"Hikigaya-kun, what do you think?"
Yukinoshita glanced at her boyfriend with a teasing, ambiguous smile.
"Would you let Ai-chan be your girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
Hikigaya's expression twitched slightly as he whipped his head around.
"W–What are you talking about!? You're my girlfriend! Why would I ever… with Hoshino-san… Stop messing with me!"
"Really? Not even the slightest temptation?" Yukinoshita batted her eyes and scooted closer to him, leaning in until her face was right in front of his.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Her boobs and butt are way bigger than mine, you know."
"Huh!?"
Hikigaya's face flushed bright red. He gave an awkward cough, lowering his voice too.
"I'll always only love you…"
"Uu~!"
Yukinoshita, who had been teasing him just a moment ago, instantly turned scarlet. Her heart bloomed with joy, and she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around him on the spot.
So what if you other girls are curvier?
Her dear boyfriend still prefers petite little me, fufu~
"Yuki, stop teasing Hikigaya-kun already."
At that moment, Hoshino Ai leaned in beside the couple with a giggle.
"Hikigaya-kun's such a loyal guy. Even if I seriously tried chasing him, I doubt he'd fall for me. His heart belongs to you alone."
"Hehe, thank you."
Yukinoshita smiled, then added sweetly:
"But I was being serious just now, Ai-chan. You should totally try going after my Hikigaya-kun~"
"Oh?" Hoshino's eyes lit up.
"Well, it'd be a good test for him, right?" Yukinoshita gave her boyfriend a smirking glance, clearly enjoying his embarrassment. "What do you say, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Stop ganging up on me already!"
Hikigaya grumbled with a scowl.
Yukinoshita grinned radiantly.
"You two are so good together," Hoshino said, her face full of admiration.
"Oh, it's nothing." Yukinoshita smiled, trying to comfort her. "You'll definitely find the right guy someday too."
"Maybe…"
Hoshino's beautiful eyes flicked toward Hikigaya more than once—purposefully or not—before she smiled again and turned to Yukinoshita.
"Yukino-chan, I was thinking of stopping by the mall to pick up a few things. Want to come?"
"Sure, let's go together." Yukinoshita nodded.
"Eh? You're going to the mall?"
Hikigaya hesitated, wanting to say something.
"Is there a problem?"
Yukinoshita shot him a sharp look.
"I'm going with Ai-chan to buy some things… You're coming too. As the gentleman here, your job is to carry everything."
"Huh…?"
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. He really didn't want his girlfriend spending more time with such a dangerous woman, but with Yukinoshita insisting, he had no choice but to comply in the end.
"Alright, alright…" he sighed deeply.
"That's more like it."
Yukinoshita gave a satisfied smile.
"Yukino-chan, you've really got Hikigaya-kun wrapped around your finger," Hoshino said in mock surprise. "He's so obedient with you—it's kind of adorable."
"Well, I am his girlfriend."
Yukinoshita lifted her chin proudly, basking in her triumph.
"Got any tips you can share? I wanna train my future boyfriend to be just as obedient," Hoshino asked eagerly.
"Hmm… well, the first step in mastering a man is—"
The two girls walked off arm-in-arm, chatting and giggling together.
Watching them, Hikigaya felt utterly helpless and could only trail behind.
There's no helping it.
He had no choice but to follow them.
Let's just hope Hoshino-san doesn't try anything funny…
Without thinking, Hikigaya's eyes drifted toward Hoshino Ai's back.
Such curves…
She was wearing tight jeans that accentuated her hips in a way his girlfriend's didn't. The contrast was stark—and dangerously alluring.
"I get the feeling Hikigaya-kun's been staring at our butts this whole time?" Hoshino suddenly quipped.
Wha—!? Do you have eyes on the back of your head!?
"Eh? Hikigaya-kun! Don't be indecent!" Yukinoshita turned around and glared. "It's one thing if you look at mine, but don't ogle Ai-chan's!"
"I—I wasn't!"
Hikigaya quickly averted his eyes.
"Hehe, you're such a strict wife, Yukino-chan. Don't be too hard on him. With how close we are, I wouldn't even mind if he peeked," Hoshino said with a playful grin.
"You're too kind, Ai-chan."
The two girls resumed their cheerful chatter.
The friendlier they got, the more Hikigaya's head ached. He followed along silently, now even more afraid to let his eyes wander.
A few minutes later…
They arrived at a nearby mall.
The girls decided to start with the supermarket inside and buy some daily necessities.
But—
Just as they were about to enter, Yukinoshita suddenly clutched her lower abdomen and spoke up awkwardly:
"Ugh… my stomach feels a bit off. You two go on ahead. I'll hit the restroom and join you in a bit."
"Huh?"
Startled, Hikigaya immediately looked at her in concern.
"Are you okay?" Hoshino mirrored his worried expression.
"I'm fine, really."
Forcing a smile, Yukinoshita waved off their concerns. Just before turning away, she looked pointedly at Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, make sure you keep Ai-chan safe, okay? She's a well-known idol. If anyone recognizes her, it could get troublesome."
"I got it…" Hikigaya let out another deep sigh.
With that, Yukinoshita headed off toward the restroom.
"Let's head inside, then~ Hikigaya-kun," Hoshino said brightly, sidling up to him. Hikigaya instinctively backed away.
Seeing this, Hoshino blinked and smiled playfully.
"Yukino-chan told you to protect me, remember? Don't stray too far now, Hikigaya-kun~"
"…I know."
Resigned, Hikigaya inched a little closer.
"That's better."
With that, Hoshino wrapped her arm around his.
"H-Hoshino-san!?"
He stiffened in panic.
She smells really good… And yeah, she is way bigger than Yukinoshita…
"Such a cute reaction~"
Hoshino giggled, then tugged him forward.
"Come on, Hikigaya-kun~"
"Ugh…"
Hikigaya sighed again.
Yukinoshita, please come back soon!
This woman is way too dangerous!
"Hikigaya-kun, let's go this way~ Help me pick out some sanitary pads," Hoshino said eagerly, dragging him toward the women's section.
"…Huh? Pick out what!?"
His face paled as he tried to wriggle free.
"Why would you drag me there!? Let go! Don't make me go into that kind of place!"
"Don't be shy~ Come on, help me pick some out," Hoshino said with a radiant smile, hugging his arm tightly against her chest and tugging him along.
With Yukinoshita gone, this golden opportunity was not one she intended to waste.