Author's note: Volume 14 has been out for a while now, and with it comes the development of (spoiler) Hachiman and Yukino becoming a couple. At the end of the final chapter of the main series, Yukino invites Hachiman over for dinner. What follows is my imagining of how that dinner might look like (one day after the end of Volume 14), in a way that tries to stay close to canon. Further note: We learn in Wataru's Yukino anthology story that Hachiman and Yukino's father don't meet at their first dinner. However, I wanted to explore how the two of them might interact while also looking at how Hachiman's first dinner with the Yukinoshitas would be like, so I took some artistic license with the timeline. I also imagine here that Yukino still has her apartment (which she may only get back a couple of months after this story is set, according to the aforementioned anthology story), which I felt would enable a more satisfying prelude to the dinner.

Credits to Spyro's translation of the volume for the opening line. Enjoy!

Thanks for all of your reviews! Detailed notes are at the bottom of the chapter.

"While you're at it, would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow? My mother insisted…I must say, she seems rather fond of you."

2 AM. I laid on the couch, my eyes wide open. The streetlamp on the street outside shone through the drapes with a not inconsiderable brightness.

Even though I was getting used to the new state of my life, I still felt a lingering sense of disorientation.

How am I going to talk to them? Do I have to dress up like I'm some first-rate suitor with the title to a Tateyama beach house? [1] To be sure, Yukinoshita's mother had seen the positive outcome of the mock prom, and she probably had some newfound respect for me (if only a modicum of it). If a conflict came up, I probably could resolve it, but I then I might have to put Yukinoshita in an awkward situation. Come to think of it, she's been living an awkward life around me for so long that maybe it wouldn't be anything new for her.

Even though I hadn't found a proper way to respond to it, I couldn't stop thinking about Yukinoshita's confession. Her decisive words at the prom lingered in my mind. What was I to do? What I did know in that moment was that I had an urge to give my efforts and support to Yukinoshita in a way that I wasn't ready to do before.

2:14 AM. It was too late, both literally and figuratively. Figuratively, because I had eventually given in to Yukinoshita's offer to come over for dinner the day before. In some way, I suppose that I had never stopped taking requests…

The cushions of the couch pressed against my back, rendering it a little bit sore after my extended rumination session. I slowly lifted myself up and walked over to my bedroom in the half-light, wondering if I would fall asleep sooner rather than later. Outside, the clouds lazed by towards their inevitable destiny, inching across a sky turned grey-orange by the lights of the vast city outside.

3:14 PM. The new homeroom teacher was giving mundane announcements about the structure of our courses for the year to come, and expectations for us senior students. Under different circumstances, I might have been responsible and thinking about my own future at that moment. Certainly, if Hiratsuka-sensei had been there, I would have been on my toes. In just a few months, we would start our college applications and set into motion a set of fateful decisions. At that moment, however, the afternoon was the only future I could see, and Yukinoshita Yukino was the host of my thoughts.

3:15 PM. The murmurs of idle chitchat in the class finally rose to a din of lively discussion as the school day ended. I didn't know quite was I was doing as I got up to leave the classroom. I couldn't be late…

"Um…Hikki…"

I reflexively looked behind me to see Yuigahama calling out to me with a somewhat trembling voice. Come to think of it, she'd been handling this whole situation remarkably well.

"Oh, hey." I responded in my usual manner. Lately, I'd long been aware of my unsatisfactory responses, but change in this domain was slow and taxing. One step at a time.

"…are…you going to meet Yukinon?" She slightly averted her gaze, but I could see that her eyes were quavering.

Darn. I had no escape route now.

"Well…um…"

All I have to do is give a generic response. Why is this so hard? She's known for a long time anyways.

"Yeah…"

"Okay…"

At that moment I thought that Yuigahama was going to tear up. On top of all of the nerve-wracking thoughts that had been going through my head, this was the last thing I needed. In that moment, I should probably have comforted my friend. But what comfort could you provide someone whose unhappiness you have caused by virtue of your own, rightful feelings? Seeing no clear alternate course of action, I prepared to give a small wave before walking through the door.

But she didn't cry. Instead, she produced a faint smile and focused her eyes on me, if only briefly.

"…Have fun…"

"Oh, thanks."

With that, I walked through the door, briefly raising my hand. I felt a bit bad about leaving Yuigahama like that, but I told myself that she would be ok. She must've gone through a lot to get to this point. I knew that Yuigahama had considerable strength in her but even so, I was impressed with how she was handling the situation…

I checked my phone to see the time. 3:18 PM. Darn, now I was going to be late…

I picked up my pace ever so slightly, my heart beating with a combination of stress and a little anticipation. These days, I thought so much about Yukinoshita. It was as though she was constantly sitting there, poking at my heart and mind, always ready with a quip about my appearance or action.

