Request to direct message sent 18 June, 2019 by Soccer0928:

Hi, I'm mailing you about your therapy and advice services. I have an issue regarding a friend of mine, and would like to know how to help them. Is that okay?

Messaging history from "Soccer0928":

Soccer0928: "Hello?"

HikkiHelp08: "yo"

Soccer0928: "This is the account for the online anonymous therapy session, correct?"

HikkiHelp08: "this is it"

Soccer0928: "I really don't find myself online a whole lot of the time, but I really am desperate for help."

HikkiHelp08: "what's your issue?"

Soccer0928: "Well, it's my friend. She's in love with somebody who isn't her fiance, and I want to help her fix the situation."

HikkiHelp08: "okay hold on stop right there"

Soccer0928: "What?"

HikkiHelp08: "i hate to break it to you but i dont do love counseling"

Soccer0928: "I really need help though. Are you sure we can't work something out?"

HikkiHelp08: "go find somebody with professional knowledge on that subject"

HikkiHelp08: "bye"

Soccer0928: "Wait!"

Soccer0928: "Hello?"

Soccer0928: "Are you still there?"

Soccer0928: "This is an issue that only you can solve!"

Soccer0928: "..."

Soccer0928: "I'll pay extra?"

HikkiHelp08: "how much extra?"

Soccer0928: "Name your price."

HikkiHelp08: "50,000"

Soccer0928: "Fifty-Thousand yen!?"

Soccer0928: "You don't seriously expect me to pay that kind of money for an anonymous over-the-phone service, do you?"

HikkiHelp08: "of course I don't"

Soccer0928: "..."

Soccer0928: "Fine. I'll do it."

HikkiHelp08: "christ"

HikkiHelp08: "i obviously wont charge you 50,000 yen."

HikkiHelp08: "explain the full situation in detail, and ill consider whether or not it's worth it"

Soccer0928: "Really? Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I promise to compensate whatever you ask for."

HikkiHelp08: "im just going to look it over so dont get your hopes up"

I closed out of the messaging app on my phone, and slipped it back into my pocket. What a ridiculous nuisance. Despite a clear statement on my twitter page about not accepting counseling requests related to love or romantic relationships, they flooded my inbox all the same. Usually I'd have shaken them off, but this customer especially bugged me for some reason.

I took my mind off of it and pondered whether or not I'd attend classes for the day, lying on the living room couch. The pondering was really more pointless however, considering the fact that I was lazing about meant I probably wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. It wasn't more than a few minutes of being left to my thoughts before my phone began to buzz. I ignored it at first, figuring the recent inquirer had begun his narrative, but the phone kept buzzing, and the effort put into ignoring the device became more than just issuing a half-assed reply, so eventually I picked it up.

It had turned out to be a text from Yuigahama. And then another text, and then a call, and then another call. The third call had already begun by the time the phone had reached my immediate vision, and I knew from recent experience that it wouldn't be halting anytime soon.

"Hello?"

"Yahello!"

"You're still saying that? Aren't you supposed to be keeping up with all the latest trends?"

"Why do you always start your calls so rudely? It's not a trend, it's how I greet my friends!"

Friends?

"Well you ought to try growing up a little. Like me, the shining image of a young adult."

"Ew, don't even joke about that. That's like, way off the mark…"

"So, What do you want? These days your contact method is like that of a middle-aged teacher who's never had a boyfriend before, and struggles to find love due to her outbursting personality and likely drinking problem."

"Isn't that a little too specific? Anyways, I was thinking we could-"

"I'm not going to go on a date with you Yuigahama. I… we both know I don't feel that way about you. We've been over this."

"It doesn't have to be a date though, you know? We can just, like, hang out an' stuff. Like we used to…"

I couldn't discern whether or not I had romantic feelings for the girl on the other side of the line. She was cute, ditzy, and clumsy like some kind of tailored harem side character, but behind that was somebody who could always read the air of the situation and raise the mood like it was the natural thing to do. When I was around her back in high school, though I never would have admit it back then, her presence definitely brightened the mood wherever we might have been. Even now, despite the more desperate hue in her voice, she was still a bright and honest character. I felt like shit turning down her offers to go out again and again, but every time she did, I just couldn't bring myself to accept her feelings. It felt… wrong.

"Did you get asked out again?"

"Geez, you don't have to go and guess what's going on with me so accurately like it's second nature… It's really annoying, you know!?"

"And so? What happened?"

She sighed, but still continued as per routine.

"We were friends for awhile. He told me he suddenly liked me outta nowhere. I felt, like, really bad since we were kinda close."

"I keep telling you, you won't get so many stray guys following you around if you just join a clique instead. It's not like you aren't capable of doing so."

"But… then what about you, me, and Yukinon?"

"There is no you, me, and Yukinoshita anymore, Yuigahama. We broke up over a year ago, and that was it. If you really thought there was a chance we might be friends again, why would you be so intent on going out with me now? You know just as well as I do that it would hurt her."

"I know! I know, kay? I hate myself like, a million times over for asking you out."

Her sudden, direct words took me by surprise. I was a bit startled even.

"Did you know? While I cheered you two on, I actually wished you'd break up deep down. And when you did, I cried for her and held her, but I was also kinda happy too? I've always been like that. So you don't have to tell me, okay? Because I know..."

"So then why do you keep doing this?"

"Because despite it all… I like you, you know? And I want to talk and hang out and talk about stupid things, like we used to do in the Service Club. Don't you want that too?"

"I…It doesn't matter what I want. You know just as well as I do that it's impossible. We aren't the same as we used to be, and all you're doing is using me as a justification for your nostalgia trip. You can't just turn back time like that."

"You say that, but did you know Hikki? You... haven't changed at all."

Yuigahama must have meant this with the best of intent, but it irritated me all the same. I Haven't changed? All this suffering and pain I've gone through, and this girl that used to know me suddenly acted like she understood me now, just because we talked once in awhile? Even if I hadn't changed, what kind of holy stance did she have to be allowed to decide that for me?

"Excuse me? How would you even know that, when we haven't hung out in so long? What would you even know about me nowadays anyway?"

"Well…"

"Well?"

"I know that you used to be blunt; blunt, and really hurtful sometimes. And you were kinda bitter too… But despite that, you were super nice, like, all the time. And you weren't ever harder on anybody else than you were on yourself. And I know that I liked you back then…"

"Hey, wait a second-"

"And I know that, every time I talk to you over the phone like this, I decide again and again that I still like you! Even now, when I'm being scolded by you for not minding my own business and bothering you instead, and even though it kinda bothers me the way you're still acting… I still like you, you know?"

