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69.57% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 412: [412] One more person means one more connection

Chapter 412: [412] One more person means one more connection

Chapter 412: One more person means one more connection

However, watching her mother's face turn crimson and her labored breathing, Erina couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Suddenly, the girl seemed to remember something.

Yes, it was just like this back on the beach before. She also felt a surge of warmth coursing through her body, and it was only then that she made those kinds of sounds. Could it be that back then, that guy Hachiman also secretly used Holy Light?

Damn, this jerk. He actually used such despicable means to make me make those embarrassing sounds.

But... was she also making that kind of expression back then?

Seeing her own mother now, with her eyes glazed over, Erina's face also flushed slightly.

The girl had indeed guessed right. Back then, Hachiman had indeed used Holy Light when he helped her apply sunscreen. But for her, it had its benefits too.

Hachiman had mentioned before that Holy Light had strong healing and purifying abilities, so when he used it back then, it was also helping Erina rid herself of some hidden ailments.

As for the sounds she made back then and her body's reactions...

Well, it could only be considered a side effect of the treatment, just like the current situation with Mana.

However, Hachiman now frowned because he had been using Holy Light for a while, but in his view, the black aura lingering at the base of Mana's tongue had still not disappeared. It had only lightened in color to a grayish hue.

This puzzled him.

Was his proficiency with the Holy Light module still insufficient?

It had been about three to four months since he acquired Holy Light, and with the full level of the Learning module, the Holy Light module had smoothly reached level four.

Without exaggeration, Hachiman's proficiency with Holy Light was now comparable to that of Gabriel and Raphiel, the two bona fide angels.

But he hadn't expected that this level of Holy Light wouldn't be enough to dispel the curse of the God Tongue, only weaken it.

However, seeing Mana's current condition, he couldn't continue the treatment, and if he did, something terrible might happen.

It wouldn't be a problem if it were the girls, but Mana was his ostensible mother-in-law.

Well, let's leave it at that for now.

With that in mind, Hachiman dissipated the Holy Light in his hands.

As the stimulation of the Holy Light faded away, Mana's sense of relief also disappeared. It was as if she had suddenly plummeted from a peak to a valley, and a hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes.

"Why... why did you stop?" she murmured.

"Let's call it a day for now. If we continue, you won't be able to bear it," Hachiman replied calmly.

Hearing this, the blush on Mana's face deepened. She had indeed felt something about to happen just now, and if they had continued...

At that moment, Senzaemon interrupted her thoughts.

"So, Hachiman-kun, did the Holy Light work?"

At this, everyone's hearts leaped, eager to hear the answer from Hachiman.

"The Holy Light did have some effect," Hachiman nodded first, then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, with my current level of Holy Light, I can't completely eradicate the cause of Aunt Mana's illness. I can only alleviate the symptoms to a certain extent."

"Can't eradicate, only alleviate symptoms."

Upon hearing Hachiman's words, disappointment appeared on everyone's faces.

Seeing their expressions, Hachiman smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, even if it can only alleviate symptoms, it's still much better than before."

Then he turned to Erina. "Erina, go make a dish. It doesn't have to be too complicated, something simple."

"Okay... sure."

Although Erina was puzzled, she followed Hachiman's orders and left the study.

Before long, she returned with a plate of tempura-fried shrimp.

"Here."

Taking the dish, Hachiman nodded and placed it in front of Mana.

"Aunt Mana, give it a try."

Seeing it was just a plate of tempura-fried shrimp, Mana instinctively hesitated. But complying with Hachiman's request, she picked up a piece with her chopsticks and reluctantly put it in her mouth.

*Crunch.*

As the crispy coating shattered, the imagined disgust didn't surface. The God Tongue fulfilled its function perfectly, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the dish.

Mana widened her eyes in surprise and exclaimed, "It's edible. Although this dish still has many flaws, I can still eat it."

Hearing this, excitement appeared on everyone's faces.

Knowing that Erina's cooking skills were far inferior to Hachiman's, let alone his expertise in perfect cuisine.

Yet, Mana could eat it all without any issue. Did this mean she could eat normally in the future? This was fantastic news.

But while they rejoiced, Mana continued to taste the dish and offer her critique.

"Mm... the batter is too thick, and it's been fried for too long. Quite poor, Erina, this tempura you made is just terrible, nowhere near Hachiman's level."

Hearing her mother's assessment, Erina's smile froze on her face.

Seriously? I was just trying to help, and she's criticizing me like this. How infuriating.

