Checkmate

15

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."

Handing a canned drink to the black-haired girl, I sat down on the bench next to her, but made sure to leave a comfortable distance between us. Opening my own can of MAX, I stared off into Tokyo Bay, the ferris wheel we had gotten off from just a few minutes ago visible to my left and the otherwise-empty park stretching out before us. The overcast sky made our surroundings darker than they might have otherwise been at this hour, and the sea breeze passing over us made me grip harder on the can of warm drink in my hands.

This is... so awkward.

I didn't dare to look at Yukinoshita next to me, for her mere presence was suffocating enough. Her heartfelt, honest request while we were riding the ferris wheel had touched my heart, and after my initial response, I didn't know what to say to her. The emotions I had felt at the top of the ferris wheel still lingered within me, though they no longer threatened to spill out like before. However, even after using the excuse of buying drinks to get away from Yukinoshita for even a moment and clear my head, I still didn't know what to say or do. I... had expected her to help with my worries about the club, but... Daringly taking a brief peek at Yukinoshita, who was also staring out towards Tokyo Bay, the words she had said to me and the meaning behind them echoed in my ears.

"It doesn't have to be now, it doesn't have to be tomorrow, but... let me help you."

She didn't just want to help me save the club, she wanted to help me specifically. And in return... she wanted me to help her.

Her words reminded me of what she had asked before – to save her one day – and at the same time, they echoed what Miura had said to me. And my answer to both of the girls was the same: of course I would help them.

I loved them, after all, no matter how outlandish that thought still sometimes felt to me.

Having the both of them so openly and honestly willing to help me, though... It felt a little overwhelming. The thought made me happy, and Yukinoshita's words had made me feel things I didn't know I was capable of feeling, but I was unsure of what to do or how to properly respond. I had listened to Miura open up to me and promised to help her, and she wanted to listen to me in turn, to open up to her about the past I had never told anyone about. I knew of Yukinoshita's past somewhat and she of mine, but now she wanted to know the full story, to listen and to help me, so that I could then do the same to her, as I had said I would.

The situation was, in essence, the exact same with both girls, and I would have likely laughed at it if I wasn't directly involved. Both Miura and Yukinoshita... deserve to know, though. I don't know if I'm quite... ready to speak about myself, but... both of them deserve to know. Sending a sideways glance towards Yukinoshita, I watched as she quietly stared off into the distance, her grip around her own can of drink alternating between tight and loose.

...I just don't know who I should tell first, or how I should do it.

"Ahem." The silence that had enveloped the two of us was finally broken as Yukinoshita cleared her throat. The sound drew my gaze to her, and I froze as our eyes met. The awkward air between us made us both look away again shortly, though. "You... mentioned Miura-san's request before. Have you heard anything from them?" Yukinoshita then asked me after a few more moments of silence. I see she isn't ready to talk about what just happened, yet. Which is good, because neither am I.

"...Right, they were going to have that secret meeting with their clique minus Hayama... Let me check." I replied and pulled out my phone. Let's see... No new messages from Yuigahama or Miura, and nothing in the group chat either. Looking back towards Yukinoshita, I shook my head to tell her I hadn't heard anything.