"Um... I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei that you can help students' wishes come true here."
In Mori Shinra's field of vision, a gray exclamation mark lit up above Yuigahama Yui's head. This immediately energized him, who had originally planned to be a bystander.
It's showtime, folks!
His gaze towards Yuigahama Yui unconsciously became a fraction more enthusiastic. Well, just a fraction.
The amount of enthusiasm depended on the amount of Wish Points. Gray Wish Request = 1 Wish Point. Clearly marked price, no cheating the old or the young.
Mori Shinra was just that kind of practical man.
"Yes, but with a slight difference. The Service Club only provides help. Whether the wish can be realized or not depends on you," Yukinoshita corrected her seriously.
"Depends on me, you mean?" Yuigahama Yui was puzzled.
Hikigaya was also puzzled, but he didn't say anything. Shinra, however, understood what Yukinoshita meant, but he begged to differ.
If Yuigahama Yui couldn't do it, he would step in.
Hmm, that sounded a bit chuunibyou. Have I been spending too much time with Hikigaya and gotten infected by the Hikigaya-germ?
"It's the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish. The Service Club provides a way for people to help themselves, rather than directly giving them the result. Helping others become self-reliant is the closest explanation," Yukinoshita explained.
"Th-that sounds amazing!"
Yuigahama showed an expression of sudden realization, as if she had been completely convinced by Yukinoshita. Being so easily convinced, it felt like when she got older, she would be a prime customer for health supplements.
Looking at her like this, Mori Shinra started to believe that the "big chest, no brain" law was not without basis.
Thinking this, he secretly glanced at Yukinoshita, which only strengthened this idea.
After all, compared to Yuigahama Yui's mountainous peaks, Yukinoshita was exceptionally flat. Coupled with her quick wit and sharp tongue, didn't this perfectly prove the correctness of the "big chest, no brain" law?
Moreover, from a biological perspective, well-endowed women often don't need much effort to attract the opposite sex. Conversely, women whose chests are... lacking, have to consider many other things.
This was the origin of "poor chest, extremely vicious."
As if sensing Mori Shinra's gaze, Yukinoshita frowned. Her intuition told her that this guy was definitely thinking something bad. But with Yuigahama present, it wasn't appropriate to ask directly. She would remember this for later.
"First, tell us your wish. We can't guarantee it will be fulfilled, but we will do our best to help you."
Yuigahama was first moved, and then she froze on the spot.
What was the wish she wanted to ask for again?
Actually, the reason she had come this time was because she had learned from Hiratsuka-sensei that Hikigaya was in the Service Club. Plus, the club could help people's wishes come true. So, she had thought of coming to find Hikigaya to discuss how to apologize to Mori Shinra.
But she never, ever expected Mori Shinra himself to be in the Service Club.
That idiot Hikki never told her about this! No, wait, if she hadn't accidentally heard Hikki's name from Hiratsuka-sensei, she wouldn't have even known that he had joined a club!
What should she do now? She couldn't possibly ask how to apologize to Mori Shinra in front of Mori Shinra himself, could she?
It was precisely because she couldn't do it that she had thought of seeking help from the Service Club!
Yuigahama Yui's not-so-bright brain immediately short-circuited, and little circles started appearing in her pretty eyes.
"Um... this..."
Looking at the girl who didn't know where to put her hands, the clever Yukinoshita seemed to have figured something out. She turned her head to look at Mori Shinra and Hikigaya, then tilted her chin up slightly.
Shinra pointed at himself. Me, leave?
Yukinoshita nodded. You, leave.
Shinra gave a reluctant glance at the gray Wish Request above Yuigahama Yui's head and left the Service Club classroom, looking back every three steps.
In contrast, Hikigaya had already very tactfully slipped out the moment Yukinoshita had gestured.
"...Here." Outside the door, Mori Shinra received a can of MAX Coffee handed to him by Hikigaya.
It was a very sweet coffee, so sweet that it barely resembled coffee at all.
But more than the drink itself, Shinra was more surprised by the fact that Hikigaya would bring him coffee in the first place.
It gave him the gratifying feeling of a father watching his son grow up.
"Hey, what's with that look?" Hikigaya was starting to lose his composure. I give you a can of coffee, and you want to be my father?
What an impertinent fellow!
"Thanks." Shinra took the coffee but had no intention of opening it.
This action made Hikigaya misunderstand. He couldn't help but ask, "Not to your taste?"
"No, I want to collect it," Shinra replied with a straight face.
Hikigaya completely lost it. "Just drink it!"
Under Hikigaya's strong insistence, Shinra finally opened the can of coffee that symbolized 'growth'.
Sigh, a doting father spoils the child.
As the coffee was finished, the conversation inside was also coming to an end.
Mori Shinra and Hikigaya, like husbands waiting outside a delivery room, rushed in as soon as they heard the call from Dr. Yukinoshita.
"How's the baby?" Shinra couldn't help but shout.
Yukinoshita covered her forehead. Seeing this, Shinra's lips trembled a few times. So... they couldn't save it?
"Can you please be normal!"
How did Yukinoshita not realize how childish this guy was before?
"Ehehe!" Shinra looked at Yuigahama Yui... above her head, and saw that the gray exclamation mark had disappeared.
And a red dot had appeared on his "Requests" tab. In the spirit of "it is everyone's responsibility to eliminate red dots," Shinra opened the request panel. Sure enough, a gray request was listed there.
The name of the request was [Yuigahama's Apology]. The mission content in the middle will be skipped to save word count; let's get straight to the result.
—Obtain Mori Shinra's forgiveness.
Reward: 1 Wish Point
Very good, young lady. I have felt your sincerity. I, Mori Shinra, forgive you.
From the bottom of his heart, Shinra wanted to (crossed out)—forgive Yuigahama Yui for the sin of not properly supervising her dog, allowing it to break free from its leash, ultimately leading to the handsome and dashing student Mori Shinra being hit by a car.
(Blink)
As expected, it didn't work. Looking at the unchanging Wish Request on the panel, Shinra fell into thought.
His own forgiveness didn't count as forgiveness. The person who made the request had to know that he had forgiven her for it to count.
Looking at it this way, Yuigahama Yui's wish wasn't so much asking for his forgiveness as it was him helping her forgive herself.
Eh! A flash of inspiration went through Shinra's mind.
If that's the case, then could Yukinoshita's golden Wish Request be approached with the same line of thinking?
A very interesting topic. He would try it out after finishing this job.
"So what are we doing now?" Shinra was eager to get started.
Seeing him like this, both Yuigahama, who hadn't revealed the full story, and Yukinoshita, who had already guessed most of it, showed strange expressions on their faces.
Hikigaya at the side yawned, feeling a bit redundant.
"Anyway, let's go to the home economics classroom first."