Chapter 481: Hachiman with Girls on Both Sides
The second day of the graduation trip had arrived, and today was for group activities.
Their first stop was the famous historical film set, Toei Kyoto Studio Park in Uzumasa.
The street sets perfectly recreated scenes from Yoshiwara Pleasure District and Ikedaya Inn, with staff dressed as samurai, ninjas, and other characters.
Additionally, visitors could also wear similar costumes for photo opportunities.
There were attractions like haunted houses and ninja houses, so the park was quite popular with tourists.
Hachiman naturally wasn't interested in dressing up as a ninja or samurai.
Well, not entirely disinterested.
If the girls dressed up like that, he would be very interested.
Like, in demon slayer costumes or something.
Ahem...
Although Hachiman wasn't interested, that didn't mean others weren't.
The streets, seemingly from the Edo period, along with staff dressed as samurai and ninjas, drew many students and tourists to take photos.
To outwardly help Tobe with his wish, Hachiman and the others acted together.
As they walked, they came to a haunted house. Hanging above the entrance was a wooden sign that read, "The Scariest Haunted House Ever."
Seeing this, Tobe immediately suggested, "Let's go in and check it out together."
Clearly, he wanted to use the haunted house to showcase his bravery. After all, haunted houses were a classic setting for couples on dates. When the girls scream in fear, the boys can step up to comfort and protect them, leaving a good impression.
This was evidently Tobe's plan.
Whether the girls screamed out of genuine fear or just for the effect was another matter.
Everyone agreed with Tobe's suggestion, including Ebina. Perhaps she wanted to see some different reactions too.
Seeing this, Tobe felt a surge of excitement, thinking his chance had come.
However, once inside the haunted house, he realized he had overestimated himself.
This haunted house was part of Toei's operations, and they proudly billed it as "The Scariest Haunted House Ever." Naturally, they wouldn't tarnish their own reputation.
The atmosphere was expertly crafted, with professional set designs and sound effects. Even the actors playing the ghosts were from Toei, far superior to those in ordinary haunted houses.
It wasn't long after entering that the girls were genuinely terrified by the spooky atmosphere, clustering around Hachiman for comfort.
With Saki on his left and Yui on his right, Hachiman once again found himself experiencing the sensation of having girls on both sides.
It seemed the two were genuinely scared, clinging tightly to Hachiman's arms and not letting go.
Especially Saki on his left, who almost pulled down Hachiman's jacket in her fear.
Hachiman felt a bit helpless. He hadn't expected the usually strong-willed Saki to be so afraid of ghosts.
But this also gave him a renewed appreciation for the warmth of the girls' embrace.
Hmm, the left side is probably around a D cup. Although slightly smaller than the right side, the feel is just as good, soft yet elastic—perfect.
At that moment, a scream came from Yumiko not far ahead.
She ran straight towards Hachiman and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist.
With soft warmth in his embrace but his arms already occupied, Hachiman couldn't reach out to comfort her and could only ask,
"What happened, Yumiko?"
Yumiko, trembling, pointed ahead with a shaky hand.
"T-there..."
Hachiman looked in the direction she indicated and saw a section of the wall open up. A decayed corpse emerged halfway out of it.
The corpse faced them directly, its eyeballs turning slightly in their sockets, and its mouth opening and closing, making groaning sounds like "ugh" and "ah," as if it were still alive.
Realizing Yumiko had been startled by the sudden scare, Hachiman quickly tried to calm her down with a gentle voice.
"It's okay, it's okay. It's all fake."
Maybe it was his comforting words or the calming effect of his presence, but Yumiko gradually regained her composure, though she didn't let go of Hachiman's waist.
Seeing this, Hachiman sighed and waited patiently for her to recover.
Yumiko wasn't the only one scared; Tobe was too.
Tobe clung tightly to Hayama's arm, eyes shut and face full of terror.
Hayama, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "Tobe, you can let go now."
Though they were friends, Hayama didn't want to be in this awkward situation.
But Tobe didn't listen, continuing to hold on.
Hachiman couldn't help but think,
This is your idea of a good performance?
After all that talk, now you're acting like this? No wonder Ebina isn't interested.
Unlike Tobe, Ebina didn't show any fear. Instead, she stepped back and watched Hayama and Tobe with a curious expression, her face slightly flushed.
Well, as long as you're happy.
But it seemed clear that Tobe had no chance.
If he could act a bit more manly, maybe Ebina would have a better impression of him. Even if this confession failed, he might still have a chance in the future.
But now?
He might as well give up and go to sleep.
As Hachiman was silently making his snarky comments, Yui's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hikki, Saika, aren't you two scared at all?"
Yui was puzzled seeing both Hachiman and Saika remain so calm. While she understood Hachiman's unflappable nature after knowing him for so long, she was genuinely surprised that Saika, who seemed delicate and more feminine than any girl, wasn't scared either.
Saika smiled, eyes squinting with amusement. "Ah, I find it okay. I actually like these kinds of things. I often watch horror movies, so I'm used to it."
So, a horror movie enthusiast—no wonder.
