Author's Notes

I wrote this story mainly for myself and didn't plan to publish it at first. If you liked it then I'm glad I did it after all. Also, deciding to publish it forced me to do the final editing. I apologize to all native speakers of English. It's obviously not my native language. Everybody else hopefully didn't care that much.

This text has next to no editing. I just hacked it down. If you encounter a grave mistake that changes the meaning of a sentence like a missing "not", a "Yui" where it should read "Yukino", or a "he" where it should be "she", for example, then you're doing Kami-sama's work by sending me a PM. I'll correct that.

The story relies on the anime. I haven't read the light novels nor am I planing to. I consider the story as told in the anime as a story in itself and not as a glimpse into some deeper truth that are the light novels.

In a similar vein, all that is needed to interpret my story is in the story. These notes are merely an offer to the curious or clueless. If you come to other conclusions about what is told in the ten chapters you've just read then your interpretation is as valid as mine!

Background: When is this happening, and how did the club develop until then.

The story is set after the anime and at a point when Yukino's family problems have been solved. This is mentioned in chapter 4 and 5. So this is a continuation fic and if you want to take the light novels into account it probably will become AU once the 12th volume comes out in mere hours from now (on the Sep. 20th). We never learn how exactly the family issues were solved. It can't have been catastrophic on all sides because Yukino still has her apartment. Her relationship with her sister in particular is poisoned however.

After that, Yukino now extremely values her independence and hates the idea of being manipulated in any form. She even gave up on Hachiman because she feels her sister was trying to scheme her into that relationship. She says so in chapter 5. Yui says she's stupid beyond belief. Yui might have a point.

Hachiman is now looking for the realest of real things (many translations use "genuine", I stick with "real"). That was always true love, as the viewer and the girls understood before him. But he now goes to such extremes saying that if you make a conscious choice it cannot be true love. He explains that in chapter 3. Yukino thinks he just chickened out and doesn't quite know if she should be glad or sad about it (chapter 4). Yui completely misunderstands him.

Both Yukino and Hachiman notice the halt of romantic development but haven't questioned each other's motives until now. In some ways they are closer than ever but then again not that close or what happens in chapter 7 wouldn't happen as it happens.

Yui is not in on this "arrangement" or doesn't believe it will hold. Every time she comes to the club she probably fears that this would be the moment where the two others make their relationship official. However, she probably sees no chance to win Hachiman and, more importantly, doesn't want to hurt Yukino she's secretly in love with too. She suffers under the stalemate.

The relationship between Yukino and Yui is as close as ever, probably closer. Hachiman and Yui don't interact that much in the story and when they do one of them or both follow a plan. So we cannot really tell how their relationship is at this point. He cares for her and doesn't want her to suffer (if possible). At the very least because she's important to Yukino but probably not only because of that. In any case, it's probably safe to say that their bond is the weakest of the three.

In the following I'll be using BFF (best friends forever), Yuki/Hachi, Yuki/Yui, Yui/Hachi and OT3 (one true threesome) for the five possible routes.

The following chapter sections WILL contain grave spoilers for later chapters. Don't read the story and the notes in parallel.

Chapter 1

We learn, in a somewhat indirect way, that the following has happened:

- Yui has won three tickets in a tombola. That's at least what she claimed. Yukino and Hachiman doubt it. We're not being told what exactly these tickets are for and it doesn't matter. Later in the story a park is mentioned.

- Yui suddenly excuses herself as sick. So it's only Hachiman and Yui who go.

- Hachiman got a love letter, seemingly from Yukino and most likely on the evening of the day before (Friday) and not much earlier.

- An embarrassing situation follows in which Hachiman rejects Yukino. This important bit is revealed in chapter 2.

- After some confusion Hachiman shows Yukino the letter. She tells him that it's fake.

- They figure out that Yui must have written the letter and will now confront her.

Discussing Yui's period is mainly to show that Yui and Yukino also Yukino and Hachiman are close. And to prepare the reader for more very roundabout/indirect talk to come.

It's already somewhat hinted at the fact that there is no romantic development anymore and that both seem to be content with that.

At the end Yukino says something that Hachiman understands as a request to save the friendship of Yui and Yukino at all cost.

