Chapter 502: Hmph, Men
After agreeing on the meeting time for tomorrow, Hachiman and Yui exchanged smiles.
At that moment, Komachi, who had also gone to line up for snacks, came running back.
While munching on a candied hawthorn, the little girl suggested, "Onii-chan, Yui-nee, let's go buy some omamori."
"No problem," Hachiman nodded.
Omamori, commonly known as protective charms, come in various types such as those for financial luck, health, love, academics, and more.
They called Yukino over, and the group headed to a stall selling omamori.
The stall was manned by two miko (shrine maidens). One was responsible for sales, while the other was in charge of attracting customers and offering explanations.
When the miko saw Hachiman and the others approaching, they greeted them with gentle smiles.
The miko in charge of customer relations smiled and asked, "What kind of omamori are you looking for?"
The omamori here were sold by the shrine and came in nearly every type imaginable.
Naturally, Komachi bought an academic success charm, Yui got both academic and love charms, and after some thought, Yukino chose a health charm.
As for Hachiman, he didn't buy any charm.
Whether it was financial luck, health, academics, love, or anything else, there was nothing he particularly worried about.
However, since the others bought something, it seemed out of place if he didn't. Reluctantly, he let Komachi push a love charm into his hands.
After purchasing the charms, the group prepared to leave.
As they were walking down the steps, Yui's phone rang.
"Ah, it's Yumiko," the girl said as she saw the caller ID and answered the call.
"Yahallo, Yumiko! Happy New Year!"
"Yeah, I'm at the shrine, just about to leave."
"Wait a sec."
Yui temporarily put the call on hold and turned to ask the others.
"Yukinon, Hikki, do you guys have any plans next?"
Yukino smiled faintly, "As for me, I'm heading home. I don't really like crowded places."
"But…"
Yui seemed hesitant to let her go, but she also understood that Yukino and Yumiko didn't get along very well, so she wasn't sure how to ask her to stay.
Seeing Yui's uncertainty, Yukino smiled gently.
"It's fine, Yui. Go spend time with Miura. We'll see each other again when school starts."
"Mm, okay, see you at school, Yukinon." Yui nodded in agreement, then turned her gaze to Hachiman.
"Hikki, do you want to come along?"
Hachiman thought for a moment before shaking his head, "I'll pass. You go have fun with Yumiko and the others."
He decided to accompany Yukino instead. After all, Yui had friends like Yumiko and Ebina to hang out with, but Yukino would be all alone once she returned to her apartment.
"Alright then."
Seeing that Hachiman wasn't coming either, Yui looked a bit disappointed, but remembering their plans for tomorrow, she nodded her head.
Just then, Komachi raised her hand.
"I want to go too!"
But before she could finish her sentence, Hachiman cut her off. "No, you need to go home and study. After your exams, you can play as much as you want."
"Ugh… fine."
In the end, Komachi nodded in agreement, understanding that it wasn't the right time to play with exams so close.
Seeing that none of them were coming, Yui was a bit disappointed but didn't push it. She waved at them.
"Alright, I'm off to meet Yumiko. Bye, Hikki, Yukinon, Komachi!"
"Bye, Yui/Yui-nee," they replied.
After saying their goodbyes, the group split up.
Hachiman, Yukino, and Komachi retraced their steps, while Yui, still on the phone, headed in Yumiko's direction.
As expected, after a short walk, Komachi quickly found an excuse to leave.
Hachiman understood that his little sister was creating an opportunity for him, so he didn't stop her. He just gave her a few reminders before letting her go.
Once Komachi ran off, only Hachiman and Yukino were left.
Without anyone else around, Hachiman didn't hold back. He reached out and took Yukino's soft hand.
Her hand felt cold to the touch, so Hachiman quickly cupped both of her hands in his.
Seeing his actions, Yukino's face flushed with a hint of embarrassment.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Of course, I'm warming your hands," Hachiman replied with a smile, his tone carrying a bit of gentle reproach.
"You really should have told me if your hands were this cold."
Though there was a hint of blame in his voice, Yukino felt a warmth spreading in her heart.
But then, something crossed her mind, and she let out a soft huff.
"Why would I trouble you? I wouldn't want to distract you from admiring other girls."
That's right—Yukino was now using a skill all girls seem to master: bringing up something from the past.
Hachiman felt a bit helpless at her words.
"Where is that coming from? Those miko weren't nearly as pretty as you. Why would I look at them when I have someone so beautiful beside me?"
Yukino, of course, wasn't so easily convinced. She pouted slightly, "Who knows? The grass always looks greener on the other side, and men are all the same."
"Hmph, men."
Though it was just two words, Hachiman felt they were almost magical, brimming with sarcasm.
But he quickly found a flaw in her argument and grinned mischievously.
"So, Yukino, you're admitting that you're my 'flower at home'?"
