Chapter Thirty-Two: Hachiman: I Told You, I'm Going to Become a Househusband

Sho Tobe was still speaking in his usual sarcastic tone.

This guy must have been born the wrong sex. Or did he have gender reassignment surgery?

Hachiman silently grumbled inwardly.

"Don't say that, Tobe. Hachiman-kun is our classmate, after all."

Hayato Hayama was being his usual good-natured self.

"Whoa~ Is this the legendary spark of love between an ascetic, expressionless beauty and a sunny, handsome guy?" Hina Ebina's eyes lit up, her cheeks flushed as she panted lightly, staring intently at Hachiman and Hayama.

Hachiman and Hayama shuddered at Himeka's words. They exchanged a glance, then both turned away and prepared to retch.

Seeing how perfectly in sync the two of them were, Himeka became even more excited. Two streams of bright-red nosebleed gushed out as she imagined who knew what depraved scenes.

Yukino, standing not far away, saw Hachiman gagging and hurried over to pat him on the back.

As she patted him, she asked, "Are you all right? Why did you suddenly feel like throwing up? Are you carsick?"

Noticing the concern on Yukino's face, Hachiman caught his breath before continuing, "I'm fine. I just thought of something disgusting."

Seeing what Yukino had done, Miura tried to comfort Hayama in the same way, but Hayama avoided her without making a fuss.

"We'll be going now, Hachiman-kun."

Hayama, once again clad in his exoskeleton armor, waved goodbye to Hachiman.

"To be honest, Hayama still can't compare to your sister."

Hachiman spoke to Yukino as he watched Miura's somewhat dejected back.

"Mm. Big Sister has always been like that."

Yukino nodded in agreement.

"Let's go. We're heading to the campground."

Hachiman and Yukino walked slowly down the road hand in hand, searching with their eyes among the numerous elementary school students.

"Look there."

Yukino tugged on Hachiman's hand, then pointed with her left hand toward the shade of a tree in the distance.

Hachiman looked at Rumi Tsurumi, who was sitting alone beneath the tree.

With her black hair and black eyes, she looked just like Yukino as a child. An icy loneliness also seemed to surround Rumi.

"Should we go over?" Yukino asked Hachiman worriedly as she watched Rumi.

"No. Interfering rashly wouldn't be a good start."

Hachiman simply watched her in silence.

Perhaps similar people were always drawn to each other. Rumi lifted her head from her knees and stared expressionlessly at the two people before her, who had the same aura as her. When she saw Hachiman and Yukino holding hands, a faint spark appeared in her dull eyes.

Rumi and the two of them stared at each other. After quite some time, Hachiman hesitantly raised a hand and waved gently.

Rumi ignored Hachiman. She merely lowered her head and buried it in her knees again.

Hachiman awkwardly withdrew his hand, his face filled with embarrassment.

Yukino couldn't help laughing at this awkward father-daughter pair. Helplessly, she said, "You haven't even met her once, yet you already look like you're trying to abduct her. Anyone else would ignore you too."

Hachiman coughed softly in embarrassment, his entire face practically spelling out the word.

"Come on, come on. We'll deal with Little Rumi later."

Yukino's face was full of smiles as she pulled Hachiman away.

Watching the two of them gradually leave, Rumi looked even more dejected.

"Oh my~ Where did you two go, Little Snow and Hikki? I looked everywhere for you!"

As soon as Hachiman and Yukino returned, Yui came bouncing over and threw herself onto Yukino.

With a look of disgust, Yukino tried to push Yui away as she rubbed against her. "Yui, don't you know that I'm hot?"

"Eh? Little Snow, aren't you always clinging to Hikki's arm?" Yui pouted unhappily. "Wuu~ Is Little Snow avoiding me after all? You even said we were best friends. I'm so sad."

Hearing Yui's words, Yukino could only give up resisting and let Yui cling to and rub against her arm.

Feeling her hand sink into two abundant mounds of softness that continued rubbing against her, Yukino's face instantly flushed red.

"C-can you... not... do this?"

Yukino stammered as she spoke.

Yui obediently let go of Yukino and instead took her hand, leading her toward the cooking tent. "Little Snow, come help! Your cooking is so delicious."

As Yukino's personally trained apprentice, Hachiman now had excellent cooking skills as well. However, since he always found it troublesome, he was too lazy to cook unless it was a special occasion.

Ignoring the busy people, Hachiman walked straight to the shade of a nearby tree and quietly watched Yukino and Rumi in the distance.

Suddenly, the two people being watched raised their heads at the same time.

