After returning from Keyaki Mall, I arrived in front of the dormitory.
The time was already past 9 PM. What was supposed to be just a quick meal with Nazuna had somehow turned into a long detour.
"I kept Hiyori waiting."
She must have already finished her plans with Nishino and was likely in my room by now. I had sent her a message earlier saying I'd be late, but I still felt guilty.
Trying to hurry back, I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for my floor. The doors opened immediately, revealing the familiar hallway.
"Oh? Hikigaya-kun?"
At the far end of the hall, near my room, a door opened—perfect timing—and Ichinose stepped out.
Why was Ichinose here? This was the boys' floor, and that room belonged to Ayanokōji. Ichinose and I exchanged a brief, surprised glance.
"Didn't expect to see you coming out of Ayanokōji's room."
"Ahaha… You caught me at a weird moment."
She smiled awkwardly.
Given that I knew about the fight between Karuizawa and Ayanokōji, the word "cheating" inevitably popped into my head.
"I just had something I needed to tell Ayanokōji-kun today. Really, nothing weird happened. I'd appreciate it if you didn't misunderstand."
As if anticipating my thoughts, Ichinose quickly denied any wrongdoing.
"I won't jump to conclusions or spread rumors, so don't worry."
"Thanks. If anyone else had seen me, it might've caused trouble for Ayanokōji-kun too. I'm glad it was you."
Ichinose was someone who drew attention from the entire school. If she were seen leaving a boy's room—regardless of who it was—it would've sparked a major scandal.
"You've changed a bit."
"Huh?"
"Just my opinion, but you don't seem as lost as before."
I must have hit the mark. Ichinose looked surprised for a moment before lowering her gaze.
"...Maybe. Talking to Ayanokōji-kun today helped me realize what I need to do."
She lifted her head and met my eyes.
"Being able to take action like this today… It's partly thanks to you, Hikigaya-kun."
"Me?"
"It's hard to explain, but the things you said to me before… It felt like they gave me a push."
I doubted my words alone had that much impact. But there was no denying that Ichinose had changed after her encounter with Ayanokōji.
If it were just reckless infatuation or a desperate, lovestruck spiral, it'd be almost cute. But Ichinose was changing in ways I hadn't anticipated.
"Well, I should get going."
Ichinose walked past me toward the elevator, then turned back one last time with a wave.
"Thanks for everything, Hikigaya-kun. The exam's coming up soon, but I won't hold back either. Looking forward to it."
"Save the declarations of war for Ryūen, our leader."
Once the elevator doors closed, I headed back to my room.
Unlocking the door, I stepped inside—but Hiyori, who usually greeted me, wasn't there. The lights in the living room were on, so she hadn't left. Had she gotten angry because I was late?
Imagining her pouting face, I cautiously opened the living room door… only to find that anger wasn't the issue.
"She fell asleep."
Hiyori was curled up in bed, hugging the blankets. She must've dozed off while waiting for me.
It felt cruel to wake her, so I decided to let her sleep.
---
The special exam ended, and the next day, the closing ceremony for the second term finally arrived.
The collaborative written special exam had taken place the day before.
Rather than focusing on improving basic academic skills, Ryūen had stuck to his usual methods—setting traps for the opposing class. How effective that had been would be revealed today, the day after the exam.
I had solved the five hardest problems in thirty seconds, just as Ryūen demanded. But no matter how well I performed individually, this was a team exam.
After the closing ceremony, Sakagami-sensei announced the exam results. The tense silence was broken by the news of our class's defeat.
A mix of disappointment and frustration filled the room. Since the class point loss was only 50, the emotional damage wasn't too severe.
Meanwhile, from Horikita's class next door, cheers loud enough to reach us erupted. They must've beaten Class A.
"While the results are disappointing, I hope you'll use this as a lesson for next time. Tomorrow marks the start of winter break. Take it easy on the first day and rest up."
Though the mood was still somber, Sakagami-sensei's words signaled the end of the day.
"Hachiman-kun. Would you like to walk back together?"
As I picked up my bag, Hiyori called out to me.
"Of course. Let's go."
"I have a book to return to the library first. Would you mind waiting for me?"
"I can come with you."
"It won't take long, and I'd feel bad making you go out of your way."
She smiled softly.
We agreed to meet at the entrance, so I headed there first. While changing my shoes, I noticed an odd trio talking outside the school building.
