A/N: So...yeah...pretty late update. More on that at the bottom. For now, a quick refresher since I know it's been a while. Last time, Hikigaya was dealing with the visiting Isshiki. Later that day, he received a mysterious phone call, and that's where we find ourselves now...and for the past few months…

*Ahem*

Here's Chapter 4!

Chapter 4: To no one's surprise, Hikigaya Komachi feels quite relieved.

4-1

"You…"

The voice on the other end was charming, and gave off a pleasant vibe. It was noticeably exasperated, and yet had a tone that insisted upon its genuine gratitude.

It didn't take long for my mind to put a face to who this voice must have belonged to. With the few words I heard, I recognized a voice that exuded an aura unreachable by most, meaning it could only belong to a select handful of people I'd ever met in my life. It was one of confidence, sincerity, and comfort.

Who else could it be then, besides the refreshing, agreeable, man of the year himself, Hayama Hayato?

Though, that's really just the nice way for me to say that I'd recognize this voice that never ceased to piss me off anywhere.

So as much as I'm sure he knows all of that, he's still found it in himself to give me a call for who knows what reason. Typical.

"How the hell do you have my number?"

Did I have a target on my back with all of my contact information when I came back into town, or what? How is everyone getting a hold of me all of a sudden?

"Ah, well, it's no surprise that you've forgotten. It's been a while after all. It was back when I asked you to accompany me on that double date during our second year, and then...well I'm sure I don't need to say any more than that. Though I think you knew one of them previously, if that helps jog your memory at all."

Ah, I guess that answers that then. Yeah, come to think of it, such an unpleasant memory does somehow sound vaguely familiar.

And by that of course, I mean that I totally remember. For whatever reason, people only tend to remember their worst experiences in complete detail rather than their best ones. Or rather, I still don't know what constitutes a "best" memory.

So, I guess that means that I would have to have a pretty decent recollection of most of my life then, huh.

…Heh, sounds like something that Yukinoshita would say and that I would be unable to disagree with.

As if it was habitual, I found my mind following the routine of my past self, and in that moment it dawned on me that I wasn't wrong about how I felt at any given point. More than anything, by now it all just felt very exaggerated.

In truth, however bad something was or is really doesn't matter. I don't think it has anything to do with me suddenly being optimistic, denying my past, or even something as grandiose as convincing myself to forget it all and only consider the present either.

Or, y'know what, maybe that it is what it was. Because presently, the way I'm feeling right now…

I just don't want to talk to this guy.

"...Why the hell are you calling me?"

In the first place, I ordinarily wouldn't have even bothered with trivialities such as the how and the why when it came to something like this. I'd have hung up and not bothered myself with whatever it was that Hayama needed from me. I mean I had his number deleted and picked up on a whim to start with, so that alone probably says enough about where I want this conversation to go. That's the logical conclusion to come to, given that anytime I involved myself with him it ended up being more trouble than it was worth, which would be what I would say if I were to understate it as much as I possibly could.

Because seriously, now more than ever can I safely say that those sorts of futile actions to protect a sanctity founded entirely on self-gratification didn't amount to anything worthwhile.

But one way or another, Hayama Hayato gave up on that path regardless of anything else. Even if I didn't know the particulars, from where I was standing it seemed like he found his answer in the same way that I had found mine.

I briefly reminisced about the conversation I had earlier with Isshiki about the subject, and it made me question all the more about what it was that Hayama would want with me. Due to my hesitation, Hayama took the opportunity to answer the question I posed without thinking.

"I'll make it as quick as I can, believe me I wouldn't want to bother you anymore than I already have."

"I'm always bothered. Anyways as long as I don't have to do anything, it's fine. What do you need?"

This guy always irritated me with the way he put things. If it bugs you that much to bother me, why do it? Better yet, why go to the trouble of even telling me that? Was it some sort of formality that I was unaware of when asking for a favor?

If it was, it'd make sense why I never learned it, seeing as how I was a loner who could never rely on others, even if I wanted to. As for whether or not I wanted to, well, looking back like I've been doing so much these past few days, I guess I really am happy with the way at least some things had turned out.

Whatever the case, as long as he was just asking me a question and not making me do anything as worthless as my past errands have been, I could at least do that much. That too, was something I'd learned from my past experiences. Or so I say, but hearing out stuff I didn't want any part of was, by now, just par for the course for me. If old habits die hard, mine must be immortal. It was like no other option existed, so I waited for Hayama to make the next move.

"...You ran into Haruno earlier today, didn't you?"

"Yeah I guess I did. What about it?"

Ah, so that's what this is about. No surprise that that occurrence wasn't a coincidence considering the fact that it's Haruno-san we're talking about, but that doesn't make me any less terrified as to how she actually does it. It's awfully impatient of him to phone me up not too long after it happened also, so if I put two and two together here, I think I can see what he's getting at.

But as for that has to do with anything, if it has to do with Hayama, it can't mean anything good.

"Really now, it's so like Haruno to just do whatever she wants and then leave the rest to me..."

His voice trailed off at the end as if regretting something. See, I'm assuming you needed to ask me and me specifically about something based on what I'm hearing here, but if you left it up to Haruno-san you really can't complain about the end result, now can you?

"You see, I asked her to come into contact with you to ask you about something. I figured it was a job better suited for her since I didn't think you'd have wanted to talk to me, but in the end I suppose I should've known better…"

Eh, you were right about that at least. As scary as she is, at least she's nice to look at. Maybe it's not a fair comparison since I saw her in person and I'm talking to you over the phone, but whatever. I don't need this kind of negativity in my life.

Although as nice as his preface was, it was nothing that I couldn't infer. More importantly, he was only now realizing that he was essentially wasting everybody's time by not doing this himself. And that's great and all, but it's also really irritating because he's pretty much insinuating that dealing with me is some sort of chore.

Which I mean hey, he's not wrong. But my patience for this phone call was on the shorter side of things to start with, so cut to the chase or don't, because as it turns out you irritate me even more than I remembered.

"...So what do you need?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'll get to the point. Have you seen Yukinoshita-san?"

I see. If it had to be about anything, then yeah that had to be the likely outcome. It had to be about her. I'm not sure why he'd be so hesitant about it though, seeing as how the answer should be obvious.

"...No I haven't. And why would you ask me for something like that? Shouldn't you be asking Yuigahama?"

"Of course, and I did. But unfortunately if Yui had seen Yukinoshita-san and she told her to not say anything about it, whose side do you think Yui would take?"

