“…Couldn’t I gain your cooperation in order to convince them?” I asked.
Mrs. Yukinoshita cocked her head, surprised I would say something. The innocent gesture belied her age, making me smile. The way she reacted when she heard something unexpected truly resembled her.
“We have everything we need to win them over, don’t we?” I continued. “So then couldn’t the results change, depending on who says them?”
What matters is not what’s said, but who says them is an expression that’s been used to death, but it’s the truth. If it was Yukinoshita’s mother instead of me, she would be sure to argue down those stubborn parents. They’d sought her support in the first place because they understood she was of higher status.
When you get right down to it, this game was really just about who stole the queen.
“…The fact is that I have no connections. I wouldn’t be very convincing.” With a dry smile and a pathetic reply, I put an unknown black king into check.
“That’s not true at all. I think you’ve put in a fair effort, in such a short amount of time. Enough that it made me curious who had done it,” Mrs. Yukinoshita said, smiling as if she was sincerely impressed before tilting her head questioningly. “…I’m sorry, that reminds me, could I ask your name?” she said, lowering her eyebrows apologetically.
Miss Hiratsuka instantly grabbed my sleeve to tell me no. She would understand quite well what it would mean for me to give my name here.
But my purpose as a stratagem in the game had ended the moment she had said those words. Now, there was only to fulfill my role as a pawn.
This piece normally had no use at all—you could even call it a deadbeat good-for-nothing that didn’t belong anywhere.
But under the right conditions, it could even take down a queen.
“I’m Hachiman Hikigaya.” When I said my name, Miss Hiratsuka released my cuff with a little resigned sigh.
“Hikigaya…,” Mrs. Yukinoshita repeated in a quiet, hesitant voice as she put a hand to her mouth, letting her gaze wander downward. Eventually, it must have come to her, as she suddenly raised her head with a sharp inhalation. “Oh… You’re…”
I returned her gaze with a formal smile. I’m sure I wasn’t pulling it off as well as Hayama or Haruno, but I put in as much effort as I could. Maybe it paid off, as I saw out of the corner of my eye that Miss Hiratsuka was stunned.
The problem was what came next. Now that I’d introduced myself, there could be no defects in my statements or attitude. If I seemed overbearing or arrogant—or self-abasing—she would take it as a threat. And once she did, the next time would become my fault and give her an opening to take advantage of me. So I had to show her by acting with honesty and sincerity that I had no such intention.
“I must have caused you a lot of trouble before. I left everything to my parents, so I wasn’t able to pay my respects to you. I’m very sorry.” The words were as flat as possible. My bow was at an angle not too deep, not too shallow. I focused entirely on acting only as a pawn that would fulfill the function required of me. I inserted no unnecessary feelings there.
It was a type of protocol, the etiquette of diplomacy. A hint of excessive theatricality was just perfect.
The message in that pose must have reached her accurately, as she responded in kind. “Oh, no, I should be the one apologizing for my daughter causing such trouble. How was that injury to your leg? It must have caused you quite a lot of inconveniences—I must sincerely apologize.” She bowed her head deeply, and I replied with an appropriate level of spirit.
“Thankfully, it’s fully healed; it’s even stronger than before. You’ll be able to see me dance at the prom.” I moved that leg on the spot, tap-tap-tapping my shoe in a nonsense step. Mrs. Yukinoshita put a hand to her mouth in a silent Oh my and laughed pleasantly.
“Manners!” Miss Hiratsuka smacked my thigh, enabling me to finally end my clowning. Filled with self-loathing at my own buffoonery, I desperately choked back the sigh that threatened to escape me.
A smile remained on Mrs. Yukinoshita’s lips as she narrowed her eyes. “…What nerve, indeed,” she murmured softly. There was a coldness to her gaze that seemed to be evaluating me, and it felt like it was slowly freezing me over. Her eyes seemed to see through anything—enough to make me feel a little sick.
But then her gaze suddenly eased. Mrs. Yukinoshita spread her fan to hide her mouth, then giggled and smiled behind it. She seemed so innocent, it just about deluded me into thinking this was her true nature. “Not bad.”
“I’m obliged.” I pretended to sweep my bangs back so that I could keep calm, wiping the sweat off my forehead. My dress shirt was sticking to my skin. My throat was so dry, just breathing hurt.
To anyone watching, I’d just introduced myself and talked about events of the past. There was no inherent meaning in my name, or in that conversation.
So whoever heard it just had to read their own meaning into it.
Yukinoshita’s mother continued giggling for a bit, but once she’d snapped her fan shut, it quieted down. “Yes…I will give a try to discussing this with the parents and guardians. If I could have you in attendance as well, Miss Hiratsuka, that would also help quite a bit.”
“If you could offer me some possible dates, I’ll fit it into my schedule.”
As the adults’ conversation continued in a businesslike manner, I zoned out. The thread of my tension snapped, and the exhaustion hit me like a wave. I found myself staring up at the ceiling, sighing deeply as I spaced out.
“Hikigaya. Can I get you to handle something?”
When a voice suddenly addressed me, I panicked and sat up straight. “Oh, right.”
It seemed that the conversation had made quite a lot of progress while I’d been ignoring it. Miss Hiratsuka tapped the stack of documents against the table, getting ready to withdraw. On the opposite side of the table, Mrs. Yukinoshita was also preparing to leave.
“I have to go out after this,” said Miss Hiratsuka. “Will you tell Yukinoshita that we’re moving forward with the prom, based on the revised plan? I’ll leave it to you how to tell her.”
“Uh-huh… Um, I understand…,” I said, still not grasping how things had gotten to this stage, while Miss Hiratsuka nodded. Her eyes were telling me to hurry off. Well, she was right. We didn’t have any time to spare before the prom. If it had been settled, then the message should be sent right away.
“All right, then.” When I stood up, Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled.
“Let’s meet again, Hikigaya.”
“Ha-ha-ha… Then pardon me.” Avoiding answering yes or no with a dry smile, I bowed and left the reception room.
I never want to see her again, if I can manage it…