*A few hours before the start of chapter 43*

Just a few more things to finish up and I'm officially free~! I can't wait to go home~!

From the Faculty Room, I skipped all the way to the StuCo Room whenever there weren't people around. It would be unbecoming if someone saw the StuCo President doing this after all~! Even I have to act a bit formal and at times too! Today was so exhausting, I barely had time for classes because of the workload that the teachers dropped on us. Ah, but most of today's meeting were just for purposes of giving us our homework to do over the Summer Break…

I open the door to our Room to see that the lights were off. After taking a quick look around, I confirmed that no one was here. Guess I'm the first one to finish our objectives for today then~!

I walked around my table and chair, the one where I stayed for a year and half and tied the curtains to the side and then opened the windows to let the light and air inside. I always loved the view here, I can see the tennis court and much of the school grounds behind. A breeze came in as I was admiring the view. Hikigaya-kun always says that he can smell the salty scent of the sea from here, sometimes he'll just lean over here staring at the students below or at the distant buildings from afar. I remember Chisako getting angry at him for doing it a few times last year since she was afraid that he might fall off three stories below. There was one time where she thought he was going to fall and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

All he said was "Don't worry Senpai, I can probably survive the fall. Probably."

We didn't really find his joke funny and we didn't give him his favourite snacks for several Council meetings after that.

He didn't stop leaning on the window though, but at least it made him drop his dark and disturbing sense of humour.

Now with the rather recent addition of Isshiki-chan, Hikigaya-kun always keeps a watchful eye on her when she comes here and leans on the window. Some time ago I heard their voices from the hallway since they were arguing. He was nagging and berating her to always be careful while she retorted by telling him to stop treating her like a little girl. (Well, she is still a little girl so…) They sounded like a Brother and Sister duo where the latter was just entering her rebellious stage and the very much overprotective Brother still not allowing her out of his sight. He loves teasing her and Isshiki-chan's pouting and grumpy face is a daily occurrence in the Council. I love teasing him too, and Isshiki-chan would immediately jump to my side to join me. The other girls don't really mind, Iori, Rie and Shoko sometimes join in too. Although when it comes to Tetsu and Mori, the male members aside from Hikigaya-kun, they usually keep to themselves and don't really come here unless I personally tell them to. Not that I blame them, being part of any athletics-related club can really eat up alot of your free time.

Uwaah, good thing Hikigaya-kun didn't join the Japanese Archery Club when he mentioned it at the start of classes. Not that I'll forbid him from doing so or anything, I just got really fond of him and I instinctively look for him when I'm here. We see each other everyday and every Saturday, even a day or two without seeing him makes me a bit bothered.

He's grown so much over the past year…

Last year, he was always clinging to me and following me around, much like what Isshiki-chan is doing to him. With me being the closest person to him outside of his family, he always sought me out since his surroundings were still new to him. Knowing his personality, the others and I taught him everything we could. I can tell that he was still shy and nervous around strangers, that's why he tried his best in looking and acting like a member of the StuCo. He was so uptight to everyone else except to the StuCo and once the door closes, he'll collapse on the sofa from exhaustion.

Now, he's become really independent and an indispensable member of the StuCo. Though sometimes he still likes following me around, old habits die hard I guess~! I don't really mind his company, there was even a rumour that came around saying that he was my little brother or something! He also does a large part of the general work and tasks here, I have a feeling that it's his way of showing his gratitude to us. Now he even has his very own little Kouhai that's following him around! Since he was the one who invited her, he took it upon himself to teach her everything he knew, much like how we did to him the previous year.

This feeling within me, is definitely pride. I'm so happy on the way he turned out, looks like all my careful molding, spoiling and pampering really paid off~!

I'm so proud of him, he's come a long way. Once I step down, I'm sure that the Council is in good hands, assuming that he takes over for me. I've already secretly spoken to the others, almost all of them are stepping down to focus on their studies. Graduation is only a few months away after all… Those that aren't sure yet are already leaning on that decision. As lonely as it sounds, that'll leave him and Isshiki-chan the only members left…

If he follows after me as well, then there would be no one left… As selfish as it sounds, I want him to stay and take over my Seat for me, he can't keep following me around forever. I'm not going to be always be there for him and guide him after all… When I leave the school, I'm honestly really concerned and worried on what might become of him… All good things must come to and end at some point…

The last part caused an unexpected pain in my chest…

I heard the door open and I turned around to see who it was.

