Chapter 108: The Third Day
"What are you talking about?"
Hachiman looked up at Yui, his gaze perfectly calm.
"That... I asked if it's because of me that you lost your Sword He—"
"It's not."
Hachiman waved a hand, cutting her off. "This is my own problem. It has nothing to do with you. Don't go overthinking things."
"But..."
Yui hesitated for a few seconds, watching Hachiman return to eating his lunch. Finally, she turned and walked away, looking dejected.
Hachiman stole a glance at her retreating back and sighed inwardly. He had intended to distance their relationship, but what was with these recent rumors?
"Yui, what's wrong? Is that Hikigaya guy bullying you?"
Miura Yumiko saw Yui's sad expression upon her return and glared sharply at Hachiman in the distance.
Hayama also looked toward Hachiman, his eyes turning slightly serious.
"No, it's nothing! Yumiko, don't get the wrong idea. Hikki isn't bullying me. If anything, I'm the one being a bother to Hikki..." Yui waved her hands frantically, glancing back at Hachiman, terrified he might overhear.
"Ha~? What do you mean you're bothering him? Even if he is Chishima-sensei's student..."
"Yumiko!"
Yui suddenly shouted. She looked at Miura Yumiko with teary eyes, shaking her head. "This has nothing to do with Hikki. Don't say another word..."
Confusion flashed in Yumiko's eyes, and she immediately moved to comfort Yui.
Hachiman heard the commotion and turned his head. He was met with Hayama's angry stare, then he looked at Yui. She looked like she was about to cry...
...Is she the one in the wrong here?
In the afternoon, Hachiman climbed to the fourth floor of the special building and slid open the door to the Service Club. Yukino was sitting in her usual spot by the window, that unchanging cold expression fixed on her face.
The only difference was that today, she wasn't reading a storybook. She was reading a magazine, which was quite a surprise.
Hachiman gave his usual greeting. "Good afternoon."
"...Oh. It's just Hikigaya-kun."
Yukino looked up at him, let out a soft sigh, and then refocused on the magazine in her hands.
"Don't give me that disappointed look. It makes me feel hurt, like the reaction of that girl whose seat got moved next to mine back in the day..."
Hachiman commented as he took his seat, pulling out his books and notes. The Service Club was a good place for him to review—better than the library or home.
"...I clearly didn't do anything wrong, so why am I the one being treated like a villain? If they wanted to complain, they should have complained about their own bad luck for getting the seat next to me."
"Does that count as having poor taste?"
Yukino looked toward Hachiman again, a faint smile on her face. "So you admit that the seat next to you is the worst possible position..."
"I didn't say 'worst.' That's your own subjective interpretation."
"My apologies. The subconscious is a terrifying thing, isn't it?"
Yukino flashed him a small smile.
In reality, behavior driven by the subconscious is often the most painful...
"What I just said also came from the subconscious, so don't take it to heart. I originally thought it would definitely be Yuigahama."
"Oh. Is that so?"
Hachiman's pen was in hand, his eyes scanning the pages of his book as he answered flatly.
It was natural for Yukino to think that. Yui hadn't come to the Service Club for several days; Yukino was likely concerned and had expected her to show up today.
"The day before yesterday she took a pet to the vet for a check-up, and yesterday there was a family matter... Did something happen between you and Yuigahama?"
Yukino asked the real question, though her gaze remained focused on the magazine.
Hachiman kept his tone level. "No. Nothing."
"If it really were nothing, Yuigahama wouldn't just stop coming... Did you have a fight?"
"No, not a fight... I don't think so."
Hachiman set down his pen and looked at Yukino seriously. "Besides, a 'fight' is something that happens when two people are close to a certain degree. So rather than calling it a fight, it's more like..."
"A disagreement?" Yukino offered.
Hachiman picked his pen back up. "Not quite right, but not far off."
"In that case, a war?"
"Incorrect. That's even further away."
"Then, a war of annihilation."
The answers Yukino was providing were getting increasingly absurd.
Hachiman put his pen down again, saying helplessly, "Are you even listening to me? You're getting further away."
Yukino closed her eyes, exhaled, and gave one final answer: "Then perhaps... walking in opposite directions?"
Hachiman gave a more certain nod. "...Yeah. It's roughly something like that."
"I see. In that case, there's no other choice... By the way, what's the deal with the rumors about you losing your 'Sword Heart' these past two days?"
"How should I know..."
Whoosh!
At that moment, the door swung open. Shizuka, wearing her long white lab coat and flat shoes, stepped inside, followed by Chishima Akishin, who was carrying two Shinai.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please knock before entering!"
"Right, right. Yukinoshita, I'll keep that in mind for next time."
Shizuka waved her off dismissively, then looked at Akishin beside her. "You first, or me?"
"I'll go."
Akishin looked at Hachiman and tossed the Shinai in his left hand toward him. "Alright, Hikigaya. Let's see if you've found that 'Sword Heart' of yours yet."
Hachiman caught the practice sword, looking confused. "Wasn't it supposed to be three days?"
"Today is the third day."
"...No, doesn't 'three days' mean after three days?"
"Up until now is enough. If you haven't found your Sword Heart by this moment, you won't find it tomorrow either."
Akishin stood his ground, raising his sword to point at Hachiman. He said in a chilling voice, "Now, take your sword and strike me. If you can't, I'll help you find that Sword Heart—while simultaneously beating you into the infirmary."
Yukino looked at Akishin, then at Hachiman, and finally at Shizuka.
Hiratsuka Shizuka simply shook her head at her and stepped back to the side.
Hachiman hesitated for three seconds before standing up. Gripping the Shinai, he bowed his head to Akishin, then lunged forward with a direct thrust.
Akishin's eyebrows shot up. He raised his hand in a fluid motion, catching and redirecting the Shinai. With a quick sweep of his foot, Hachiman was sent sprawling to the floor.
Tossing the Shinai onto the ground, Akishin said coldly, "It seems you haven't recovered your Sword Heart. Now, tell me honestly: what happened that day, and what's going on between you and Yuigahama?"
"...Sensei, that was cheating. I clearly attacked with everything I had just now."
"Shut it. If you attacked with full power, then why was I able to snatch your sword so easily? It only proves you're still not serious."
Hachiman: "..."
"What do you want from me? I really did give it my all. Who knew you'd just catch it with your bare hands? That's against the rules..."
"You don't know the power gap between us? Whether I take your sword or not is just a matter of a single thought for me!"
"Explain. What exactly happened between you and Yuigahama? If you don't, I'm calling her here right now."
Chishima Akishin pulled out his phone, pulled up Yui's email address, and waved it in front of Hachiman. He could tell that Hachiman's concentration wasn't actually broken; this was fundamentally an emotional hurdle. Before reaching a high level of mastery, these things usually smoothed out over time.
Of course, at this moment, Hachiman was indeed far from his peak condition.
Originally, Akishin hadn't planned on meddling, but since Shizuka had specifically asked for a favor, he had to follow through. Besides, Yui was a good kid.
—Aren't students meant to be used, after all?
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