Chapter 119: Just Like a Married Couple
"Did Yukinoshita make all of this? This is amazing!"
Yuigahama Yui leaned over the table, hands clasped together and eyes sparkling as she looked at the bento boxes Yukinoshita Yukino had brought out. "It looks so delicious!"
Normally, Yuigahama ate lunch with Hayasaka Ai and Hinokuchi's group of four, but today she had decided to spend it with Yukinoshita.
"You're exaggerating, Yuigahama-san," Yukinoshita replied calmly. Wearing heat-resistant gloves, she took several steaming bento boxes out of the microwave on the club shelf and arranged them on a table spread with a tablecloth.
The food was piping hot, steam rising in inviting wisps.
Yukinoshita realized now that when she and Hachiman had gone shopping for club supplies, his decision to prioritize a microwave had been incredibly wise. Eating a hot, home-cooked meal at school was a genuine luxury.
The microwave hadn't even cost them a cent of their own money, as it was covered by the club's initial budget. Even though Hikigaya wasn't there yet, Yukinoshita felt his thoughtfulness in every tool she used.
Looking at the lavish spread, she couldn't help but sigh. She wouldn't dare admit that she had woken up early after her "drunken" state the night before and couldn't fall back asleep. The clearer her mind became, the more she remembered Hikigaya's gentle treatment of her before she slept, making sleep impossible.
Hikigaya could never have imagined the impact his doting behavior had on Yukinoshita, who had been lonely for many years. Having lived abroad alone for so long, she had lacked family companionship and care. In Hikigaya, she felt the very things she had once missed and craved.
Thinking back to her behavior the night before, the sober Yukinoshita felt she had been "putting on an act," shamelessly acting spoiled toward him.
'Embarrassing, so Embarrassing!'
She had warned herself not to sink into such tenderness, yet she felt herself falling.
"Yukino, Yukino, you weren't like this before," she scolded herself. She felt like a "bad woman," fitting the description Hagoromo Gitsune once gave: a woman who acts three parts drunk to make a man shed ten parts tears.
Too drunk to walk?
She trained every morning and had the physical boost of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit; how could a little alcohol make her unable to walk? Her morning workouts would have been for nothing.
Now, she simply attributed her weak-willed behavior to being captured by the "Succubus" Hikigaya.
What else could she do? When he held her, her body naturally went soft, making it impossible to stand. Recalling herself lying in his arms made her face flush bright red even now.
Restless since early morning, she had prepared a massive amount of food, including breakfast for Hikigaya. But the irony was that, once it was ready, she was too shy to go and call him.
Thus, a table of food that stunned Yuigahama was born.
"Yuigahama-san, your bento looks very substantial too," Yukinoshita remarked.
"Haha..." Yuigahama laughed sheepishly, a hint of embarrassment in her smile. "My mom made it."
Hearing that, Yukinoshita suddenly remembered—this girl was capable of turning simple cookies into biochemical weapons. Asking Yuigahama to cook would indeed be a cruel request.
"If you don't mind, please help yourself."
"Is it okay?" Yukinoshita had brought two sets of chopsticks; she never intended to eat alone. Yuigahama couldn't believe her luck—getting to eat Yukinoshita's cooking was a dream come true.
"Yes, I can't finish this all by myself anyway."
"Yay!" Yuigahama's mouth watered as she looked at the feast. But she suddenly paused and put her chopsticks back down.
"What's wrong?" Yukinoshita asked.
"Let's wait for Hikki." Yuigahama had learned from Yukinoshita that Hikigaya was coming. Unlike Yukinoshita, Yuigahama didn't have enhanced dynamic vision, so she hadn't caught Hikigaya's "lip-reading" message earlier.
'If Yukinon says he's coming, he's coming.' Yukinoshita wouldn't joke about such things.
"Food tastes better when everyone eats together," Yuigahama added, setting her chopsticks aside.
"Speaking of which, Yuigahama-san, you and Hikigaya-kun are quite close, aren't you?" Yukinoshita observed.
Yuigahama's face turned bright red, and she waved her hands frantically. "No, no! Not really!" Her voice grew hurried as she looked around nervously. "He just... looked after me a bit when we first started school."
Yuigahama lowered her head. She had experienced being separated from him by crowds more than Yukinoshita had. She had seen "Hikki" surrounded by people many times, and the people around him were always so dazzling—especially Shinomiya Kaguya, who looked like a princess so radiant Yuigahama couldn't even meet her eyes. She could only watch him from afar.
For Yuigahama, finding a small "den" like the Service Club that belonged only to them was more than enough. Moreover, she really liked this club president. Although Yukinoshita seemed cold, she was a patient teacher; to Yuigahama, Yukinoshita was just like Hikigaya—cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
"So let's wait a bit. I'm not that hungry yet anyway."
