Lucky

Although Komachi voiced her dissatisfaction, she let Hachiman do whatever he wanted to her face.

Tsk, what pervert would ever want you? I'll send you to him.

Hachiman spoke disdainfully.

"Waaah~ Onii-chan, you've changed! You used to say you were going to marry me. I waited for years because of that."

"Now that you have Sister Yukino, you're just leaving me aside?" Komachi complained.

"Onii-chan, you're seriously a scumbag who throws people away after using them."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'throws people away after using them'?" Hachiman asked with a bitter smile as he looked at his mischievous little sister.

"If your Sister Yukino hears you, I'm finished."

"Hee-hee-hee, I don't care."

Komachi revealed her little canine tooth.

The Little one rubbed the tip of her foot against Hachiman's chest while turning her head away arrogantly.

Hachiman said nothing. He simply picked up the Little one in a princess carry.

"Onii-chan, what are you doing~? I'm not dressed yet."

Komachi lightly pounded Hachiman's chest with her fists.

Hearing that, Hachiman took the school uniform hanging on the wall and stuffed it into Komachi's hands.

"What happened?" Yukino turned her head toward the siblings before her and asked in confusion.

"I wanted to stay in bed."

Hachiman lied without even blushing.

Komachi sat down beside them, not daring to raise her head. She took the clothes and rushed into the washroom.

"Enough. Hurry up and eat."

Yukino placed the plates on the table.

"By the way~ Hikki, did you know?"

Yui hurriedly tried to swallow the biscuit in her mouth, but accidentally choked on it. She quickly picked up the cup beside her and took a sip.

Watching Yui pat her chest, Hachiman turned his head and glanced at Yukino again.

He shook his head before asking, "Know what?"

"Cough, cough. It's just that..." Yui continued after taking quite a while to recover.

"The Cultural Festival is coming~ Aren't you looking forward to it?" Dango asked the two of them.

"The Cultural Festival?" Hachiman and Yukino exchanged a glance.

"Come to think of it, it really is coming soon."

Hachiman pondered.

"I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to it."

Yukino spoke calmly.

"Eh? How could you say that~? I've been looking forward to it for ages."

Yui looked at the two exceptionally calm people before her in exasperation.

"No, I'm actually looking forward to it."

Hachiman suddenly spoke up.

"What was the name of that guy who worked Yukino so hard that she got sick? Hachiman racked his brains for a long while, only to realize that he couldn't remember the red-haired passerby A's name.

"Well, whatever. It's not important."

"He actually dared to work Yukino that hard. Heh heh, I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

Hachiman, who believed that even the smallest kindness should be repaid a hundredfold, let out a cold laugh. His eyes narrowed behind his plain glasses.

Yui stared blankly at Hachiman's gleaming glasses, unable to make heads or tails of it, while the sunlight behind him dazzled her.

At that moment, Sagami Minami, who was chatting with the girls around her, suddenly felt a thick wave of malice envelop her and shuddered violently.

"What happened?" The girl chatting with Sagami couldn't help asking in concern.

"Nothing. I guess I've just been too tired lately."

Sagami Minami waved her hand, still unaware of what awaited her.

Chapter 52: Lucky

Although Chiba City had lost the scorching heat of summer in September, the lingering traces of summer still remained during the day.

After a full day of classes, the three members of the Service Club were enjoying the gentle autumn breeze in the Club Room.

"Phew~ I felt like I was about to die from the heat this afternoon."

Yui tugged at her collar to let the cool air in.

"It is like this around this time every year, isn't it?"

Yukino wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and rose to walk toward the window.

She tied back the curtains and opened the window as far as it would go. A gust of wind lifted Yukino's hair.

"Uu~ The wind is so strong."

Dango covered the hem of her skirt.

"The typhoon must be coming soon."

Yukino looked at the weather outside, her tone carrying a note of certainty.

"A typhoon?" Yui said in surprise.

"Yeah. Aren't typhoons always around this time of year?" Hachiman added.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I think that's true."

The girl nodded.

"I hope the typhoon comes after the Cultural Festival is over."

