戻り Return

When Yuji finally roused from sleep, he felt as if he had been mauled by bears.

Groggily blinking, the sunlight that poured in through the gap of the curtains was blindingly bright, his limbs feeling as if they had been replaced with heavy sandbags. Unwilling to even exert the energy to lift his arm and shield his eyes, he hunkered into his blankets and rolled over instead, letting out muffled grumbles.

"It's too early to be this bright out..." He thought, digging his face into his pillow. His temples throbbed dully, a faint ache spreading behind his eyes. "What day even is it..?"

His mind hazy, Yuji drew the sheets closer around his body, drowsiness beginning to overtake him once more.

Wasn't today Monday?

Yuji's eyes shot open as he bolted upright, his heart pounding as he grabbed his phone.

8:19 AM

"Shit! I didn't set my alarm!" He cursed, flinging away his blanket and scrambling out of bed, his mind racing a mile a minute. The boy dug into his laundry basket- piled high with clothes that he hadn't bothered to properly fold- hunting for his uniform with no regard for the mess he was making.

"I'm never gonna hear the end of this..." Yuji grumbled as he unearthed a badly creased button-up and trousers from the mountain of laundry, throwing them on with a t-shirt from the floor. He could already imagine Nikaido lecturing him for being late on the first day back to school, his temples only throbbing harder as he grabbed his bag, making sure his notebooks were packed.

Shoving his toothbrush into his mouth and violently scrubbing his teeth, he caught a glimpse of his disheveled reflection in the mirror- his left eye was swollen and bloodshot, his face badly bruised- and of course, the discolored impression of two hands on his throat remained, now an ugly yellow around the edges. Grimacing at the sight, he spat out the toothpaste, combing his fingers through his bedhead before attempting to gel it into something that resembled his usual hairstyle.

He couldn't just show up looking like that, could he?

Begrudgingly, Yuji pulled the first-aid kit out from under the bathroom sink, hoping to mask his battered appearance. He covered his left cheek with a large plaster and wound a bandage around his neck to obscure the bruises, though the edges still peeked out from underneath.

Good enough.

He hurried out of the bathroom, leaving rolls of medical tape and gauze on the counter as he rushed into the kitchen for an impromptu breakfast, unwrapping a waffle from the freezer and biting into it.

"...What are you doing?" asked a voice from behind him.

"Aah!" He yelped, nearly dropping the frozen waffle as he whirled around, only to find Yuma glaring at him.

"It's 8:30! You've been making such a racket that I'm surprised you haven't woken Dad up!" He whisper-yelled as Yuji grabbed a package of chips from the kitchen cabinet, shoving it into his bag. "And you left such a mess in our room! Go pick up your clothes!"

"Whatever, I'll do it later!" Yuji brushed him off, stuffing his feet into sneakers. "I'm late for school! I gotta go!"

"Looking like that?" His brother gawked.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?! I tried to make myself more presentable!"

"How?! Your uniform is so wrinkly- you look like you just crawled out of bed! Did you even brush your teeth?!"

"Of course I did!" Yuji's eye twitched as he unlocked the front door. "Jeez- gimme a break!"

"Whatever, I'm gonna wash my face..." Yuma rolled his eyes, turning around and heading towards the bathroom.

Eyes widening, Yuji remembered the mess of first-aid supplies he had left on the counter and hurried out of the apartment- just as his brother turned to glare at him.

"Yuji!"

He thundered down the stairs, gnawing on his still-frozen waffle as he took off sprinting down the street. The sun shone oppressively overhead, beating down on his back as he hurried to school.

How was it still so hot in September?!

Cursing under his breath, Yuji shook his head and kept running, already starting to regret his decision to not stay home after all.

"God...Today is not my day..."

With his sneakers thudding against the hot sidewalk, he had half a mind to turn around and return to the apartment, to spend the day in front of the TV and spare himself the trouble of hurrying to school and having to face other people.

But there would be someone there that he hoped to see, so Yuji just kept running.

-----

By the time he finally reached Inukami High School, Yuji was drenched in sweat and beyond exhausted, doubled over in the getabako as he tried to catch his breath, cool air washing over him.

"Ugh...I made it..."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yuji panted as he slumped against the shoe lockers, feeling ready to melt into a puddle. His skin felt sticky, and he wondered if he had left his gym towel at school by some miracle, hoping to find it somewhere in the classroom.

But strangely, no one seemed to be in class.

The hallways were filled with students- some stood around in talkative clusters, while others seemed to aimlessly wander around in gossiping pairs. No one particularly appeared to be in much of a rush.

Brows furrowing at the sight, he fished his phone out of his pocket.

9:13 AM

"...What..?" Yuji blinked, eyes darting between the screen and his peers. "...Did I miss a memo or somethin'?"

He was late- unmistakably late- so what was everyone else doing out of class?

"Look who decided to show up." A voice mused dryly, and when Yuji jumped and turned to the source, he found himself face to face with none other than Hyouka Morikawa.

Her eyelashes and eyebrows had been darkened since he had last seen her, a subtle rouge tinting her lips and cheeks. Unlike his, the girl's uniform seemed to have been ironed properly, her blouse neatly tucked into her skirt with all its buttons done up, her neck-ribbon tied into a perfect bow. The most noticeable change to her appearance, however, was her hairstyle- odango buns that flowed into long white twin tails.

"...Woah, are ya planning to punish someone in the name of the moon or somethin'?" Yuji stared at them.

"Yeah- you." Hyouka replied haughtily, smoothing her hair. "...Because you're late, you completely missed the entrance ceremony, mongrel."

"Wait, for real?!" He gawked, his eyes bugging out.

