Yukinoshita planned for the days ahead. If Hiratsuka was not going to be around, then as long as she enough books to last her to the rest of the summer, she would have no need to visit the store. She began pulling all sorts of interesting novels from off the shelves, stacking them up until they loomed over her. She was an abnormally fast reader, so she worried that she would not be able to carry all the books that she wanted. Perhaps she was being a bit unreasonable, she thought as she gazed upon the stack. She just didn't quite care to interact with the new hire.

She wouldn't be unfair; she admitted that he could at least go through the motions when working, so the store should be the same as always. When she first saw him, she thought he had been infatuated with her. It wasn't the first time someone had stared at her in public, and she doubted it would be the last. Then she found out he was just curious, which was fine normally, but he seemed too idiosyncratic and removed. He was observant, but acted as if he couldn't do anything when something came up. It felt like he knew some secret everyone else didn't, but he thought that the information he held was unimportant. He did what was instructed, but couldn't find any motivation outside of necessity. She dealt with delusional Romantics on a regular basis, those who saw the whole world as a product of their actions, but she could not handle someone who thought they held no influence on reality. It was frustrating to see someone so passive and idle take up a job his predecessor was perfect in.

The pile of books beside Yukinoshita lurched, interrupting her train of thought. She quickly moved to catch the toppling tower, using her the length of her body to set it back into an upright position. She hesitantly stepped away from the books, careful to pick up any shift in movement, poised to catch the tower at any time.

"You alright back there?" asked a concerned Hiratsuka from the front desk, startling Yukinoshita. The older woman had returned from smoking outside.

"Of course. There is no need for alarm," Yukinoshita called back shakily while adjusting the structural integrity of the stack. Hiratsuka went to check on her anyway.

"You should probably put some of those away," Hiratsuka said as she stepped into the isle, seeing an absurd number of pages loaded on top of each other.

"I know. I was just weighing my options," Yukinoshita muttered. She began setting the novels on the top of the stack back onto the shelves. Hiratsuka helped her with the task. They remained silent as they put away the assortment of books.

"You weren't kidding when you said you had a lot of free time if you were planning to read all of those, huh. That's perfect," Hiratsuka hummed after the pile had been reduced to a manageable size. She picked them up and walked over to the small reading area at the back corner over the store. Yukinoshita followed. "You mind if we head to my office now? I don't want to talk with customers around," Hiratsuka asked.

Yukinoshita did mind, she was a customer herself after all. She just wanted to buy something to keep herself busy and head back to her apartment. Still, she had never been one to reject a request, so she begrudgingly remained silent. Besides, Hiratsuka was right. She had far too much time on her hands. Hiratsuka put the books on a small table and they started making their way to the front of the store where her office was.

As they passed through the shop, Yukinoshita noticed Hikigaya scan some items for a boy who was wearing a heavy coat and glasses. Hikigaya made some comment under his breath, which caused the other teen to belt out a terribly obnoxious laugh. Hikigaya looked exasperated, but Yukinoshita noticed a faint smile appear on his face. That made her feel much more confident in the stores survivability. Knowing that someone like him could get along a strange customer proved that anyone could fit into a group. Even Hikigaya, with his awkward smile, lack of motivation, and constant litany of complaints could find someone in the world that would accept him.

Hiratsuka followed the same routine every time she went into her office; she would open the window that looked down over a back alley, sit at her desk, and light up a cigarette. Yukinoshita sat across from her, looking at the robot figurines next to the laptop on her desk that served as paperweights for a stack of order forms. The whole room was covered with merchandise from old TV and manga series. Everything looked pristine, but the toys, books, electronics, paper work, and furniture cluttered the space. Yukinoshita didn't know what to think, or even what to look at, so she opted into staring at the manager instead. Hiratsuka turned her chair towards the window so not to blow smoke into room. After a long exhale, she spoke. "So, I would like for you to act as Hikigaya's supervisor."

"I expected you would ask something like that," responded Yukinoshita almost immediately. She put her hand to her temple and sat back into her chair. "And what makes you think I would accept this task?"