"Ichinose-san, you're being manipulated by him. If this continues, you'll destroy yourself."
"Ahahaha. That's an interesting thing to say."
"I'm being serious. I can't stand by and watch you sink into this hopeless abyss."
"Don't worry, Sakayanagi-san. Ayanokōji-kun isn't controlling me."
Despite the exam having just ended, Arisu, Ichinose, and Ayanokōji were deep in conversation. From the sound of it, the topic was Ichinose.
"...Very well. If you insist, I have nothing more to say. But remember—there will come a point where even I can't help you."
Arisu closed the discussion, though her wariness toward Ichinose had undoubtedly increased. Even I was surprised by how much Ichinose had changed.
The conversation seemed to end there, and the three parted ways. But Arisu, instead of heading toward the dorm, walked toward me—had she noticed me earlier?
"Done talking? Ichinose's change must've surprised you."
"I never imagined she had such hidden potential. From the sound of it, were you involved, Hachiman-kun?"
"Somewhat."
I had wanted to see how far she could go if pushed. Even if it put Ryūen's class at a disadvantage, it didn't concern me.
"With you involved, Ichinose-san is about to become very interesting."
"Is that a compliment?"
"The highest form of praise."
Her expression suggested she had pieced everything together just from my admission of involvement.
"By the way, if you're free, would you like to walk back together?"
"Sorry, I already have plans today."
"With someone more important than me?"
Her gaze sharpened, silently questioning who could possibly take priority over her.
"Indulge me just this once. There's something I've been meaning to check."
Ryuuen had been pressing me about it too. If Hiyori didn't bring it up today, I planned to ask her directly about her recent strange behavior.
"I suppose I have no choice…"
Arisu feigned disappointment for a brief moment—but it was obviously an act. She knew exactly how to play on my guilt.
Still, even if it was intentional, I couldn't just leave her like that. Ignoring the eyes around us, I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Will this hold you over for now?"
"Yes, I'll manage. But what about here?"
She pointed a finger at her lips.
"I'm not putting on a show. I don't have the courage to do that outside."
"I don't mind."
"I do."
Arisu giggled, satisfied, before walking away. Not mentioning Hiyori had been the right call—if I had, Arisu wouldn't have let me off so easily.
"Sorry for the wait."
Hiyori arrived shortly after, and we began walking back side by side.
---
After returning the book to the library, I arrived at the entrance to find Hachiman-kun waiting for me as promised.
Walking side by side with him on the way back—normally, this time alone together would be irreplaceably happy. But now, a knot of unease sat heavy in my chest, making me act just a little distant toward him. I'd been like this for a while.
He must've noticed the change in me. But his silence meant he was waiting for me to bring it up.
Even though I wanted to cling to him, to feel him close, I kept my distance—maybe because of what had happened with Matsushita-san.
---
A little before the special exam began, Matsushita-san had called me out.
Of course, I was surprised, but since I happened to have no plans that day, I agreed. We weren't strangers, after all.
When I arrived at the café, we made small talk before Matsushita-san abruptly dropped a bombshell.
"I confessed to Hikigaya-kun. During the school trip."
"...Eh?"
The suddenness of it made me let out a dumbfounded sound. But Matsushita-san paid no mind and continued.
"Well, he put me on hold, though."
"I… see."
So Hachiman-kun had deferred his answer. Naturally, I felt relieved. If he had started dating her, I would've heard about it… Not that I'd ever let him go, no matter what.
"Shiina-san, have you confessed to Hikigaya-kun too?"
"I… have."
"I thought so. When?"
"Right after we became second-years, I think."
I answered, but I didn't understand why she was asking. She wasn't being provocative like Sakayanagi-san, so what was her goal?
"Um… why are you asking me this?"
At my question, Matsushita-san rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly.
"I really like Hikigaya-kun. Other guys don't even register to me—I want to be with him forever."
"I feel the same…!"
I started to say, but Matsushita-san cut me off with a knowing look.
"I want Hikigaya-kun to only see me. I don't want other girls near him."
And among those "other girls," I was undoubtedly included.
"But I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. If Hikigaya-kun ends up dating someone else, I don't think I could take it. You understand, right?"
"..."
I couldn't answer.
What Matsushita-san said was true. If Hachiman-kun's attention turned to another girl, and I was pushed out of his life… I wouldn't be able to go on living.
