Y/N was walking home one day, climbing the steps towards him and his siblings apartment complex.

Itsuki was still at work so the only person in the apartment should be his sister. Opening the door, Y/N is met with a black cat which had blue eyes. It starts to purr as it rubs it's head on Y/N's leg. Y/N had a soft spot for cats so he kneels down and starts to pet the cat with a small smile. Hearing footsteps. he looks up to see his sister with a smug smile on her face.

Y/N: What?

Setsuna: I finally made you smile for once.

Y/N's eyes widen a little. He looks down, which puzzles his sister until she sees water droplets falling. Y/N was crying.

Y/N: Sorry...for making you worry...

Setsuna only smiles a bit more and brings her younger brother into an embrace, stroking the back of his head.

Setsuna: It's okay to let it out. I know how much mother meant to you, but she would want you to be smiling.

He doesn't respond and only wraps his arms around his sister, hugging her tightly. The two then fall to their knees and he lets his cries out a little bit longer.

Next Day

Y/N awoke at the normal time he usually wakes up at. He felt a lot better today for some odd reason.

Getting ready for the day, he walks to the dining room and sits down at the table. He notices the same black cat makes his way towards him and purrs, rubbing it's head against his leg. Y/N lefts the cat off the floor and puts it in his lap where it settles down and lays there, purring.

Seconds later, Itsuki walks into the room, not dressed in work clothes, and notices the black cat resting on Y/N's lap.

Itsuki: Hmm? When did we get this cat?

Setsuna: Last night actually. He didn't have an owner so I took him in. What should we name him?

Itsuki: Hmm. Mizuki?

Y/N: Sure.

Setsuna: Okay. No work today?

Itsuki: I'm off today. Tomorrow though I'll be in the office for the whole day and won't get out till 10 PM.

Setsuna: Alright then. Y/N, are you finished?

Y/N: Yeah.

Setsuna: Leave your plate there and grab your bag. School's in thirty minutes.

Y/N leaves the plate there and goes back to his room to prepare.

Itsuki: Well he seems to be better.

Setsuna: (smiles) Yeah. He is.

A few seconds later, Y/N leaves and grabs his bag and pets the cat before leaving the apartment, walking to school.

Timeskip-Faculty Room

Both Hikigaya and L/N sat in the faculty room, sitting in front of a displeased Hiratsuka.

Hiratsuka: A wise man once said, "When you work, you lose. To labor is to take on risk and obtain a return. Thus, my decision to work and instead enter a household is not only valid, but also absolutely and positively legitimate. And so, for the upcoming workplace visit, I wish to visit my own home, where a full-time-stay-at-home husband does his work." (slams foot on table and clenches fist) You do know what I'm going to say, don't you?

Hachiman: (terrified) I'll rewrite it! Please don't hit me!

Hiratsuka: You got that right. L/N, why did you essentially write the same thing?

Y/N: (shrugs) Have no idea on what I want to be so might as well be a stay at home person for the time being.

Hiratsuka: (sigh) I thought you boys would have changed. Hasn't the time you've spent iin the Service Club changed you at all?

Y/N: (shrugs) I don't know.

Hachiman: I don't give in to peer pressure, so...

Hiratsuka, or Shizuka, her first name, was irritated. She got up and punches Hikigaya in the gut. The L/N boy on the other hand says nothing and simply stares with slightly wide eyes.

For some reason, he felt scared. Just a little. He got similar feeling as Setsuna was usually handling the housework at home, she would normally be like this if either him or Itsuki were lazing about. But Setsuna would be a bit more lenient towards Y/N.

Hiratsuka: If you don't want to taste my Annihilating Second Bullet, you'd better not say another word.

Hachiman: (strained) Please spare me your Terminator Last Bullet too.

Hiratsuka: (smiles) I like men who are quick to understand.

Y/N: Hmm. Sensei, I didn't know you were into younger boys.

Hiratsuka: (flustered and clears throat) A-Anyway, you're both rewriting your workplace visit survey. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. The work place visit's going to be in groups of three. It's on you to pick who you want to go with, so start thinking of a few people.

Hachiman: I certainly wouldn't want my classmates to defile my sweet home.

Y/N: Same here. Besides, the only people that would follow me are girls.

Hiratsuka: Are you two still going on about homemaking?

With that conversation out of the way, both Y/N and Hachiman make their way to the Service Club room. Opening the door, the same girl with an ice cold glare was there.

Yukino: You both didn't run into her?

Hachiman: Into who?

