Uneasy daily life

“Well…” Yui Yuigahama smiled slightly, “Shiro did say some strange things.”

Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly felt uneasy and unconsciously shook his leg: "Oh, that must be a lie..."

"The subordinate is usually an extremely passive person who dislikes taking initiative. Without external interference, he can entertain himself and get by on his own. To put it another way, once the subordinate is forced to take initiative, he will be at a loss, racking his brains to think carefully about how to speak and act, and trying to get out of that situation. Just like a student who hates being called on to answer questions, he will show his true feelings when he is called on. The subordinate who dislikes taking initiative will show more feelings when he takes initiative."

Yui Yuigahama suddenly said calmly, "Shiro told me to call you out and then ignore you, predicting that Xiaoqi would try to make jokes, ruin the atmosphere, and change the subject. This is the strategy Xiaoqi told me about against Xiaoqi—defense instead of offense."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Hachiman Hikigaya's face twitched: "The president really knows me well. So you've gone along with the president, practically selling your soul to the devil..."

Yui Yuigahama didn't say anything, she just quietly looked at Hachiman Hikigaya.

What immense pressure...

Hachiman Hikigaya subconsciously took a step back, as if he saw a terrifying figure behind Yui Yuigahama, turning its head and sneering coldly—Damn it! This kind of situation, where others don't speak but force you to speak, leaves you feeling unexpectedly helpless!

"Ahem!" Hachiman Hikigaya coughed twice. "Aren't you going to say something? If not, I'll be going now..."

Yui Yuigahama pursed her lips and asked, "Hachi, don't you have anything to say?"

"You called me here." Hachiman Hikigaya's brow twitched, feeling that Yui's words and actions today were making him unable to hold back. "Is this also that kind of defensive strategy?"

“It was indeed me who sent you.” Yui Yuigahama nodded. “I sent you here because I wanted to hear your voice, not just hear how you would sound in my mind…”

What does "you in my heart" mean? This one, that one...

Hachiman Hikigaya, disheveled and drenched in sweat, said, "Uh... I was very pleased with today's meeting. Shall we meet again another day?"

"……All right."

Yui Yuigahama responded sullenly, turned around with a disappointed look on her face, and took a step forward.

Hey! Seriously? I was just a little nervous, that's all. Don't take it seriously... Wait! Calm down, Hachiman! You're the lonely king, the most popular guy at Soubu High—oops! Anyway, you're a battle-hardened, calm, and collected hero who won't lose your composure in any situation!

Hachiman Hikigaya was thinking like lightning, searching for a way to resolve the situation, completely unaware of the commotion coming from a certain patch of grass.

'Damn it, so ungrateful! How dare they hurt Yui's feelings...'

'Calm down, don't rush, don't rush.'

What should I do? Is it too late to slap myself now?!

As Hachiman Hikigaya was deep in thought, sweating profusely, he suddenly noticed that Yui Yuigahama remained motionless in her walking posture, as if waiting for him to say or do something!

"..." Hachiman Hikigaya took a deep breath, his eyes expressionless and lifeless. "Hey, what kind of move is this now?"

"Uh……"

Yui Yuigahama turned around guiltily and coughed twice: "If Shiro said that I had to choose between being the host and the guest, I would prefer to be the guest. Because if I were the host, I would have to think about how to entertain the guests, how to talk to them, and how to influence them. In short, the best way to take the initiative from me is to give up the initiative directly. That is called turning the host into the guest."

"If you maintain a tough stance towards small businesses, it will only make them thrive. No matter what they are thinking, you will cleverly brush them off and hide your true feelings. It's like punching cotton; it won't have any effective effect... Xiaobai says you have the innate body of a corporate slave."

Hachiman Hikigaya is exhausted.

Devil! I thought using Komachi to control me was the president's foolproof strategy against Hachiman, but I never expected that before I could even improve, my strategy against Hachiman had expanded to target his personality and habits...

"I thought that Yukinoshita colluding with the president was the limit, but I never expected that you and the president would actually..." Hachiman Hikigaya twitched his dead fish eyes and concluded, "...colluded in evil!"

"no!"

Yui Yuigahama quickly waved her hands in defense, saying, "I'm so...so embarrassed! When Shiro was trying to help me, he made me change my online name to 'Deadly Chef,' and he also made me...cough cough! Anyway, it wasn't easy for me either!"

Hachiman Hikigaya exclaimed in astonishment, "You sold your soul to the devil just to die with me? What grudge do you hold against me?"

"Why I do these things, Xiao Qi is the one who knows best, right?"

Yui Yuigahama stood with her hands behind her back, her fingers tightly intertwined. She turned her head to look at the bushes beside her, her tone elusive as she said, "Hachi is particularly good at playing dumb. On the surface, it seems like anyone can order you around, but deep down, you have your own very firm ideas... You came here for the appointment, and even when you were feeling uneasy and nervous, you weren't thinking about how to escape. Just now, when I pretended to leave, you were trying hard to think of how to keep me here..."

"Come to think of it, we've known each other for two years now, haven't we?"

Yui Yuigahama suddenly changed the subject.