"Yuigahama…"

"So please don't say that I don't know you Hikki, because I really do miss you. And I want to believe that despite what you say, you still miss Yukinon and me too."

She had me cornered. I really hadn't changed, had I? My natural suspicion of others prying into my life was running on autopilot. I'd always been convinced that I'd never once hated the kind of person I was, but was that really true? I don't know if I could go so far as to call it hating myself, but there was no doubt that I was convinced that nobody could like the kind of person I was without some kind of ulterior motive.

Yuigahama, who wanted to live in nostalgia; Yukinoshita, who wanted somebody to save her; and even Haruno, who wanted to run away from her dull reality. But how much of that was accurate? What did I really know about these people who I was convinced didn't know a thing about me? The more times my ideals were put to the test, the more and more I found that they conflicted with each other.

"I'm sorry. I uh.. went too far."

"Yeah, you totally did, you know!?"

"Oi, wait a minute… isn't that a little blunt? You were supposed to say something like 'no, it's totally okay, tee hee!' and then we would make up like nothing was wrong. Isn't that how friends work?"

"'Tee hee?' What's with that annoying impression!? I can be totally blunt too sometimes! You've rubbed off on me so much, it surprises me that, like, I haven't rubbed off on you more."

She giggled lightly, as our conversation took on a lighter tone.

"That's because people can only get smarter."

"People can only get- Wait! That's totally an insult!"

"Can I hang up now?"

"Well sure, I guess. I'll see you later, kay?"

"Uh huh-"

"I will see you later, right?"

This time, I sighed.

"Yeah, sure. Sometime."

"Kay, bye Hikki!"

She hung up before I could. Was that some sort of statement? Like, I can keep you in a conversation with me if I really want to, or something? Some of our old casual banter even slipped in at the end. I always tried to make it seem like each call would be our last, but she never let that happen. It was almost as irritating as the relief I felt when she did that. Like it was all going according to her plan or something… Wait, was I really rubbing off on her after all?

I decided to check back in with my client, and review his situation which he had seemed to be finished with.

Soccer0928: "So, here's the gist of it. A friend of mine has an arranged marriage that's been set up for her, but she's not interested in him. And though she hasn't said anything, I'm sure that she's in love with somebody else. I've been watching the whole thing unfold without interfering so far, but it's getting to a dangerous point I think, so I want to do whatever I can to help her."

HikkiHelp08: "tell you what"

HikkiHelp08: "ill give you an answer free of charge since this is an easy one"

Soccer0928: "Really? I'm all ears."

HikkiHelp08: "just because she doesnt want to be in an arranged marriage doesnt mean shes in love with you"

HikkiHelp08: "give up"

Soccer0928: "Jesus, you really haven't changed at all, have you?"

HikkiHelp08: "what?"

Soccer0928: "It's Hayama Hayato. Remember me?"

HikkiHelp08: "of course it is"

HikkiHelp08: "were done here"

Soccer0928: "This isn't some prank. I'm serious. Will you help me Hikigaya? Please."

HikkiHelp08: "do you really think bringing up your name and mine will help your chances?"

HikkiHelp08: "It sounds like you're trying to blackmail me or something"

Soccer0928: "That wasn't my intention. I just don't have any other choice. You're the only one who can help me."

HikkiHelp08: "so what"

HikkiHelp08: "are you the fiance then?"

Soccer0928: "No, I'm neither. I really have nothing to do with it. I'm just trying to help a friend."

HikkiHelp08: "hikipedia tells me that isnt something you would just do"

Soccer0928: "I'm not here to play games with you. Are you willing to do me this favor? I promise I'll repay you."

HikkiHelp08: "no"

HikkiHelp08: "get lost"

Soccer0928: "Alright, I get it. I'm sorry for bothering you. Thank you for your time."

I didn't reply after that. What was with that overly formal goodbye after trying to act so friendly with me? It goes to show that dropping his name really was a ploy to try and appeal to me. "Get lost" might have been a little overboard, but I was already not in a great mood and it was only getting worse after that conversation. If I had to be honest, I couldn't quite pinpoint exactly why I started my anonymous therapy service if I wanted to. While the extra change didn't hurt, it likely had much more to do with some kind of pathetic need to feel useful to others. That's what I get for being alone for so long, then suddenly getting a mass amount of attention my final year of high school. Though I hated to admit it, I'd only be fooling myself if I acted like I wasn't longing for that kind of thing nowadays.

It was just like Yuigahama's longing for the service club to reunite after it had been so long. I think ever since that club disbanded, all three of us have likely felt some kind of longing for it to come back, for one reason or another. Damn that Hiratsuka, forcing me to enjoy my youth after constantly expressing to her that I didn't want to. She really knew me better than I had let myself believe. Maybe Yuigahama did as well. I wonder who else knew me like that? Yukinoshita?

…

Haruno even?

The rest of my day passed uneventfully for the most part, aside from some light pestering from Komachi. She really didn't like the fact that I wasn't attending all of my classes. My parents, while not stoked, trusted in my abilities, though they did threaten to take action if my grades fell in the red. However I too trusted in my abilities, and my abilities could be pretty terrifying when I went all out. And to clarify, by my abilities I meant my intellect and study capability, not my eyes.

By the time Friday came around, I hadn't really realized it. My days tended to pass pretty mindlessly on their own, but attending classes for the rest of the week had made the process even faster. It was an unusual course of action for me, however I was getting sickened at myself for having the temptation to text Hayama back about his request. Against my own will, I had thought about it some more, so the lectures were a nice moment away from all of that.

I was released mid afternoon from my singular Friday class, and was immediately met at the front gate of the university with a wave from a shady female figure clad in unsightly attire. Under a dull grey hoodie and sweats draped over barely visible high heels, I didn't need even a hint of her face to know who had been waiting for me.

"Yahello!"

If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed she was some kind of middle aged flasher trying to pick me up. However, my strong intuition instantly gave it away. And by my strong intuition, I mean that Haruno's massive breasts and voluptuous figure were unmistakable. I'm not a pervert, right? Definitely not.

"Uhm… Hi."

This was terrible. I hadn't seen her for more or less two years, and our last interaction was an awkward kiss. Actually, my last interaction with her was an awkward kiss… Her last interaction with me was watching me get curb-stomped half to death by her escort afterward. Wait, that actually sounds really bad without context. You did read the first act, right? It was mutual, alright? Mutual.