As expected, Hayama Hayato covered all his bases. I guess I was the one not thinking about the obvious here. Surely Hayama knew about the state of the Service Club by the end of our third year. And while that should've told him everything he needed to know about me and Yukinoshita, by no means should he have expected Yuigahama to do or say anything that might be detrimental to Yukinoshita. In fact, it had to be quite the opposite.

"While that's true, why would something like that be necessary in the first place?"

Still, Hayama had yet to ask me anything of substance. A simple 'have you seen me?' didn't tell me anything, and while it wasn't any of my business, it annoyed me for him to have this giant preface about how sorry he was for bothering me while not actually telling me anything.

Seriously, why was I even talking to this guy?

"The details don't particularly matter. The important thing is that she's seriously misunderstanding something, and we need to get her to come back before she makes things complicated."

Ah...this gives me yet another strange feeling of déjà vu. What Hayama won't tell me, he won't tell me. It reminded me of my second year when I needed to find out which course he was going to be taking in our third year. In that instance, I needed to know for Miura's sake.

So for whose sake was it, that I would want to know this time?

Truthfully, that wasn't a question that needed answering.

The fact is, I didn't need to know, so I wouldn't.

It was presumptuous of me to assume, but it was obvious that it had something to do with her family, which made it even less of my business to know about it. Yet I couldn't deny a part of me wanted to know, and I hated it.

In fact, I was beginning to hate all of these strange feelings of déjà vu that I'd been feeling the past couple of days.

"I see. Well if she's anything like how I remember her, Yuigahama and I are on the short list of contacts for you to figure out where she is, right?"

"...Yeah."

I managed to keep the conversation going despite feeling myself grow more and more unpleasant by the second. It made sense that she was similar in that regard to the time that I knew her. That is, that she kept a short list of contacts. By stating the obvious, I was able to give myself a bit more time to think about my next response.

In that time, I made my decision. Whatever Hayama's trying to tell me or withhold from me at this point didn't matter. Whatever it was that he's insisting is a misunderstanding on Yukinoshita's part, whatever it was that she was going to make complicated, it really didn't have anything to do with me.

Despite anything else I thought about the matter, that was all there was to it. Furthermore, I have more than enough to deal with as it is. I had things I'd resolved to not put off any longer.

There was a truth that I needed to find somewhere.

With that in mind, I decided to end my conversation with Hayama, as completely and as conclusively as possible.

"Then you're out of luck. I haven't seen her since high school, and unless you really want me to tell you the last place I saw her, that's probably not going to be very helpful. I also can't tell you anything about whether Yuigahama is withholding information or not, because there's no way I'd know something like that at this point."

"...Yeah, I figured."

Hayama's voice coming from the other end of the phone came out in a rather peculiar tone, coming from him. It was one that reeked of neither belief nor disbelief. It was simply one that responded, as if listening only to the expected.

"Don't feel too bad. You had a dead-end lead and you knew it. Though to be fair, even if I did know, I still definitely wouldn't tell you anything."

"...Yeah...I figured..."

With that, I cleansed myself of the situation. As I prepared to say my goodbyes for formality's sake, Hayama began speaking once again.

"Hey, one more thing..."

I was impatient, disinterested, and unusually frustrated. But somehow, I found myself continuing to listen intently as he spoke.

"I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but I'll tell you anyways."

He made a soft exhale as if reminding himself of something, and took a moment to gather his thoughts, before continuing.

"I meant what I said. It's all just Yukinoshita-san's misunderstanding. It would really be in her best interest to resolve this now that it can't be put off any longer."

There was another pause. I couldn't tell if he wanted me to respond in any way to what seemed like just a reminder of what he had said earlier, but I waited anyways with the anticipation that he hadn't said everything that he had wanted to.

"I learned that much myself."

As he concluded his thought, his voice struck a chord that eerily felt like it could've come from me, and for that my frustration only grew.

I felt the urge to probe him further, perhaps to search for my own answers. Unable to resist that urge, I asked him.

"...It's not like I know the context of what you're talking about though. Even if she were to somehow hear that from me, what makes you think it'd mean anything?"

"It's fine. If you see her, just let her know I said that for me, alright? It'll mean something coming from you, I'm almost certain of it."

Unsatisfied with that response, I sought for him to elaborate.

"Almost certain? What the hell does that mean?"

"Almost certain means almost certain. Besides it's not like you have anything to lose by just doing that much, right?"

Such a response was typical from Hayama Hayato. For someone who spent his entire life standing in the center of every room he ever entered, he sure had a way of keeping people at arm's length. That was something that I didn't realize until much later from when I thought I knew him. He had his own methods of understanding certain things, and he also had his own methods of dealing with them.

There was another pause as I continued to think, and in that time, Hayama said one last thing.

"Thanks for this, Hikigaya-kun."

In the end, Hayama was the one who hung up. That little bit frustrated me. More than that, the things that he had tried to tell me, both then and now, had ways of amplifying that frustration.

When I tried to learn what course he would be taking for our third year of high school. When he was unable to support Kakeru Tobe in his confession. When he rejected Isshiki Iroha.

There were subtleties that I knew, but couldn't understand. I made my own conclusions from it all and chose my own path. And now I couldn't help but feel like while I couldn't disagree more with the likes of someone like Hayama Hayato, perhaps there was something there that I'd overlooked.

As I looked into the light that eventually disappeared from my phone, I thought of just one more thing before inevitably succumbing to my fatigue.

He really knows how to say the most infuriating thank yous that I've ever received in my life.

4-2

They say that your dreams tend to be based off of the last thing that you were thinking about before you fell asleep. I've never looked into whether or not that was true, but from time to time I find myself believing in it. I'm not sure if I could call it something like confirmation bias, but sure enough, last night I had another dream about the Service Club.

On one hand, it could've been worse. I could've dreamed about Hayama.

As I dispelled that disturbing thought from my head with small chants of Totsuka, I reminded myself of how unusual it all was.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was strange for me to have those sorts of dreams every now and then. In fact, whenever I wasn't occupied or had something else on hand to worry about, I'd find myself back at that table in that room probably more often than I'd like to admit.

On the other hand, for it to happen two nights in a row was neither here nor there in what I presumed to be normal by my standards.

Perhaps it was to be expected with how things have been recently. It's been lively to be sure, but rather than having something else on hand to occupy myself with, the things that have been keeping me busy are exactly what I'd been trying to distract myself from.

There was a time during my third year of high school where I found myself falling in this exact same pattern, and sure enough, I found myself here yet again.

I haven't been home for very long, and in just a day all these thoughts that prodded me one at a time have culminated into a cluster of things that I found myself now needing to deal with.

