"Hikigaya...
He must be the boy who got hit that day."
As Yukino looked at Hachiman, who was not far ahead, she felt a mixture of emotions.
Despite her determination to make amends as much as possible, when the person actually stood before her, she was at a loss for what to do.
"Good afternoon, Miss Yukinoshita," Hachiman greeted with a smile, even though she had disrupted the pleasant moment.
"Hikki, isn't she the one who..."
At that moment, Yui also recognized Yukinoshita Haruno as the person who had knocked Hachiman down that day.
However, before she could say anything, Hachiman shook his head at her.
Observing his reaction, Yui couldn't help but refrain from saying what she had intended.
"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun. And this is my younger sister," Haruno said.
As a social expert, Haruno naturally understood what Hachiman meant, and neither of them mentioned the car accident.
"Miss Yukinoshita, who is this?" Hachiman asked, looking at Yukino behind Haruno, pretending not to recognize her.
However, at this time, he and Yukino truly didn't know each other.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce you. This is my younger sister, Yukinoshita Yukino. Like Hikigaya-kun, she's also a first-year student at Sobu High."
"What do you think, Hikigaya-kun? My little Yukino is quite adorable."
Haruno introduced her younger sister with a smile on her face, and at the end, a hint of pride appeared.
"Nee-san, please refrain from saying such things in public. Although I do acknowledge my own cuteness, hearing it from my sister's mouth would be too embarrassing."
"Hello, I am Yukinoshita Yukino. Please offer me your guidance."
Yukino wasn't sure how to approach Hachiman, so she assumed her usual composed demeanor and nodded expressionlessly at him.
Observing Yukino's demeanor, Hachiman didn't take offense. He understood that her character was indeed like this.
"Hello, Yukinoshita-san. I'm Hikigaya Hachiman. Please take care of me. And this is my friend, Yuigahama Yui, who is also a first-year student at Sobu High," Hachiman said with a self-assured smile before turning to Yui. "Go ahead and introduce yourself, Yui."
With a slight hesitation, Yui stepped forward, her voice soft as she spoke.
"Hello, Yukinoshita-san. I'm Yuigahama Yui. Please take care of me." She glanced at Yukino, who maintained her distant demeanor, and then stood slightly behind Hachiman, whispering her introduction.
"Hello, Yuigahama-san," Yukino nodded once more.
"Ara, are Hikigaya-kun and Yuigahama-kun on a date?" Haruno chimed in at that moment.
Well, this...
Though he did have thoughts about Yui, admitting to a date in front of Yukino seemed a bit inappropriate.
But considering Yui's courage to ask him out, as a man, he should be willing to acknowledge it.
"Ye..."
"We're definitely not on a date..."
But just as Hachiman was about to admit it, Yui, the pure-hearted girl, shyly protested.
To this, Hachiman just shrugged, paying little attention to her objection.
In his view, Yui was simply being shy, nothing more than a silly girl.
There was no way she could escape his grasp.
"Oh, so it's not a date after all? Then, Hikigaya-kun, how about having my adorable little Yukino as your girlfriend?" Haruno asked with a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
As Hachiman observed the sly smile on Haruno's lips, he couldn't help but sense the danger.
If he agreed to her suggestion, things might take a turn for the worse.
However, before he could respond, Yukino spoke up.
"Really,Nee-san, you're so boring. I'm heading home," she remarked before turning and walking towards their apartment.
"Hey, hey, don't go, Yukino-chan," Haruno quickly chased after her, realizing her sister was upset.
"Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun!" she called out as she left.
Watching the two of them suddenly depart, Hachiman felt somewhat helpless.
He had initially planned to make a better impression in front of Yukino, but Haruno had disrupted that plan.
"Phew..."
However, at this moment, Yui, who had been hiding behind him, let out a sigh of relief.
"Yukinoshita-san seems a bit intimidating," she remarked.
Evidently, Yukino's cool demeanor had made her somewhat nervous.
"Is that so? But I think you two might become good friends in the future."
"No, no, I can't do that," Yui quickly shook her head, even her hair bun swaying from side to side.
"Well, well, let's stop talking about it, Yui. What should we do next?" Seeing her like this, Hachiman couldn't help but want to smile.
"Next... let me think," Yui said, lightly tapping her lips as she tilted her head in thought.
"How about we go check out that store over there?" Yui pointed to a nearby shop, her face lighting up with a happy smile.
"Sure thing, Yui. I'll accompany you wherever you want to go."
"Oh, Hikki, you're so sweet, saying things like that," blushing, Yui's ears turned pink at his somewhat cheesy words.
