Chapter 197: Haruno's Denunciation
"S-so you were just buckling a belt...I thought...
Waaaaah~ Never mind, it's nothing!"
Yuigahama Yui covered her flushed cheeks with both hands.
"Thought what?" Everyone present looked puzzled.
Only Hikigaya instantly understood her outrageous mental gymnastics, and his face was covered in dark lines. Though he liked Totsuka, it was strictly a soul-level connection; he had absolutely no intention of exploring biological philosophy.
'Wait... Forget it, better not let my mind wander, lest I awaken some irredeemable fetish.'
"Since we've run into each other, it's perfect.
Hikigaya-kun, this is for you."
Yukinoshita Yukino handed a wrapped spectacle case to Hikigaya.
"Eh?! The person Yukinon wanted to give a gift to... was also Hikki?" Yuigahama Yui was shocked.
"Also?" Yukinoshita Yukino keenly caught the keyword.
After a moment of surprise and brief reflection, she expressed understanding: "Yuigahama-san is repaying Hikigaya for what happened this morning, isn't she?"
"Y-yeah..." Yuigahama Yui fidgeted and pulled a bag from behind her back: "Then, this... is for you!"
Faced with receiving gifts from both girls simultaneously, Hikigaya hadn't even reacted yet when Komachi, beside him, couldn't sit still.
"I must be dreaming.
Two girls are giving Brother gifts at the same time!!"
Komachi rubbed her eyes as if witnessing a hallucination.
"Hmph! Now you know your brother is amazing." Hikigaya accepted the gifts from both girls without hesitation. Little did he know, this decisive move shocked his sister once again.
"He didn't even act shy...You're an impostor, aren't you?" Komachi stepped back a few paces, face full of shock.
"Why should I be shy?
Yukinoshita's is a return gift.
Yuigahama's is a repayment.
It's completely logical!" Hikigaya remained calm.
Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes shifted, a trace of inexplicable admiration showing in her expression.
"Correct! Originally I was worried it might cause some misunderstanding, but it seems I worried for nothing."
"Ah, yeah... Hahaha." Yuigahama Yui laughed awkwardly. She fiddled with her fingers inside her sleeves; in truth, besides repaying him, she did have some small hope of getting closer to him.
"It seems everyone likes Hachiman. That's wonderful." Totsuka Saika pressed his hands together, a sunny smile on his face.
"Mhm! Totsuka-niisan is right!
Since everyone is friends, let's have dinner together tonight."
Komachi's eyes lit up. As a good little sister, she naturally wouldn't miss an opportunity to expand her brother's social circle.
"Great, great!" Yuigahama Yui immediately agreed.
"..." Yukinoshita Yukino looked hesitant. She remembered that her sister was supposed to pick her up tonight to attend some high-society banquet.
"Is Yukinon busy?"
"No, not exactly..."
"Then come on, come on~"
"This... alright."
Yukinoshita Yukino felt a resistance toward the banquet on one hand, and on the other, she felt a slight pang of regret knowing a certain someone was leaving tomorrow.
Thus, the group arrived at a family restaurant.
"Order whatever you like, it's on me." Hikigaya was uncharacteristically generous for once.
"Eh? Since when did Onii-chan become rich?
Komachi was already prepared to use her pocket money to pay for you."
Komachi looked surprised, then didn't forget to praise herself: "Eee~ What Komachi just said was a high-scoring line!"
"Hachiman, don't push yourself. I have pocket money too." Totsuka Saika was very thoughtful.
"M-me too!" Yuigahama Yui followed suit.
"Let's just split the bill. I'm not used to owing favors." Yukinoshita Yukino maintained her solitary, aloof style.
"Don't fight me on this meal." With that, Hikigaya patted his thick wallet. This was cash he had exchanged at school using Private Points. It was specifically for expenses during the outing, with a limit of 50,000 yen.
"Is that... does that school actually give students money?" Yukinoshita Yukino mused.
"Something like that. But you know about Advanced Nurturing?" Hikigaya asked in return.
"I've heard some rumors from my sister.
Originally, after I returned from abroad, I received an invitation letter from Advanced Nurturing.
Three years of tuition and fees waived, plus a chance to go straight to Tokyo University after graduation. Though it sounded suspicious, I investigated the school and saw its background in government-enterprise cooperation, so the teaching quality likely isn't bad.
But for some reason, my sister was adamantly opposed to me going there, so I didn't go in the end." Yukinoshita Yukino explained in detail.
"Your sister was right to oppose it," Hikigaya said. Based on his preliminary understanding of Yukinoshita Yukino, she was essentially "Horikita Plus," sharing the same weakness of poor social skills. If she entered Advanced Nurturing, she'd likely be assigned to Class C or D.
Furthermore, her sense of justice was stronger than Horikita's; in a treacherous environment like Advanced Nurturing, she would be an easy target for manipulation.
"Why?" Yukinoshita Yukino looked puzzled.
"Sorry, that involves school confidentiality. I can't disclose more." Hikigaya shook his head, unwilling to say more.
"Hmph! Just the fact that it's three years of total lockdown with no contact with family makes it super suspicious!"
Komachi puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, then changed the subject: "But with Brother's twisted personality, he's probably thriving in a weird school like that, right?"
"Indeed. Admire me!" Hikigaya was smug.
"That wasn't a compliment." Komachi stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes.
Watching the interaction between the siblings, the others smiled; the atmosphere was very harmonious. However, at that moment, an uninvited guest forcefully intervened.
"Oh my~ I found you, Yukino-chan~" The newcomer was none other than Yukinoshita Haruno, whom they had briefly seen that morning.
"Sister..." Yukinoshita Yukino's brow furrowed, an ominous premonition stirring in her heart.
"Oh? Isn't this the hero who saved the beauty this morning, Hikigaya-kun?"
Yukinoshita Haruno turned toward Hikigaya, a cold glint in her narrowed eyes. "I heard that during the exchange match, you pinned Yukino-chan to the ground and rubbed her into the dirt in front of everyone. You're quite... bold, aren't you?"
"It was just a martial arts spar... Haruno-san, you've misunderstood." A few drops of cold sweat broke out on Hikigaya's forehead.
As an expert "sister-complex" individual himself, he smelled a similar scent coming from Haruno.
"Wait, Sister!
It was a fair duel between Hikigaya and me. It was simply my own lack of skill."
Yukinoshita Yukino spoke up righteously, trying to stop her sister's denunciation of Hikigaya.
Read ahead (160 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting