The restaurant dimmed, the silence heavier than ever.
The voice spoke.
"Next question: When did Hachiman Hikigaya realize Yukino Yukinoshita was the one?"
The air froze.
"Ehhhhh?!" Yui cried, gripping the edge of her seat."No, no, no, no, nooo!" Iroha wailed. "That's, like, endgame! Way too much!""YESSSS," Ebina squealed, nearly bouncing out of her seat. "The moment of truth!""…Tch," Haruno muttered, her smile thin, her eyes sharp.
Guesses flew.
"Never," Hachiman muttered, slouching low. "Trick question. I don't realize things.""During the confession," Yui whispered, her voice trembling."Cultural festival," Kawasaki guessed."The fireworks," Hiratsuka offered softly."Battle training at the festival of destiny!" Zaimokuza bellowed.
The voice silenced them.
"Wrong. Commencing projection."
A quiet bench in the evening light.
Yukino sat gracefully, her hands folded in her lap.
Hachiman stood before her, silent, then extended his hand.
Yukino's gaze flicked up. "You know I can get up by myself, right?"
"I know," he said simply.
The image froze for a moment.
Then his thought echoed through the restaurant:
"…I knew she could stand without me. I knew she'd say that. But I still held out my hand. And I probably always will."
The scene resumed.
Yukino's hand hesitated—then she placed it gently in his.
The projection dimmed.
The restaurant sat in stunned silence.
Yui covered her mouth, her eyes brimming.Kawasaki looked down, her jaw tight.Iroha whispered, "That's… so unfair."Ebina sniffled, smiling through tears. "Ugh, that's so good. So good."Hiratsuka exhaled slowly, her eyes soft with quiet ache.Haruno chuckled low, though her voice wavered. "So that's when, huh… Yukino-chan."
Yukino's hands trembled in her lap, her face pale, her eyes wide and glassy.
And Hachiman, slouched and red-faced, muttered: "…Why does the universe hate me."
The voice cut in one last time:
"Proceeding to final question."