Yukinoshita was standing at the front gates of the school. The weather had been warming up with the coming of spring, and the time for coats had passed. She looked expectantly towards me the whole time that I was walking towards her. Soon, I could make out a teasing smile.

"Hikigaya-kun, here I was wondering if perhaps you had developed a phobia of my family." She gently bumped my collar. I caught a whiff of a fragrant scent.

"That would explain why I feel the need to run away whenever Haruno-san is near."

She let out a light giggle. "Are you ready?"

"Never been more pumped," I replied with a smirk.

Without warning, she lightly grabbed my left hand. Even though I should've expected that she would return the favour for my attempts to be gentleman-like, I was caught by surprise. This whole situation was starting to feel quite real, while still remaining unreal enough that it was dream-like.

Our first stop was Yukinoshita's apartment, so that she could change out of her school uniform. I'd been around here before, and yet my eyes were darting to and fro along the street. I half-expected a black car to swoop in, with the devilish eyes of Haruno-san peeking through a tinted window. What is she going to pull this time? I tried to push that thought aside for now and turned my attention to the glass doors of the building. Yukinoshita waved her key fob in front of a reader next to the door, and I heard a satisfying click indicating that the doors had unlocked. As she pulled open the door, she turned to me with a slight smile.

"If someone's looking for real estate in this building, they should buy now because prices have never been lower…"

"Hm?"

"The moment you stepped in the door, the value of every property here plummeted…must be your dead fish eyes…"

I couldn't help but smile back. In some way, Yukinoshita had returned to her old self, which made the whole situation less awkward. And yet, the slight blush in her face, her difficulty in delivering her typical comments totally deadpan, reminded me that we had entered a new stage of our relationship.

We walked over to the nearest open elevator. After Yukinoshita scanned her key once again, we were on our way up. I glanced over at her. When our gazes met, she tried her best to keep her eyes on me, but soon her face was consumed with an impish smile and, with a sigh, she looked away. How is this girl so cute?

Before long, the elevator doors opened and we arrived at Yukinoshita's spacious apartment. I wondered to myself how many times I'd see this place over the months to come. The future seemed fuller of opportunity than ever.

"Hikigaya-kun…are you all good with that attire?"

I looked down at my somewhat crumpled white shirt and unbuttoned blazer. Darn, I should've packed a change of clothes. I sheepishly buttoned up my blazer and tried to coarsely brush my hair back with my hands. Yukinoshita smiled shyly. Then she disappeared behind me and, suddenly, I felt something hovering over my head, ever so lightly touching my hair.

"…is it ok if I…"

I could only nod. Yuigahama had done something like this before, but this felt different. I felt my cheeks getting warm as I felt Yukinoshita's delicate fingers lightly run through my hair, straightening it into a form that Yukinoshita's mother might not immediately scoff at.

"Your hair doesn't feel as tangled as first glances would suggest. Remarkable. I was expecting it to be all stringy, but instead it's only a bit of a mess." Wow, perhaps she really was warming up to me, like water in a kettle a second after you've turned it on.

She continued patting my hair for a bit, then lowered her hand and tugged on my sleeve.

"Let's take a look."

Yukinoshita led me over to a large mirror in the hallway. Its black frame encapsulated two people who, surely at that moment, began to see themselves and each other in a new light. She gently clasped her hands around my left arm, which began to feel ticklish. A rich, floral perfume enveloped me.

"Not half bad, if I say so myself."

As she went to her room to get changed, I flopped on her couch and began to reflexively plan escape routes for myself and Yukinoshita in case her parents developed a poor opinion of me. More realistically, I was concerned about Haruno-san's possible antics.

These thoughts were soon interrupted by Yukinoshita's emergence from her bedroom. She wore a black dress going down to a bit above her knees, enveloped in a white cardigan. Her hair was tied to one side with a black bow and lay softly on her shoulder and chest, accentuating its length. Even in the hallway light, it was positively lustrous. The smile that spontaneously crossed my face at that moment communicated more than awkward words could ever express.

"The car will be here any minute. Shall we get going?"

The black Toyota Century rolled up to the curb, making scarcely a sound. The back door popped open to reveal Yukinoshita Haruno.

"Yahello! Such a shame that you're taken – don't worry, we'll always share something special." Haruno-san called out in mock disappointment.

I glanced up and down the street and readied myself to run off, Yukinoshita in tow.

Yukinoshita, seemingly anticipating my concerns, gently tugged on my jacket cuff and gave me a quick smile as if to reassure me that I wasn't about to be humiliated. Haruno-san sat in the far seat; Yukinoshita took the middle seat. At least I'm somewhat safe now, I thought to myself as I sank into the leftmost seat.

