Chapter 72 – A Phone Call for Help from Komachi!
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of Sobu High School, casting long shadows across the Service Club room.
Three people sat quietly inside—Yuigahama Yui, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Hikigaya Hachiman.
But unlike usual, the atmosphere felt different.
The reason was simple: Yukinoshita Akira was on leave.
Without him, the club felt strangely peaceful… or perhaps too peaceful.
The one breaking that silence was, surprisingly, Hikigaya Hachiman. For the past several minutes, he had been staring intently at his phone, thumbs moving busily as he sent message after message.
Ever since the "saving-the-damsel" incident some time ago, his relationship with Totsuka Saika had become noticeably closer. The two had started exchanging messages more often—simple, casual ones—but still far beyond the level of Hachiman's usual social interaction.
Whether that friendship would ever turn into something else… only time could tell.
Then—
Riiing… riiing…
The ringtone cut through the quiet room.
Hachiman looked down and froze when he saw the name on the screen: "Komachi."
The name alone was enough to soften his expression. His beloved little sister was calling.
He answered immediately.
"What's up, Komachi?"
"Onii-chan, you're still in Class 2-F, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Why?"
"There's something Komachi wants to ask for your help with."
"Just say it. Whatever it is, if I can do it, I'll help."
To Hikigaya Hachiman, his sister Komachi was someone irreplaceable—his one and only priority in this world.
As long as it was within his power, he would do anything for her. Even if it was troublesome, even if it required sacrifice, Hachiman would never hesitate when it came to his sister.
After all, Chiba was known for producing a certain kind of brother—the kind who dotes on his little sister far too much.
Both Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Haruno fit that description perfectly: the ultimate siscons.
"See, one of Komachi's classmates has an older sister who's been missing for two days now. And apparently, her sister is also from your class—2-F. So Komachi was hoping you could look into it, Onii-chan. Maybe you'll find something."
"Missing for two days? Did you guys report it to the police?"
Hachiman, despite his affection, didn't lose his sense of reason.
A disappearance lasting two days was no small matter. Normally, something like that would be handled by the authorities.
"Yes, they did," Komachi replied, her voice anxious. "But there hasn't been any update at all."
"If even the police can't do anything, then there's not much I can help with. I'm just a high school student, not a private detective."
"Please, Onii-chan~! My friend's really worried about her sister!"
"…Fine. I'll check it out. What's her name?"
"Hmm, wait… Ah! Her name's Kawasaki Saki!"
"Kawasaki Saki, huh? Alright. I'll see what I can find."
"Thanks, Onii-chan! Call me right away if you find out anything, okay?"
"Yeah, I got it."
The call ended.
When Hachiman lowered his phone, he immediately noticed two pairs of eyes staring at him—Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui.
Apparently, they had heard everything. He hadn't exactly bothered to lower his voice.
And in the quiet of the Service Club room, his entire conversation had been perfectly audible.
"Kawasaki Saki-san is missing?" Yuigahama said, blinking in surprise. "No wonder I didn't see her at school today."
Unlike Hachiman, Yuigahama was well-connected socially, so she often noticed details others didn't.
"Wait, Yuigahama, you know Kawasaki Saki?" Hachiman asked quickly, his tone perking up.
Given how antisocial he was, it was rare for him to know much about his classmates. In fact, most of the time, learning about other people was something he found extremely bothersome.
Originally, he had planned to ask Totsuka Saika for help, but it looked like he might have gotten a lead already.
"Yeah, we're in the same class," Yuigahama explained. "Though… she's kind of a loner. She doesn't talk much with anyone, and her style's kinda like a gyaru, so she stands out."
"I see… a quiet girl with a flashy appearance."
"Right. She wasn't in class today either. The teacher marked her absent—unexcused."
"Really? How did I not notice that?"
Yuigahama hesitated. "Err…"
She wanted to point out that he spent every class with his earphones in, lost in his own world, but decided against it.
Even so, she couldn't help but remember her earlier impression of him—back when she'd first met him. Maybe she'd been too harsh then.
Though now, with Yukinoshita Akira in the picture, whatever faint connection she might've once had with the "Dead Fish-Eyed Teacher" had long been cut off.
"Hikigaya-san," Yukinoshita Yukino spoke calmly, "from the way Yuigahama describes you, I can easily picture your role in class—a reclusive boy lost in his own world. Am I wrong?"
"…That was true. Was."
"Was?" Yukino raised an eyebrow. "Meaning, you've changed?"
"Yeah. I have a friend now. So I'm not a loner anymore."
"…A friend?"
Hachiman's lips curved into a soft smile. "Totsuka Saika."
The name alone made Yukino's expression stiffen.
The gentle smile on Hachiman's face—the faint blush, the warmth in his eyes—was far too telling.
Yukino could feel a chill crawl down her spine.
So Akira had been right all along. No matter how things played out, Hachiman's "development" would always head that way.
After all, Akira hadn't forced anything. He'd merely… nudged him. The feelings themselves had bloomed naturally, from within Hachiman's own heart.
"…I see," Yukino murmured, turning her gaze away. "It appears I've misjudged you, Hikigaya-san."
She didn't want to get involved in something like that.
Meanwhile, Hachiman was completely oblivious to what Yukino was thinking. Thanks to Akira's influence, the gap between them had grown even wider—their conversations were now limited to club matters only.
"Yuigahama," Hachiman said after a pause, "do you know anything else about Kawasaki Saki?"
Yui shook her head. "Not really. I tried talking to her before, but she kinda brushed me off. So we're not that close."
"Hm. That's gonna make this difficult. I don't even know where to start."
"I can ask Miura-san and Hayama-kun if you want," she offered. "They might know something."
"That'd help. You know how I am…"
"Yeah, I get it."
Yuigahama smiled reassuringly.
Still, it was already late afternoon. By now, most students had gone home.
Any investigation would have to wait until tomorrow.
The Service Club room fell silent once more—though this time, it wasn't the comfortable quiet from before.
Outside, the orange glow of the setting sun crept across the floor, stretching toward the three figures inside.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, the shadows of the coming night stirred quietly—marking the start of another story waiting to unfold.
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