"You've never been one to deny someone a helping hand," Hiratsuka responded in surprise as she placed an ashtray on the windowsill.

"You're not asking this for the stores behalf. You already expressed confidence in Hikigaya-kun's ability to do the bare minimum. No, you're asking because you want me to improve his work ethic," Yukinoshita deduced. "I wouldn't say no if he desired to improve, but I must decline if you are asking."

Hiratsuka sighed, smoke expelling from her mouth. It was a good thing she had prepared for this moment. "Let's put it this way. This will serve as an opportunity. If you really hope to become a politician you need to learn how to motivate and influence others."

"There are far better ways for me to learn. I could become the chairman of the cultural festival or run for president of the student council. I have more important things I could be handling this summer," Yukinoshita retorted curtly as she crossed her arms.

Hiratsuka looked at her incredulously as she tapped her cigarette. "You know as well as I do that you're not going to become the cultural festival chairman. As for becoming the student council president, you could accomplish that without lifting a finger."

Yukinoshita scowled. "When I do become student council president, all my efforts are going to go into organizing events. My actions will matter, and they will shape the student bodies' opinions and values. I am already planning several potential events for the school. Until then, I won't just sit around watching someone cut corners while working."

"You can do other things while in the store. I saw how many books you were thinking of purchasing. I doubt you would have much time to plan activities if you were going to read all of that…. How about we make a deal. I'll allow you to use this place as a library until the end of summer. And I'll pay you of course. All you need to do is help Hikigaya out when he needs it," Hiratsuka pleaded.

Yukinoshita mulled over this for some time. It appeared as if she were unconvinced, so Hiratsuka spoke up once more, turning to look the girl in the eye, trying her best to expresses her intentions. "I'll be honest. I haven't really planned this out. It was a spur of the moment decision. I just know that Hikigaya needs someone to keep him in line and that you need something to do over the summer."

Hiratsuka's earnest words convinced Yukinoshita. She smiled wryly, glancing down at her lap. After all, she thought, it was unlike her to refuse something so vehemently. In the end, no matter what she did, her sense of duty and obligation would stir her into action. She lifted her head. "Fine, but I'll only step in when he causes problems or if he exhausts himself. Also, I refuse to just use books and put them back on the shelf when I am done. I'll pay for them like any other customer."

Hiratsuka smiled warmly. "Thank you. I'll be sure to find some way to repay you for your efforts."

"There is no need. If I am to do something, then I'll do it out of my own volition," said Yukinoshita with pride. She shifted into a more business-like posture, sitting straight, arms on her lap. "Just give me some specifics: when do you leave, what am I responsible for, and what are the store's daily order of operations?"

Hiratsuka remained lax as she answered her questions, puffing out another cloud of smoke out the window. "I'll be leaving at the end of the week. I won't make you go through any tough training or such. Just come to the store like you always do. Open hours will be reduced on weekdays, weekends we will be closed. The only register work you'll need to do is during his lunch breaks, but you'll serve as a bookseller too. As for your duties as a supervisor, there is a check list of daily tasks at the front desk. Use that as reference and make sure Hikigaya doesn't skip any of them. He has a habit of only sweeping the front of the store, so make sure he does everything properly. Other than that, just shut him up if he starts getting fussy and make sure he doesn't have a book at the front desk. Oh, and confiscate his phone too."

Yukinoshita nodded, mentally filing away Hiratsuka's instructions. "Sounds simple enough."

Hiratsuka chuckled darkly. "You say that now. Once Hikigaya's workload doubles, I'm sure he will become twice as insufferable. More than anything I need you to keep him from wallowing in self-pity. Studies have shown that complaining rewires your brain for negativity."

"Noted." Yukinoshita paused to think before continuing. "I imagine Hikigaya-kun doesn't know about this set up."

"Not yet. I'll tell him after I get some work done in here." Hiratsuka said as booted up her computer.

"If you are busy I can just tell him myself," Yukinoshita responded.