Yukinoshita's mother was in the front passenger seat, sitting next to the nondescript figure of the family's chauffeur. Shortly after I got into the car, she acknowledged me.

"Hikigaya-kun! It is good to meet you again. Yukino has told me…much about you in recent days."

Instead of responding to Yukinoshita's mother, my thoughts were grabbed by the fact that Yukinoshita and I were sitting very close to each other. Our calves briefly touched, inducing a ticklish feeling for both of us. For a moment, all I could hear was the deep whirring of the car's hybrid motor as it glided down the street. All I could feel was a rising warmth in my cheeks and a lingering tingling in my right leg. All I could see was Yukinoshita, eyeing me nervously and surely feeling much the same as I did in that moment. For once, Haruno-san remained quiet.

"My, Hikigaya-kun, how things have changed. You simply must tell me all about how things have been for you two." Haruno-san broke the silence with a teasing look. I knew the moment couldn't last long.

"Nee-san…" Yukinoshita responded on my behalf in a serious voice.

"Hm?" Her sister looked on with a mocking interest.

"I'm...not like I was before. I know myself better now. So, whatever witty comment you were going to make, you can save it for yourself." Yukinoshita declared with a strength that I had rarely seen her display in the presence of her sister. Then, she glanced at me as if to seek reassurance. I gently nodded.

"What can I say? Perhaps you listened to your onee-san for once." Haruno-san was not going to take a loss so easily. Even if Yukinoshita and I had made an effort to change and strengthen each other, perhaps there were some people who wouldn't change with us.

Yukinoshita's mother glanced at us in the rear-view mirror. Her face did not betray any emotional response to Haruno-san's comment. Could she have taken the side of her younger daughter for once? Or, perhaps, I was jumping too quickly to conclusions.

Normally, Haruno's face would be covered by a triumphant smile at this point. But this time, all she could do was force a small grin. Haruno-san's control of the situation rested precariously on her understanding of – and belief in – Yukinoshita's lack of agency. She always acted as though she knew every facet of Yukinoshita's personality, like she could anticipate her every thought.

This really was a family built on cunning and conflict. In her own way, though, Yukinoshita had looked beyond just her family dynamics with her recent decisions. She had taken a new form, one that existed beyond the constraints in which her family wrapped her. One thing I knew for sure: we wouldn't have been able to get here without a great amount of effort and struggle.

My thoughts were interrupted by a cool voice from the driver's seat.

"So, Hikigaya-kun – you really ought to tell me a little about yourself. I have already heard much about you from both Yukino and Haruno, but it would be prudent of me to hear from you as well." Why did this feel like an interview? Seriously… At that moment, Yukinoshita blushed and surreptitiously slid a bit closer to me across the seat. Haruno-san smirked.

Where to begin? Being run over by this very car approximately a year ago? My half-formed thoughts about my future plans? My journey in getting to know her daughters? How far could it be to their place, anyways?

"I'm…I'm someone who's been trying…to find the answer to my youth."

I can't believe I just said that. I wanted to run home, lie down on the couch, and scream. What will they take me for now, some sort of crackpot philosopher? On the list of worst answers to common interview questions, this had to be the worst. I could almost hear myself delivering the coda: "Hah! Explode, ria-" [2]

"I see. And have you found it yet?"

I was taken aback by her seemingly serious response to my question. For the moment, I found myself trapped on this path of surprising honesty.

"It's…hard to say. I know more than I used to about it, though." I said, smirking and glancing over at Yukinoshita. She smiled in return.

"I see…interesting." Yukinoshita's mother responded coolly but with a knowing tone. It was going to take some time to build my trust with her. I could only hope that the outcome of the last prom had left her with more than a fleeting positive impression of me. Working through Yukinoshita's shell had taken me more than a little time and torment. Who knew if I would ever be able to truly mend things with her mother, someone who believes in growth through conflict…

At that moment, the light grip of Yukinoshita's fingers on my hand brought a bit of warmth to this frozen situation. I tried to focus on what our future held in store. I realized at that point that I had no clear idea of my responsibilities in this relationship. Of course, there was companionship, emotional support, and the like. At least, I knew that we'd both make our best effort to be good partners for each other, even if we weren't quite sure of what that would entail. This was something that we would have to figure out ourselves.

We drove eastbound, further and further out of the city centre. High-rises soon gave way to rolling fields and suburban houses.

Yukinoshita's mother continued. "Hikigaya-kun, surely you've received some guidance along the way in this matter. I see that you and Shizuka had a close working relationship."

Well, firstly, it wasn't so much a working relationship as a doting teacher and her student, but I can't deny that she played a big part in where I am now. Secondly, why is she speaking about Hiratsuka-sensei in the past tense? It's not like she died or anything. The words of Yukinoshita's mother acutely reminded me of how much Yukinoshita and I have had to adapt to Sensei's departure in recent days.