Hachiman Hikigaya froze, two years had already passed...

Speaking of which, so many things have happened between us—from the ill-fated relationship that started with rescuing a dog, to the various requests from the Service Club, to rejecting her confession at the fireworks festival, to unknowingly becoming fascinated by the interpersonal relationships in the Service Club, to learning about Yuihama's reasons for being a 'popular girl' and her other side...

I must have changed a lot, right? Or maybe I haven't changed at all, just that I'm not alone like before.

Naturally, Yuihama had known about his feelings for him for a long time, and always had. At first, he thought it was just a misunderstanding of gratitude, then he thought it was just a one-sided infatuation, and now he felt it was due to the accumulation of feelings over time and some kind of shared experience...

Of course, she knew that she was being liked so obviously, and she knew that their relationship had changed to some extent and that they had some special memories, but the reason she didn't respond... was probably because Yui hadn't mentioned it again since that confession, so of course she didn't need to respond; otherwise, it would be strange.

I'm pretty sure I don't enjoy being liked, nor am I deliberately stringing Yui Hama along...

Should I refuse? It seems I'm not too opposed to Yui's feelings? Should I accept? It seems I don't have a reason to accept?

Hachiman Hikigaya frowned, unusually lost in confusion and bewilderment.

"Hachi." Yui Yuigahama took a step closer, simply calling his name softly, her gaze fixed on him in silence.

She didn't say anything, but Hachiman Hikigaya understood her unspoken message.

Should I accept it?

Logically speaking, we've known each other for two years, spent a lot of special time together, and gained new insights. Yui's affection for me isn't the kind of one-sided feeling I understand; it's a genuine liking. I don't feel much rejection towards Yui, and perhaps I even like her a little?

So, does that mean we should accept it?

Hachiman Hikigaya felt his mind was in turmoil and wanted to say something nonsensical to find an excuse to leave, but this wasn't the place for him to leave... Yuihama was waiting for his answer, and there were only two options.

refuse?

This is completely different from the confession at the fireworks festival. Back then, I could refuse with a clear conscience, and I was mentally prepared to accept it even if the relationship fell apart. Now, I don't seem to want to ruin this relationship, nor do I want to see Yuihama heartbroken after being rejected...

Besides, Hachiman Hikigaya, for a lazy and aloof guy like you to be noticed by such a cute and persistent girl who happens to be attracted to you, isn't that incredibly lucky? What fool would refuse such good fortune? You used to refuse her because you thought she didn't like you, but what about now? Now that her feelings are so sincere and persistent, what reason do you have to refuse?

This shouldn't be refused, right? This is something you can't refuse, right? Yuihama spent two years, through various experiences, proving to you that her feelings for you are genuine. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? So you can't refuse either...

His emotions were a jumbled mess, and Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't figure out the source of his feelings. He couldn't just make up a few words to clear his head and calm down; he also had to face Yui Yuigahama's gaze and give an answer within a limited time.

So, I have no reason to refuse, right?

Hachiman Hikigaya scratched his head vigorously, opened his mouth, and slowly hesitated before saying, "Um... I... I can..."

Yui Yuigahama pursed her lips, looking at him quietly with an emotion that Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't understand.

"Will you go out with me?"

Hachiman Hikigaya controlled his emotions and asked the question, feeling a growing sense of exhaustion.

Perhaps I've finally gotten rid of my awkward and withdrawn habits...

He waited for the other person to give an answer that they already knew.

"……cannot."

Yui Yuigahama replied softly.

"Ah...ah—ah?!"

Hachiman Hikigaya froze, and three increasingly incoherent sounds escaping his lips.

"Didn't you hear me? Let me say it again." Yui Yuigahama replied with a smile, "I refuse, NO, I can't."

Dusk, a classroom, a foolish boy, a lively girl with many friends, a confession...

puff--!

Memories and reality merge, and the memories of the dead surge into his mind, unleashing a brutal barrage of attacks on Hachiman Hikigaya!

Hachiman Hikigaya stood there blankly, as if the world had abandoned him... Ah, let foolish Hachiman sink into... No!

"Are you a white flower or a white shadow?!"

"Hachiman, don't get used to things like 'Yui Yuigahama likes Hachiman Hikigaya,'" Yuigahama Yui said softly. "Just take the initiative, call Hachiman to face to face, then play defensively and disrupt his planned actions. Next, turn the tables and put Hachiman in a situation where he'll overthink and feel very uncomfortable... Finally, use words and attitude to hint at a response from Hachiman, and he'll definitely give the answer I'm looking for."

Hikigaya Hachiman: "...Gu."

A lonely smile appeared on Yui Yuigahama's face: "This is the plan Shiro told me, it completely predicted Hachiman's reaction—"

"It also predicted my reaction."

Hachiman Hikigaya opened his mouth like a live fish leaping on the shore, and after a long while, a bubble finally escaped: "...Why?"

“Yeah, why?” Yui Yuigahama scratched her cheek and sighed. “When Shiro said I would definitely refuse, I also wanted to ask why—after all, I’ve always been looking forward to being in a romantic relationship with Hachiman. If Hachiman agreed, I would definitely be very happy to agree. Why is Shiro so sure that I will refuse?”