That said, I don't know if I was more surprised to see her, or her unusual appearance. I'd never seen the older Yukinoshita in anything that wasn't either flashy, stylish, or a combination of the two. Even when lounging around at the sisters' residence, her comfortable clothes still set herself apart from your common japanese peasant. Though, seeing her in that moment, I wondered how much of her overwhelmingly lustrous aura came from her style, and how much was just her own raw appeal. Even in what were practically rags compared to the usual, she stood out among the crowd.

"What… what do you-"

"Hey now, do I need to have an ulterior motive to want to see my favorite little pessimist?"

"Well… Under normal circumstances, yes."

"Ehh? Your big sis isn't really like that, is she?"

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to hear the answer to."

"Well, don't be so stingy about it. I'm actually pretty harmless you know!"

She moved towards me, and by reflex, I leaped back from my position, struggling to keep my balance to the point where I almost tripped over myself. It seemed to surprise Haruno a bit, though she wasn't unprepared as she followed suit to properly catch my arm and pull me into her breasts. It was almost routine at this point, but what I was more focused on was my own reaction. I was more used to being on guard to the point of shifting back a bit, or maybe a slow step, but when I stopped to check up on myself, I was on high defense. My movements were stiff, my muscles were tense, and my heart rate had skyrocketed. I was nervous as hell.

The charade of old times didn't last very long before I was released from my upperclassman's clutches, and she equipped her usual mischievous smile; the one that expressed her pique in interest. She began to laugh that easy, laid back laugh that I had hated, and yet missed all the same.

It wasn't long however before it weakened to a giggle, then a smirk, then a warm smile before disappearing into a longfull curl of the lips. All the while, refusing to meet my gaze. I was beginning to remember all of the unfinished business we had together, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the same. Before I had time to notice any kind of transition, she was already straightened up again.

"Well, I suppose it isn't so easy to act like things are the same as they were right off the bat. At least, not with you."

"Yeah…"

"You're not doing anything today, are you? Let's walk for a bit!"

"Uh, sure."

"So what have you been up to lately? I hear you've been quite busy slacking off in your studies."

"Please don't use my sister to keep tabs on me."

"Eh? But she's the one who insists I know about how you're doing."

"Komachi wouldn't- No, wait. She totally would."

"I know, right? She really does care about you, doesn't she?"

"Needlessly."

That damn meddling sister. I didn't ask her to keep in touch Haruno for me, and I definitely didn't ask her to rattle off about me to somebody so dangerous. I was sure she must have been doing the same for Yuigahama as well. It's not as if this woman didn't have enough information networks without her help.

"But it's kind of cute, you know? How she tries to pair you up with people. I can't help but humor her."

"No, that's exactly what you shouldn't do. Yuigahama did too, and it only added fuel to the fire."

"Really? I see."

Shit, my mouth slipped! I was so nervous, I had forgotten to watch my words around her.

"So you haven't decided to date her yet?"

Well, the cat was out of the bag now. No point in acting dumb. It's not like Haruno didn't already know most of the situation already. And what she didn't know she could likely just piece together.

"Of course not. I couldn't if I tried."

"I see. So you're still that way after all…"

"That way? Are you referring to my virginity? I'll have you know that I'm perfectly fine with my own inexperience. Actually, many women find it classy at my age."

She laughed again, more lightly this time. My satisfaction at her reaction showed through a slight smirk, which was a mistake. If there was ever any kind of "normal" between this deviant and myself, this was definitely it. I could feel myself getting back into the groove of talking for her, and honestly, it terrified me. Nothing good could come of the two of us getting along again; that was for sure.

"Ah, you really crack me up. But don't get me wrong, I was more so just relieved that you hadn't dropped so low as to go out with her."

What was she trying to imply? Yuigahama had her faults, but that was a bit low, even for a such a deviant.

"Oi, what're you saying about her?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with her Hikigaya, it's what's wrong with you."

"Ah, well then- no, wait, that isn't better at all. What are you saying about me then?"

"Well, nothing in particular. Actually, it's precisely the fact that there's still something wrong you that puts me at ease."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Nope!"

"Ah, thank you for the clarification."

I caught her in another fit of snickering. It was disturbingly refreshing.

"You really are interesting, aren't you?"

"I don't know. Not really..."

Interesting? Me?

I didn't have much time to process the thought before Haruno took me by the ear and pulled me in real close. The sensation of a cold finger and a warm breath against my lobe intertwined as she whispered into it. It was an unsettling pleasure.

"Speaking of interesting, do you want me to take you somewhere 'interesting'?"

Again, I jumped back on reflex, especially considering how sensitive my ears were. To be frank, I had to hold myself back from getting an erection from her seductive teasing. It was seriously terrifying. She almost gave off the aura of a snake, tempting me to bite into her forbidden apple.

"Not… particularly."

My neck suddenly refused to turn in her direction, as if meeting her gaze would turn me to stone. In the sense that simply looking into her glare could solidify your fate, you could certainly call her Medusa. As I should have figured, she took the opportunity to grab my arm and pull me in a different direction.

"Too bad!"

We walked for a while silently as I pondered our previous conversation. My eyes got lost in the fading sunlight of the evening sky as I reminisced of when Komachi meddled with Yuigahama as well, setting up plans for us and forcing me to go and hang out with her. Look what good it did for that situation. While saying she was at fault for any of the unfortunate drama that took place would be criminally wrong, pairing people together without thinking about the consequences certainly didn't help the situation. After some inner-thought, I figured it was about time I should actually pay some attention to my surroundings, and that quickly brought me to the realization that I had been estranged from the environment we arrived in. The tall, brightly lit buildings and frequent alleyways full of small restaurants and odd shops surrounding us revealed that we had arrived in a much more urban area. On closer inspection, it seemed like Haruno was making haste as well.

"Where are we going? I don't recognize this part of town."

"I don't like boys that ask too many questions. Just keep following your big sis and we'll get there soon enough."

And her words weren't overshot, as we were soon standing in front of what was both surprisingly and unmistakably her "interesting location."

"Oi, you can't be serious…"

It was a Love Hotel.

"Hm? Are you going to say no?"

I tugged my arm away from her grasp, which was tighter than when she had first began pulling me along.

"What are you trying to do?"

This situation was clearly wrong. I began to back away, unsure of what I could be getting myself into. And then it hit me, that the uneasiness of the situation had been there from the start. I had been too caught up in past feelings to realize it, but this was Haruno Yukinoshita.

My confidence had always come from accurate assessments and predictions of any given situation. Simply put, I was a logical thinker. But what always put me off about the Yukinoshita sister is that she was one big, rolling ball of X factors. Aside from that night, I never knew what she was thinking or planning. That terrified me, and this situation was taking it to a whole new level.

