December 25th. Christmas.
The snow blanketed the streets, the city hummed with faint carols, and the world outside glowed with winter warmth and holiday cheer. But inside his dorm room, Hikigaya Hachiman was far removed from all that seasonal sparkle.
Still lying half-dead in bed well past noon, Hikigaya opened one eye groggily, the other stubbornly refusing to acknowledge reality.
"Holidays exist so people can sleep in," he muttered under his breath.
The first day of vacation had been somewhat productive. His body clock woke him early, still adjusted to the school schedule. But the second day? Total collapse. The third? He'd been reduced to a lazy, coffee-guzzling shell of a man who only moved when strictly necessary.
Having shoved down a bowl of instant noodles with minimal effort, Hikigaya collapsed onto his futon again like a defeated salaryman, nursing a can of MAX Coffee while half-heartedly gaming on his handheld console.
He was absolutely determined not to go out today.
Couples would be out, walking arm-in-arm, polluting the streets with their overwhelming glow of mutual affection. It wasn't just annoying. It was tragic. For him, that is.
Just as he was contemplating whether to grind one more level or go back to sleep, the sound of the doorbell interrupted his peace.
Ding-dong.
Hikigaya jolted upright like a startled cat.
Crap! Was it a spot check? A teacher? A prefect from the disciplinary committee?
Instinctively, he shoved his handheld under the bed as if it were contraband and wiped his hands on his hoodie. Wait. That didn't make sense. No one would come to inspect student dorms during holiday break. They wouldn't even bother.
Still suspicious, he reached for his phone. No messages. No missed calls. No class group notifications.
With a sigh, he crept toward the door and peeked through the peephole.
Outside stood Menlai Kobashi, Yuki Himeno, and Asako Okakura.
All members of his little ragtag "team." They were dressed in stylish winter coats, holding gift bags and smiling brightly—clearly having planned this.
"Ah," Hikigaya whispered to himself. "So that's what this is."
He vaguely recalled Menlai asking him just the day before yesterday if he had any plans for Christmas. Something about going out together. But he had answered vaguely, with his usual "we'll see depending on the situation" reply.
Apparently, they took that as a yes.
He cracked the door open and forced a half-smile. "Oh hey. What brings you guys here?"
"Hachiman~!" Menlai greeted cheerfully, placing her gloved hands together. "Don't you remember? We talked about going out together today!"
No, we didn't. At least not definitively. Hikigaya inwardly grimaced.
He scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah, sorry. I was just a little... you know..."
"Hmm? What's going on with you today?" Asako tilted her head like a confused puppy. Hikigaya mentally praised her for phrasing it so gently.
"Yeah... something came up."
Usually, saying something ambiguous like that would be enough for most people to back off politely. But these three weren't most people.
Menlai blinked. "Something like what?"
Hikigaya hesitated. His brain was already in overdrive trying to fabricate a believable excuse. "Ah, yeah. Dorm cleaning. It's scheduled today."
"Eh? Cleaning? On Christmas?" Asako's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why not just do it tomorrow?"
Exactly! That's what normal people would say. He silently agreed. But now that he had said it out loud, he had to commit.
"Yeah, but it's been pre-scheduled. Can't be changed just for fun. That would be irresponsible," he said with mock sincerity.
Menlai nodded seriously. "You're right. It's wrong to take up someone's time when they've already made plans."
Yes! Finally. They're going to give up now.
"Clap!" Menlai suddenly clapped her hands together with a gleam in her eyes.
"Then let's help with the dorm cleaning first! It'll go faster with all of us, and then we can still go out afterward!"
Nooo—!
"Agree!" said Asako with a carefree smile.
"Same here," Himeno added calmly.
Asako's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "You know, I've been to plenty of girls' dorms, but this is the first time I'll see a boy's dorm. It feels kinda exciting."
"Yeah! I'm curious to see if it's that different from ours," Menlai chimed in, clearly excited.
Help me, God. Hikigaya could practically feel his soul leaving his body. His room—no, his sanctuary of mess—was not ready for this kind of inspection. There were instant noodle bowls stacked like Jenga, and his phone was still hidden under the bed.
He raised both hands like a traffic officer stopping a car. "Wait, wait. No need! It's fine, really. I'd be embarrassed if people saw my room. And besides, if anyone sees you three entering a boy's dorm, it'll cause misunderstandings."
He tried to keep his tone serious. "You know how people gossip. Tomorrow, rumors will fly: 'Did you hear Menlai and the others are dating Hikigaya?' Or worse: 'Are they being blackmailed?'"
The girls exchanged glances.
It wasn't that he cared about what people said about him. But he did care about their reputations.
Class B already had enough weirdos.
Menlai gave him a long, unreadable stare, then smiled softly. "Hmm... you make a good point."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want to trouble you," Himeno nodded. "But we're still going out, right?"
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. He'd run out of excuses. The plan to defend his fortress of solitude had failed. At this point, if he said no, it'd just be plain rude.
"...Yeah, give me ten minutes."
Ten minutes later, Hikigaya had done a whirlwind clean-up—shoving clothes into drawers, hiding game consoles, spraying air freshener like it was holy water.
The group met outside the dorms and headed toward the station together.
As they strolled through the festive streets, Menlai and Asako excitedly window-shopped while Himeno occasionally glanced toward Hikigaya, gauging his reactions.
The snow began to fall lightly, the city filled with twinkling lights and couples holding hands.
It was bittersweet.
For a moment, Hikigaya forgot about his bitterness. Walking among friends, even if dragged out against his will, wasn't the worst thing.
Sometimes, the people who care about you the most are the ones who annoy you the best.
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