The Hikigaya Couple's Youth Romantic Comedy Is Definitely Not Wrong Chapter 22

Yui accepted the cup with a thank you and sat down on the side.

"Eh, isn't this the one from yesterday?" Yui said with a bit of surprise, seeing Rumi sitting next to Yukino.

"It's Tsurumi Rumi, not 'that one'," Little Rumi said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Oh, oh."

Yui nodded.

"My name is Yuihama Yui, nice to meet you."

"Are you their friend?" Rumi asked Yukino and Hachiman.

"Yes."

Upon receiving the answer, Rumi frowned, feeling they were completely different from them.

"Uh... Yui wasn't happy with the evaluation of being 'different,' feeling like she was being insulted..."

"No, you're just overthinking it," Yukino said, being extremely protective.

"Oh, right! Teacher Hiratsuka said there's a river here, and we can go play in the water!" Yui exclaimed excitedly, suddenly remembering something.

"Hey, Little Snow, let's go. It's so hot here," Yui said, looking at Yukino with expectant eyes.

"Did you bring a swimsuit?" Yukino asked.

"Hehehe, of course, I did."

"Then that's fine, let's go."

"Mmm~ I want to go too!" Komachi suddenly chimed in.

"Sure, Hikki and... uh... right, Rumi, do Hikki and Rumi want to go?" Yui asked the other two, who were calmly drinking tea.

"I didn't bring a swimsuit, you guys go ahead." Hachiman waved his hand, indicating he preferred to watch.

"I don't have one either. Wherever Dad goes, I go," Little Rumi said, not even looking at Yui, leaning closer to Yukino.

"Dad? Daddy?" Yui was stunned.

"It's not my fault you said something about being like a family of three! Now this kid calls Hachiman 'Dad' whenever she sees him," Yukino glared at Yui.

"Waaah~ It's not my fault, I was just surprised! You three really look alike," Yui said innocently.

"Alright, aren't you guys going to go change into your swimsuits?" Hachiman interrupted their conversation.

"Yeah, Little Snow, let's go, I'm dying of heat," Yui said, tugging at the collar of her shirt, causing the other two girls to jump and bounce.

Yukino, Rumi, and Komachi all looked at Yui, who was acting out of the ordinary, with unfriendly eyes.

"Ehh~ Why does it suddenly feel cooler?" The airheaded girl had no idea this coolness was coming from the three "class enemies" before her.

With that, Yui grabbed Yukino and Komachi and hurried towards the house, leaving Hachiman holding Rumi's hand as they strolled leisurely.

By the time Hachiman and Rumi slowly reached the riverbank, Yui and the others had already caught up from behind.

"Shall we sit over there?" Hachiman pointed to a spot under the shade of a tree by the river and asked Rumi.

The little one nodded faintly. Only after Hachiman spread out some paper on the ground did she gracefully sit down.

"Why did you suddenly start calling me Dad?" Hachiman asked with a smile.

"None of your business." The little princess turned her head away stubbornly.

"Okay, okay, it's none of my business. Call me whatever you want." Hachiman stroked his "cheap daughter's" head, only to find that she was just blushing and not resisting.

When Hachiman withdrew his hand, Rumi leaned against him, closed her eyes, and caught up on sleep. Hachiman simply adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable.

Chapter 36: The Eve

Rumi was sleeping soundly when she suddenly felt her breathing obstructed. She opened her eyes to find Hachiman pinching her nose with his hand. She impatiently swatted his hand away, glaring at him like a startled kitten.

"Didn't you sleep last night?" Hachiman asked softly. "It's already noon, you know. How many hours did you sleep?"

"Hm?" Rumi let out a small, sleepy sound, her voice still thick with sleep.

The little one blinked her drowsy eyes, looking at Hachiman with a dazed expression.

"It's noon?" Rumi asked.

"They left about ten minutes ago. I called you because you wouldn't wake up," Hachiman explained.

Rumi pondered this, and then a rumbling sound came from her stomach.

The girl's face suddenly flushed, and she didn't dare to look at the smiling Hachiman.

"Shall we go?" Hachiman didn't expose her, just extended his hand to her, signaling her to follow him.

