Disclaimer: I do not own My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU or anything related to it. Based off episode 7 of season 2.

*Update 5/17/2017: Chapter compressed to represent original first scene; final two chapters are going to be uploaded as one. Check my profile under 'Permission Granted' subtopic for a complete update.

Looking back on it; I guess I really did have a sort of twisted way of getting things done, didn't I? If that wasn't true, then would I be in this predicament I am right now? Would my relations be strained as they are now?

Mah, no use in thinking of it now, it's all in the past.

I place the final star-shaped paper decoration into the bin, "all, finished, huh?"

"Mm."

I glance over to Rumi as I see a small smile on her face, I couldn't help but internally smile. She almost reminded me of Komachi; I hope her exam studies were going well.

"Time to head back." I speak to no one in particular. Rumi snaps to attention once I start to stand.

"A-ano... thank yo-"

"The tree." I cut her off; I don't need her getting more attached than she already is, "they're probably still setting it up, why don't you go and help them?"

She looks to me in surprise and confusion, before slowly nodding, "ah… mm." I avoid eye contact as she gets up and walks away.

Even if my ways were considered twisted or unorthodox,I knew that I had at least saved someone. But even so, I still don't think that's enough to justify it, just something to help me ease my worries.

Before, I had a firm conviction of my own; but lately I've lost that conviction with a certain someone. What is my responsibility? I still don't know the answer to that question.

Still contemplating my life choices I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings, looking up I see that I was walking towards an escalator; a certain brown haired girl flashes before my eyes as I've stood in this very same spot, even so, just like fate would have it, she arrived.

I take a moment to actually register it was really her, "yo."

"Good evening."

That certain someone was this very girl in front of me, someone I held in high regard. Who was she to me? A clubmate? An acquaintance? A rival? Perhaps a friend? She is the reason why I'm questioning my own methods; the reason why I've lost my conviction.

"Out shopping?" I start off once we make our way outside.

"Yes," she politely responds in that manner of speaking that is so easily recognized, "how about you? What are you doing out so late?"

"I had some things to take care of." I say noncommittally.

"I see."

A few moments of silence pass before she looks me in the eye, "you're helping out Isshiki-san, aren't you?"

"Well… yeah, not like I had much choice."

She finally turns towards me, taking a few steps closer, "you don't have to lie about it."

Why does this conversation feel so forced? Is this what has become of me? Of us? That small, forced smile, the extremely polite way she spoke, why? It's almost as if we're back to square one, back to being strangers again.

"I wasn't lying." I answer her honestly, "Komachi's exams really did play a part in it."

She lets out a defeated breath, "right. You didn't lie, I stand corrected. My apologies."

I wave her off casually, "I'm sorry for taking Isshiki's request upon myself."

She just slowly shakes her head, "it's nothing to apologize for. It's not like I can control what you do in your free time; nor do I have the right to have any say in it."

True, I guess you don't; no, for that would imply we actually held some sort significant relationship with one another; whether it be freinds or more. What she spoke was the truth, and nothing but the truth; yet why do I still have this bitter taste in my mouth? I grimace a bit, at that unpleasant thought.

"Or… are you perhaps saying," her voice knocks me out of my reverie, "that you need my permission?"

Those words stuck out to me, why? Why did my mind focus solely on those words? To need permission to go out late into the night, what does that imply?

"What if I did?" I answer, my mouth speaking before my brain had time to process that critical question.

She just gives me one of her tired smiles, looking towards the floor, "ridiculous."

As my mind catches up, I was expecting a more colorful response; something, anything. But no, there was no humor in her voice, no sense of friendly banter that we usually found ourselves doing, no. This was just musings of a stranger answering another stranger; there was no warmth nor coldness, just the plain truth.

I release a sigh of my own, "just thought I'd put it out there."

She shakes her once again, "mm-mm, no need to feel sorry; I'm sure Isshiki finds it more easier to deal with you." She pauses to look up towards the sky in wonder, "I'm sure you can resolve everything by yourself, just like how you always do."

She looks back to me once again, another one of those reserved smiles, "that's how it's always been."

Again, the truth; and nothing but the truth, at least to her. It is true that my old methods never did involve anyone else, it was always just me trying to accomplish the task as quickly and efficiently as I could; but in doing so, I paid the price. Why couldn't she see that what I did was out of necessity, not pleasure.

"That's not true; I've only done things alone because back then I was always alone. Aren't you the same way?"

Yes, are you not? That fateful day when we first met, were you not, too, alone, such as myself? I've come to terms with you being a certain someone to me; I found a connection with you that I haven't shared with any other.

She turns away from me, "no, I'm not like you. That's where you're wrong."

