บท 433: [433] Fickle-hearted Hachiman
Chapter 433: Fickle-hearted Hachiman
After saying goodbye to Tomoya and his wife, Hachiman and the other two headed towards the observation deck.
Saki still had a blush on her face, her mind swirling with thoughts of what had just transpired.
An indirect kiss... marriage... children...
As these thoughts raced through her mind, Saki's blush deepened.
Her little sister, Keika, looked at her sister's expression with confusion.
"Onee-chan, what's wrong? Your face suddenly turned red."
Startled by her sister's question, Saki quickly shook her head.
"I'm fine, it's just a bit warm, that's all."
She shot a subtle glare at Hachiman on the other side.
Seeing the girl's gaze, Hachiman gave a small smirk.
Are you still bothered by the indirect kiss just now?
But he wouldn't dare ask that directly, knowing it would only create an awkward situation for both of them.
With neither of them speaking, they continued walking hand in hand with little Keika, gradually making their way through the bustling crowd back to the observation deck in the paid area.
However, when Yumiko saw them returning, she couldn't help but speak up, her tone tinged with annoyance.
"Why did it take you so long? Where did you go?"
Originally, she and Saki weren't the most compatible types, so seeing Hachiman spending so much time with the other girl naturally irked her.
Hearing Yumiko's sharp tone, Saki's attitude turned unfriendly.
"We just took a bit longer, is it because you're eager to have Hachiman-kun back by your side?"
It was as if Saki was challenging Yumiko, with whom she already had some unpleasant history. From her observations, she knew that Yumiko still harbored feelings for Hachiman, so she used him as an excuse to confront the girl.
As expected, when Yumiko heard this, she immediately retorted, "Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? Who's in a hurry?"
"Anyone complaining about us being slow is the one at fault," Saki shot back, her lips curled in disdain.
"You...!"
Just as Yumiko was about to explode, Hachiman intervened.
"Alright, alright, there's no need to argue over such a trivial matter."
Even little Keika tugged at her sister's hand. "Onee-chan, let's not fight!"
"Yeah, Onee-chan won't fight."
Hearing her sister's words, Saki abandoned her plan to argue with Yumiko.
But Yumiko wasn't giving up. She wasn't someone to back down easily.
Hachiman naturally understood her personality and spoke up again.
"Okay, Yumiko, let's drop it."
Seeing Hachiman defending someone else over her, Yumiko felt a twinge of irritation.
But before she could erupt, Hachiman spoke again.
"We didn't do anything else while we were out, we just happened to encounter a little girl who got separated from her family on the way back. We spent some time helping her find her parents, that's why we're late."
Upon hearing this explanation, Yumiko's anger subsided.
The other girls also had a sudden realization.
They couldn't honestly say they didn't mind Hachiman and Saki being out for so long. After all, they were well aware of Hachiman's reputation as a bit of a ladies' man, and Saki was undeniably attractive, with a great figure. So, it was natural for them to feel suspicious.
But after Yumiko's questioning, they had decided to eavesdrop on the conversation to find out the truth.
However, upon hearing that Hachiman had stayed out late to help a lost little girl, they felt relieved.
Yui spoke up, "That's good then, Hikki. Did you manage to reunite the girl with her parents?"
"Of course." Hachiman nodded.
"I waited until her parents came to pick her up before returning. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been back so late."
"Glad to hear you found her parents," Yui sighed in relief, and the other girls felt the same.
They were all kind-hearted girls, and they knew they would have done the same if they were in Hachiman's shoes. And knowing that Hachiman hadn't been up to no good put their minds at ease.
At this point, Hachiman clapped his hands and spoke up, "Alright, it's getting late, we should head back."
It was nearly nine o'clock, and the fireworks display was nearing its end.
They came to the summer festival not just for fun, but also to enjoy the fireworks. With eating, drinking, and playing done, and the fireworks show over, it was time to head back.
Upon Hachiman's suggestion, the girls agreed without objection, acknowledging it was time to leave.
Tonight had been delightful, filled with snacks, games, and souvenirs like goldfish, water balloons, and dolls. However, it wasn't all happiness; some shop owners were left disheartened.
Despite their different homes, arranging transportation wasn't a problem. Erina quickly organized Nakiri family cars to drop off the girls in groups based on their directions.
Hachiman naturally ended up with Komachi, accompanied by Yukino and Yui. Seeing this arrangement, Komachi opted to sit in the front, a move Hachiman understood but didn't challenge. He sat obediently in the back with Yukino.
As the car started, it moved toward their respective homes. Despite the silence in the car, Hachiman broke it by asking, "So, did you two enjoy yourselves today?"
Yui happily nodded in response. "Yeah, it was great. Thanks, Hikki."
"No problem, as long as you had fun," Hachiman chuckled, then turned to Yukino.
"And you, Yukino, did you have a good time?"
"Mm."
Though Yukino's reply was brief, the slight smile on her face betrayed her enjoyment.
Suddenly, Yui chimed in with a smile, "Hikki, Yukinon, let's come to the summer festival together next year, okay?"
"Of course, no problem. If you want to, Yui, I'll definitely take you next year," Hachiman said, smiling warmly at her.
But Yukino remained silent upon hearing Yui's proposal.
Continue together next year?
Though Hachiman hasn't decided yet, Yukino believes it's only a matter of time, given their previous conversations, and she's confident he'll choose her.
But the girls also understood that Yui liked Hachiman.
In this situation, no matter whom Hachiman chooses, someone is bound to get hurt.
If she and Hachiman were to become a couple, what would happen to Yui? Could the three of them still be as happy together as they are now?
Just the thought of this situation made Yukino's expression somewhat melancholy.
She genuinely considered Yui a good friend and naturally didn't want to hurt her.
But what could she do? Should she give up on Hachiman?
That's something she didn't want to do either...
At that moment, Hachiman seemed to sense Yukino's inner turmoil and subtly squeezed her hand, his expression seeming to say, "I'm here for you."
This gesture eased Yukino's mind.
Yes, Hachiman was still there for her.
After going through so much together, when has he ever let her down?
Thinking this, Yukino's face also showed a faint smile.
"Yeah, we'll come together next year too."
Hearing her words, Yui's face also lit up with a bright smile.
"Yeah, we promise!"
But then Yukino spoke up again.
"But next year, we'll be in our final year of high school, and we'll have to consider the college entrance exams. If our grades aren't good, we won't have time to come out and play."
"Huh? How come..."
Upon hearing this, Yui also realized, her eyes widening in surprise.
After all, both Hachiman and Yukino were top students.
Even Yumiko and the others had above-average grades.
If anyone really needed tutoring, it would undoubtedly be her.
The thought of being the only one unable to come out and play next year made Yui couldn't help but let out a mournful cry.
"I don't want to go to tutoring!!!"
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