Chapter 549: [549] Mrs. Yukinoshita's Visit
Chapter 549: Mrs. Yukinoshita's Visit
When Hachiman entered, Yukino let out a sigh of relief.
Before she could speak, however, Shizuka, sitting next to her, was the first to break the silence.
"Kid, you're finally here. Come over here," she said.
As she spoke, Shizuka stood up, guided Hachiman to take her seat, and moved to another chair, visibly relieved. It seemed that even she wasn't good at handling such a serious atmosphere.
Iroha and Yui quietly sat down in nearby seats as well.
And so, Hachiman ended up sitting beside Yukino, facing none other than Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita, both of whom clearly had a purpose behind their visit.
Finally, Hachiman took the initiative to break the tension, smiling as he greeted Mrs. Yukinoshita.
"Auntie, it's been a while. My apologies for not visiting you recently—I've been quite busy."
Hearing this, Mrs. Yukinoshita, seated opposite, returned a faint smile.
"There's no need to apologize, Hikigaya-kun. You've been focused on your own work. How could I possibly disturb you?"
"I'm glad to hear that, Auntie," Hachiman replied with a light laugh before cutting straight to the point.
"So, what brings you here today? Is there something you'd like to discuss with us?"
"Discuss might be too strong a word," Mrs. Yukinoshita said softly, nodding slightly before revealing the purpose of her visit.
"Actually, I've received numerous concerns from parents. Many of them are requesting that this ball be canceled."
She continued, her tone calm but firm.
"They saw the photos from the event on the school's website and approached me with their concerns. They feel that the ball lacks propriety and isn't appropriate for high school students."
Hearing those words, Hachiman raised an eyebrow slightly.
As expected, this was not going to be a simple visit.
At that moment, however, Haruno, sitting beside Mrs. Yukinoshita, also spoke up. "Well, honestly, I think this ball is quite interesting, and there doesn't seem to be much opposition among the graduates."
Unfortunately, Mrs. Yukinoshita didn't agree with her eldest daughter. She merely glanced at her before speaking.
"Haruno, that's not acceptable. Just because the opposition is in the minority doesn't mean it can be ignored."
"Understood, Mom," Haruno replied obediently, lowering her head and taking a sip of her tea without further comment.
Yukino, however, voiced her dissatisfaction. "Why is it you, Mom, who's bringing these objections?"
She had a point. If it were any other parent, Yukino could easily argue with them. But when it came to her own mother, she found herself unable to do so.
It wasn't as though Yukino had never debated with her mother before, but without exception, she had never won.
"Did you forget, Yukino? I am a board member of the Guardians' Association," Mrs. Yukinoshita said with a composed smile. "Besides, this time, someone close to your father asked me to step in, so I couldn't ignore the request."
"..."
Hearing her mother's explanation, Yukino fell silent, lowering her head and clutching at her skirt.
At that moment, Hachiman's voice reached her ears.
"So, if we can resolve the concerns of these parents, the ball can proceed as planned, correct?"
His words naturally drew everyone's attention.
With a faint smile, Hachiman continued, "In other words, if we can alleviate the parents' worries, they won't object anymore. Is that fair to say?"
"That's correct," Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded.
"Although I doubt it will be that simple," she added gently. "If their concerns were so easily resolved, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to ask me to bring this matter forward."
Her tone remained soft, without a hint of aggressiveness.
"Haha, you're absolutely right," Hachiman said with a shrug and a smile. "Which is why our priority should be to address these concerns and ensure the ball can proceed smoothly."
"After all, there are less than ten days until the graduation ceremony. Starting from scratch now would be far too rushed."
Seeing Hachiman's firm stance on not giving up the ball, Mrs. Yukinoshita raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you have any good ideas?"
"Of course," Hachiman replied with a faint smile. "But before we get to that, I'd like to ask what your personal opinion is about this ball, Auntie."
Though phrased as a question, it was clear he was pushing her to take a stance.
Naturally, Mrs. Yukinoshita picked up on the underlying meaning. She responded with a gentle smile.
"If all participants act appropriately, I wouldn't object."
Her voice was calm and sincere, but it was clear this was just a setup for her next move, which carried a much sharper edge.
"However, based on your promotional materials, there are indeed concerns about underage drinking and overly intimate interactions between participants," Mrs. Yukinoshita remarked calmly.
"These issues can be resolved as long as the parents' association and the school work together to supervise," Yukino countered, her tone growing more impassioned. "And besides, the participants have already signed consent forms addressing these concerns."
In response, Mrs. Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly.
"Even so, many parents now feel they signed those forms too hastily. At the time, they were only presented with written details—no one could truly predict what might happen during the event, could they?"
At this point, Iroha, the true initiator of the ball, couldn't hold back any longer.
"That's not fair! We specifically consulted with parents beforehand to avoid such complaints," Iroha said indignantly. "Backing out now is just irresponsible!"
She continued, her tone growing sharper. "Besides, isn't it a parent's responsibility to guide their kids and ensure they don't cause trouble?"
As Iroha's voice rose, it was clear she was on the verge of an argument.
"Iroha," Hachiman's voice interrupted her firmly.
Although Iroha was reluctant, she turned toward Mrs. Yukinoshita and muttered an apology.
However, she soon turned her head away, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
Yui quickly leaned over to quietly comfort her.
"My apologies, Auntie," Hachiman said, offering yet another apology. "Iroha got a bit carried away just now—this ball was her idea, after all."
Mrs. Yukinoshita shook her head slightly, indicating she wasn't offended.
Realizing that the situation couldn't be left as it was, Hachiman stepped forward with his opinion.
"While it's understandable that parents have their concerns, I doubt they want to completely restrict and control their children's freedom."
"Of course not," Mrs. Yukinoshita agreed with a nod. "Parents simply want to avoid any unfortunate incidents."
She shifted her gaze back to Hachiman.
"So, everything comes back to the original issue: how to alleviate the parents' concerns."
"Do you have any good ideas, Hikigaya-kun?" she asked with genuine interest.
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