"Not really."

Yuigahama Yui shook her head, denying Hikigaya Hachiman's assumption. Then, she took a bag of cookies from her schoolbag and said, "I just came to thank Yukinon…"

Yukinon?

Hearing Yuigahama casually refer to Yukinoshita Yukino with such a close nickname, Hikigaya raised an eyebrow.

He found it surprising how easily this seemingly airheaded girl could cozy up to others.

They had only met Yukinoshita for the first time yesterday, and today she was already calling her that intimately.

Maybe that's a rare talent in itself?

"Oh right, Hikki, do you know why Yukinon didn't come to school today?"

But that wasn't all. After hearing that Yukinoshita didn't come to school, Yuigahama immediately turned her attention to Hikigaya.

"Hikki? Why are you calling me that?"

Hikigaya had originally been curious about Yukinoshita's reaction to being called "Yukinon," but now he was even more perplexed by the strange nickname Yuigahama had just given him.

"Because, you don't usually talk in class. Everyone says you're a total shut-in or something…"

Although Yuigahama tried to explain the nickname as gently as possible, Hikigaya could still guess how the other classmates were mocking him behind his back.

"It's fine. Call me whatever you want."

Seeing Yuigahama's uneasy face, Hikigaya softened his tone to comfort her.

Not just as the exorcist he had become now—even before he got the system, he wouldn't have cared about comments like that.

After all, what did other people's gossip have to do with him? It was just a bunch of boring people using others to elevate themselves.

"I'm just glad you're not angry…"

Seeing that Hikigaya wasn't mad about the nickname, Yuigahama let out a relieved sigh and patted her chest.

"...…"

Hikigaya silently stared at the bouncing peaks in front of him, and his mind involuntarily recalled the scene he saw in Yukinoshita's room last night.

"Ahem…"

Realizing his thoughts were going off track, Hikigaya's face instantly turned red.

"Hikki, are you okay?"

Seeing him suddenly cough, Yuigahama quickly walked up to him with concern.

"It's nothing!"

Seeing those peaks coming closer, Hikigaya reflexively took a step back. But his shy reaction was misinterpreted by Yuigahama as a sign of dislike.

"Hikki, do you hate me?"

The light on her face dimmed, and Yuigahama looked at Hikigaya with a teary-eyed, abandoned puppy expression.

"Not at all! Why would you think that?!"

Seeing her about to cry, Hikigaya covered his face in frustration.

"Because every time I talk to you, you always act like you just want the conversation to end quickly… But when you talk to Yukinon, you're not like that…"

Yuigahama pouted and voiced her grievance, making Hikigaya's forehead twitch. He was arguing with Yukinoshita, okay?

And arguments don't end in just a few sentences!

"Alright, Yuigahama-san, I don't hate you."

Resting his hand on his forehead, Hikigaya gave her a serious look and said this word by word.

"Really? That's great…"

Not doubting his words at all, Yuigahama's face immediately lit up with a goofy smile.

"Well then, now that we've cleared that up…"

Just as Hikigaya thought he'd successfully calmed Yuigahama down and was about to tell her to head home and bring cookies for Yukinoshita another day, he saw her struggling to move a chair and placing it next to his.

Hikigaya: ?

"Um, Yuigahama-san, what are you doing?"

Watching her sit down next to him, Hikigaya asked in confusion.

"Obviously I'm keeping you company."

Yuigahama blinked her big eyes and replied naturally, "Since Yukinon's not here, you must be super bored by yourself, right?"

"That's true. Thank you… really."

Hearing her reason, Hikigaya's mouth twitched.

He realized that any idea of training in the clubroom was completely out the window now that Yuigahama was here.

Letting out a helpless sigh, Hikigaya moved all the chairs back to their original positions, then sat beside Yuigahama and took out a book from his bag to kill time.

Meanwhile, Yuigahama rested her chin in her hands on the table, her head tilted as she spaced out.

.

.

.

"Time to go home…"

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Hikigaya suddenly closed his book, turned, and looked at Yuigahama.

"Huh? Oh, oh…"

Hearing him, Yuigahama froze for a moment. Then, looking out at the setting sun, she realized it was already quite late.

After locking the clubroom and returning the key to the office, Hikigaya noticed Yuigahama still following him.

"How are you getting home?" he asked.

"Eh? I'm just walking home, of course…"

Trailing behind him and boredly kicking at her own shadow, Yuigahama responded reflexively.

"..."

Hikigaya looked silently at the girl in front of him.

"Okay, maybe I asked that wrong. I meant, it's already pretty late—are you walking home alone?"

"Of course. I didn't leave with Miura and the others today…"

"I see. Then wait for me at the school gate for a bit."

With that, Hikigaya turned and ran toward the bike rack.

"?"

Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion as she watched him run off. Though she didn't know what he was up to, she obediently stood at the school gate and waited.

Perhaps because it was already quite late, as she stood by the gate, the only other person she saw was the security guard in the guardroom.

"Phew…"

Suddenly, a breeze blew past, lifting her short skirt. Thankfully, Yuigahama reacted quickly and pressed it down before anything was revealed.

"Weird, why is there wind here?"

She tilted her head, puzzled. She had shortened her skirt, so she had specifically picked a spot with no wind…

Before she could think more about it, Hikigaya had already ridden up beside her on his bicycle.

"Sorry for the wait."