Chapter 5: A new request

2 days later, Miyamura Supermarket

"Hikigaya-san, mind manning the counter? Tatsu's on leave today."

"Hikigaya-san, the delivery truck has not arrived yet. Do you mind checking up on it?"

"Hikki, I'm heading to the washroom, do you mind handling my counter too for a while?"

"Hikigaya-san, there's a lone child crying near Aisle 3. Please handle him."

"What do you mean you do not have it in stock? Just yesterday it was here and today it's gone. Now I have to walk 20 minutes to the other supermarket. Go call your manager. This will not do."

"Haah." Hachiman groaned, tired. This was far more grunt work than he wanted to do, and it was sapping the life out of him. It was already 3 in the afternoon. He had not had lunch, nor drunk any caffeine to keep him going. Thankfully, there wasn't any customer inside right now, so he could take relief at that.

"Good work." Uchimoto came to him, holding a can of orange juice. "While it seems you're still struggling, hiring you wasn't really a bad decision after all." Hachiman gratefully took it, gulping down the contents in quick bursts. "Go have lunch then. Yui's waiting."

Hachiman groaned. It had been incredibly awkward when he'd ran off to the nearby Saizeriya for ramen during lunch yesterday, only to see later that Yui had the audacity of making lunch for him. Tatsu eats with us too, she said, and she had thought this would be the case with him. Imagine his surprise after being told that his lunch was now complimentary with the job. This still didn't sit right with him for some unexplained reason.

"Come on, didn't we go through this earlier? I like to run a close-knit enterprise, which means I treat my employees like family. This is but a token gesture from us that echoes our sentiments." He couldn't refute that. His limited understanding of the man had said that much.

"Thank you. If you will, then."

"Hikigaya-san, you can drop the formalities already. Like I told you, any friend of Yui's is a friend of mine." Hachiman only nodded at that, heading to the break room.

Inside, he saw Yui as she appeared to be dusting her apron and paid no attention to him as he approached her. She only jerked back at the last second.

"Wha- Hikki, don't surprise me like that. Like, I totally thought that a thief had come in!" Wait, why would a thief enter the break room of all places? It seemed as if his Stealth Hikki mode was still going strong, even after all this. Well, not like he should've lost his special 108 skills, but he cringed at the mention.

"You were too busy to notice, idiot." Hachiman grabbed a seat, sitting down with a plop that almost knocked the wind out of him. Only sheer willpower kept him awake.

"Hikki, your lunch." Yui took out a box, handing it over to him as he made a face that clearly was not one of gratitude. "Thanks. Then, Bon Appetit."

The food wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't suit his palate for some reason. Had his sense of taste been marred or was her cooking not that up to par? He knew his cooking skills weren't great to begin with, but having a woman cook at this level was unsettling… Hachiman mentally cursed himself as he realized the error in his line of thinking. And the whole time, Yui had been looking at him, doing her classic "Eheheh" pose.

He finished his lunch, ending it with a courtesy "Thank you for the food."

"How was it?"

"Why is that even a question?"

"Well, because it's the first time you've tasted my hand-made food."

"Doesn't that totally-not-Japanese hamburg steak not count?" The aftertaste of that thing now lingered in his mind for some reason. Though the most surprising event that day had been Hiratsuka-sensei's stir-fried meat and bean sprouts covered in meat sauce with rice as accompaniment. To this day, he wasn't sure how that had happened.

Yui punched him on the shoulder, embarrassed. "Mou! That was just practice, you know! Now I have years of experience behind me." And a very low progress to show for it, too.

"That I can clearly see."

"So how was it?"

"Barely good enough that the word 'mediocre' puts it's mediocrity to shame."

"Heh! Was it that bad? My husband likes my food so much!"

"Oh, that's nothing but a contractual obligation he has to pay mind to." Hachiman said, quickly realizing his mistake, as he saw Yui crestfallen.

"Does… that mean he's been lying to me all this time about it?"

"That is not necessarily the case. He could just really like its taste… People do have weird tastes sometimes."

"Don't call my cooking weird!"

"Sorry, sorry." Hachiman raised his hands in mock defeat.

"Hmph." Yui made a pout that seriously did not go well with her current looks or age.

"Well, time to go back." Hachiman got up to leave as he saw something in Yui's eyes that meant she wanted to say something else. "Hikki…"

"Hmm?"

"I guess… I really don't compare to Yukinon after all…" Her sad, low voice made it painful to hear. What was the point of this comparison now?

