"So… This is our new Service Club website?" I shifted my gaze from the laptop screen to Yukinoshita.

Yukinoshita nodded, embarrassed.

"Yukinon and I have been working on it for a month! What do you think, Hikki?" Yuigahama cut in with her usual high-pitched voice, sounding fairly excited. My eyes focussed back onto the laptop screen - a website with a background filled with pictures of dogs. It's not hard to tell which part of the website was Yuigahama's idea.

"Yeah…" I wasn't sure how to continue from there.

"Before you belittle this website any further or judge it for its background, I can assure you that we've done more than just adding a few dog pictures. I've reprogrammed the website source code to make the website more efficient. It provides anonymity to the students sending in their requests in case some of the students are too shy to reveal their identity. I've also added in a feature where students can direct their requests to a specific person within our club, should the request only concern one of us and not require much manpower or work." Yukinoshita cut in, still furiously typing away on her keyboard. "Since a certain someone likes to work on requests on his own a lot, I thought this would be more convenient for him," she added, sarcastically. I glared at her. Excuse me, weren't you against it? Why did you add a feature that would help me do so if you disliked the way I settled those requests so much? Whatever.

"Fine by me," I fell back into my chair nonchalantly. I've picked enough fights with Yukinoshita to know that any attempt of starting an argument with her would only end in getting utterly defeated. I retreated back into the comfort of my book. The reform of the website didn't concern me much anyway.

The Service Club had gotten busier lately, especially with the publicity and credit Iroha had been giving us. Ever since we helped her with her student council event she'd been spreading the word about how effective we were in helping others. Fortunately or unfortunately, we had been getting a lot more requests for help from people, so the website's reform would help organise that a lot more.

"I've also made a phone application for it, so you can just access all request through your phone. This would make it much more accessible for us. Do you guys have any more ideas on how to improve the website?" Yukinoshita followed up.

"I think we need more dogs!" Yuigahama insisted.

"No, Yui…"

I zoned out of their meaningless conversation and into the depths of my book - a skill any loner would've picked up to drown out the incessant chatter in the classrooms everyday. I spent the rest of the club session just reading as Yuigahama babbled on about the foolish additions she wanted for the website - something which I bore no interest in at all.

I finally finished it. A website which allows users to direct their requests to us individually. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had finally finished the final touches on our new website and as per Yuigahama's request, I (sadly) changed the website's wallpaper to pictures of dogs but that was beside the point. My mind wandered back to Hikigaya-kun. Finally, I can use this website's anonymous function to communicate with Hikigaya-kun without him knowing it's me and he'll never find out. I took off my glasses and massaged the bridge of my nose. I'd been working on this website reform for so long, my eyes really needed a break. But for Hikigaya-kun, this was all worth it.

"Ya-Hallo!" Yuigahama slammed the sliding door open. Hikigaya-kun and I were already inside the classroom, reading our respective books.

"Yo." Hikigaya-kun's typical, lame and boring greeting.

"Hello." I greeted back.

It was finally club meeting again. I'd waited quite a while for this but today I finally got to introduced the website to Yuigahama and Hikigaya-kun, though Hikigaya-kun didn't really appear very concerned about the website's new look. He passed it off quickly and I was disappointed. I put so much effort into making this website and this is how he treats it. I kept my cool, not wanting to leak any emotion of disappointment. Yuigahama, on the other hand, was only concerned about the "lack" of dog pictures on our website despite the background already being filled with them. I guess it was better than no one questioned the rationale behind allowing people to direct requests to us individually. I was sure Hikigaya-kun was going to interrogate me about it but for some reason he kept quiet today. I even prepared a whole list of reasons to counter him in the back of my mind but it's all futile now.