"Why else do you think everyone is loitering around? We've just been dismissed from the auditorium."

"That's all I missed?! Sounds like a total snooze-fest..." Yuji kicked off his sneakers, stuffing them into his locker. "Man, I can't believe I busted my ass getting here- ugh!"

"Poor you." Hyouka said dryly, her lips twitching upwards. "Was your beauty sleep worth it?"

"I didn't mean to oversleep! I forgot to set my alarm last night!"

"…How unfortunate."

"Tell me about it!" He griped, brushing the hair from his clammy forehead as he put on his indoor shoes. “You try running to school in this heat!"

The girl's sharp eyes inspected his disheveled appearance, scanning him from his bruised, sweat-streaked face to the unkempt button-up worn open over his wrinkled blue t-shirt, to the mismatched socks that peeked out from the opening of his uwabaki. Yuji shuffled self-consciously under her stare, his heartbeat picking up as he cleared his throat, averting his eyes.

"...I suppose we should get you cleaned up." Hyouka reached into the pocket of her skirt, looking away as she retrieved a small package of tissues. "Here- you can use these until you find something better."

"Thanks..." He accepted her offering, pulling one out. "...Hopefully I left my gym towel somewhere in the classroom."

"Let's find out, then." She turned to lead the way down the corridor. "Class will be starting soon, anyways."

Blotting his face as he followed her, Yuji inwardly grimaced, feeling coarse and almost oafish next to Hyouka with her straight shoulders and graceful strides, her smooth porcelain skin starkly contrasting his bruised and battered complexion. Crumpling the damp tissue into a ball, he shoved his hands into his pockets, dropping his gaze to the ground.

Had he and Hyouka always had such visual polarity? Was it always so extreme? How embarrassed was she to be seen with him looking like that?

It seemed that Yuji wasn't the only one wondering, as the air seemed to fill with hushed remarks, countless pairs of eyes following them and leaving him feeling as if he were under a microscope.

"What happened to Tanihara? His arm's all wrapped up..."

"Looks like he got into some sort of fight over break- seems like his friends did, too."

"Why is he so sweaty? Did he really just show up?"

"Ouch, his face is totally bruised...and his eye is so..."

"Do you think he broke his arm?"

His shoulders went rigid under the weight of their words, and as if set ablaze, his bruises almost seemed to burn beneath his skin. As he lifted a hand to shield his bandaged cheek from their prying eyes, his gauze-covered knuckles did little to divert the students' attention- instead, they only seemed to fixate on him harder.

"That fight must've gotten pretty ugly..."

"...What's up with his neck? It’s all bandaged!”

"Did someone slit his throat or something?!"

Other remarks sounded louder, as if those who made them weren't even pretending to be discreet.

"Yikes...to be expected of a delinquent like him..."

"Ew, what's he still doing around Morikawa-san? She's so out of his league!"

"For real..."

"All those bandages don't do his face any favors..."

"...I seriously don't get why she hangs out with a punk like him."

"Yeah, some taste she has..."

Gritting his teeth, an ache grew in his chest and rippled through his clenched jaw. He could no longer muster the scathing retorts that usually came to him like second-nature, unable to utter even a single word. The bandages around his neck itched, feeling as if they were slowly strangling him, his throat throbbing.

Balling his fists so tightly that his nails indented his palms, Yuji stalked upstairs, wanting nothing more than to escape their caviling stares.

Hyouka, however, hadn't clammed up.

Her crimson irises burnt with vitriolic flames, lip curled into a volatile sneer as she whirled around to glare at the boys, paralyzing them with the intensity of her blazing expression- one that few had ever witnessed.

"Excuse me?" Laced with venom, the girl's ice-cold voice was piercing.

The corridor's atmosphere dropped in volume, the students stunned into near silence. Even Yuji froze.

"I have no patience for pathetic, gossiping fools who can't keep people's names out of their mouths." She spat. "...Seeing as everyone is so quick to draw conclusions, Tanihara-san was injured in his effort to protect me from a group of lowlife thugs- like the honorable person he is."

With eyes as wide as saucers, Yuji's heart throbbed in his chest and skipped a few beats, his stomach flipping and fluttering as he stared up at her stony, austere expression, feeling as if he had just been knighted- but Hyouka wasn't done.

"As for you-" Glaring down at them through her lashes, the gossiping group of boys withered under her contemptuous gaze. "-I'd much rather have someone loyal and selfless for company over a hoard of ignorant, judgmental cowards- so you can stop wondering why I don't give you the time of day."

For a moment, the other students could only gape at Hyouka, left dumbfounded by her incandescent outburst.

"Let's go." She turned to climb the stairs once more.

Yuji blinked, realizing that she was now speaking to him.

"...S-Sure." He agreed, quick to follow her.

Once more, the hallway filled with voices- some students whispered to one another, exchanging hushed remarks- while others slipped away to their classrooms while muttering, sneaking glances over their shoulders.

"...I've never seen her snap like that before..."

"That's the Ice Queen for you..."

"Even though she's cute, her personality's hard to look past."

"How'd Tanihara ever get close to her?"

"...Forget it, she's a bitch anyways- it ruins the rest of her."

Though they were still in earshot of their comments, Yuji saw that Hyouka's expression had reverted to its neutral state as she led him up another flight of stairs- to the third floor, where their classroom was.

It seemed she had developed a thicker skin than he had.

"...Thanks for that, by the way." He mumbled, averting his gaze. His stomach churned with guilt, his throat still tight.

The girl glanced at him over her shoulder, lips twitching into a faint smile.