"Well, when it's strictly about your cooking skills then you never really stood a chance against her. Though, I don't have too many people to compare her with. Komachi just likes pandering to my taste and doesn't really experiment while cooking; and Mom has made food for us so often that I don't even remember the taste of her cooking now."

"That's… isn't that sad?"

"It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it." Hachiman shook is head. "I've got to go back now. He's handling the counter all by himself."

"Uhmm. I'll be out in a while."

2 hours later

It was evening now, and Hachiman was carefully stacking the new stock of cup ramen on the shelves when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in a while.

"Ah, Hikitani-kun, what a coincidence!"

Hachiman turned around and came face to face with…

"Tobe."

Tobe Kakeru stood in front of him, good-looking an adjective an average person would use for him. His brown dye had gone, leaving behind black hair that were short now and did not really look well on him for some reason. Dressed in casuals did seem very Tobe-ish though. His face had grown sharper now, his grey eyes accentuating his features.

"It's been too long, right, Hikitani-kun?" Was he still going to continue with Hikitani?

"Apparently not long enough now."

"Don't be so emotionally distant, Hikitani-kun? We are high school friends, remember?" Seriously, when had they become high school friends?

"I guess."

"So how long it's been since we met?"

"We just met during the reunion."

"But we never talked right? To me, we haven't met since that time in our third year at college." Hachiman cursed. What was the point of bringing that up now?

"Anyway, would you mind accompanying me for a bit?" Tobe said, with a face that showed unsure intentions.

"To where?"

"Nowhere." Huh?

"What does 'nowhere' mean?"

"Don't worry about it." He said as he walked towards the counter, meeting…

"Oh, Manager! It's been a while. Is everything well?"

"Ah, Tobe-san! Thanks to your well wishes, everything is going well here. Ah, Hikigaya-san, you're done with the restocking?"

"Yes, Manager."

"Eh? Wait, you work here? Since when?" Hachiman scowled. Was his uniform not a dead giveaway?

"A few days ago, actually."

"I see. You were fired from your previous job?" No need of driving that knife in even more.

"Y-Yes."

"Well, it's not like too many people know your true talent. A shame." Was this a compliment? Or sarcasm? Hachiman didn't imagine his character to be that type.

"Oh, Manager! You mind if you borrow this guy for a bit?"

"No, not at all. It will a refreshing change of pace for Hikigaya-san too. But don't take too long okay?"

"Thanks, Manager!" Tobe grabbed Hachiman's hand and marched him out, taking him to a nearby taiyaki stand that had no customers. The filling was not to his taste, though even he could appreciate eating sweet items once in a while.

"Where is Ebina… uh, Tobe-san, by the way?"

"Ah, she's with Yui right now. Better leave them alone. You know how women get when they socialize."

Hachiman couldn't. The only women in his life were Komachi, whose life post his graduation he was mostly unaware about; Mom, whose stressful work hours gave him no examples and Yukino, whose work hours as a self-imposition had been even more brutal. Not that his work hours had given them enough time to spend around each other.

" I… see. So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Hachiman said before stuffing a taiyaki in his mouth.

"Nothing in particular. Just catching up to recent events."

"I see no reason why we should be interested in each other's personal lives."

"Don't be so distant, Hikitani-kun. We're comrades, after all." And now they were comrades?

"Fine, let's just get this over with."

"You see, Hikitani-kun, I'm here for two things. First, I want to say thank you."

"For what?"

"You know why. You're the reason I'm with Hina-chan today. Seriously, if you hadn't helped me that day, I never would have got the confidence to ask her out later. And I also know you were never really interested in her. That realization came later, sadly." Hachiman smirked.

"That was just me fulfilling my duties as a member of the Service Club. Nothing more."

"That still helped me out, so I'm grateful nonetheless. After all, it's not often that your love gets requited. Just like with you and Yukinoshita-san. Tell me, how did that one happen?"

"That's a story for another day."

"I see. I am sorry for what happened with her. I had no idea."

"It's not your fault. I see no reason for your apology."

"I still feel like apologizing though. It feels like I just bumbled my way through high school without paying any attention to the people around me and how they might have suffered because of me. Sorry for not noticing your problems and for making fun of you all this time."

"I've never held a grudge against you. Your apology is worth squat to me."

"That's too bad then." Tobe forced himself to a resigned acceptance. "Seeing though act that way during the reunion was a surprise though."

"I'm surprised by it myself, to be honest." There was a silence that went for far too long before Tobe continued.

"This is getting awkward, isn't it?"

"What did you expect? We were never friends to begin with. How long did you expect us to carry a conversation by ourselves?"