I scanned her face for any signs of mischievous intent to confirm my fears, but then something surprising happened. She only smiled with her regular, polite smile. It felt like she was hiding something, but it couldn't have been ill intentioned. Though I wasn't fully convinced, despite my confident readings.

"You know, I think it's time that I headed back. My sister might worry if I'm out too late without letting her know."

Her head cocked down, with the same smile. It was whittling down, like it always did when I accidentally pushed her buttons. Looking at her glazed eyes took me back to a certain fairytale of a night that had taken place two years prior. It was the same face; the same Haruno from back then.

"I see. You really never were the type to go along with spontaneous ideas, were you?"

"Don't act like you know me. It'll give me the wrong idea."

"Is the wrong idea so bad though? Wasn't it you who said that it's only a problem if somebody sees it as one?"

"Well I see it as one. I'll definitely regret it if I go along with another one of your schemes."

"Well, that's fair. This isn't a scheme though. I really am just acting on a whim this time."

"No, I don't believe you're the type to act on whims."

"Well then, what type am I, Hikigaya?"

Despite the easy smile strung across her face, I could tell she was losing her patience with me. Was it alright to go further? Was I doing the right thing here, telling her off? There was really no other way to get myself out of the situation, yet it felt wrong to me. Honestly, any decision I could have made felt wrong. My thoughts scattered as I stood with my feet firmly planted into the concrete below. I was frozen in place until Haruno finally lost faith in my decisive ability, and followed up her own words instead.

"Well, I thought that this was the only way to get you to agree to something like this, but I suppose forcing your hand was too much. Sorry."

Sorry? The smile dropped from her face into a monotone frown as she let go of my arm, like a child who had grown tired of their toy.

"I'll call a taxi back home for you."

And with that, the tension quickly ended. But instead of easing my mind, it had shifted into confusion. What she had just said felt more wrong than both of my options before. If everything I did would be wrong, wouldn't it be best to take the lesser evil? So I shut my eyes for a moment to physically gesture to myself that I was hardening my resolve, then grabbed Haruno by the arm and took the initiative. It seemed to take her by surprise, but thinking about it more, she probably planned for this much to happen.

"Oi. I get it, so… so stop acting so out of character."

She turned around and giggled at me. Of course she knew this was going to happen. I felt like an idiot for playing right into her hands, but it relieved me a bit too, to see her acting like her usual self.

"I could say the same for you, don't you think?"

"And so, that's the situation. If you could let mom and dad know that I won't be back tonight, I'd appreciate it."

I ended the call quickly after hearing confirmation from my sister on the other side of the line, who was definitely going to use this against me somehow later on. But being the perfect, upstanding brother that I was, I didn't want to worry her; just kidding. I actually just didn't need my parents prodding around in something like this.

I took a bit of time to admire the room that had been rented out by the girl, all in cash, and wondered what the hell could have been going on. I had yet to get any kind of explanation, so all I could do was go along with her until I had more information to go off of. While my idle worries were cut short by my phone going off like crazy, I didn't have much of a thought to spare for it as I heard a door open to my right, signalling that Haruno had finished her bath. Naturally, I was instantly fixated on the divine figure hiding beneath her robe as she reentered the room; my mind wandering at the endless unrealistic porn scenarios that could unfold from this situation. I must have been gawking, as the girl standing before me snickered.

"You're such a virgin. Do you really want to see that bad?'

"Eh? Are you joking?"

I didn't have time to contemplate the situation before she slowly unwrapped her covered figure for me, and suddenly my heart was racing again. There was no way that this girl could really be about to expose herself to me. Right? Right?

Right. She had some loose fit silk pajamas underneath, which flowed downward to conceal even more of her outline than its predecessor. While my disappointment must have been obvious to her, what she likely didn't know is that in all honesty, the sight before me was nice in its own way.

It was probably better that she didn't know.

"Hahahaha, you're a total virgin through and through!"

"Oi, you've been making fun of my virginity a whole lot today. If you've got something to say then say it."

"No no, I'm just teasing. There's nothing wrong with being a virgin really."

"Spoken like a true virgin."

Oh, that one was worth a lot of points. Hit points, that is.

"And what if I was?"

"Then that would be the cherry on top of the perfect image guys have of you."

Literally. The cherry on top. Heh.

"Well, what would you think personally?"

She sat down next to me on the bed I had made myself comfortable on alone, and did it so naturally that I moved aside on instinct to more evenly distribute the space on either side of us. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed she was my friend.

"I don't know. You've probably never been in a proper relationship considering your family duties, right?"

"Oh? That's quite the assumption to make…"

She moved in closer, but this time I was seated too deeply into the edge of the mattress to shift away before she had me in her clutches. Before I could react, my chin was resting between her fingers and my face was turned to her own, our lips only centimeters apart. Surely we were sharing the same breath at this point.

"Why don't I show you just how much experience I've had..?"

She uttered her next words as smoothly as the silk pajamas brushing against me, then finished by softly blowing the remainder of her breath against my lips. The final gram that tipped the scale was the warm tingle against my skin, softening my conviction and obstructing my thought. For a moment I had lost all reason and gave into the allure of the succubus before me, but the faint scent of sake brought me back to my senses. There was no doubt that her full intention was for me to catch onto it. I repositioned the distance between us and took a heavy breather, noticing that I was drenched in sweat despite my recent bath.

"You're drunk."

She only giggled in response to my conviction, but scooted a bit further away from me, allowing the both of us to regain the personal space that had been lost to her overt teasing.

"Of course I am! I always grab a few drinks to bolden myself up before ditching a date with my fiance."

Those words which exited her mouth with such ease hit me square in the gut. They were like a bullet train; as smooth as they were fast and powerful. Though I said nothing, my facial expression must have been enough for her to get the gist of my reaction.

"Hahaha, of course I have one. I mean, you must have figured by now, right? That I shouldn't be meeting you here like this."

Well to be honest, my suspicions were there. Clouded by nostalgia, confusion, and moths in my stomach, I wasn't able to piece together any concrete conclusions about her situation. But between the shady getup clearly hiding high class attire, the rushed attitude, and the dealings in cash, it was clear that she was trying to dodge somebody or something. I stayed silent.

"He's quite a catch as well. An entrepreneur who was booted from his family for skipping out on college to pursue a dream of starting his own company. They just recently let him back in, since it's been on the rise lately. What do you think of a guy like that, Hikigaya?"

This girl was really a demon, telling the guy who made a move on her years ago that she was now proudly engaged. She must really have been getting her fill of fun at my expense. There's only so much of it that I could really take.