"How about you grab some books and wait until I am done with this. It will be easier to make him comply and it will set you into a position of power if we are both there."

"That's reasonable." Yukinoshita got up from her seat. "By the way, you really are going to kill yourself with how much you smoke."

"Yeah, yeah," Hiratsuka said, waving her off. She put out her cigarette as she watched Yukinoshita leave, just to make her satisfied. Hiratsuka was happy that she could give those two something to do. In all their conversations she noticed how tense they always were. They looked over their shoulders, picking their words carefully, alert and hyper sensitive to the comments thrown at them. She imagined they were high strung during the start of summer, with only their thoughts as company and books as distractions. Now that they had a proper outlet to for their busy minds she could enjoy her summer vacation without worrying.

Now that it was about morning, more and more customers began showing up at the bookstore. There was a small line of three waiting to purchase, and a few more customers leafing through magazines and novels. It was only a decibel louder than before, but in the quiet Yukinoshita felt a vibrant joy and energy. As she passed through the main stacks, she saw an older woman looking at a book on gardening, a man in a suit pick up a book on music, and a young girl asking her mother to buy her a pack of stationery with pleading eyes. She also saw an employee looking far too busy to put any time into complaining.

After picking up a book she had been looking through earlier, she sat down in on one of the small couches in the back, a window behind her. She took her time with the first chapter of the book, thumbing over every word, scrutinizing the composition of each sentence, formulating an opinion of the author and the world they created. She looked for order and a cause for conflict, a glint of hope and adventure, and a sign of struggle and growth. Her thirst for truth and beauty was satiated by the gorgeous prose and the compelling conflict of the unnamed protagonist, a young boy reluctantly exploring a meteor crash site with his friends. The first two chapters, each representing a day, laid an incredibly ominous tone even as the narration stayed entirely emotionless. Or perhaps the foreboding feeling was brought by that lack of emotion? Yukinoshita decided she would purchase it after Hiratsuka and herself spoke to Hikigaya. She put down the novel to check if the manager was done with her work but did not see her at the counter. Resigning to a long wait, Yukinoshita opened the book again and quickly became entranced with the story. The next time she looked up, she noticed that the sun was already setting. She had finished the book.

Yukinoshita put the novel in her purse and stood up. The store was emptier than before, although a few stragglers were still scrying the shelves. The fading sun light covered the room in orange, flooding the books under a warm glow. Yukinoshita began making her way towards the front counter, but thought to wait a bit longer before checking items out. She turned into the row with animal books at the last second.

She didn't want to buy the book she finished and then wait for Hiratsuka; Hikigaya would probably become suspicious and question her, and then she would need to explain her new job to him by herself. Plus, he would need to ring up the remaining few customers in the shop so there was no threat of him leaving early. Besides, the cat pictures called to her. She always wanted a one, but her apartment didn't allow for pets and her mother never approved of her owning one as a child. She was very selective about Yukinoshita's company, even when it came to animals. Still, Yukinoshita thought, one day, when she gained proper control over her own living arrangements, she would instantly adopt a cat.

After flipping through a few books, and long after all the customers were gone, Yukinoshita felt a grimy gaze on her. Turning her gaze upward, she locked eyes with Hikigaya, who was still seated at the front desk. His stare was inquisitive. No, inquisitive would be an understatement, thought Yukinoshita. She could feel his pondering, he was questioning more than just her reason for remaining at the store. He was appraising her entire existence, trying to understand what made her tick, attempting to read her like a book. It was a familiar, unpleasant feeling. The only reason she could maintain her composure was because his gaze held no hostility, unlike all those other times when... no best not to dwell on it. There was no motive or reason for his questioning, this was all done subconsciously. Still, that in didn't make staring at another person alright, so Yukinoshita shot back a glare of her own. He quickly looked away. She went back to reading.

