A lot of people ask me, "Why do you do things the way you do them," or they ask, "Why are you the way that you are?"
And I don't really know how to respond to that.
Maybe I'm just influenced by what I see and hear everyday, or maybe I have a complete disregard for everything I see and hear. There's no difference.
Maybe it's because of how my parents raised me up and how they cared for me, or the lack of care they may have shown me.
Maybe it's the relationships I've built with the people around me.
Whatever it may be, I don't have an answer for anyone who asks me those questions.
Y/N: "Why am I even thinking about this...?"
I sat in class, shaking my head, eventually placing it down onto my desk. I never really had anyone to talk to whenever I was in here.
Even in other schools, I'd always be seated away from all my friends, so I never really ever got a chance to speak to any of them besides the 5 minute break between classes.
That's partially the reason why I'm so used to using myself as an excuse to do things.
Take recently, for example, Sagami.
When we were on the roof, alongside Hayama and two other girls, I spoke her true colors, showing what she was doing under every piece of makeup.
In the end, the entire school knew what I had done, and they ridiculed me for being the rude one. Which, to be fair, was true.
But it didn't really bother me in the slightest. The most I missed out on was a party, which I wasn't planning on going to anyway.
No one looked at Sagami's dark side, or her true intentions behind her actions. They all looked at me for showing them off. I took the hit instead of Sagami.
I've always acted that way before as well. Where I simply throw myself out there to take the hit instead of someone else, not because it's noble, but because no one gets hurt.
No one but me.
But I'm practically the embodiment of, "no one," so in the end, the problem is resolved and we all move on with our lives.
That's the way I've been doing things for a long time now, and I'm not ashamed of it. There has been no one that sympathizes for me, besides myself.
You get kind of used to that after a while.
Totsuka: "H-Hey, Y/N!"
Y/N: "Hm? Oh, Totsuka." I sat upright in my seat instead of laying down.
Totsuka: "Hey! So, uhh, y'know how we're going on the whole field trip thingy?"
Y/N: "Yeah, I know."
We were having a field trip to go to some cultural sites in Kyoto.
Totsuka: "R-Right! So, umm, I wanted to talk to you because... The c-class is supposed to be put into groups and stuff... and I don't have anyone to group with..."
He pressed the tips of his fingers together, looking at me shyly.
God, if I were gay I would've already kissed Totsuka at this point. Actually, if I'm thinking about kissing Totsuka while I'm still straight, does that make me not-straight?
I brushed off the idea for the time being.
Y/N: "You don't have anyone to group with? I'm pretty sure you could ask anyone and they would gladly group with you."
Totsuka: "Y-You're right! Sorry for bothering you! I just wanted to group with you first before anyone else... B-But you're probably in a group already, so I'll just leave..."
Totsuka turned away sadly, probably under the impression that he was wasting my time.
Y/N: "Hey hey, it's fine. I'm not in a group so don't worry about it. We can group together, alright?" I said, sympathetically.
Seeing a sad Totsuka is a sin against the world.
Totsuka: "R-Really! Great! Thank you, Y/N-san!"
He bowed down to me, blushing wildly, as he went to go leave the classroom.
As he happily ran off to leave the room, he waved goodbye to me, but was blind to what was happening in front of him.
Before he noticed, someone was opening the door and entering the room. Totsuka accidentally crashed into the person, getting pushed backwards.
Totsuka: "Ah, sorry!"
Hayama: "No worries."
Hayama emerged from the other side of the door, smiling a little, as he assured Totsuka that everything was alright.
As Hayama was entering the room, Ebina and Hachiman followed closely behind him.
Totsuka walked past them, waving to Hachiman, and eventually leaving the classroom. Hayama and Ebina went to their usual spot in the back of the classroom to hang out with their friends, whilst Hachiman went back to his seat.
Also, I should probably name off Hayama's entire friend group, just to remind myself for the hundredth time.
Hayama's friend group consists of Miura, Ebina, Yuigahama, Tobe, and two other irrelevant people.
Moving on, I was going to talk to Hachiman to comment on how it's weird to see him with anyone besides himself, but I decided not to.
Yui: "N/N, hey!"
Yuigahama appeared next to me suddenly. However, I was mostly unfazed by this antic, mostly because she's done it many times before.
Y/N: "Mm." I grunted softly, acknowledging her presence.
Yui: "I was wondering if you were going to be dropping by the Service Club today." She said, leaning forward to get closer to my ear.
Y/N: "Naturally."
Yui: "Great! I'll see you there, then."
She smiled happily, turning around with a giggle, and going back to Hayama's friend group.
I took a deep exhale, releasing any exhaust that I may have had built up.
Once again, here I was, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
The most interesting thing that had happened all day was when Totsuka approached me, saying that he wanted to be in a group with me.
Of course, things were going to get a little more interesting throughout the day.
Timeskip to the Service Club
Looking overhead, I noticed that there was an added amount of stickers placed onto the sign. Not that it really meant much, but I'm surprised Yuigahama would go through the effort of having to reach that high in order to place a sticker...