"It's not really much my business, is it?"

"Well, you're with that man's bride-to-be in a love hotel, aren't you? Doesn't that make it your business?"

"Now listen here…"

"And, well… That night; you know the one; was supposed to be our first arranged meeting. So, humor me."

She had me cornered.

"Well.. He sounds like a great guy. Strong, charismatic, and wealthy to top it all off. You must be pretty bored of playing around with him by now, I'd guess."

"You're close, except that he never really interested me much to begin with. Always trying to act so strong and confident to 'inspire those around him'. Or so he says. Always trying to impress me so earnestly, and doing his best not to be bothered by me, no matter what I do to him."

"He sounds pretty head over heels for you."

"Well of course he is. They always are."

She looked downward, dawning that same sorrowful smile she had before. I could figure at this point what she was trying to get across.

"You feel bad that somebody so honest and simpleminded is cursed to be captivated by you only because of your outer shell."

As her eyes moved up to the ceiling and her smile disappeared along with the rest of her facade, I could tell I had hit the bingo.

"I'm used to that kind of thing by now though, so it doesn't really mean much to me."

"No, your personal feelings don't get used to things like that. You only know how to deal with it better, but it hurts just as bad every time it happens. Source: me."

I didn't have to have anybody fall in love with me to see through her poor lie. All I had to know was that you can never really get used to pain. You can only remember the feeling and better prepare to take it head on. No, even without that knowledge, the truth was in her expression. Surely by now, I could read that porcelain mask of hers without error.

"Why would I feel bad about something that's not my-"

"If only I had a better personality; if only I wasn't so rotten in nature. It's because of my rotten personality that nobody's able to love me. Right?"

...

"Well… That's more or less it."

Despite our lives being ever-so opposite, I never felt more resonated with somebody. She must have felt the same. I could tell that she did the moment that her smile had dropped from her face and reawoken as a soft, lazy frown. She didn't care about appearances anymore. I had awoken the raw, fragile core of Haruno Yukinoshita. Gloomy, lonely, and a bit scary.

"Hey, Hikigaya. Tell me something. When I frown like this, with a dead look in my eyes, am I still beautiful?"

Of course she was. But thinking that would make me a masochist.

"You're kinda scary, actually."

"I think so too."

The long pause in between our short spurts of dialogue weighed on my gut like a bag of bricks. I answered her as I normally would, but was that the wrong thing to say? Surely, this girl wasn't fishing for some kind of cheap compliment. Though I wasn't sure of anything at this point, really.

"Not a single soul could legitimately love a girl who makes an expression like this. Don't you think?"

"Uhm… I think-"

"What? Is this the part where you tell me that you could?"

"Well… not really..."

"I figured as much."

There might as well have been a cue ball in my throat. I had something to say. Deep down at my center, there was something that I had to say in response to her dilemma. But for some terrible reason, I couldn't put my feelings into words; I couldn't spit them out. I had scaled the lavish walls of this princess' castle. But now, standing face to face, I didn't know how to save her. I couldn't take her to a place where she could have her happily ever after. I could only sit in silence. What was I missing?

"So you must be jealous, huh?"

"Jealous?"

"Of my fiance."

"Of course I am. Are you an idiot?"

Shit, I said that out loud? The blunt, honest air in the room was getting the better of me.

"Ah, I mean-"

I stopped myself. There was no room in these long pauses for beating around the bush.

"Well, yeah."

"I see."

...

"Do you hate me? Playing around with your feelings as I am right now, you'd be crazy not to."

"Yeah. I probably do."

"I see. Then that puts me at ease."

If I was being honest, I didn't know for sure if I hated Haruno Yukinoshita, but for now, I had no choice but to hate her. If I decided that I didn't, then nothing would change; nothing would get better. Not for me, nor her.

I joined her in viewing the pale ceiling above, hoping to catch a glimpse of the impossible scene the hopeless damzel beside me was gazing at. Perhaps because my eyes were allegedly dead, I thought I could see it. But as I searched for it, something else found its way to me instead. More specifically, a warm sensation silently overtook my body as Haruno shifted her weight onto me, loosely embracing my shoulders and neck. I had never noticed before this moment, but she was quite heavy, and I had to flex my back and legs to keep upright and support her. It was all my incapable self could do for her in that moment.

Anywhere from a minute to a decade could have passed before she let go of me. All I could tell for sure was that her removal from both my body, and from her somber state were packed into one quick spring upward, followed by a pat on my shoulder.

"Welp, time for bed, don't you think?"

And just like that, she was back to her usual self. Acting like the emotional scene she had played out never existed to begin with, the both of us retreated to bed. It was a pretty comfortable mattress, but I wasn't likely to get to sleep so easily in such an unfamiliar room. The girl beside me couldn't have pleaded the same however, as she was sprawled across both ends of the bed sporting a terrible drinker's snore in a matter of minutes. My natural instinct would have been to move to the floor, but something compelled me to stay next to her. Call me strange, but seeing her so relaxed and off guard put me at ease. You could even go as far to say that she looked cute.

I had a long dream that night which escaped me, though what was far more relevant was the quick peck on my cheek that had pulled me from my slumber. Or so I thought, but looking around the room, I was alone. The cool white tones that creeped in through the window gave the room a distant, impersonal feeling. It was a vast contrast to the warm pinks and reds that welcomed Haruno and I the night before. I wondered if this same morning scene would have felt light and refreshing, had Haruno been by my side. Surely not.

I swiftly left the room, avoiding eye contact with the many clientele dotted throughout the inside of the building, as well as the front. The long metro ride home gave me a chance to check my phone which had been blown up with messages from a certain phone number which I had quickly figured was Hayato. He hadn't contacted me through my twitter, but through mail. Did I ever give him my contacts in the past?

"Hikigaya? This is your phone number, right?"

"I know I promised that I would leave you alone, but the situation has taken a turn for the worse, and I'm no longer in a position where I can sit back and let it happen."

"It's Haruno. She's the girl I mentioned, and she's gone missing all day. I know this might sound crazy, but you're the first person I can think of that she'd go to."

"Are you there?"

"If you find out anything at all about where she might be, please get back to me as soon as possible. Her mother is planning to give her until tomorrow morning before taking action herself."

"Please."

Ah, so that's how it was. While a message like that would have come as a shock the night before, it didn't hold a whole lot of weight to me now, nor did it add much to the story. After all, Haruno had already made both her intentions clear from the start. Meeting with me under the radar was simply an attempt to say a final goodbye to her unrealistic desires, and face reality. It's a common thing you see in dramas, where the bride will have a secret rendezvous with a surprise lover, or run off to some foreign country right before the wedding. Well, rom-com or drama, it didn't matter to me. My role in the grand plot was disposable either way. This situation was no different than any of the others I had faced before. It solved itself without my doing anything.