"Of course. How could I let those fools badmouth my loyal dog?" The corners of her lips were drawn up in an almost-smug manner with a playful glimmer in her irises, her brows aloofly raised.

Before he could object, Yuji noticed an unblended streak of concealer by her temple, following it around the curve of her eyes and to the faint purple shadows that lingered beneath them- as if they had been subdued, but were of an intensity too strong to be completely masked.

"...You earned those battle-wounds for my sake, after all."

There was a faint flush to her cheeks as she turned away from his contemplative gaze, and as her hair swayed behind her, Yuji's eyes drifted up to the buns on either side of her head, curiosity coursing through his veins.

Was there a reason behind her new hairstyle? Or was he looking for signs that weren't there?

Sliding open the classroom door, Yuji was uncertain of what to think as he followed Hyouka, watching her walk ahead of him. For as long as they had spent time together, the girl had rarely deviated from her usual appearance- and including today, the occasions in which she had changed her hairstyle could be counted on one hand. Sticking to comfortable habits, she was hardly ever one to experiment.

"Isn't there something you should be looking for?" Hyouka asked, walking to her seat.

"Huh?" He blinked, snapping out of it. "...Oh, right."

Silently cursing himself, Yuji felt the eyes of others as he crouched by the mostly-empty cubbies at the back of the classroom, searching for his gym towel. His fingers brushed against fabric as he reached in, and he eagerly retrieved his drawstring bag.

When he pulled it open, he found not only a towel, but his gym uniform as well.

"Hey, Hyouka!" He called out, getting to his feet. "Do ya think Nikaido-sensei would chew me out if I changed into my gym clothes?"

"Yes, I would." Nikaido replied, entering through the other door. "The rules don't disappear just because it's summer, Tanihara-kun."

"But-!" Yuji whirled around, only to come face to face with Nikaido's authoritative stare, losing the argument before it could even begin.

Grumbling to himself, he trudged back to his desk and slumped back in the chair, watching Nikaido shuffle a jumbled stack of papers in his hands, trying to realign them against his podium. Taking advantage of the distraction, Yuji hunkered behind Hyouka and shrugged off his button-up shirt, kicking his shoes off under the desk.

"...Do you really think you're being stealthy?" Hyouka asked lowly.

"Shut up!" He whisper-yelled, slouching further in his seat. "Not my fault you're short!"

Using his socked feet to shove his uwabaki further out of sight, he took notice of a large pink shopping tote tucked beneath the girl's chair.

"...Hey, what'd you bring?" Yuji muttered as he used the tissues to wipe away his sweat, staring at it.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hyouka mused, her tone indifferent. "It's nothing for you to worry about."

Before he could protest, class finally began.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you all enjoyed a well-deserved summer break!" Nikaido greeted from the front of the room. "It's so nice to welcome you back for our second term. As the headmistress informed you during the morning assembly, we’ll be having a longer homeroom session today."

Groaning quietly, Yuji put his head down, hoping not to be drowned in new work- now that he thought about it, he still had some summer assignments to finish throwing together.

As if having read his mind, Nikaido smiled mercifully.

"Because I'm kind, I will be granting an extension for the book report that would've been due today- you have until Wednesday to submit it." He added.

"Thank god!" Yuji gasped, his voice muffled by the desk.

"My grade is saved..."

"But I stayed up late finishing mine!"

"Those of you who were prepared to turn in your reports today, I'll add five extra points when I grade them." He replied, laying his papers on his desk.

"Thank you, Nikaido-sensei!"

"You’re welcome. Now, with that out of the way, I'll be giving the stage to your class representative, Fukuhara-san, to discuss our school's upcoming events." Nikaido stepped aside, allowing a boy with neat, middle-parted hair to take his place at the podium.

Regarding his peers, Fukuhara cleared his throat.

"As was mentioned during today's entrance ceremony, Inukami High School plans to hold a culture festival in early October- about a month from now." He explained. "We hope to display our artistic and academic achievements to the public with this event, and of course, we hope that our own student body will have fun. Having said that, each class will get involved by creating an exhibit, with the most popular ones being awarded a prize-"

"What sorta prize?" A boy interrupted, raising his hand. "Like special privileges, or-"

"The student council is open to negotiations." Fukuhara replied, stepping towards the board. "Now, if you have any suggestions for what sort of exhibit Class 3-C should host, please share them."

A flurry of eager hands shot into the air.

"Katagiri-san." He selected first.

"Maybe we could do okonomiyaki?" She offered. "A lot of other classes might do restaurants too, but this would be more versatile and appeal to more people."

"Not bad, but we'd have to see about getting the equipment." Fukuhara turned to write on the board.

"Ooh, what about serving takoyaki?"

"Or taiyaki!"

"You’re making me hungry!"

"Alright, I'll put down restaurants in general." Fukuhara sighed, looking slightly annoyed by the lack of variety. "Does anyone have any ideas that aren't focused on just food? Yaguchi-san?" He reluctantly asked.

"What about doing a cosplay café?"

"Huh?!" The sound of collective female disapproval echoed throughout the classroom.

"Can you be any less original?"

"That's just your excuse to see a bunch of girls in maid dresses!"

"Hey, let a man dream!" Someone else chimed in.

"How lame!"

"It doesn't have to be maids!" Yaguchi protested. "We could do catgirls or nurses...or cheerleaders!"

"That's not any better!"

"We're not catering to your fantasies!"

"Cosplay cafés are a staple of culture festivals..." Fukuhara half-heartedly wrote it down. "But that probably means it'll be an oversaturated market."

"Yeah, literally every other class will be doing one!"

"It's a no from me!"

"What if we did a play?" A girl from the drama club tried to change the subject. "I have a few potential topics in mind!"

