Chapter Thirty-Three: Hachiman: Believe It or Not, I Had a Daughter in My Second Year of High School

Yukino sat on a chair, smiling sweetly as she watched Hachiman busily work. The happiness on her face was enough to make Yui jealous all over again.

Noticing that someone nearby was about to turn around, Yukino instantly withdrew her expression and put on the appearance of an ice queen. When Tobe, who was in front of them, turned back, all he saw was Yukino casually glancing at him with an expressionless face.

After being glared at, Tobe hurriedly turned back around. However, an extremely unfriendly gaze was fixed on his back, making him feel a chill run down his spine.

More than ten seconds passed before that uncomfortable feeling gradually faded. Tobe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and continued working.

After withdrawing her gaze, Yukino kept sneaking glances at Hachiman. Only after everyone had finished their tasks and dinner was about to begin did she stretch slightly, stand up, and walk toward the dining table with Yui.

By the time Hachiman had delivered the elementary school students' portions to their table and returned, Yukino and the others had already begun eating.

When Yukino saw Hachiman approaching, she moved her chair out a little to make room for him.

As soon as Hachiman sat down, he heard Hayama praise the food. "This tastes really good. Come to think of it, were these dishes Yukinoshita's work?"

"No. I only made some of them. Someone else took over the rest."

Yukino spoke indifferently, without a trace of expression on her face, as though the person being praised wasn't her.

"Hm? It wasn't Yukinoshita? Then was it Yuihama?" Hayama turned toward Yui, who couldn't stop moving her chopsticks. He still wore that same smiling expression.

"Huh?" Yui, who had been focused entirely on eating, raised her head with her chopsticks between her teeth. Her beautiful eyes were filled with innocence.

Hayama had no choice but to repeat himself. "I said this dish tastes really good. Yuihama, you're quite skilled at cooking."

Yui, who had been praised out of nowhere, came back to her senses and hurriedly waved her hands. "No, I didn't make this."

Seeing Yui's flushed face as she denied it, Hayama was a little confused too.

"If it wasn't Yuihama, then who else could it be?"

"Uh, well, it was Hikki."

Yui pointed at Hachiman with her chopsticks.

Yukino calmly said, "Yuihama, pointing at someone with chopsticks is very rude."

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

Yui pressed her palms together and apologized to Yukino.

"You should be apologizing to someone else."

Yukino let out a soft sigh, a trace of helplessness in her voice.

"Yukinoshita, that's enough, right?"

Miura suddenly spoke up, a hint of anger in her voice as she glared at Yukino.

"Come on, don't be like that."

Hayama tried to soothe Yumiko.

Under the table, Hachiman also gently patted Yukino's thigh, signaling that she shouldn't let it bother her.

"Come to think of it, I really didn't expect Hikigaya to be such a good cook."

Hayama changed the subject.

"I'm just okay."

Hachiman answered casually.

Miura still looked indignant, while Yui quietly tried to persuade her.

After a while, Miura finally let out a breath. With an exasperated look, she poked Yui on the head.

Seeing that Miura had calmed down, Yui simply grinned and let her keep poking her.

"By the way, did you notice that one of the elementary school students seems a little out of place?"

Hayama suddenly spoke as though he had just remembered.

"You mean the black-haired girl? Yukinoshita and I noticed her too."

Hachiman nodded as he spoke.

"I was thinking about whether we should go help her. What do you think?" Hayama sounded as though he was asking for their opinion, but there was a certainty in his tone.

"No, you don't need to trouble yourself. Yukinoshita and I can handle it."

Hachiman said this while eating, sounding rather unconcerned.

Hayama stared at Hachiman for a long while before finally nodding in agreement.

Hachiman didn't respond to Hayama. He simply continued eating quietly. After everyone had eaten their fill and stood up to leave, he took advantage of the distraction and whispered into Yukino's ear.

"Come out tonight. Wait for me in the woods."

"Huh?" Yukino's face flushed bright red in an instant. "There are so many people here. Aren't you afraid someone will see us?"

"..." Hachiman was silent for a moment. "What are you thinking? I asked you to come out because there's something we need to discuss."

Looking at Yukino, who had inexplicably become shy, Hachiman felt a headache coming on.

Yukino said nothing. She simply turned around and ran off, her face still red.

Hachiman: Do You Believe Me? I Had a Daughter in My Second Year of High School

Hachiman was kneeling on the floor, tidying his bed, when someone suddenly poked him lightly on the cheek. He turned around and found that it was Ayaka Totsuka.

"Um, Ayaka, is something wrong?" Feeling the warmth of Ayaka's fingertip against his cheek, Hachiman asked while forcing himself to remain calm.

"Nothing. There's just something I wanted to ask you."

Ayaka sat on his bed in a crouch, supporting himself with his palms on the mattress as he tilted his head up and stared at Hachiman with damp, glistening eyes.