Y/N: Yuigahama. No, we didn't run into her.

Seconds later, the door opens again and Yui appears.

Yui: Ah! There you are!

Hachiman: Which one?

Yui: Both of you!

Hachiman: What?

Yukino: You both were talking your sweet time to come to thee clubroom, so we had to go look for you two. Well, Yuigahama-san did.

Y/N: Blame Hiratsuka-sensei. She was the one who had us locked up in the faculty room with her.

Hachiman: You don't need to stress that you didn't by specifying her name. I know.

Yui: I went around asking people if they'd seen you two. And everyone was like, "Who's Hikigaya" or "Stay away from my Y/N!"

Yukino twitched at that comment slightly, but was only noticed by Hachiman.

Hachiman: (thoughts) Are you going to admit that you like him? It's kinda tiring that you don't admit it right now.

Yui: It was totally awkward!

Y/N: Well what do you expect? This guy is a loner that no one knows.

Hachiman: Well sorry.

Yui: (blushes slightly) Well, not like it really matters. But, um...

Hachiman: Huh?

Yui: Give me your number?

Y/N: Asking him out?

Yui: Huh!? No! Baka! Gross! Why would I ask Hikky!?

Y/N: (shrugs and walks to his seat near window)

Yui: A-Anyway, I mean, like, it's totally weird to have to run around looking for you, and embarrassing too! And getting asked what kind of relationship we're in is like...totally wrong.

Hachiman: Fine by me. (takes out phone)

Yui: Do you want me to enter it? And I'm kinda surprised that you'd hand your phone to someone like that.

Yui takes out her own phone, which was a flip phone, and enters her number into the Hikigaya's phone.

Yukino and Y/N end up looking at each other before the same girl looks away with a slight blush. Y/N being the uninterested person he was, shrugs it off and resumes looking out the window.

Hachiman: You're fast with those buttons.

Yui: I'm average. And, like, you sure your fingers aren't just weak because you don't have anyone to text?

Hachiman: How rude. I texted girls in middle school, you know.

Y/N: ...How many? I've been asked for my number many times and I still know how to text people.

Yui: (drops Hachiman's phone and has a look of disbelief) No way...

Hachiman: Hey! That's my phone!

Yui: Oh, sorry. I just couldn't imagine you with girls.

Hachiman: What, are you stupid? You see, when we changed classes, I took out my phone and looked around the room.

Y/N: I know where this is going. She gave you her phone number because you made eye contact. Let me guess, every time you tried to text them, they responded with something along the lines of "Sorry, I fell asleep," right? Such kindness.

Hachiman: ...(thoughts) Hey, hey, hey! Is he reading my mind!?

Y/N: (sigh) Of course. I guess that's the social level that you'll ever get.

Yukino: Yes. Sometimes, kindness can be cruel.

Hachiman: Hey, don't you two look down on me!

Y/N: But I was right, wasn't I?

Hachiman: ...

Y/N: Exactly my point.

Yui: What kind of girl was she?

Hachiman: She was a very healthy and reserved girl. I mean--

Y/N: Yep. Something along the lines "I fell asleep and missed your text." Pretty sad.

Yukino: You are quite brutal with your comments.

Y/N: Like I said before, I'm just stating the facts and the truth. If anything, he needs to stop averting his eyes from reality.

Yukino: Yes. Perhaps it's time to face the facts.

Hachiman: (gets up from chair) Oh, I'm way ahead of you. (takes phone from Yui) I understand reality so well I could write a Hikipedia article about it.

Y/N: I don't know whether to feel impressed or not.

As Hachiman scrolls through his phone, he sees the only contact he has is Yui. He reads the text from her.

Hachiman: (thoughts) What the hell!? No matter how you slice it, this text reeks of spam!

Yukino: Is something wrong?

Yui: Huh? N-No, nothing's wrong. I just got this weird text and was thinking, like, what?

Yukino: (resumes reading book) Hikigaya-kun, if you don't want to be taken to court in the near future, I suggest you refrain from sending such obscene texts.

Y/N: Sexual harassment?

Hachiman: Are you accusing me of sexual harassment? Show me the evidence! Evidence!

Yukino: We can take what you just said as evidence.

Y/N: In situations like these, the culprit would say something along those lines. You sure you're not sexually harassing her?

Yukino: "Where's the evidence?" "A very curious deduction. You can make a name for yourself as a mystery writer." "Like I could be in the same room as a murderer!"

Hachiman: That last one was a victim's line. And he's calling for his own death there.