"A play could be nice, I'll add that to the list." Fukuhara looked relieved by the suggestion. "Although it'll probably be a common exhibit, we could stand out with an interesting premise."

"...What if we have stage fright?"

"Yeah, I'd mess up my lines!"

"Then you could just work behind the scenes!" She insisted.

"How about a fight club?" A boy from the wrestling team offered. "People could bet on the contestants!"

"Are you insane?! We can't do that!"

"Oh, come on! That'd really stand out from everything else! There'd be no competition!"

"Yeah, because isn't that illegal?"

"Unfortunately, that violates school policy." Fukuhara crossed it out on the board. "We want to minimize injury and keep the festival atmosphere light-hearted, regardless."

"Tch...man!"

"What if we did a haunted house?"

"No way!" Yuji bolted upright in his seat, vehemently opposed to all thing supernatural.

His outburst was followed by a stark drop in volume- it was as if all eyes were on him, nearby students turning to stare. He felt heat rush to his reddening face, wishing his chair would consume him.

"What are you, a scaredy-cat?" A boy taunted.

"N-No! Shut up!" He bared his teeth, shooting him the nastiest glare he could muster.

"Looks like someone's afraid of ghosts..." Another boy muttered.

"What'd you say?!" Yuji brandished a fist. "I'll-!"

"Relating back to the topic of restaurants, I have an idea." Hyouka raised her hand, interrupting them- and Yuji had never felt so blessed. "We should do a traditional style teahouse."

"Eh?"

"A teahouse?" Fukuhara raised an eyebrow. "That's unique."

"Isn't that kinda boring?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure how we'd catch people's attention with something like that..."

"Well, it would certainly contrast our competition, would it not?" Hyouka sat poised at her desk, hands folded. "With the over-the-top gimmicky attractions other classes will probably do, I think we'd be a breath of fresh air with a more relaxing atmosphere. We could rent tea tables and seiza cushions, and cover the floor in tatami mats."

"Yeah, but even if people got curious, would they stick around for just tea?" A boy questioned.

"Tea houses serve more than just tea- we'd have different appetizers and desserts." She replied. "Our staff could dress in yukatas, which would be visually distinctive as well as comfortable, and we could focus on having good customer service."

"...Well, I'd rather wear a yukata than a frilly maid costume." A girl muttered to her friend.

"Yeah, and at least we wouldn't have to call people 'master' either..."

"I do like your idea, Morikawa-san, but I think it's missing something." Fukuhara said, skimming the list. "There will probably be plenty of classes doing restaurant-based exhibits, so we need a greater attraction."

"...I suppose so." She admitted reluctantly.

"Like a live band performance?"

"What about games?"

A hand shot into the air, belonging to the girl from the drama club.

"Wakamura-san?”

"What if we combined the teahouse with my idea for a play? Live entertainment would attract more people to our exhibit, and to be on-theme, we could take inspiration from traditional dramas!"

"Oh!" Hyouka's eyes widened slightly. "Those would work quite well together..."

"That might actually be pretty cool." Someone else agreed.

"Right?" Wakamura beamed. "It's perfect! And anyone who doesn't want to act or serve customers can be cooks or stagehands!"

"Great idea, I think that's just what it needed." Fukuhara looked pleased, turning to the rest of the class. "Personally, I'm interested in this as our exhibit- especially since you two already seem to have a clear vision- but what are everyone else's thoughts?"

"I'm for it!"

"Well, it'll definitely stand out among all the other competition."

"Maybe we'll actually win something!"

"As long as I don't have to perform, I'm in."

"Yeah, it sounds like fun!"

"Alright then, let's hold a majority vote." Fukuhara decided. "All in favor of the teahouse-theater, raise your hands!"

A flurry of hands went up. The class representative scanned the room, counting the votes.

"That's 22 out of 31 total students- so it looks like we've selected our exhibit." He circled it on the board with a smile. "A teahouse-theater it is."

"Great job, everyone. I'll be sure to submit your proposal this afternoon." Nikaido leaned back in his chair. "I haven't had such imaginative students in quite a few years, so I'm glad you came up with such a unique exhibit- I look forward to seeing your combined efforts."

"Thank you, Nikaido-sensei. Let's work hard and do our best!" Fukuhara bowed to the class.

"Yeah!" The students applauded.

"Moving on, let's discuss our next topic- the talent pageant." He continued, clearing his throat. "It will take place on the same day as the festival, after all other activities have concluded. Each class will select a male and female representative, who will then demonstrate their abilities onstage, competing with other classes, and a vote will determine the-"

"Do we get prizes for winning this too?" Interrupted the boy from earlier.

"Yes, the winning contestants will be rewarded." Fukuhara sighed. "Now, if anyone would like to-"

"What about Yamamura and Takagi-san?" Someone raised their hand. "They're the stars of the track team!"

"Hey, ask before volunteering me!" Takagi protested. "How would that even work?"

"I don't think our talent is something that can really be performed for a show..." Yamamura agreed.

"Yeah, what are they gonna do- run laps around the stage?" Stifled laughter filled the room.

"The pageant will be held in the auditorium, so although they're both gifted athletes, there won't be enough room for them to properly show off." Fukuhara readjusted his tie. "Does anyone have any abilities that can be done onstage?"

"I'm pretty good at juggling."

"I can hula-hoop for two minutes straight."

"I know some crazy yo-yo tricks."

"Are you in elementary school? You guys are so lame..." Someone muttered.

"Shut up! You can barely even play the recorder!"

"Hey!"

"I can throw up on command." A boy volunteered.

"Don't do that!"

"And I can lick my elbow."

