Watching the two girls blaming themselves, Hikigaya Hachiman felt a heavy weight in his heart.
He spoke up to comfort them:
“You two don’t need to blame yourselves so much.
You did nothing wrong, and Yotsuya Miko did nothing wrong.
If you want to blame someone, blame me.
Blame me for being reckless and showing off, and blame that damned curse…”
“I was just saying that, and yet you’re taking the fault on yourself again.
When it was clearly…
clearly my fault.”
“No, Yukino-chan, it was my fault, all my fault.”
The girls began to argue anxiously.
Hikigaya Hachiman stood up, cutting them off.
“That’s enough.
Stop arguing; it’s pointless.”
Some things cannot be understood unless spoken, but some words, once spoken, only create greater misunderstandings.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui were mistaken about something again—or perhaps, some kind of sentiment.
What they were arguing about was absolutely not right or wrong, nor was it some damn responsibility.
For Hikigaya Hachiman, guessing the hidden intentions behind others’ words was a skill he had been honing for a long time.
But reading into the depths of someone’s heart?
That was something Hikigaya Hachiman never dared to hope for.
But now, facing the unmasked two, what was revealed before Hikigaya Hachiman’s eyes was a truth so clear.
These were feelings that even Hikigaya Hachiman hadn’t understood until now.
The usually sunny and cheerful Yuigahama Yui was curled up, sobbing with a gloomy face, and the usually strong Yukinoshita Yukino was gripping her fists tightly, tears at the corners of her eyes.
They looked as if they might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
In this cold and quiet activity room, something new had suddenly emerged.
“If there was no loss to begin with, what is the meaning of fighting over this ‘mistake’?
As for your feelings—I’m sorry.
I didn’t consider your feelings before, and that was my error.
I promise this situation won’t happen again.”
His words didn’t convey his true meaning; Hachiman regretted them the moment they left his lips.
He was still talking about right or wrong, which was completely different from what was in his heart.
Finding out who was at fault didn’t matter at all.
Hachiman absolutely didn’t want to reach the fake conclusion that “everyone is at fault.” He didn’t need fruit as sweet as lies, filled with hypocritical understanding and evasive relationships.
Since he understood their feelings, he had to respond to them properly.
“My words are truly lacking, but I will make my feelings clear.”
Facing the tear-reddened corners of their eyes and their lowered heads as they tried to control their expressions, Hikigaya Hachiman felt his own body trembling slightly.
If such a relationship—this arrogant, ugly self-satisfaction—could truly be allowed…
even if it were sour, even if it were as bitter as coptis, even if it were a castle in the air, even if it were just a reflection in the water, even if he weren’t permitted to maintain it.
“Even so…”
He had made a resolution.
Hikigaya Hachiman clenched his fists tightly, and even his voice began to tremble.
“Even if I…” Hachiman suddenly remembered the life-or-death battle from last night.
If that black flame had never appeared.
His nose stung, his vision blurred, and what Hikigaya Hachiman heard in his ears was the vow he had just blurted out.
“I… This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
I want to be with you both forever.”
Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui looked at Hikigaya Hachiman in surprise.
What a scummy, irresponsible thing to say.
“Hikki…”
Yuigahama Yui was the first to speak, her expression complex.
When she wanted to say more, she clamped her mouth shut.
She reached out her hand, as if wanting to touch the cheek Hachiman had buried in his hands, but they weren’t close enough to touch, and her hand fell weakly to her side.
“I…
don’t understand.”
Yukinoshita said this calmly, gripping her own hands in confusion.
Her expression was far from calm; she looked deeply pained.
“I’m sorry.” After whispering an apology to the two, Yukinoshita left her seat, not looking back once, and walked quickly toward the door.
“Yukino-chan!” Yuigahama stood up and chased after her, but she was deeply concerned about Hachiman.
After a few steps, she turned back, watching Yukinoshita Yukino’s figure disappear from sight.
Hikigaya Hachiman didn’t react; he just stood there blankly, exhaling a long breath as if he had finally fulfilled a burden of the heart.