She must be using a stepping stool of some sort.
Opening the clubroom's doors, I was met with a comforting sight of the entire room.
I watched as a naturally beautiful Yukino poured tea into two 3 small cups, and an eager Yuigahama waited for her tea impatiently.
A lonely Hachiman disregarded the fact that the tea was there entirely, probably because he thought he wasn't getting any.
Yui: "Ah, N/N! Welcome!"
Yukino: "Welcome, Y/N." She poured tea into the third cup.
Hachiman simply nodded towards me. I nodded back, and greeted the two other girls in the room.
Yukino handed a cup of tea to Yuigahama, and Yuigahama exclaimed how happy she was.
Then, Yukino passed a cup of tea to me. I held onto it, waiting for it to cool down a little.
Finally, she grabbed the last cup of tea, and looked towards Hachiman. Hachiman looked back, a little confused, but then Yukino quickly brought the tea up to her face, taking a sip from it.
Yui: "*sigh* I wish we could've gone to Okinawa instead of Kyoto. What's there to do in Kyoto anyway?"
She complained about the destination of our field trip, drinking from her cup of tea.
Yukino: "There are plenty of things to do. For instance, seeing and experiencing Japan's culture firsthand." She said, returning back to her original seat.
Hachiman: "I don't think that's why they gave us a field trip."
Yukino: "Ara? Then, what is the reason?"
Hachiman: "To control us. They give us a field trip to somewhere so they can have the impression that no matter where they take us, we'll always be under them."
Yui: "...I bet you're no fun on field trips, Hikki."
Yukino: "*sigh* What about you, Y/N?"
Y/N: "I don't even know what's in Kyoto, so I don't know how I'm supposed to be excited."
Yukino bowed her head low, as a form of disappointment. Probably judging the three of us because of our lack of historical knowledge.
Yukino: "Isn't familiarity with Kyoto common knowledge?" She took a sip from her tea.
However the three of us weren't put down by her words.
Mostly because we instantly noticed that she had a guide book on the table in front her that read, "Kyoto Travel Guide! Learn all about Kyoto's world heritage sites!"
Yuigahama tried to stifle her laugh, covering her mouth with her free hand. Yukino looked over to her judgingly.
Yukino: "Is something funny?"
Yui: "N-No! It's nothing! Nothing!"
Yuigahama waved her hands in the air, still laughing a little bit.
Then we heard a knock at the door.
The door quickly opened, and two people entered the room.
As the two people walked through the door, it was revealed to be Hayama alongside Tobe. Tobe stood behind Hayama hesitantly, and Hayama walked in with a half-hearted smile on his face.
Yukino: "Do you two have business here?"
Hayama: "He wanted some help, so I brought him here."
Tobe stood nervously next to Hayama. Suddenly, he loudly exclaimed.
Tobe: "W-Wait a second! I don't think I can ask for help while Y/N-kun is here..." He shook his head, looking down to the floor.
What does this have to do with me?
Hayama: "We're the ones that came to ask for help." He said, looking pitifully at Tobe.
Tobe: "Y-Yeah, but I can't tell Y/N-kun about stuff like this! He doesn't seem trustworthy at all...!"
Yui: "You-... Tobecchi, was that really necessary??" She looked at him angrily.
I don't know how I was tied into this whole situation whatsoever. It seemed kind of weird to not give the request to an entire clubroom because one person was at fault.
Yukino sighed, looking down to her cup of tea.
Yukino: "Well, I'm sorry to say this, but could you please leave?" I got up from my seat, understandingly.
I took the cup of tea that I had with me, and started walking out the room. I walked past Hayama and Tobe, to which, they hardly acknowledged me at all.
Drinking from my cup, I went to reach for the door-
Yukino: "Hold it. Where do you think you're going?"
Y/N: "Huh?"
She brought her head up to face Hayama and Tobe.
Yukino: "I was talking to those two."
They looked confused for a few seconds, then they opened their eyes in shock.
Usually, the customer is treated with the utmost respect. Some even go as far as to say, "The customer is never wrong!"
So, the fact that they had been asked to leave was pretty surprising for them, myself included.
However, it didn't stop there.
Yukino: "No manners, no sense of propriety, you never even said, "Good evening," when you entered. On top of that, you disrespect one of our members. I don't see why we would need to provide any of our services for people like that. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave right away."
She spoke quickly, trying to make them leave faster, as she took a sip from her cup of tea.
Hayama and Tobe stood there a little frozen, before Hayama eventually caved in.
Hayama: "Well, I guess we were mistaken... Tobe, let's go. We can figure this out somewhere else."
Hayama went to go leave the room.
Damn, do I really seem that untrustworthy? Maybe it's because of that situation that happened with Sagami that makes them skeptical of the way I do things.
I looked to the floor, another little part of me dying inside. No matter how many times I say that I'm used to it, it still hurts a little. To be called unsatisfactory isn't a great feeling.
Tobe: "N-No! I can't back out of this! Listen, the things is-!"
Small timeskip...