As for Hachiman, he gave a nonchalant smile.
"Well, knowing it's just people in costumes, what's there to be scared of? You guys are just too gullible, falling for it."
Although the haunted house was well-designed, Hachiman could still spot many flaws. Besides, knowing it was all fake, there was nothing to fear.
Even if it were real, so what? He was a hero, after all. If there were real ghosts, he'd just purify them with a burst of holy light.
What? Holy light doesn't work on Japanese yokai?
Then try demonic light; it'll obliterate them completely.
Yui pouted at being called gullible. "Hikki, you're the dumb one."
As she spoke, she pinched Hachiman's right side.
Feeling the pinch, Hachiman twitched his mouth in slight annoyance. Though the force was negligible to him, it still made him aware of her discontent.
Surprisingly, he felt a similar sensation on his left side. He turned to see Saki Kawasaki, who was clinging to his left arm, looking displeased, clearly not happy with being called gullible.
"Ah..."
Seeing Hachiman looking at her, Saki blushed and quickly turned her head away.
Meanwhile, Yumiko, who had regained her composure, also lifted her head and protested,
"It's fine if you call Yui gullible, but I'm not."
Hearing her friend say this, Yui immediately shot back.
"Yumiko, you're the gullible one."
"No, you are."
"No, you are."
Seeing the two about to argue, Hachiman quickly intervened to calm things down.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Let's get out of here first; we've lost sight of Hayama and the others."
Hayama and his group, who had been ahead of them, were now nowhere to be seen, likely already outside.
Noticing this, Yumiko let go of Hachiman's waist but didn't stray too far from his side, not wanting to be startled again.
With that, the four of them continued moving forward.
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Chapter 482: Bastard, How Dare You Cheat on Me Right in Front of My Eyes!
Soon, the group exited the haunted house.
"Thank goodness, we finally got out! I was scared to death back there."
As soon as they emerged, Yui let out a sigh of relief.
It wasn't just her; even Yumiko and Saki felt the same.
Oh, and we have to include Tobe, who had a look of having narrowly escaped death on his face.
On the other hand, Saika smiled, "I actually found it quite fun. We should go to a haunted house together again sometime."
Hearing this, Yui quickly waved her hands, "Saika, you're used to watching horror movies. We can't handle it."
At this moment, Hayama, who had also calmed down, spoke up.
"It looks like everyone had a great time. We should head back now."
No one objected, so they continued to the next attraction.
Arriving at Ryōan-ji, they entered the hōjō, where they could see the famous rock garden.
Here, Hachiman saw a familiar figure.
A slender figure with long black hair was sitting on the wooden veranda of the rock garden.
Hachiman walked over and sat down beside her.
"The rock garden has another name, 'A Tiger Carrying Cubs Across A Pond Or Of Islands In A Sea.' Is that why you came here, Yukino?"
Yes, the figure was indeed Yukino.
Hearing the familiar voice, the girl looked slightly surprised.
"Ah, I was just wondering how this place resembles a tiger."
"In fact, this story comes from a piece called 'Miscellaneous Knowledge of Gui and Xin,' specifically the tale 'A Tiger Leads Its Cubs Across the Water.' It tells of a mother tiger safely ferrying her cubs across a river in three trips, using this metaphor to signify the arduous journey of Zen practice. There aren't any actual tigers involved." With his hands propped on the wooden veranda behind him, Hachiman explained casually.
After hearing his explanation, Yukino nodded in understanding, but then she heard voices of admiration...
"Wow, so that's what it means. Hikigaya-kun, you're amazing to know such an obscure reference."
The girls sitting beside Yukino looked at him with admiration.
Because they were divided into groups today, Yukino was naturally not there alone. The voice just now came from a classmate in her group.
As for how they knew Hachiman's name...
Isn't it obvious?
After his piano performance at the cultural festival and his solo run during the sports festival, how many girls in the school hadn't heard of Hachiman's name?
It's not just the girls; even among the boys, Hachiman's fame wasn't small.
In response to their praise, Hachiman merely smiled lightly.
At that moment, Yui also walked over.
"Oh, Yukinon, what a coincidence."
"Mm, Yui, good afternoon."
Seeing Yui, Yukino also smiled and then stood up, speaking to Hachiman.
"Let's go talk somewhere else."
Hachiman naturally had no objections, and they called Yui over, the three of them heading to another courtyard.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help this time." Yukino said apologetically.
Hearing her apology, Yui quickly waved her hands, "It's okay, Yukinon. After all, you're not in the same class as us."
"How are things going on your side?" Yukino asked.
At this, Yui's face turned quite gloomy, "Not well at all. Hina is still the same; she has no feelings for Tobe."
"That's normal, isn't it? Ebina has always said she has no feelings for Tobe. Feelings aren't something that develop in just a day or two." Hachiman shrugged.
"Besides, seeing how Tobe has acted these past few days, if you were Ebina, Yui, would you like him?"
Hearing this, Yui didn't hesitate at all and shook her head directly.
Yukino looked curious, "Has Tobe been behaving poorly?"
Yui gave an awkward smile and then recounted Tobe's actions over the past two days to Yukino.
