Happy Birthday to You

Hikigaya slid open the door to the izakaya and followed Haruno inside. The cool air immediately greeted him, along with the soft strains of a melody that seemed vaguely familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.

It was probably some nostalgic tune, but it was lost on him—he'd never set foot in a place like this before.

The izakaya wasn't crowded. The few patrons scattered around had the unmistakable air of seasoned working adults, which put Hikigaya slightly at ease. This wasn't the kind of place where students congregated, especially not at this hour.

They found a small, secluded booth in a corner and settled in. Haruno casually flipped through the menu before glancing up and asking, "So, Hachiman, what would you like to drink?"

"Uh… Oolong tea, I guess."

Hikigaya had no idea what kind of drinks were standard in an izakaya, but he remembered that the protagonist of "Kodoku no Gourmet" always ordered oolong tea because he didn't drink alcohol.

Following that logic, it seemed like a safe choice.

"Got it."

Haruno placed the order with effortless grace, asking for a variety of light dishes—grilled chicken skewers, tamagoyaki, edamame—all things that didn't seem particularly heavy. Not that Hikigaya minded; he wasn't here for the food, and eating too much late at night wasn't exactly appealing.

Once the order was placed, Haruno propped her chin on her hands and smiled playfully at Hikigaya.

"So, Hachiman, why don't you go to school dressed like this tomorrow?"

"Allow me to respectfully decline."

"Aww, why not?" Haruno's tone was light, teasing. "I bet you'd be a huge hit. You could easily get four or five girlfriends just like that. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"No, not at all," Hikigaya responded flatly, dismissing the idea.

The thought of standing out like that was unappealing. He preferred to remain unnoticed, and today's events had already drained him enough. Haruno, on the other hand, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, her smile mischievous.

"Why not? Didn't you always dream of being a kept man? Now's your chance to practice. You could get some girls from Class A or B to take care of you."

"Hey, that's not something a teacher should be saying," Hikigaya couldn't help but retort.

More importantly, he didn't aspire to be a kept man—he wanted to be a stay-at-home husband. Though, if pressed to explain the difference, Hikigaya wasn't sure he could, and he prayed no one would ask.

Haruno's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as her smile faded, replaced by a more serious tone.

"Or… could it be that you're still thinking about Yukino-chan?"

"Huh?"

The sudden mention of Yukinoshita's name caught Hikigaya off guard, but before he could dwell on it, the server arrived with their food and drinks.

"Here's your oolong tea, Hachiman."

Haruno handed him a glass filled with an amber-colored liquid before he could even think of asking any further questions.

Wait, isn't her drink the same color?

"Um, Haruno-san, I know it's unlikely," Hikigaya began, eyeing the glass suspiciously, "but is this so-called oolong tea… flammable?"

Haruno looked at him, confused.

"Flammable? What do you mean?"

Of course, she wouldn't get it.

Hikigaya couldn't help but think of Zaimokuza at times like this… though on second thought, that guy would probably just make things worse.

"Never mind. I'll just go ahead and drink it."

He was thirsty after waiting so long, so Hikigaya lifted the glass to his lips, unaware of the mischievous glint in Haruno's eyes.

The next moment…

"Pfft—! Cough, cough!"

"Ahaha! That's so you, Hachiman! You drink with such gusto!"

Haruno doubled over with laughter, practically collapsing onto the table.

She had played a trick on him!

"What the heck is this?!"

One gulp had felt like it was setting his throat on fire. What on earth had she ordered?

"What do you mean? Hehe, it's exactly what you ordered—oolong tea."

"This is not the oolong tea I remember!"

Before Hikigaya could voice more complaints, Haruno snatched the glass from his hand and downed it in one go.

Her boldness made Hikigaya nervous.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy."

"Don't worry, I can't get drunk."

Haruno chuckled, though that sounded like something only a drunk person would say. He just hoped she wouldn't end up drunk.

"So, where were we…? Ah, yes, Yukino-chan!"

"Uh…"

Hikigaya didn't want to talk about this, and he distinctly remembered Komachi warning him never to mention other girls during a date, not even a sister.

But Komachi…

Why didn't you tell me what to do if the girl herself brings up another girl?

Although technically, this wasn't a date—it was just a celebration for Haruno's birthday.

…Wait?

Now that he thought about it, that made sense.

Yes, just because a guy and a girl are out together doesn't mean it's a date; it could just be a friendly chat.

That was close—he almost misunderstood the situation!

Having completed this logical loop in his mind, Hikigaya calmly said, "Now that you mention it, Yukinoshita probably went straight to Soubu High, didn't she? Is she still on top of her grade?"

"Uh…" This time, it was Haruno who fell silent. She stared intently at Hikigaya before suddenly breaking into a smile.

"Yes, Yukino-chan's been working hard, but it seems the Service Club wasn't re-established."