Of course, Hiratsuka-sensei was only a part of the story. I finally mustered up a response.

"True, she played a close counselling role over the past year. As has your daughter." With these words, I squeezed Yukinoshita's hand so as to remove any ambiguity between us about which daughter I was talking about. She reciprocated the action. Haruno-san had been watching the two of us intently this whole time. She gave us a plastic pouty expression as if to express her discontent with my answer.

I peeked in the rear-view mirror and saw a thin smile spread across the face of Yukinoshita's mother. "Perhaps you two owe more to each other than you think." Her answer conveyed an unexpected level of confidence in our relationship. I wished that I could ask Yukinoshita what she thought her mother meant but, in that close-knit environment, that wasn't an option. I filed away the thought for later.

At last, we turned off the main road and drove through a large gatehouse. A sign read "One Hundred Hills" in English [3]. After turning through a small roundabout, we entered a neighbourhood that looked like it came out of an American TV show. I peered out the window, finding it hard to believe that we were still in Chiba. The chauffeur stepped gently on the brakes and signalled left, slowing down ahead of a metal security gate. He pressed a small button next to the sunvisor and the gate rolled open. We silently rolled along a narrow driveway lined with trees. Soon, we arrived at the motorcourt in front of the Yukinoshita residence. It was a stately, stucco mansion surrounded by trees of a moderate age.

Glancing over at Yukinoshita, I saw that she was slightly blushing. Perhaps she was somewhat self-conscious of her family's ostentatious display of wealth.

The chauffeur skilfully navigated the narrow motorcourt and brought us into a spotlessly clean three-car garage.

If only it were as easy for us to navigate the spaces and relationships in our life. After I realized that I was empathizing with a car, I quickly put that thought to rest. Humans were the very opposite of machines, after all. At least, the best parts of them were.

I half-expected to see two exotic European supercars alongside us. Instead, my eyes gazed upon a couple of relatively modest, late-model German sports cars. I suppose that since Yukinoshita's father was a politician and a business owner, he had to strike a fine balance between modesty and formidability in his choice of vehicle.

The four of us stepped out of the car into the slightly cooler environs of the garage. Stepping through an understated door, we at last entered the Yukinoshita household.

Myriad thoughts raced through my head as we walked through a stately hallway bathed in soft yellow light. Before long, we arrived at a tall doorway. Yukinoshita's mother pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to reveal a spacious apartment. A hallway with a small ottoman opened into an archway revealing the Yukinoshitas' living room, which was presently occupied by a tall, stately individual with greying hair.

"Hikigaya-kun, welcome. I have been looking forward to meeting you." Yukinoshita's father spoke in a slow yet charismatic manner. He's a politician after all, what else should I have expected? More importantly – what had they told him about me? I wasn't used to being talked about so much. I was very much used to explaining myself and my twisted rationale for my actions. But now, I feel as though things had turned over a new leaf. How was I to adapt to the complexities of these social interactions?

"Ah…nice to meet you." I surreptitiously gave the slightest of bows. I heard the briefest snicker from my partner, who had paused in taking off her shoes to observe my awkward interaction with her father.

"Dinner is ready. I'm sure that we will have plenty of time to chat then." Yukinoshita's father beckoned me to follow him.

"I hope what we've prepared is up to your standards, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita said in a teasing manner. Give me some ramen and I'll be the happiest man on earth. In some ways, she knew me so well.

The dining room was elegantly appointed, with a floral arrangement in the centre of the table and long cabinets fashioned out of dark wood lining the walls on either side of the table. A small chandelier hung over the table, gleaming in its light. The table seated eight but was set for the five of us. Where was I to sit? Wasn't there some symbolic purpose to seating arrangements in a political environment? This whole family is so political, I wouldn't be surprised if an unusual seating arrangement would be a casus belli…

Feeling uncertain, I wanted to let Yukinoshita pick her seat first. That way, I could just sit next to her and hopefully not have to deal with Haruno-san. I looked around nervously – she must have gone to the bathroom…

Suddenly, I felt a breath in my ear.

"Well, well, I can't wait to have a proper dinner with you at long last. I already know so much about you, but perhaps your dear onee-san [*] will learn something surprising tonight. Maybe even about both of you…" Haruno-san whispered in my ear. She's still so scary…

I started to plan out where I could sit to minimize the awkwardness for everyone involved. I had the feeling that Yukinoshita's parents would sit on one side of the table, and the daughters and I would sit opposite to them. This would make sense from my shallow understanding that the family thrived on being at odds with each other. Before taking a seat, I decided to wait and see which side Yukinoshita's parents would sit on. Yukinoshita's mother returned from down the hall and took a seat on the far side of the table from me. I slowly walked over and thought about where I should sit.