After hearing Yui's account, Yukino sighed.
Just as she had assessed earlier, Tobe was utterly inept, merely a noisy character who knew how to liven up the atmosphere.
"It looks like there's no hope for this. Now we have to think about how to wrap this up."
With no other choice, Yukino decided to give up on the unreliable Tobe.
Because, as Hachiman had said, feelings cannot be forced. If someone doesn't like another person, a few days of interaction won't change that.
Yui spoke up worriedly, "Yeah, if Tobe actually confesses, it'll make things really awkward between him and Hina."
"Leave it to me. I'll put an end to this farce," Hachiman said with determination.
However, hearing his words, both girls looked worried.
They feared Hachiman might use a self-sacrificing method to solve the problem again.
As if sensing their concerns, Hachiman smiled, "Don't worry, I won't use that approach again. Tobe is not worth it."
"But we need to first confirm Tobe's attitude. If he's willing to give up, everything will go smoothly."
"You two go ahead and chat. I'll go find Hayama to get an update."
Hearing this, Yukino and Yui encouraged Hachiman.
"Alright, we'll leave it to you."
"Good luck, Hikki."
Hachiman smiled, then turned and left.
By a bridge, Hachiman sent a text message to Hayama on his phone.
Unlike in the original story, this Hachiman had Hayama's contact information.
Before long, Hayama approached.
"Why did you call me out?"
Hachiman got straight to the point, "I want to ask how your talk with Tobe went. He should know by now that Ebina isn't interested in him, right? Is he still insisting on confessing?"
Hearing this, a wry smile appeared on Hayama's face.
"I just talked to him. He said that even though he knows his chances of success are slim, he still wants to try, at least to avoid any regrets."
"Hah, what a stubborn guy," Hachiman chuckled lightly.
"I got it. Leave the rest to me."
"What are you planning to do?" Hayama quickly asked, not wanting anyone to get hurt.
"Don't worry, I'll just let Tobe inadvertently find out about Ebina's current feelings. I won't have him face direct rejection," Hachiman shrugged.
Hearing this, Hayama also breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it's not a direct rejection, their relationship can still be maintained.
It's like a thin paper window; even if you can see through it, as long as you don't break it, it still serves its purpose.
"Alright, I'll go make the necessary arrangements. Leave the rest to me." With that, Hachiman turned and left.
Hayama thanked him again, "Everything is up to you."
Hachiman just waved without looking back.
...
In another quiet courtyard with a deer scare, Hachiman used his phone to call Yumiko over.
Before long, Yumiko arrived, a bit annoyed.
"What do you want, calling me out like this? Hina and I were having a great conversation."
"Come, sit down first," Hachiman patted the wooden floor beside him.
The girl sat down next to him as he requested.
"What's up? Speak."
Looking at Yumiko beside him, Hachiman put his arm around her waist, and she didn't resist, instead leaning on his shoulder.
"You've probably noticed something these past few days, right?"
"Noticed what?"
Yumiko blinked, then thought of something, her expression turning unhappy.
"You mean the ambiguous relationship between you and Kawasaki? You bastard, cheating on me right in front of my eyes!"
What the heck is this? There's nothing ambiguous between Saki and me.
Hearing her words, Hachiman couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
"That's what you think? Saki and I have nothing going on."
"Yeah, right, Saki…"
Yumiko just pouted at his explanation.
"So, what are you talking about then?"
Hachiman sighed and explained Tobe's plan to confess to Ebina.
"Hah, with Tobe's personality, he wants to chase after Hina?"
After hearing Hachiman's explanation, Yumiko's face showed clear disdain.
It seems Tobe really doesn't attract girls.
Hachiman twitched his mouth again, then listened as Yumiko continued.
"But Hina doesn't seem interested in romance. I've tried setting her up with guys before, but she rejected all of them."
Hachiman nodded, "Ebina also mentioned this to me. She doesn't like Tobe but doesn't want their relationship to become awkward after rejecting his confession, so she asked me for advice."
"What's your plan?" Yumiko asked.
"That's why I came to you for help," Hachiman shrugged.
"I need you to help me act out a scene tonight."
"What kind of scene?" Yumiko became interested.
"Tonight, I'll lead Tobe near your room. Then you leave the door slightly open and discuss romance with Ebina. Make sure Ebina explicitly says she's not interested in romance and won't accept any confessions. That should do it," Hachiman explained his plan.
"If Tobe hears Ebina's stance on romance, he should give up the idea of confessing."
"Hm, that sounds like a plan. Leave it to me," Yumiko nodded.
Seeing her agree, Hachiman smiled, but with a hint of mischief, "Thanks, Yumiko. Now it's time for your reward."
With that, he kissed her on her alluring lips.
"Eh…"
Yumiko only managed a small gasp before the rest of her words were silenced.
Though surprised by Hachiman's sudden move, she didn't resist much and even started to cooperate, trying to take the initiative, only to be firmly overpowered by Hachiman.
In the late autumn season, the courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional sound of the deer scare echoing in the serene and peaceful atmosphere.
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