Hikigaya-kun dragged his feet into the room and closed the door behind him. He raised his arm upon seeing me then collapsed on the sofa using his bag as a headrest.

"Hehehe! Are you done with your rounds Hikigaya-kun~?" I say as I walk over to him. I saw him nod and mumble an inaudible reply. I fixed my skirt before sitting right next to where his head was.

He raised his head and tiredly looked up at me, at this distance I can see some dark eyebags under his eyes, unnoticeable if you don't know where to look. "Shiromeguri-senpaaaaaaaai... I'm done…" He nodded and then yawned, not even bothering to cover his mouth. If other students were around us, the act itself is unthinkable to him. It just comes to show how much he trusts me.

I smiled and looked down on him, "Hmm~! Thank you for your hard work~…" I say and gently rubbed and patted his head with my hand. He closed his eyes and had this satisfied expression on his face. Again, this is one of the many things that he only does when we're alone together. I feel really happy and privileged that I'm the only one that gets to see this side of him.

"Hmm… That bag doesn't look comfortable…why don't you rest on my lap instead~?" Without waiting for his reply, I carefully took it from under him and then moved closer so he could properly rest himself on my lap. He relaxed and made a delighted hum after he made himself comfortable. Since the back of his head was on my lap, I could clearly see the expression on his face as I looked down on him.

"Think of this as your reward~!" I pulled upwards on his pale cheeks until he looked quite goofy. He didn't really mind and I stopped when he was about to say something.

"Ah, to rest on the lap of the StuCo President herself… Shiromeguri-senpai's world-class thighs…! Truly this reward is all that I could ask for!" He said in a dramatic manner, deliberately forcing his voice to crack and wiping a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye. I giggled and then laughed at his words.

"Hooh~! I hear the Drama and Theatre Club is looking for new members! I think you've got what it takes, Hikigaya-kun!"

"If I did, then I'd definitely overshadow the main character if I were to play as the villain!"

"Hmm, you don't have to play as the villain you know?"

He shrugged and looked up at me. "Eh, from my looks, it's obvious that that's the role that I'd most likely end up as anyway."

I lightly frowned and pouted at his words. He yelped in surprise when I twisted his earlobe. Goodness, here he goes again, pulling and degrading himself like that with his self-depreciating jokes… He's been like this since the first time we met. To get my point across, I flicked his nose to which he voiced out his protest.

"Ouch! Senpai!" He furrowed his brows at me but his eyes didn't have any hostility in them. One might think that he'd sit up but he remained on his position.

"Hikigaya-kun… Shiromeguri-senpai doesn't like it when you talk like that to yourself you know~? She gets hurt just by listening to it." I say as he studied me with his unwavering gaze. After a little while, he looked away from our little staredown and sighed while pouting a bit. "Ok, I won't do it again…" He muttered something under his breath when he thought that I couldn't hear him. When I arched a brow at him, he gave me sheepish-look and whistled.

I sighed and just hoped that he'll stay true to his word.

His eyes widened as if he suddenly remembered something and he attempted to get up, but I put a firm yet gently hand on his shoulder. "Hmm? What is it Hikigaya-kun?"

"The Tea, I forgot to brew some Tea."

I shook my head and he relaxed from my words. "No, it's fine Hikigaya-kun. It's fine…"

He looked quite conflicted before opening his mouth to speak. "But Senpai…today's the last day of the semester. It's always been my job to brew tea for the Council when I'm here. I did it at the start and end of classes last year, remember? I did it too this year, it'll leave me really bothered if I don't do it."

I smiled and patted his cheek, causing a small blush to form on his face. "Oh my, Hikigaya-kun has become quite sentimental huh~… Hehehehe, I guess if you put it that way, it couldn't be helped! Up you go then."

He nodded at me and dutifully got up to start his task. I heard the sounds of teacups and the electric boiler being turning on, until it died down after its shrill sound. He went back with a tray and a small teapot and two cups and put it on the coffee table.

"Hmm, do we still have some snacks? Here, go buy some at the cafeteria…" I was about to get my wallet when he shook his head and put his hand in his bag and got a variety of crackers and sweets.

"Oh my! So many! When did you get these?" I ask when he handed me my share after carefully choosing from the pile.

"Isshiki was a good girl and hard worker so I decided to spoil her a bit. She wanted some snacks so I bought her a few. These are the ones that we kept for the StuCo." He said and sat back down next to me.