Ah, so this is what adulthood is like, huh? It's everything I ever imagined it would be. Komachi...it's too late for me now, but you...you should save yourself!

Though honestly, I knew better than anyone that that wasn't the case. I don't think I've had a single rational or worthwhile worry in my life. In the face of these silly qualms, I felt just like a child.

It was for that reason, Hikigaya Hachiman needed to learn. Those were the words told to me by the great and knowledgeable master of adulthood (30+!) herself, Hiratsuka-sensei.

So I could get to those actual worries that adults have, right?

Hooray~

I started my day with a typical sarcastic and useless monologue as I finished up my standard morning routine, and stepped out of the restroom and towards the kitchen.

When I got there, I was greeted by Komachi who was relaxing on the couch while watching TV in the nearby living room.

"Took you long enough to get up, Onii-chan. I made too much for myself and ended up with leftovers, so if you're fine with reheating, what's left of it should be around there somewhere."

I looked over and sure enough, I saw some eggs, chopped vegetables, and rice ready and waiting to be eaten.

"Thanks."

I prepared a plate and served myself before moving to the table to eat.

"Err, you're not gonna like, try to reheat it or something?"

"When you're late for a lecture, you find yourself eating leftovers more often than you might think. And when you're really late for a lecture, you find yourself eating cold leftovers more often than you might think as well. It's really not so bad once you get used to it."

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever told Komachi much about my life at the university. In fact, that's probably the most she's heard about it since whenever she asks, I usually just tell her that it's exactly how she'd expect it to be. And judging from what I just said…that likely still holds up, but yeah definitely not a good look. Knowing this, Komachi let out a sigh.

"How about you just try to not be late then? Also, you need to have made something to eat for there to be leftovers in the first place, which would also mean that you'd have needed to buy the proper ingredients to do so. And quite frankly…"

I looked over to Komachi, who was taking some sort of thinking posture as if contemplating the matter further.

Alright, I already know you've got something really mean to say and are just trying to be considerate by finding the nicest way to say it, but you don't need to go that far. I'm trying to visualize it myself, and I totally see where you're coming from. Unfortunately my thoughts didn't seem to reach her, as she continued.

"You've probably just had like MAX coffee and instant noodles every morning for the last three years. On top of that, you're so hopeless that you probably don't even leave enough time to wait the three minutes for the noodles to cook. So instead you just make them the night before, and as a result need to eat it cold the morning after when you're running late. Seriously, if you're going to go that far, shouldn't you at least have the decency to eat it while it's hot?"

"That's…a bit harsh, isn't it?"

That was like six straight assumptions or something, and she was totally reaching for about half of them. Against all odds, this girl continues raising the bar on how hopeless she thinks I am. Somehow I'm almost finding it endearing at this point, since she's my sister. You're not far off about me having MAX coffee every morning so I'll give you that, but I'm sorry. Everything else is just too pathetic, even for me.

In reality, I have a surprisingly healthy diet with its only real flaw being my high intake of MAX coffee. But like, everyone has their vices, right? C'mon, leave that part alone. Although, it is indeed true that my unusually stable diet is largely not a result of my own efforts…

It's been like that for a while now hasn't it? To my own surprise, I let out a sigh.

"It's not like she'd ever let me eat like that anyways…"

In my morning sluggishness, I began thinking out loud and said something really dangerous in front of Komachi. It was the sort of confidential information about the private life of Hikigaya Hachiman that simply could not reach the ears of anyone uninvolved, especially Komachi. And with everything that's been going on recently, there was an even bigger reason as to why I couldn't slip up so casually this late in the game.

"Huh?"

Unfortunately my sister was the type of meddlesome little sister that would easily pick up on such a careless slip of the tongue, and with her interest piqued, she had turned her body towards me and began staring me down.

Without any words, she bore a hole into me as I resumed eating. I didn't meet her gaze for a few moments, hoping that she'd grow impatient and give up.

Which yeah, that's never actually worked before. But you never know until you try, right?

Reluctantly, I swallowed my food down with a lump, took a deep breath, and prepared myself to verbally backstep as much as I could.

"I mean, there's no way Mom would ever let me eat junk like that with how often she checks up on me. I've never been the best at lying to her either, so…y'know."

"Well you're right about one thing. You've definitely never been very good at lying."

Komachi sighed before exaggerating her body movements as she stretched out on the sofa even more.

"Look, you don't have to lie. It just makes it look much less innocent than it would've been otherwise."

"I-It's not like I'm lying or anything, though…"

What kind of crappy tsundere response was that?! I felt myself mentally facepalm as I wondered how Komachi would respond.

To my surprise, rather than chiding me about my response, she took a more stoic expression and responded to me blankly.

"You don't need to worry about it. I'm not going to force anything out of you, and I'm not going to be making any assumptions or meddle in anything that I shouldn't either. I remember all too well that Onii-chan doesn't rely on others until it's his very last option. Whatever it is, I'm sure you can figure it out for yourself."

With that, Komachi turned back on her side and resumed what she was doing without so much as putting up a fight, the tone in her voice indicative of nothing more than what she said.

And with that the conversation came to a sudden halt. It all happened so quickly I didn't even have time to feel relieved about it. What I had said was indeed the truth, but it didn't take a brain surgeon to realize that that wasn't what I was referring to. If I were her, I wouldn't have believed me either. As I let the moment sink in, I reflected on Komachi's last words on the matter and wondered what it was she was talking about.

As I caught her meaning, I felt a pang of guilt throb in my chest as I remembered that time during my second year of high school. It was one of the many instances where there was certainly a raised level of tension surrounding the Service Club, a feeling I grew more and more accustomed to as time went on. In that instance I rejected whatever assistance Komachi had tried to offer me until the very last moment. And soon I also found myself forced into relying on the other members of the Service Club for what was, fittingly enough, an issue surrounding Isshiki Iroha that I just couldn't handle on my own.

And then…

I remembered the words I nearly choked on in that sun-bathed room, where time had stopped and I made it clear, most of all to myself, that I had something that I wanted. Since that time I had been stuck in the same cycle, never relying on anybody until the moment I realized that I didn't have an answer.

Always a non-solution. Always an answer that never addressed the question.

Wrong as always, and always expected.

Defeated and dejected, I noticed that I hadn't been eating for a while now, and I turned my attention back to Komachi.

"Hey…"

My voice came out a lot weaker than I had intended, and in response Komachi gave me a quick glance, signaling to me that I had about half of her attention.

"I really wasn't lying, Mom definitely wouldn't let me eat like that, y'know…"

"Yeah, yeah."