“Hikki…”
Yuigahama gripped Hachiman’s arm, pulling him hard to make their eyes meet.
Her tear-filled eyes were pleading.
“Go after Yukinoshita.”
“There’s no need…”
The feelings he wanted to convey had been delivered; there was nothing left to say.
Hachiman managed a bitter smile and turned his face away.
“Let’s go together!
Yukino-chan said she doesn’t understand; she probably doesn’t know how to handle this either…
I don’t understand it either!
But!
But we can’t just end it like this, not knowing what’s going on!
Only now.
That was the first time I’ve ever seen Yukino-chan like that, so we must go now…”
As Yuigahama spoke, she let go of Hachiman’s arm and took his hand, but she didn’t apply any pressure, and for a long time, there was no further movement.
Perhaps Yuigahama didn’t know what to do either.
Helpless Yuigahama Yui, running-away Yukinoshita Yukino.
What on earth is this…
Hikigaya Hachiman pushed Yuigahama Yui’s hand away.
“If we’re going to hold hands, it should be at a different time.
Let’s go.
We’re going to find Yukinoshita.”
As he pulled the door open, a figure stood awkwardly to the side: Hiratsuka Shizuka.
“It seems today’s lesson will have to be postponed.”
“Hiratsuka-sensei, sorry, we’ll talk later when we get back.” Yuigahama replied, then followed Hachiman as he prepared to leave.
Shizuka grabbed Hachiman with lightning speed and pointed upward.
“Can’t this brat wait for someone to finish speaking?
Yukinoshita is upstairs.”
After hastily thanking her, the two rushed toward the upper floors.
In the place where the sunset merged, Yukinoshita Yukino’s figure appeared.
Yukinoshita leaned against the railing, staring blankly into the distance, her hair stirred by the breeze, her face full of sorrow.
Yuigahama rushed toward her.
“Yukinoshita.”
Hikigaya Hachiman called out from the side, but Yukinoshita did not turn around.
Her voice trembled as she said, little by little: “I don’t understand.”
She said it again.
Yukinoshita slowly turned her head.
Her moist eyes lacked their usual sharpness; she only gripped her hand as if pressing against her chest, ignoring her wind-blown hair, and asked in a husky voice: “What do you mean by ‘want to be with us forever’?”
“It’s…”
Words like confessing to two people at once were too scummy and irresponsible.
Hachiman could only open his mouth, speechless.
Yuigahama stepped forward and gently placed her hand on Yukinoshita’s shoulder.
“Yukino-chan, it’s okay.”
“What do you mean, it’s okay?”
Hearing Yukinoshita’s question, Yuigahama smiled foolishly.
“Actually, I haven’t figured it out either.” She stroked her bun as if trying to gloss over it, but then, under Yukinoshita’s near-interrogative gaze, her smile faded.
“But, but I…” A line of tears suddenly flowed down Yuigahama’s cheek.
“I don’t want it to just go on like this.”
As she spoke, Yuigahama hugged Yukinoshita, burying her head in the other girl’s shoulder, and began to sob.
Those tears seemed to convey something—perhaps a certain intention.
Yukinoshita gently stroked the hair of the Yuigahama who was leaning on her.
“Why are you the one crying?
You really are…
despicable.” After saying this, Yukinoshita buried her face in Yuigahama’s shoulder as well.
Quiet sobs echoed.
Yukinoshita and Yuigahama leaned against each other.
Finally, who knows how much time had passed, Yukinoshita let out a deep breath and lifted her face.
“Hikigaya-kun.”
“Oh…
yeah!”
Hikigaya Hachiman answered, waiting for what she had to say.
Yukinoshita didn’t look at him, but she said firmly and earnestly: “The premise of being together forever is that you have to be alright.
Everyone has been very worried about you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Yuigahama also lifted her face from Yukinoshita’s shoulder.
“Being together and all that, you can’t go messing around by yourself anymore.”
Yuigahama turned her face toward him, saying this with a trembling voice.
Then, a smile bloomed on her tear-stained face.
“I understand.”
Hikigaya Hachiman, having given his promise, looked up at the sky.
It was a hazy orange sky.