"That's just weird!"

"I can pick locks with a paperclip." A girl raised her hand.

"I know how to escape a pair of handcuffs."

"I can light a match with one hand."

"What's wrong with you people?! Is there anyone who can play an instrument or sing- something normal?!"

"But everyone else will be doing that!"

"I actually know how to play the recorder, unlike somebody."

"Mihara-chan can play the guitar and sing- but mostly just anime soundtracks."

"...I used to play the violin."

Fukuhara pinched the bridge of his nose, looking ready to leave the classroom out of sheer frustration.

"Actually, there's someone who'd be perfect for this." Souda spoke up, raising his hand. "I'm kinda surprised that she hasn't volunteered herself yet, but what about Morikawa-san? She's a traditional dancer!"

Yuji glanced at Hyouka, who was positively scowling at the amount of eyes that were now locked onto her.

"Wait, for real? I didn't think people still did that sort of thing..."

"A skill like that suits someone so refined and elegant!"

"Yeah, wasn't she kinda famous for it in her hometown?"

"It also helps that she's so well-known around school!" He added. "With such a rare talent combined with her popularity, I think she has the best chance at winning!"

Hyouka glared at Souda from across the room, but the class seemed undeterred by her displeased reaction.

"Good point! Maybe that'll earn her more votes!"

"She really might be able to win, right?"

"Yeah, why didn't you speak up, Morikawa-san?! You're perfect for this!"

"...I don't exactly live to be the center of attention, you know." She replied sourly. "Why should I have to participate?"

"What's with that attitude?!"

"Yeah, live a little! It's just a talent show!"

"Can't you afford to do us one favor?!"

"I wouldn't want to rob my classmates of such an opportunity- surely someone else would benefit more from the experience." Hyouka waved her hand aloofly. "I'm perfectly happy with just my teahouse, thank you."

"Don't pretend to be so humble!"

"You tyrant..."

"C'mon, you know you'd have the best shot!"

"Morikawa-san, why are you so opposed to being in the pageant?" Fukuhara inquired. "I don't see the problem."

"It sounds like a lot of extra work for me to take on for little merit." She rested her chin on her hand. "It takes time to master a dance routine, you know- it's not something that can be done in just an afternoon."

"Can't you just do a dance you already know?" Another classmate asked.

"...I suppose so, but I'm a bit out of practice." Hyouka averted her gaze.

"But you should be able to pick it up again- someone like you could do that easily!"

"Oi, lay off!" Yuji barked, glaring at them. "If she doesn't wanna perform, then don't try to talk her into it!"

"Exactly- thank you." She sniffed haughtily. "I'm simply not interested."

"...Morikawa-san, I'm going to make you an offer." Fukuhara pushed up his glasses, the lenses glinting as he folded his hands atop the podium. "If you agree to compete in the talent pageant, we'll grant you prime directing power."

"What?!" The entire class reacted with disbelief.

For a split second, Hyouka's eyes widened, before narrowing in suspicion.

"How so?"

"You'll be given creative liberty over the teahouse component of our exhibit, from interior design and staff attire to the menu- within reason and following the budget, of course."

"...That's quite a generous offer." She arched a brow contemplatively. "Why are you so determined to have me in the pageant?"

"I'm very interested to see if Class 3-C can win in both events- you're an accomplished dancer who's sure to leave an impression on the audience." Fukuhara smiled affably, his tone compliant. "And since the teahouse was your idea, who better to direct it than you? Wakamura-san will also be granted authority over the theater component, as to be fair."

"Wait, really?!" The girl gasped, her eyes brimming with hopeful excitement. "I've never gotten to direct a play before!"

"So, what do you say, Morikawa-san?" The class representative looked back to Hyouka, with Wakamura practically on the edge of her seat.

She averted her gaze, crossing her arms.

"...Fine, I'll do it."

"Great! I'll be sure to inform the student council of your roles at today's meeting." Fukuhara smiled, turning to write on the board.

"I can't believe he managed to talk the tyrant into performing!" Someone whispered to their friend. "A master negotiator!"

"It's no surprise she agreed to those conditions...talk about power-hungry..."

"Hey, at least we have less to figure out!"

"Now we just need a male contestant..." Fukuhara faced the class once more. "Do we have any other volunteers for the talent show?"

"I know some magic tricks." A boy raised his hand.

"I can beatbox."

"I'm an orange belt in karate."

"Alright then." Fukuhara folded his hands contemplatively, pausing. "...In that case, I suppose we could hold a vo-"

"Wait, Class Prez!" A girl raised her hand, waving it in the air. "You should compete!"

"Me?" His eyes widened. "But I don't-"

"Oh my god, you're right!" Another girl gasped.

"What are you talking about?"

"You can split apples in half with your bare hands, can't you?!" She beamed. "I've seen you do it!"

"Eh?!"

"Oh- um, I wouldn't exactly call that a talent..." Fukuhara disagreed, looking rather caught off guard.

"Wait, that's actually kinda cool..."

"Yeah, these two underclassmen wanted to share an apple but had nothing to cut it with, so he just walked over and split it in half for them!"

"You gotta show us!"

"No, it's really nothing deserving of praise!" He insisted. "Mihara-san is exaggerating!"

"You're too modest, Fukuhara-san!"

"C'mon, Class Prez!"

"Show us! Show us!"

An apple from someone's lunch was being passed to the front of the classroom, eventually being shoved in Fukuhara's flabbergasted face. Watching with barely contained amusement, even Nikaido looked intrigued.

"Show us! Show us!" The students chanted, rhythmically pounding their fists against their desks. "Show us! Show us!"

Letting out a sigh, Fukuhara accepted the apple.