Yukino: Was I, really?

Yui: Well, I don't think Hikky did it.

Y/N: And your evidence?

Yui: Well, like...it's about people in my class. So Hikky can't have anything to do with it.

Hachiman: (mutters) I'm in your class too, you know...

Yukino: I see. Then Hikigaya-kun can't be the culprit.

Hachiman: And she accepted it without a moment's hesitation.

Y/N: That's rough buddy.

Yui: Well, it's something that happens every so often. There's no real need to mind it.

Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the door as it opens up to Hayato Hayama.

Hayato: (smiles) Oh, I just had a request.

Y/N: (monotone) Osu...

Hayato: This is the Service Club, right?

Hachiman: (thoughts) Did my instincts judge Hayama to be higher than me again?

Y/N: Yeah, it is.

Hayato: Hiratsuka-sensei said I should come here if I have any troubles. I couldn't really get excused from club, so--

Yukino: I don't really recall asking you to brag. You came here because you have a request, Hayato Hayama-kun.

Hayato: Oh, about that... (pulls out phone)

Hayama had pulled out his phone and showed it to the Service Club members. The first one to notice the text on the phone was Yui.

Yui: (pulls out phone) It's the weird text. 

Yukino: (reads text) Tobe is a delinquent from the Inage area. He beats up kids from West High in the arcades.

Y/N: Tobe? The guy that wears a red sweater under his uniform?

Yukino: You wear a sweater too.

Y/N: ...Whatever.

Yukino: Yamato is a three-timer. Scum of the Earth. Oka smashes other school's star players with his unsportsmanlike tactics. It's a chain letter.

Hayato: The atmosphere in class has been pretty bad ever since this started circulating.

Y/N: No wonder I can get a good nap during class. The atmosphere fits.

Hayato: And hearing baseless rumors about my friends makes my stomach turn. Oh, I don't necessarily want to find out who did it, though.

Y/N: You just want to stop it, is that right?

Hayato: Yeah. I just want to know how to make it stop. (smiles) Can you help me?

Y/N: (thoughts) Why does that smile feel so forced?

Hachiman: (thoughts) There it is. His ultimate technique, "The Zone."

(A/N): What is this!? Kuroko's Basketball!?

Yukino: Like Y/N said, you just want us to put an end to it.

Hayato: Well, yeah, you could say that.

Yukino: Then we'll have to find out who did it, no?

Hayato: Yeah thank--Huh? Is there really no other way?

Yukino: A chain letter. It's the worst possible way to destroy a human's dignity. Without revealing a one's name or face, they lie and slander for the sole purpose of hurting others. The only way to stop one is to find its originator and eliminate them.

Y/N: Kill them?

Yukino: I wouldn't go so far as to murder them. But, I'm speaking from experience.

Hachiman: You've had this happen to you?

Yui: You eliminated them?

Yukino: Regardless, any such human deserves to die. This is how I do things. I will find out who did it. One word will probably be enough to end it. I'll leave what happens after that to your discretion.

Y/N: ...You are real scary sometimes, you know that?

Yukino: Already told me that. Anyway, is that okay with you?

Hayato: (sweat drops) Yeah, that works.

Y/N: When did it first start?

Hayato: Last weekend, right?

Yui: (nods) Yeah.

Yukino: Did anything happen in your class?

Y/N: I wouldn't know. I was asleep.

Yukino: Is napping all you do?

Y/N: If I have nothing better to do. Which is most of the time.

Hayato: I don't think anything happened...

Yui: (nods) Yeah, everything was normal.

Yukino: (looks to Hachiman) Just to be safe, what about you? I know Y/N just sleeps all day so there's no point in asking him.

Hachiman: What are you trying to imply with "just to be safe?" Last weekend? (scratches head) So it's something recent. Workplace visit?

Yui: Oh, that's it. It's because we have to pick groups.

Y/N: Whether in groups of three or four, huh?

Timeskip-Class 2-F

Y/N, Yui, and Hachiman were in their respective places in their class, trying to figure out who the culprit is.

Well, Y/N was bored as always so he was falling asleep.

Flashback, Earlier

Yui: I think I know who did it.

Yukino: Could you explain?

Yui: These group events change people's relationships. Some people are really sensitive about that.

Hachiman: The workplace visit is three people to a group. That means one of the four gets left out. Y/N wouldn't be the culprit as he doesn't care about anything.

Y/N: Got that right.

Hachiman: Anyway, someone'd want to get one of the others knocked out. 