Arriving home at the near end of sunrise, sure enough, I got another text from Hayama explaining how the situation had resolved itself. He wasn't satisfied with how it ended and asked me for my thoughts, but I didn't reply. Obviously it was solved, so there was no point thinking about it further. I instead focused my thoughts on giving Komachi an earful for interfering in my personal affairs without my asking her to. My life was nobody else's business but mine.

Or so I thought, but my pestersome little sister was passed out on the couch, illuminated by the dim light of sunrise. She must have been waiting for me to return to berate me with questions of her own. Granted, I wouldn't have wanted to tell her even if she had been awake, but I probably would have ended up doing so anyway. Really, she went through all that trouble just to pester me. I felt a slight smile slip across my face as I thought about it. It must have looked damn gross.

I grabbed a blanket and pulled it over her, then proceeded to find my own place under it as I attempted to regain some lost sleep. Looking at the glazed black screen on my phone that I had set down on the table, my last thought was that the whole situation might deserve a bit more thought. Something was still weighing on my mind, after all. But that could wait until I awoke.

"And so, that's about the situation thus far."

I ended up telling her after all.

"Woah, that's a lot of surprising developments."

"I guess so."

"Well, isn't the answer obvious then? Come on Hachiman, not even you can be that much of an oblivious dunce."

"Sorry Komachi, but your oblivious dunce of a brother exceeds your expectations to the point where he would really appreciate an explanation from his cute little sister."

"Well, no matter how many times you call me cute, I can't say anything. If you can't figure at least that much out for yourself, then there's no point. Siscon."

Isn't that a little cruel? Hasn't everyone been a bit too cruel to me lately?

"Ah, but since I'm such a good little sister to my hopeless brother, I'll give you a hint!

"And that is?"

"You're pretty much at fault for this whole thing."

"Komachi, be careful what you say. If not even my little sister can be nice to me anymore, I might accidentally die of seppuku."

Just kidding. It wouldn't be accidental at all.

"I'm serious big bro, think about it. But if you do come up with something, let's compare answers, kay?"

"Yeah yeah, I will."

"Hey, helping you out like this is worth a lot of Komachi points, don't you think?"

"You're seriously still saying that?"

"Of course I am! Speaking of, don't you think I've got enough saved to cash them in?"

Cash them in? Are they a form a currency now? What's the exchange rate?

"Oh? And what can Komachi points buy you?"

"Some of my big brother's specially made eggs of course!"

"Eh? Are you sure that's what you want to spend them on? They might be terrible."

"Of course! Nothing could be worse than staring into your dead eyes, you know? So they'll at least be better than doing that."

Ah, I see now. So she's telling me that I'm a nuisance that should be making himself useful instead of bothering her. Thank you Komachi, I understand completely.

"I see. Eggs it is then."

After our little bonding charade accompanied by a mediocre breakfast by yours truly, I retreated to my room to think a little more deeply about the overall situation, as well as what Komachi had said. I had decided before that everything was over and done, but that was really more of a half assed assessment so that I could quickly shut the curtains on it. That much was apparent, but why did I feel the need to turn away from things so quickly?

There was no doubt that I was forcing myself back to solitude so as not to hurt myself, as I've done so many times before. It wasn't just my instinct either. Haruno pushed me into it as well; playing with my emotions, confirming that I hated her, and even going so far as to leave before I had the chance to say goodbye the next morning, as if to imply that seeing her off properly would have been wrong. So then the next big question was, why was she trying to push me away?

Something like 'she's secretly in love with me' doesn't cut it. Such a self fulfilling answer had no real logic to it, and it would be ignorant of me to fall back on something like that. So then, what other connection did I share with her? What was so special about me? Nothing in particular, right?

No, that was wrong. It was time for me to face the facts. Between our date and her rendezvous with me, there was something. Komachi was right; it was all my fault to begin with. Her constant emotional wavering, and weakness around me ever since that first day was due to the fact that I had implanted an idea in her head. The idea that even trash like me and her could find something; something genuine.

She must have pushed me away and drove me to hate her because as long as I had that idea in my head, it would continue to rub off on her. And between her position in her family and in her relationship, such an idea was dangerous. So then that was it. But if that was the case, then everything really was said and done. Yet despite that, something was still nagging me. I went back to Komachi to compare answers, and hopefully put the final piece of the puzzle in place.

"Oh, not bad. So you really aren't dense when you actually try."

She was clapping. I couldn't tell if it was sarcastic, or if my little sister was actually proud of me for something so miniscule. Either way, it was a little damaging to my pride.

"Then, I guess it's okay to give you that now."

"That? What is that?"

"One sec!"

The little girl skipped along to her room, excited as if she had been waiting for this moment to come since the day she was born. What did she have that I could have missed? The answer came quickly, as two hands stretched out in front of me holding onto a small envelope, plain in demeanor.

"What is this?"

As I opened the letter, my questions and uncertainties all faded into dust. What lay inside was a copy of a formal wedding invitation, confirming that one Hachiman Hikigaya would be attending. Haruno sending me an invitation despite trying to push me away couldn't have been anything other than either a means to crush my dreams of being with her, or an S.O.S. The old me would have thought that the first option was a clear winner, however I was no longer that desperate to cling to normalcy.

"You had something this important hidden away? And you even answered and signed it for me?"

"Big bro, that night you came home from your date with big sis Haruno all beat up, that was the most giddy and stupid looking I had ever seen you in my life. You had never told me what happened that night until today, but I could already tell back then that something in you totally changed. I even asked her over the phone, but she refused to tell me too. I knew something was definitely up when I saw the invitation in the mail, so I kept it for you until you were ready for it."

"Oi, that's some pretty underhanded and elaborate scheming you did there. Who're you, me?"

"Nope, I'm not nearly that gross! However, I'm your little sister, so even I can be rotten sometimes, you know?"

I see. So ever since then, this little brat was looking after me, and even setting things up for me behind the scenes. That must have been why Haruno was so envious. She even put all the pieces in place for me to do something about it. At this point, it would be rude for me not to.

"Hey, Komachi. Never do anything like this again."

"I know. I'm sorry for meddling…"

"Yeah, you should be. But you know, I'm really glad you did it too. So thank you."

"Aww, you big drama queen. Just be straight up about it if you're thankful."

"That's not like me at all though."

"Yep, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Hey, that's worth a lot of Komachi points, don't you think?"