I wasn't about to sit at the far end of the table. That may be on brand for my presence the service club, but I had to make adjustments to my brand without compromising on my quality in order to not make this dinner a disaster. I'm really setting myself up for a life as a corporate slave now, aren't I…

If I sat on the far left, I would only have one person next to me. However, in that situation, Haruno-san might weasel her way in to the adjacent spot before Yukinoshita returned. Since I didn't want to risk that worst-case scenario, I selected the seat directly facing Yukinoshita's mother. That way, at least I would have Yukinoshita to one side.

I settled into the dining room chair, which was surprisingly comfortable. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with my hands, my mouth, or really anything. Yukinoshita's mother eyed me as though I was something of a curiosity. However, I was no longer a novel museum exhibit to her, but a vaguely familiar entity. One, as Yukinoshita said, that she apparently was fond of.

As Yukinoshita's father returned to the room, Yukinoshita's mother began to speak deliberately but with clear interest.

"Hikigaya-kun, my husband has cooked us something special today. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it."

Ah, more chit-chat. I certainly was getting hungry, but where was she going with this? As though she sensed my discomfort with the prospect of this menial conversation, she changed the subject.

"So, I am curious – what does your family do?"

I should've expected a question about them. It was natural of them to want to connect the dots.

I described to them my family's work. Yukinoshita's mother slowly nodded along with interest. Half-expecting her to just scoff at my family's lack of political or social pedigree, I was more than a little surprised that she was extending me such politeness. I imagined that Yukinoshita's parents would be the type to police their younger daughter's relationships. In that respect, I certainly didn't have what someone like Hayama had. And yet, here I was, the object of her interest.

Haruno-san had taken a seat next to me and remained quiet throughout my monologue. Yukinoshita's absence was making things increasingly awkward for me. What could be taking her so long?

As if on cue, that figure I knew so well arrived in my peripheral vision. With a slight amount of trepidation, she sat to my left. I inched my chair ever so slightly closer to hers and away from Haruno-san. We exchanged a brief glance. In the gleam of the chandelier, her long, sweeping hair shone in an almost impossibly beautiful way.

For a moment, I was able to forget the stress of the situation and just lock my eyes with Yukinoshita's. This new stage of our relationship added a pleasant lustre to our interactions. I didn't want to take for granted the fact that we could derive such joy from deceptively simple interactions such as meeting one another's eyes.

We must have looked at each other for longer than a moment, because Yukinoshita's mother had stopped talking and she and Haruno-san were both giving me polite looks. Upon realizing this, we blushed, the chandelier's light accentuating the hue of our faces.

"Ah…Hikigaya-kun…sorry for interrupting…" Yukinoshita quickly averted her eyes. I gave a quick smile that hopefully assuaged her concerns.

The awkward situation was thankfully put on hold by the arrival of our food by the hand of Mr. Yukinoshita. The dish was a creamy spaghetti alla Bolognese with darkly textured meatballs. I could not wait to dig in.

I kept to myself my surprise at the fact that Yukinoshita's father seemed to be the cook here. Perhaps there was more to this formidable figure than met the eye. A man who could debate tax policy by day and be a caring house-husband by night? The time that it would take for me to comprehend the way in which this family operates would surely be at least twice the time it took for me to understand Yukinoshita at any meaningful level.

Taking a meatball in my mouth, I realized that it was a cut of beef that tasted different from what I had usually had. Where do I recognize this sumptuous taste from? It was unmistakably fine-grade Kobe beef – this was no Saize spaghetti meal. This family really went all out, didn't they? If only I could just eat and soak in this amazing meal…

"Yukino has told me much about your journey with her. It is impressive how many events the two of you have planned together thus far." Yukinoshita's father opened his end of the conversation – no time for me to lose face.

He turned to Yukinoshita. "Your recent networking seems to have been surprisingly successful. I imagine that this experience will serve you well in the future. I trust that Hikigaya-kun here has been an adequate…partner in your endeavours."

Partner. It's remarkable how this single word could equally communicate both a business relationship and a personal one. Even when someone made the context clear, I couldn't help but think how the word fit us so well – at least for the moment. In some sense, we had long been business partners. It just so happened that our most recent partnership carried a more personal and intimate dimension. Given this new meaning of the word to us, I briefly averted my eyes while attempting to maintain a disinterested countenance.

"Yes, Hikigaya-kun has been treating me quite well, actually." Yukinoshita responded with a smirk. Was she actually going to bat for me for once? Or was there a tinge of her typical irony in that statement…

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that he has been affording you respect. There may be great potential in this partnership."

Well, that's a cold way of putting it…

"Perhaps onee-chan sees something new in other people at last…" Haruno-san pounced with her comment.