Yukino gave him an exasperated look at his playful remark. "Don't try to change the subject. Now, tell me, what exactly were you staring at earlier?"
Though Yukino usually appeared composed and distant, she was still a girl. Seeing the person she cared about staring at other girls was bound to upset her.
Hachiman felt a little pleased seeing her jealous reaction.
After all, if a girl didn't care about you, why would she go to such lengths?
It seemed that Yukino was almost within reach.
With that in mind, Hachiman decided not to hide anything and spoke the truth.
"Actually, I was looking at the miko outfits at the time."
"Miko outfits?"
"Yeah, I was wondering how you all would look wearing them," Hachiman explained with a smile.
"Us wearing them…"
Hearing this, Yukino couldn't help but imagine herself in a miko outfit. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly shook her head to dispel the image from her mind.
She playfully hit Hachiman with her bag, speaking with a mix of shyness and annoyance, "You… what kind of nonsense are you imagining?"
"It's perfectly normal." Hachiman shrugged.
"Beautiful girls and beautiful clothes—it's only natural to think of them together."
"My Yukino is so beautiful, of course, I'd want to see you in something pretty."
Yukino felt a bit happy hearing this, but she didn't let herself get too caught up in Hachiman's sweet words.
"Hmph, you talk a good game, but there are plenty of pretty girls around you. Who knows if you were really thinking of me?"
You have to admit, a girl's intuition can be spot-on. In Hachiman's mind, the ones he thought would look best in a miko outfit weren't Yukino, but Saeko and Kotonoha.
But he wasn't foolish enough to admit that. "What's this? Are you saying you're not confident in your own beauty, Yukino?"
"Hmph, I'm very confident in that," Yukino replied with a smug hum.
Seeing her expression, Hachiman chuckled and shook his head.
"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on this. We should get going."
Her hands were warm enough now, so it was time to head back.
However, he didn't completely let go of her hand, still holding onto one of hers.
"Mm, let's go."
Yukino didn't object to Hachiman's suggestion and let him hold her hand as they walked.
Hand in hand, they headed toward the train station. To anyone watching, they looked just like a couple deeply in love.
On the train, the two sat close together.
However, when the train suddenly jolted, Yukino lost her balance and nearly fell. Fortunately, Hachiman was quick to react, pulling her into his arms.
The train's jolt was brief, and as Yukino leaned against Hachiman's chest, she looked up, meeting his gaze as he looked down at her.
Their eyes locked, and in each other's eyes, they saw only one another.
Seeing Yukino's enticing lips so close, Hachiman couldn't resist the urge to lean in for a kiss.
But Yukino, still grounded in reality, quickly placed her hand over his mouth.
This is a train, after all. There's no way she'd let him kiss her so casually.
With that thought in mind, Yukino gave him a sidelong glance, then gently pushed herself out of his embrace, standing back up straight. She softly parted her lips and uttered the words once more:
"Hmph, men!"
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Chapter 503: Yukino, I'm Sorry
Today was the day Hachiman and Yui had agreed to go gift shopping.
At the Solo Shopping Center.
Hachiman arrived at the meeting spot first. After looking around and not seeing Yui, he decided to sit on a bench and rest.
About ten minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching.
Looking up, he saw a small pink figure running toward him.
"Ah, sorry Hikki, did I make you wait long?"
Seeing Yui, slightly out of breath, Hachiman playfully tapped her on the head. "Why did you run so fast? You silly girl."
"Hehe, I was just worried you'd be waiting for too long," Yui said with her trademark goofy smile.
"I just got here."
Hachiman smiled warmly. "And for you, Yui, I'd wait as long as it takes."
Hearing this, Yui's face flushed with a charming pink hue. She couldn't help but give Hachiman a playful smack.
"You're always saying such embarrassing things."
Despite the playful hit, Hachiman wasn't bothered. He took her hand in his. "Let's go, Yui. It's time to buy the gift."
"Mm, let's go get a gift for Yukino."
---
Entering the mall, Hachiman asked Yui, "What kind of gift do you plan to get Yukino?"
"Well… I haven't really decided yet. Let's just browse and see what catches our eye," Yui said with a shy smile.
For girls, shopping is never straightforward; they can enthusiastically visit every store from the first to the last. This is something many men find hard to understand.
After thinking for a moment, Yui suggested, "Let's start by looking at clothes."
"Sure," Hachiman agreed.
When it comes to gifts for girls, clothes and small accessories are pretty standard choices.
Entering a clothing store, Yui became excited. After all, girls often love to try on pretty clothes.
"Hikki, what do you think of this one?"
Holding up a dress, Yui asked Hachiman.
Hachiman shook his head. "I can't tell just by looking at it."
"Right… wait a moment," Yui said, nodding in agreement. She started to take off her outer coat and was about to remove her sweater as well.