Chapter 2

What Yui is doing here and why is hinted at in chapter 4 and fully explained in chapter 5. Hachiman pulling a Hachiman is explained in chapter 3 to 5.

Basically, Yui... -

wants to stir things up because she's suffering under the deadlocked situation.

- doesn't care if they find out. If they're angry at her, the better.

- isn't overly concerned about the rejection. She thinks as long as she's making enough waves and then leaves the scene for a while, things will naturally follow the Yuki/Hachi route.

Yukino mentions for the first time her aversion against being manipulated.

What exactly is "not that simple" in Yukino's relationship with Hachiman? After what we will learn in chapter 5 one could probably say that she thinks that as she could consciously decide to put a stop to Yuki/Hachi so easily (even if she suffers under it) it might not be the real thing(TM) for her either. Or maybe she has feelings for Yui that go beyond merely fantasizing about her. Or something else, your call. What she's not is merely tsundere-ing around. It's not that shallow.

Yui confesses her love for Hachiman to put that topic off the table. She thinks that if she's not at least that honest the other two will simply assume a plot to get the Yui/Hachi ending.

Hachiman acts as he sees the situation deteriorate. He pulls a Hachiman insofar as he tries to resolve a situation by making himself look like an asshole. He "turns it to 11" as Yui says in chapter 5 because he knows the two know him and will probably look through it but that is OK as long as it works (as he says in chapter 4).

Yui can be a bit more subtle because Yukino and Hachiman don't except such a move from her anyway.

Because Yui was pulling her own Hachiman at that moment she immediately understands what he is doing (when she squeezes Yukino's arm to calm her down). Yukino, though certainly smarter (albeit not street-smart), needs a few seconds more.

Chapter 3

After the kiss Yui raises the stakes and Hachiman folds. This is discussed in chapter 5 again.

The "epiphany" Yukino is having is that Yui has been playing her own game all along. Yui is "a bit hypocritical" (as Yukino puts it in chapter 4) as she condemns Hachiman for doing his maneuver within the club. Yui later (chapter 5) defends herself with his and her plot not being comparable in their severity.

We don't know when Hachiman understands Yui's game. It can't be much earlier because otherwise he would just have spoken it out in chapter 2 instead of doing what he did.

Chaos ensues. Yui tries to run away to save Yuki/Hachi and Hachiman tries to run away to save Yuki/Yui (in terms of friendship). Yukino hasn't fully grasped the situation yet but manages to blackmail both to stay by saying if one of them goes everything will be over.

Yui has realized that her plan has backfired hard and runs around like a headless chicken as Yukino puts it in chapter 5, trying this and that. Yui explains in the same chapter that demanding a kiss from Hachiman was part plot, part real.

Hachiman explains his philosophy at this point mainly so Yui won't put any more pressure on Yukino as Yukino says in chapter 4.

Here we have the first critical misunderstanding. He talks about consciously choosing at all. Yukino correctly concludes in chapter 4 that if he's serious about that then love at first sight is his only option for something "real". But she also says in that chapter that he's probably just rationalizing his chickening out. Note that he looks at Yukino when he formally explains that to Yui. If he would choose then what his choice would be is most likely clear at that point. Or is it? Your call.

Yui however understands he's torn between her and Yukino. The first OT3 flag she sees. She indirectly tells him "why not both" but he doesn't understand because they're not on the same page. Neither does Yukino, or does she?

The next misunderstanding is when Yukino says that her relationship with Yui is not that simple either. She probably hints at her lust (or love?) for Yui. Now Yui thinks that Yukino figured out her own secret and consequently reads "Don't throw around the word love." as "I know exactly how you mean that but I don't take it seriously." Challenge accepted. Kiss follows.

Hachiman thinks Yui has now gone full Hachiman, copying his kiss from before. That's why he asks her to find a different "role model". There might be some truth to it as Yui will admit in chapter 5.

Is Yukino hiding in the loo for 15 minutes, because of feelings in turmoil? She at least repeatedly claims she took the time to process WTF has happened so far. She also comes up with her idea for the "rules" (as she says in chapter 7), that is going the BFF route and strengthening the platonic relationship between the three. But she also entertains the idea of Yuki/Hachi after Yui practically begged her to go that route.