"I… think that's right. But whether you consider me a friend or not, I will always consider you a friend now. So don't hesitate to call on me if a situation arises. This humble man will be at your service!" In retrospect, that declaration made him seem anything but humble.

"Uh, thanks?"

"See, you understand well!" Tobe grinned like an idiot, and Hachiman couldn't help but smile too.

"I have a request for you, Hikigaya-kun." Now that was interesting. He had proclaimed to Yui about starting the Service Club days and now they had a request. Talk about convenience.

"Sure. If it is something I can do, I will try to. Fire away."

"Hikitani-kun, I want you to make up with Hayato-kun." Hachiman froze. Of all the things Tobe could've asked, he asks this?

"Not happening, Tobe. You already know everything that happened between us. Even after all that, you still dare ask me that?" His voice turned to cold fury, Tobe taken aback by the sudden change in the mood and tried to placate him.

"Calm down, Hikitani-kun. I just want two of my childhood friends to get along together, that's all."

"Again, not happening. We two are too different for us to see eye-to-eye. I genuinely hate him and that's not changing any time soon."

"That's funny. When I asked him this at the reunion, he told me the exact same thing. In the exact same words. Maybe you're not so different as you claim to be after all. Well, I've said my piece. And now I'll head back to pick Hina-chan up. Be well, Hikitani-kun." Tobe left, leaving Hachiman behind muttering

"That's the part I hate about him even more."

3 hours later

Hachiman sat on a bench, holding a can of MAXX Coffee as he contemplated his talks with Tobe today. That had certainly come out of left field, he mused. Why approach him wit that now? They lived in separate worlds and Hachiman saw no reason why they would collide. But life never went his way did it? Otherwise Yukino would still be alive…

He awoke to find someone jerking his shoulders, automatic reaction taking over and jolting him away from the would-be aggressor. He peered his eyes while looking at…

Ebina Hina. Wait, it was Tobe now.

"Ebina-san. Or should I call you Tobe-san now?"

"Call me whatever you feel like, Hikitani-kun."

"Then, Ebina-san it is."

"By the way, what were you doing here all alone? Thinking about something?"

"Well, yeah. Your husband and I had a chat today evening. Some interesting topics came up, so I was thinking about them." He felt no need to hash it out in detail.

"Ehhh…. Were you talking about your future perhaps? What will happen to the Hachi x Hayato ship then?" Oh god, her fujoshi life was still going strong. And this is your husband we're talking about! Show some tact.

"That ship crashed long ago, Ebina-san. You know all about it."

"I was just joking, Hikitani-kun. No need to get aggressive about it. Hehehe…" Hachiman sighed. There was no way of dealing rationally with her, it seemed.

"By the way, I never apologized to you, right?"

"For what?"

"For abandoning you the way we did back in high school. Maybe our reasons back then were justified, maybe not. That's what Tobecchi really wanted to tell you but couldn't. I think."

"And what makes you think you should've cared for me back then? Simply because I did what you wanted me to?"

"Not just that. We… considered you a friend. You saved our clique that time. You sacrificed yourself all because I wasn't ready to let people into my heart that time. Now, things have changed."

"Interesting. You think you've changed, after all these years?"

"Don't misunderstand. I still feel like I'm a rotten bitch on the inside, but things have certainly changed. I feel like I can now open up to people without them simply judging me. You know, be around someone who doesn't care about what I am on the inside."

"That can never happen. The whole point of your existence is that people will judge you for everything."

"Maybe so, but I'm confident in my actions now. Judgement from others does not scare me anymore."

"Good for you then."

"Also, I'm sorry about Yukinoshita-san. I… really didn't know."

"Not your fault." All these people doing it as a courtesy was getting on his nerves.

"So, you two were together, right?"

"…"

"Married?"

"NO."

"Had sex?"

"What's with this weird line of questioning? Hell NO."

"Dating?"

"Not sure I'd call it dating."

"That's from the perspective of a normal person. You two were anything but normal, right? Then, what would you call it?"

"I don't know. Aren't couples supposed to spend time together? We were so busy with our own lives we barely had time for each other. We came in late at night and slept off our free time. The time we spent together didn't go too dissimilar to our time in the Service Club. In fact, the only couple-like thing you could say we did was live under the same roof. And even that is stretching it." There was something else he wanted to add about a promise they made to each other, but he held back for now.

"I agree, that doesn't seem very couple-like." Hina sat down beside him, fumbling in her purse before taking out a lighter and a cigarette pack, lighting up one and puffing it before handing him the box. "Smoke?"

"No thanks. I don't smoke. Hate the smell."