Yui: "Really?!" She beamed happily.
Tobe had just explained to us a very lengthy story about how he fell in love with Ebina, and how he wants to build his relationship with her intimately.
Basically, he wants our help to get them hooked together.
He had his seat placed in front of all of us, with his head cocked away. He was probably embarrassed to admit something like this to people.
Yui: "Of course we'll help! I love that sort of thing! We'll back you up!"
Yuigahama seemed very optimistic, however Yukino wasn't all that happy.
Yukino: "Looks like we won't be able to help after all."
Yui: "Huh?! Why not?? Let's help him..."
Yukino looked over to me for some help.
Y/N: "...Huh?"
Yuigahama looked over to me, with twice the amount of look for help on her face.
Y/N: "N-Now hold on.."
I sighed, wondering if I should accept this or not. I mean, I don't really see the problem in the entire situation. We just have to get them hooked together, right?
Y/N: "*sigh* Sure, why not?"
Suddenly, Hayama took a glance over to Hachiman. Hachiman brought his head down, then spoke.
Hachiman: "Our attempts might not be serviceable. Our scope lies beneath that of human emotion."
Hayama: "Well, if that's the case then I guess it can't be helped-"
Yukino: "One moment. Can you continue with what you said, Hikigaya-kun?"
Hachiman: "Ah, well... Y'know... Emotions are tricky to deal with and all. Plus, we hardly know what Ebina likes, what she finds romantic, or if she even likes Tobe in the first place."
Yui: "I can help with that! I'm already friends with Ebina, so..."
Yukino: "Well, it looks like we've got an insider."
Yui: "I'll ask her tomorrow, then we can move on from there!"
This was all going well for the time being, but something was still itching me. I eventually settled with the fact that it had something to do with Hayama.
Hayama was always pro-active, outgoing, and positive for his friend's outlook. But now he seems extremely doubtful, almost like he doesn't want to help.
I discarded the thought for now.
Timeskip to the next day.
Yukino: "*sigh* Okay, let's start with Tobe-kun's good attributes."
Y/N: "..."
Yui: "..."
Hachiman: "..."
Yukino: "Alright, let's move on."
Tobe: "A-Already?!"
Y/N: "Maybe we should focus on what Ebina actually enjoys, and steer Tobe in that direction."
Tobe: "Oh, right! Yuigahama-san, did you ask Ebina what she thought about me?"
He brought his head forward eagerly.
Yui: "O-Oh, right...!" She looked away nervously.
That nervous look either means Ebina thinks of Tobe like a friend, or doesn't like Tobe whatsoever.
Still looking away, she stuttered out her words, until she finally got something out.
Yui: "Umm... She said you were nice... I think?"
Ouch.
If any girl ever says that, it immediately disregards the possibility of them being a potential lover in the girl's eyes.
Tobe: "That's extra points, right?"
For fuck's sake...
A few hours later...
Yui: "Alright, this is the plan! Ebina said she really likes Kyoto, so when we go there for the fieldtrip, we just have to get them to be together for most of our time there!"
Hachiman: "*sigh* Are you guys sure about this? You might just be wasting your time..."
He spoke pessimistically, as he always did.
Yukino: "I see no reason why we mustn't try. Our reputation as the Service Club is to be of service. We might as well put effort into this."
Then, just like yesterday, there was another knock at the door.
Usually it takes at least another week or so for someone to come with a request, so it caught us at a bad time.
Yukino: "...Come in."
The door opened, and a girl stepped into the classroom.
Ebina: "Good evening!"
Goddamnit. Of course it had to be her. The ONE person we're trying to hook Tobe up with.
Things are going to get complicated, I'm sure of it.
Ebina: "Yahello, Yuigahama!"
Yui: "Yahello~!"
What kind of tribal meeting is this?
Yukino: "You may take a seat wherever you like."
Ebina walked towards the table we were situated around, grabbing one of the chairs and placing it in front of all of us.
She smiled happily, but then she suddenly got a lot quieter when she started speaking.
Ebina: "W-Well, actually... I came by today to talk about... Tobecchi..."
Yui: "R-Really?! What is it??"
Ebina: "Umm..." She shuffled in her seat a little bit, looking in all other directions.
Yui: "What is it???" She spoke excitedly, anticipating Ebina to say something positive about Tobe.
Ebina: "Tobe... Tobe has been talking a lot with Y/N-kun, hasn't he~? AHH~ THE PERFECT TRIANGLE OF LOVE~! HAYAMA-KUN, TOBECCHI, AND Y/N-KUN~~~"
Yui: "...Um-"
Ebina: "A-And Tobecchi has been giving Y/N-kun suggestive looks too, EHEHE~!" She wiped drool off the side of her mouth.
Why am I alive right now? And why do I have to be shipped with other guys that I hardly have any relation to...
Any form of optimistic outlook that I had was completely lost at this point.
Ebina: "Listen up, Y/N-kun. I want you to invite Tobecchi and Hayama-kun to your hotel unit, then seduce them and tell me all the spicy details~"
Y/N: "Hell NO."