"Ah, sorry. I only accept Hachiman points."

"Then I'd like to do an exchange!"

"Then, that'll be one million Komachi points for one Hachiman point."

"Ehh? That much? How narcissistic can you be?"

"Not nearly as much as my little sister can."

Chatting with Komachi like this reminded me that, as much as I liked to believe that I was alone, that wasn't completely true. I wouldn't be where I am without the help of not only her, but Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, Totsuka, Zaimokuza, and Hiratsuka Sensei, among others. Being alone was pretty nice sometimes, but the truth of the matter is that everybody wants to have somebody else that accepts even their most rotten sides. And if something like that was true for even me, then there was no doubt that it must have been true for Haruno as well. It was unlike me to meddle in somebody else's affairs without being prompted to, but this would make the second time I've done it to her. And even in the worst case scenario, I would only be making a fool of myself in front of people that I didn't care for in the slightest. But in the best, I save Haruno Yukinoshita.

That's right, I was the only one who could do this, specifically because both her and I were loners who were estranged from the regular traditions of society. We, who were truly free from ridiculous formalities and practices, could understand each other. With both the drive and the means to act, I had looked in my closet to the suit that she had gifted me, unworn for almost two years. Just below it was a box full of costumes and props of old, from my days as a chuunibyou that I had sworn away. They would serve as the prime inspiration for my unbelievably terrible scheme.

Fairytales sure as hell don't exist, and neither does the possibility of being reincarnated into one. Expecting things like that to save you would be helpless in the end. It's nothing but running away from the issue at hand. However, what's wrong with running away? People say that your problems are always bound to catch up to you, but for a loner, there isn't a problem in the world that gives enough of a damn about you to chase to the ends of the Earth. In fact, only when you turn tail does the possibility exist that, if you run far enough, you can go somewhere where your old world can't reach you; somewhere where you can start anew, in any kind of fairytale that you'd like.

"I OBJECT!"

I was totally acting out of character. Bursting through the doors leading into the chapel, I had resolved to put my plan into motion on the day of the wedding. If it didn't work, I would never forgive myself for such a stupid idea. However, if it did work, a certain somebody else wouldn't forgive me either. But that was me through and through, right? This was definitely something that only I could do.

My eccentric entrance was met with a perfect silence, followed by thorough chatter making waves throughout the decorated room. "Who is that? How did he get in here? Another one of her stalkers, probably," were among what I could clearly hear. The wedding was stationed at the near top of the headquarters of the fiance's company, and the massive windows surrounding everybody allowed the moon to spotlight all in its wake. Even god himself was in full view of my performance. What a terrible feeling.

"An objection? We haven't even gotten to the vows yet…"

The officiant stood behind the main actors of the show, halting his procedure to make light of the anomaly that was my presence. He made eye contact with a slender, mature woman who I recognized as the head of the Yukinoshita household, who sighed, and made a gesture with her hand that I couldn't quite decipher. Other reactions included scorn, unpleasant surprise, and worry. That last one came from three in specific, who happened to also be in the front row. Hayato Hayama, Yui Yuigahama, and Yukino Yukinoshita. Nobody else seemed especially surprised that I had interrupted this wedding, but surely those three knew what I was capable of, and how stupid I was about to act. Hayama's had a bit of a different feeling to it however, which I couldn't quite read.

There was one other face that stood out to me, which came from the direct opposite end of the fancy red carpet that I was staining with my presence. The groom was frozen in surprise, unsure what came next. Maybe he, too, knew what I was capable of. No, it must have been that he didn't know anything about what I was capable of was rooting his fear. There was one thing his eyes were screaming at me though, which was the clear fuel for his loss of composure. You were the one who was with her that night. What the hell was I doing? An outsider like me, going out of my way to interrupt something so above my caste.

"I… I am-"

"Guards, please escort this man away from this room, and off the premises."

The Yukinoshita mother was clearly eager to keep me from further interrupting an event that was likely more hers than anybody else's. I was already failing. I had already gotten this far, so I couldn't possibly be done for this early on, right? I hadn't seen Haruno's face thus far, as she had been looking away the entire time. However, I imagined that she might be able to laugh at me during such a serious event if I make enough of a fool of myself, and that small push was enough for me to keep going.

I flared the fingers of my left hand in front of my face, while throwing my right into the air behind me. It was terribly hard to make such cringeworthy poses in a suit, despite my weeks of practice. I made sure to shut my eyes completely as well, adding to my drastic pose, as well as preventing me from gauging the reactions of those normies surrounding me. If I saw their eyes in the next coming minutes, surely I would die of shame.

"Yes… It is I, Hi- Hikigaya Hachiman. How kind of you all to attend my wedding crashing!"

I paused, my eyes still shut, and waited for a response from the chapel. Even a snicker would have done just fine, but there was nothing. As footsteps drew louder, I had no choice but to continue without response.

"That's right. I object to this wedding, none other than for the fact that the very girl who stands at the far end of this room; who was moments away from sealing her fate with such an ill fated man; she is madly in love with me!"

I paused a second time. I was running out of time, and yet Haruno showed no signs that I was doing the right thing here. The guards, though in no rush to apprehend me, were closing in nonetheless. I could hear them coming, but was too deep in now, so I needed to continue without affirmation. That's right, I was only doing this because I wanted to. This cringeworthy facade that I had put up to impress Haruno; really, what was I doing? I wasn't getting to the point at all. Forget out of character, this whole scheme was too flimsy and idealistic to work.

"Yeah, as if! This is way too cringey, so I'm just going to get to the point. Listen up-"

My arms were suddenly pulled out, and my body was jerked backwards. I was so startled that my eyes opened on their own, and I could see the guards surrounding me. I was out of time.

Yui was holding Yukino, who was looking away. Yeah, that would just about be the right reaction to this kind of thing, wouldn't it? Well, no matter. I only had maybe five seconds left to finish the job, so I took a deep breath in, and-

"SHE'S PREGNANT WITH MY CHILD, YOU KNOW!"

And then the guards stopped. The rest of the chatter did too. But the silence didn't last long, as the affirmation I was looking for the whole time, suddenly came all at once.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

There was that deviant laugh, in an almost refreshing vigor and intensity that I never heard before.

She slowed in her exasperated expression, and then simply wore her classic, confident smile. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see it in my life. I completed my objective.

"Oi oi, seriously? That's what you were planning? God, you crack me up Hikigaya. Let him go guys, before my sides burst from this ridiculous situation."

Even though I knew making an idiot of myself was the point, wasn't that still kind of mean? Please don't be the one to break me after coming this far, Haruno.