"I've been watching Xiao Qi the whole time. Although I wasn't as accurate as Xiao Bai, I understood as soon as Xiao Qi spoke..."

"Small businesses also have times when they can't refuse."

Yui Yuigahama looked somewhat sad, but her eyes were exceptionally firm: "Because Hachi doesn't like me yet, I have to reject Hachi."

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless, his mind a jumble of confusion, bewilderment, agitation, sudden realization, and unease.

"Hachi, don't take my feelings for you for granted. Because my feelings for you aren't casual at all... I've been serious from the very beginning." Yui Yuigahama said with a wry smile, "Actually, I really wanted to say yes just now. If I had said yes, even if Hachi doesn't like me yet, as long as we're in a relationship, there would definitely be many opportunities to make up for it..."

"But I still can't accept it."

Yui Yuigahama bit her lip, trying to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes: "So, I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Hijiri, I still can't accept it."

"..."

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless, a mixture of shock, guilt, and unspeakable emotions welling up inside him. He stammered, "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing..."

"They take other people's affection for granted, and thus naturally ignore your feelings..."

"I'm the idiot."

Yui Yuigahama is a girl who adapts to the atmosphere, is gentle and positive, and even though she is a withdrawn, deadpan nobody with no social circle, she is still willing to find ways to express her gratitude for saving the dog, making her a girl that people want to keep at a distance.

Yui Yuigahama is someone who values ​​interpersonal relationships. Because she was ostracized in junior high school and experienced loneliness, she became afraid of rejection. However, whether she joined the Service Club, which was full of eccentric people, or joined the Student Council after the Service Club disbanded, she was always better than herself and always took a step forward. She is a brave girl.

Yui Yuigahama is... a girl who likes me.

I've met another Yui Yuigahama.

Silence enveloped the grove, carrying a different kind of desolation than before.

The audience was completely silent.

Miura Yumiko and several senior high school students were all quiet. The former did not make a fuss about settling scores with Hachiman. She saw a kind of relationship that was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned, biting her lip slightly, her mind in turmoil. Had she misjudged the situation? She had clearly seen them hugging before... Was it just a momentary emotional outburst? If things were brought up now, their relationship could never be the same again, could it? But there was no clear way to pinpoint the blame.

How to do?

Suddenly, she felt a tickling sensation on her hand, as something soft kept poking and prodding in her palm. She turned around and looked at the white figure, her eyes slightly wide with annoyance: Look at what you've done!

Bai Ying winked and tried to push the other person's hand away with her tongue, indicating that she had something to say.

Yukino Yukinoshita released her grip in disgust and asked anxiously in a low voice, "What do we do now?"

"Don't panic, I've hidden a killer move that even the Deadly Chef doesn't know about." Bai Ying looked smug, as if she had everything under control. "After all, given the Deadly Chef's acting skills, it would be difficult for her to perfectly execute my brilliant plan, so I didn't tell her about this trump card called 'Playing Hard to Get'..."

Yukino Yukinoshita said with dissatisfaction, "Speak human language."

"Hmm? Isn't this a move you used before?" Bai Ying snorted twice, her fingers forming delicate pinkies, and said in a seductive, melancholic tone, "Sister Xue is truly forgetful. She cherishes what she hasn't gotten, but disdains what she has. Alas~ it was all my wishful thinking that I had a place in the eyes of my greedy sister..."

"#!"

Yukino Yukinoshita slapped her hand back expressionlessly, accidentally smearing someone's saliva back onto their mouth.

You'd better shut up!

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Please Use Your Life...

"Little Qi is no idiot..."

Yui Yuigahama flashed a bright smile: "Hitachi is Hitachi, after all."

"...Is 'Little Hachiman' an adjective?" Hachiman Hikigaya rolled his eyes and echoed with mixed feelings, "Ah, how could I not be stupid enough? I don't know anything, yet I dare to speak so boldly...I guess I'm just a guy with an excessive sense of self, only able to see people through my own narrow eyes."

You mistakenly believe that your liking is just an illusion caused by gratitude, and that this illusion has become a habit.

You take it for granted that your liking is a natural expression, and you keep sending signals without any regard for others.

Sigh, I always thought I was good at observing others... but it seems I always misjudge.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt somewhat agitated and confused, and for a moment he was conflicted, not knowing what he was thinking or what he was trying to express—what am I doing?

"Xiaoqi, there's no need to feel guilty or apologetic. Just be your usual Xiaoqi." Yui Yuigahama softened her smile and said softly, "Because we're very close, we've been through some special things, and I even confessed to you before. Recently, our relationship seems to have gotten even better... I can't find a reason to reject you, so I can't refuse, right?"

"A delicate relationship, a complicated friendship, me getting close, you being lonely, a feeling that isn't unpleasant... This is an atmosphere that's hard to resist."

Yui Yuigahama lowered her head, her toes rubbing lightly on the ground: "Common sense dictates that we should accept it and give it a try, because there's no reason to refuse something good, and anyone who refuses something good must be an idiot, a moron, or a small fry."