I feel a sense of betrayal at those words, "All I ever did was think that I could do anything - like I understood everything."

"Look Yukinoshita-" I try to stop her.

"Why don't you take some time off from the club?" She suddenly interrupts me with that reserved smile of hers, the smile without warmth nor coldness.

"If you're trying to look out for us, the club, then stop; you're wasting your time."

Take time off from the club? What, you want to kick me out or something? Revoke my status as a member?

"I'm not-

"No, you are." She cuts me off once again. "You always have, ever since that time."

At that sentence I'm recieved with an actual genuine smile, the same smiles I've grown so used to seeing at club.

"That's why-" she starts, but then quickly shakes her head and kills her train of thought, "you can stop forcing yourself now."

She drops her smile into a depressing one, I feel my heart get stuck in my throat, a sense of dread overcoming with the next sentence she's about to speak. I try my hardest to say something, anything!

Her mouth moves, but I hear no noise come from her mouth, my ears were ringing; my head spinning. But I could still read her lips.

'If this is all it takes to tear us apart… then maybe… maybe we weren't all that close to begin with.'

As I process those words my mind goes into a frantic state, trying desperately to catch up, "am I wrong?" She continues.

I go to answer her, but again, I feel the words get stuck in my throat; that depressing smile remaining on her face. Her eyes glisten in the light, as if she's about to cry at any moment.

She holds my gaze a little longer, taking in my features, probably for the last time, before she just closes her eyes with a content smile and brushes past me, "so… you don't have to bother showing up anymore."

Then… that's it? That's how it ends?

.

.

.

.

.

Don't fuck with me!

I hear Yukinoshita stop dead in her tracks, I go to look towards the lack of noise as I see her surprised face turned towards me, silent tears streaming down her face.

"'Don't bother showing up anymore'? 'Aren't that close to begin with'? Are you a dumbass?" I seethe once again.

Her eyes widen at those words, "you think you're the only one struggling to keep up? You think that if I'm out of the picture that everything will go back to the way it's always been?!"

I take a deep breath to calm myself, "back to what, Yukinoshita? Back to me turning into my cynical loner self? Back to you aimlessly living day by day, with your family hanging over your head? Back to Yuigahama not being able to express her true self, to be stuck in the endless cycle of 'playing the role given to her'?!"

She wipes her tears furiously before standing her ground, "who knows?" She silently answers, that look of contempt I was so used to seeing, forming back on her face, "odds are, anything is better than the predicament we are in at the moment."

"You're just running away from the problem at hand, not solving it!" I argue.

This seems to be her emotional breaking point, "then what do you want me to do?!" She suddenly yells out, all her pent up emotions exploding out, fresh tears streaming down her face as her voice cracks slightly, "for over a year we've been together! The only friends I've ever had, slowly, but surely, I can see our relationship dying! Better to end if off on a goodnote than the eventual outbreak that will surely happen!"

"How the hell do you know what's going to happen?" I silently ask.

"I don't!" She screams again, "that's the point! I'm doing damage control before it happens! If we, all of us… if we… never… talk…" She voice trembles with each word, as she recedes into herself, trying desperately to comfort herself by wrapping her arms around herself. She goes quiet for a brief moment, before looking back up to me with a wild look as tears are endlessly falling, "I would never forgive myself!"

At this point she covers her face with her hands as body is racked with sobs, dropping into a crouch. I feel a burning pain in my chest as well, all my fears and anxieties of losing these precious relationships come fully fleshed out. I choke a bit, from the sheer amount of emotion I was feeling as well as the amount displayed in front of me. Hearing Yukinoshita's sobs broke me down emotionally more than I ever imagined.

"T-That's why…" I feel my own voice crack a bit, "we should be talking about it like we are now; to lay our feelings on the table and clear up the misunderstanding rather than end it prematurely."

I take a few steps towards her crouched form before she springs from the floor onto me in a desperate manner, her sobs going to my coat. I instinctively wrap my arms around her as I rub her back soothingly, something I used to do with Komachi when she always came crying to me.

Eventually her sobs subside, and a rather mellow and awkward atmosphere soon follows. I feel Yukinoshita break away from me as she looks towards the floor in embarrassment, her eyes and face red from the recent events. She sniffles a bit, trying to recompose herself but still refuses to look me in the eye, "please… forgive me, how unladylike of me."

Even after all that, I still couldn't help but scoff; that's the thing you're worried about? I just let out a sigh, "don't worry about it."

I see her give me a slight nod, her eyes still glued to the floor, "why don't we go somewhere warmer?" I call over my shoulder, as I make way towards our original destination. I knew the more I kept looking at her, or in general fussing over her, the more uncomfortable she'd get. So I did what any other great mind would do: a tactical retreat.