Oregairu: Reappearance

Chapter 22: Who's that knocking at my door

Chapter 22:

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""""Surprise!!!!""""

The blaring uproar nearly shattered my ears. It gave me a jolt. There was a pop right after and I was showered in something. As my hand loosened its grip on the plastic bag, I responded with a simple:

"Heh?"

My body froze up alongside my brain and nerves. For a moment, everything went blank. It wasn't dark, rather, pure white. Nothing was clicking. My face said it all. I had already blinked about five times now, yet I still couldn't make up a single sentence. But there was something that unconsciously came out of me.

"Ah."

"Late reaction! Late reaction!!"

Komachi flailed her arms in protest. Adorable, but I couldn't focus on that. After all, here I was, sprinkled messy in confetti with Komachi, Yuigahama, Isshiki, and even that "thing" all in front of me.

"Uh...what's...this...about?"

"Are you really that slow? I'm disappointed, Osogaya-kun."

She massaged her temple. Even though I knew she had no reason to, I could imagine that she only did it to spite me even more. "Don't put slow on my name!" I wanted to retort. "It worked! Alright?" At any rate, in a way, she was right.

"C'mon, Hikki, we're celebrating! It's your birthday!"

"I...see..."

(That? That's the reason?)

It made me eye-twitch. There I was, just mildly reacting. Stupid pretend ninja. I wanted to face palm. But...wait...

"Uh...you're two days early..."

"Onii-chan, we call it a 'surprise 'for a reason. 'Do it when they don't expect it' y'know? I called them over, and now here we are. So, did we surprise you?"

I couldn't rebut. Actually, I applauded them in my head. But there was also something that came up in realization.

"Wait, then...me buying the book..."

"Yukino-san and I had a chat, she was there, it was the perfect chance, so I called her up to-"

"Stall for time?"

"Well, yes. Sorry, it was either that or the 'Taishi plan'. Ugh...that one could've been a disaster. But I did want that book. Anyway, how was it?"

I felt back-stabbed, actually, no, but still. I gave Yukinoshita a perplexed look, a stupefied look, one that said "What the hell?" The haggardness and confusion in my eyes expressed everything.

"You were in on this?"

"Quite the spectacle."

(But...wait...back then, why was she...back then, it didn't feel out of place...)

I glanced at her again and then, I was met with a mild grin.

(Nice acting. Touché.)

I slouched a bit. My lips locked, almost to the point of biting them. It would've been pointless to stay there any longer, but she really did make me want to stay for a bit. And when I met her again...

(You...got off your bike...fool...)

(*Sigh*)

I pinched the bridge of my nose. They all waited for me to say something and with all of that out of the way, I finally had a moment to think. But ultimately, I didn't need to.