"I see…"

Surprisingly, Hikigaya didn't feel as disappointed as he thought he would upon hearing that. Maybe he had already expected this outcome deep down.

"But, just like you, Yukino-chan also joined the student council," Haruno added with a hint of something in her voice.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll run into her if you ever attend an inter-school event."

"Maybe."

Despite his nonchalant response, Hikigaya silently resolved to avoid any events involving Soubu High.

The conversation drifted from topic to topic, and Haruno's drinking pace only seemed to accelerate. She was downing one glass after another without any sign of stopping.

"Um, Haruno-san?"

"Wh-what?"

Her voice had taken on a slightly slurred quality, though Hikigaya couldn't tell if she was really tipsy or just pretending.

Either way, it was probably best if she slowed down.

"It's almost midnight," Hikigaya said, trying to divert her attention. "Do you have any wishes you want to make?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I do have one."

"Why don't you tell me? Maybe I can help you make it come true."

"Really?"

Haruno's face lit up with a smile, but Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that something ominous was coming. Just as he was about to clarify that he could only grant reasonable wishes, Haruno suddenly dropped her smile.

Her previously tipsy expression turned deadly serious.

"In that case, there's something I want to tell you, Hikigaya-kun."

"...Huh?"

She called him Hikigaya-kun, not Hachiman. Her voice was steady, clear, and completely sober.

Hikigaya realized immediately—Yukinoshita Haruno wasn't drunk at all.

"Yukino-chan had originally planned to attend this school. Our mother even agreed to her request," Haruno began, her voice deliberate.

Hikigaya wasn't surprised by this revelation. Given that Haruno had graduated from this high school and that Yukinoshita had always been in her sister's shadow, it made sense that Yukinoshita would want to follow in her footsteps.

"Honestly, since Yukino-chan made this choice, I'll support her, right or wrong," Haruno continued.

Hikigaya could sense there was more to the story. Despite Haruno's outward calm, her concern for Yukinoshita was evident. It was clear that Haruno had been involved in the decision.

As he had suspected, Haruno elaborated, "In another context, whether things went well or ended in failure, it might have been a growth experience for Yukino. But this school is different. No matter what, I don't want her here."

—Just like the student council president said.

Hikigaya understood. If he were in her position, he wouldn't want Komachi here either.

Haruno's gaze turned distant as she lowered her head.

"Having graduated from this place, I know that Yukino isn't as strong as she appears. She wouldn't adapt here, and if left to her own devices, it would break her."

It could be true, or it might just be the concern of an older sister.

Regardless, Hikigaya agreed with Haruno. Yukinoshita, who clung to her ideals, wasn't suited for this environment.

Haruno murmured, "So, I convinced Mother to let her stay at Sobu, and in exchange…"

She looked up, meeting Hikigaya's eyes.

"You're the one who took her place, Hikigaya-kun."

"...I see."

Hikigaya's reaction seemed too detached, prompting Haruno to offer a wry smile.

"You are something," she said with a sigh.

"I knew you wouldn't care. It's always been the same with you—your indifference, as long as it's for…"

Hikigaya interrupted, "There's nothing to care about, right? It doesn't cost anything to be here, and they even give us free tuition. Others would kill for this chance."

"That's true… And unlike Yukino, you're quite exceptional."

"No, I'm nothing compared to Yukinoshita. I've never beaten her at anything, not even in Japanese."

"You know that's not what I meant," Haruno said.

Hikigaya fell silent, but Haruno wasn't done.

"Since we were kids, Yukino and Hayato have always tried to follow my lead, imitating everything I did."

Haruno's expression softened, but a hint of bitterness lingered in her tone.

"But they never succeeded," she said, her voice growing colder. "Their attempts at imitation were shallow, and they slowly lost their own identities… But you, Hachiman, you're different."

Haruno addressed him as "Hachiman" again, making it difficult to determine her sincerity.

"We haven't known each other long, but in that time, you've grasped my techniques. It's not mere mimicry—you've understood my methods on a fundamental level."

"That's quite a compliment," Hikigaya said, clearly uncomfortable.

"You don't have to accept it, but there's one thing you should remember."

Haruno's face softened into a slight smile.

"This school is full of talented individuals who might surpass you in many ways, but…"

She extended a finger and poked Hikigaya's chest.

"If it's you, as long as you observe and analyze them carefully, I'm sure you can surpass them one day."

"I have no intention of doing that."

Victory or defeat didn't matter to Hikigaya. He wasn't driven by such goals. Some people might be obsessed with winning, but if you lose sight of what you truly want just to achieve victory, isn't that missing the point?

Then again, how many people truly know what they want?

For now, Hikigaya hadn't found the answer.

"Heh, life often doesn't go as planned."

Haruno shook her head slowly, as if mocking either Hikigaya's naivety or her own.

As she finished speaking, the clock struck midnight.

Hikigaya paused for a moment, then, for the first time that night, he smiled genuinely.

"Miss Haruno, happy birthday."