"But don't you already spoil her too much?" I giggled as I lightly hit his shoulder and gave him a sly grin. "Be careful, Hikigaya-kun~. If you keep this up she'll never leave your side and might even fall you~!"

Instead of denying my words, he tilted his head to the side with a confused expression after he froze. "Is… Is that how it looks like from your perspective, Senpai?"

"Well…" I made a thinking pose before continuing, trying to form the right words and all that. "Hmm, some might call it being a bit too friendly or you hitting on her. I even thought for a bit that you made her join because the two of you were a couple! But the others and I know that it's just you acting on your 'Brotherly Instincts!', the same way I treat you~!" I say and cheerfully patted his head.

Hikigaya-kun turned even paler at my words.

He tried to take a teacup with his shaky hands but I stopped him from doing it since he might spill and burn himself. He gulped and cold sweat started to fall from his forehead. "I-Is that so…? I guess the talk that I have my eye on the First Year girls wasn't unfounded… I can see where they're coming from at least… A-Ah, now that I think about it, what Hina said the other day that I'm a 'Senpai that preys on his cute little Kouhais' is kind of…"

Hikigaya-kun groaned from the embarrassment while he stomped his feet on the floor and violently scratched his head. "Ughh….this is so embarrassing. I must have been acting really creepy to her… No wonder I get those strange looks from the girls in her Year level! As if I was going to pounce on them or something…! UGH! Stupid me!" He shook his head as he covered his face from me to hide his shame. On the rare occasions that he gets like this, he gets so cute that I can't help myself!

I playfully nudged his shoulders with my own and poked his cheek. "Hehehe… Hikigaya-kun's siscon tendencies are showing~! Oh how funny it was, seeing the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, the one who gets the students in line and enforces the rules himself getting chummy chummy and a little bit too friendly with his own little Kouhai~…!" I laughed haughtily as his ear started getting red.

"Senpai…" He mumbled against his hand. "if you knew all of that, why didn't you tell me to stop…?" He slightly moved his hand to reveal his right eye staring at me as if I had betrayed him.

I smiled and giggled. "I couldn't possibly tell you to stop since it was so much fun~!"

I saw a smoky figure rise out of him, I curiously watched it until it disappeared when it went through the ceiling. Wait, I thought I saw it give me a salute or something…

Oh my…was that his soul, I wonder…?

I felt a sudden weight and saw that he had already went back down on my lap. His right arm was dangling on the floor while his left one was over his stomach. His face was paler than usual and his eyes completely blank and devoid of any signs of life as they blankly stared above. I hovered my hands over them and poked his cheek: no reaction.

I checked his chest and confirmed that he was still breathing. Thank goodness!

"Senpai…" He called out to me in a low and raspy voice.

"Hmm~?"

"Kill me. I can't handle the embarrassment."

I giggled and patted his head once more. "Hehehehe! We both know that I'd never do that!"

"Then I might as well jump from the window…"

"I'm pretty sure that I can hold you back and pin you to the floor at least!"

He shook his head and looked at me with his lifeless eyes. "I don't care what method you use. Put me in a headlock or choke me with your thighs so I can die from suffocation… I'd prefer the latter to be honest…"

I rolled my eyes at how he was overthinking things as usual. "Oh come on Hikigaya-kun, it's not that bad. At least they think that you're capable of emotion now! You always had this intimidating and unapproachable aura around you, but ever since Isshiki's been following you around, you're starting to smile a bit more!"

"I don't know how I feel about that…"

"Hikigaya-kun… Hikigaya-kun… Always overthinking things as usual~… Sigh. I'll never understand how you go about everyday with that kind of mentality…"

He closed his eyes and put a hand under his chin. "Mmm, kind of tiring to be honest. Sometimes I feel like I'm looking and digging for hidden meanings in conversations when there were in fact none in the first place. Oh yeah and I easily get suspicious of people but I tend to hide it pretty well if I say so myself!" He said the last part with pride and I saw his eyes twinkle as he nodded to himself.

Oh, this is new… I always had a feeling that this Kouhai of mine had trust issues. Curiosity swelled up inside me so I decided to ask him about it.

"What about me, Hikigaya-kun…? Have you ever been suspicious of me?"

He frowned at me with seriousness in his expression. "No Senpai. I've never once thought of you like that."

His words were spoken truthfully and with conviction. It caused a blush to form on my cheeks and an unfamiliar feeling in my chest. "O-Oh~! Hehehe, I'm really happy to hear that then~!"

"Umu, Senpai, if you must know, there are only three women in this world that can command and boss me around without a single word of complain from me!"

