"That's right. If possible, I would have liked to have heard about this directly from senpai, though."

"I was busy making preparations for the move. Sorry."

"Supposing, that I hadn't heard about it from Komachi-chan, I might have never had a chance to ever meet you again, senpai…"

"No, surely that wouldn't be the case."

"Because it's senpai we're talking about, you wouldn't even show your face at the school cultural festival, and since you'll be moving out of Chiba, there wouldn't even have been a possibility of a chance meeting in the street…"

"… Look, there's still email, right."

"I, don't even know senpai's contact details, and even if I did, there's no guarantee that I'd receive any sort of reply to my messages…"

"Komachi… yes, you're on good terms with Komachi, so, you'd know if I were to return home at any point, right?"

"Previously, when Komachi-chan let me into her house, wasn't it the case that a certain family member in the know had pre-emptively run away?"

"…"

"In the end, whenever senpai is approached by people, escaping like a cat eventually ends up being the likely course of action."

"… Perhaps so."

"That's why, I would wait. I'll be waiting, for some day when senpai might eventually return."

"…There's no telling how long you'd have to wait, you know."

"It's fine. Even if it's 10 years, even if it's 20 years. Just, at that time, please don't try to avoid hearing me out, okay?"

"…If I remember.

Look…"

"…Could you drop me off at that convenience store on the other side of the pedestrian crossing over there?"

"You, listen when people are trying to talk…"

"Because, there's something I need to take care of at that convenience store."

"There are many other stores in front of the train station, you know."

"It only takes about five minutes to walk to the station from here, and besides, there's a police box in front of the station. I'd have to get down anyway."

"… Fine."

…

…

"Really… senpai's so slow we got stopped by the traffic light signal."

"My bad."

"Well, it's fine like this."

"… Isshiki."

"What is it?"

"…"

"Senpai…?"

"… Thank you."

…

"… idiot."

…

"… The signal's changed."

"It's fine already. Please drop me off in front of the station."

The next day, after the end of the graduation ceremony.

Iroha: "Okay. I've taken the picture!"

Yui: "Thank youu! … Hikki, this will be the last time, so please cooperate a bit…"

Yukino: "Yuigahama-san, I think that's being a bit unfair. It's unreasonable to try make that thing smile. Crying is its specialty, though."

Hachiman: "Stop treating me like a frog."

Yukino: "That was never my intention, Hikitoad-kun."

Hachiman: "You just do whatever you like, don't you?"

Yui: "Even to the end, the two of you never change…"

Iroha: "Well, actually, senpai is also really hopeless at crying, isn't he?"

Hachiman: "What are you talking about."

Iroha: "Hmm. I wonder."

Yui: "You should be in the next one with us, Iroha-chan!"

Iroha: "No, I'm the photographer, so…"

Hachiman: "Then, I'll switch with you."

Yui: "…"

Yukino: "…"

Hachiman: "What now, why those eyes of despise?"

Yui: "Then, how about a two-shot of you with Hikki, that should be fine? I'll take the picture!"

Iroha: "But…"

Yui: "It's fine, it's fine!"

Iroha: "Are you sure it's really okay?"

Yui: "Like I said, it's fine."

Iroha: "… Please do not get angry later."

Yui: "Uh, okay…?"

Iroha: "Is it alright if you take the picture with my cell phone?"

Yui: "Yep. No problem!"

Iroha: "Then, please do."

…

Yui: "Then, I'm taking it!"

Hachiman: "Ou…"

Yukino: "Yuigahama-san, isn't it on video mode right now?"

Yui: "H-huh?"

Iroha: "Hey, senpai."

Hachiman: "What is it?"

Iroha: "If you remember, you'll come and see me, right?"

Hachiman: "Aah, that's if I remember."

Iroha: "Then, it's a promise."

Yui: "Sorry for the wait. It's all sorted out now. Ok, let's do it!"

Iroha: "…"

Hachiman: "What?"

Yui: "Okay, cheeese!"

Iroha: "…" *chu*

Hachiman: "Wha…!"

Hachiman: "What, what did you just?"

Iroha: "With this, you can't forget, can you? There's still a picture of it, too."

Hachiman: "You…!"

Iroha: "I will, be waiting for you, senpai, so…"

Iroha: "Please keep your promise, okay?"

[~END~]

Hello.

MTL-kun here.

Welcome to the first fanfic I've ever completed! (I mean, it's not mine, and it's really only one chapter, but still, what a sense of accomplishment!)

A bit of a note on how I eventually decided to format this one (for the time being, anyway):

Some of the writing styles in Japanese-written fanfics are a bit awkward for me to TL. This one was originally 100% in the style of

Setting: A certain place behind a certain building

Person A: "Bla bla" *onomatopoeia*

Person B: "Bla bla bla!?" *onomatopoeia intensifies*

I kind of gave up on adapting the format when there were people other than the two main characters talking, it just got unnecessarily complicated.

Though, the most awkward part is the onomatopoeia, since I'm not entirely sure how to fit that in in English. A sound for hitting someone is one thing, but who would have known the Japanese have a sound for "turning around"?

Even so, I wonder what the 'chu' sound implies? That one got me stumped, so I just left it as it was, as you can see.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one, please do leave a review if you have any comments. If some of the earlier comments don't make sense to you, it's because I initially posted this in an incomplete state.

Finally, blessed be this Iroha fanfic on this auspicious day.

Others should be on the way in due time.

Until then.