"All right, all right. I'll put some pictures of your dog too," I carried on this chatter with Yuigahama. She was always good at keeping a conversation even though it felt there was completely nothing to talk about. Probably something people would have to pick up after hanging out with the more popular kids of the school. I continued to entertain her but my eyes were constantly drawn to Hikigaya-kun as he said at his usual seat reading the book he always reads. My mind flickered back to the first day he was brought in here by Hiratsuka-sensei. She wanted me to fix him, to change him. And I really want to change him. Though, now, I'm not really sure if I'm doing it to fulfil Hiratsuka-sensei's request or… if I was just doing this for myself. Every time I saw Hikigaya-kun use his own self-sacrificing methods, I could feel my heart sink. The more he did it, the more hurt I felt. I don't know why or what I'm feeling but I needed this feeling to stop. I needed him to change and learn that his methods weren't right. I remember the time back at the bamboo road. The first time I felt as though my heart had broken into a million pieces when Hikigaya-kun pretended to confess to Ebina. It was a fake confession, yet the pain I felt in my chest was so real. So painful and unforgettable. I never really properly grasped this feeling but I knew since then, his methods had to stop. This website was the first time to changing Hikigaya-kun and his ways.

Club meeting had ended in the blink of an eye. Hikigaya-kun dumped his book into his bag and slung the bag strap over his shoulders, turning toward the door.

"Don't forget to install the application on your phone," I reminded Yuigahama and Hikigaya-kun, more specifically Hikigaya-kun. I had to make sure he would receive all the messages from the website.

"Oh. Uh… Yeah, sure," he replied, half-heartedly. What a promising response.

"Of course!" Yuigahama's cheerful reply was a stark contrast to that of Hikigaya-kun's. "See you guys next meeting!" She flashed her smile. But Hikigaya-kun and I long realised the emotions behind her smile were much more than meets the eye.

It's been a while since all those things happened, yet the bonds between the three of us still felt quite strained. Improving, but strained. Perhaps it was unavoidable since Hikigaya-kun and I were both really bad with interpersonal interactions and having Yuigahama try to bridge us all together was a tall order. She couldn't keep this relationship from running out of steam eventually even if she tried her hardest. I knew deep down that there would come a day this club would turn completely silent. We'd have nothing to say to each other anymore and just sit in the classroom, each reading our book and Yuigahama just texting on her phone. But how I wish I was terribly wrong, or at least that this day would come much later. I was still learning about how the whole concept of friendship worked. Maybe I could master it before that day came and prevent it for coming. For now, all I could do was hope. Hope that the three of us could continue being us. The words Hikigaya-kun said at the Kasai Rinkai Park reverberated through my mind again. I will struggle for the friendships in this club and I know Hikigaya-kun and Yuigahama would too. I slowly regained faith, that we would stay friends. As Hikigaya-kun said, only through struggling for it will we find something genuine. I'm sure our friendship will withstand the difficulties to come. I looked out the window into the evening sky as my mind continued to wander.

The evening sun coloured the sky a beautiful orange. The clear sky gave way to the sun's rays, casting shadows all over the ground. With my bag slung over my shoulder, I continued my way home. Ugh. I really don't understand people. It's been too long since I've properly interacted with people. And now, when I finally have friends that I care about, I struggle to keep their friendship. I kicked the stones on the pavements. I was getting frustrated. Ironic how we talked much better when we just met, throwing insults at each other without giving much of a damn but now that we're much closer, and we've been through so much together, talking to them just seems so much… different. I couldn't explain why, it just was. Sigh. At least you'll stay with me forever right. I looked down at my shadow and muttered. Maybe I was wrong all along. I was destined to be an unpopular loner, regardless of whoever I met. No matter how hard I tried, I'll always be the unpopular loner, the one left with no friends.

No. I tightened my grip on my bag strap. We'll make it through this. I forced myself to think. I'm not letting the first two friends who mattered so much to me slip through my fingers. We'll be good friends again. I quickened my footsteps anxiously. I felt so helpless. I didn't know what do apart from hope for the best. I always lived my life thinking that I should never hold (for hope) but this time, it felt like the only thing I could do. Never in my life had I felt so hopeless…

"Onii-chan!" I was greeted by my younger sister upon opening the house door. Komachi was clad in her newly-bought Soubu High School uniform. It's been days since the announcement of her success in getting into Soubu High School, yet she was still overwhelmed by her excitement. "What do you think, Onii-chan! How do I look?" She posed for me in her favourite pose - one hand pointing to her cheek and the other on her hip.