Hachiman looked at Ayaka's fair, exposed thighs and his feet, which appeared extremely small compared with those of ordinary boys. The nails on his rounded toes were neatly trimmed, and all ten sparkling little pearls curled together.

Because Ayaka was tilting his head up, his slender neck and delicate collarbones formed a beautiful picture, pale skin tinged with a rosy glow.

"Hey, why doesn't this guy have an Adam's apple?"

Being watched by Ayaka's fawnlike eyes, Hachiman suddenly felt inexplicably overheated.

"W-What is it?"

Hachiman asked while swallowing.

"Well..." Ayaka spoke softly as he slowly crawled toward Hachiman. "Yui told me about... you and Yukinoshita. Is it true? Are you really dating?"

"This..." Hachiman hesitated.

Ayaka drew closer and closer. Hachiman could even clearly smell the fragrance coming from him.

"It's true."

In the end, Hachiman told the truth.

"Is that so..." Ayaka looked somewhat dejected after receiving his answer.

"So..." Tobe, who had entered while chatting and laughing with Hayama, suddenly froze in place.

"Why did you suddenly stop?"

Hayama asked in confusion. Then he saw Hachiman and Ayaka, and he froze as well.

Because of the angle, the moment Hayama and Tobe entered, all they saw was Hachiman standing up and Ayaka kneeling in a crouch directly in front of him.

Hayama and Tobe stared at Hachiman's back. Ayaka's body below the head was visible between Hachiman's legs, and the expressions on their faces became extremely colorful.

Hachiman heard the noise behind him and turned around. Seeing their astonished expressions, he was utterly perplexed.

Hayama coughed awkwardly, grabbed Tobe, and turned to leave.

"Tobe, where's the bathroom?"

"Huh? Oh, I'll show you."

Hachiman watched their panicked retreat and felt that they had misunderstood something.

The corner of his mouth twitched, but Hachiman said nothing. He merely turned back and continued tidying his bed.

Ayaka had already crawled into his own blanket. With his back to Hachiman, he wiped away his tears.

Hachiman lay on his bed with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep. He planned to sneak out and meet Yukino once everyone had fallen asleep so they could discuss their rendezvous, but Tobe kept talking with Hayama.

Amid his irritation, Hachiman heard Hayama once again mention the initials of the girl he liked. Some time later, when the room held no sound except steady breathing, Hachiman got up and quietly headed outside.

After Hachiman left, Ayaka sat up. With red-rimmed eyes and a complicated expression, he stared at the doorway. Finally, he let out a quiet sigh, lay back down, and pulled the blanket over his head.

When Hachiman arrived at the woods, Yukino was gazing at the star-filled night sky with a bored expression.

"The stars in the countryside are really beautiful, huh?"

Hearing Hachiman's voice, Yukino reached up and smoothed back the strands of hair that the breeze had blown loose beside her cheek.

"The stars here still aren't as bright as the ones I saw abroad before."

Yukino sighed softly.

"Why did you take so long? I've been waiting for you."

"Ah, because..." Before Hachiman could finish, Yukino's lips interrupted him.

"You still don't understand? When you're late for a date with a girl, no excuse is acceptable. You have to make it up through your actions. Understand?" Yukino tapped Hachiman on the chest, sounding slightly reproachful.

Hachiman simply stepped forward and gently embraced Yukino. He slowly patted her back again and again.

"Tell me. What exactly did you want to discuss?"

After the two of them enjoyed a moment of peace, Yukino asked him.

"I've thought about it, and what we did before wasn't quite right."

Hachiman pondered.

"Maybe it can help her for a while, but what happens when she enters middle school?"

"What do you mean?"

Yukino looked puzzled.

"This is what I'm thinking. For now, we can continue doing things the way we did before."

"But the key is still you."

"What does this have to do with me?" Yukino blinked.

"I mean, do you think you could find a way to have her transfer to a school near us?"

"Huh?" Yukino's face filled with astonishment.

"How did you suddenly come up with that idea?" Yukino looked suspiciously at Hachiman.

"Ahem." Hachiman cleared his throat, then said sheepishly, "Isn't it because Yui said the three of us look like a family of three?"

"So you're really planning to raise her by your side like a daughter?" Yukino immediately became jealous.

"Come on. If we really have a daughter in the future, are you going to be jealous of her too?" Hachiman quietly comforted Yukino as he held her.

"Who said I'd have your daughter? Shameless."

Yukino's face reddened as she lightly elbowed Hachiman in the chest.

"Then are you planning to have a son? No, you would be irritated to death by him. I couldn't bear that."

"Did I ever say I was going to have children for you?" Yukino continued stubbornly.

"All right, all right. No children, no children."

Just as the two of them were getting affectionate, the sound of a branch snapping came from the woods beside them.

"Who's there?"

Hachiman and Yukino spoke at the same time and quickly separated.

A figure gradually emerged from the darkness. When Hachiman saw who it was, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"This is bad."

That was what Hachiman thought.

Rumi Tsurumi stood not far away, looking at the two of them with an utterly expressionless gaze.