"Aren't you the cool one?" Hina puffed some more, before the cigarette fizzled out and she threw the stub in the dustbin nearby. She continued.

"And I see you've changed. You were far more devious back in high school. Even your eyes don't look so pessimistic anymore. That's a nice change."

"Not like that was a great way of living. I had to grow up sometime."

"I see. I wish I could say that for myself. I still feel like I'm with Tobecchi from some warped sense of self-gratification, you know?"

"Then, will you leave him once if find out the truth about yourself?"

"It's not that easy. We have a 6-year old kid now." Hachiman remembered that story. Apparently, they had gotten together during their 3rd year in college, and Tobe had gotten her pregnant soon. Giving into parental pressure, they had married early, well before their third year had finished.

"I have nothing to say to that. Children always end up complicating stuff." He sighed. The situation with Airi-chan had not been resolved yet. He only wondered what Haruno was doing right now. Trusting her with something was like trusting a red fox with chickens.

"You know, if you had put some back into your confession and really meant it back then, I could've agreed." Hachiman smirked.

"We both know how that would've turned out."

"I guess we do. The fact is, I used to think of us as too alike, you see? And I was afraid of getting close to you and finding out the truth. Thankfully, you've defied my expectations. You really are something."

"I'm just trying to live to see the next day."

"Aren't we all?" Hina finished her second cigarette and got up with a final word.

"That was an interesting chat. I hope we meet again soon." She left, leaving Hachiman alone with his thoughts.

"Surprisingly, me too." Hachiman said out loud to no one in particular.

2 hours later, Hachiman's apartment

Hachiman came out of the bathroom; the shower having done enough to alleviate his mood. He switched on the television, flipping through various channels but finding nothing that grabbed his attention. He was about to start cooking dinner as an acknowledgement of his defeat when he heard the bell go off.

"Who the hell disturbs people at 10 in the night?" He mused, approaching the door, only to find…

"Tobe?" What the hell was he doing here so late in the night?

"Ah, Hikitani-kun, sorry. Is this a bad time?" The expression of pure terror on his face gave him pause.

"How did you even know where my apartment was?"

"I, uh… asked Haruno-san."

"You WHAT?"

"Don't be so angry!" Tobe wailed, and Hachiman felt sorry for the neighbors who had to hear him screech late in the night. "I had her contact number from the times we had a business deal going on, when she would take me out on extravagant dinners. She asked me a lot about you."

"And what did you tell her?"

"The truth. That it had been years since I saw you after college, and I didn't bother with keeping track of your life." Hachiman sighed. Not that he expected Tobe to possess some valuable intel about his life anyway.

"Well, you're right on time for dinner. Come in."

"Then, sorry for the intrusion." Tobe arranged his shoes, going in to pick up the remote.

"Ah, Totsuka has a match today, Hikitani-kun. Shall we watch?"

"Do as you please. I have something to do." Hachiman went to the kitchen, observing Tobe as he cheered during the match, his excitement reaching a fever pitch during a critical moment when Totsuka apparently hit a smash and won the game. Hachiman smiled. There was never any doubt in his mind about the guy's skills but seeing it first-hand was something else.

He finished up a few minutes later, calling Tobe over.

A few minutes later

"Hikitani-kun, what is this?"

"You didn't like it?"

"I mean this gyoza is so good! You could probably give Hina-chan a run for her money. It accompanies the rice so well!" Tobe was practically stuffing himself now, and Hachiman now realized how a mother would feel when her child enjoyed her meal so much. He smiled.

"Well, I've had one hell of a teacher." The drillmaster had been extremely strict, but she knew her work so he couldn't complain. It had paid off, for now.

"Hey, Hikitani-kun? Can you do me a favor?"

"Not until you tell me why you're really here."

"Ah, you see… I want to spend the night here with you." Hachiman rolled his eyes. This guy…

"Did you just mean it in a way I should consider criminal?"

"Oi, what the hell, Hkitani-kun. I'm married and have a kid. Why would I… Oh God. You're one sick guy."

"Talk about yourself."

"No, no. What I meant was that I can't be at home today so I want to sleep here."

"And what's the story behind that?"

"About that… I don't know how to say it…"

"Then give it to me straight."

"Yeah… about that…"

"Tobe… just tell me already."

"Y-Yeah. You see…"

"Hmm?"

"I… I've had an affair."

And with that, Hachiman's chopsticks dropped.

"You WHAT?"

