Chapter 56: [56] Kotonoha's Ambitious Heart
"Eh, eh, eh, Hachiman, we... we..."
Seeing their posture, Kotonoha's brain experienced a momentary glitch.
Being held by Hachiman, she was enveloped in his strong, masculine presence, even feeling the warmth radiating from the young man.
Hmm, Hachiman's body is so warm, I wish I could stay here forever.
Wait, what am I thinking? I'm being shameless.
Kotonoha quickly shook her head to dispel those thoughts from her mind.
Although being held by Hachiman made her feel shy, she couldn't help but hesitate to leave.
She had never relied on anyone before, as her mother often worked late, leaving her as the eldest to take care of her younger sister.
Resting her ear against his chest, she almost felt like she could hear Hachiman's strong heartbeat. In that moment, Kotonoha felt an incredible sense of security.
While the young girl felt a sense of security, Hachiman, on the other hand, was starting to feel uncomfortable.
Looking at Kotonoha lying against his chest, he couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.
Can't you be more honest?
Just now, she shook her head, and now she's resting her head on me.
Doesn't she realize that her chest is pressing against me? Please, this could easily lead to an accidental fire.
This can't go on like this. He needed to remember that he was a gentleman, after all.
Feeling his internal "cannon" getting ready to go into action, with the safety lock already released, Hachiman coughed lightly a couple of times, startling the girl in his arms.
"Cough, cough... Kotonoha."
"Eh... Ehh?!"
Startled from her moment of tranquility, Kotonoha quickly stood up from Hachiman's embrace upon realizing their position.
"We... we..." She stammered for words.
Seeing her reaction, Hachiman decided to take the initiative. "Kotonoha, you should pay more attention to the road in the future. Otherwise, you might end up falling into a pit, just like today."
"Eh? There's a pit on the road?"
"Yeah, see that?" He extended his finger and pointed at the road ahead.
Despite the rain causing some puddles on the road, Kotonoha could clearly see a large pit on the pavement.
"It's real."
She admitted, realizing that her earlier embarrassment had caused her to overlook the road. Thankfully, Hachiman was there to prevent her from stepping into the pit.
"I'm sorry for troubling you, Hachiman." She expressed her remorse.
"No worries, I'd say I took advantage of the situation," Hachiman chuckled at his own remark.
Hearing his words, a blush painted Kotonoha's face, clearly understanding the implication of taking advantage.
"Kotonoha, let's keep going. I'll continue escorting you home."
As the rain grew heavier, Hachiman saw no reason to linger on the road any longer.
"Okay."
After walking for a while, Hachiman suddenly felt a cold gust of wind. While he could withstand it, Kotonoha shivered slightly from the chill.
Witnessing this, Hachiman had an idea and handed his umbrella to Kotonoha.
"Kotonoha, can you hold this for me?"
"Eh? Sure." Although a bit puzzled, Kotonoha took the umbrella.
Handing her the umbrella, Hachiman took off his own jacket and draped it over Kotonoha.
"Eh, Hachiman..."
"It's getting windy now, and the temperature is dropping. You can borrow my jacket for now," Hachiman said with a smile as he took the umbrella back from her.
"No, no, Hachiman, you should keep wearing it. It's quite chilly, and you might catch a cold." Kotonoha, with her kind heart, didn't want to trouble him any further.
She already felt a bit embarrassed that Hachiman was escorting her home, so she waved her hand to decline.
"Don't worry; I'm in good health. But you shivered from the cold wind earlier. Don't be stubborn; otherwise, you might really catch a cold."
"Well, okay... Thank you, Hachiman."
Hachiman is indeed a very gentle person. If...
"Ha-ha, no need to be so polite. After all, we're friends."
"Let's go, let's get home quickly."
"Okay."
The two of them, holding the umbrella, walked side by side on the road.
The rain intensified, and their figures gradually disappeared into the downpour.
Without any unexpected incidents along the way, they soon arrived at Kotonoha's home.
It was an impressive three-story villa, probably worth several million yen in Chiba's housing market.
"This is my home. Thank you for escorting me back, Hachiman."
Standing at her doorstep, Kotonoha bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Well, um, Hachiman, would you like to come in for a while? You can warm up." With a bit of courage, Kotonoha extended the invitation.
"That's alright; I need to head back. I have a younger sister waiting at home." Hachiman politely declined her offer.
"I see... Alright then." There was a hint of disappointment in Kotonoha's voice.
"Oh, and here's your jacket. You should put it on quickly." With that, she took off her own jacket and handed it to him.
"Okay, then. I'll head back now." Taking the jacket and putting it on, Hachiman bid farewell.
Hearing his words, Kotonoha gave a slight bow. "Take care on your way back, Hachiman."
"Goodbye, Kotonoha." He waved and turned to leave, soon disappearing into the rain.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Hachiman," Kotonoha whispered to herself, watching his fading figure.
As Kotonoha reminisced about Hachiman's gentleness throughout their journey, a subtle smile graced her lips.
However, all of this did not escape the notice of a figure on the second-floor window.
After spending some time at the entrance, Kotonoha entered the house.
While changing her shoes in the hallway, a voice sounded in her ears.
"Welcome back, Onee-chan."
Kotonoha looked up and saw her younger sister, Katsura Kokoro, standing not far away.
"Kokoro, I'm back." After changing into indoor slippers, Kotonoha smiled warmly at her younger sister.
"Welcome home, Onee-chan." Overjoyed to see her sister return, Kokoro rushed into her embrace.
"Hey, hey."
"Onee-chan, who was the guy that just walked you home? Is he my future brother-in-law?" Lying in her sister's embrace, Kokoro curiously asked.
"N-no, it's not like that. Hachiman and I are just friends."
Kotonoha blushed at the thought of her younger sister seeing Hachiman, and she hastily explained, her face showing her embarrassment.
"Really, just friends?" Kokoro, with a mischievous grin, teased her.
"Well, Onee-chan, why were you sharing an umbrella with him and even wearing his clothes?"
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