Some time passed, but there was still no sign of Hiratsuka. Yukinoshita stomach growled. She thought about checking up on the manager, if only so she could see if she could grab a quick bite to eat. She put the book down, only to turn and face Hikigaya again. His face had a pained look to it. "We're closing in a few minutes. I would ask you to leave, but I expect you are waiting for Hiratsuka," he called out candidly from the front counter. "Can I just check out your books? You can just talk to her tomorrow. I need to get closing tasks done."

Yukinoshita was surprised by his sudden change in mood. Just a few minutes ago he was curious and apathetic, and now he was annoyed by her presence just because he wants to get home? How petty. She finally realized just why she was needed over the next few weeks to keep him in check. "Here we go again with your complete lack of manners. You must be taxing on your family. They must be relieved to have you out of the house for the summer."

"Hey, my dad's might be having the time of his life without me, but my sister probably misses me, and that's all I need. And you're one to talk, you spent your whole day in a bookstore. I don't imagine anyone is out looking for you."

"My family matters are none of your concern," Yukinoshita spat, rubbing her forehead. "I'm just going to read and pretend you don't exist. I've been doing that all day without even trying, so as long as you do a proper job, I won't bother you while your cleaning."

"Hey, you can't just stay here."

"Why not? Hiratsuka-san won't mind; she told me to wait until she was done working." With that she turned back to her book.

"Hey," He called out. Yukinoshita made no movement to suggest she heard him. "Oi, Yukinoshita," he shouted, but to no avail. He sighed, picked up a cleaning solution from under the desk, and began to clean the shelves nearest to him. Yukinoshita smiled smugly. It was only the first day and she knew how to deal with him. It looks like this will be easier than expected.

Yukinoshita soon realized how wrong she was. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, she had to stop Hikigaya from leaving without tidying up the shelves throughout the store, forced him to sweep, and had to make sure he wouldn't overlook any aisle while cleaning. He was dusting off the front windowsills when Hiratuska finally stepped out of her office. She slumped towards them while stretching her strained arms. Her yawn rang out overtones in the empty shop.

Yukinoshita responded with a sigh of her own. "Hiratsuka-san, I was under the impression that you would be finished with your work shorty. Next time inform me, so I can plan my time accordingly. How do you even do your job properly when you can't even keep track of the time?"

"Hey, I completed my to-do-list, I just dozed off along the way," Hiratsuka retorted. Yukinoshita's sharp gaze had little effect on her. Hiratsuka had plenty of experience of dealing with self-entitled shoppers, so Yukinoshita's glare wasn't much in comparison.

Hikigaya quietly put down the duster he was holding as the women stared at each other. "Well, I finished all my work, so I think I deserve a nap too. Don't forget to lock the door and turn off the lights." He picked up his bag and began to make his way towards the exit.

"Oh no you don't." Hiratsuka grabbed the back of his shirt collar and tug him towards her. Hikigaya yelped in surprise, losing his balance. Hiratsuka picked him up right before he hit the floor and put him in a headlock. Yukinoshita chuckled at his dazed expression. Hiratsuka cackled. "Careful there, don't trip on your way out."

Hikigaya's shocked face quickly turned to one of irritation. "The hell was that for," he fumed.

"My apologizes," Hiratsuka spoke remorsefully. "I acted on instinct."

"How does grappling someone become an instinct?" Hikigaya pried himself out of Hiratsuka's hold.

"Ah, well... you see stuff happens" Hiratsuka spoke hesitantly. Hikigaya looked up at her sternly. She turned her face away, only to see Yukinoshita look at her in curiosity and a hint of apprehension. "Uh, I may have gone on a blind date where my partner tried to leave me alone with the bill."

Yukinoshita shook her head, her hand on her temple. Hikigaya snickered. Hiratsuka crossed her arms. "What, I didn't do anything to warrant him leaving. I just got paired with an asshole." That made Hikigaya laugh even more. "I said I'm sorry what else do you want?"

Hikigaya composed himself, but he still had a slight grin on his face. "Only you would run into that situation. You have the worst luck."

"Yeah, I met you, doesn't get much worse than that," Hiratsuka responded.

