COTE: A Man On A Mission II Love is War?

“....” Hachiman, he also reached out to her, and squeezed her hand in a polite manner, "Please take care of me”

"Don't worry, I will take care of you, too," If the boy sitting beside him, has decided about joining her mission, then Suzune wasn't rude either, she also held him in her arms.

“.....” Hachiman. The boy in question, was now quite shaking inside, 'Don't waver, Hachiman! Don't waver at all!' A mantra's being recited like, it's going to make any difference.

It was just like partners who have reached an agreement to cooperate....Undeniable, but since Hachiman was talking about romance with a girl named, Sakayanagi Arisu, yesterday....his heart really started to throb just now.

'Is this brought by the change of beautiful girls with good looks?'

'I slightly wonder.... what kind of wife Horikita Suzune will be like, after real love or marriage?' But, Hachiman shook his head quickly, to correct his attitude.

'Because, I just want a rich woman!' 

"Tell me." Looking at his partner in crime's smooth and delicate profile, Hachiman couldn't help but ask this question, "Is your family very rich?"
　　
"??"

Even though, Suzune is taken aback by this.....change of tone, and also about the rude question, but since, Hikigaya-kun agreed to her proposal, she chose to give a reply, "My family owns a restaurant.....I don't know about the income, but I have never been worried about money....” 'Right, she could be one of my best candidate?'
　　
"But, both my father, and the chef in our store wants to retire." She even added some extra intel, her mood was really good today. 'In other words, if I go to Horikita's family, and marry their daughter, I'll have to work all the time?' Then, forget it.

But, since it was Horikita, who officially proposed to become a partner, Hachiman also wanted some benefits.
　
So, he also became slightly bad, and revealed his ulterior motives, it was about the other party always ignoring him during lunch break, "Horikita, now that, we are partners...It's okay to share your meal with me occasionally, right?" ~Hehe~

“....” Suzune. The girl just stared at his forehead, and didn't provide any response for a while, “I don't have such experience.... You mean, just like the celebration party, the day before yesterday?"

"It's not that, I'm talking about your bento.... As you know, good friends will exchange lunch boxes with each other.... And, although it's not like those people, we are still partners riding in the same boat,... Don’t you think you should give it a try?” 'Please get fooled...please get fooled....'
　　
“....”At, this moment, Suzune, finally understood that Hikigaya-kun wanted to eat her....Then, she thought about his gaze during the break....he was looking at her tempura.

Her cheeks frowned, in obvious disbelief, and even though, Suzune wanted to open her mouth and spat poison, “If you are willing to pay for the ingredients....” she didn't say anything else....but, her face has already told Hachiman, what she really thought about his proposal.

Only, this rhetoric is surprising. 'As long as I pay for the raw materials, I can eat the bento Horikita makes.... so why didn't she tell me this earlier?'

Although the rice balls at the convenience store were not unpalatable, Hachiman still wanted to try the girl's food. 'I can show this off to Komachi!
　　
Because, even though the word used here is, 'partner', it can also be modified to become a friend.

'So, maybe I gained my first friend in this school!' In this way, Hachiman's sister doesn't have to worry about him being isolated.

_____________

It's time for the next day.
　　
Maybe it’s because he woke up early today, Hachiman doesn’t have much energy.

'Only, when I got on the elevator....my world was turned upside down.'
　　　
Because he noticed, that in the corner of the elevator, a familiar black haired girl was standing on one side, with a dazed expression.

This is Horikita Suzune.
　　
People can usually, see her reading a vocabulary book like a study maniac, even in the elevator.

But things are different now, her face looks like she's busy, probably typing her own monologue.
　　
Since the elevator was filled with random Npc's from other classes, Hachiman decided to greet her,"Ohayo"
　　
Only, after discovering that it was a familiar voice, Suzune came out of her thoughts, and realised it was Hikigaya-kun, whom she fell in love with, and immediately adopted a straight posture, and faced him.
　　
Even her hand moved back, probably carrying something, and then she responded quickly, "Hachiman, Ohayo gozaimasu!"