Waving me off, Komachi was just about ready to ignore me altogether, but regardless of that I resolved to continue.

"But…"

Realizing that I had more to say, Komachi perched up as if encouraging me to continue.

"But?"

"But maybe that wasn't what I was referring to. Not entirely, anyways. As for what it was, well…"

At this stage, I still couldn't find it in myself to convey to Komachi what was surely my greatest failings and weaknesses, even if there was no doubt in my mind that she already knew.

"Let's just say that it's all been more of the same, I guess. In regards to Isshiki, that is. Both here, and there… even if it's not Isshiki…it's all just been more of the same…"

The words I used were very vague, and almost had no meaning as a result. But they were all I could muster, and it was my hope that they were all Komachi needed.

"Hoh…so that's what it was. I see. That's good then."

"…Huh?"

What the hell do you mean that's good?! Did you become some sort of sadist when Onii-chan wasn't looking?! I'm really struggling out here, y'know! I don't even know if you actually caught my drift or not, but either way in what world is that the appropriate response?!

"I was kinda worried, to be honest."

Komachi turned herself completely away from the TV and was now looking at me head on from the sofa with her feet crossed beside her, as I now had her full attention.

"Onii-chan has been all stone-faced, dead-eyed, and contemplative since he got here, so I thought it might've been something serious. I mean, there's no way you'd be like that if it was just about Iroha-senpai."

Whoa, uh…Ouch. That's your friend you're talking about there. She IS your friend, right? Komachi?

And you say that as if my matters aren't serious, so that's also kind of mean.

I won't even acknowledge that dead-eyed comment, but still. Finding it to be funny due to its own redundancy, I deadpanned the same quip I said earlier.

"...That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

"Mmm, not really. It doesn't particularly matter which girl it is since we're talking about Onii-chan here. It's got more to do with you than anything else."

Wow, that might be the nicest way anyone's ever told me that I'm the problem. My elementary school classmates could learn a thing or two from you.

"If it's like that though, I can't say I'm surprised. In fact, it's even all starting to make sense to me now."

"Well, I'm glad you understand then."

"Hey hey, I don't mean it like that. What I mean is, if you've been giving it that much thought, then that's good! Because chances are you know WHAT you need to do, you just don't know HOW to do it!"

"…Something like that, yeah."

"Though knowing Onii-chan, you also probably don't know exactly what it is that you want, so as a result it's only furthering your hesitation in taking the first step."

"…Ugh."

Komachi had stopped paying attention to the TV altogether now, and I'm starting to have a hard time believing that she was ever watching in the first place. This sneaky little devil has totally been thinking about this the whole time, just waiting to get her shots in.

Komachi, you're not a psychology major (I think), so please, stay out of Onii-chan's head.

"B-But you don't need to worry about that at this point! Err, well, you do and you don't. Most people would've lost their chance by now, but Onii-chan's kind of a special case so…"

Komachi was now fumbling with the words that she totally had mustered up and waiting to hit me with. I see, so even you can't make heads or tails of this situation, eh?

Also it's basically implied that I'm a special case at this point, so do me a favor and don't say what doesn't need to be said just to get another jab at me. You've gotten more than enough of those, and Onii-chan's armor is in the repair shop.

"Although, now that I think about it, that probably has more to do with Iroha-senpai and this mystery woman, so maybe I spoke too soon in that regard."

Wait, wait, mystery woman? I won't bring it up for fear of what you might drag out of me, so I'll let you think what you want for the time being. But like, aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?

Actually, can we just end this conversation already? Talking with my little sister about this sort of thing isn't exactly on my list of things to do before I die.

Taking notice of my dilemma, Komachi took the hint and signaled to me that she was moving on.

"A-Anyways, you seem to realize your position pretty well, and I'm happy you decided to talk to me about it. Though I call it that, but honestly that was pretty pathetic. If I wasn't your sister, there's no way I would've known where to start with that train wreck of an explanation."

Okay but you totally still did though, so it's kind of a moot point, right?

Komachi seemed to have more on her mind that she wanted to say. Affirming this, she looked at me intently for a moment with an expression that told me to wait for what she had to say next.

"Anywho...not necessarily as your little sister, but as a girl, the best I can tell you is this..."

Komachi was still on the couch, with her full attention being on our conversation for a while now. She again thought about what to say next in a contemplative pose, before speaking to me in a tone that felt very familiar.

"Where there are winners, there are also losers. A world where no one gets hurt doesn't exist, if you get what I'm saying."

As soon as Komachi loosened the atmosphere, she immediately tightened it up again.

I wondered for a moment what it was that would cause my little sister to speak in such a way.

Perhaps I could've felt it as it happened gradually if things had been different, but it was what it was, and as a result I found myself feeling out of touch. I thought about what a cute girl Komachi was, and the company she kept…She'd never said a word to me about her own troubles, not like she would anyways, but…

My mind began reaching areas I'd never been to before. Soon, my siscon reflex triggered and I snapped back to reality.

No, it wasn't anything I could think on now. Rather, I focused instead on the words she had offered me, and how it resonated with everything I could think of. And that was…

That to every query was this same underlying message. The simple fact to which, I had the same response every time.

"...I...can't accept that kind of world."

And with it, the same bumbling answer. Those words came out almost as a laugh as I suddenly found this all to be so strangely amusing. With how much I'd been going back and forth about it, for me to look at it now for what it was felt surreal. And to hear it from my own sister, no less.

I pondered when it was, exactly, that things had become like this…

If only for an instant, because with hardly any hesitation, Komachi responded as if expecting those words.

"Then say something about it. But say it with words that actually mean something, and to the people that need to hear it. Not to me, and not with any of your Onii-chan dribble drabble mumbo jumbo."

After seeing my initial response, she lightened up a little and finished her remark with a smile. Whatever it was she was trying to tell me, it felt like she had been trying for a very long time. She gave the impression that she was ready to be as serious as it took also, so for things to have happened like this, well, it all just felt wrong enough…

That it couldn't have worked for anyone else.

I finally reached my breaking point, and let out a small fit of twisted chuckles. Komachi seemed slightly put off by how strange it must've looked, and puffed out a couple awkward laughs at my reaction. Surely she couldn't know everything that had just gone on through my head, so she asked.

"What's so funny?"

I composed myself a little and let out a relieved sigh.

"It's nothing. I just feel like I've rubbed off on you somehow, which is weird seeing as how I wasn't even here."

"Urgh, typical Onii-chan, mistakenly taking credit for only the strangest things. How gross."