"...Fine!" Gripping the bottom of the fruit with his fingers, he pressed his thumbs into where the stem sprouted and pulled outwards, as if to pry it open.

Snap.

Within seconds, the apple came apart as two halves in Fukuhara's hands, small chunks of fruit falling to the ground.

The volume of the classroom dropped, before booming with awe and astonishment.

"Did you see that?! He actually did it!"

"I never knew that the Class Prez was so strong!"

"He's a god amongst men!"

"Now that we've witnessed your power firsthand, you have to do the talent show!"

"No way! What kind of performance would that be?!" Fukuhara protested, slamming the apple wedges onto the podium. "Who'd want to watch me rip apart fruit onstage?!"

"But it's so cool!"

"And unique! Anyone would be impressed by that!"

"Fukuhara-san, why are you so opposed to being in the pageant?" Hyouka deadpanned, mocking his words. "I don't see the problem."

"Yeah, man up and put your money where your mouth is!" Yuji butted in. "At least you don't need to come up with a whole dance number!"

"C'mon, Class Prez! Do it for us!"

"We're doomed without your strength!"

"You're our last hope!"

Taking off his glasses and massaging the bridge of his nose, Fukuhara let out a low, exasperated sigh.

"Fine, fine!" He finally surrendered to their demands. "I'll represent Class 3-C in the talent show, alright? Just don't expect me to win anything with such a bizarre act!"

"Alright!"

"There's no need to be so modest, Class Prez!"

"They'll never know what hit them when you get on that stage!"

Shaking his head, Fukuhara put his glasses back on and added his name to the board, next to Hyouka's. Reluctantly, he turned back to the class, glancing down at the papers in front of him.

"...Moving on, let's discuss our budget for the culture festival..."

-----

By the time lunch rolled around, the frozen waffle that Yuji had eaten for breakfast felt like nothing more than a distant memory, the bell ringing as his stomach growled hollowly.

He was absolutely ravenous.

"...Finally." He groaned, lifting his head from his desk. "I'm starving!"

"Did you have time to pack anything this morning?" Hyouka asked, glancing back at him.

Remembering the chips that he had shoved into his bag, his stomach felt even emptier.

"...Just a snack."

"How unfortunate." The girl mused, rising from her seat and reaching for her tote bag. "You poor thing...going hungry like a stray mutt..."

"You don't need to rub it in!" He glared, shoving his feet back into uwabaki as he stood up, grabbing his button-up from the back of his chair and pulling it on over his t-shirt.

"...Anyway." Hyouka waved him off. "We'll be having lunch with the others, correct?"

"Uh..." Yuji's eyes darted around anxiously. "...I guess so? Why not?"

Though to be honest, he was nervous to see them again after everything that had happened.

It had been a few days since anyone had been active in the group chat- none of his friends had initiated any contact since the last message he sent- which was eating him up inside. Yuji's stomach knotted as he imagined their faces cold with indifference and eyes narrowed in contempt, wanting nothing more to do with him.

But could he really fault them for that?

Hyouka looked as if she were about to say something, but decided against it as the class president approached them.

"Excuse me, Morikawa-san, do you have a moment?" Fukuhara pushed up his glasses.

"What is it?" Her tone was cool. "I was planning to have lunch with some friends now."

"My apologies. I'm taking Wakamura-san to the student council room to fill out paperwork for the culture festival-" He gestured to the other girl, who waved from the doorway. "Will you join us? It should only take a couple of minutes."

"...Is this really necessary?" Hyouka arched a brow.

"It's more of a formality, but it's just to document your authority over the teahouse component of the exhibit, as well as your agreement to participate in the talent show- I have to sign the same form."

The girl let out a sigh, shouldering her pink shopping tote.

"...Fine, I suppose I'll take responsibility." She glanced away from him, back to Yuji. "Go on without me- I'll meet up with you once I'm finished."

"Y-Yeah, sure..." He reluctantly agreed, averting his eyes.

"See you soon, then."

Bidding him goodbye, Hyouka turned to follow the class representative to the student council room, joined by Wakamura as they left the classroom. Turning a corner, the three of them disappeared from sight.

Letting out a weary sigh, Yuji dug the package of barbeque-flavored chips out of his bag, searching the pockets for loose change that he could buy a drink with. Unfortunately, he turned up empty-handed.

Today was definitely not his day.

Begrudgingly accepting his dehydrated fate, he shuffled out of Class 3-C and down a flight of stairs- the vending machines were nestled in a nook between two classrooms and he knew that was where he'd find his friends- they had eaten there together since their first year.

Gnawing on his lip and trying to ignore the way his empty stomach churned, Yuji forced his feet to keep moving forward, heartbeat quickening in his chest. His shoulders were drawn rigidly as he shuffled through the corridor, anxiously pressing a hand to his battered cheek.

"Yu?"

Yuji's heart skipped a beat as he stopped in his tracks, turning towards the voice with wide eyes.

A strip of medical tape lay across the bridge of Ryuhei's nose, with a bruise that extended into deep purple crescent beneath his left eye. Seated against the wall beside him was a startled Natsumi, her hair swept into a braid that was decorated with flowery hairclips, her hand holding his. Moriyama and Ueno sat across from them with bags of snacks and drink bottles, envious expressions on their roughened faces.

"...Hey, Ryu." Yuji greeted, lowering his hand from his wounded cheek as he approached the group. "How's it going?"

"Pretty alright- for the first day back, that is- but I'm hanging in there!" Ryuhei grinned up at Yuji, though the uneasy feeling in his stomach persisted. "How 'bout you?"

"I've been fine, more or less..." He replied vaguely.