Yukino: "*sigh* What are you trying to get at, Ebina-san?" She said, awfully annoyed.
Ebina: "A-Ah, well... It's just that the group between the boys doesn't feel the same anymore. I just want things to stay the same they were before... B-Buuuut, I do want Y/N-kun to be added to their group, so I can see all the boys together~" She had a stupid smile on her face.
Yui: "Things aren't the same between the boys? Well I mean, I'm pretty sure there are some relationship issues that could happen between boys as well, right?"
Ebina: "Relationship issues between boys... My goodness, Yui-chan, how lewd~"
Yui: "H-Huh?! Did I say something weird?!"
Y/N: "No. Everything you said was perfectly acceptable."
Ebina: "Well, that's all I really came here to ask for. I'm counting on you, Y/N-kun!"
She happily got out of her seat, then promptly left the clubroom afterwards.
Yukino, Yui, myself, and Hachiman were frozen for a few moments, trying to process what just happened.
Yui: "..."
Y/N: "..."
Hachiman: "..."
Yukino: "...What was that?"
Hachiman: "I'm not sure, but what I think she wants is for them to all get along, so we'll just focus on that I guess."
Yui: "Yeah, I guess so... She also said that she wanted Y/N and the other guys to be friends. Is it really that easy to become friends with other people, Hikki?"
Hachiman: "..."
Yukino: "...Yuigahama-san, I think that was highly inconsiderate of you. You should never ask for advice from Hikigaya-kun in regards to making friends. Be more respectful next time."
Hachiman: "Listen here...!"
Timeskip to the day of the field trip...
I was at a train station, waiting for the scheduled train to come by for the school field trip.
I had my small luggage, with my small amount of clothes packed, since there was apparently a laundromat that was nearby the hotel I would be staying at.
Of course, I wasn't here on my own. Over time, the rest of my classmates made it here. The one I was anticipating the most was my partner Totsuka, of course.
Especially considering there were a lot of people that were here that crowded the place up a lot, which made it harder to find the people I knew.
Finally, after a few more minutes of waiting, I saw Totsuka come from the distance with his trademark smile.
Once he made it here, I felt a little more comfortable, rather than standing all by myself with no one near me.
Besides Totsuka, there were also many other people that eventually made it here over time.
Most notably, Hayama, Miura, Yuigahama, Hachiman, Ebina, Tobe, and Kawasaki-san.
Our class (2-F), was separated from the upperclassmen, mostly because they were leaving to go to Kyoto at a different time than us.
What that means is that Yukino is unfortunately not with us.
On top of that, she's mostly going to be separated from us for a majority of our field trip time here, because the upperclassmen have a different schedule for almost everything.
On TOP of that, she'll also be staying at a different hotel that's a block or two away from ours.
All in all, we won't be seeing her much...
Yui: "Ah, it's here!"
A train pulled into the station, and we all attempted to board. However, because there were also a lot of other people in the station, a big portion of our classmates got split up.
In the end, I was just left with Totsuka, and the rest of our classmates went ahead of us.
Totsuka: "L-Looks like it's just us, huh..."
Y/N: "Yeah... We probably won't be able to sit next to them with all these other people boarding the train."
Totsuka: "That's fine! As long as we're both together... right?" He spoke in a quiet voice.
Y/N: "Y-Yeah..." CONTAIN YOURSELF, Y/N.
Eventually, we got onto the train, passing by row after row, even going past the rest of our classmates, until we made it to a section of empty seats.
Totsuka went to place his luggage on an overhead compartment that was in the train, but he couldn't manage to reach high enough to get it inside.
Y/N: "Here, let me take that for you."
Totsuka: "A-Ah, thanks!"
He handed his luggage to me so I could place it inside the compartment. After putting his luggage inside, I put mine in as well, then we both sat across from each other.
Totsuka took the seat nearest to the window. I took the seat on the opposite side of him, so we were facing each other. However there wasn't too much leg room, so we ended up awkwardly maneuvering until my legs were spread out and Totsuka's sat in the middle.
Totsuka: "Ah... It's kind of cramped, huh..."
Y/N: "I guess so..."
We looked away from each other in embarrassment, but it quickly subsided when Totsuka started some conversations.
He talked about how beautiful it was outside, as he brought his head forward to look outside the window. I brought my head forward too, to see the beauty alongside him, but we got a little too close to each other, to the point where our ears were basically touching each other.
Totsuka blushed a little bit, as he apologized, but he never backed up from his spot. It was almost like he didn't mind staying this close to me.
I might as well start dating Totsuka at this point. I'm having better chances with this guy than almost any other girl in my life.
Besides Yukino, of course.
Suddenly, we saw Yuigahama walk over.
Totsuka: "Ah-, Yuigahama-san!" We backed away from each other.
Yuigahama looked utterly exhausted, as she took the seat next to me. She sighed deeply, sliding down in her seat as she spoke.
Yui: "It's really not looking good between Tobecchi and Ebina..."
Y/N: "What happened?"
