A/N: Hello everyone, I'm sorry I didn't post last month because I have hypochondria🥲. I'm still not okay, but I will try my best to post every day.
Chapter 317: Hachiman's Plan
"This method only works with someone like Yumiko."
"Then I can't think of any other way." Yumiko waved her hands.
At this moment, Ebina proposed a suggestion, "How about building common interests?"
"As long as there is a common interest, it's easy to become friends."
"Hina, what do you mean?" Hayama opened his mouth.
"As long as there is interest, it will be easy to start, then go to events like comic cons, and the social circle will become wider."
"At that time, that child will find out that school is not the only place to make friends, just like me, I found friends through BL."
"So let that child read some BL manga, and she will definitely be…"
Although Ebina's words initially sounded somewhat reasonable, they gradually became more absurd, so Yumiko quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from continuing.
Watching the silenced Ebina, Hayama sighed.
"I think we still need to find a way for that child to get along well with others."
"It's impossible." Yukino argued coldly again.
"There's no chance at all, with that child's personality, it's difficult to integrate into the group."
Seeing the cold Yukino, Yumiko wrinkled her brows.
"This won't work, nor will that, so do you have any good ideas?"
Unfortunately, Yukino still shook her head, "At the moment, I can't think of any good ways, but considering that child's personality, it is indeed difficult to integrate into the group."
"Indeed, that child is indeed very cold and distant." Hayama nodded.
However, Yumiko softly hummed, "What do you mean by cold? I think it's just arrogant pride. Isn't it because of the constant attitude of looking down on others that people exclude her? Just like some people do."
Yukino naturally understood her implied meaning and retorted, "That's just your victim complex; aren't you feeling inferior and thinking others look down on you?"
"You…"
Yumiko was about to continue speaking, but before she could finish, Hachiman interrupted her.
"Enough, Yumiko."
As Hachiman interrupted her, the girl naturally felt disgruntled and turned her head away in annoyance.
Seeing this, Yukino couldn't help but let out a smug smile on her face, wanting to continue mocking her. However, Hachiman also stopped her.
"Yukino, you don't need to say anymore."
To his surprise, Yumiko's mood eased quite a bit.
At this moment, Yui quickly interjected.
"Hikki, do you have any ideas?"
"Yeah, I have a rough idea." Hachiman nodded.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gazes towards him.
"For a ten-year-old child without any friends, it's really quite pitiful..."
Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, Yumiko interrupted him with a wave of her hand.
"That's not the point. We all want to help her, but the problem now is how to enable her to communicate with others."
Hachiman didn't seem to be annoyed. He just smiled a little and continued, "According to the current situation of that child, even if she wants to communicate actively, those who exclude her won't accept her. So we need to change our thinking."
"Change our thinking?" Everyone seemed a bit puzzled.
"That's right." Hachiman nodded, "Actually, there are many scenarios that can lead to communication, such as in adversity."
"When encountering a difficulty that humans can't solve, they will instinctively seek help. As long as someone can step up at that moment, both parties will be able to communicate."
In the original story, wasn't it because of Hachiman saving Sable that he and Yui were able to establish a connection?
After listening to Hachiman's words, Yukino understood his meaning.
"You want us to create some difficulties to give that child some opportunities?"
"Exactly, Yukino is indeed smart." Hachiman laughed and nodded.
"This is obviously an obvious thing." Upon hearing his praise, the girl's face became rather bland, as if all of this were to be expected.
"But how do you plan to create difficulty?"
Hachiman smiled slightly and turned to Shizuka.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I remember you said that this summer camp is for three days and two nights, and there will be a bonfire party and scary story contest on the second night, right?"
"That's right." Shizuka nodded.
"So we can do something during the scary story contest." Hachiman shared his idea.
Seeing his enigmatic look, the anxious Yumiko directly opened her mouth.
"What exactly do you mean?"
"Very simple, the scary story contest is divided into groups, so when it's time for Tsurumi's group to enter, all we have to do is play the villain to scare them. This way, we can create an opportunity for her to stand up." Hachiman simply explained his plan.
"Play the villain, but I don't know how to." Yui said naively.
Seeing her expression, Hachiman shook his head helplessly.
"Playing the villain, but we need a villain, not a fool."
Upon hearing Hachiman say that she was a fool, Yui became a little angry and puffed up her cheeks.
"Stupid Hikki, you're the fool."
Ignoring her, Hachiman continued, "The role of the villain will be played by me, Tobe, and Yumiko."
"Mm-hmm, no problem. It seems that you are quite self-aware. You really don't seem like a good person." Yukino rubbed her chin and nodded.
Hearing this, all the girls laughed, including his own sister, Komachi.
Seeing their expressions, Hachiman twitched his mouth.
How can I not seem like a good person just because my eyes are a bit strange?
I'll settle with you later.
Giving Yukino a vague look, Hachiman continued, "So for now, let's decide like this. If you have any other ideas, you can also suggest them, and we'll discuss them together."
Unfortunately, no one else had any better ideas, so they had to prepare according to this plan.
It was nighttime.
Hachiman walked out of the wooden hut where he was staying. It was already past 10 o'clock, and Tobe, Hayama, and Saika were all asleep.
When he stepped out of the wooden hut, he looked up at the sky. There were no high-rise buildings in the city, and the sky seemed much more spacious.
A full moon was high in the sky, and next to it were twinkling stars, like a peaceful and beautiful painting.
The beautiful scenery also lightened Hachiman's mood. As he walked, he heard a faint humming sound.
Following the sound, he saw a girl standing in the forest, humming a song. The silver moonlight fell on her, as if draping her in a pure white garment.
Ethereal and beautiful, it was impossible to look away.
Chapter 318: Heart-to-heart Under the Moon
The girl gazed at the sky, humming a soft, melodious tune.