He was that important to me.
If he were expelled, I'd leave too. After graduation, I'd follow him anywhere. The thought of a life without him—like before I enrolled—was unthinkable.
I hung my head, unable to meet Matsushita-san's eyes. But her next words shocked me so much I looked up again.
"So I thought—what if it's okay for Hikigaya-kun to love other girls, as long as he loves me too?"
"Wha—huh?"
"Polygamy isn't legal in Japan, but it's fine if we don't get married, right? There are plenty of loopholes."
"W-Wait, hold on!"
I stopped her before she could continue her casual rambling.
"Th-That's… um, what do you mean…?"
"Hmm, to put it simply—a harem? Something like that."
A harem… where one boy is loved by many girls.
"But… wouldn't that mean being second or third…?"
"Of course, I'd rather be first. I'll keep trying to make sure Hikigaya-kun chooses me. But the worst outcome is being separated from him completely."
I couldn't keep up with her logic. Being apart from Hachiman-kun was the worst possible outcome for me, but still…
"The reason I called you out today was to talk about this."
"...Why me?"
If she wanted to discuss this, she could've gone to Sakayanagi-san or Amasawa-san.
"Do you think Sakayanagi-san would agree if I brought this up to her?"
"...No way."
Amasawa-san would be the same. Those two would never compromise. They'd fight to the end.
Matsushita-san had only told me because she believed I'd consider it seriously.
But I could never accept such an arrangement… or so I thought. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to outright refuse.
"Sorry for dumping all this on you. Did I make things weird?"
"N-No… What you're saying isn't wrong."
"Good. Then let's call it a day. I said what I wanted to say."
A glance at the clock showed how much time had passed. Still confused, I stood up when she did.
"Don't overthink it. I just wanted to say it's an option."
As we paid and parted ways, her final words stuck in my head.
After that, I couldn't focus, even with the exam approaching. I acted strangely toward Hachiman-kun, yet my thoughts remained tangled.
---
"...Hiyori? What's wrong?"
His confused voice reached me.
Of course he'd be confused—in the middle of our walk back, I had suddenly hugged him from behind.
"Hiyori, people might see—"
"Just for a little bit… let me stay like this."
I tightened my arms around him, burying my face in his back. It didn't solve anything, but feeling him like this brought me comfort.
Maybe, deep down, I wasn't as bothered by Matsushita-san's words as I thought. What really bothered me was something else—something I'd realized in the process.
"Hachiman-kun. Can I ask you something?"
"...Like this?"
"Please."
"...Fine. What is it?"
Still clinging to him, I asked the question that had been weighing on me.
"How do you feel about me?"
"...How do I feel? You're someone very important to me."
Hearing that, I pulled away and looked up at him.
"Thank you."
I think I smiled as usual.
After that, we continued walking back as if nothing had happened.
Someone very important.
Hearing that from Hachiman-kun made me incredibly happy. After all, he's the most important person in the world to me, too.
But still…
Has he never said those words to me before?
Not once since we met has Hachiman-kun ever said those words to me.
Has he never told me…
That he loves me?
---
+Short Story
After parting ways with Hachiman-kun, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed—still in my uniform, as improper as that was.
The worries that had plagued me lately felt both resolved and unresolved, leaving me in a strange mood.
(I've never even considered… being apart from Hachiman-kun.)
I had always believed we'd be together forever. I still believed that.
But the uncertainty of whether that was absolute gnawed at me.
(I don't want to be apart from Hachiman-kun. I want to stay with him, both in this school and after. What should I do to make sure…?)
Then, an idea came to me.
(––––––What if I just… lock him away?)
My sleep-deprived, hazy mind let the thought slip out unchecked.
(After graduation, we'll get married and live together. It'll take time, but I'll prepare a place for us. Once we're outside, women will flock to him again, so he'll stay there forever. Of course, I'll take care of him. If I graduate from Class A, I can get a job at a good company and earn enough. That way, we'll never be apart. If we can live together like that, nothing could make me happier…)
Suddenly, I snapped back to reality.
(No, no! That's no good!! If we get married, we have to respect each other's wishes… But…)
Imagining Hachiman-kun being affectionate with someone else made me…
(If it comes to that…)
That night, freed from most of my anxiety, I slept soundly.
=================================
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