"Come on, let's go, let's go shopping." Yui grabbed Hachiman's arm, and the two of them walked towards the store.
It happened to be the same store where Yukino had bought the Mr. Pann and cat plushies.
This shop not only had plushies but also a variety of small accessories.
It was evident that Yui had a penchant for these colorful and flashy items, as she began trying on one after another.
"Hikki, what do you think of this one?"
"It suits you really well, Yui."
"And this one?"
"That one looks great too..."
"What about this?"
"That one's nice as well..."
"Hmm, it feels like you're just humoring me, Hikki.
""..."''
Yui tried on many small accessories, and Hachiman approved of each one, but in the end, Yui couldn't help but give him a teasing glare.
Just as Yui was still choosing accessories, Hachiman picked up a hairband with heart-shaped decorations and said, "I think this one suits you really well, Yui."
"Really?" Yui's eyes lit up as she looked at the hairband in his hand, clearly quite fond of it.
"Of course. Here, let me help you put it on."
"Alright..." Yui replied somewhat shyly, lowering her head slightly as she leaned towards Hachiman.
After a bit of maneuvering, Hachiman tied the heart-shaped hairband onto her bun.
"So, Hikki, does it look good?" Straightening up, Yui asked with a hint of anticipation.
"Yeah, it really suits you, Yui," Hachiman nodded in satisfaction, looking at the perfectly placed decoration on her head.
"Really? Then I'll buy this one!" Yui said happily, her eyes squinting with excitement.
"No, this is actually a gift for you, Yui," Hachiman said with a smile, shaking his head.
"Huh?! A gift for me?"
Yui was surprised by Hachiman's unexpected statement.
"Yes, it's a gift for you," Hachiman confirmed with a nod.
"Why are you giving me a gift?" Yui asked with a puzzled expression.
"Well, when it comes to why, it's because I think this hairband goes perfectly with you, Yui. So, I wanted to give it to you!" Hachiman took Yui's hand and continued, "Consider this your token of appreciation for accompanying me today."
Oh, come on, it's actually you who's been accompanying me.
Sneaky Hikki, always saying such blush-inducing things.
Seeing her own hand held by him, a blush crept onto Yui's face.
Seeing her blush, Hachiman smiled, taking it as her acceptance.
"Let's go, we should go pay," he said, leading Yui towards the cashier.
After paying, the two of them exited the store, but Yui still had the heart-shaped hairband on her head, and she hadn't taken it off.
Touching the bun on her head, Yui wore a happy smile.
"Yui, how about some takoyaki?" Hachiman asked, seeing a street food stall nearby.
"Sure!" Yui, feeling a bit hungry, nodded.
Approaching the takoyaki stall, Hachiman ordered, "One serving of takoyaki, please."
"Sure thing, young man. Please wait a moment," the stall owner, a middle-aged man, replied.
When it comes to Japanese street food, takoyaki is a classic that can't be missed.
Unlike the ones found in many other countries where they're mostly dough, these Japanese takoyaki balls were plump, and with each bite, you could taste the tender and chewy octopus inside.
They were garnished with bonito flakes, seaweed shreds, and mayonnaise, giving them a flavorful and savory taste that people loved.
Moreover, they weren't expensive at all, typically priced at around 400-500 yen per serving, quite affordable.
"Hey, young man, your girlfriend is really beautiful. You better treasure her," the stall owner, the friendly uncle, said as he watched Hachiman and Yui.
"Huh? We're..."
"Haha, don't worry, Uncle. I'll definitely treasure her," Hachiman responded with a chuckle, picking up where the owner left off.
In no time, the takoyaki was ready.
"All done! Seeing how well-matched you two are, I'll give you two extra pieces," the stall owner said with a chuckle.
"Haha, thank you so much for that," Hachiman accepted the takoyaki and thanked the owner with a smile.
After paying, Hachiman led Yui to a bench.
"Here, Yui, for you," he said, handing her a bamboo skewer.
Hachiman skewered one of the takoyaki balls, blew on it, and took a bite.
The combination of the tender filling and chewy octopus was a unique and delightful flavor.
"Wow, this is really delicious," Yui exclaimed beside him.
"Yeah, the taste is excellent. The various fillings are well-balanced, the octopus is plump, and most importantly, they've cooked it to perfection," Hachiman added appreciatively.
Hearing Hachiman's insightful analysis, Yui was somewhat surprised.
"Hikki, are you good at cooking, by any chance?"
"Yeah, to be honest, I'm quite skilled in cooking," Hachiman said with a hint of pride. "If there's a chance, I'll let you taste something I've prepared myself."
Cooking was one of the skills he used most often in his daily life.