"Damn, Tanihara! You‘re looking pretty rough!" Moriyama jeered at him, sporting a prominent black eye and wide split in his lip.

"I could say the same about you!" He protested, scowling.

"Yeah, yeah- have a seat!" Moriyama carelessly waved him off, turning towards Ueno. "Oi- you'd better get your mitts out of my pretzels!" He yanked the bag away.

"You stole some of my stuff, I'm just returning the favor." Ueno sneered, recoiling with a handful.

"Whatever..." He scoffed, turning to look back at Yuji. “...Anyways, where’s Morikawa? Is she skipping today?”

"No…uh, Hyouka’s with the Class Prez right now." Yuji sat down. "She said she'd join us when she's done signing some stuff."

"…I’m glad that she came to school after all.” Natsumi murmured. “I’ve been really worried about her lately…”

”No kidding. She basically dropped off the face of Earth.” said Ueno.

“Hyouka-chan finally texted me back this weekend, though.” Natsumi leaned against the wall. "She apologized for not keeping in touch, and for not seeing me when I came to visit her. She said she just needed some time to clear her head.”

”You’re such an angel, Natsumi-chan...” Ryuhei pat her head affectionately.

“No way!” She insisted. “I was just doing what a real friend would do!”

”Still better than the lot of us…” said Moriyama.

”Yeah…” Ueno muttered, rubbing his bruised nose.

He had to tell them.

”….Actually, I got worried and decided to visit her, too…” Yuji admitted, averting his gaze. “…To be honest, I’m lucky that she was even willing to talk to me after what happened on that trip.”

”Wait, what?!” Moriyama gawked. “You’re telling me that she was hiding from Natsumi, but came out for you?!”

In Natsumi’s hazel eyes, Yuji swore he saw a flicker of hurt, the tension in the group seeming to grow.

”D-Don’t say it like that!” He grimaced, feeling guilty. “I showed up a few days after she did, so it could just be that Hyouka just needed a little more time! Besides, I was there for a while, and I only saw her for a few minutes when I was about to leave!”

“Still, Hyouka-chan must really trust you…” Natsumi’s gaze softened, and she tried to smile. “I’m really happy that she does. One day, I hope to become the kinda person that she feels she can rely on, too.”

”Natsumi-chan…” Ryuhei frowned, squeezing her shoulder.

”No, it’s not like that!” Yuji protested.

“It is!” Natsumi argued, shaking her head furiously. “At least you’re not the one who abandoned her on the beach during that fight! I was!”

”But you went looking for help!” Ryuhei insisted.

”So what?! I didn’t even find any! Hyouka-chan was all by herself- what if those guys attacked her again?! What if she got hurt and I wasn’t even there to help her?!”

“Don’t blame yourself for that!”

”How can I not?! She was already hurt enough- and I stupidly left her in harm's way!”

”It’s not your fault, Natsumi!” Yuji insisted, gritting his teeth. “The day I visited, Hyouka probably only came downstairs because she heard me in the kitchen, crying to her grandma about everything that happened! She probably felt guilty about it- and that’s way more than I deserve!”

”Wait, what did you tell her granny?” Ryuhei’s gaze shot to him.

“…I-I told her about my mom, and that I took my grief out on Hyouka- told her all the rotten shit I did, and apologized for it…”

”You told her everything?” Natsumi’s eyes widened.

”…Yeah. I couldn’t keep pretending like I had nothing to do with it, after she’d sounded so worried…”

”You’ve got some serious guts, I’ll give you that...” Ueno mused.

”I’m nothing but a damn coward…” Yuji shook his head again. “I was too weak to accept the pain I felt when my mom died, so I made it Hyouka’s problem- and for a while, I was afraid to even think about what I’d done…Honestly, I was scared to even face you guys today, after you found out what kind of guy I am…”

“The kind of guy you are?” Ueno squinted at him. “You literally almost died for her.”

“Yeah, you got your ass handed to you at the beach!” Moriyama chimed in. “Doesn’t that count for something?!”

”So did you! We all took a beating!” He argued.

”That’s-!”

”You know damn well that you came out of that fight in way worse shape than the rest of us!” Ryuhei snapped, his glare piercing. “That bastard choked you within an inch of your life- I’m surprised he didn’t break your neck out there! He nearly killed you!”

Everyone froze, paralyzed by Ryuhei’s rare and unexpected rage- even Natsumi was at a loss.

”Listen to me, Yuji! I’m not saying this as your best friend, but as someone who used to get picked on by little punks like you in middle school- at least you’ve got the fucking balls to do something other than just apologizing and begging for forgiveness!” He grit his teeth. “You can admit that you were wrong all you want, but it means jack-shit if your actions don’t follow through on any of it!”

Stunned, all Yuji could do was gape at him. His heart raced in his chest, threatening to burst through his ribcage.

”Yeah, maybe you were an asshole when you were younger- but you’ve tried to make up for what you’ve done since then! I’ve known you for a while, and I can see how you’ve changed for the better! Besides just being willing to stand up to your ex-best friends and fighting to protect Morikawa, you’re always the first to invite her out with us! You’re always looking out for her! Hell, you’re the guy who went to her house unprompted to see if she was doing okay!”

”…Tanihara, we’ve got something to tell you…” Ueno spoke up.

”Yeah, we realized that we were being kinda quiet in the group chat, not really saying much...” Moriyama continued, looking uncharacteristically serious.

“Maybe we were in the wrong for this, but after we found out about your past, we didn’t want to interfere your period of self-reflection.”

“And because of this, we kept our distance for a while.” said Moriyama. “…We wanted to see if you’d do something about it.”