Yukino: So the culprit is one of those three? You have no doubts about that?

Hayato: W-Wait a second. I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. The text is talking about all three of them. It can't possibly be one of them, right?

Y/N: It could be one of them. Think about it, they are all friends with you, but are they really friends with each other? The only reason why they know each other was through you.

Hachiman: Besides. you would only do that when you want to cover your own ass. Besides, I don't think I'd start rumors about someone and then pin the blame on him too.

Yui: Hikky, you're even lower than the sender.

Hachiman: (smug) Call me an intellectual criminal.

Yukino: For now, could you tell us about those three?

Hayato: Tobe looks like a bad guy, but he's actually more like a cheerful leader. He takes a proactive role whenever we hang out. He's a great guy.

Yukino: (writes on notepad) Easily excited, only knows how to make a ruckus. Is that all?

Y/N: That's the opposite of what he described.

Yukino: What? Go on.

Hayato: (sweat drops) Yamato is a good listener. He's pretty chill and marches to the beat of his own drum. He gives you a sense of security. He's a great guy.

Yukino: (continues to write on notepad) He's slow to respond and indecisive.

Hayato: Oka is great with people. I always see him helping someone out. He's got a nice personality. He's a great g--

Yukino: An opportunist who watches others for the moment to strike. Any of them could be the culprit. Hayama-kun's descriptions aren't much help.

Y/N: Rather you wrote the opposite of what he said about them.

Yukino: Hush you. What do you two think of them?

Yui: Huh? I don't know what to think...

Hachiman: I don't even know them.

Yukino: (looks to Yui) Then could you investigate them for me?

Yui: S-Sure.

Yukino: I'm sorry. This isn't as glamorous as a mystery novel.

Hachiman: I'll do it. Not like I care what the other kids think about me. And finding faults in people is one of my 108 skills.

Yukino: Thank you, but I won't be holding my breath. Y/N, for once, can you participate in this?

Y/N: Haven't I been participating in the requests?

Yukino: ...Have you?

Y/N: Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll do it anyway.

Yui: I'll do it too! We can't just leave Hikky to do it! And you asked me first, so I gotta, Yukinon!

Yukino: (blushes slightly) I see.

Yui: (hugs Yukino) I'll see what I can do!

Hayato: You sure get along great.

Y/N: Really? Hikigaya and Yukinoshita are usually at each other's throats.

Hachiman: Oi. Besides, they do anyway. (thoughts) And it's still scary on how Y/N and Yukinoshita get along so well that they actually work well together. Seriously, can one of them ask the other one out all ready?

Hayato: (smiles) I meant you too, Hikitani-kun, Y/N.

Hachiman: (thoughts) Who are you talking to? We don't have a member named "Hikitani-kun."

Y/N: I think he means you.

Hachiman: (thoughts) How the hell does he know my thoughts!?

Flashback End

As Hachiman waited in his seat, Yui walks up to him.

Yui: For now, you don't do anything, okay?

Hachiman: That's good news for me. Besides, you don't even need to ask Y/N for anything as he's sleeping.

The two glance over to Y/N and he is indeed sleeping. Well, that's what they think. Y/N was actually pretending to sleep, opening one eye every once in a while to see if anything changed.

Hachiman: So, what're you going to do exactly?

Yui: I'll ask what the other girls think. Girls would definitely know more about relationships in the class. And if you talk about someone you both hate, they can get carried away and say all sorts of stuff!

Y/N: Girl-talk sounds scary.

Yui: Anyway, I'll do it, so don't worry!

Hachiman: Well, even if I tried asking around, they'd just ask, "who're you?" It's all yours.

Yui then walks off to her friends and Hachiman puts his head down on his desk, keeping an eye out and watching things carefully.

Eventually, Yui got nothing and they met at the lockers.

Yui: (clasps hands together) Sorry, I couldn't find out anything!

Hachiman: Well, you were going about things the wrong way from the start. Besides, Y/N can't really do anything.

Yukino: And why is that?

Hachiman: If he were start talking randomly, then a lot of people, mostly the girls, will go crazy and attempt to talk to him.

Yukino: And how is this bad for him?

Hachiman: Y/N will be bombarded with questions that he won't be able to answer the questions all at once. Anyway, it's my turn now.

Yukino: What do you plan to do?

Yui: You're going to ask around?

Hachiman: (smug smile) No. I'm going to observe.

Hachiman and Yui return to the classroom and Hachiman sits back in his seat. He puts his headphones in and pretends to listen to music.

