110. Hikigaya Komachi and Jabami Yumeko
A traveler returning from afar had come back to his long-lost hometown.
Feeling nervous upon nearing home—this was the first time Hikigaya Hachiman experienced such an emotion. After all, this time, he wasn't the only one returning to Chiba.
There was also...
Hikigaya subtly glanced at Jabami Yumeko, who was beside him, curiously taking in her surroundings like a wide-eyed child.
Gotta admit, Yumeko looked stunning today.
This was also the first time Hikigaya had seen Yumeko's outfit outside the school campus.
It was somewhat similar to the Hyakkaou Private Academy uniform, mainly red, black, and white. On it, snake-like patterns could faintly be seen.
Therefore, Hikigaya guessed that this must be the Jabami family's exclusive uniform.
'She really dressed up for this… Yumeko.'
Although Hikigaya typically didn't care about such details, he couldn't help but feel something upon seeing the attention Yumeko paid to this small matter.
Taking a somewhat greedy deep breath of the Chiba station air, he sighed with emotion: "The air in Chiba still smells sweet."
"Hey, hey, Hikigaya-kun, let's go buy some fruit at the supermarket~"
Jabami Yumeko, like a bird long caged, had finally been released from the weight of heavy pressure with Hikigaya's help. Although it was only for two days, to Yumeko, this time was extremely precious.
Hikigaya noticed all of this.
'Carrying the burden of her family's rise and fall from such a young age, taking care of Miss Souko… Yumeko must be exhausted.'
"If you want to buy it, then let's go."
Hikigaya had always been someone who hated hassle. Even back home, he'd rather lock himself in his room writing than accompany his mother on a shopping trip. Only Komachi could ever move him.
But at this moment, he didn't want to refuse a single request from Jabami Yumeko.
He was simply going along with what her heart wanted.
Hikigaya Hachiman stood calmly next to Yumeko. Though the two didn't engage in any intimate gestures like shoulder-to-shoulder or hand-in-hand, in the eyes of passersby, they already looked like a couple.
A curious onlooker stopped in their tracks, opened TikTok on their phone, and started filming the backs of the two.
After quickly editing the clip and pairing it with the hashtag from a nearby eastern superpower—#DrowningInLove and the caption [Fairy couple, jealous!], they uploaded it to the Chiba local feed.
It quickly spread with an astonishing number of likes.
By the time Jabami Yumeko finished picking out gifts for meeting the parents, it was already 10 a.m.
The sun was scorching, so bright that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
Hikigaya took the many shopping bags from Yumeko's hands, feeling speechless. He had only ever read online about the terrifying nature of women shopping, but after experiencing it firsthand, he realized those netizens were not exaggerating.
Weren't they supposed to just buy some simple fruit at the start?
And now?
Tobacco and a belt for his dad, a full set of cosmetics for his mom, and for his younger sister Komachi—a Doraemon-themed piggy bank.
Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes twitched slightly, and he felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity.
Honestly, he wanted to remind Yumeko that Komachi and Yukinoshita Yukino got along pretty well, so even if she wanted to give a gift…
Forget it—no point in saying it.
Giving such formal gifts on a first meeting, Hikigaya Hachiman decided to just go with the flow.
His melancholic dead-fish eyes slanted 45° toward the sky, letting the blazing sun roast them into dried fish rich in DHA.
After walking for a long time—
Hikigaya pressed the doorbell at home with some effort.
The crisp ringing stirred something within him. He couldn't help but imagine how his family would react when they saw him and Yumeko together.
If even Hikigaya felt this way, Jabami Yumeko, as the girl in the situation, was even more nervous.
Don't be fooled by how she acted like an innocent girl when alone with Hikigaya. In public, she was definitely an asset to him. Graceful, noble, and absolutely stunning in demeanor… all the positive words used to describe noblewomen or elegant ladies could be found in Yumeko.
At this moment, she had her hands behind her back, her fingers anxiously entwined.
A long time passed, but no one opened the door.
Hikigaya had a bad feeling. It's the weekend... don't tell me—
His pupils shrank. He instinctively squatted down, reached under the doormat, and pulled out his spare key.
Click—he opened the door and went in.
The scene he had worried about did not appear. It was still the familiar home he remembered.
The air even still carried the scent of his sister, Komachi.
"Huh? No one's home?" Yumeko cautiously stepped into the house, took off her little leather boots, revealing black-stocking-clad feet, and slipped on the guest slippers Hikigaya had taken out for her.
Ten playful, dainty toes peeked out adorably from the slippers.
But Hikigaya didn't have time to admire them.
He looked around and didn't see his parents' shoes anywhere. But Komachi's sneakers were neatly placed in the shoe cabinet.
"They're here, but looks like... my mom and dad went out."
Hikigaya put down the bags and quickly walked to Komachi's room.
Bang bang bang—
"Komachi, don't tell me you're still sleeping?!"
His voice sounded like a demon from hell wielding cutlery, pounding at the door and shaking the room.
Thump thump thump—
The sound of a body colliding with the floor from the bed came from inside, clearly startled by Hikigaya's knocking.
"Nii-chan?! Why are you home?!"
The voice came before the person appeared. A mix of surprise and a trace of embarrassment—her brother had caught her still in bed at 10 a.m.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, the girl threw off her blanket and groggily walked to the door, pressing the handle.
"Welcome home, Onii-chan!"
Komachi yawned. As her brain rebooted, her vision started to clear.
At first, Komachi thought her eyes were playing tricks on her because she hadn't fully woken up.
Until—
"Eh?!"
"A girl?!!!"
Komachi let out a sharp scream and took several shocked steps back.
She completely ignored the older brother she had missed dearly, and locked eyes on the elegant young woman beside him.
The supercomputer known as Hikigaya Komachi booted up—
Analyzing data collected via her eyes, the chest size was not something Yukino-neesan could possess.
'First, rule out the possibility that she's Yukino-neesan,' Komachi thought, seemingly entering the same memory palace mode her brother was known for, calmly analyzing the situation.
'Next, her aura.'
'Noble, innocent, adorable... with a hint of sensuality that girls my age just don't have. This woman… is dangerous~'
'And look at my lame brother! His eyes are completely lifeless—how pathetic!'
'He's totally not worthy of the big sister beside him!' Komachi raged inside her memory palace. 'Is she his classmate from high school? No, no, no, this won't do. For the sake of my brother's lifelong happiness, I must take action.'
'Sorry, Yukino-neesan!'
Thunk—
It was as if Hikigaya Hachiman had barged into her memory palace, lightly tapping Komachi on the forehead and pulling her back to reality.
"Don't go imagining weird things, Komachi!"