Yukinoshita interrupted their banter. "Pardon. I don't want to interrupt your fun, but Hikigaya-kun isn't the only one who wants to head home."

Hikigaya's smile faded as he put two and two together. "Right," spoke Hiratsuka, "Hikigaya, Yukinoshita will be working here as your supervisor until I get back from vacation."

"Oh course," sighed Hikigaya. "Anything else I need to know?"

Yukinoshita cut in before Hiratsuka got a chance to speak. The whole reason for her staying her was to establish her authority early. "Consider the past hour as a preview of the rest of your summer. My standards are high, and you'll accomplish tasks in the way I expect them to. If you do your job right, then it will be like I am never here. Try to make this as painless for the both of us and I'm sure we will have a peaceful summer."

"What she said," Hiratsuka corroborated with a grin. Hikigaya stared at them with a blank face. Yukinoshita hoped that she intimidated him enough. Hiratsuka did a poor job of setting consequences for any misdemeanors. In the past, when she was still in junior high school, she had worked as a librarian assistant. She had trouble making students compliant to library regulations. No matter what she did, her schoolmates would always slip back into old patterns whenever they were out of sight. Some were even brazen enough to break rules when she was around, in an attempt to rile her up. She asked the librarian for advice to quell their rebellious nature. He recommended positive reinforcement, but that only lead to them badmouthing her directly. After a particularly brutal incident where a group of girls thought it would be funny to "accidentally" spill a cup of hot coffee on her when she went to remind them drinks were not allowed in the library, the librarian decided it best if she helped with refining the catalog system for the rest of the year.

"You know what?" Hikigaya stated suddenly, breaking Yukinoshita out of her reverie, "I don't have enough energy to complain right now. I'll come up with a list of reasons why this is unfair tomorrow."

"Fine by me", responded Hiratsuka, "I'm pretty beat myself." She began walking towards the front door. "I've already called hold order confirmations, so just print out the compiled sales list before leaving."

"Hey," cried Hikigaya, but Hiratsuka just waved her hand lazily in goodbye and stepped out the store. The doors shut loudly behind her. Yukinoshita looked around the empty store. She had never been in the shop so late. The silence was deafening. It reminded her of someplace, but she couldn't recall where.

"Hello, do you need something?" Yukinoshita jumped up in surprise. She had completely forgotten Hikigaya was there. She turned towards him slowly, embarrassed she had been caught off guard. She was relieved to see that he was busy locking a cash box. He had to bend down to fiddle with the lock, so he was unaware of her startled reaction. Yukinoshita grabbed the few books she wanted to purchase out of her purse and dropped them on the counter. Hikigaya turned towards the source of the noise and grunted as he stood up. They stayed silent as he booted up the computer monitor and began scanning the few cat related books. He stopped when he scanned the book she had finished reading earlier.

"Oh, I was wondering if I should pick up this book or not. I thought the premise seemed a little cliché." Hikigaya opened it and skimmed the inside cover before scanning it.

"It is a little", Yukinoshita replied, "but it does comment on that fact. I haven't decided if that makes it better or worse, but it was still an interesting read. The pace of the prose kept the narrative engaging."

Hikigaya read off the total price of the purchase before continuing the conversation, "I guess I'll pick it up next time then. Also, if you already finished the book, why buy it? Are you obligated to help the establishment, or do you just like throwing your money around?"

"It kept me engaged for the whole day; it warrants the purchase." Yukinoshita answered as she pulled out her wallet. Hikigaya put the books in a bag and handed it to her.

"It must be nice being part of a rich family. You can purchase anything you want without worry," Hikigaya retorted. Yukinoshita sent him a cold glare.

"And I suspect its would be nice holding a narrow-minded view of the world," Yukinoshita quipped back. She snatched the freshly printed receipt from his hands and placed it into her bag.

"The less you care about things you have nothing to do with, the easier life becomes. You worry about your troubles and I'll worry about mine."