Komachi scrunched up her face and looked at me like I was trash. I'm sure she was doing it ironically (at least I hope), but I could sort of see where she was coming from, for me to say something like that so suddenly.

"...Nevermind. And I'm not taking credit for anything. It's just like, Komachi feels so different yet still exactly the same in how cute and little sister-like she is, the way she tries to understand her big brother. Really though, I get what you were trying to go for and everything, but I could've sworn that you actually were just trying to scold me back there."

My tone and even my choice of words became a bit too doting before I knew it. What's this? Have I fully reverted to my old siscon ways?

Although if that was true, it was very apparent that Komachi wasn't having any of it. Still on the couch, she sighed and turned away from me and apparently ignored my remark altogether. H-Hey, that's still kinda rude, y'know…

She crossed her legs and reached over to grab the TV remote from the nearby table between the couch she was sitting on, and the TV. She began speaking while facing away from me, and her body language told me that she was making her closing remarks.

"Riiiiight. Well anyways, Onii-chan. It really is all up to you, but whatever happens, just know that Komachi will always be here for you. Whoa whoa whoa! Stop the presses! I think that's a Komachi points multiplier!"

Yep, it's as I said. However different she's become and whatever things I might have missed while I was gone, this part about her still hadn't changed at all.

I leaned back in my chair and looked up, reminiscing on my encounter with Totsuka and Yuigahama from yesterday. I wonder if that held true for everybody else, as well…

Maybe not. Though I realized it was pointless to think about either way.

However, there was one thing Komachi was getting ahead of herself about, and I just couldn't let it slide this time.

"I wouldn't go that far quite yet if I were you. After all, I may be trying to do things a bit differently than how I did them back then, but it IS still me we're talking about, and if there's one thing I'm good at, it's finding the worst possible way to do things."

"Eh? Seriously? What kind of cheap, hinedere...ugh,what a troublesome onii-chan, honestly."

"Yep, I'm the most troublesome guy there is.

Not one thing was said clearly, but the message got across. And truthfully, with every fiber of my being, I was feeling a lot better about it all. I'd been overthinking it up to this point, but for better or for worse, whatever happens, happens. I'm sure I'll be torturing myself in the moment and contradicting myself every step of the way, but for now I was home, and for the first time since I'd gotten here, nothing else mattered. And for that I felt somehow, inexplicably relieved.

"Thanks, Komachi."

"You're welcome. Though you know, it seems like Komachi is always the one helping Onii-chan, and I'm starting to wonder who's actually the younger sibling here."

N-Now wait just a second, that has nothing to do with something as trivial as being older or younger, right? It has to do more with like, competency or something. And err, regarding that…

"W-Well, as far as matters regarding girls are concerned, I'm a bit-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're even more useless than usual when it comes to that stuff. That's why I don't need to talk to you about it, since you can help me in other ways."

Oh? I briefly entertained the thought earlier, but this is the first I'm hearing about it directly from her. Somewhat interested in what she was getting at, I pressed her for more.

"And how's that?"

"Oh just little things, here and there. But if you're talking about the here and now, I know one good way you can help me."

No, um, I was actually talking about your experiences in relation to my own, or yeah, something along those lines. Don't tell me I was swindled into doing something absurd yet again?!

Komachi leaned back in her seat, still with her legs crossed, with an aura that suddenly reeked of…cockiness?

"Heck if I wanted to be any cheekier about it I'd even call it repaying me. I do seem to have quite the stockpiled amount of Komachi points, after all."

Wait, I haven't even been home for most of the past couple of years, so how in the world could you possibly have some points stockpiled? Are they valid until spent or something? And if so, I definitely don't remember signing off on any kind of rewards catalog. Little sister services tend to be free of charge anyways.

"Damn, I knew I should've taken that course on Imouto Economics."

My remark may be sarcastic, but my motive sure isn't. This is the sort of hard-hitting information the people want. Like actually though, I don't need any classes on how to be a corporate slave and mindlessly do whatever I'm told to do. I think my life up until recently is enough of a resume to assert those qualifications.

Sigh…

If only universities taught the things we actually need to know in our adult lives. Or high school for that matter. But I suppose that's another story altogether.

"So what you can do for me is…"

As expected, I could've said anything and she'd still have ignored me. If it's Komachi we're talking about, this level of single-minded behavior could only mean one thing.

"You can find Komachi an official older sister in waiting. Honestly it's already felt like I've had several with the way things have gone at certain points, but I kind of want to upgrade the package, so to speak."

And there it is.

"So in the end it really was all about that…"

I let out an exasperated sigh. Komachi laughed and began waving her hands back and forth like she just told the punchline to a joke.

"Nah, I'm just kidding.~ This has never even been about me, y'know. As far as I'm concerned, whatever happens that ends up being good for me is just a bonus. An optional bonus that doesn't need to happen if that's the way Onii-chan wants it. Me and my points can wait, but this can't. So just do whatever you can, however you can, and get a little peace of mind, alright?"

She had most likely prefaced it like that just to get a rise out of me, but in the end her intentions did indeed ring clear. Still, there was something to be said about the way she decided to put it.

"...You and your points?"

Komachi turned her head back towards me with an irritated expression. I made the same motion she had made just moments ago and brushed it off to say I was joking.

"Alright alright, I think I can manage. Though I don't want to hear any complaints if things don't go the way you want them to. I'm notorious in some circles for finding answers that don't satisfy anybody."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Oh, I almost forgot. One last thing."

She pointed one finger upwards and shot me a wink and a smile, as her voice shifted to a tone of utmost honesty.

"Thanks again for talking to me, Onii-chan. But going back to what I was saying earlier, not as your little sister, and not even as a girl, but as a friend of Iroha-senpai…"

She paused, unsure of the words that would be the most effective in conveying her message. Eventually, she began haphazardly.

"She's a lot more delicate than she seems. Especially when you're involved, so…"

As she spoke, she twisted and turned in her seat, trying almost desperately to figure out how to tell me what it was that I needed to know. Finally, her eyes lit up as she struck upon what she needed to say. She met me head on, her eyes crashing into my own.

"Whatever happens between the two of you, it almost sounds like a cruel thing to say, but whatever you do, please don't doubt her sincerity."

Her words weren't what I was expecting, and for an instant they registered simply as a blank. But when the meaning to those words began to translate, I caught her intent.

"It's been a long time coming for her."

As I slouched over at the dining table, hovering over the food that I had chosen to eat cold, she removed her eyes from mine and stared blankly at nothing in particular. She looked on for just a moment, letting her words completely consume the room, before replacing that sentiment with a new one.

"And a long time coming back, at that."

