Outsider Syndrome | ✓

Hachiko Ending - "It's You"

Kiharu grimaced. "Ouch."

Tsumugi gingerly patted my back.

"It had to be an honest misunderstanding," Kiharu said to console me. "There's no doubt in my mind that airhead has romantic feelings for ya'."

"How can you make such baseless claims?" Sniffling, I collapsed into a crouch. "Hachi isn't interested in romance enough to read between the lines. In the first place, imagining him being 'in love,' let alone with me, is impossible."

Their silence exemplified their agreement.

"He's quick to befriend people," I murmured sullenly. "Tell them how much he cares about them. He's considerate, too, so he'll share his belongings with anyone, no matter how little he has."

"Not to mention how innocent he is," Tsumugi sheepishly added. "The other day, he asked me what the word 'intercourse' meant since it was mentioned in a show he was watching. I didn't know how to answer, of course, and he shrugged it off and went about his day."

Kiharu sweatdropped. "Someone like him is the smartest student in our grade?"

"I'm worried about his future," Tsumugi concurred.

Dragging my knees closer to my chest, I extended my lower lip. "What do I do. . . ?"

"Shiina! Shiina!" Hachi chose that moment to bumble into the scene, arms flailing, a grin stretched to his ears. "Let's walk home together!"

It was the last thing I expected. As such, my mind had difficulty wrapping my head around the current situation. It wasn't the first time he'd asked. Multiple times since our second year began, we'd frequently hung out after school, per his request. But. . .

"Aren't you busy?" I asked, hoisting myself upward.

"I let the other class rep handle it! Let's go! Let's go!"

"A-are you sure?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have asked." His hand found its way to his forehead. "Oo, Kiharu and Tsumugi spotted! I'm taking Shiina, okay? She's mine today!"

Whenever I'd gotten unnecessarily pessimistic or discouraged, his presence alone washed all concerns away. Although I knew he didn't mean much behind his words—that he was a ball of spontaneity twenty-four-seven—it supplied me with unlimited euphoria.

"Ugh." Kiharu deadpanned. "He's way too peppy for me."

Tsumugi giggled. "Take good care of her."

"I'll escort her with my life!" he dramatically proclaimed.

His hands were on either side of me, prodding me forward in that same interval. Unable to control myself, a smile identical to his enveloped my face. I complied, allowing him to lead us into our class. We procured our coats and bags, paying a brief farewell to the female class rep who was now in Hachi's previous jam, then made for the front doors.

"The snow's so pretty," Hachi mused upon arriving outside. We ambled side by side. "Do you think it's gotten thick enough to roll around in?"

"Roll?"

"Ah. You laughed at me." He pouted when I snorted. "Doesn't seeing all this make you want to build snowmen, snow forts, or make snow angels?"