Yukinoshita's Correction Method

"Um..." Miki spoke up timidly. "Can I keep going?"

"Huh?" Komachi Hikigaya asked in confusion. "By keep going, you mean..."

"Sasaki told me he would confess everything to Tanaka, including... the fact that he had never had a girlfriend." Miki showed a gentle smile. "He asked me to tell the person who came up with this idea that he wouldn't use it, but he would always be grateful to the person who thought of it for him. That was what he said..."

["You mean someone guessed the truth and even came up with this idea for me?

["Compared to buying a bunch of stuff myself and pretending I had a girlfriend, keeping my girlfriend's things out of nostalgia really is easier for people to accept.

["And easier to say out loud.

["It really is a good idea.

["All right, I've decided!

["I'm going to find Tanaka and confess right now.

["I'll tell him... I never had a girlfriend.

["I'll tell him that I'm just that kind of pathetic, weak guy.

["Why?

["Because... someone saw through my pathetic weakness, and still thought of a gentle way for someone like me.

["Just like Miki was willing to keep my secret for me.

["If other people can accept the real me, how can I keep running away from my real self?

["So, tell him for me that I won't use this method, but I'll always be grateful to him for coming up with it for me."]

"...That's all." Miki stopped recounting it. "That was everything Sasaki said."

"That's great!" Yui Yuigahama cheered excitedly. "A happy ending for everyone!"

"He gained strength from Dong Yunshan's method and moved in the direction Yukinoshita hoped for..." Komachi Hikigaya and Yui Yuigahama clapped their hands together with a smack. "This is the union of two people's... ideals!"

"What did I tell you? Growth and transformation both take time. There's no need to push too hard." Dong Yunshan spread his hands confidently. "Good thing I'm so resourceful and came up with an escape route in time."

"Although he nearly went astray, in the end he still took that step." Yukino Yukinoshita brushed her hair back. "Just as I said, as long as one faces one's own problems, growth and transformation will follow."

Dong Yunshan: "Hm?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Hm?"

"It seems like my method gave him strength..." Dong Yunshan tapped his temple lightly. "My method, you know."

"Forces act upon each other. When some force tries to drag a person down the wrong path, that person begins to exert force in order to break free and work toward the right direction." Yukino Yukinoshita narrowed her cold eyes slightly. "Rather than saying it gave him strength, it would be more accurate to say it drew out his strength."

"Or perhaps it should be called care and encouragement. That is an entirely different existence from brutal coercion." Dong Yunshan sneered twice. "As an analogy, it's like the sun and the wind trying to make a traveler take off his coat."

The wind and the sun competed to see who could make a traveler on the road take off his coat.

The wind acted first, blowing hard at the traveler, but the more it blew, the tighter the traveler wrapped his coat around himself.

When the wind grew tired, the sun came out from behind and shone warmly on the traveler.

Before long, the traveler began wiping away sweat and took off his coat.

"Heh..." There was no smile at all on Yukino Yukinoshita's face. "That assumes the sun truly wanted the traveler to take off his coat. Was the purpose of that method really to make him face things bravely?"

Dong Yunshan raised one eyebrow. "Without that method, how would you make him face things bravely?"

"He didn't use that method in the first place..."

"Just tell me whether that method worked or not..."

"Um..." Miki pointed outside the door. "I won't bother you anymore. I'll be leaving now."

Komachi Hikigaya and Yui Yuigahama waved goodbye to her.

"They were clearly joined together so tightly just now." Watching the two people draw closer and closer the more they argued, Yui Yuigahama propped up her chin and let out a long sigh. "How did they split apart again in the blink of an eye?"

Dong Yunshan & Yukino Yukinoshita: "???"

"Ideals! She was talking about ideals!" Komachi Hikigaya covered Yui Yuigahama's mouth, then, under Yukino Yukinoshita and Dong Yunshan's stares, asked back, "What did you think she meant?"

"Could I trouble you to leave for a moment?" Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at Dong Yunshan. "There are some things we need to handle alone."

Although Yui Yuigahama knew Yukino Yukinoshita spoke rather directly, this sudden order to leave still caught her somewhat off guard.

At a loss, she instinctively wanted to say something in response to avoid the awkward atmosphere.

"You two alone..." Yui Yuigahama suddenly understood. "A world for two—"

"We'll go for a walk." Komachi Hikigaya stopped the loose-lipped Yui Yuigahama in time. "You two satisfy... finish... wrap up... I mean, see you tomorrow."

"You don't need to leave. Stay and watch the show." Dong Yunshan spoke up to keep them there. "It's nothing major. I just lost twice, so Yukinoshita gets to order me around twice. Because last time the process was completed by just the two of us alone, she wants to do it alone this time too."

"Then we should leave even more." Komachi Hikigaya hurriedly stood up. "You two really know how to play... I mean, have fun."

She even tugged at Yui Yuigahama.

Yui Yuigahama didn't want to leave.

She wanted to see just how wildly these two played... how much fun they had.

"If the people involved don't care, then naturally, there's no need for you to leave." Yukino Yukinoshita gave Dong Yunshan an approving look. "This works out well, too. With you here, it'll leave a deeper impression on him."

"Mm-hmm." Dong Yunshan nodded in agreement. "Once they've seen it with their own eyes, there won't be any strange misunderstandings anymore."

Have we become part of your game now too...? Komachi Hikigaya felt like the Service Club was getting even wilder.

