Chapter 437: Childhood Friend, Get to Know

After that, the two walked in silence, each lost in distracted thoughts.

Coming back to themselves, they found they had already reached the end of the hallway.

The Service Club’s classroom was just ahead.

Just before pushing the door open, Himekoji seemed to remember something. He cleared his throat softly, then turned his head toward Yuigahama. In a hushed voice, he said—

“Right. Once we go inside, don’t bring up that topic from earlier, okay?”

She had been deep in thought and startled at his sudden voice. Yuigahama instinctively responded, questioning him,

“Huh? Why?”

“It’d be… embarrassing, right?”

“Ah? Ah!”

Only then did she realize what Himekoji meant. She nodded quickly in agreement,

“R-right! If Yukino-chan found out she was dragged into such an irresponsible, unfounded rumor, she’d definitely be furious!”

“Huh? Ah… ah, yeah, exactly…”

The rumor wasn’t completely unfounded. Yukinoshita probably had already seen this situation coming.

Because Himekoji knew this full well, his expression became strangely awkward and hesitant when Yuigahama spoke so righteously.

They were dating—those words really came from Yukinoshita’s own mouth, even if it was just to help him out at the time…

Yuigahama shouldn’t find out about all this complicated stuff…

…

A faint click.

Himekoji gently pushed open the Service Club door.

But he only opened it a tiny crack. Seeing something inside, he panicked and quickly shut it again.

Lucky, he managed to control the noise. Soft opening, soft closing—the sound was very small. Thankfully, it didn’t draw the attention of the two girls glaring at each other inside.

Of course, Himekoji’s strange, suspicious, and totally guilty behavior definitely caught Yuigahama’s eye right beside him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, curious.

“Shhh!”

Himekoji immediately put a finger to his lips, signaling quiet.

“Someone… is inside,” he whispered, sounding like a thief.

It made Yuigahama copy his hushed tone.

“Of course… somebody’s… inside,” she replied in a tiny voice like a mosquito.

“Someone else… besides Yukinoshita.”

“Of course someone else is there.” Yuigahama leaned closer to Himekoji. Their voices were too soft. They needed to be nearer to talk.

“Huh?”

Her matter-of-fact tone surprised Himekoji.

Did Yuigahama already know someone extra was coming to the Service Club today?

“Isn’t Hikki there too?”

“Ah? You mean her?”

Okay, he felt really bad. The girl nicknamed Dead Fish Eyes just had such weak presence that Himekoji accidentally forgot her.

Well, it wasn’t his fault. The author and the readers made the same mistake.

Anyway—

“Besides Yukinoshita and Hikigaya… there’s a third person.”

Himekoji spoke in an even quieter whisper to Yuigahama, who was practically pressed against him now. He added,

“Hey… why are you leaning so close?”

He shuffled a tiny step to the side, feeling awkward.

“Couldn’t hear you!”

“Oh… okay.”

He accepted that explanation.

Then, the next second, Himekoji couldn’t stand his own curiosity and worry. He carefully pushed the clubroom door open another tiny crack.

He bent down and peered through the gap, trying to get a secret look inside the Service Club.

“See anything?” Yuigahama’s question came suddenly.

Suddenly, weight pressed down on his back. Something very soft, very bouncy, and very much like ball-shaped chest items pushed onto his shoulder. Yuigahama’s voice came from right above him. Her warm, moist breath brushed his forehead, smelling like a girl’s unique citrusy scent.

It was almost enough to make him lose focus.

Danger!

Too unfair!

Himekoji’s old face flushed red. He quickly hunched down lower, shrinking away.

He didn’t know it, but this movement made him look like he was being bent over by Yuigahama’s sizeable assets. It had a funny feeling.

“Shhh! Just watch and you’ll know!”

Himekoji was too busy to answer her question. His full attention was fixed on the two girls facing off inside the Service Club.

“Oh, okay,” Yuigahama whispered and nodded. She copied Himekoji, peeking through the crack in the door.

The two acted so similarly—all stealthy like little burglars casing the place before a crime.

…

“You’re really not dating?”

Some of the conversation happening inside drifted faintly to their hiding spot.

“Miss Eriri, how many times will you ask me that? I’ve already said—it’s impossible.”

Yukinoshita’s voice was icy, full of obvious annoyance.

Even though she kept a highly polite smile on her face.

That smile, like faint northern lights floating around her, only made her sharp eyes—like shards of freshly cut ice—seem colder and fiercer.

Being stared down straight on by eyes like that, even the usually proud Eriri (who could strut in front of Himekoji herself) felt a little scared.

But the answer she got was happy news!

The rumor was only a rumor! Unfounded!

Just thinking that, the scary Yukinoshita in front of her looked… well, even a little friendly now.

Especially her words: “I’ve already said—it’s impossible.” They sounded better each time Eriri heard them in her head.

Seems like this Ice Mountain…

No…

This one is so flat. Calling her a mountain feels almost insulting to mountains with actual slopes!

Better call her a Glacier!

Yeah, changing it that way made it much more vivid and descriptive!

Eriri’s gaze swept over the area of Yukinoshita where you couldn’t tell front from back. She lingered there briefly. Then, suddenly, at a certain moment, Eriri stuck out her own chest—which, honestly, didn’t have much more going on—displaying considerable, unjustified pride.

She thought to herself—

Seems this “Glacier” has a good grasp of reality too!

She also knows it’s totally impossible between her and Himekoji!

Well, of course it’s impossible. Because the only one it is possible for is standing right here in front of her.

…

This whole display of Eriri’s changing expressions actually left Yukinoshita rather stunned.

Plus, that this girl cared so much about that rumor—even chasing her down after school to pester her about it in the clubroom—made Yukinoshita feel just a little concerned.

Eriri clearly wasn’t this upset caring about the rumor because of her.

That meant it was very likely because of the rumor’s other main figure—Himekoji.

“You and Himekoji…?” Yukinoshita just asked it simply, keeping her voice detached.

But her gaze didn’t waver; she kept her eyes locked on Eriri.

“Childhood friends!” came the immediate, emphatic answer.

It wasn’t just that. Eriri looked ready to launch into a grand explanation—

“Isn’t it great? We grew up together since we were little! I didn’t miss out on his past, and I didn’t let him miss out on mine!”

Eriri tried hard to puff out her unimpressive chest, telling Yukinoshita, telling herself.

It really was great.

She wanted Yukinoshita to believe it.

She wanted to make herself believe it too.

…