Yui: "*sigh* So, Tobecchi and Ebina are both sitting in front of each other, but Ebina is only ever talking to Kawasaki-san, who is right next to her. Also, Tobecchi is too freaked out by the fact that Kawasaki-san is there, so he can't keep up a conversation at all..."
Totsuka: "Maybe they just need a situation where they are alone together, isn't that the best time for Tobe-kun to build his relationship?" Totsuka spoke quickly.
Wait a minute... Totsuka?
Y/N: "Huh? How do you even know...?" We never even told Totsuka that Tobe had feelings for Ebina, so how would he know?
Totsuka: "Ah, well... Remember back when we went to go Chiba Village?"
Oh yeah, our summer vacation. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I distinctly remember traumatizing the little kids, but I think what Totsuka is referencing was something that I wasn't a part of.
Totsuka: "The boys had to share a cabin with each other. We ended up on the conversation of which girl we liked, and I remember Tobe-kun saying that he thought Ebina-san was really cute."
Yui: "Interesting... Also, you may be right. We should try and find a way to get those two to be alone together."
Y/N: "Even then, I don't think anything important would happen. I think it would be filled with mostly awkward conversations if they were alone together."
Yui: "True..."
The three of us sat in worry for Tobe. Despite our efforts as the Service Club, it really doesn't seem like this is something we can take care of.
Of course, that doesn't mean we're going to stop. We still have to give it a shot, even if the result doesn't come out perfectly.
Y/N: "Oh, that reminds me. How's Hachiman doing up there?" I wondered, mostly because he's not very good around a bunch of people he mainly dislikes.
Yui: "Mostly pessimistic. He isn't exactly positive on anything happening between Tobe and Ebina. I swear, he's starting to sound Hayama-kun..."
So she noticed it too, huh? Hayama was awfully pessimistic with the idea of a relationship between Tobe and Ebina.
Yui: "Well, we gotta keep goin'! I'll see you again at the end of the ride, 'kay?"
Y/N: "Mm." I nodded my head.
Yuigahama got up from her seat, waving to us goodbye, before finally leaving.
Ever since Hayama first walked into the clubroom with Tobe, he's been nothing but unsupportive.
At any chance he got, he suggested that they should just leave to go elsewhere.
It seemed a little out of line for Hayama.
I sighed, trying to rest my suspicious thoughts on him. Totsuka seemed to pick up on my stressful thinking, as he asked if I was alright.
I told him I was fine, but I don't know if I really meant it.
I've used that lie so many times in my life, I'm not sure if I even mean it anymore.
Totsuka: "Well... If you need anything, just let me know! I'll try and help, okay?"
Y/N: "Of course. Thank you, Totsuka." I smiled at him.
He looked at me happily, and we sat comfortably for the rest of the train ride.
Timeskip to the end of the day...
By the end of the day, we had finally made it to Kyoto, but we were all awfully exhausted by the train ride to get here.
Thus, when we all finally went to the hotel, we all went to our respective rooms and fell asleep instantly.
Nothing interesting happened for the rest of the day either, besides the fact that we were finally in Kyoto after a very long train ride.
Understandably, we were all very tired, so as soon as we got the chance, we headed straight to bed.
Thankfully, the only person I was sharing the room with was Totsuka, so it would be fine to sleep together.
I feel like I've been getting a little too comfortable with Totsuka recently... Maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like so much has happened between us today compared to anything we've done together in the past.
Nonetheless, I had done enough thinking for the day, as my brain had been working overtime. A much needed rest was due.
Of course, tomorrow would be met with more brain power, but that's a problem for tomorrow. I always find a way to manage, even if It's not the best way.
I rested my head onto my pillow, sleeping on my side, facing towards Totsuka. We had an extremely large bed to rest on, so I don't think I needed to worry about any awkward positioning in order to sleep.
A few minutes had passed, and it was only when Totsuka spoke when I realized that I had been looking at him for a long time.
Totsuka: "U-Um... Y/N... You've been staring..."
Y/N: "S-Sorry... Bad habit I guess." I looked away.
Totsuka: "Clearly, hehe~"
He shuffled in place, pulling the blanket we shared closer to himself. He had almost entirely tucked himself in with the blanket, but in the end, I was left with a very small amount of blanket to cover myself with.
It was only enough where I would have to sleep straight. If I curved my legs slightly, my foot would definitely peek out.
Y/N: "That's not fair, y'know."
Totsuka: "I know..." He smiled smugly.
I pulled the blanket closer to myself, attempting to cover more of my body, but he quickly held the blanket tighter, making it difficult for me to get ahold of it.
God, why can't I even sleep peacefully?
Timeskip to the morning...
I woke up, and was immediately greeted with Totsuka's face being a LITTLE too close to mine.
I instinctively tried to back up, but then I realized that one of his legs was wrapped around both of mine. The only thing that was separating us both was the blanket.
My face quickly flushed red, as I continued to attempt to leave his grip, but it was impossible without waking him up.