“.....” That same boy's head, went blank for a second.
　　
"Well... Horikita, Ohayo gozai...." And, his brain also started to react, but stopped when, because at this point, he realised....

This was the first time, in nearly two months that Horikita Suzune took the initiative to say hello.....

When, she usually met him in the elevator, it was either "Yeah." or "Why don't you come up?" and the like.
　　
But, now....she just called him Hachiman. 'Apart from my family, there's no one, who uses this name....'

'It was the first time, I experienced being called by name, from someone else's mouth....especially a girl, no less!'
　　
"What happened after yesterday?" Hachiman, had a bad feeling, that she may have gotten into some kind of trouble.
　　
"I met Kushida-san." Suzune was also honest, at this time, “She said that if we are partners, then it's best to call you by name." 'Indeed, it was Kushida-san, who taught me to become more normal....with Hikigaya-kun.'

I see, it's not Horikita, who was being taken over by a ghost...

'But, Kushida, what do you want to do?' Do you want Horikita to steal my heart?'

Moreover, he also discovered the reason why this girl was standing in a daze just now.

She usually goes to school carrying her lunch box, in her left hand. But now, Carrying two bags.
　　
Hey Hey hey. 'I just said yesterday, about being willing to pay for the ingredients, but you really made a bento for me today?'

Now, the elevator has reached the first floor, and the students are starting to leave.
　　
But, both of these H people are walking side by side.

Hachiman didn't expect that, just casually trying to defuse Horikita's bomb yesterday.....their affair would become what it is now....

"What are you laughing at?" Suzune noticed his weird expression, and decided to question it right there, with her eyes racking over his whole body.

'Obviously....I can't cross my arms, because of these two bags....

'Really, am I smiling?' Even though, Hachiman was thinking about using his fingers, to trace over his lips, the other party, had already continued, “I hope, that you don't think about getting carried away like this...” After saying this, Suzune took a step back, and then stood behind him.

There was a feeling of resentment....but to this smiling boy, it was déjà vu, “Can't you be a little gentler?" Hachiman really, didn't like this fuse bulb type behaviour one bit, she was obviously so nice to him yesterday.
　　
'Didn't you see, that the students who had not yet gotten out of the elevator, ran away quickly.....because of your strong attitude?

"I can't do it!" However, Suzune didn't even care to glance at him, and reported instantly, "Besides, you're blocking the way, Let's go quickly."

'This girl's really unlovable, even my heart was pounding yesterday.....'
　　
And now, Hachiman was just pushed away by her, so that's what he did.....just slapped a guy's back, who was standing on his right.

“....” Npc, who was thrown out of the elevator. Only, this kind of behavior will be watched by almost everyone.

Then, yesterday's rumors will turn into confirmed dating.

'However, we are innocent, I don't need to fall in love, besides this girl doesn't even know, what the heck that word means!' Only, Hachiman was not prepared to explain this.

Instead, he started thinking about how, he could finally eat lunch made by a beautiful girl with good cooking skills....

___________
　　
And the other side, Canteen on the third floor.
　　
"...Not here." The silver-haired girl with a cane muttered in a low voice, when she looked at the empty seats.

"Yeah," A reply was also given, it was Kamuro-san, “Because Hikigaya is probably eating lunch with his new girlfriend....who confessed her love yesterday." Even though, Sakayanagi's quite shaken inside, and didn't want to hear these cruel words.

But, Kamuro-san didn't stop, and continued her job of being a mouthpiece like a good pet, “And Yamada from our class, saw both Hikigaya and a girl named Horikita, in the elevator together, and she was very busy flirting with him....”

“Then it's really gratifying, his dark youth can actually shine so
brightly... It’s really quite amazing,” At first, Sakayanagi thought it was just new info, and used her brain to analyse it.

Only, wait a moment!
　
“....” Sakayanagi, this girl looked over at her pet with a question mark on her face.

“.....” Kamuro-san, who was just doing her job.

_________

Author's Note

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