Yukinoshita put her purse and the bag over her shoulder. "Starting from today any troubles you cause around here will be mine too. You better not be this insufferable around other customers."

"My parents taught me to always be honest and stay true to myself," Hikigaya answered back, staring her down as if he was challenging her. She had seen that look before, on those girls back in junior high. Despite it bringing back bitter memories, it was better than his stare from earlier in the day. Yukinoshita knew how to deal with direct opposition. She just needed to be merciless.

"So, you do know that you'll stay dependent on your family like a leech until the cut you off any support. I thought you were deluding yourself into thinking you could keep a job like this," Yukinoshita said with a serene smile. "Since you're no good around others, you'll be in charge of both opening and closing tasks every day. With enough effort, under my exceptional guidance, you just might be able to do menial tasks." Hikigaya glared at her but said nothing as she made her way toward the exit. "See," she said as she passed through the front door, "You can't even say 'Goodnight' to a regular customer. Oh, and make sure to print out that sales form." The door closed behind her, leaving a frowning Hikigaya to lock up the store.

A blast of air greeted Yukinoshita as she entered her apartment. She chided herself for forgetting to close the window before leaving in the morning. Still, she didn't expect to stay out so late. After leaving the bookstore, she stopped at the food court to grab something to eat. Skipping lunch made her famished, and she still had to run a few errands around the mall. It took her extra time to make her way back to her apartment as well; she got lost after making a series of wrong turns to the grocery market and she had to plan for the best way back by train.

After closing the window and putting away the groceries, Yukinoshita began her usual night routine: she took a shower, brushed her teeth, and began working on her summer homework at her desk. Class 2-J had a more rigorous amount of work than any other class, and even though she picked up on information quickly, she still had to go through a pile busy work. She decided to get the remainder of her homework done tonight. She usually paced herself, doing a little bit each day to more easily retain knowledge, finishing all her work a week before school began again, but now she had a summer job. She found it strange that she had wound up in this position, even after she decided not to peruse a job at the bookstore last year. Hiratuska had offered her a position near the end of her first year of high school, but Yukinoshita had to deal with finals and familial matters. She began her early planning to run for the student council election in the first weeks of her second year, so she had almost no time to visit the store, much less work there. She supposed she was lucky to have some time to relax during the summer.

As it got later and later, Yukinoshita began to work slower. After finishing a set of worksheets, she decided to call it a night. She got up, stretched, and went to grab a glass of water, leaving her room. She passed the dinning table, walked into the kitchen, and turned on the sink. Water erupted from the faucet, filling the room with a low din. As she turned off the spout, the sounds bounced off the white walls of the apartment, echoing, ricocheting, and decaying. She could almost see the sound; she felt it ping off the walls and slow to a halt, until the silence overpowered the noise, an awful, all-encompassing silence.

It's strange, Yukinoshita thought, that her apartment shared the same liminality of an empty bookstore.

...

Well, so much for that promise of having a chapter out in a month. My laptop broke at the end of summer, and while I managed to save the small amount of work I had done for this chapter, I only managed to get a new computer after I returned to college. I was far to busy with school to pick this back up. The whole of fall quarter depleted me of my motivation to write, so when winter break came around, I felt it best to spend my time with family. In middle of winter quarter, I decided that I would get this chapter published on the first days of spring break. And so, here we are.

I apologize for the long wait, and hope you understand. I also would like to thank Predator7, Calvados, Shadow1001, NPwall, Aquaquaqua, jam99chgo, BlackPsych, jminator, and Jay Sage, Ricochetback, HarimaHige, imagintech, Saiki Kusuo, and two anonymous reviewers. Even the reviews that were just Yukino bashing inspired me to persevere. Please support me during the transition to the next chapter as well.

I promise y'all, even if I do take another 6 months to release a chapter, that I will not leave this work abandoned (unless I die or something). Hope 2018 has been treating you all well. Until next time.

P.S. I just wanted to get this uploaded as soon as I could, so forgive any glaring mistakes that I might have made. I promise I'll spruce things up tomorrow.