Bring Crying Hiyori Home

Class C leader Ryuen brought Shiina and me to the okonomiyaki restaurant I'd picked.

The restaurant was entirely Japanese-style. I sat cross-legged on the tatami, cooking monjayaki, while Shiina sat beside me, grilling squid pancakes, and Ryuen sat across from us, cooking pork pancakes.

When it was ready, I took a bite, and its savory flavor spread through my mouth.

"...This is really good."

As soon as I said that, Ryuen laughed.

"The place is nice, and the food's good, but it's expensive. Someone like you, with no points, couldn't get in unless somebody else paid, could you?"

Though he was making fun of me, there was no malice in his eyes.

In other words, he wasn't deliberately picking a fight. He was just naturally sharp-tongued.

It was a little odd coming from me, but this guy really did have his share of problems.

"That's true. But I appreciate you treating us this time."

I said as I ate. Just then, Shiina spoke to Ryuen:

"Is it okay if I eat for free, too?"

"Of course I'm not making a girl pay. Eat all you want."

Ryuen said that, but he was probably just in a good mood.

I didn't think he was the type to care about differences between men and women.

Still, since he was feeling generous, we might as well take him up on it.

"Mmm, this is good... So? Why'd you go out of your way to call me here?"

I had a pretty good idea already.

"That's right. I can guess the general reason, but please explain it anyway," Shiina added.

I was a little surprised. "Oh? You didn't hear?"

"No. When we ran into each other at the shopping center, he told me to call Hikigaya-kun."

"Then why not ask me on a regular school day? You're making Shiina go to extra trouble."

I couldn't help pointing that out.

So when Ryuen ran into Shiina, he'd told her to call me over. That meant he'd had something to discuss with me for a while.

If so, why not meet on an ordinary school day?

Hearing that, Ryuen sighed.

"You're always hanging around with Sakanayanagi at school. I don't want to get involved with her just yet."

That was true.

At lunch, the three of us—Shiina, Sakanayanagi, and I—usually ate together, and we spent time together after school three days a week, too.

It seemed Ryuen was still waiting to see how things played out.

After all, challenging Class A recklessly would be a guaranteed loss. Class C's target should be the higher-ranked Class B, or Class D, which was climbing from the bottom... Yeah, probably Class B.

Ryuen probably didn't even consider Class D.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. Let's get to the point."

"Fine, I'll be direct... Don't associate with Shiina anymore."

Ryuen said it without changing expression.

"..."

Beside me, Shiina looked pained and clenched her fists.

At the same time, Ryuen studied us with interest.

"First time I've seen Shiina make a face like that. She's in love with you, huh, Hikigaya?"

Watching Ryuen tease me like that, I sighed and spoke:

"Whether or not Shiina likes me aside, you want us to cut ties because I'm not in Class C, right?"

"That's right. I'm going to lead Class C to the top, to Class A. I'll crush anything that gets in my way—even my own classmates."

"I see. I suspected as much, but you're the dictatorial type."

There were all kinds of rulers, and Ryuen was the kind who crushed every obstacle in his path.

That sort of leader usually had the least support on character alone, but built up their reputation through results.

Ryuen intended to win the class's trust by accomplishing things.

On the other hand, if he failed, he'd be ruined. But judging from his expression, the word "failure" didn't exist in his dictionary.

His confidence could match Sakanayanagi's.

"As for Shiina, she has no interest in class warfare. Normally, that wouldn't matter, but I can't tolerate her associating with students from other classes."

"Especially since she's associating with Sakanayanagi, and with me, who knows Sakanayanagi and Ichinose?"

Ryuen nodded.

At that, Shiina couldn't hold back any longer.

"Wait a minute. I would never leak class information, and Hikigaya-kun isn't interested in class warfare either. Classmate Sakayanagi has never acted like a Class A student when she's with us, and she's never even met Ichinose!"

"I know. I know Shiina isn't interested in the conflict, and Hikigaya probably isn't, either."

"You're so sure, even though this is the first time we've met?"

"I can tell by your eyes. You don't care about other people. Even if a classmate got expelled, you'd just say, 'Oh,' and leave it at that, right?"

"More or less."

Honestly, even if someone in Class C got expelled, I wouldn't be heartbroken.

"Besides, even if you're not interested in the conflict, Sakanayanagi wouldn't tell students from other classes like you anything important."

That was a reasonable assessment.

Although I talked with Sakanayanagi almost every day, I'd never asked about Class A's policies.

Sometimes we talked about the amusing things our classmates did, but it was all trivial conversation.

"Even so..."

Shiina tried to argue further, but Ryuen had no intention of stopping.

"To me, the fact that my subordinates associate with students from other classes is a problem in itself. What they talk about doesn't matter."

His reasoning made sense, too.

If his people associated with students from other classes, it would sow seeds of suspicion within Class C, no matter what they talked about.

Just as I was thinking that, Ryuen suddenly turned to me with a predatory grin.

"But that's a different story if you're willing to sell out information about Class D."

I see.

If I helped Class C as a spy, his underlings would naturally accept it.

But...

"That's impossible. If I got found out, there'd be all kinds of trouble."

If it came to light, people would definitely talk behind my back.

Then I'd have to relive the malicious school life I'd had in middle school.