Chapter 4

Kitchen talk between Hachiman and Yukino. Yui now has time alone to let sink in what has happened thanks to her and she slides into a depressive state.

Here we see again that the new Yukino is very adamant in guarding her independence. "The one who kicks people out of my apartment is me." We also learn that she's not "squeamish" when it comes to sex before she explicitly tells us so. Hachiman indirectly tells her "My sister will think we fuck." and she's like "So what. We have a situation here."

Yukino says again that she hates being manipulated. It is hinted that Hachiman and Yukino agree that Yui was pulling a Hachiman maneuver on her own. But that will be made explicit only in the next chapter.

The two finally talk about their relationship a bit as Yui wanted them to do. Hachiman guesses correctly that Yukino's change has something to do with Haruno but he doesn't know the details. Finally Hachiman decides to give Yuki/Hachi a chance after all and kisses her. The results are inconclusive but maybe he sees a chance despite her pushing for BFF now. She's an "aggressive kisser" after all. But this might just be a sign that when Yukino decides to go in she really goes in.

They finally settle for 'Yukino' and 'Hikki' instead of Yukinoshita(-san) and Hikigaya(-kun). That was apparently the single most OOC I did? I personally see no problem with that. Yukino is very familiar with that address and she wants to tease him a bit with it.

Hachiman goes shopping and then a few times around the block. He has time to think about the kiss and the choices he made (or better: not made) in life. Since this is Romance/Drama he of course comes to the conclusion that a girlfriend, especially Yukino, wouldn't be so bad after all instead of staying celibate while chasing after his pie in the sky. It would be a stretch to say that he's suddenly madly in love with her (especially by his own very high standards) as he rejected her before and was willing to walk away to save Yuki/Yui. Still, he will push for it when he's back.

"Aftermath" might refer to what has happened in chapter 2 and 3 or the end of the romantic development along the Yuki/Hachi route after the Haruno incident.

Chapter 5

The first part is our unofficial "recap episode". Yukino and Yui discuss what happened in detail in chapter 2 and 3, and why.

Yui again seems to misunderstand that Hachiman is "torn between two girls". Yukino could correct her but misses the chance.

Yukino explains a bit about the background and why the romantic development between her and Hachiman has stopped. First, she fears she might just enter another dependent relationship. Second, she feels she would just follow what her sister had planned for her – thereby still not breaking free from her family's grip. Both are legitimate concerns in my humble opinion. The consequence she's drawn however … well, Yui thinks it's stupid beyond measure.

The relationship between her and her sister seems to be irreparably poisoned at the moment. Yukino hates Haruno for making her choose between Hachiman and her independence from Haruno, as she sees it. Of course, Haruno might have a completely different story to tell if we could ask her.

In any case, we see Yukino can make extreme decisions now if she feels manipulated.

We get another glimpse into Yukino's stance on sex. She isn't a very romantic girl and doesn't think of boyfriends in terms of sparkles and bubbles. A boyfriend is somebody you have sex with especially when "you're close already" There, at least lies a factual error: she and Hachiman aren't that close or what will happen in chapter 7 wouldn't have happened. She just has no real way to compare. In any case, this shows us again that when she goes in she really goes in.

Now, we learn in a roundabout way what Yui's "everything" means: A polyamorous relationship. According to her this was more a daydream, she explicitly compares it to waiting for the (literal) prince on a (literal) white horse. Is she telling the truth or downplaying it? Your call.

The chapter ends with Yui's breakdown. This is where Yukino decides that Yui's happiness will come first. Since she's already given up on Hachiman and apparently he on her this doesn't even look like a big sacrifice to her. She will call her "Yui" from now on.

Chapter 6

Yukino tries to convince Yui that she considers her to be as important as Hachiman if not more. She makes a few attempts to explain that she's also sexually attracted to Yui, probably to challenge that "Love outweighs friendship" argument coming from Yui. Yui however doesn't get it. Yukino finally lets her in on that Himalaya (or Antarctica or North Pole) fantasy she had. She emphasizes that it's a different type of dream about a different type of everything. Namely, not a romantic daydream about a polyamorous relationship but a sexual fantasy about threesome sex. Big difference.