At this point, Hachiman chimed in with a smile, "Exactly. As you can see, even with less-than-perfect cooking, Auntie can still eat it perfectly fine now that her symptoms have eased."

But this comment only irked Erina even more.

Is that even a humane thing to say? Talking as if my cooking is so terrible.

Damn it, Hachiman, just because you're good at cooking doesn't mean you're superior.

Thinking this, the girl glared at Hachiman with annoyance.

However, Hachiman paid no mind to Erina's angry stare. He covered his eyes with Holy Light once more and looked at the black aura at the base of Mana's tongue.

Though it didn't appear much different from before, it still had that dull, grayish look. But with Hachiman's keen vision, he could tell it had deepened slightly.

Seeing this, Hachiman's expression turned grim, and he muttered softly to himself, "As I thought..."

Hearing this, Erina couldn't help but interrupt her anger and ask, "What do you mean 'as I thought'? Has something else happened?"

After a moment of contemplation, Hachiman spoke up, "I checked again just now. After eating the imperfect dish, Auntie's symptoms worsened slightly."

"What? How can that be?"

Erina exclaimed in shock, quickly grabbing the chopsticks from Mana's hand.

"Mom, don't eat anymore."

Seeing the girl's concern, Hachiman reassured her with a smile, "Don't worry, it's not as serious as you think. It's just a slight worsening, and from what I can tell, the tastier the dish, the less severe the worsening."

"It seems that's why perfect dishes can be accepted because they don't worsen Auntie's condition, even pseudo-perfect ones."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, with the current influence of the Nakiri family, finding delicious dishes wouldn't be difficult.

There were the Ten Elite of Totsuki Culinary Academy, not to mention the alumni.

Although their cooking skills couldn't match Hachiman's, they were still quite exceptional.

But then Senzaemon raised a concern, "What if consuming these imperfect dishes for a long time leads back to the situation where she can't eat anything?"

"Yes, if it's as you said, Senzaemon-sama," Hachiman nodded, confirming Senzaemon's suspicion.

"How long until she reverts to being unable to eat anything?" Erina asked anxiously.

"I can't say for sure because the burden added by dishes of different deliciousness levels varies," Hachiman shook his head, then reassured the girl, "But don't worry. Even if she returns to her previous condition, there's still me, right?"

"As long as we conduct another treatment at that time, Auntie will be able to eat normally again. And I believe there will definitely be a method to completely cure it in the future."

"You have to trust me, Erina. Remember, I'm a hero. There's nothing I can't overcome if I set my mind to it."

"...," Erina fell silent.

Indeed, even though the current Level 4 Holy Light couldn't cure it, it didn't mean it couldn't be done in the future. He couldn't believe that maxed out Holy Light wouldn't be able to solve this minor curse.

Hearing Hachiman's words, Erina, who had been worried, also felt relieved.

Yes, she had to trust Hachiman. They had known each other for so long, and he had never let her down.

Indeed, he must have a way to completely cure Mom.

Thinking this, a smile spread across the girl's face.

"Yes, I believe in you. You can do it."

Hachiman returned the same reassuring smile.

Watching the two of them gaze at each other affectionately, Alice, standing nearby, felt a bit unhappy.

Damn it, Erina, you're flirting with my Hachiman again.

But Senzaemon, seeing this scene, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

He had planned to match Hachiman and Erina together from the beginning, and from the current situation, the plan was going smoothly, and the two had already developed feelings for each other.

However, what surprised him was that Alice seemed to have also fallen for Hachiman, which made things a bit complicated.

Wait a minute, maybe this is also beneficial.

After all, Hachiman is a hero. If he could leave behind the bloodline of a hero, the Nakiri family would definitely prosper even more.

Having witnessed Hachiman's many miraculous abilities, Senzaemon had unwavering faith in his identity as a hero.

And if he truly was, as Hachiman claimed, the protagonist of this world, the chosen one of destiny, then his future achievements would be immeasurable.

One more person would strengthen his connection with the Nakiri family.

Thinking this, Senzaemon seemed to have made up his mind about something.


Chapter 413: [413] Yumiko Once Again Teased by Her Mother

Chapter 413: Yumiko Once Again Teased by Her Mother

Time has flown by, and it's been over half a month since Hachiman assisted in curing Mana Nakiri. During this time, Mana's condition hasn't relapsed, and she can still enjoy food as usual.