I took another look at his still-sleeping face. He seemed awfully calm, but I guess that's only because he wasn't awake just yet...
Well, I guess this isn't too bad, all things considered.
Totsuka: "Y/N~..." He moaned my name in his sleep.
Y/N: "ALRIGHT, TIME TO WAKE UP!" I shouted in embarrassment.
Totsuka: "Ngnn~... Too loud..."
He squinted his eyes, eventually opening them to look directly at me.
I expected him to go red in embarrassment just as I did, but he actually was awfully calm.
Totsuka: "Good morning, Y/N~" He spoke, a small tint on his cheeks.
The devil is desperately trying to tempt me into falling in love with him, and it's working...
Smol Timeskip...
After getting changed in the morning, we headed out to meet with the rest of our classmates in the hotel lobby.
Once everyone was there, we eventually all left the hotel lobby to go to a large collection of vans and vehicles that would be taking us, as well as the upperclassmen, to a place that inhabited much of Kyoto's culture.
We had no EXACT idea of where we were going, but I don't think any of the students actually cared.
A/N: "Alright, the setting is hard to describe, but I'll try and tell you here.
This is a place of worship, in which there are many temples. The most popular of the temples is the Kiyomizu temple (meaning: Pure Water Temple).
In the Kiyomizu temple, I'm going to be putting the characters in a building dubbed the Zuigu Hall, and it's an extremely dark area, basically pitch back, and there is a small place on the inside that is for prayer and worship.
I'm not going to place an image for you, mostly out of respect because they don't allow pictures to be taken, and this place is very sacred due to the many religions that could be present, so you'll have to make-do with your imagination on what I'm describing.
Forgive me if I got anything wrong in these lines of text, I'm not too good on finding information on this kind of stuff, so if I got anything wrong just let me know."
A few hours passed with, what felt like, no progress. However, we did eventually make it there.
We had gone up many hills and through many curves, that I wasn't sure if we were still in Japan anymore, but the mountains that lay in the distance always reminded me.
We all exited the vans, grouping up in front of a large building that stood adjacent to a plethora of stairs.
The teachers wasted no time in disciplining the students, but I don't think any of them listened, because most of the students would be talking to one of their friends, or they would be on their phones, but the teachers wouldn't do anything.
Soon enough, the entire class was split into multiple groups, and we were told to stay within our groups and experience all the activities that were available to us here.
I stood at the foot of a large temple, it's stature was much larger than anything in its vicinity, but its form made it more comforting than anything.
The building seemed almost antique, however its authority was ever-present. Dimmed lights surrounded the area, despite the fact it was still morning.
It certainly was nice, especially considering despite the sun's blazing heat, a nice breeze accompanied it, cooling off any form of sweat that would build up, and when stepping underneath the shade of the building, it cooled me down considerably.
I wasn't with any group at all. I think I was at one point, but I kind of just veered off the path a bit, and now I'm on my own.
Not that I'm lost or anything. I'm just seeing things without any group accompanying me. My group didn't seem to mind whatsoever, as they hardly acknowledged my presence.
I was at the edge of a large patio that lay on the far side of the temple.
All the groups had already come here previously, so there was no one here alongside me.
It was just me and myself.
I took a deep breath, staring out to the large oak trees that swayed from side to side from the wind.
It was a nice change of pace to finally be relaxing and enjoying a view, rather than dealing with Tobe's problem, or even Ebina's.
Y/N: "...What a coincidence, huh?"
Now that I thought about it, I just realized that things are going to be harder than I thought between Tobe and Ebina.
Tobe says he wants to get closer to Ebina, basically to start a relationship with her. However, Ebina came to us asking that we help with the relationship between the guys in Hayama's group, hoping that we can bring them back to normal.
She wants things to go back to normal with her friends, whilst Tobe wants to expand on the relationship he already has with Ebina.
I rubbed my temples, quickly attempting to discard the thought of having to deal with those two.
I was enjoying the view of the oak trees and calm breeze a moment ago, and now I'm once again stressing over Tobe and Ebina.
I hit myself over the head, cursing my constant urge to see the end of a problem that is troublesome. It's one of the greatest reasons why I hated seeing cliffhangers.
Yui: "N/N! Where have you been? I've been looking for you..."
Yuigahama suddenly appeared out of thin air. She grumbled as she stomped toward me.
Y/N: "I'm just relaxing." That was a big lie.
Yui: "C'mon, we have to do something about Tobe and Ebina! No time for relaxing!"
Great, that's just what I wanted to deal with. I know I said I wanted to see the end of it all, but I really don't want to go through the process of getting to the end.
The process of getting there is so painful, boring, and time consuming. Not that there is anything better I could do with my time, but I'd rather spend my time doing nothing, rather than trying to solve a puzzle piece that can ONLY be solved by luck.
Yuigahama grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, and dragged me down to who-knows-where.
We passed by the other groups of our classmates, and they looked at us weirdly, mostly at me though.
Why was I being looked at weirdly? Who knows. Yuigahama was the one that was dragging me in the first place.