"Please don't misunderstand. I know what I've done is wrong, but I've had my reasons." Hachiman's jaw stiffened. On one hand, adultery was serious, and he felt no reason why he had to involve himself in the matter between husband and wife. On the other hand, Tobe clearly seemed distressed and he had come all the way, so he deserved an ear, if nothing else.

"Go on. I'm not sure you can convince me of anything, but I'd like to see you try." The fury in his voice was chilling, but Tobe kept calm and continued.

"You see, we're in the middle of a large deal with Yaiba Corp. right now. Mine is a small ship, run by a tight crew. We need this deal so we can survive. So I can survive. The supply order will set us comfortable for many years to come. And their negotiator was an… unorthodox woman to say the least. She seemed genuinely disinterested in the deal and spent most of her time arguing over minutiae no average person would mull over. And one day, I get called over on lunch when she makes a pass at me. I become uncomfortable and excuse myself. The next day, I learn that she's threatening to cancel the deal, because I behaved rudely with her. ME! Naturally, the boss was pissed and ordered me to do whatever was necessary to get us back on track and threatened to fire me if I didn't comply. It was my word against hers and I… I had to. There was no other way. I got myself shit drunk in order to forget it, but it didn't help. Not one bit." The guy was on the verge of tears. Sheesh. Was his willpower so low?

"And? She found out about it?"

"Yes. That woman had the audacity to leave me messages on my work phone. Hina was apparently doing the laundry when she picked up the phone from my pocket and… all hell broke loose. She immediately took our daughter and went off, leaving me alone in the house. And so I came here."

"But why here? And why me?"

"Because you're the first person that came to mind."

"More like… you want someone who doesn't care about you to vent to, right?" That made sense. Him approaching his so-called 'friends' would only get him ostracized.

"You've always been awfully perceptive, Hikitani-kun."

"Don't count on it."

Hachiman sighed. When he'd wanted to re-establish the Service Club, this was not what he had in mind. Definitely not adultery of all things. Most of all, he hated having to get himself dirty. Because that was where he reveled, in the thick of things, doing stuff no one else would. And he hated himself for that. That no matter what he did, he could never let go of his past.

Hachiman took out his iPhone, only to see a call already flash on it. He picked up.

"Yui?"

"Ah, Hikki? Sorry, were you asleep?"

"No, why?"

"Actually, I want you to come into the market early tomorrow, at opening time. I'm taking leave tomorrow, and my husband would need some help."

"I see. Are you ill or something, by chance?"

"Ah, no no. Just… I have something to do."

Hachiman frowned. "Let me guess. Ebina-san is there with you, isn't it?"

"Ehhh-, how… how did you know that?" Was that extra surprise really necessary?

"… Because Tobe's here with me."

"Ah. I see. That makes full sense now." Hachiman racked his brains, before coming up with something.

"Don't tell Ebina-san this, but I'll be bringing Tobe with me tomorrow."

"Eh? To my house?"

"Where else? The earlier this gets resolved, the better for us. I'll tell the manager everything later."

"Ahh, um, understood. Then call me when you're ready okay?"

"I will. Then see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Hikki."

Hachiman cut the call, coming face-to-face with Tobe.

"Heard everything?"

"Yeah. But why tomorrow? I… I can't face her in this state."

"Don't bullshit me, Tobe. First you had the audacity to barge into my home unannounced, late at night and then you drop this massive bombshell on me, and you expect me to what? Sit on it, let it fester till it takes you out and me along with it? NO. The earlier this problem gets nipped in the bud, the better it is for the both of us. First, we need to ascertain how far she's willing to go against you. For that, we start with an open, honest discussion. Then we can start thinking about countermeasures and damage control. This is not for discussion. Only by talking to Ebina-san can we determine what to do next. Yui is there with her, and she's smart enough that she'll be a calming influence and won't fill her head with stupid ideas. At least, that's what I hope."

"Hikitani-tun, thank you. I knew I could rely on you in times of need."

"Hmph. Don't misunderstand. I'm doing this just because I want your annoying face out of my hair. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, Hikigaya-sama." So he did remember the correct surname.

"Good. I have an extra futon with me, you can take that one. You need rest now, Tobe."

As they slept, Hachiman had one thought in his head. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

But today, he needed sleep. And lots of it. So he slept. For tomorrow was a new day, and it would bring its own set of problems with it.

3 days later (Sunday), the Takeda household

Yukinoshita Haruno stepped out of the taxi, disgust evident on her face. It wasn't that she didn't want to do it but meeting a man as devious as him had its own charms. Clearly viciousness wasn't limited to herself alone. Her bodyguard stepped forward, scanning the surroundings.