Yuji’s eyes widened, his lips parting in shock.

”It turns out you took action after all, didn’t you?” Ryuhei’s face softened, his voice lowered. “Texting Morikawa, showing up at her house to check in on her, and apologizing to her granny- even if you can’t un-ring the bell and take back everything you did in the past, you’re still a decent guy in my book, and I’m proud to call you my friend.”

”Hear, hear.” said Ueno.

Yuji sank his teeth into his bottom lip, trying to force back the hot tears that burned in his eyes, threatening to spill over. The lump that had formed in his throat choked him, leaving him unable to muster a response.

”Don’t look at us like that, Tanihara!” Moriyama teased. “We just told you that we still wanna be friends! You don’t gotta look so sad about it!”

”Yeah, for real- are ya that upset about being stuck with us for even longer?” Ueno smirked lightly.

“I-I’m sorry…!” Yuji sniffled, furiously wiping his face. “It’s just…I-I thought you guys might seriously hate me after all that…”

”Don’t say shit like that! You’re gonna make me cry, Yu!” Ryuhei grabbed his shoulders, hugging him. ”Listen, if we really hated you, we would’ve let you fight all three of those guys at the beach on your own!”

“Yeah, so cheer up, Tanihara!” Moriyama offered him some pretzels. “Everything’s cool between us!”

”Seriously, don’t sweat it.” Ueno put a hand on his arm, turning to Natsumi. “You too, Maizono- stop beating yourself up over what happened.”

“You guys are so sweet…” Natsumi wailed, covering her face with her hands.

Yuji felt so lucky to have such understanding friends- in that moment, he couldn't believe how lost he had been in his own thoughts. The relief that spread through him was like nothing he'd ever felt before.

”Am I interrupting?”

It was unclear when exactly she had appeared, but Hyouka now stood in the middle of the hallway, still carrying that mysterious pink shopping tote. Her expression was calm, but there was a vulnerable, almost shy glimmer in her eyes- as if she embarrassed to face them after having disappeared for so long. Pressing her lips together for a moment, she allowed a faint smile to overtake her features.

Yuji was so happy to see her- and so was everyone else.

”Morikawa!” The boys exclaimed.

”Hyouka-chan!” Natsumi gasped, scrambling to her feet and running towards the shorter girl- throwing her arms around her shoulders, they nearly toppled over. “Oh my god, I missed you so much! I-I was so worried when I didn’t see you earlier!”

”…I’m sorry, Natsumin.” Hyouka apologized, hugging her waist. “I missed you too…”

”You’re back now- that’s all that matters!” Beaming, Natsumi grabbed her hand, leading her towards the rest of the group.

”It’s nice to see you again, Morikawa.” Ryuhei smiled good-naturedly. “Hope you’re feeling better again.”

”Yeah, it’s been pretty boring without you." Moriyama added, leaning back.

”Welcome back, boss.” Ueno smirked.

“Wow, I'm really feeling the flattery.” Hyouka mused, looking at them fondly. "I didn't know that you had such nice things to say to me- I'm starting to believe that we might have a bit of a friendship going on."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

Rolling her eyes slightly, she reached into her tote bag.

"Since we're all such good friends, I decided to do something out of the goodness of my heart." She pulled out a bento box, handing it to Natsumi.

"Aw, really!? For me?" She beamed, accepting the lunch with eager hands.

"...It's my apology for vanishing for so long- I made a bento for everyone."

"Seriously?" Ueno's eyes widened as Hyouka offered one to him. "You didn't have to."

"I know that- I just wanted to."

"Wow, are you an angel or something?"

"Thanks, Morikawa!"

After handing bentos to the others, Hyouka turned to face Yuji- his heart skipped a beat.

"You didn't think I forgot about you, did you?" She smirked wryly, before finally presenting him with one. "Here."

"O-Of course not..." He averted his eyes, accepting the bento with warm cheeks. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it." Hyouka took out her own lunch, folding up the canvas tote as she sat beside him. "I couldn't very well let you starve on a day like this- especially when you still have a book report to work on."

"Ugh, don't remind me!" Yuji complained, unwrapping the handkerchief from around his bento. "I don't wanna hear-"

As he lifted the lid, his eyes widened. The small plastic box was densely packed- plump rice balls filled the main compartment, nestled beside a large serving of chicken karaage. On the side were two rolled omelets and a generous helping of broccoli goma-ae.

It looked incredible.

"...I hope you all enjoy your bentos- my grandmother and I worked hard making them last night."

"Thank you for the meal!" Natsumi and Ryuhei said in unison- Moriyama and Ueno were both already stuffing their mouths, their voices muffled.

"Of course." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, turning towards Yuji to whisper something. "I gave you extra karaage- I know it's your favorite."

"Y...You remembered?" He blinked, his heart stuttering.

"Naturally- I simply wanted to return the favor." She picked up her chopsticks. "...I enjoyed the shortcake you brought me, so thank you."

Yuji remembered the weekend- that agonizing, restless night and the hot, exhausting journey he had made to her house, bringing a peace offering and opening up about the most vulnerable aspects of himself. He recalled the shock and embarrassment of finding Hyouka sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to him as he poured his heart out, and the way his anxiety had spiked as she came down to his level, throwing her arms around his waist.

He had never expected to feel so accepted in her embrace before.

Warmth rushed to his face, and Yuji couldn't help but busy himself with his food, trying to look nonchalant as he picked at his karaage.

"...No problem."

Hyouka chuckled, smiling as she turned away to say something to Natsumi, and as he listened to the conversations that flowed around him with his ears that had reddened, Yuji was absolutely certain of one thing.

He liked her.