We eventually made it to another building, a little shorter than I was expecting it to be.
Y/N: "What is this?"
Yui: "Look inside."
I peered inside the building, seeing a long line that led down some dark stairs, as if the tourist attraction was the building's basement or something.
Y/N: "Where are they going?"
Yui: "It's a place where you can make a wish with someone! We can all go in pairs, and I was thinking that Tobe and Ebina should go together."
Y/N: "Yeah, that'll be best. Let's get to it, then." I wasted no time in trying to get something going.
Unfortunately, I suspect that this will take a lot longer than just a day or two. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, but I really don't care anymore.
Whether the relationship works out or not is not my problem-
Actually, it is, isn't it?
That's what Tobe came to the clubroom for in the first place. We accepted his offer to try and get them both together.
We have no choice but to try.
Yuigahama called over Tobe and Ebina, but Hayama and Miura decided to join them as well.
Yui: "H-Hey guys! So we're gonna go into the uhh..." She looked over to a sign that stood next to the building. "The Zuigu Hall!"
Tobe and Ebina stood next to each other, Hayama and Miura behind them. Miura seemed to be slightly annoyed, as usual. However, there was one thing that was unusual.
Yui: "I say we go in pairs, 'kay? So, Hayama and Miura will go first, then Tobecchi and Ebina. We'll follow behind you guys!" She locked arms with me, blushing slightly as she did it.
Naturally, I blushed as well, turning away from everyone else, to hide my embarrassment.
Hayama: "Would it really hurt to stay close as one big group? I mean, it might be better to experience the entire thing between the 6 of us."
Once Hayama had said that, my embarrassment from a few seconds ago quickly subsided. Now I was skeptical once more.
I was still looking away from everyone, but I closely listened to what he said.
Hayama: "We don't have to separate from each other, right?"
Yui: "U-Umm... Well..."
Tobe: "Why not? We can experience it in pairs no problem! Right, Ebina?"
Ebina: "R-Right...!" She gave a somewhat forced smile.
Hayama looked a little disappointed, but he caved in nonetheless.
Hayama: "Well, if that's what you really want-"
Miura: "C'mon, Hayama-kun... I wanna go already!" She complained loudly.
Miura pulled on his shirt, dragging him to the entrance of the Zuigu Hall. Hayama smiled, however genuine it MIGHT be, it didn't feel very heart-warming.
Miura: "See you guys on the other side~" She waved back to us, as she went down the stairs with Hayama locked in her arms.
Tobe and Ebina were next up in line, and after a few minutes, they were allowed to go through.
It made it seem like an amusement ride down there with how long it was taking just to go down some stairs and come out the other side, but I digress.
Another few minutes passed, with little small talk between myself and Yuigahama, we were finally granted access to pass through.
We were told it was forbidden to take any pictures with cameras or cellphones, so I pocketed my phone before entering through the dark stairs.
Yui: "W-Wow... It's really dark in here, huh?"
Y/N: "Guess so."
I wasn't all too scared or worried. There was a sign before we entered that said to, "Follow the beads, which will lead you to the other side. And once you make it to the light, you will be reborn."
After walking for a little bit longer and feeling the touch of the beads, we reached a room. There was a hole that pierced through the roof, and the light shined on a large stone that sat in the middle.
Yui: "Alright, so we're supposed to turn the stone and make our wish afterwards. Ready?"
Y/N: "Y-Yeah, sure..." I said I was ready, but I had no wish in preparation.
Now that I thought about it, is there anything I even wanted to wish for? Even so, I don't think there is anything in my life that could be detrimental if I DIDN'T wish for something.
So, in the end, I simply wished that Yuigahama's wish came true.
We both turned the large stone at the same time, and then we clasped our hands together to give our prayer.
I didn't think anything much of the whole situation personally, and I quickly finished my prayer in a manner of seconds. However, looking over to Yuigahama, she seemed to be deep into her wish.
Her eyes were closed, and she had a serious expression on her face, as she bowed her head down.
It was surreal to see.
I was expecting her to be a little more clumsy or present a consistently positive attitude, but I never saw that the entire time she made her wish.
She stayed like that for a minute or so, and the entire time, I simply watched her.
For some reason, my heart started to beat loudly out of the fact that there was an extreme lack of noise in the room.
Yuigahama is usually the one that makes the most noise and is the most talkative, but now that she is completely quiet in a completely quiet room, you could really see the difference in atmosphere.
I stared at her for God knows how long. Basically all the way up until she eventually finished her prayer.
Yui: "Alright... All done?" She opened her eyes to meet mine.
I stared for a little longer, then quickly fixed my lackluster posture and looked away from her.
Y/N: "Yeah, all done..."
Yui: "Great! Let's go!" Her happy attitude quickly returned, as she pushed me through the rest of the dark hall forcefully.
Now I see why it takes people so long to go through this place. They were spending their time praying.
Timeskip to the end of the day...
Nothing interesting happened for the rest of the first day.
The most interesting thing to me was the beautiful scenery that surrounded the temple, and of course, the temple itself. However, most people were interested in the fun stuff do in the temple.