Yui Yuigahama obediently sat down, then patted the chair beside her, signaling for Komachi Hikigaya to sit with her.

Looks like it's too late to go buy popcorn now... Komachi Hikigaya sat down with some regret.

"My first order." The corners of Yukino Yukinoshita's mouth lifted. Remembering the shame and indignation she had felt when Dong Yunshan had ordered her to put on cat ears back then, her ice-blue eyes locked onto him, trying to see through the smug smile on his face and find the nervousness and unease in his heart... Hm?

Wait?

Why was Dong Yunshan laughing?

And why was he laughing so happily?

Had she overlooked something?

Yukino Yukinoshita's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she thought, while reaching into her schoolbag.

The instant her fingertips touched the cat-ear headband, Yukino Yukinoshita immediately realized her oversight.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

That was Yukino Yukinoshita's creed.

So Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been made to wear the cat-ear headband and meow because of Dong Yunshan's order, would also make Dong Yunshan wear the cat-ear headband and meow.

That was why she had put this headband away.

It wasn't so she could keep it for herself, but so that one day she could return it to Dong Yunshan.

And that day was today!

The problem was... the cat-ear headband was currently in her hand.

And Yui Yuigahama and Komachi Hikigaya were both here.

If she took out the cat-ear headband now... in their eyes, she would become someone who carried a cat-ear headband around with her just to make Dong Yunshan meow.

Of course, she could explain that she carried the cat-ear headband around in order to get revenge for Dong Yunshan's previous order.

But if she said that... then they would find out that she had once worn a cat-ear headband and meowed.

No matter which it was, it was not something Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to see.

People should face their true selves, but Yukino Yukinoshita at that time had been forced.

The her who had put on cat ears and meowed was not the real her.

So that was it...

As expected of you.

Yukino Yukinoshita glared fiercely at Dong Yunshan.

So that was why this guy had let Yui Yuigahama and Komachi Hikigaya stay—not because he didn't care about being seen wearing cat ears and meowing, but because he wanted to use the presence of bystanders to avoid being seen wearing cat ears and meowing.

Letting people watch was for the sake of not letting people watch.

What a fine move, retreating in order to advance!

Noticing Yukino Yukinoshita's movement come to a halt, the smile on Dong Yunshan's face grew even stronger.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

That was Yukino Yukinoshita's creed.

So from the moment he admitted defeat, Dong Yunshan had already predicted what Yukino Yukinoshita's order would be.

To prevent the situation from slipping out of his control, he had prepared a countermeasure.

What would she do?

Would she be someone who carried a cat-ear headband around because she wanted to hear someone meow?

Or would she be someone who had worn a cat-ear headband and meowed before?

"Huh?" Yui Yuigahama looked left and right in confusion, like an audience member watching a movie halfway through only to find that the film had suddenly paused.

She clearly remembered that Yukino Yukinoshita had won.

So why did the winning Yukino Yukinoshita look so awful, while Dong Yunshan, who had admitted defeat, was all smiles?

It made even her a little unsure.

Gently tugging on Komachi Hikigaya's sleeve, Yui Yuigahama lowered her voice. "What's going on?"

"This is the pre... prelude to building the atmosphere," Komachi Hikigaya whispered back. "The focus is on communication through the eyes."

Yukino Yukinoshita closed her eyes, no longer looking at the smile on Dong Yunshan's face, and worked hard to calm herself, not letting her emotions sway her judgment.

She had to admit, Dong Yunshan's plan was perfect.

Being misunderstood as a strange person, and having others learn of one's defeat, were both things ordinary people were unwilling to accept.

It was just that this perfect plan had one fatal flaw.

Yukino Yukinoshita's slender fingers curled around the cat-ear headband in her bag.

Like King Arthur gripping the holy sword, Yukino Yukinoshita held the cat-ear headband and cast a downward look at Dong Yunshan.

Yukino Yukinoshita never cared about other people's misunderstandings, nor would she avoid her own failures.

All of it would, in the end, become the foundation beneath her feet!

"From the day I was forced to wear it, I have kept this symbol of defeat with me at all times." Yukino Yukinoshita held the cat-ear headband out in front of Dong Yunshan. "Now, I order you—put it on."

Seeing the shock on Dong Yunshan's face, a gleam of pleasure appeared in Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes.

Now it was her turn to laugh.

When Yui Yuigahama saw Yukino Yukinoshita take out the cat-ear headband, her brain froze for an instant.

When she heard what Yukino Yukinoshita said, Yui Yuigahama's brain took a hit.

Cat-eared Yukino Yukinoshita... Had she actually missed such an intense scene before?

Before she could even regret missing cat-eared Yukino Yukinoshita, cat-eared Dong Yunshan was about to take the stage!

"As expected of you. I underestimated your resolve." Dong Yunshan gave a long sigh and took the cat-ear headband. "A bet is a bet. I accept my loss, fair and square."

Seeing Dong Yunshan accept the cat-ear headband so readily, Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes sharpened, and an ominous feeling rose in her heart.

But Dong Yunshan had already put the cat-ear headband on his head and was smiling again.

All according to plan!

P.S. Thanks to [Tsunderes Are Already Out of the Meta] for the tip!

Club Activities: The Call of the Wild

How could Dong Yunshan, who could act opposite Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, possibly feel ashamed just because he had to wear cat ears and meow?

From the very beginning, Dong Yunshan had never worried that Yukino Yukinoshita would make him meow.

What he had been worried about... was always that Yukino Yukinoshita wouldn't let him meow.