124 Hachiman and Yukino
It's over, everything is over.
Hachiman's body was sitting in a taxi, but his soul seemed to be still lingering in the Ferris wheel cabin.
Located at the highest point in Chiba... gazing down at the earth like a god.
Under the influence of the heavens, the earth, and human desires, Hachiman's soul had reached an unprecedented level of elevation.
As Yumeko would say, it was like drinking freshly heated milk, making his stomach feel warm and fuzzy.
The bet had finally come to an end, with Hachiman emerging as the loser.
In other words, from now on, Hachiman would have to face Yumeko's relentless harassment until he could completely satisfy her in that aspect.
He didn't know how he had managed to leave the cabin.
Fortunately, Yumeko's sealing abilities were good, and she hadn't let the smell spread... otherwise, Hachiman wouldn't have known how to face his sister Komachi's gaze.
Fortunately, his sister's eyes still only showed a clear and innocent foolishness.
"Driver, go to the xxx building."
"Ah, young man, you look a bit pale," the taxi driver said, noticing Hachiman's terrible complexion. "You must have been up all night playing video games. My kid is about the same age as you, and he's always cooped up in his room playing games all night."
"You young people should exercise more and take care of your bodies..."
Hachiman closed his eyes wearily, automatically tuning out the driver's chatter.
"If only it were just playing video games..."
In addition to meeting the Yukinoshita sisters, he also had to hand over the finished manuscript of "The Mystery of Japanese Astrology" to Miss Haruno.
He also wanted to follow up on the cooperation he had obtained from Sumeragi Itsuki.
And...
Hachiman's head leaned against the window, and he fell asleep.
The excessive mental strain and physical exhaustion had finally caught up with him.
.
.
.
"Hey, young man, we're here," the enthusiastic driver said, shaking Hachiman's arm to wake him up.
Hachiman opened his eyes groggily, transferred the fare using his phone, and got out of the taxi. Looking at the luxurious building in front of him, Hachiman felt a mix of emotions.
In reality, he wasn't prepared to face Yukinoshita Yukino with the right attitude.
He could sense Yukino's feelings towards him.
If he hadn't gotten involved with Yumeko, he might have been able to treat her normally. But now, after having a physical relationship with Yumeko, getting involved with Yukino would be too unfair... to both Yumeko and Yukino.
'I need to make a clean break today' Hachiman thought, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for a sacred separation.
After all, he and Yukino were not meant to be, and he needed to make it clear to her that she shouldn't waste any more time on him. It wasn't worth it.
With this determination, Hachiman walked towards the building.
He arrived at the front desk and pressed the doorbell for Yukino's room.
"Who is it?"
The cool voice made Hachiman's heart skip a beat. Although it was similar to Yumeko's, he could still distinguish between the two.
Yukino's coolness was tinged with a hint of sadness, a pain of youth. Yumeko's coolness, on the other hand, was noble, desirable, and a source of temptation that led people to indulge in pleasure.
"It's me, Hachiman."
The voice on the other end of the intercom fell silent for a moment, and then Yukino's voice, trying to suppress her emotions, spoke up again: "Please come in."
Hachiman sighed inwardly, detecting the faint tremble in Yukino's voice.
Hachiman couldn't be sure, but if he hadn't gotten involved with Yumeko the night before, he might have been reminiscing about his past with Yukino.
But since it had already happened, he had to take responsibility as a man!
The door had been opened, revealing a sliver of light.
Hachiman pushed the door open, and he would have to face the girl he had wronged.
"This kind of thing... is really..." Hachiman sighed, pushing the door open.
On the floor in front of the door, a pair of men's slippers were placed, and his gaze fell on...
A girl with black long hair, wearing a T-shirt and sleep pants with a cute panda design. Hachiman remembered that he had personally chosen this gift, and he didn't expect her to still be wearing it.
Her face was cold and beautiful, her skin white and delicate, and her eyes were cold but held a deep and inexplicable emotion.
Looking into her eyes was like standing in a narrow alley on a rainy day, watching a girl walking alone with an oil-paper umbrella, getting farther and farther away.
Longing, resentment...
Hachiman's gaze shifted away, subconsciously avoiding Yukino's eyes.
That was a weight he couldn't bear.
"Good evening, Yukinoshita," he said.
He didn't use "long time no see" as a greeting, because that would only add to her sadness and longing.
"Good evening, Hachiman," Yukino replied.
Hachiman's heart skipped a beat: "Ah, it's been a while."
He placed his shoes in the entrance and walked into the living room, trying to act naturally: "I don't see Haruno-san."
"You call my sister Haruno, and call me Yukinoshita," Yukino said coldly, hugging her chest.
"There needs to be a distinction."
Hachiman felt a heavy weight, and he tried to avoid this topic. He reminded himself that he had come to make a clean break, not to reminisce about the past.
"My sister is in the kitchen," Yukino said, leading Hachiman to the living room.
She subconsciously turned on the TV, and the girl didn't know how to face Hachiman either, so she used the TV to ease the tension.
Through Miura Yumiko, she had already known that Hachiman had met a girl with a great personality in high school.
Perhaps... Hachiman had come to say goodbye today. Yukino's heart felt bitter, and she had prepared many words to say before meeting Hachiman, but now she was left with only silence.
"Clang clang~ Today, I'm cooking personally~"
Haruno, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen with dishes in both hands, looking at Hachiman and Yukino sitting on the couch, seemingly deep in thought.
After putting down the dishes, she untied her apron and opened the cabinet door, taking out several bottles of red wine.
"Sister, what's this?" Yukino asked, puzzled.
"Hehe, today we're not just the three of us eating~" Haruno said with a sly glint in her eye: "I've also invited your former teacher, and I hope you won't mind."
Former teacher?
Hachiman's heart skipped a beat. If it was a teacher who was close enough to be invited to this dinner... then there was only one person who fit that description.
Hiratsuka Shizuka.
'What is she trying to do?'
Hachiman's brain, in its "sage" mode, quickly realized that Haruno had an ulterior motive.
"Don't look at me like that, you two," Haruno said, putting her hands on her hips, slightly unhappy: "Since we're eating, it's more fun with more people."