I didn't shift my gaze to see what it was that had caught her line of sight. Instead, I closed my eyes with confidence that I had understood, and thus I affirmed.

"Gotcha."

When my eyes reopened, I was met with her gaze yet again. But before that, I noticed a wry grin plastered on her face, happy that all had finally been said and done.

"Good. Then I guess that's that."

She yawned with great relief and turned her body on its side. From where I was sitting, it looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was getting ready to nap as a result. As she stretched and realigned her body to accommodate her new posture, she let out a dry laugh, before commenting offhandedly.

"Seriously, the only person I can think of that had it as bad as her, is-"

A noise started up around the same time she began her sentence. Noticing this, she cut herself off as soon as she picked up what it was and where it was coming from.

"Hmm? Hey Onii-chan, I think your phone's going off."

Damn phone. First you give me a call from Hayama of all people, then you cut off my sibling bonding time. That's strike two.

I sighed and got up from the table. I made my way back to my room while reminding myself that I probably needed to answer despite any other thought I had on the matter.

After all, what if Totsuka was calling me?

I rushed to my room and picked my phone up off of the nightstand by my bed, which was where I had left it after getting off the phone with Hayama and going to sleep last night.

A quick glance at who it was instantly crushed all of my hopes and dreams, but I still felt compelled to answer for a variety of reasons. I swiped to accept the call without any idea of what it could be about.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Hikki! Sorry to call you so suddenly, especially since I barely just saw you yesterday…"

It was one of the few numbers that I had in my contact book, which may have been reason enough to answer for most people. In my case, everything that happened literally just yesterday was still fresh in my head and I was still pretty embarrassed, so if it was any of my past incarnations there's no way I would've picked up.

The me of the present, however, was aware of the fact that Yuigahama is a pretty shy person, especially considering how outgoing she is. She was an anomaly that could openly state if and when she was embarrassed, and by just saying as such she could instantly ease the tension of any situation. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was likely just as embarrassed about yesterday as I was, so for her to call me directly so soon, it must've been something…of relative importance, given Yuigahama's standards.

"Sorry, and I didn't even text you like I said I would yesterday either since…w-well, anyways! There's something really important going on, and I just couldn't wait to tell you! Or maybe, it'd be worse if I let it drag on without telling you…or..."

Sometimes, I actually have no idea what the heck Yuigahama is talking about. She must've realized that herself, since soon after getting sidetracking, she found it prudent to get to the point.

"W-Whatever! Um... Are you free today?"

"Uh, define 'today'."

Give a guy a break, would you? I haven't even finished eating breakfast, never mind the fact that I just had a heart-to-heart conversation with my little sister about a subject no man should ever even have to discuss.

"Huh? De…fine?"

"No, uh…I guess it depends?"

Woman, you know what define means. In this case, it probably wasn't the most accurate way of putting it since it wasn't what I meant literally, but it's kind of a hard thing to say. So just once, do me a favor and pick up what I'm throwing down.

"Eh? Aren't you either free or not free?"

I can't be mad since my response was, irrefutably, pretty damn worthless and non-committal. I chose to remain silent in hopes that it would still manage to somehow speak for itself.

"R-Right. Well, um, would you be alright with meeting me for dinner? You know, if you can…"

To my surprise, it ended up working as she stated her business properly and I could then evaluate what I wanted to do in turn.

It's hard to say outright that if it was too much of a hassle, I wouldn't do it. Not being able to say those kinds of things were exactly why I didn't believe I needed something like friends.

But right now, rather than not being being able to say it, it felt more like I didn't want to. What's this? Have I been chained down already? Hachiman of the past...you were wise beyond your years, and I have failed you.

I was being very tongue in cheek, but for some reason I felt like I could finally finish the thought I'd been having since I got home.

What happened to me, I'd asked myself. I used to be able to turn any one down at the drop of a hat. Like a reflex. Second nature. I wouldn't feel bad about it either.

It was only now that this lifestyle change was expanding into other facets of my life that I finally understood what it was I was trying to touch on earlier.

At the university, the only one I'd have to worry about in regards to this was Shiromeguri-senpai. In fact, I swear to you turning her down might as well be against the law, so that couldn't be done. It was exhausting at times, but surprisingly fulfilling and enjoyable. In a word, it was comfy. God bless my braided senpai.

Without her here at home, it's felt foreign to me as it had used to, but when I thought about it a little bit more and considered my own emotions on the subject, I realized.

"I guess that'd be alright."

It came out delayed, but in my mind I thought it to be better late than never. Patiently waiting on the other end, Yuigahama exhaled and let out a voice filled with sincere happiness to the point that I was sure I could visualize her smile.

"Great! I'll text you the details later, but be ready to be there by 6, okay? Don't be late! Anywho gotta go, see you then!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear, and waited for her to end the call as I stared at my phone. I took note of the fact that even after all this time, I never once thought to delete Yuigahama from my contacts. I felt a smile coming, when a voice from behind me snapped me out of it.

"Wooow, Onii-chan. Having affairs already?"

At some point during my conversation with Yuigahama, Komachi seemed to have made her way into my room. Hey, I know we just had that talk and everything, but eavesdropping is still eavesdropping, y'know? Wouldn't I get scolded if I did the same thing?

I guess that's just the nature of having siblings, or whatever. Probably not, but in any case it wasn't something worth making a fuss over.

"I-Idiot, who's having an affair? Not like I could be having one in the first place. Last I checked, you need a significant other for that, which..."

Embarrassed about the compromising situation she caught me in, I unintentionally gave her the reaction she was fishing for. Oh well, I guess I can live with that. After all, the purity of Hikigaya Hachiman is something that must insist upon itself for all it may concern.

Otherwise, who knows what would happen.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, Yui-senpai is a lot bolder than I remember her being. Though when I put it that way, it makes it sound like I haven't spoken to her in a while, when…err…"

This little snake, for all that she had to say earlier, in reality she just couldn't help herself to start with. I turned my dead eyes onto her knowing that it would be more than enough to communicate what I was thinking.

"W-What? It was with completely innocent motives, I'll have you know. I said it earlier, didn't I? I have some things to say as a friend to them, and other things to say as a sister to you. They don't always have to be related, though it is true that I'm kind of a middle-woman by nature."

'They don't always have to be related', eh. Isn't that literally you telling me that they are, in fact, related? You just said it yourself.

But putting that aside for now, I don't remember ever indicating who I was talking to.

"So, how did you…?"

"Know it was Yui-senpai? I didn't, I just guessed. I may be awful at guessing correctly on tests, but this is a subject I have years of experience in!"