"Nee-san, my understanding of my surroundings has expanded far faster than yours has in the past year." Yukinoshita tried to defend herself against the claims being laid against her. She glanced at me with a look that attempted to communicate apology.

"I meant that as a compliment, Yukino-chan. Perhaps that new element you see in others is just a challenge from every angle?"

I knew that the Yukinoshita of a few months ago would conceal any substantive response she might have to such a comment. But the Yukinoshita of today would surely scratch harder than the Yukinoshita whom Yui and I spoke to that day at Kasairinkai Park.

Yukinoshita glared across me at her sister. "You may have a couple of years on me, but…but…"

Don't stumble now, Yukinoshita.

"Hmm?" Haruno-san murmured with mock interest.

"…your age doesn't grant you the right to disparage others who are doing their best to grow."

Even though nobody else was speaking at that point, the room fell quiet. For a moment, utensils ceased to connect with plates. I got the impression that Yukinoshita had rarely spoken up like this to her family.

If they treated her like this every week, how did she even survive before now?

In a rare moment, Haruno-san failed to produce words from her mouth. I turned to Yukinoshita and tried to give her a reassuring smile. After all, she'd done well under these stressful circumstances.

However, Yukinoshita just stared ahead with a look that conveyed a mix of determination and perhaps a little bit of fear.

Yukinoshita's mother started. "Yukino, your sister has many valuable words to share with you. There's no need to dismiss her like that."

Her father chimed in. "We know that you have many things that you would like to pursue. But you really ought to be more tactful."

I looked at Yukinoshita. I swore that I could see a tear welling up in her eye. And yet, she retained a focused manner in the way that she regarded her parents. Silently, I hoped that she would not say the words that she had often said when she was challenged in this way.

"I…I…"

Yukinoshita's words stumbled out of her mouth.

"I want to take more risks. I want to struggle and ask myself questions that I couldn't bear to think of before. And I can't let you stop me from living my life." With this last declaration, she had turned to Haruno-san.

"I see onee-chan is angry again, hm?" Haruno-san's bashful response left me quite frustrated. Yukinoshita did not dignify her with a response.

We ate for a while in silence. I felt sorry for Yukinoshita – she probably hadn't banked on this special family dinner going south. And for my part, my worst fears had come to pass. The tough issues I was wary of dealing with had bubbled to the surface. Was I going to be able to rectify them? And yet, it seemed as though these were thoughts that had been brewing in Yukinoshita's subconscious for some time. In that sense, maybe this situation had given her the strength she needed to speak her mind at last.

There wasn't much that I could do in that environment, with all four of them present and eager to jump into the fray. But at the same time, I felt that I needed to take a step forward. Yukinoshita had already shaken up the status quo; now it was time for me to reassemble its contorted form into something more permanent and fair.

Mustering up energy from a darker corner of my soul previously reserved for engaging with the Keihin high school student council, I addressed Yukinoshita's father. "I was always curious. How did you come to take the position that you're currently in? It must've been a long journey to get to where you are now."

In some ways, it was a stock – if deep – conversation starter. In the heat of that moment, it was possible that my comment was totally inappropriate. The look of surprise on the others' faces seemed to support this conclusion. But Yukinoshita's father seemed to take it in stride. He gave a slight smile.

"My life has taken a lot of maneuvering and effort to get right. Since university, I recognized that others were only interested in letting those in power step on them and lead them on a short leash. So, I knew that I had to start climbing as soon as I could."

Our eating slowed as we all listened intently to his unexpectedly charismatic monologue. Perhaps I had activated the secret political campaign switch in his brain.

"Above all, I had to preserve my self-interest, to protect that which was most dear to me. I had to steel myself against the criticisms of others and always be wary of the enemies who could be surrounding me."

Wow, now he was beginning to channel a defensive spirit scarcely seen since the Sengoku era…who was this guy anyways?

"When I took up this family name, I strengthened existing connections and forged new ones." He grew progressively more animated.

"When you have a name like ours, you find claims coming at you from every direction. Have you ever been in a situation like that?"

I was taken aback by the sudden question. Fumbling about for an answer, I pulled out what I could.

"Well, for a long time I felt as though everyone but me was too busy living life superficially to get at what truly mattered to them, and sometimes they'd get in the way of my going about my life." Was I attempting to relate to a diet member just now? Just like a corporate slave pandering to his superiors, then.

In one sense, it was a selfish and arrogant statement to make. I had to trust that Yukinoshita would understand my implication. Surely, we have come far enough in our knowing each other that she would not be offended by my statement. Before continuing, I glanced over at her and noticed that she was regarding me intently.

"Did people ever challenge you and your kin for your views?" Yukinoshita's father continued, in what almost felt like an earnest attempt to understand me through the telescope that seemed to be his worldview.

"Well, mostly they challenged me. But that didn't really matter to me. All I could do was survive, best as I could." The kin part of his question didn't quite figure into the equation for me. As much as I loved Komachi, I never feared that my actions would jeopardize our family name and her happiness. Put simply, the Hikigaya name didn't hold much weight in society, or even within our school.

The eyes of Yukinoshita's father seemed to glimmer but for a moment.

"Survival…a basic instinct. When others deny us the opportunity to protect that which we hold most dear, we may go to great lengths to hide the most treasured parts of our lives from the world…"

At this moment, he made a quick glance around the table. A slightly wistful expression crossed his face. He continued.

"The balance of protecting that which we believe in often involves confrontation. Challenging others who threaten to take away the gains we have made. Recognizing that others would resort to slanders and underhanded techniques to take away the contributions I've made to this city, to my family…was a crucial step in securing my current position."

I thought about my commitment to Komachi's happiness, about the sacrifices I had made to keep the Service Club together, about what we had done to find meaning in our relationships. I still had a strong distaste for the way in which this family thrived on conflict, and I sympathized with Yukinoshita in her implicit rejection of her family's ways. And yet, I could not deny that I had chanced upon some common ground with Yukinoshita's father.

A lingering thought remained and contorted my mind. I had brought up the subject; how was I going to achieve my desired goal now?

Carefully, I began to draw a conversational line from father to daughter.

"It's interesting that you say that. That protective instinct you speak of is something I've seen a lot in your daughter."

Yukinoshita inhaled nervously. I continued.

"She and I have long wanted to protect what's most important to us. It took quite a bit of struggling, and others definitely questioned our decisions."

I couldn't resist glancing over at Haruno-san at this moment. She had an impish smile as though she were egging me to go on with my rambling monologue.

"Even those who were close to us had their own agendas. They carried them out with the best intentions, but these intentions would nonetheless have sabotaged our way of life."

I knew that these words carried insufficient nuance. They were callous and accusatory. Even so, I carried on.

"Eventually, we realized that in order to protect what meant the most to us, the only answer was to break free of what we thought was acceptable and struggle to create honesty amongst ourselves."

The difficulty of voicing these thoughts mirrored the challenges I had faced scarcely weeks earlier.

"In many ways, your daughter has been more honest with me than virtually anyone I know. She's never been afraid to give me an honest opinion of my personality, my beliefs, and my actions. And in the end, it was an extension of this honesty that brought me where I am today, to this table. Sitting next to my…partner."

My foolish declaration, coming from the mouth of a virtual nobody, should not have impressed the Yukinoshita family. But as I cautiously looked around the table, I was met by expressions of astonishment. Even Yukinoshita's mother looked as though she had ventured upon a piece of shock art in an otherwise sedate abstract art exhibition. Yukinoshita's face was illuminated in a vermillion hue.

"That's why I ask…that you treat her with the respect that she deserves."

At a surface level, these words were a simple, reasonable request. It did not take much thought for me to construct the sentence containing them. What it did take was a well of courage that I did not believe I possessed before recently. Undoubtedly, my companion at this table played a role in creating the opportunity for me to push myself like this.

I heard a faint whisper in my left ear.

"Hikigaya-kun…you don't have to do this…"

This was a fact I knew full well. However, the necessity of certain actions and words was subjective. I had convinced myself that this bringing this challenge was the best outcome for Yukinoshita's and my future happiness. Perhaps I was misguided in this conviction. Even so, I believed that I had acted in good, if blind, faith, that something might change in the way that Yukinoshita's parents treated and saw her.

Don't be foolish. You've just seen how her father rationalizes his actions. These are scary people…

My doubts continued to bubble to the surface, but I refused to let them overcome me and recant my words. I regarded Yukinoshita's parents across the table. Yukinoshita's mother was stone-faced, but I saw a slight smile forming on Yukinoshita's father's wrinkled countenance.

"We care deeply about our daughters' success, and we are glad to hear that you and Yukino are getting along well. I would advise you to use more tact in the future."

This truly felt like it could be a dinner with the Shinomiya family… [4]

Aside from idle chit-chat, we did not speak much for the remainder of the dinner. Before long, it was time to leave. I thanked the Yukinoshitas for their invitation, even though much of the warmth that might have underpinned such an offer was lost with my words. They politely smiled.

Just before I was able to join Yukinoshita at the door, Haruno-san came up to me.

"So nice of you to join us. I must say, you've come further than I thought. You'll have to tell me all about what you two are up to someday…" She winked. I sheepishly moved over to the door with Yukinoshita, eager to leave this awkward situation behind.

Yukinoshita and I left the house in silence. I tried to make eye contact with her, but she kept averting her gaze. As we walked through the front door, I had the thought in my mind that I'd gone too far and made her lose face in front of her family. The limousine was already parked out front, and I was mentally preparing myself for a rather awkward ride back to the city.