"Oh my, am I part of the Trio?" I decided not to ask about the 'Umu' part. I have a feeling that if I did, then he'd really get embarrassed.

He nodded. "Of course! The others are Hiratsuka-sensei and my Mother of course."

"What about Boss Yuuka and Maya-sensei?" I ask. Now that I realize it, whenever Yuuka-san tells him to do something, he drops his current task and immediately prioritizes her request. There have been a few instances where he left a cart full of books in the middle of the aisle, or forgetting to put the "Floor is Wet!" warning sign at work. She chewed his ear out after that.

"Oh they're always there. It's a given since I work for Boss Yuuka, Maya-sensei is really strict and scary so of course I follow her. Uhhh…there was one time where she literally made the entire class do the same routine for three hours since one of us couldn't do it properly…" The memory caused a shiver to go up his spine as he eyes darkened.

Before his demeanor could get depressed, I steered our conversation back to the right way. We talked about a lot of stuff, from work, to some interesting stuff we recently read to even just reminiscing about funny stuff that happened in the past.

His phone sounded a notification alert and I got it from his bag and gave it to him. He read it for several seconds before putting it down with a heavy sigh.

"Senpai, do you mind if I ask you for advice…?" He slightly shifted his position on my lap, I felt some of his hair go through my skirt and tickle my thighs.

I clapped my hands once. "Of course! Your Shiromeguri Meguri-senpai will always be here for you~!"

He gave me small warm smile before finally opening up. "Well… My Father has plans this month to go overseas. The trip would last for roughly three weeks. It's mostly just some of his associates, around fifteen of them I think. Some meetings and international conventions here and there…"

"Hmm, I see!"

"He…wants to bring me along. But I still have alot of work to do even on the Summer Break. Work, work, work, StuCo work, I even still have to prepare for that ridiculous event. Seriously, what was Maya-sensei thinking when she accepted that? Tch!"

I tilted my head to the side at the new information and poked his cheek to get his attention. "Hmm? Why'd you say 'work' three times? Do you have other part-time jobs?"

"Oh, well there's Boss Yuuka's of course, then my Mother's place that counts as two. By the way Senpai, my Mother would love to see you again. Remember when we tried out my card with infinite credits together for the first time at that arcade, and we had dinner at her place after?"

"Right! Your Mother's really pretty Hikigaya-kun, I can see where you got that ahoge!" I giggled but I had soon realized that we had gotten a bit off-topic. "Hehehehe... Haa-kun~..."

He rolled his eyes as a slight blush covered his cheeks. "Senpai... Please don't call me that..."

"Hehehehe, you're no fun, Haa-kun~! Well, regarding about the advice that you wanted from me…"

His eyes were expectant, and I can tell that he's really going to take my words to heart.

"You should go Hikigaya-kun. A change of scenery will be great for you!"

He hadn't expected my answer from the slightly surprised expression that he had. "A-Are you sure Senpai? I have so many things to do… I can't possibly ride off on an airplane and escape my responsibilities…"

I gave him a soft smile and gently patted his cheek. "Hikigaya-kun, it's fine to let loose every now and then. You've been working so hard over the past few months, you deserve a break too you know. You're not a machine that could go back to work after a few tweaks here and there, you're a person just like everyone else. You're trying to act all grown-up and mature for your age, but I know that it gets tiring, right?"

His eyes were staring deeply into mine, and he nodded after several seconds of silent contemplation.

"See? So if I were you Hikigaya-kun, I'd definitely grab this opportunity and spoil myself to decadence !"

He chuckled and his eyes lit up with amusement. "'To decadence…?', you mean spoil myself rotten? It's one thing to just say it and another to do it on purpose you know."

"Hmm, you're right, it has to be specific! You can make friends with those strangers you meet out there! Just be careful about those types of girls! You know! The naughty ones that lead you on and tempt you to get your wallet!" I lean down and whispered the last part directly to his ear, causing a laugh from him.

"Hai hai Senpai. I'll watch out for those scumbag Onee-sans…"

"You can also eat yourself till you burst! Ah, perhaps when Hikigaya-kun comes back…! His face'll be all like…!" I put both of my hands on the sides of my face, trying to look as pudgy as possible. He chuckled loudly from my antics.

"Ah~! You don't have to worry about gaining some weight Hikigaya-kun, I daresay you even need it! No matter how you look when you come back, you'll always be my cute little Kouhai~! Always~!" I gave his cheek a little pinch, a barely noticeable pout formed on his lips but didn't complain as I continued to pull on his cheek. Hmm, he's not really trying to stop me...