Unbeknownst to me, she had made herself comfortable in my room and had moved from being behind me to sprawling out on my bed. Don't mess up my covers, damn it. I haven't finished eating so I'm not even going to be in here long. Also, stop trying to nap on every piece of furniture in this house.

I scolded her mentally, but naturally Komachi couldn't hear any of it. She was on her back, staring up at my ceiling with a content smile on her face.

"I'm just really glad that Onii-chan isn't handling things halfway this time around."

Her relieved expression and looseness was like something out of a portrait, but the moment was short lived as she soon shot up to sitting Indian-style, only to begin spewing what amounted to nonsense.

"If it's like that though, it might make it a bit harder for me to remain neutral and stuff. And that's harder than it looks, y'know? I mean, I'm much closer to Iroha-senpai at this point, but even back then there was something about Yui-senpai that made me feel like I just had to root for her. And don't even get me started on Yukino-senpai-"

At some point I stopped being able to hear whatever it was that Komachi was rambling on about. I remember the days where it was just points this and Onii-chan that, but now it's as if she's put even more thought into my personal life than I have. A part of me isn't convinced that it's only her usual snoopy-ness either. Why's someone as outgoing as her more concerned about what's going on with my life rather than her own, anyways?

I rubbed the back of my head and let out a big sigh. For now, maybe it'd all be a lot simpler if I just took everything one step at a time. I put my phone in my pocket and made my way back to my previously abandoned meal. Along the way, Komachi made sure to give me an earful about who knows what. I put my mind at ease and instead wondered about what I'd do after I finished eating.

But before that one last thought had occurred to me. To take everything one step at a time inherently meant what I had been telling myself this whole time.

In every moment I'd ever lived and every instance I'd overthought, what was before me could simply be described as the present. I'd spent so much time being satisfied with inaction, that present should've turned to past, and it could all just be written off as a bittersweet chapter in a youth that could've been.

Yet the present never ends, and a chapter couldn't be completed without turning the page. I vaguely remember being told once that there were things that I could only do in the present. If that was the case, what were those things I'd missed out on, if it feels like everything had been waiting for me all along?

In this life the conviction to take action only held meaning when actually applied. Without that conviction, one could never move forward. But without applying that conviction, it was time that would never move forward instead. It sounded all wrong, so whatever this chapter would end up becoming, it's only fitting that it'd be about me.

It's been a long time coming, but what I've been seeking all this time finally felt so close, I could almost taste it.

I was turning the corner, I was getting over the hump.

Whatever was waiting for me on the other side must've been waiting for quite some time. As for what it was, I still couldn't be sure if it was genuine or not. But since it's me we're talking about, if I had to guess what it'd taste like when I got there…

I bet it'd taste just like cold food.

4-3

I thought long and hard for all of five minutes about what I'd do until dinnertime, and as expected, I just ended up reading and playing games for several hours.

When my days end up like this, it makes me wonder what it'd be like if I were to actually become a full-fledged house husband somehow.

Would I be able to indulge myself in these hobbies endlessly as I peacefully age, until finally I could ride out the twilight of my life into the sunset?

Without a doubt, a moment's hesitation, or any way you want to say me not even needing to think about it, the answer is hell yeah I could.

Having so much on my mind and having to deal with university almost made me forget how much I enjoy being a good-for-nothing house dweller. Whew, that was close. Never change, Hachiman. Never change.

Of course, that'd all be after I cleaned the house, and brought home groceries, and watered the cat, and whatever the heck else you needed to do to be a legitimate at-home spouse. Both my parents work, so I actually don't know.

When I put it that way though, I guess I really wouldn't have as much time to enjoy myself as I thought I did. But for what it's worth, it probably still beats being a corporate slave.

Like this, I continued to weigh my career and life choices aimlessly until the time came for me to make my appearance.

I took my time getting ready, and after a handful of goofy grins and jab comments from Komachi about how much of a gigolo I was, I was able to head out without any issues.

Nothing of interest happened on the way there, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the address that Yuigahama had sent me by text.

I looked up at the storefront and around where I was standing to take in the surroundings of where my feet had taken me. In front of me was a restaurant that by no means could be described as being fancy, but was still a decidedly tasteful choice. It was a bit more than I was expecting from Yuigahama, but she's surprised me more than once with her sense for these kinds of things.

I mean if it was me, we'd have just met up for some ramen, probably run into Hiratsuka-sensei somehow, and from there I'd just start feeling really awkward.

Yup, sounds about right.

You know just yesterday I was out getting something to eat with Yuigahama and everything turned out alright, so maybe it was a good thing I wasn't the one making those decisions around here.

With that in mind, I checked my phone to confirm a message I had received from her on the way here about how she'd arrived early to get a table for us, and went inside to see if I could find her.

"Hikki! Over here!"

About as soon as I had walked in, she had already spotted me due to the close proximity of her table to the storefront. Oh my, how very considerate of her.

Not just because it didn't take much looking on my part to find her, either. If she were to address me like that and shout from the other side of the restaurant to get my attention…err, it's not so much that people would get the wrong idea and it'd bug me or anything. I'd just feel really self-conscious about it for no particular reason.

I made my way over to the booth where she was sitting, and took my seat across from her. She looked at me with a strange mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Likewise, I wasn't sure what to feel either.

"Oh um, sorry I called you so suddenly like that."

She began nervously as she looked me up and down. I know you can count how many times you've seen me on one hand in the last couple of years, but I promise I haven't changed anything worth straining your eyes over. Keep it up and I'll return the favor.

Like, it was already taking every ounce of my willpower to maintain eye contact as it is, so the last thing I needed was justification.

Back then there was only one thing about Yuigahama that was womanly, everything else about her was very much that of a girl. But now…

Actually, you know what, it may be more accurate to say that there were two things.

"It's no problem. I was expecting to hear from you soon anyways."

I tried to keep it casual and concise. The sooner I could get her started on why she called me out here to start with, the sooner this tension could ease. And it'd also give me something else to focus on, so there was also that.

"A-ahaha…"

She scratched at her face with her finger as she finally ceased studying my every feature.

"…What's so funny?"

Don't study me like that and then end up having that kind of reaction. It'll give me PTSD.

"You make it sound like this is, like, a business meeting or something."

When she pointed it out, I realized that my choice of words did make it sound like that. On top of that, I've been pretty stiff since I got here due to her staring me down, so given what happened yesterday I'm probably making this even weirder by being uptight.

"A-ah, I guess it would feel kind of weird meeting up so casually like this after so long, especially with...well y-yeah."