"Keheh. Your reason for refusing isn't that you don't want to betray your classmates—you just think it'd be a pain without even hesitating. I find your personality pretty interesting."

"Mind your own business. Anyway, I have no intention of being a spy."

"Then don't go near Hiyori anymore, starting tomorrow. I'll let it slide for today, but if you keep seeing her after tomorrow..."

Ryuen didn't give off any killing intent, but if I saw Shiina again tomorrow, he'd definitely get serious.

With my physical abilities, I'd probably be crushed easily by someone as battle-tested as Ryuen.

While I was thinking that over, Ryuen suddenly stood up.

He'd already polished off all the food on his griddle.

"I'm done. I'll head out first. I've already paid."

Ryuen said that, then strode off.

Shiina and I were left facing each other in silence.

""...""

Not knowing what to say, the two of us silently shared the okonomiyaki left on the griddle.

Twenty minutes later...

""...""

Even after we'd finished eating, we still sat facing each other in silence.

We awkwardly left the restaurant and returned to the dorm elevator without saying a word.

The elevator stopped at my floor.

Normally, we should at least have said goodbye before parting.

But...

"...Hikigaya-kun."

Shiina suddenly spoke.

I was a little surprised, but I couldn't just ignore her.

"W-what is it?"

"Could I come to your room?"

"Ah... Sure."

"Thank you."

It was unexpected, but for some reason I didn't feel like refusing, so I nodded.

After thanking me, Shiina and I stepped out of the elevator together. When I unlocked the door, the sound of the key turning rang out unusually clearly.

"I'll make tea. Make yourself comfortable."

With that, I went into the kitchen to boil water.

Rice crackers and cookies should be fine to serve with the tea.

"Thanks. Hikigaya-kun, your room is really tidy."

That was because I didn't have much personal stuff.

Other than a chessboard and some books about chess, I mostly used the furniture the dorm had provided.

I'd been planning to buy a TV with the money I won from my next chess bet.

"Um... Speaking of..."

Just as I was wondering how to keep the conversation going, Shiina's melancholy voice reached me:

"This might be the last time I get to talk with you. Could you stay with me a little longer?"

Her words reminded me that our parting was coming.

A sudden ache pierced my chest, and a feeling of resistance welled up inside me.

Before I knew it, the time I spent with Shiina had become precious to me.

I nodded gently.

"...All right."

"Thank you... By the way, do you want to play chess? I've only ever watched you and Classmate Sakayanagi play."

"Want to play chess?"

The suggestion caught me off guard.

Come to think of it, Shiina had always watched us. She'd never played herself.

"Okay. You know the rules, right?"

"Yes. I've watched every time, so I know how the pieces move."

When Shiina nodded, I took the chessboard from my desk, set it on the dining table, and sat across from her.

"You can go first."

"Then..."

Shiina nodded and moved a pawn. I answered with a pawn of my own.

The sound of the pieces going "click, click" echoed through the room.

Usually, Sakanayanagi would be chatting away by now, and I could hear the other students in the library, too. But now the two of us were silent, and only the sound of the pieces striking the board stood out.

"...Your way of attacking reminds me a lot of Sakanayanagi."

"I've watched you two play so many times."

"I see... Still, your endgame isn't as good as Sakanayanagi's."

As I said that, I began dismantling Shiina's setup.

It might have looked similar, but she was still just imitating someone else. It wasn't anything to fear.

"Ah... I guess I can't play like Classmate Sakayanagi after all."

"If anything, it'd be scary if you really could play at Sakanayanagi's level."

I kept moving my pieces.

Gradually, Shiina had fewer and fewer pieces left...

"Checkmate."

"It seems so."

Ten minutes later, when I checkmated Shiina's king, she sighed and conceded.

"As I expected, a beginner can't win yet. But it was fun trying out different moves."

"Is that so? Good."

"Yeah... But thinking that today's the last time I'll be with you and the others, I wish I'd asked you to play sooner."

Seeing Shiina's pained expression made my chest feel heavy, too.

"...Me too. Ryuen wasn't entirely wrong, but ending things with you this way..."

Knowing I was about to lose all this made me resist with all my heart.

"So... Hikigaya, were the days you spent with me happy?"

"...Yeah. They were."

I admitted it honestly.

If I hadn't met Shiina on the bus that day, I probably would have spent my school life drifting along in a daze.

But after that chance encounter, I ran into Sakanayanagi while shopping.

Unlike middle school, which had been full of stress, those days had been undeniably fulfilling, even if I'd occasionally felt restless.

"I'm glad to hear you say that... I was happy too."

Shiina gave me a faint smile, and the sight made my heart ache.

Don't. I don't want to see you looking like that.

You're best when you always have that carefree expression. Seeing you like this will only make the parting more painful.

Truthfully, I was frustrated that things would end here, but I also felt there was nothing to be done.

Ryuen was right. I had no right to form a bond with Shiina in the first place.

As I struggled with that thought, I noticed a mist gathering in the corners of Shiina's eyes.

The moment I saw it, the "nothing to be done" that had been weighing on my mind vanished without a trace.

Now that I'd seen her look like this, I couldn't just give up.

"...Shiina."

"Hmm?"

The girl I'd called looked at me, tears in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and spoke.

"Could you give me Ryuen's contact information?"

I'd decided to talk to Ryuen... no, to make a deal with him.