"Yuigahama-san, you've been at this school for two years now, right?" Yukinoshita asked. Yuigahama nodded. "Since I'm new, can you tell me about the Student Council?"
"Is Yukinon joining the Student Council?"
"I'm just curious about Hikigaya-kun's current council." There were many things Yukinoshita found strange. Logically, shouldn't Hikigaya be the President? Instead, the fierce-looking Shirogane Miyuki held the title.
"Oh, it's actually the same thing," Yuigahama whispered, glancing at the door before leaning in. "Everyone says Hikki is the dominant one. When he was the Executive Committee Chairman, the Student Council President wasn't actually the 'Number One'."
The implication was that Hikigaya was so powerful that regardless of his title, he was the one in charge.
"So everyone says it doesn't really matter what the title is." Yuigahama knew it was mostly rumors, but it was an interesting story to share. "But those are just rumors. Hikki is a very gentle person. He just gets really serious and scary when he's working."
Hearing the students' gossip about Hikigaya made Yukinoshita a bit angry. "Those idiots." Having run a student council herself, she knew you had to be firm, or people wouldn't listen. 'Why should I listen to you? You're just a student.' That rebellious streak was common.
In Yukinoshita's eyes, Hikigaya's firmness was the key to getting things done. Moreover, in a school like Shuchi'in, which had only recently started admitting outside students, the Student Council would be a mere decoration if the "Mixed-Bloods" weren't assertive.
"Actually, more than half of this council are Mixed-Bloods," Yuigahama said proudly, crediting Hikigaya for their progress. She began introducing the other members and told stories of Hikigaya's swift, decisive methods as the Disciplinary Committee Head in their first year.
"How rude. I'm not that aggressive."
"Eek!" Hearing the voice, Yuigahama choked on her own breath, her face turning scarlet. Hikigaya had been listening from outside as the two girls discussed him.
"And I'm not a superman; I get tired too." Hikigaya was busy precisely because he couldn't tolerate flaws. Shuchi'in had too many "scumbags" with powerful backgrounds. By reforming these second-generation elites, Hikigaya was essentially reforming the future of Japan's upper class. It was meaningful work.
Hikigaya placed two cartons of strawberry milk he'd bought from a vending machine on the table and opened a can of MAX coffee for himself. He didn't ask about grades; Yukinoshita had only taken a few exams, and Yuigahama, like Fujiwara, was just happy to be finished.
"Hikki! Yukinon made so much yummy food!" Yuigahama laughed nervously, trying to change the subject after being caught gossiping. Hikigaya just rolled his eyes.
Yuigahama suddenly realized she only had one set of chopsticks, and Hikigaya had none. "Wait, how will you eat?"
"It's fine, I brought two sets," Yukinoshita said, having been prepared. "Here, Hikigaya-kun." She handed them to him along with a strawberry milk. Since they had eaten together before, she had implicitly started expecting it.
'I should probably bring three sets next time' Yukinoshita thought, looking at Yuigahama.
"Thanks, Yukinoshita." Hikigaya had received a text from her while he was with the Student Council, mentioning she had too much food and needed help finishing it. That was why he'd left Shinomiya and the others, buying some snacks and drinks on the way to share.
Hikigaya pulled up a chair across from the two girls. Yuigahama gasped as Yukinoshita handed Hikigaya a small plate.
'She even has spare plates? Yukinon is too prepared!'
Hikigaya took the plate naturally. Seeing Yuigahama's expression, Yukinoshita asked, "Yuigahama-san has her own bento, she doesn't need a plate, right?"
"Mmh..." Yuigahama nodded, still marveling at the preparation.
But soon, Yuigahama witnessed what could only be described as a "long-married couple" vibe. Yukinoshita used her own chopsticks to place a spare rib on Hikigaya's plate because he had once mentioned her braised ribs were delicious.
"Thanks, Yukinoshita." Hikigaya held out his plate.
"Want some rice?"
"Sure."
Yukinoshita scooped some rice from her bento into his plate, occasionally adding more delicacies as he ate. She didn't stop there; she poured some miso soup from a thermos into a paper cup and handed it to him. "Drink some soup to warm your stomach. It helps prevent choking on the dry rice."
Hikigaya took it and drank it naturally. Yukinoshita's gaze was soft, a small smile on her lips.
Yuigahama sat frozen, her bento on her lap and her chopsticks suspended in mid-air.
"You should eat too," Hikigaya said, noticing her staring.
"Oh, right!" Yuigahama snapped out of it. The interaction between them felt so practiced and intimate that it looked exactly like a husband and wife.
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