Sometimes, seeing the bigger picture is better than getting all the little details that stray you off the main path.
If you attempt to try out everything that's fun, you'll lose yourself in what the original place actually houses.
For instance, the temple is sacred, and yet most of the classmates had their phones out, were loud as all hell, and lost the meaning to what most of these places actually meant.
Of course, if they don't have any religion, that's completely fine. But having no respect for other people that DO believe in their religion is rude.
It was a little sad, but I can't spite them too hard for it.
Maybe it's my lack of friends that keeps me from being distracted. If I had friends that I hung out with all the time, and talked to everyday, maybe I would be just like everyone else.
Regardless, I sat in the lobby of the hotel that I was staying at, all on my lonesome.
I wanted to get something to drink, not because I was thirsty, but just because I wanted to.
Unfortunately, there were no vending machines inside the hotel I was in, and I contemplated going out, against the regulations of our teachers, to get something to drink... and I did it.
I casually walked out of the building unnoticed, and started my walk down the road to find some place where I could drink something.
I walked past places that were closed, and places that were open, but there were no vending machines.
I kept walking further and further, attempting my best to find a way to get something to drink.
However, I didn't realize how long that I had been walking for.
When I had actually realized it, I was probably two or three blocks away from my hotel, and I only realized it because I had ended up stumbling upon where the rest of the upperclassmen were staying.
Y/N: "Shit. Walked a little too far, huh. Guess I'll head back-" I quickly stopped myself.
I wouldn't have stopped myself for any other reason, than the exact thing that I went looking for in the first place.
Y/N: "Vending machine..." I saw it, standing tall with it's pretty lights shining.
One small problem though, it was inside the hotel that the upperclassmen were in.
Not that I really cared, I was still going to get my drink one way or another, but if I met any of my school members here...
Y/N: "Actually, I don't think anyone would recognize me." My worries about being noticed quickly went away, and I walked straight through the front doors of the hotel.
Walking in, I wasted no time in getting my drink. I immediately inserted my cash, and quickly chose the Coca-Cola bottle. (no copyright strikes here)
After a few seconds, the cola dropped down the vending machine, and I picked it up. I took a sip from my drink, savoring the taste-
???: "Well well, what a coincidence."
I brought my attention to the person that spoke, confused if they were speaking to me or someone else.
Then I saw who it was, and my heart was in a place of happiness and confusion at the same time.
Y/N: "Yukino... I wasn't expecting anybody to be out at this time."
Yukino: "I came down from my room for a drink as well." She said, looking away.
She's a pretty bad liar.
Y/N: "So, what actually happened?"
She looked at me for a moment, then sighed.
Yukino: "...The topic of conversation amongst my classmates landed on me at some point. I just wanted to get away from it all." She pressed the tips of her fingers on her head, as a means to calm it.
Then, I had only just noticed how Yukino actually presented herself.
She had her hair like she usually does, but this time, her long hair was put into a messy bun. The two long streaks of hair than ran down the sides of her head were still ever-present though.
Yukino: "Forgive me, but there's not much I can help with between Tobe and Ebina... I'm in a different class and all."
Y/N: "No worries." Actually, many worries.
Yukino: "How are things holding up between them?"
Y/N: "Nothing good, nor bad." I told a white lie.
Certainly nothing good was happening, and nothing bad was happening either, but something bad was definitely going to happen in the near future.
I couldn't see a positive outcome from all of this. Certainly not for myself, nor for Tobe and Ebina.
Hayama isn't really helping either.
It was very unlikely that anything good was going to happen, and I knew that. I just have to be prepared for the worst, I suppose.
I took a deep sigh, and Yukino glanced at me for a moment, before looking away.
Yukino: "Nothing good, huh..."
Y/N: "..."
We stood in front of each other, both of us occupied by our thoughts, however the presence we had on each other never left.
Despite the fact I was lost in thought, Yukino was always in the background somewhere. I guess the same could be said for herself, as she stared off into space, but she was still aware of my existence.
As much as I would say it was a good thing, it felt extremely awkward to simply stand like this in front of each other...
I took another sip of my cola, getting ready to make an excuse that I should get back to my own hotel, when someone awfully noticeable walked by.
A certain... teacher, was dressed in a weird getup that attempted to hide how she looked, however it was painfully obvious.
Y/N: "Sensei, what are you doing?"
Sensei: "E-Eh?!"
Hiratsuka-sensei turned around, revealing some sunglasses that she had on her face, however her features never seemed to differ.
It was probably the worst disguise I've seen in a long time (ever).
Sensei: "...*ahem* W-Well well, what a coincidence..."
First chapter into the second season, first step into ruining the main characters' lives.
I had a lot of trouble with this chapter in particular. Probably the most trouble I've had with any other chapter in my life.
I'm not exactly set on how the story is going to play out, but I have a general idea as to how.
Things aren't gonna go well for Y/N in the next 2-3 chapters, that's for sure.
As always, if I made any mistakes, lmk.
Besides that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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