Yukino gave Hachiman a gentle smile, then continued with what she was doing.

Rumi, meanwhile, wiped the water from her hands. Ignoring Hayama beside her, she walked straight toward Hachiman.

Hayama, having failed to get anywhere, could only turn around and chat with the other elementary school students.

Rumi quietly walked up beside Hachiman, stopping about one person's width away from him.

"I feel like... you're different from everyone else."

The girl's calm voice rang beside Hachiman's ear.

"Me? Perhaps."

Hachiman spoke indifferently.

"Aren't you the same? You seem... more mature than the other elementary school students."

"Ma...ture?"

The cool, pretty girl pondered for a moment before continuing, "What... is your name?"

"You should give your own name before asking for someone else's."

Hachiman spoke with a smile.

"Tsurumi... Rumi Tsurumi."

"Hikigaya Hachiman. Hachiman extended his hand gently. "Please take care of me."

Rumi hesitated, then slowly extended her hand and lightly touched his.

"Oh my, it looks like you two are getting along quite well."

Yukino walked over with a smile.

Hearing someone speak behind her, Rumi hurriedly withdrew her hand. Only after noticing that it was Yukino did she relax.

"Mm. I suppose it's because similar people are always drawn to each other."

Yukino calmly summed it up.

"Similar...?" Rumi repeated softly.

"Yes. That's probably why this guy and I ended up together. By the way, this is Yukino Yukinoshita."

"Hel...hello. I'm Rumi Tsurumi."

Little Rumi looked at Yukino, who resembled her greatly.

"Eh~ Why did Little Snow suddenly come over here?"

Yui suddenly popped out.

"It's nothing. I just saw Hachiman here, so I came to take a look."

Yukino concealed her true motive.

"Whoa~ Little Snow, Hikki, is this your daughter?" Yui cried out when she noticed Rumi behind Yukino.

"What are you talking about? How could she possibly be our daughter?"

Hachiman helplessly held his forehead, speechless at Miss Dango's wild imagination.

"But the three of you really do look like a family of three."

Yui was still amazed.

"She has an aura similar to Hikki's, and she looks so much like Little Snow."

Before Yui could finish, Rumi lowered her head and walked away, a suspicious flush coloring her face.

Hachiman and Yukino simultaneously glared unhappily at Yui. Yui immediately covered her mouth.

"What should we do?" Yukino asked with her eyes.

"What else can we do? Wait."

Chapter Thirty-Two: Hachiman: I Told You, I'm Going to Become a Househusband

"Wuu~ Did I say something wrong?" Miss Dango whimpered softly as the two people before her glared fiercely at her.

"It's nothing."

Yukino merely replied weakly.

Seeing Yukino lead Yui back, Hachiman hesitated for a while, but ultimately did not chase after Rumi. Instead, he returned to Yukino's side and helped her out.

Hachiman deftly sliced and peeled the potato in his hand. Yui watched him wield the knife at lightning speed, her face taking on a dazed expression.

"L-little Hikki is amazing."

Yui, whose cooking skills were nonexistent, marveled.

Hachiman frowned at her words, then quickly relaxed. He remembered that the Yui before him was not the Yui he had known for more than two years, but someone he had known for less than two months—at most, a relatively familiar friend.

"You didn't know? My cooking skills are actually on par with Yukino's."

Hachiman spoke casually.

"Eh, really? Why have I never heard that before?"

Yui clearly didn't believe him at all.

"Haah~ Your disbelief is written all over your face."

Hachiman tapped Yui's head with the back of his hand. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Yukino."

"Ow~ Little Hikki, don't just hit me. It'll make me stupid."

Yui rubbed her head. Though she complained, her expression showed that she was quite happy.

"Little Snow? Is what Hikki said true?" Yui turned to ask Yukino.

"Huh?" Yukino turned around and wiped the water from her face with her sleeve before continuing. "He wasn't lying. It's just that he's incredibly lazy, so I'm usually the one who cooks."

"Mm, so Little Hikki is actually this amazing?"

"I never knew."

Yui tilted her head as she spoke.

"I'll make you a serving later, so you'll stop doubting my abilities."

Hachiman spoke to Yui with a smile.

Yui's face flushed pink, and her smile seemed ready to spill over.

Yukino heard what Hachiman said to Yui. She merely wrinkled her cute little nose and curled her lips in disdain.

"Hachiman, stop showing off and come help. I'm tired."

Yukino spoke unhappily.

"Then don't cook. I'll take over."

Hachiman half-forcibly sent Yukino to sit on a chair to the side, took over what she had been doing, and continued busily working.