Instead, she lightly grabbed my arm and looked at me.

"Hikigaya-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"What you said…was risky and nerve-wracking and, frankly, could've caused a minor disaster. But to tell you the truth…nobody has ever come to my defense like that. So, I can only hope that your incredibly risky gamble will pay off in the long term."

She gave me a slight smile. We got into the waiting limousine and, as soon as we had comfortably seated ourselves, she had her arm wrapped around mine. I had the feeling that she had bet on a collapsing stock. Then again, it seemed that Yukinoshita was someone who had already committed to taking a lot of risks in order to be with someone as unexceptional as me.

Through the long ride back to her apartment, I felt a clichéd warm feeling inside me. This was only our second true outing as partners and, even though it wasn't the easiest of situations, it was an impactful experience for both of us.

"Well, you can certainly count on me to make a situation awkward." I replied sheepishly, searching myself for the conviction that I'd made a solid decision.

Yukinoshita gave an exaggerated nod. "It's probably those rotten eyes of yours, I'm surprised that my family doesn't regard you as a supermarket product. Come to think of it, you do have all of the presentability and coolness of a fish on ice under bright lights…"

"I can't even tell if that's supposed to be a compliment or not?"

"Just this once, I'll leave that up to your interpretation." Her face was brimming with a triumphant smile.

I peered out the window at the darkening countryside of Chiba prefecture passing us by. Before long, we could once again perceive the endless forest of flashing red warning lights atop the high-rises of Chiba proper. The warmth and familiarity of returning to the urban jungle softened my thoughts and turned my mind towards the prospect of a good night's rest.

The chauffeur brought us to the curb in front of Yukinoshita's apartment. I knew that I had to properly send her off, in some way. As such, I extricated myself from the comfortable seat and stood in the slight chill of the night. Yukinoshita joined me, and we regarded each other nervously. She had closed the door behind her. What did we each have in mind?

Beyond taking her hand, I was rather clueless as to what I was supposed to do, physically, at this stage of the relationship. So, in parting, I gently took her hands and looked into her beautiful eyes.

"Hey, that really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be…well actually in a way it didn't go as planned but overall I had a good time…no, a great time…Yeah…" My brain adopted the consistency of mush as I continued to look at her.

I was so transfixed by the moment that I hardly noticed the movement of my arms as Yukinoshita pulled me forward.

"Say, Hikigaya-kun…would you like to come by my place for a bit?" Yukinoshita's face was in full blush. Her eyes darted nervously back and forth as she said those words.

And so, as the limousine rolled off, Yukinoshita led me by the hand through the door and towards the elevator. My nerve-wracking evening would seemingly end on a note beyond my imagination.

Notes:

[*] Haruno (half-jokingly) sees Hachiman as her future brother-in-law, so she sometimes refers to herself as his older sister.

References:

[1] A resort town in Chiba prefecture, with some rather expensive beachfront properties.

[2] The first part of "Explode, riajuu!", the last line of Hachiman's infamous "loner" essay from the start of the series. Hachiman now views this line with a certain level of amusement and embarassment, considering himself to have grown since his loner days.

[3] あすみが丘 (Asumigaoka) is a wealthy planned district in Chiba with a reputation as one of Japan's most expensive neighbourhoods. One of the neighbourhood's subdivisions is One Hundred Hills, which is filled with American-style mansions that were popular during the bubble era (1980s Japan). One could imagine that the Yukinoshita family came to renown during this era and purchased an appropriately attractive mansion here.

[4] Refers to the strict, cunning parents of Kaguya Shinomiya, one of the protagonists of the manga series Kaguya-sama: Love is War.

Addendum: Thank you, everyone, for your candid and constructive comments on my work! I've made a number of small changes to improve the story's realism, clarify the dialogue, and align it more closely with canon. Many thanks to Zingy especially for your detailed and thoughtful review and encouragement – it helped clarify the piece in ways that I might not have immediately picked up on.

As for Yukidad preparing the meal – I was thinking about my rationale for this decision, and I thought it would be interesting if he was fixated on putting his best foot forward for meeting Hachiman. We know from Wataru's anthology chapters that Yukidad is a bit out of his depth when it comes to dealing with the prospect of how to act around his daughter's boyfriend, so I thought this would be a first try at integrating that side of him.

With that in mind, I suppose I'll take this story forward! Stay tuned, and we will soon see how Yukino and Hachiman might spend a quiet evening together…

Bonus: The Toyota Century is the car that the Yukinoshita limo seems to be modelled after. For a video of the car in action that captures the environment our characters might have been in while returning home, look up Toyota Century トヨタ センチュリー V12 1GZ-FE on YouTube. For appropriate ambiance, feel free to play this video in the background during the scenes where they're riding in the car.