"Adorable," I answered, without taking a second glance at her. She'd asked this same question for the past few days already. I dropped my bag on the ground, removed my shoes and placed them back into the shoe rack.

"Onii-chan, can't you reply with something more original like 'Oh, you look beautiful no matter what you wear.'," she squealed. "I bet that just scored me a lot of points!" She continued with her catchphrase. She spun around in her uniform as the skirt twirled along with her in the air.

"Mm," I acknowledged, I wasn't in much of a mood to entertain the ever-hyperactive Komachi. The thoughts plaguing my mind never failed to dampen my spirits.

"I can't wait to go to Shoubu High School! I'll even join the Service Club! And we can have club meetings together with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita! We'd drink tea and eat cookies together…" she babbled on about her idealistic first year in high school, maybe too idealistic. She wasn't aware of all the events that happened to the club recently but I presume it's better she didn't know. I really appreciated having a younger sister. She would always be there with her cute personality to cheer me up, even if it were just a little bit. The corners of my mouth curved up slightly as I continued to listen to her describe her ideal first year in high school. The naivety of children will always be something I envy.

"So," she cut off from her ramble, her tone becoming much more serious. She lay on the sofa with her hands supporting her chin as she stretched her neck to look at me, her grin still plastered onto her face. "How's it going with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita?"

The question caught me off-guard. "Huh?" I exclaimed subconsciously. What's with the sudden question. Did she know about everything that happened?

"I mean, it's been a few months since you've known them. I've pulled out all the stops to get you together with one of them but you seem to be going nowhere! Have you decided on which one of them you want?"

I paused. I never pondered upon this question before.

"Do I have to pick one?"

"You can't be dating two girls at the same time! That doesn't work, Onii-chan!" she raised her voice, shaking her finger at me.

"Can't we all just be friends in the same club?"

"If that's what you wish Onii-chan. But… is that really what you wish for? You could date one of them and be friends with the other!" She got off the couch and inched closer towards where I was seated. "I'm just looking out for my Onii-chan, you know. Don't want him to be a ninety year old bachelor. Friends are important, but maybe you should consider a partner. You have two eligible girls in the Service Club, whomever you choose I will support your decision!" Her face was practically in my face as she finished her sentence.

I sat still, stunned. The sudden, yet realistic question froze me at my place. Komachi noticed my surprised reaction and my inability to follow up with her question.

"Well, I'm going to shower now, Onii-chan! Take good care of my uniform!" She skipped into the bathroom, saving me from the situation.

I sat at the dinner table I was at, my mind still processing what Komachi had said. High school was coming to a close. The two girls I've held so closely to the past few months. My time with them will inevitably come to a close as well. I never thought about any of them romantically until Komachi had mentioned it. My past experiences made me cynical about boy-girl relationships but for once, I felt truly special to a girl. Not like the way Kaori was nice to everyone, but I felt more than that to the two of them. Now that I started thinking about it, I don't know what to do. I've never attempted to decide between Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. Yuigahama - the upbeat girl who's given me chocolates twice and Yukinoshita - the cold, icy queen masking her feminine side which I find adorable. It would be impossible for me to pick between these two. I shook the thought from my head. No, that may not even happen. I'm not even sure if I'll carry on talking to the two of them. Right now, it's more important we just stay friends. Any romantic relationship has a chance of ruining our friendships forever. I know that. I've been through that.

I spent the night tossing and turning at the thought of choosing between Yuigahama and Yukinoshita - what I thought I'd already passed off as a near-impossible situation. The future only fills us with depression and anxiety. I pressed my pillow against my face. Just sleep. I tried to fight my insomnia-inducing thoughts. I knew life as a loner was much better. No need to deal with all these complex emotions. Ugh. The social life. But I knew deep down, I never regretted joining the Service Club.