The one who quickly shattered the eased atmosphere was her own mother, whose earlier irritation at me had turned to anger.

"What is the meaning of this!? Haruno Yukinoshita, surely you haven't been running around doing God knows what with this nutcase?"

"Well, yeah. I was hoping to hide it, but if he really intends to throw the facts out there like that, then I guess there's no point in being shy about it. I'm pregnant."

The mother, turned from anger to sheer disbelief, was about to speak up again when another voice interrupted her.

"After everything I've done. After all that you and I have been through… T- tell me at least, what does he have that I don't?"

"Well… nothing comes to mind, really. He's as dull and boring as they come. Isn't that right Hachiman?"

Then, as the dazzling girl walked down the aisle to meet me, I held out my hand. She looked like a femme fatale, in the way that she so confidently left her stage. What a girl, to be leaving her wedding to rendezvous with me. I thought to myself. There was more yelling and chaos behind her, but it was all drowned out by her stunning silhouette as she reached my palm. It really did feel like a fairytale.

She wore the very same smile as she had back then. Down the aisle, in the elevator, out the front doors, and even in her car as she drove us away. It was only then when she had dropped it.

"So… you do understand what you just did, right?"

"Well, yeah. I don't do things like that just on a whim, you know?"

No, seriously, I don't.

She sighed.

"My status, my money, and even my family name have definitely all perished by now, you know?"

"Well… that's what you wanted, right? Besides, it's not like you couldn't make your own name for yourself with your talents."

"No no, that's definitely not the point here. You do plan to take responsibility, right?"

"Responsibility? As in giving you a place to stay while you recuperate?"

Suddenly, there was a sharp halt in the car's movement, causing a jolt forward to catch me off guard. We had stopped.

"Hey… you couldn't possibly be that dense, right? Tell me, Hachiman. Why did you go through all of this trouble?"

I reminded myself of my original intent, my thoughts shrouded by the happy-go-lucky atmosphere.

"Well, you seemed trapped, and I wanted to give you an out."

Haruno sighed again; irritated, this time. She made a sloppy U-turn, then began driving with much more speed and intent than before. I really was doing something wrong here, wasn't I?

"Where are we going?"

"To a love hotel."

"W- what? Why?"

No, seriously, what was I doing wrong here?

"I'm going to have you get me pregnant for real."

"No no, wait. What is this, a porno!?"

She pulled over again. If this wasn't a back road, we definitely would have crashed by now. It never occurred to me before, but Haruno seemed like a bit of a crazy driver.

"Hey, Hachiman, do you love me?"

"Eh? Is… is that what this is about?"

"Love hotel it is."

"Wait, wait, oi! Hold on!"

"Mhm?"

"Well… I uh, you know…"

"You, uh…?"

This girl wasn't just a demon. She was Satan. I had spent this whole time avoiding my personal feelings so not to cloud my convictions, and yet here she was tearing it out of me by force. If I wasn't as honest as possible, she would definitely make me regret it. I chose my words carefully.

"I… Didn't want to see you with that expression on your face. You know, the one where you look sad and resigned. I really think a genuine smile suits you much better."

Or rather…

"I think that I just really like seeing you smile… Well, I don't know if you'd call that love though."

Hopefully that was enough for her?

"Haahhh… that's pathetic…"

Apparently not. But she wasn't frowning anymore.

"Well, that kind of half baked answer is better than nothing, I guess. "Since, after all, I love you, Hachiman."

"A- ah, is that so."

"Sheesh, you're terrible, you know that? Aren't I supposed to be the one playing around with your heart strings? Not the other way around?"

Hachiman? She even used my first name? Well, no, she had been using it for awhile. I just decided to ignore it. It's funny how I was so good at shutting out the very feelings that were driving my ridiculous actions. I figured she would ditch me at my house and celebrate her new freedom. Or at least, that's what I had told myself.

"Are you really okay with that? With somebody like me?"

A girl at the top of the world, winning at the game of life. Somebody like that surely could never be a match for me. Even after everything; after I hear the words directly out of her mouth, my instincts still tell me that it's no good.

"Are you really gonna play the self-pity card like that, after all this? Isn't that my job? You do realize that as of now, because of you, I'm a nobody, right? I'm nothing but a beautifully rotten girl. And I've already accepted that somebody as rotten as you is the only one on an equal level as me. So, what's your answer then?"

My answer? What does Hikigaya Hachiman want from this girl? Why did I ruin both my life and hers for such a stupidly hopeless dream? Am I an idiot?

"I think I'm an idiot."

"Yup, and?"

"Please don't agree with my self-deprivation so casually."

"Then shall we go to the love hotel after all?"

Back to that, huh…

"You know, I'm not all that good with things like love or relationships. I messed up once and hurt somebody because of my incompetence. It was your sister, in fact."

"Oh, really? Small world."

"Oi, I'm saying some seriously embarrassing things, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take this more seriously."

No, she'd been serious the whole time. I was the one who kept fumbling around with my words.

"Well, anyway… I don't think I can say it right now. Personally, I still think you're pretty rotten on the inside. But I think that if- if I see you smile genuinely more, maybe one day-"

Though I had been looking away the whole time, I paused my jumbled speech to get a glimpse of the face of my driver. She looked giddy, as if she was about to win some contest, and I was about to lose. It annoyed the hell out of me… or so I would usually say, but there was an ever so slight crack in the corner of her porcelain mask of a face, and just under it, I could see the hint of a real, honest smile. And so I continued.

"Maybe one day, I could say it."

"Say what?"

"Well, you know..."

"Love hot-"

"Okay, 'I love you!' One day, I can say that I love you! Will that do?"

And then I saw it. The crack had spread, widening into gaps, as the pieces of her facade crumbled onto the lap of her extravagant dress. All that remained, without a hint of deviance, was her genuine smile. The one that I had given in to two years ago.

"Well, I suppose your big sis can let it slide for now. I'm in a good mood after all, you know?"

"Sure…"

"After all that, maybe we should stay in a love hotel after all, don't you think?"

"No, I'm going to need my own bed for awhile. I don't want to keep you up with hours of violent thrashing and wishing I was dead while remembering what I just said."

"I see. Well, then we'll just check in at a regular one. How's that?"

"Well, that's fine I guess…"

Her grin didn't subside for the entire car ride, not even a little bit. You could say that this was the best mood I had ever seen Haruno Yukinoshita in. It was almost scary in its own way. And in getting lost in that smile; I could, for the first time since that date two years ago, see myself falling for her. Falling in love with Haruno Yukinoshita.