I guess I really AM part of his top three! I mean top...five! Let's test things out…

"Hikigaya-kun~."

"Yes, Senpai?"

"Your Shiromeguri Meguri-senpai is going to give you a reward for all your hard work~!"

"Umm, ok. What do I need to do then?"

"Close your eyes~." I look down on him with a small grin. There was a quick confused-look in his eyes before he shrugged and closed them.

I carefully took out my phone without him noticing and snapped a photo of him, then I fixed my hair and bangs to the side and leaned down. My vision changed until I got close enough to his face that I could count the number of hair on his eyebrow.

*snap*

He stiffened when my lips made contact with his cheeks. He was very soft, I even caught the scent of his light yet fragrant shampoo and perfume. I stayed there for several seconds before pulling away. I had some light lipstick on, so I really left some visible evidence on him added to the fact that he has rather pale skin. His naturally pale complexion now has an pinkish hue which was intensifying the the second.

*snap*

"Hehehehe~! You can open your eyes now~!" I did my best in trying to stifle a giggle. I can literally feel him heating up, he pulled in his lips and bit on it as he slowly opened a shaky left eye.

"..."

"Hehehehe~!"

"Shiromeguri-senpai…"

"Yeeesss…?"

"W-Why… Why did you have to do that…?" He was already red and steaming as a tomato. He tried to sit up but I put a hand over his chest. He didn't move a muscle after that.

"Because I love teasing you silly!" I giggled and finally laughed out loud at his reactions. He couldn't handle it anymore and put his hand over his eyes.

"Just like the prank you pulled when we were at the arcade…"

"Do you still have those photos? Y'know, when we went there!" I asked and he gave me a nod while he looked to the side with a blush from the memory as he scratched his cheek.

"Good! I love those photos that we took together~!"

"Yeah… It's in my wallet…"

"Excellent!" My fingers slid through his smooth hair as he lay there just looking at me. "Maybe you should get a new hairstyle while you're at it too."

"Maybe I should just shave my head. Hozoin I'nei..."

"Don't do that, it's a waste to cut all of this hair away! Anyway, if you do decide to go, I'll tell Boss Yuuka and Maya-sensei for you."

He shook his head. "It's ok Senpai, I'll tell them myself."

There was a knock on the door and Hikigaya-kun sat up straight before I called whoever it was inside.

"Shiromeguri-senpaaaaiiiiii~~!" A familiar feminine voice called out before we saw Isshiki-chan peek her head through the opening and walk inside.

"Isshiki-chan!"

"Good Afternoon Isshiki." We greeted her and she pointed an accusing finger at him, as if she caught him cheating.

"Oh! Hikigaya-senpai! Where were you?! I thought I asked you suuuuuuuuuuuuuper nicely to wait for me outside my classroom!" She exclaimed, then sat next to him as he started raining slaps and punches on his shoulder.

He rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead, causing a cute yelp from her. "If I did that then I would have wasted so much time."

"Grr! Why you-! Ah! These were the snack that we bought! I'll put them in the shelf for safekeeping, Senpai!" She got up and took the ones that haven't been opened yet. We watched skip away as I poked Hikigaya-kun's rib and whispered to his ear.

"Isshiki-chan is so hardworking!"

"Heh, looks like my spoiling and training worked after all."

"Hikigaya-kun, you still spoil her too much y'know…"

"But she deserves it, and I like buying food for myself too."

"Uwaaaah, you SERIOUSLY sound like a stereotypical Father who dotes on his daughter too much…"

"You're making it sound like we're married and Isshiki is our daughter…"

His words made me stop in my tracks as I felt my face start to heat up. He must have realized it too since it looked like something clicked inside him and he turned away while scratching his cheek.

A-Ah… Me and him, together…? I-It's not like I dislike him or anything…

Well…if he did ask me out…then…

I'd definitely say "Yes".

Isshiki-chan came back shortly with her own teacup in hand and sat back down at his side, she was still pouting and facing away from him. "Mou, Senpai… You're always being such a bully to me. You never know how to treat a lady like myself. Hmph!"

He arched a brow and wordlessly put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Haaaah? I don't see any lady here except for Shiromeguri-senpai. The other female occupant in the room that I am aware of is a cheeky little brat."