According to Hachiman's estimation, even if Mana consumes "imperfect dishes" three times a day, it would take at least a month, if not longer, for her symptoms to revert to the point where she can't eat anything.

This is undoubtedly good news.

However, Erina's mood has been somewhat complex lately, both happy and annoyed.

Naturally, she's happy because her mother can eat normally again, and the mother-daughter duo can reunite after a long time.

But she's also annoyed because every time she cooks for her mother, she gets harshly criticized.

This finally allows Erina to understand the feelings of chefs she used to judge.

Overall, it's still a good thing. After all, the mother and daughter haven't seen each other for many years. In Erina's memory, her mother used to smile after tasting her dishes, but Erina always felt it was somewhat unfamiliar.

Now, even though there's some criticism, Erina feels it's more authentic.

Thanks to this, Erina has become livelier than before, more like a teenage girl.

...

As for Hachiman, most of his time in the past half month has been dedicated to writing his new book, as he plans to release it at the end of the month.

Of course, he's not holed up at home writing every day. He's not the Hachiman from the original story who had few friends.

Although he doesn't have many male friends now, he has plenty of female friends.

Setting aside Yukino, Yui, and Yumiko for now, he has Saeko, Utaha, Kotonoha, and Shizuka, with whom he can have deep conversations.

After the incident last time, the girls have become acquainted with each other. Since they've already met candidly, they invited Alice to join them for another challenge against Hachiman.

To increase their chances of winning, they even dressed up in various costumes.

For example, flight attendant uniforms, teacher outfits, shrine maiden attire, and even Kamen Yaiba and monster costumes.

As a hero, Hachiman naturally isn't afraid of any challenges, and comforting the defeated is his duty. After all, they're just a few fallen soldiers, even if they change their outfits.

Raising the long spear that had long been poised, he charged straight into the battlefield, piercing through the enemies one by one. In no time, they were defeated, begging for mercy one after another.

Kind-hearted Hachiman naturally spared them, but he left his mark on each of them as the victor.

Ahem...

But let's get back on track.

Despite the "disturbance" from the girls, Hachiman didn't forget his main task. After putting in the effort, he finally confirmed the manuscript and illustrations for his novel a week ago. Now, all that's left is to wait for its release at the end of the month.

Speaking of illustrations, we can't overlook Mrs. Izumi, who has been responsible for the illustrations for his novels. Truly deserving of her reputation as a renowned artist in the industry, her artwork is exquisite, with vivid and lifelike characters.

With excellent illustrations complementing Hachiman's outstanding writing, it's only natural for the novel to be a big hit.

Hachiman is also quite satisfied with Mrs. Izumi's somewhat distinctive art style. He even considers recruiting her as an original illustrator for the "FGO" game in the future.

As for Kadokawa, there's no need to say much. They're pulling out all the stops to promote Hachiman's new book, the pillar of their publishing house. Half a month before its release, banners have been hung in all Kadokawa bookstores, and subway station billboards have been replaced with related messages.

With the combined efforts of all parties, it's foreseeable that Hachiman's new book will definitely be a bestseller.

...

After finishing the first volume of his new book, Hachiman finally had some leisure time.

One morning, not long after he woke up, his phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID displaying "Yumiko," Hachiman raised an eyebrow and answered the call.

The next moment, Yumiko's familiar voice came through the phone.

"Hey, you damn Hachiman, are you up?"

Hachiman was puzzled. "Yes, I'm up. But Yumiko, do you need something from me?"

"Of course I do," Yumiko instinctively asserted, then seemed to remember something and softened her tone. "Today, Hina wants to go to the summer exhibition to buy some notebooks. She asked me to go with her, but I feel a bit embarrassed, so I thought of having you accompany me instead."

Upon hearing the girl's words, Hachiman curled his lips.

Ebina is going to buy notebooks?

There's no need to guess what kind of notebooks a fujoshi would buy; it's definitely yaoi.

No wonder Yumiko wanted me to accompany her.

Most girls would feel embarrassed if mistaken for fujoshi.

With that in mind, Hachiman agreed.

"No problem, I'll come over soon."

"Hurry up."

...

After breakfast, Hachiman dropped off Komachi at her cram school and then headed towards Yumiko's house.

Because Komachi will be taking the high school entrance exams next year, and she wants to attend Sobu High School, summer cram school is essential.

After dropping off Komachi, Hachiman quickly arrived at Yumiko's doorstep.

But before he could ring the doorbell, the door opened by itself, revealing a mature version of Yumiko stepping out.