"Preliminary observation reveals no threats, Haruno-san." The bodyguard intoned in perfect English, albeit with a thick Russian accent.

"Of course not, you idiot. What kind of threats do you expect in a residential area?"

"With you, we never know. You've got so many enemies after all."

"That I do, Vasily. Now come on, we have a man to intimidate."

They stepped to the door, Vasily ringing the bell as Takeda-san came out.

"Excuse me? Should I know you?"

"Definitely not. I'm Yukinoshita Haruno. Pleased to meet you."

(A/N: Vasily talks only in English but knows Japanese, Eijiro talks only in Japanese but knows English well enough. Haruno switches between the two as needed.)

Eijiro blanched. The Yukinoshita Haruno? The CEO of Yukinoshita Corp.? What was she doing here, dealing with a grunt like him?

"I-I'm terribly sorry, but I don't think I am qualified enough to be conducting business with you. And certainly not in my humble abode." Haruno wanted to laugh so bad. The man was a terrible actor.

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about it. My business is with you after all, Takeda Eijiro-san."

"M-Me?"

"Yes. Now are you going to keep me waiting outside, or will you let me in?"

"Ah, w-where are my manners? Please, come in."

"Pardon the intrusion." Haruno stepped in while removing and arranging her shoes, Vasily sighing behind her.

"Really? Do I have to do this?" He grunted. Eijiro felt uncomfortable at this whole exchange.

"Come on. This is a Japanese house. Show some respect as a guest."

"In Russia, you get boot in the face for being so polite."

"Thankfully, this is not Japan." Vasily grunted once more, repeating Haruno's motions. Eijiro guided them to the living room, where Haruno took the center of the large sofa, Eijiro sitting across from her and Vasily standing beside the sofa.

"Um…"

"Don't worry about Vasily here, Takeda-san. Right?"

"Yes. I hate soft sofa. Soft sofa make ass soft."

"Right." Eijiro had no response to that. He instead chose to hurry away, bringing a good bottle of whisky with him. He served both his hosts, Vasily declining and Haruno squealed.

"Ehhhh. And this is supposed to be Yoichi whisky? The taste is so different. It's not even aged well. Are you sure you didn't pick up a cheap imitation?" Eijiro scowled. The one here was a gift from his father, to be used only on special occasions. The fact that she had trampled all over his hospitality irked him, a look she thoroughly enjoyed.

"I-I'm sorry, Yukinoshita-san. I'll be more careful next time."

"Well, that is fine. Thanks for the drink." Vasily cleared his throat as Eijiro began to speak. Haruno turned, Vasily indicating something with his eyes that she understood.

She turned to face Eijiro again. "Vasily, do you mind bringing the documents I entrusted you with?"

"What documents? I thought you had them."

"Clearly I gave them to you. Are you so short-sighted? Now, go be a dear and fetch them for me, will you?"

"Suuuure. Fetch documents for me. That is bodyguard's job after all." Vasily turned around while Haruno spoke.

"Sorry for his actions. He really is a bit thick in the head. Always forgets stuff. Honestly, that idiot."

"I can hear you, Haruno-san."

"Because I wanted you to. Now go."

Haruno waited a while before she spoke. "Sorry, where was I?"

"I think you should explain why you're really here."

"Ah, right. By the way, where's your wife? Don't see her at all."

"Uh, she's at work right now. She's a middle school teacher, you see."

"It's that time of the year again. Tell me, any children?"

"No, unfortunately."

"Previous marriages?"

"I'm sorry, I thought we were discussing a business deal. What does my private life have to do with this?"

"Oh believe me, your private life has everything to do with this." She smiled.

Vasily entered, bringing 2 envelopes with him, promptly handing one over.

"So, let's see…" Haruno pulled out something from an envelope before promptly shoving it back in.

"Ughhh. Vasily, I have the wrong envelope her for some reason. May I know why?"

"I am terribly sorry, Haruno-san. I fully blame my thick head for this."

"Hahaha. Very funny." She snatched the other envelope, taking out a document as she read it.

"Now that's more like it. Let's see…"

"Takeda Eijiro. Pretty unremarkable life till college. Wait. This says you apparently won a shogi competition in high school. Wow. That's…. The thoroughness befuddles me. Well, well. What's interesting here is your college life. Says here you fell in love with Mutsuki Mishima, the real life ID of… Key from AKD48? You banged Key? Hahaha, that's hilarious. Who would've thought a man like you could end up that high?"