Yukino tells Yui several times that this is not something she wants for real. But … well. Is she really that naive and clumsy in doing "girl talk" or is this a test balloon for OT3? Your call.

Yui has seen enough OT3 flags now. And since she couldn't sell Yuki/Hachi to Yukino she has now decided to earnestly push for that route. Or she will decide so in the bath.

Chapter 7

This is probably the chapter with the most stuff happening under the surface. Hachiman returns and has made up his mind to go Yuki/Hachi. He even might think that Yui cried because Yukino told her she would go the Yuki/Hachi route by herself? He drops just a few hints but Yukino seems to understand what he wants.

Alas, Yukino is meanwhile more determined than ever that this will not happen and tells him so (in the roundabout way everything is told in this chapter).

Hachiman is not that concerned about Yui. The last Yui he saw was the out-of-control Yui of chapter 2 and 3. For Yukino this is mainly forgotten. The Yui in her mind is the bawling, suffering Yui of chapter 5 and 6. She can tell him but he won't feel it. So they're simply not on the same page. He cares for Yui but there is no way that he will accept closing the Yuki/Hachi route officially after he's made up his mind just because Yui had a bad day. That's why he's against the BFF route.

Now, Yukino can't allow him make serious moves along the Yuki/Hachi route. No matter how she would react to it it wouldn't give the club the harmony it needs to give Yui her peace of mind.

So she decides to show Hachiman the torture instruments. First, she tells him that Yuki/Yui has become a real possibility. Is she telling the truth? Or exaggerating? Your call. Then she tells him that Yui/Hachi won't fly anyway. She actually indirectly tells him 4 things:

1. Yui/Hachi is dead in the water.

2. I can pull Yuki/Yui if I want to.

3. I can pull Yuki/Hachi if I want to.

4. Who's the boss now?

This is the critical point of the power shift in which Yukino installs herself as apex of the love triangle.

Hachiman understands the message and calls out her BS. "Nobody is in control" = "Yukino is in control". "We have to rely on each other." = "Hachiman has to rely on Yukino." One might add: "The playing field has been leveled" = "Yukino is playing downhill, Hachiman is playing uphill."

Yukino's thinly veiled threat is: If Hachiman pushes too hard for Yuki/Hachi then the result may be Yuki/Yui.

Suddenly Hachiman is all interested in making the BFF route explicit and Yukino is against it. Why is that?

Yukino fears he just wants to neutralize Yui as she told him Yui would accept the agreement (her own miscalculation as we will see in the next chapter). With the Yuki/Yui route closed Hachiman could continue to push for Yuki/Hachi.

Hachiman fears Yukino wants to keep her options open and that Yuki/Hachi might even already have become a distant third possibility after BFF on first place and Yuki/Yui on second place. Or worse, after Yuki/Yui on first place and BFF on second.

That's the nicest interpretation. They're both playing defensively out of fear. But one of them or both might even be right in their suspicions about the other. Your call.

Trust has completely broken down when Hachiman accuses Yukino of having used the kiss to "level the playing field" (which, as said above, doesn't mean leveling at all but strengthening the own position) and Yukino accuses Hachiman of the same ("Is that an act of self-inspection?"). Meaning: they think the kiss was used to keep a route open, nothing more.

All that doesn't set well with Hachiman of course. Not only is he now under threat to become the odd one out after all. He, who liked to solve problems on his own with minimal if any consultation in the club has been relegated to a mere assistant in solving this problem. Meaning he would need to trust somebody who's not himself.

But in the end, is he really determined to try and save the club even if that means going the BFF route (and blocking Yuki/Yui of course)? Or does he still want to go Yuki/Hachi? Your call. In any case he doesn't really believe BFF would work.

Despite all the mistrust, in the bath Yukino finally admits she loves Hachiman (Or Yui? Or both? Your call.) and apologizes for having to go BFF.

Yui has taken up all her courage and will now aggressively push for OT3. First step: convincing (seducing) Hachiman. That's the whole plan. She isn't good with plans.