She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as a light red tint made its way to her face. Judging by how she decided to cut herself off, it seems like she hasn't forgotten anything about back then, but it was still too hard to say after all.

I wonder what age you have to reach before you could freely talk about the things that were too hard to say in your youth. Are we talking Hiratsuka-sensei old, or…?

All jokes aside, I really hope that's not what she wanted to talk about, because I didn't come here today ready to do that, and with how distracted I am right now this could get pretty dangerous.

Needless to say it wasn't a topic that was safe to stay on, but I was the one who got called here in the first place, and there wasn't anything else for me to say.

"No kidding. How do you think I feel?"

It was more of a rhetoric question, or maybe it was actually a question I was posing to myself. If nothing else, perhaps it was just a half-assed attempt at glossing over something I didn't want to talk about without completely ignoring it.

Really though, how do you think I feel? For someone who's so good at reading the mood and easing the atmosphere of a conversation, you sure do one heck of a job at managing to fluster me. By being flustered yourself, no less.

What kind of teenage garbage is that?! Please, somebody, send help. Shiromeguri-senpai, things aren't going as planned. Quick, help me find my comfy place.

"Hmm…yeah…"

While I was busy regretting everything about my life, Yuigahama seemed to be taking my question quite seriously as she scrunched her face together in thought.

"...I guess that is the all-important question here, huh..."

I felt my heart skip a beat at her words. One thing I had been guilty about in the past, was that I had a tendency to underestimate Yuigahama in a lot of ways. She must have her own thoughts on how the past couple of years have transpired, and that was something that I'd certainly been neglecting up until now. There wasn't anything I could do about her desires, her expectations, or whatever else it was that was remaining for her.

Like her, all I could do was wait.

After a small silence, she shot her head up and resumed with a smile as if nothing had happened.

"Anyways, I'm just really glad that Hikki actually came."

The happiness on her face, and the relief I could feel from her that we were able to meet like this again. I couldn't find any other way to describe it. It was as close to genuine as anything I had seen in a while. There was nothing to disprove, she really did just have me convinced.

She made it look so simple, and for that I felt awful. Because the longer this went on, the more I began to feel that I'd been dragging her down with me.

For her to be able to make that face even now, no, especially now…

"Hey, Hikki, are you okay? You seem kinda tense."

The smile faded from her face, and when she took the time to study my face again, she saw the reason for why I had been silent.

I didn't know for myself what I must've looked like in those moments. But whatever expression I was making, it must've been one of great sadness.

"I-It's nothing. I'm fine."

She'd called me here because she had something to say. Now more than ever, I felt like I owed it to her to listen properly. It was something I'd never been able to do, but the more time went on, the more important I thought it was for me to try.

Regardless of my intentions, she didn't seem to buy it. She furrowed her brow dejectedly and bit lightly at the underside of her lips.

" E-eh...it's as I thought, right? It really is kinda weird after all..."

I wasn't able to read her as well I'd liked, but it became apparent to me now that she was really hung up on that idea.

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. For this to be weird was probably pretty disheartening for her due to the type of person she was. And letting this go on would only serve to make me feel worse, also.

Thus in an attempt to reassure her, I thought to give her my honest impression on the matter.

"Maybe, I don't know. If you think about it, there are so many variables between two people that haven't met for a long time, that I doubt there's any one particular way that it's supposed to be like. That, on top of the fact that if weird could literally be considered to be unusual by definition, then yeah. It's just weird by nature."

Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion and gave me a bewildered look. It might just be me, but I swear I can literally see the word 'gross' forming on the edges of her mouth. Ugh, look it totally makes sense if you think about it. Out of left field, maybe, but you should still be able to see my point.

"It's also like, you know. Theoretically by continuing to meet up it would cease to be unusual, therefore also no longer being weird."

It's a bit of a dumbed down way to look at it, but basically if you keep looking at it that way, things will never change. And while it's true that once something was lost it could never return to its original form, that doesn't mean it has to stay in the same form as when it was broken either.

It took a lot of time and a lot of reflecting, but that was the conclusion that I'd been able to come to thanks to the last couple of days.

"C-Continuing to meet up?!"

Really, that's the part you understand? I'm out here with some profound sentiments, and you're playing me like this? I was just trying to get you to feel comfortable. Stop making me sound like I'm some nerd trying to talk my way into a second date.

Hold on, date…?

Alright, things are starting to get out of hand here. Let's go ahead and take a step back.

As I found myself on the fast track to questioning the meaning of life, I was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice flowing its way to my ears like a cool winter breeze.

"I see your explanations are still gross enough to somehow border on being sexual harassment."

I looked to my side and in the distance I could where the restrooms were. When I turned my attention slightly more in the direction of where the voice had come from, there before me was an approaching figure shrouded by long, silky black hair. The figure captivated me briefly, until finally my eyes made their way to the most recognizable piercing blue eyes I'd ever seen in my life. Her lips parted, and on her smooth, slightly more matured face was an appearance I hadn't met in what was certainly a very long time.

"Hello. It's been a while, Hikigaya-kun."

A/N: Longest chapter so far, but it's been grossly overdue. I won't bore any of you with the how or the why it took as long as it did, just know that if the time ever comes that I stop intending on updating this fic, I will let you all know. As of now, I have every intention of continuing...I mean it's only Chapter 4, after all.

Speaking of the story, Yukinoshita seems to have finally made her appearance. And well, I'll be straight with you. I'm pretty sure a solid 50% of Oregairu readers come for the story, and stay for the Yukino. If you're in that assumed demographic, then your time is coming soon.

And by that, I mean next chapter. As for when that will be coming, I don't like the idea of updating several months at a time. I'd MUCH rather update once a month if I can. In fact, I feel like I'm behind if anything. We're getting to the meat of the story though, so progress should be faster since it's the part I have the most plans for. Next update should by no means take as long as this one did, and if I have it my way, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming of one per month.

Real quick, I also want to give a closing thought about Yukinoshita in this story. I've read a lot of fics that take the route of integrating Yukino and her relationship with her family into their story, and a lot of them tend to have a similar template for that. This fic will do some things similarly since a lot of it is based off of what most people believe Watari-sensei is alluding to in the novels. But naturally, it will also do a couple of things differently. Friendly reminder that no one besides Hikigaya is tagged in this story, and so this "plot point" if that's what you want to call it will not overshadow the main story in any way. But it IS Oregairu, so of course Yukino will be a very important character. She just won't be the only one.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully you'll all be able to do a lot more reading in the immediate future, and I'll be able to do a lot more writing...and updating…

-Lyzen