"Um…"

"But wait, we're not done yet. Supposedly, you ended up getting her pregnant, right? And she chose to deliver the baby instead of abort her because that was an easy choice. She could've lost her career but nope, she decides to take a 'spiritual break'? Who did the managers fool with that?" Even Vasily smirked at this for some reason. That man had weird tastes.

"Now, you two marry; you have a nice, healthy young girl; she's back to her singing and everything is smooth-sailing. Except it is too smooth a sail. You get agitated. She's earning way more than you for some stupid singing and dancing, and here you were; scraping the ends of the barrel to makes ends meet. So you snapped. Maybe some day the boss gave you an extra lecture and she got a promotion to lead role. You were tired. Enough was enough. You hit her. Bad. It leaves a visible mark. She can't perform now with that sort of injury. Too obvious. She takes a gap. The woman still loves you. Can't take a hint as to what you've become. You keep pushing her away. Keep beating her. She takes it all, mute. Now, if it were me, I would've cut your balls off then and there. See how much 'masculinity' that would leave you with."

"In Russia, we have saying. No balls, no man. Or is it Ukraine?"

"See, even Vasily agrees with me. Now that's truly scary. Anyway, we move on." Haruno harrumphed, Eijiro growing more uncomfortable by the second.

So, the producer can't take it to court, for fear of exposing her and creating a scandal the company might not survive. They suggest a truce. You separate, with a fat paycheck as a 'bonus' to stay away from her. You decline. Say you want custody of the kid. She is horrified. Doesn't want a monster like you anywhere around her child. Refuses to back down on this. An argument starts. Negotiations break down. Your lawyer is smart. Manages to dig up dirt on the opposition and their lawyers are forced to comply. She goes hysterical. She sees only one thing to do. Kidnaps the child and runs away. The police find her in a week. You get the judge to declare her unfit for custody. They rule in your favor. A big win for you. But, it was not over. You secretly make a deal with the woman. She gets to see her kid twice a year. And you get paid handsomely for it. She's still in love with you and the kid. You don't care. She promptly agrees. You immediately remarry and spin a sad story to your new wife, who starts hating the kid's guts. So you send her away, grabbing her twice a day for the customary meet. All is running well for you. And that's how we land in this current murky predicament."

"How… How did you know?" By now, Eijiro's face had gone pale.

"Simple. Your lawyer is smart. I am smarter. I simply went to the detectives who helped your lawyer. In fact, the lead investigator your lawyer employed now works for me. Amazing how people can sing an entirely different tune when large sums of money get involved, just like with you."

"Money makes world go round, after all."

"Right about that, Vasily. Should I hire you now to do my paperwork instead, now that you have a basic grasp of economics?"

"Please. I am better off intimidating and bashing people's heads as need be. I leave livelihood destruction to you, Haruno-san."

"Smart man." Haruno exclaimed, indicating for the second envelope that Vasily had. He complied, passing it to Eijiro who frowned.

"W-What's this?"

"Just open it."

Eijiro barely had time to prepare himself before another bomb dropped on him. The envelope escaped his hands and fell, spreading many photographs on the floor. Haruno picked one up, turning to Vasily.

"This is… ugh. I likely won't get it out of my head for quite a while. Vasily, mind helping the poor man out?" Vasily ducked down, gathering the photos and stuffing them into the envelope, handing it back to Eijiro who meekly took it back.

"Vasily, I better not find out that you have copies of this stuff and are, uhmm… 'being active' with it."

"You wound my pride, Haruno-san. I have standards too. Even I wouldn't touch this shit."

"Never thought I'd be talking to you about your active life."

"You're the one who started it."

"That's a fair point. Let's move on." Haruno turned back to face Eijiro, who could barely make a sound.

"This… How… Why?"

"A good question. This, my friend, clearly shows you in a very compromising position with a junior of yours. Promised her a raise, didn't you, in return for favors? To be fair, I did take extra precautions in keeping your face as recognizable as possible. The woman is… whatever. Point is, there are multiple envelopes just like that. Now why do we need so many envelopes, you may ask? Well…"

Haruno dialed a number that was picked up on the third ring.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, ma'am. All of them, as you ordered."

"Good. Switch to video mode."

"Roger."

"As you can see on this screen, Takeda-san; me and my employees have taken the liberty of appropriating these envelopes for personal use and distributed them among the various members of your office. In short, each employee of your office now has an exact replica of that envelope on their desks. Quite a shock for them when they open it tomorrow and the contents spill out. Unfortunately, that woman will be collateral damage. Well, not like she was doing herself any good by screwing you."

"Y-You…" The rage in his eyes was now clearer than ever. And Haruno seemed to revel in it.

