Chapter 429: Should We Strive to Have Children with Hachiman?
"Good evening, Black Lace."
Upon hearing Hachiman's words, Saki remembered the embarrassing incident when he saw her underwear and her face flushed with shyness.
"D-Don't call me that!"
Although they were classmates, they had hardly interacted before. However, after the previous commission and Hachiman's personal assistance, their relationship had improved slightly. While it hadn't become particularly good, exchanging greetings upon meeting was no longer a problem.
"Haha, just kidding, Kawasaki-san. Good evening," Hachiman apologized insincerely.
"Hmph."
Hearing this, the girl snorted lightly, indicating that she forgave him, but her face still carried a faint blush.
Seeing this scene, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
Compared to her previous cold demeanor, the girl was undoubtedly more genuine now.
Perhaps it was because she didn't feel as much pressure anymore.
However, at this moment, a clear voice rang out.
"Onee-chan, Black Lace, what does that mean?"
Saki, holding the hand of the little girl Keika, looked down as the innocent child asked.
Saki panicked; how could her sisterly dignity remain intact if her younger sister found out about the underwear incident? But she couldn't think of a good excuse in the heat of the moment, so she could only glance at Hachiman, hoping he wouldn't bring up that matter.
Seeing the girl's distress, Hachiman smiled and then crouched down to meet the curious gaze of the little one.
"It's nothing, just a joke. What's your name, little sister?"
Unexpectedly, the little girl wasn't shy at all; instead, she beamed with a big smile.
"I'm Kawasaki Keika. Onii-chan, are you Onee-chan's friend?"
"Keika-chan, right? I'm Hachiman Hikigaya, your sister's classmate." Seeing the adorable little girl, Hachiman couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle her hair.
"Oh, Hachi! I remember now. Onee-chan mentioned you before," Keika exclaimed with a sudden realization.
Huh, Hachi...
Why does that sound like a dog's name?
Upon hearing Keika's persistent use of the nickname, Hachiman couldn't help but smirk and decided to correct her.
"It's Hachiman Hikigaya, not Hachi."
"I understand, Hachi!"
"Hikigaya... Hachiman."
"Hachi!"
"You can also call me Hachiman-niichan."
"Hachi-niichan!"
"..."
Seeing the little girl's insistence, Hachiman felt a bit helpless. However, he remembered Keika mentioning that Saki had talked about him before. He wondered what she had said.
"Alright, Hachi it is. But, Keika, what did your sister say about me?"
"Um... She said there was a strange person who helped her before." Keika promptly threw her sister under the bus.
Huh, a strange person...
Hachiman smirked and glanced at the tall figure of Saki nearby.
I helped her out, and she calls me strange? Doesn't her conscience bother her?
Sensing Hachiman's gaze, Saki felt a bit embarrassed and turned her head slightly away.
Overall, she knew she was in the wrong. After all, Hachiman had helped her before, informing her about the scholarship and even promising to lend her money if needed. For her, it was indeed a significant favor.
At that moment, Keika continued speaking, "But my Onee-chan also said that even though the person was strange, he was actually very kind."
"That person must be you, Hachi-niichan."
Hearing this, Saki breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, her little sister didn't spill all the beans, only mentioning half of what she had said.
After a moment of thought, she decided to change the subject.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you also here at the festival with your sister?"
She knew that Komachi was Hachiman's sister.
Hachiman withdrew his gaze, smiling as he responded, "Yeah, but today I'm not just with Komachi. We have quite a few people with us."
"Quite a few?" Saki was curious and assumed Hachiman was out with his family.
"Oh, are you here with your parents?" But before she could finish, a voice came from behind Hachiman.
"Hey, Hikki, why did you stop?" Saki turned to see her classmate, Yui Yuigahama.
At that moment, Yui noticed Saki and her siblings with Hachiman, looking surprised.
"Wow, it's Kawasaki-san! What a coincidence to run into you here. Good evening!"
Upon hearing this, Saki quickly responded, "Oh, Yuigahama-san, good evening."
Yui is here with Hachiman at the summer festival? Are they a couple?
Before Saki could ask, Hachiman was once again surrounded by a group of girls, including many she recognized.
Yumiko, Ebina, Gabriel, Vignette, and Satania— and Yukino who had helped her during a commission—were there. Even the renowned "Unattainable Flower," Utaha, and the "Flower of Kendo," Saeko, were among them.
What surprised her the most was that Shizuka and the stern-looking Mafuyu were also there.
Not only did she recognize these people, but there were also several girls she didn't know, all gathered around Hachiman.
Seeing this scene, Saki finally understood what Hachiman meant by "quite a few people," and her expression became strange.
Is Hachiman really accompanying so many girls alone?
Thinking this, Saki's gaze toward Hachiman subtly changed.
At that moment, the girls who didn't know Saki also greeted her upon Hachiman's introduction.
"Kawasaki-san, good evening."
"Oh, it's Kawasaki! Good evening!"
"Hey, it's Kawasaki. Good evening."
"..."
Hachiman then introduced Saki to the girls like Erina who didn't know her, "This is my classmate Kawasaki Saki, and these are her brother and sister."
Erina and the others nodded politely in Saki's direction, acknowledging the introduction.
At that moment, Hachiman glanced at Saki Kawasaki's younger sibling, Keika, then smiled and extended an invitation.
"The fireworks display is about to start. Kawasaki-san, would you like to join us? Since Keika is still very young, it might not be safe for you to be alone."
Indeed, the summer festival was bustling with crowds, and it would be troublesome if Keika were to accidentally get lost. However, with Hachiman and the others around to help, it should be fine.
Saki seemed to consider this for a moment before agreeing, "Sure, thank you for the offer."
Seeing her consent, Hachiman smiled and crouched down in front of Keika.
"Keika, would you like to come watch the fireworks with us? Onii-chan has rented a great spot where we can see some beautiful fireworks."
Upon hearing Hachiman's words, Keika nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, I want to watch the fireworks with Hachi-niichan!"
As Keika nodded, her two braided pigtails swayed back and forth, adding to her adorable appearance.
Observing this scene, a soft smile spread across Hachiman's face as he gently tousled Keika's hair, and she didn't resist at all.
Although it was their first meeting, for some reason, Keika seemed to really like Hachiman.
However, this scene was interpreted differently by other girls.
Huh? Hachiman actually likes children this much?
Should I perhaps make an effort to bear Hachiman's child?
This thought crossed the minds of some girls who had interacted closely with Hachiman.
Meanwhile, Hachiman, completely unaware of what the future held, continued to enjoy the moment, oblivious to the potential implications. Even if he were to find out, he might just be even happier.
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