Yui prayed earnestly.

"Can't you wish for it not to come at all?" Hachiman looked helplessly at Yui, feeling that someone with her intelligence could never have gotten into Sobu High School.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Yui suddenly slapped her head. "Ow, that hurts."

"I feel like Yui is going to develop in the direction of a comedian in the future."

Yukino spoke gently, but her words filled the girl with malice.

"What do you mean by that, Little Snow? Are you indirectly calling me stupid?" Yui shouted unhappily.

"No. You should know that popular comedians have very high emotional intelligence."

"Sometimes, unexpected situations arise that they need to resolve."

Yukino continued explaining with a smile.

"Really?" The praised girl happily narrowed her eyes.

High emotional intelligence didn't necessarily mean high intelligence.

Hachiman thought this to himself.

Looking at the delighted Dango, Hachiman couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.

Being a little silly isn't so bad. Fools are often blessed with foolish luck.

"Eh~ I remember you used to take the Keiyo Line, Little Snow. If a typhoon comes, won't service be suspended?"

Yui continued searching for a topic.

"That's right, but I don't need to use it anymore."

Yukino nodded.

"That's true. Little Snow seems to have been living at Hikki's house all this time now."

Just as Yui was about to continue, Shizuka Hiratsuka opened the door to the Club Room. She looked worriedly at the weather outside and said to the three of them, "You should head home soon, too. The people from the other clubs left long ago, and the weather will probably keep getting worse."

"Let's call it a day, then. We haven't had a request in a long time anyway."

As the club president, Yukino spoke calmly while closing the paperback in her hand.

Hachiman didn't respond. He simply stood up and began tidying up.

"Then see you tomorrow, Little Snow and Hikki~" Yui said as she prepared to leave.

"How are you going to get home? There might not be any trains running now. You should come with us."

Yukino stopped her outright.

Yui was still thinking it over.

"You aren't planning to walk home, are you? It might start raining halfway there. Do you really want to get soaked and fall sick?" Hachiman also tried to persuade her.

"Then... all right."

Yui nodded hesitantly.

"Come on, let's go."

Shizuka Hiratsuka urged them on.

The three of them followed her out, changed into their shoes in the shoe-changing area, and headed toward the school gate. The moment they stepped out of the school building, fine threads of rain began falling in abundance.

The three of them hurried outside, but before they had even gone halfway, the rain grew heavier. Raindrops the size of soybeans slammed into them, and Hachiman hurriedly reached out and shoved the two girls into the car.

By the time Hachiman got in himself and shut the door, he was already soaked through.

He wiped the water from his face and couldn't help letting out a soft laugh when he saw how bedraggled the other two looked.

"What are you laughing at? Are you happy about getting drenched?" Yukino first gave the driver Yui's address, then glared at Hachiman irritably.

"Just look at the two of you right now."

Hachiman pointed at the two girls, whose clothes clung tightly to their graceful bodies.

"This is so uncomfortable."

Yukino took the towel the driver handed over and dried her hair with it.

Yui removed her hairband, and her pink bangs fell loose. Her hair reached just to her shoulders.

"Oh, Yui looks surprisingly good like this."

Hachiman dried Yukino's hair, but his eyes were fixed on Yui.

"Eh? Really?" The girl looked a little embarrassed.

"Maybe it's because I've seen that Dango hairstyle too often. Changing your hairstyle once in a while is nice."

Yukino spoke up to explain on Hachiman's behalf.

"Hmm, I see."

Yui rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

"Ah~ I'm home~" Dango suddenly spoke when she saw the scenery outside the window.

"I'm heading off~" After the car slowly came to a stop, Yui hurriedly opened the door, placed her schoolbag over her head, and dashed out.

"Is this girl really all right...?" Hachiman said to Yukino after seeing Yui immediately trip and fall into the water. He turned his head away, unable to look at her exposed underwear.

"What? Feeling sorry for her?" Yukino smiled.

"..." Hachiman wisely chose not to respond.

"Do you know how we spent this day last time?" Hachiman tried to change the subject.