Chapter 8

So, Yui is gunning for OT3. What's Hachiman's cunning scheme? He doesn't have much of a plan at that moment. He needs to convince Yui of the BFF route. Also, he would need to strengthen the Hachi/Yui angle somehow to improve his position in the love triangle. But neither is so urgent that it needs to be achieved on this fateful evening. And to his surprise, Yui actually dismisses the BFF route rightaway as more or less the same stuff they had before. Meaning, she doesn't trust the truce to hold either.

Yui then telling him that Yukino loves her (Which is probably what she understood. Or is she exaggerating? Or even right? Your call.) surely activates some more alarm bells in his brain even if this info is yet unconfirmed.

But then Yui tells him about 'everything' and he immediately understands she's willing to go down the OT3 route. He probably just thinks she has now added another layer of mad to her mad. But now he has a plan. He allows her to seduce him, that's probably the best way to put it, and let her propose OT3.

The rest has been cut off for dramatic reasons but I guess he doesn't say much more then: This is for Yukino to decide, don't blackmail her, and if she says no we'll be going BFF which would mean... and then he tells her more or less what she then tells Yukino about that route. He won't encourage her more than needed when she will get shot down (and hurt) anyway.

Still, he doesn't say "no". Of course Yui must assume he's in for OT3.

So, for the sake of the club Yukino will have to give a definite answer and that will be BFF thereby making BFF explicit as Hachiman wanted. A strategical victory for Hachiman. Yukino won't be going OT3 of course. Why? Because there is no fucking way in hell she'd go OT3, that's why.

And maybe this offer also contains a warning from Hachiman to Yukino: If I really want to, I can still pull Yui/Hachi.

He might have been a bit more cautious if he had known that in Yukino's mind, he and Yui have been hiking the snowy hills of the Himalaya quite often already. And if he had known more details about that critical Yukino/Haruno encounter.

Wait, so he doesn't want OT3? But I mean … two girls! As I say he sees no way Yukino would agree, so why bother. Also, he's convinced this will end in the worst crash ever. Still, as we see in the end, he's not an asexual entity. He is willing to conveniently forget about his ethics and concerns for a few critical hours if only pushed hard enough.

So he's totally using Yui here? Yes. It doesn't look that bad in his eyes. She has the chance to make "memories" (of him making out with her and an albeit very roundabout love declaration) before Yukino lets the hammer fall. Isn't that nice? Well, as we know Hachiman has severe problems understanding other people's emotions.

Afterwards, he can block any attempt by Yui with "Remember what we agreed on." and "You don't want to make Yukino unhappy, right?"

If this interpretation is true and he really is a schemer with some standards as he says later on, then I guess he's really pushing for BFF now as Yukino asked him to do and not for Yuki/Hachi. Otherwise he'd give Yui hope, then block her, then do a Yuki/Hachi which would be mean. (Then again, in love and war…) What he wants to do in any case is close the Yuki/Yui route. Well, in the end it's your call again what goes on in his mind.

Chapter 9

After explaining Hachiman's plan in the last section already there's not much to say. Yui is flirting and Hachiman hopes for Yukino to step in. She finally does.

Yukino is suspicious. Her first thought: Hachiman is pushing for OT3 by blackmailing her with Yui/Hachi. Why would he do that? Because two girls, man. Yui asserts that she wouldn't allow that. Yukino believes her.

Yukino then quickly understands that Hachiman is actually pushing for explicit BFF.

Cliffhanger.

Yeah, I had to slip in the other Yui's "Fun things are fun."

Chapter 10

"Old Geezer" as a variant of "Old Maid" is a thing. Yui's rule was probably made up on the spot. And yes, the card that won't get paired up the is three of hearts. Yui is a romantic one, isn't she.

Yes, what Yukino meant at the end of chapter 9 was that she wouldn't follow the path set out by Hachiman, i.e. BFF, and goes for OT3 instead.

I guess both Hachiman and Yukino actually wanted to give BFF a try at the end, with minor ideological differences so to speak. Thanks to mistrust, misunderstandings, miscalculations, and misfiring schemes they end up with OT3. Game, set, and match for Yui.

But contrary to Hachiman, Yukino maybe needed only a little push. And Hachiman delivers pushes in spades, triggering her Haruno-PTSD. What is her message to Hachiman in her mind? Maybe

1. Fuck you Hikigaya Hachiman, you can't control me!1111

2. I want Yui to be happy.

3. I love you.

4. Did I mention Yui already? She's a cutie.

5. If Haruno ever finds out she will be pissed.

Well, perhaps not number 5 but I wouldn't put that past her either. But in the end: your call. Also about 1 to 4.

