Hachiman's POV
Having promised to drop by again once C.B. and Rudolf finished their training, I found myself heading back to the clubroom after a brief stop at the dorms. C.B. had been insistently stubborn about it, refusing to take "no" for an answer. Rice had come along with me initially, but after seeing C.B. glaring with envy at Ramonu and Ardan earlier, she had become a bit skittish. I couldn't really blame her, but I wished the others would be more mindful of their surroundings… I mean, Rudolf had the grace to accept a souvenir from Rice and even praised her victory, after all.
As for me…
"I should have just made it tomorrow. Why on earth did I agree to this tonight?"
Even now, I was starting to regret my impulsive promise to see them the moment they were done.
—In front of the Clubroom—
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sensei? Professor? Are you in there?" I called out.
"Ah! It's Hachiman~♪" C.B.'s voice rang out from behind the door.
"Brother, it is only the two of us at the moment," Rudolf added.
"Is that so? Is it okay if I come in?"
"Come in, come in! Don't be shy~♪" C.B. chirped.
"Alright, I'm coming in."
Click.
"Good work on the training today—!?"
"Hachimaaaaannn! I finally get to hug you! Mmm~♪"
Squeeze!!
The moment I stepped inside, I was hit with a flying tackle.
"Hey, watch the force behind that… But yeah, I'm sorry for being gone for two months."
"I was fine, but C.B. was a different story," Rudolf said with a sigh. "She was constantly calling out your name and saying how much she wanted to see you. It was quite a handful."
"Sorry for the trouble. I'll make it up to you—I'll cook you something great next time."
"That is a wonderful offer," Rudolf replied, her eyes softening. "I shall look forward to it."
"Hachimaaan… what about me?" C.B. pouted, still clinging to me.
"Yes, yes, I'll cook for you too. Now, would you mind letting me sit down?"
I managed to shuffle over to the sofa we kept in the clubroom. I'd had it installed specifically to provide a place to relax; it was even adjustable so I could use it for their massages.
"Hehehe~ finally, I get to enjoy some Hachiman-time♪ Those two months felt like forever." C.B. began nuzzling against my side.
"Indeed," Rudolf agreed, settling in on my other side. "Being by my brother's side is truly calming. It brings a strange sense of peace."
"…Hey, aren't you guys a bit close?"
"Nope, seems normal to me," C.B. chirped.
"No, it is perfectly standard," Rudolf echoed.
"…I see."
No, it definitely wasn't "standard." The last time they'd been this clingy was back at the start of the year when C.B. dragged me to the Student Council room for a "nap" that turned into a giant cuddle pile.
"Anyway, C.B., how's the conditioning for your debut race going? Everything on track?"
"No problems at all! Smooth sailing♪ Honestly, if you hadn't come back, I would've been in such a slump that I'd only have been able to give ten percent of my strength. It's a good thing you're home♪"
"Don't say scary things so casually… You're definitely still holding a grudge about me extending my stay in France, aren't you?"
"Of course I am! The despair I felt back then was massive! I even hated you just a little bit, Hachiman."
"Again, quit saying scary things. Rudolf, if things get hairy, you've got to help me out."
Rudolf let out a small hum. "I think if you simply find a way to get back into her good graces, she'll forgive you easily enough."
"I can hear you, you know!" C.B. interjected. "And if you think I'm that easy to win over, you've got another thing coming!"
"Is that so…?" I sighed. "Well then, Rudolf, how about you take the hit for me? In exchange, I'll spend a whole day doing whatever you want to do. My schedule will be yours."
C.B.'s posture straightened instantly. "Hikigaya Hachiman is innocent! The court has reached a verdict! Case closed!!"
"C.B., have you no pride?" Rudolf asked, looking at her with a deadpan expression.
"No way! No-no-no-no-no!! A full-day date with Hachiman?! I'll forgive him! I'll absolutely forgive him for that!"
"…Well, we'll settle the details on that later. Rudolf, what about you? Same deal?"
"It is a very tempting offer… In that case, Brother, may I accept those terms as well?"
"Yeah, fine by me."
That should settle things for now. C.B.'s debut is this week, so we'll have to wait until after that. Rudolf might try to book her slot first, but she's not the type to force it into a busy week.
Now, I still need to go give my greetings to Speed Symboli-san and Rice's parents. I need to get that done sooner rather than later—especially for the Symboli family. They didn't just provide connections; they even prepped a private jet and staff for me.
"Aside from me being gone, did anything else change? Was everything peaceful while I was away?"
"Nothing really changed for me," C.B. said thoughtfully. "Except for being lonely because you weren't here."
"I agree," Rudolf added. "It was much the same for me."
"I see. That's a relief. It sounds like daily life was peaceful enough."
Rudolf narrowed her eyes slightly. "Brother, why do you say it like that? You sound as if you expected something to have happened."
"Even with Sensei and the Professor looking out for you, you're still vulnerable at the academy. It's not impossible that someone like 'Senpai 2' might try to cause trouble for you girls, right?"
"Whoa… I hadn't even considered that possibility," C.B. muttered.
"Well, if they haven't bothered you, then all's well. I was just a little concerned."
"…Come to think of it," Rudolf said, her expression turning serious, "his roster has been reduced to only one student now. She's a horse girl with a proven track record—she's debuted, won graded stakes, and has G1 experience. She has the talent, but the rumor is she stubbornly refuses to leave his side."
"Is she being threatened or something?" I asked.
"No, it didn't seem like that. It looked more like she was staying there of her own volition."
"..."
So there are horse girls like that too… That felt off. Why would someone be so devoted to a trainer whose reputation is plummeting? They must see the writing on the wall… It made me curious, but it was better not to meddle. Doing so would likely just invite unnecessary resentment.
For now, I need to focus on what's right in front of me. I just wish these two would move aside soon… I'd really like to get some rest myself.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"