Her black, flowing hair draped over her shoulders, complementing her delicate facial features and slender limbs. In the hazy moonlight, her subtly flat curves added a touch of sacred radiance.
Lost in this beauty, Hachiman accidentally stepped on a dry twig beneath his feet.
"Who?!"
The snapped twig naturally alerted the girl.
With no other option, Hachiman stepped out of the shadows, wearing a gentle smile on his face.
"Yukino, it's me."
Seeing the familiar figure, Yukino sighed in relief.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"You're still up too."
Hachiman smiled and approached the girl, naturally taking her hand.
"Can't sleep? Not developing a fear of beds, are you?"
Sensing Hachiman's gesture, Yukino raised an eyebrow but made no effort to resist, allowing him to hold her hand.
Unaware of when it happened, she had grown accustomed to it, finding a subtle sense of peace in it.
Looking up at the night sky again, Yukino spoke faintly, "Miura came to argue with me just now. It took me thirty minutes to make her cry, and now Yui and Ebina are consoling her."
Hearing her words, Hachiman shook his head in resignation.
"You, being classmates, don't you find it awkward?"
And they would be sisters in the future.
He added in his mind.
Yukino's face carried a hint of helplessness.
"I didn't expect Miura to be so fragile, actually crying outright."
"Yumiko's nature isn't bad; she just has a bit of a pride issue," Hachiman chuckled.
"In the future, don't target her like that."
Yukino gave him a glance. "If you have something to say, tell Miura yourself. I'm not intentionally targeting her; she always picks a fight first."
"Alright, alright. I'll talk to Yumiko later," Hachiman shrugged, turning to look at the girl's profile. In the moonlight, her face reflected a delicate sheen.
Unable to resist, he reached out and gently touched Yukino's cheek.
Smooth and tender, like a peeled boiled egg.
Feeling his touch, the girl shivered, an odd sensation stirring in her heart.
From childhood to now, she had never been so intimately close to someone of the opposite sex.
But why... why didn't she feel repulsed?
"Do you hate me?"
Sensing Yukino's trembling, a hint of disappointment flashed across Hachiman's face. Perhaps he had been too hasty.
Seeing the fleeting disappointment on Hachiman's face, Yukino felt a subtle ripple in her heart and couldn't help but speak.
"I don't hate you, just feels a bit strange."
"That's good then." Hachiman's face lit up with a smile.
"If you ever feel dislike, remember to tell me."
With that, he reached out, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder, and embraced her.
Being held by Hachiman, Yukino's body initially tensed slightly, but after catching a whiff of his scent, she relaxed. Although her heartbeat quickened a bit, she strangely felt a sense of tranquility.
A peculiar sensation.
Why? Why was she feeling like this?
The girl repeated the question in her mind.
Could it be... she likes him?
This thought surfaced in Yukino's mind, lingering for a long time.
The girl looked up at Hachiman's face, carefully observing. There was indeed a bit of charm.
"What's wrong?" Hachiman looked puzzled as he noticed Yukino's gaze.
"Nothing." The girl shook her head, standing upright from his embrace.
"Do you really want to help that child using that method?"
Although it was regrettable not to feel the girl in his arms anymore, when it came to serious matters, Hachiman's expression turned earnest.
"It's natural, and currently, isn't it the best option available? Since we've decided to help that child, we can't give up halfway."
Hesitating, Yukino mentioned, "But if you do it like this, won't your reputation suffer?"
"You didn't even know that child before. Is it really worth it?" she continued.
"Knowing or not doesn't matter. Consider the requests we've taken on before. Yukino, how many of those people did you actually know? Offering help to those in need—wasn't that the purpose you set for the Service Club activities?" Hachiman smiled.
"And as for reputation, there's nothing to care about. True strength lies in not being bothered by others' opinions. Strong individuals have a resolute mindset and clear goals, not easily swayed by external influences."
"Why concern yourself with the gaze of others?"
The strength of real heroes lies in their unwavering determination and focus, not getting easily swayed by external factors, much like the situations where villains in anime are effortlessly silenced by the protagonist's words—those are just for show.
In real life, convincing someone is often much more challenging than using sleeping techniques. That's why Hachiman tends to employ such methods with those girls.
For a successful harem, good persuasion skills are essential.
"Moreover, we just happened to meet these kids. How many times will we cross paths in the future? What significance does their opinion hold for me?" Hachiman shrugged nonchalantly.
Hearing his words, Yukino fell into silence.
Although his words made sense, there was still some doubt in the girl's heart.
Is the Service Club she established really like this?
Completing requests by harming others...
Like this plan, sacrificing Hachiman's reputation to help Rumi Tsurumi gain friendship.
The whole event was their strategy, a falsehood. So, if friendships are achieved through deceit, isn't that also false?
As if understanding the girl's thoughts, Hachiman smiled.
"Don't worry. This is just an unavoidable method. If there's a better way, I won't resort to harming myself like this."
It's worth noting that in the original work, Hachiman often used self-destructive methods to fulfill requests, like the various self-sabotaging acts in the anime. This caused disagreements between him and Yukino.
Now, he naturally wouldn't do that. He's not the original Hachiman, and there are often better ways to handle things.
"I hope so. I don't want to see anyone get hurt," Yukino nodded.
"Are you showing concern for me, Yukino?" Hachiman's tone carried a hint of playfulness.
Seeing his unserious demeanor, the girl gave him a disapproving look.
"It's getting late; I need to go back and rest."
Saying this, Yukino turned and walked toward the direction of the cabin.
Hachiman shrugged, unconcerned, and followed behind the girl.
As the two departed, the forest regained its tranquility.
Moonlight poured down like water, creating dappled shadows of trees.
A gentle breeze passed through, causing the leaves to rustle continuously.
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