120. Is Jabami Yumeko a Substitute?
After dinner.
Komachi Hikigaya chose a game called Fight the Landlord.
For both Hikigaya and Jabami Yumeko, this lowest-tier gambling game was no different from children playing house.
Still, all three had a great time playing.
Hikigaya was happy because his little sister was happy, so he felt happy too.
Holding the cards in his hands, he didn't bother to calculate like he would at Hyakkaou Private Academy—if he had a big card, he played it; if not, he passed.
As for Yumeko...
Hikigaya hadn't expected that even in such a simple gambling game, Yumeko could show such a genuine smile.
The three of them played until ten o'clock.
Seeing that it was getting late, Hikigaya Hachiman stood up and said, "Alright, it's getting late, Komachi. Time for bed."
"Nooo, Onii-chan, just a little longer."
"No can do," Hachiman remained firm, stretching lazily, planning to take a hot shower before going to sleep.
"Be good, Komachi~ We've played all day, and onee-san is tired too," Yumeko gently stroked Komachi's head, looking like the very image of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
With a thump, Komachi threw herself into Yumeko's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around her slender waist. "Then Yumeko-onee-chan has to sleep with me tonight."
A mischievous glint sparkled in Komachi's eyes.
This was a test.
So far, she didn't know how far things had progressed between Yumeko and her older brother. If Yumeko-onee-chan hesitated at this suggestion, then that would mean… ehehe.
"Of course~ I'll sleep with Komachi tonight," Yumeko replied cheerfully, clapping her hands gently as she slipped out of Komachi's embrace. She headed to the kitchen, cut open three cartons of milk, and poured them into cups. Without either of the siblings noticing, she subtly tapped the rim of Komachi's cup with her right index finger, and then did the same to Hikigaya's cup with her left index finger.
Afterward, as if nothing had happened, she carried the three cups of milk back to the siblings.
"Let's have a glass of milk before bed."
Komachi felt a little disappointed.
So it really was true—her brother and Yumeko-onee-chan had just made their relationship official today. It wasn't like she imagined, where her brother was just being shy and unwilling to admit it.
The siblings moved in perfect sync, lifting their cups of milk and downing them in one go.
Yumeko smiled strangely, a red gleam flickering in her eyes as she watched the two drain their cups to the last drop.
"Komachi-chan, you're amazing," Yumeko clapped her hands with a smile, praising her.
Then, Komachi pulled Yumeko by the hand and led her back to her room.
As for Hikigaya Hachiman, after sweating so much during the sparring session with Honebami, he urgently needed a shower.
.
.
.
Cool water rinsed the grime from Hikigaya's body.
But strangely, the fire inside him didn't get extinguished. In fact, the cold water seemed to awaken something, as if a dragon was stirring.
Hikigaya didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a normal physical reaction.
After all, after what happened at Honebami's estate in the afternoon, at his age overflowing with hormones, it was natural to feel this way.
The more he washed, the more vivid the memories from that afternoon became in his mind.
The sensual moment with Miss Yor, the breathtaking moment during the fight with Miss Honebami...
"Damn it... what's wrong with you, Hikigaya Hachiman? This is getting kind of pervy," Hikigaya muttered to himself, hands pressed against the shower wall. His well-defined muscles, no longer hidden by clothes, gleamed with refined beauty. He began reciting prime numbers silently, trying to force his mind away from those steamy images.
He didn't want to defile those two women within his own memories.
After a long time, Hikigaya finally calmed down. Although he was still in a "dragon awakening" state, his attention had already drifted away from the events of the afternoon.
He turned off the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself off.
Walking over to the sink, he took down a towel he hadn't used in a long time, intending to wipe his face with it.
A strange scent surged into his mind.
How should he describe that smell?
It had a freshness with a hint of sweetness, like nectar, or perhaps a clear spring.
Hikigaya thought of many words in his head, but none of them accurately captured the fragrance.
Moreover, after a long day of exertion, with his attention waning, Hikigaya Hachiman failed to realize that the towel he hadn't used in ages had already absorbed moisture.
Hikigaya simply assumed that his sister Komachi had washed the towel for him and didn't give it any further thought.
He pressed the towel against his face, letting it make full contact with his skin, leaving no area untouched.
He allowed that strange fragrance to soak into every pore.
Hikigaya only felt refreshed and invigorated.
Afterward, he rinsed the towel with water and washed his face. Only then did some of his fatigue begin to fade.
Wearing his pajamas, Hikigaya returned to his room.
.
.
.
On the other side of the Hikigaya house.
Komachi clung to Yumeko's arm like an octopus, her slender legs wrapped around Yumeko's voluptuous, long jade-like legs.
The two of them began chatting about secrets between girls.
"Yumeko-onee-chan, did you know? This is actually the first time my brother has ever brought a friend home~"
"Hm? The first time?" Yumeko sounded a little surprised.
Komachi's voice was a bit drowsy, clearly heavy with sleepiness: "Mm, first time in his whole life."
"Onii-chan has never brought a friend home before, not even Yuk—" Realizing she had said too much, Komachi quickly cut herself off.
"No wonder Hachiman was so emotional~" In the darkness, a sweet smile spread across Yumeko's face. "Actually, I know about Miss Yukinoshita~"
"Huh?! You know, Yumeko-onee-chan?!" Komachi jolted, a chill running up her spine.
'Wh-What do I do?! If Yumeko-onee-chan forces me to choose sides, am I supposed to betray Yukino-onee-chan?'
'But then I'd be a two-faced traitor...' Komachi fell into deep inner turmoil.
Already feeling sleepy, her brain power being diverted to this issue made her even sleepier.
"Hachiman and Miss Yukinoshita must have a close relationship, right? Komachi, would you tell me about them?"
"You're not... mad, Yumeko-onee-chan?" Komachi asked cautiously.
In the soap operas she'd seen, situations like this usually ended in dramatic love triangles, full of fighting and heartbreak. But Yumeko-onee-chan didn't sound mad at all—in fact, there wasn't even a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"I'm not mad. Actually, I really want to be friends with Miss Yukinoshita. So, Komachi, please tell me about them."
"I see..."
Komachi nodded sleepily. She suddenly felt that Yumeko-onee-chan's voice really did sound a lot like Yukino-onee-chan's. That must be why she felt such a natural closeness to her.
'Could that be the reason Onii-chan fell for Yumeko-onee-chan?'
'Did he take Yumeko-onee-chan as a substitute? If she found out, it would really hurt her, wouldn't it?'
'But Yumeko-onee-chan is so gentle...'
'Onii-chan is such a scumbag.'
Komachi was just about to start telling the story of Yukino and Hikigaya when, under the influence of the drug, her consciousness finally gave out.
And just like that, she fell into a deep sleep.