Rumi didn't take Hachiman's hand, but instead spread her arms, wanting Hachiman to carry her.

Hachiman gave a wry smile, then, bracing his sore arm, picked Rumi up.

Rumi hooked her arms around Hachiman's neck and adjusted her position in his arms for comfort.

Finally, Hachiman's hand rested casually on the little one's backside, while his other hand supported her back.

Rumi, in turn, wrapped her arms around Hachiman's neck, her soft chest pressed tightly against his. Her dangling legs swayed slightly, reflecting her good mood.

Hachiman slowly walked towards the dining area, carrying Little Rumi in his arms.

Hayama, who was busy working, saw this scene and was stunned, staring blankly as Hachiman sat down at a table with Rumi in his arms.

Hayama was suddenly scalded by rising steam and immediately snapped back to attention. He stopped looking at Rumi and Hachiman, who were interacting like father and daughter, and focused intently on the ingredients he was handling.

At that moment, Rumi suddenly jumped down from Hachiman's arms. Hachiman asked, a little confused, "What are you going to do?"

"Pick flowers," the little one said plainly.

"Pick flowers?" Hachiman watched Rumi run towards the house, not understanding. "There are no flowers in the house."

Seeing Rumi leave, Hayama wiped his hands and walked over. "It seems you're getting along well with that child," Hayama said with a smile.

"We're doing okay. Maybe I'm just good at handling these kinds of things," Hachiman replied calmly.

"You don't need to be so modest. That child trusts you a lot right now, at least I can see that much," Hayama said. "Seeing this situation puts my mind at ease. What are your plans for the future?" Hayama inquired.

"This is where I'll need your help," Hachiman explained his original plan to Hayama.

"Is that so? That's fine, I can help with that kind of thing," Hayama nodded in agreement.

"But in that case, she might still be ostracized in the future. That's why I asked Yukino to help her transfer schools. The child trusts me and her quite a bit right now, so we just need to help her get through this period," Hachiman explained.

"I see, then I'm relieved," Hayama said, preparing to leave.

Just then, Rumi came running back from the house, her footsteps pattering, and threw herself onto Hachiman, climbing him with her hands and feet.

Hachiman instinctively pulled her into his arms, feeling the dampness on her hands. So that's what she meant by picking flowers, Hachiman thought.

Seeing Rumi bury herself in Hachiman's arms again like an ostrich, Hayama chuckled silently. He simply waved at Hachiman and returned to his work.

Hachiman, meanwhile, couldn't stop stroking Rumi's hair. Watching the little one lie expressionlessly in his arms, a smile never left his face.

"Hachiman-kun, come help me with something," Yukino called out without turning around.

"Um, I have to go help. Can you let me go now?" Hachiman asked the little boss, looking down at her.

Little Rumi let out an extremely displeased grunt, then reluctantly released her grip on Hachiman.

Seeing the awkward situation, Hachiman simply smiled and patted Rumi's head. He walked over to Yukino and gently asked, "What did you call me over for?"

If you handle this, we can eat. These past two days, I've felt like a total kitchen maid.

You've worked hard, but if you don't do it, are you expecting Yui to?

Huh? What do you mean, Hikki? Yui, who was standing by the side blowing air into the stove, looked up with dissatisfaction.

Pffft, hahaha, what's with that face? Hachiman burst out laughing when he saw Yui's soot-covered little face.

What's wrong? Yui asked, confused.

Yukino, now free, didn't say anything. She simply found a small mirror and placed it in front of Yui's face.

Ugh, what is this?

Seeing her blackened face in the mirror, Yui exclaimed and started wiping her face with her hands.

Stop wiping, you're just making it dirtier. Go wash your face.

Yukino reminded her.

Oh! Hearing that, Yui hurried to the faucet to wash her face.

By the time Hachiman finished feeding Rumi bite by bite, the little one jumped down and returned to her own territory.

Yukino seized the opportunity and leaned over to Hachiman, whispering.

I've already spoken with her parents. After the summer break, she'll transfer to the school near my house.

So soon? How did you manage it?

Her parents are away for long periods and don't have time to look after her. When they heard the situation and my surname, they agreed immediately.

I see. That's good then.

Hachiman nodded.