Chapter 428: Encountering Black Lace
Ignoring the snide comments from onlookers, Hachiman emptied all the bullets.
Naturally, every shot hit its mark, and each girl received her desired item. Even Mafuyu, who had already left with a full load, didn't miss out.
However, the most eye-catching prize was the giant teddy bear cradled in Komachi's arms.
This toy bear stood over a meter tall, originally placed on the prize shelf's top to attract attention.
Seeing this large teddy bear, girls would surely pester their boyfriends to shoot it down, thereby attracting more business for the owner.
But if the teddy bear were that easy to shoot down, how would the owner make money?
Its enormous size meant it was much heavier than regular plushies, and the impact of a single cork bullet wouldn't dislodge it.
Even Hachiman, who had hit it just now, only made it wobble slightly before it stabilized.
Seeing this, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
But he wasn't about to give up. After some thought, he borrowed another gun from the owner.
Loading both guns with bullets, he raised them simultaneously, drawing surprised looks from onlookers, and pulled the triggers.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Two shots rang out in quick succession.
The first cork bullet's impact was resisted by the teddy bear, but before it could stabilize, the second bullet hit it again.
Under the combined force of the two bullets, the large teddy bear finally fell from the top shelf.
Setting down the two guns, amidst the owner's bewildered smile, Hachiman reached for the prize and handed it to Komachi.
"Here, this one's for you, Komachi," Hachiman said, handing her the teddy bear.
"Wow, thank you, Onii-chan! I love you so much!" Taking the large teddy bear in her arms, Komachi flashed a radiant smile.
Hachiman's face softened into a gentle smile. "I love you so much, too, Komachi."
However, Yukino's face showed a hint of disdain.
"What you just said is already a crime. Komachi is only 14 years old, and besides, incest is not allowed in Japan."
Hearing this, Hachiman smirked.
Is she jealous?
Really, Yukino, are you jealous of Komachi too?
At this moment, Komachi spoke with a smile, "Don't worry, everyone. Komachi will always be Komachi. I won't compete with you for Onii-chan."
Hearing this, some girls blushed and turned their heads away, while a few others retorted.
"Just a Hikki? I don't want him anyway."
"Although I don't want him, Komachi, don't worry. I believe there will be an insect who loves Hachiman someday."
"That's right, only insects would like him. All he does is bully me in the kitchen."
"Yeah, Komachi, what are you saying? I'm his teacher!"
...
Listening to the girls, Hachiman smirked wryly, looking somewhat helpless.
Doesn't your conscience hurt when you say these things? And what's the point of this self-deception? Can't you learn from Kotonoha and Saeko and the others?
"Alright, let's go. It's about time. We should head back to the observation deck," Hachiman said, shaking his head in resignation, then turned and left the area first.
Seeing this, the girls looked at each other, thinking that Hachiman was angry.
Upon careful consideration, Hachiman had been quite attentive to them tonight, ensuring everything from food to entertainment was taken care of.
However, girls never hope for mere equality; they want to be the one treated specially.
Unfortunately, that doesn't work with Hachiman; in his mind, there's no favoritism.
Watching Hachiman walk ahead, they didn't dare to approach him casually, fearing he might genuinely be upset.
At this moment, Komachi spoke up to reassure them, "Don't worry, everyone. Onii-chan won't get angry over such trivial matters."
"But I think you should refrain from speaking about Onii-chan like that in the future. Boys have strong egos, you know."
Hearing Komachi's words, the girls nodded.
They had blurted out those words earlier due to shyness, and deep down, they regretted it. After all, they knew Hachiman's feelings best.
"Don't worry, everyone. Leave Onii-chan to me; I'll make sure to cheer him up," Komachi said, quickening her pace to catch up with Hachiman.
Arriving by Hachiman's side, Komachi smiled and said, "Onii-chan, don't be upset. It's the festival today, so cheer up."
Watching his sister approach, Hachiman reached out to ruffle her hair and smiled.
"I'm not upset; I understand Yukino and the others."
Indeed, he knew the girls' personalities quite well. Their words earlier were simply out of shyness.
After all, they had kissed many times before. If they still claimed not to like him, it would be self-deception.
Hearing Hachiman say he wasn't upset, Komachi found it strange.
"Then why did you walk ahead?"
"Well, if I didn't, they might have continued talking. I'm not some masochist, you know. Of course, I wouldn't stick around to be scolded," Hachiman shrugged.
"And I do have a temper, you know. They said they don't like me, so I left."
Hearing this explanation, Komachi felt helpless.
She never expected her Onii-chan to have such a childish side.
"Then, Onii-chan, we agreed. No getting mad, okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't get upset over such trivial matters," Hachiman nodded with a smile.
This reassured Komachi, who then clasped her hands behind her back and made an "OK" gesture.
Seeing this gesture, Yukino and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, Komachi was impressive; she managed to soothe him so quickly.
And from this scene, it was evident that Hachiman truly adored his little sister.
Reaffirming this thought, almost all the girls made up their minds.
They must build a good relationship with Komachi.
If they ever accidentally angered Hachiman, Komachi would undoubtedly be crucial.
Although Komachi indicated that Hachiman was no longer upset, the girls didn't immediately follow them, giving the siblings some space.
And so, the group split into two parts, with Hachiman and Komachi walking ahead and the other girls following not too far behind.
Just then, a somewhat familiar figure caught Hachiman's eye.
It was a tall, slender girl with a model-like figure. Her light blue hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wore a light purple yukata with white flower petals. A teardrop mole beneath her right eye added a touch of charm.
She was Hachiman's classmate and also the target of a previous request from the Service Club, Saki Kawasaki.
At this moment, flanking the girl were two relatively shorter figures, one of whom was Komachi's classmate from the cram school, Taishi Kawasaki.
The other one appeared to be much younger, probably around five or six years old, with similarly light blue hair tied into two small braids.
This must be Saki Kawasaki's other sister, Hachiman recalled her name as Kawasaki Keika.
Komachi also noticed Taishi not far away and waved to greet him.
"Hey, Taishi, good evening."
Seeing Komachi, Taishi smiled and returned the greeting.
"Hey, Kom..."
"Hmm?"
But as soon as he spoke, Hachiman's piercing gaze fell upon him, causing him to quickly change his words.
"Hikigaya-san, good evening."
Seeing the boy being so tactful, Hachiman nodded in approval.
Meanwhile, Saki, who had been focused on her sister, also heard her brother's voice and turned to see the Hachiman siblings not far away.
After a moment's thought, she decided to greet them as well. "Hikigaya-kun, good evening."
Hachiman nodded in return, smiling as he spoke, "Good evening, Black Lace."
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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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