Seeing this, Hachiman quickly tapped her on the head.
Yui covered her head and pouted. "Ouch, what's that for, Hikki?"
"What are you doing?"
"Trying on clothes, of course."
"Go to the fitting room to change. Do you plan to strip down here?" Hachiman pointed to the fitting room, clearly annoyed.
He had noticed that as Yui was about to take off her sweater, a glimpse of her bare skin was visible, indicating she wasn't wearing anything else underneath.
He didn't have any strange habits and certainly didn't want Yui changing in public.
Realizing her mistake, Yui's face turned red. She took the dress and walked into the fitting room.
After a short while, Yui emerged, slightly bending down to ask Hachiman for his opinion.
"How do I look, Hikki? Does it look good?"
Hachiman looked up and saw Yui in a button-down wool vest that clung to her figure, accentuating her curves.
"You look great in it, Yui," Hachiman complimented.
Though pleased by the praise, Yui still pouted slightly. "Well, I asked how it looks on Yukinon, not on me."
"Well, I think it looks just right on you. Yukino might have some trouble with it in certain areas—it might not fit her as well," Hachiman said with a hint of suggestion.
"Eh, trouble in certain areas means…" Yui looked down at her ample chest and quickly understood what he meant, blushing slightly.
"Hikki, that's…"
Despite her words, Yui felt a bit smug inside.
Sorry, Yukinon. Looks like I've won this round.
As Yui apologized to Yukino in her mind, Hachiman's voice brought her back.
"I think this outfit suits you best, so let's go ahead and buy it."
Yui was surprised that he wanted to buy her something.
"Eh, for me? But weren't we here to get a gift for Yukinon?"
Hachiman shrugged. "Who says we can't buy something for you while we're at it? It's only right to buy clothes for your girlfriend."
"Girlfriend…"
Hearing this, Yui's face turned a shade of red, but she eventually nodded.
"Alright then, I'll go with what you says."
Seeing her agreement, Hachiman smiled and thought for a moment before continuing.
"But I don't think buying clothes for Yukino is a good idea. You two have different body types, so what fits you might not fit her."
"Mm… that's true," Yui agreed, feeling a bit disheartened as she compared her figure to Yukino's in her mind. "Yukinon's figure is so much better than mine."
She even pinched her own stomach.
Hachiman noticed and smiled reassuringly. "Come on, Yui, you look great too. In fact, in some areas, Yukino can't compare to you."
Yui gave him a playful glare. "You're such a shameless. If Yukinon heard that, she'd be mad."
"Hehe, it's just the two of us here. As long as you don't tell anyone, Yukino won't find out," Hachiman said with a grin, reaching out to tap Yui's nose.
"So you'd better not spill the beans."
Yui blushed at his affectionate gesture.
Sorry, Yukinon. Looks like Hikki and I have a little secret you don't know about.
Yui apologized silently to Yukino in her heart but eventually nodded.
"Got it, I'll keep it a secret."
"That's settled then," Hachiman said with a smile.
With her agreement, Hachiman suggested, "Let's look for other gifts."
"Mm, just wait for me a moment." Yui nodded and went back into the fitting room to change back into her clothes.
Soon, Yui reemerged, still holding the vest she had tried on.
"Let's go, Hikki. We'll look at other things."
"Alright."
Hachiman nodded, and the two moved to the section with scarves, gloves, and other items.
Suddenly, Yui spotted something and ran over. "Wow, this is so interesting!"
She picked up a pair of gloves from the shelf. They were cat-paw-themed mittens with pink pads on the palms.
Besides the cat-paw gloves, there were also dog-themed gloves.
The gloves featured ears, a nose, and eyes, and the fingertips could move, making the gloves look like a little dog "barking."
Seeing such a fun item, Yui, who liked dogs, couldn't resist playing with them. She used her thumb to push up the lower jaw and her other fingers to lift the upper jaw, then "bit" Hachiman's arm.
"Hehe, this is so much fun. I can use this to play with Sable."
"Let's buy this too, then," Hachiman said with a laugh.
"But I think the cat-paw gloves would be perfect for Yukino."
"You think so too, Hikki? I thought so as well."
Yui nodded happily and picked up another item.
"I think this would also be great for Yukinon."
This time, she picked up a pair of socks.
But these weren't just any socks; they had pink pads on the soles, just like the cat-paw gloves.
Hmm, cat-themed gloves and socks… Are you trying to dress Yukino up like a cat?
Hachiman wondered if there were cat ears or tails for sale, but unfortunately, after looking around, he didn't find any in the store.
In the end, the two of them went to pay with a large pile of items. Besides the vest and the dog gloves that Hachiman bought for Yui, the rest—including the cat-paw gloves, cat-themed socks, and cat-patterned apron and scarf—were all gifts for Yukino.
Next, it was time for Hachiman to choose his gifts.
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