"GAH-! STOP. RUINING. MY. HAIR!" Isshiki-chan loudly exclaimed and proceeded to open her mouth and attempt to bite on his hand. He pulled away his hand just in time and boredly kept her at bay. I swear, it's always the same with these two.

"Uwaah…" Hikigaya-kun turned to me with a tired expression. "Senpai, this cheeky mischievous little brat is going wild again…"

"Hehehe~! Well, I can understand what Isshiki-chan means! You shouldn't be too rough with her, Hikigaya-kun! Especially since she's a girl! Fixing her hair after you're done with your little games can be tiring."

"Hmm, I see." He nodded and focused his attention on Isshiki-chan. "If I can't do that to her hair, then what if I do this instead…?" With his two hands, he went to her face and started pulling on her cheeks.

"Ouchie! I thoought you were gonna stoooop!" She complained, but she wasn't backing down. She put her two hands on the side of his face but stopped when she noticed something and tilted her head to the side. Hikigaya-kun was quick to catch on and stopped as well.

"Senpai…? There's some pink stuff on your cheeks…?" Her large round eyes looked at him inquisitively as she thought of what it might be.

I felt a jolt run up my spine when I realized what it was.

A-A-Ah! I forgot to wipe it away!

Hikigaya-kun was in the same position as I and as Isshiki-chan was waiting for him to give a reply, I started thinking on a possible excuse.

I saw him let go of her. "Huh? What do you mean…?" He asked with slight confusion in his voice.

Oh no! Don't tell me that he forgot about it! I hope he's just feigning it!

Isshiki-chan went to her purse and produced a small mirror to his face. "See Senpai! There it is! What's that?" She shook his shoulder, trying to get answers from him.

He widened his eyes and sighed. "Ugh, it must have been Hina or Yumiko that did this… Their stupid pranks and all…"

"Yumiko…? Oh! That girl that was being mean to me! I don't like her! Stay away from her Senpai! She's a bad influence on you! Oh but the one wearing glasses was really nice to me!"

"I can understand if Yumiko might come off as too strong for some but she's not that bad."

Isshiki softly touched the area where I kissed him and looked at the traces left on her fingers. "Are these…crayons…?" She asked and looked up to him. He shrugged and took out a handkerchief to wipe it away.

"I dunno, crayons or lipstick maybe. They must have drew it on my face when I fell asleep earlier in class…Tch."

"Y-Yes! T-That must be it!" I say too loudly which startled them. The both of them turned to me, Isshiki having a curious expression while Hikigaya-kun tried to look unfazed but blushed a bit when we made eye contact. Thankfully, he brought her attention to himself to save from further embarrassment.

"Isshiki, be a good little girl and drink your tea already. It's going to get cold. Here, have some snacks too."

She narrowed her eyes and pouted after being called a 'good little girl', but she let it go with a small satisfied smile on her lips. "Hai, Senpai!"

We spent the remaining time together just talking. When Iori and Rie arrived, Hikigaya-kun got up and prepared tea for them too and just listened in on us as we spoke. I still had to wait for Shoko, Tetsu and Mori so I told Isshiki and Hikigaya-kun that they can go on ahead.

"Let's hurry up Senpai~! You're gonna be late for your club thingy!" She quipped after getting her bag and grabbed onto his arm.

"Our Club President already concluded activities yesterday, so I'm free today." He said before suddenly groaning and massaging his forehead.

"What is it, Hikigaya-kun? Do you have a headache?" I asked with concern.

He shook his head. "Nothing like that, Senpai. I just remembered that I have certain…obligations to fulfill after class." He sighed and turned to the rest of us. "Well, we'll be going, Senpai."

"Goodbye!"

We gave them our farewells and watched them walk out the door.

"..."

Ah...

I know that I shouldn't be thinking about this but…

Seeing Isshiki-chan walk out with her arm around him, even though it was just a temporary thing, a short amount of time until he would gently untangle his arm from her grasp… It made me feel slightly….

Jealous.

Hello! It's me again, Ivanov117!

Sorry for the late update. I got a fever and got quarantined for two weeks, but it was nothing serious. I just so happened to get drenched under a sudden thunderstorm!

I'd rather not spoil or say too much on the happenings on the 2nd half of the chapter. Instead, I'll just list down some hints that I wrote down in the previous chapters...

Chapter 26, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 41 and 43.

By the way, Hachiman and HikiMama's dialogue was cut back in chapter 33 when they were talking about a certain girl. If you haven't realized it yet...

Review, follow, favourite or PM if you want!

See you next time!