He looks around and observes the mouths of the people, trying to make out what they are trying to say. Y/N on the other hand.

Girl: L/N-san, what's your favorite color!?

Girl 2: No, I asked him something first!

Girl 3: No, I was here first!

Girl 4: No, I was!

Y/N sighs as he had an uninterested look on his face. All this bombardment of questions from these girls were irritating him.

Unknown to him, a certain girl was watching him.

Outside the classroom

Yukino was peeking through the window as she watched the black haired boy with and irritated look on her face.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't know why she was acting like this. When did she become protective over Y/N to a certain extent? A red blush was soon sporting her face as she walks away, clearly flustered of what she's been thinking about.

Back inside

As Hachiman watched the L/N boy, a hand was waved in front of his face. Looking up, he sees Saika Totsuka.

Saika: Good morning!

Hachiman: (blushes) Can you make me miso soup every morning?

Saika: Huh? What's that mean?

Hachiman: Uh, nothing. (removes earphones) I was still half-asleep. Did you need something?

Saika: Have you decided on a group for the workplace visit yet?

Hachiman: What about you?

Saika: Me? I've already decided on one.

Hachiman: Now that I think about it--or actually, I don't need to think about it--I don't have any friends that are guys.

Saika: Um, Hikigaya-kun...(points to himself) I'm a boy.

Hachiman wasn't sure whether he could consider himself friends with Saika. He glances over to Hayato's group and sees them talking.

Hachiman: Saika.

Saika: (disbelief) Huh?

Hachiman: Sorry. That was--

Saika: Thank you! That's the first time you've called me by my first name!

Hachiman: (disbelief) What...did you say?

Saika: Can I call you "Hikky" too?

Hachiman: Please don't.

Saika: Then... "Hachiman?"

Hachiman: (blushes excitedly) Could you say that three times?

Saika: (blushes) Hachiman? Hachiman? Hachiman! Come on, are you listening to me!? (crosses arms and looks away)

Hachiman: Oh, sorry. What were we talking about again?

The two were then approached by Y/N and Hayato.

Hachiman: What do you want? Y/N, did you get anything?

Hayato: Nothing, just wondering if you figured anything out.

Y/N: Yeah. Look at the three.

They look over to the three in Hayama's group and they see they were just using their phones and not talking to each other.

Y/N: See how they don't talk to each other when Hayama isn't there? It proves my point. 

Hachiman: (smiles) I see. We've solved the mystery!

Scene Change, Service Club Room

The five then meet back in the Service Club room and converse there.

Yukino: So? Did you two figure something out?

Y/N: We don't know who did it.

Hachiman: (smug smile) But we did realize something crucial. Those three are "Hayama's" clique.

Yui: (confused) Huh? Isn't that, like, obvious?

Hayato: Um...what do you mean?

Y/N: That was a bad way to put it. What he means is, it only exists because of you. Once you leave, they don't talk to each other at all.

Hachiman: Hayama, have you ever seen how they act when you're not around? 

Hayato: No, I haven't.

Y/N: Which proves my point earlier. They only talk to each other because they only know each other through you. They don't really know each other.

Hachiman: Yep. When they are left to their devices, they don't talk much. Simply put, to each of them, you're a friend, but to each other, they're friends of a friend.

Yui: I totally know what you mean. When the person who keeps the conversation leaves, it gets totally awkward. You don't know what to do and pull out your phone.

Y/N: So there's only one solution.

Yukino: And what's that?

Y/N: Put them in a group together for the workplace visit.

Yukino: Let's say that is true. It only reinforces the fact that the culprit is among them. I still believe we need determine the culprit to put a stop to the problem.

Hachiman: Hayama, if you want, we can solve the problem right now. We don't need to find the culprit, and they won't fight anymore. They may even come to be friends. Want to know how?

In the end, they established the three people in a group for the workplace visit. It seemed fine. Now it was just four people.

Y/N, Hachiman, Hayama, and Saika ended up being in a group. Well...that's what they thought.

Yumiko: I wanna go wherever Hayato's going!

Girl 1: (gasp) L/N is going with Hayama! Lucky!

Girl 2: I want to go to!

And so everyone decided to list wherever Y/N and Hayama was going. The L/N sighs and curses to himself.

Y/N: (mutters) This is why I don't go with others.

-------------------

Sorry for the delayed update. Literally fell asleep, was being lazy, and was just...yeah...lazy. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and await the next one.

Stay safe out there.

-okami