It was Mrs. Miura, whom he had met once before.

"Ah, isn't this Hachiman-kun? It's been a while."

Seeing Hachiman standing at their door, Mrs. Miura greeted him with a smile.

Since today is the weekend, Mrs. Miura isn't working today, and judging by the garbage bag she's carrying, she's probably going out to dispose of it, unexpectedly running into him.

Mrs. Miura is wearing ordinary home clothes. Despite being the mother of a 16-year-old girl, her figure hasn't changed at all.

Her white T-shirt bulges slightly at the top, while her tight navy jeans outline her enticing curves. With her delicate skin, if she and Yumiko were walking together on the street, they would probably be mistaken for sisters rather than mother and daughter.

But Hachiman quickly averted his gaze and greeted her politely.

"Good morning, Mrs. Miura."

"Mm, good morning." Seeing Hachiman's politeness, Mrs. Miura's smile widened even more. Then she covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"Are you here to see Yumiko today? But Hachiman-kun, it's been a while since you last visited. Yumiko will be lonely without you."

Ignoring Mrs. Miura's teasing words, Hachiman asked, "Is Yumiko home, Mrs. Miura?"

"Of course she is. I was wondering why Yumiko took so much effort to dress up this morning. Turns out she has a date with you, Hachiman-kun." Mrs. Miura made a realization, then shouted towards the still-open door.

"Yumiko, come out quickly, your boyfriend is here to see you."

As soon as the words were spoken, footsteps could be heard from inside the house.

Soon enough, Yumiko appeared at the doorway.

"Mom, why are you shouting like that?"

Unconcerned about her daughter's complaint, Mrs. Miura pointed her finger at Hachiman standing in front of her, "I wasn't shouting randomly. Hachiman-kun is already here, isn't he?"

Seeing Hachiman and remembering what her mother had just shouted, Yumiko's face flushed slightly.

What boyfriend? I haven't even agreed yet.

"Even if he's here, Mom, you shouldn't shout so loudly. What if you disturb the neighbors?"

"What's the big deal? At this hour, the neighbors must be awake already. Besides, I'm just thinking about you, Yumiko. As long as the neighbors know you're already taken, they won't randomly set you up with boyfriends anymore." Mrs. Miura waved her hand dismissively, then winked at Hachiman.

"Hachiman-kun wouldn't want Yumiko to be taken by someone else, right?"

Hachiman played along, saying, "Of course not. No one can take my Yumiko away."

Upon hearing this, a sweet feeling welled up in Yumiko's heart, but being thin-skinned, she still felt a bit embarrassed and annoyed.

"Come on, Mom, stop saying nonsense. Go take out the trash already, or else the garbage truck will leave."

Seeing her daughter's embarrassed expression, Mrs. Miura successfully collected her share of amusement for the day, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Alright, Mom will go take out the trash now. Won't disturb you two anymore."

With that, she nodded to Hachiman and left, carrying the trash bag.

Watching her mother finally leave, Yumiko breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Hachiman, reverting to her usual haughty demeanor.

"You're quite fast, aren't you?"

"Of course, my Yumiko asked, so naturally, I had to come quickly."

"Pft, who said you're mine? Shameless."

Hearing this, Hachiman chuckled. "Well, since my Yumiko spoke, I had to come quickly."

"Ugh, stop being so shameless."

Despite her words, Yumiko couldn't hide the slight playfulness in her tone or the way her fingers toyed with her hair, betraying her true feelings.

Seeing this, Hachiman couldn't help but find it amusing. He knew her well—typical tsundere.

But indeed, Yumiko had put effort into her appearance today. She wore light makeup, enhancing her already delicate features.

It was a hot summer day, and her outfit was refreshingly cool: a light blue short-sleeved shirt accentuating her fair arms and shoulders, paired with a white lotus short skirt that showcased her slender legs, and silver sandals.

With just a simple outfit, she exuded youth and vitality.

Impressed by her appearance, Hachiman couldn't help but compliment her, "Yumiko, you look really beautiful today."

"Hmph, you're just saying that."

Hearing his praise, a slight smile curved Yumiko's lips.

"Let's go, we should go find Hina. Don't keep her waiting too long."

"Alright, no problem."

With that, Hachiman reached out and held Yumiko's delicate hand.

This time, Yumiko didn't resist as Hachiman led the way.

And so, hand in hand, they walked together toward the agreed meeting place with Ebina.

-------

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