Without any surprises, he would likely advance from level three to level four in his cooking skill within a month.
At level four, his cooking skills would probably surpass those of the Elite Ten Council.
"Uh, I'm so envious. When it comes to cooking, I'm definitely not good at it," Yui said, sounding somewhat disheartened.
Even though her mother was such a great cook, she couldn't seem to get the hang of it herself.
Hachiman couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed when Yui mentioned her cooking skills.
Yours must be considered "dark cuisine," he thought to himself.
Thinking about the cookies she had made in the original story, Hachiman's stomach churned uneasily.
He decided that Yui should stay away from cooking, and he could handle the cooking at home in the future.
That way, they could avoid any unnecessary trips to the hospital.
With this thought in mind, Hachiman couldn't help but pat himself on the back for his wisdom.
"Hmm..." After eating three takoyaki balls and biting into the fourth, Yui furrowed her brow slightly.
"What's wrong, Yui?" Seeing her expression, Hachiman asked with concern.
"I can't eat anymore," Yui said, feeling the fullness in her stomach and looking troubled.
"It's okay, I'll finish the rest," Hachiman reassured her.
A few takoyaki balls wouldn't be a problem for him.
"But..." Yui hesitated as she looked at the half-eaten takoyaki ball in her hand.
Before she could finish her thought, Hachiman simply took a bite of the takoyaki ball in her hand.
"Ah, Hikki, you..."
This is like an indirect kiss!
Seeing him eat the half she was holding, Yui blushed and exclaimed shyly.
"I don't want to waste it, and I think this takoyaki ball is more delicious than the others," Hachiman chuckled.
Having finished the one in her hand, Hachiman continued to eat the remaining takoyaki balls.
After finishing the takoyaki, Hachiman turned and saw Yui pouting, looking a bit sulky.
"Alright, Yui, don't be upset. Look, there's a claw machine over there. How about we try to grab some dolls?"
Hachiman reached over and ruffled the bun on her head, smiling as he pointed to the nearby claw machine.
The Japanese claw machine was quite remarkable.
It didn't just contain plush toys; it was filled with a variety of everyday items like cigarettes, lipstick, tissues, shoes, and even seafood, alongside action figures, DVDs, and more.
"Grabbing some dolls sounds fun," Yui replied, her interest piqued at the idea.
The two of them approached the claw machine, which held relatively ordinary plush toys inside.
They inserted a 500 yen coin and received five attempts.
"Yui, why don't you give it a try?"
"Sure, I'll give it a shot." Yui grasped the joystick, beginning her first attempt.
"However, everyone is familiar with how claw machines work. Although the joystick makes it easy to control left and right movements, the claw's gripping strength is rather weak.
So, while Yui managed to grab a plush toy, she couldn't hold onto it, and the toy eventually fell.
"Oh, I didn't get it," Yui said with a hint of disappointment as she watched the toy drop.
"It's okay, let's try again," Hachiman reassured her.
"Uh... it fell again."
Unfortunately, the second attempt had the same result.
"Hikki, you give it a try," Yui said, stepping aside in frustration.
"Don't worry, Yui. Which one do you want?" Hachiman asked.
"Hmm... I'll go for that small dog plush."
"No problem, leave it to me!"
Hachiman had some tricks up his sleeve when it came to claw machines.
This kind of thing required finesse—controlling the claw to the right position.
However, instead of using the claw to grab the plush toy, he swung the joystick left and right, hooking the loop behind the toy with the claw.
"Wow, Hikki, you're really good at this!" Yui exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly as the plush toy was smoothly lifted.
"For you, Yui." He retrieved the plush toy from the machine and handed it to her.
"Thanks, Hikki, hehe."
Taking the plush toy, Yui's face lit up with a radiant, goofy smile.
As he watched her infectious grin, Hachiman couldn't help but feel his own mood brighten.
Indeed, that kind of silliness was quite contagious.
"Hey, isn't that Yui?" At that moment, a slightly proud voice sounded, and a blonde figure approached them.
"Yumiko?!"
The person approaching was none other than Miura Yumiko, the Flame Empress of Sobu High School!
----------------------------------
A/N:
"Flame Empress" is not a literal title but a metaphorical one often used in storytelling to describe a character's dominant, assertive, or strong-willed personality. I gave this nickname to Miura Yukino to emphasize her authoritative and confident demeanor. It's not an official or formal title but a descriptive one based on her character traits.
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Chapter 46: Familiar Faces Arriving One After Another
Chapter 47: The Outcome of the Serene and Lovely Blind Date Was Less Than Ideal
Can we return to the top 10 guys? I'll provide an extra chapter if we make it back.
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