Oh, Yui smiles! And she knows the full Haruno story. Does that mean she knew how to deliver the message to make sure Yukino would react the way she wanted? Yui is a nice and not very smart girl. You, Sir, are mean and paranoid. Please everybody, move along. There's nothing to see here.

What can Hachiman do now? If he suddenly backpedals the following will happen:

1. Yui cries.

2. Yukino is pissed.

3. Yuri route completed and bye-bye Hachiman.

Of course he can still leave the game but he explicitly promised not to. Also, this wouldn't be Hachiman the Dark Knight as in the beginning when he tried to heroically sacrifice himself for Yuki/Yui. More like Hachiman who leaves because nobody needs him anymore. I don't think he wants that. Also: two girls!

The state of the club?

- Hachiman: cornered

- Yukino: triggered

- Yui: rabu-rabu and heart-shaped pupils. Until the details begin to sink in, I guess.

Is that a romantic conclusion? Certainly not. Hachiman and Yukino schemed themselves into an unwanted situation. This can only end in a crash. Hachiman is the most level-headed one to understand that.

Yukino delivers a final warning: If and when shit starts raining down, I'll stay with Yui.

The epilogue? When Yukino decides to go in she goes in. It will also make it much harder for Hachiman to scheme his way out of this. And Hachiman is no eunuch.

Is there a morale to the story? Maybe "You need to trust your friends because if you don't you might end up having sex with two hot girls at once." Errr...

In any case, I hope we agree that this turned out pretty dark.

But then again, hope springs eternal.

ANOTHER EPILOGUE: LEARNING TO FLY

"Good morning, Hikki."

Yui was sitting in the living room, a cup of coffee in her hands. She was wearing that red T-shirt again. She noticed his glances. "You wonder what I'm wearing under it now."

He just smiled. "You're up already. Yukino?"

"We decided to let you sleep. She's in the shower."

Hachiman gave her a kiss and sat down next to her. "Can I go next? I'd rather be home before my parents come back."

"Back to your sister. To less than half the actual suspicions," Yui teased him.

"That would have been true if they had been unfounded. Komachi is too smart for her own good. And has a frightening intuition."

"Is that a problem?"

"She will keep her mouth shut. Even under torture."

"Hikki," Yui hesitated, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What am I to you?"

He didn't answer immediately.

"A friend with benefits?" Yui helped. "Hopefully not a mere acquaintance with benefits."

"Everything I said yesterday was true. More than a friend. Surely not an acquaintance."

"That 'working definition', hm."

Hachiman was concerned. "Are you having second thoughts? You sounded so confident, yesterday. Yui, I will stand to this."

"I tried to seal the deal. Take what I could."

"You sealed the deal. You haven't even taken a fraction of what you can."

"Yukinon thinks she can pull this through. Avoid the crash."

Hachiman shook his head. "That's impossible, however."

Yui nodded sadly. "Hikki, I am stronger than the both of you think. I can cope."

"What do you want to say?"

"When we crash, please take care of Yukinon."

"Let's just not crash, Yui."

"You said..."

"I said, it's impossible for her to avoid the crash. Only we can. And must."

Nobody talked for a few seconds.

"Maybe we can..." both began in unison. Awkward laughter followed.

"You first," Hachiman decided.

"Maybe we can become very close friends with benefits next?" Yui asked. "And you?"

"Maybe we can try and refine and expand our working definition. You know, I think we should do both."

Yui leaned against him. "Can I tell you a story? It's a family-friendly one, I swear."

"Go ahead."

"Some time in the future. We three are still doing a lot of things together. And sometimes Yukinon can't make it and it's just you and me. Then she's feeling a bit jealous even though she also knows it's nonsense, because she knows you love her and she knows that I love her. And she's also very happy, because..." she paused, "she knows you and I also love each other very much."

"You think this is what will happen regardless?"

"No, it's just a plan. And I think I might make it a..."

"The service club," Hachiman interrupted her, "accepts this request."

THE END (for real)