[OreGaIru : New Me!]

….

[-Continuation-]

.

[-Hachiman's POV-]

A few moments later, we reached the main corridor.

There, amidst a small crowd of underclassmen, was Senior Meguri, her usual burst of energy drawing them in like a magnet.

She was chatting animatedly with them, her laughter ringing out through the hall, but as soon as she noticed us, her eyes lit up.

"Hikigaya! Yukinoshita! It's been a while!" She called out, her voice as bright as ever.

Yukino inclined her head politely. "It's good to see you, Senior Shiromeguri."

I followed her lead, adding with a casual grin. "Yeah, it's good to see you."

Meguri's eyes flicked between the two of us, a teasing glint in her gaze. "Huh... You two look like you are having an intense conversation. What's going on?"

I shot her a look, but it was Yukino who answered, her voice cool but measured. "Nothing important."

But Meguri wasn't easily deterred. Her eyes shifted between us, raising a brow. "Is that so?"

I couldn't resist adding my tone as casually as possible. "Yeah. Not that important. Yukino just wanted to get us married, and I am just trying to convince her it's a bit too early. Nothing intense at all."

For a brief moment, Yukino's eyes widened in surprise.

A second longer, and I might have had a knife to my throat.

But before I could even flinch, Senior Meguri erupted into laughter. "Hahahaha… Hachiman, you are as funny as I remember."

"Yeah, I know, right?" I said, sporting a smug grin, all while doing my best to ignore the impending doom radiating from Yukino's glare.

Meguri added. "You two are doing great as always. It's such a nostalgic day, isn't it? Seeing everyone all dressed up and formal feels so bittersweet!"

"Yeah, nostalgic." I echoed, though my tone lacked her enthusiasm.

Meguri, undeterred, clasped her hands together. "You know, Hikigaya, Iroha was so nervous about her speech today. She even asked me for advice! But I think she did a great job, don't you?"

I shrugged. "She didn't trip or forget her lines. I would call that a win."

Meguri laughed, her warmth infectious. "You are as blunt as ever, but I suppose that's a compliment coming from you."

Yukino, standing beside me, offered a small smile. "It's always nice to see the traditions upheld. Isshiki seems to have grown into her role."

Meguri nodded eagerly. "She has, hasn't she? It's amazing to see how much she's matured. I am sure she will carry these memories with her for a long time."

The conversation flowed naturally, with Meguri's boundless energy setting the tone.

Eventually, the crowd began to thin, and the three of us parted ways with Meguri, who cheerfully waved us off before diving into another conversation with a group of parents.

As Yukino and I exited the building, the crisp afternoon air greeted us, a welcome contrast to the stuffy formality of the auditorium.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden light over the school grounds.

"Well." I said, adjusting the strap of my bag. "That was... something."

Yukino glanced at me, a faint trace of amusement in her eyes. "Your way with words never ceases to amaze."

"Hey, I am just calling it like I see it." I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets. "But I guess it wasn't too bad. At least there were no major disasters."

Her expression softened, and for a moment, we walked in companionable silence, the sounds of the departing crowd fading into the distance.

As we reached the school gates, Yukino turned to me, her gaze steady. "Thank you for accompanying me today, Hachiman."

I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words but decided not to push it. "Yeah, well, someone had to keep you from being swarmed by your adoring fans."

She just raised her eyebrow.

"Anyway, see you after the Homeroom."

"Yeah. See you."

We parted ways, each of us walking off as if we wouldn't see each other again until some distant day - but that wasn't the case at all.

All we had to do was report to our respective classrooms and then head back to the gymnasium.

The Prom.

….

I walked into the gymnasium, the door creaking slightly as it swung open.

Yukino was already there, as I had been informed.

The space before me was almost unrecognizable, transformed into something festive and lively.

The evening sun slanted through the windows, casting long, golden beams that washed over the floor and walls in soft orange hues.

The heater at the far end of the room hissed softly, its red glow adding an unexpected warmth to the otherwise chilly air.

The entire space buzzed with activity as the event came together.

Balloons in various shapes and sizes floated above, flower arrangements dotted the corners, and glittering disco balls hung like ornaments, reflecting the light and adding a sense of sparkle to the atmosphere.

Just a few hours ago, this same gymnasium had been filled with the stiff, heavy atmosphere of the graduation ceremony.

Now, the room has transformed into a vibrant, lively venue.

The contrast was stark - what once felt like a formal, somber space had become something entirely different, full of color and life.

Amidst the lively preparations, Yukinoshita Yukino stood apart from the rest.

Her poised figure remained unchanged, exuding an air of professionalism as she engaged with the vendors in work clothes.

It was clear that she hadn't changed into her prom dress yet.

Neither had most of the others working behind the scenes - including me, of course.

Yukino spoke with an intensity that contrasted with the laid-back mood of the event, her voice carrying authority as she ensured everything was in order.

Isshiki, who had been observing her from a distance, finally walked over to her side, giving us a quick glance before calling out to her. "Senior Yukino! It's almost time."

Yukinoshita courteously bowed to the vendors after noticing Isshiki and hurried toward her.

But then she paused, her gaze shifting to me and Yuigahama.

We were just standing there, waiting for her next move.

"Want help?" I asked, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement.

Yukino simply nodded in response.

"I was always planning to help." Yuigahama chimed in, her usual upbeat energy filling the brief silence.

"Thank you." She went back to work after giving me a small smile. "Let's start our meeting."

Once everyone received a copy, Isshiki retrieved a pen from her breast pocket and started the meeting.

…

The light of the setting sun peeked through the openings of the blackout curtains that hung at the catwalk, and the intermingled strobes of spotlight and diffused reflection of the disco balls glistered.

Presumably, they were performing final checks on the lighting. It wasn't long until the venue was open.

As the sound operator duty was appointed to me, I also went through my remaining work. "Test, test... ahh, test, test..."

"Hachiman."

I turned to see Yukino walking toward me, holding a black device with a microphone and an earphone attached - an intercom headset.

"We will use this to call the cues." She explained.

"Ooh, that's a little nostalgic." I remarked, remembering how we'd used something similar before.

"Right. So don't spout any nonsense like last time." She warned, a hint of amusement in her voice.

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I recalled that previous incident.

"What nonsense?" I said with an innocent expression.

"Oh, I remember now..." I continued, still playing the part. "I told you you looked good in your dress, didn't I?"

…And sure enough, the walkie-talkie thing was connected to my head again, just like last time.

"HAchiAman."

I could barely make out the rest of her words as I heard only her voice and then a few quiet laughs from nearby.

….

After a lot of back-and-forth struggles and last-minute adjustments, we finally reached this point.

But once the prom kicked off, everything seemed to fall into place effortlessly.

The evening moved forward with surprising smoothness, and we breezed through the program with flying colors.

Meanwhile, the shifts had changed, and the 'voluntary team' finally got some time to change into their prom attire.

I, of course, had already changed and was now walking through the venue, looking for a certain person. But it seemed she was still in the process of getting ready.

Just then, I spotted Yuigahama.

"Where is sh–!" I started to ask, but she breezed past me as if I hadn't said a word.

I barely held back a sigh, the corner of my mouth twitching, but what she said next caught me off guard.

"Yukinon, you are here!" She exclaimed, her tone light and cheerful.

And just like that, my thoughts shifted, waiting to see what would come next the moment I turned around.

.

….

[To be continued…]

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