"Oh, and I also have left copies for your boss and your wife to peruse through. Seems unfair that you keep them in the dark about it, right?" She pointed the screen at him, split images showing people entering his boss' room and wife's cabin, about to place identical envelopes there. He fumed.

"Why are doing this?"

"Because you hurt someone I care about." The pure malice in her voice, coupled with her icy-cold stare scared him speechless. With great effort, he managed to pick himself up and reply.

"What do you want?" Haruno's fake smile came back.

"See? Why does it take so long to get to the meat of the discussion?" Haruno spoke in English.

"Don't ask me." Vasily shook his head.

"It was rhetorical, Vasily."

"I see. Sorry for the interruption." He knew better than to speak up when she was in her 'zone'.

"So, where was I? Yes, what do I want. Simple. A signature."

"A signature. You threaten to ruin my life for a signature?"

"Hey, don't judge me. That signature's important, you know." She handed him the document, Eijiro carefully going through it before exclaiming.

"This is… you want me to sign a consent form agreeing to Airi-chan's adoption by Hikigaya Hachiman? That's it?" Truthfully, he expected something more from her. This bordered on the downright bizzare.

"Yes. Sign the form and all envelopes, including the photos currently on the desks will be immediately removed. That's all. Simple, isn't it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"We always have a choice, Takeda-san. The only question is whether we can accept to live with the consequences." Haruno seemed to mellow with her statement. Did she really mean it?

"I see. I guess my only valid option is to sign." Eijiro asked for a pen, Vasily providing him one and him signing at all the relevant places. Haruno quickly pocketed the document, putting it in the envelope and handing it to Vasily. Haruno put a call again, picked up on the third ring.

"Execute clean-up protocol."

"Roger."

Haruno turned the screen, showing the man pick up all envelopes from all desks and put them in his bag. For added confirmation, he conducted a walkthrough of the cubicles, proving that there really were no envelopes left. Eijiro breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. His nightmare that was so close to being unleashed.

"Then, I think this concludes our business here, Takeda-san. Good day to you." Haruno got up and walked towards the door, Vasily walking behind her. Eijiro watched them leave, as he realized he was missing something. Wait…

"What about the ones in my boss' room and wife's cabin?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I mean, these envelopes. You did not show your men remove those."

"That's because they didn't."

"WHAT?"

"Why are you so surprised? They weren't even part of the deal."

"You said you'd remove all envelopes once I signed."

"All envelopes on desks. The ones you're talking about were placed on the ground. Or perhaps you didn't notice?" Eijiro mentally cursed himself. He had handed the phone back too early.

"Y-You bitch!" Eijiro spat. "You set me up. You were out to ruin me from the start! You…" He lunged with his fists towards as he found his arm in a crushing grip. Vasily had barely moved or even shown any surprise.

"Honestly, if I had penny for every time I caught fist, I become very rich." Vasily intoned, in the same gruff voice.

"That joke doesn't work here, Vasily. We use yen here. And it's horribly devalued compared to western currencies. You'd not get enough for your work."

"I see. Thank you for the wisdom." Vasily twisted the arm, turning Eijiro around and hurting him enough to make him a bawling mess.

"P-Please, let me go. What did I ever do to hurt you?"

"Oh, I never introduced you to my bodyguard, did I? How awfully rude of me. Takeda-san, meet Vasily Alexei Smirnov. Retired Spetsnaz operative and my current bodyguard. Fun fact, the surname comes from a Russian word that means 'meek.' Blends well with his nature, doesn't it?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. Now I want you to consider what's happening here and learn from it. Rue the day you considered yourself involved with me. Rue the day your parent decided to bring a leech like you into the world. Rue the day you decided you were okay with continuing to ruin the live of four women. Women who only ever cared for you and respected you. Live under the boot-heel of people better than you like the little maggot that you are. And may God have mercy on your soul, because I won't." Haruno walked out the door, Vasily following.

"Oh, before I forget. Keep the pen. Let it serve as a bitter remainder of what transpired her today. Goodbye."

And with that, Yukinoshita Haruno left, leaving a 28-year-old man wailing on the porch of his own home.

A/N: Not much to say here, I think. The story pretty much says all. Next chapter, the situation with the Tobe family turns ugly as more secrets are revealed. Will Hachiman and Yui be enough to keep them together? Find out in the next chapter… of this story.

Also I'd like to apologize for the untoward break I took from writing. Something personal came up, and I needed time to deal with it. Not a great state of mind for writing. Rest assured, the story is back on track with regular weekly updates. See you soon!