Chapter 120: A Monster of Responsibility
Seeing Yuigahama Yui like this, Hikigaya Hachiman realized her spirit was flagging. The mental shock Yukinoshita had delivered to "Gahamama" was likely a bit too much to handle.
It was no wonder. To Yuigahama, it felt like she hadn't even stepped onto the racetrack yet, while the other person was already nearing the finish line.
"Ahaha..." Yuigahama's mouth hung open, her smile looking forced.
She had seen the two of them eating together before, but back then it had just been store-bought bread. It didn't have the intense, intimate "married couple" vibe that this home-cooked spread provided.
To the participants, it probably felt like nothing; Yukinoshita and Hikigaya had shared meals so many times that they were simply used to each other. But in Yuigahama's eyes, it felt incredibly strange—like she was an outsider who couldn't find a way into their world.
As she ate, Yuigahama felt like she was about to start dropping "little pearls" (tears). She fell into a slump.
'Is this really just a neighbor relationship? If they aren't living together, I find it hard to believe.' Everything Yukinoshita was doing for Hikigaya was exactly what Yuigahama had fantasized her own married life with him would be like. The sense of defeat was overwhelming; it felt like losing a fight before it even began.
At that moment, Yukinoshita seemed to realize she was being too biased toward Hikigaya and blushed slightly.
She also felt she was being too cold toward Yuigahama-san. As the President of the Service Club, she should treat her members with equal care. She wanted to mimic how she had served Hikigaya, but she didn't know what Yuigahama liked to eat.
'What should I do?'
Yukinoshita's eyes sought Hikigaya's, wordlessly asking for help. Hikigaya understood her instantly.
This one, he signaled with his eyes.
Yukinoshita nodded slightly. She picked up a piece of shrimp tempura and placed it in Yuigahama's bento.
"Sorry, I didn't know what you'd like, Yuigahama-san." She didn't stop there; she also poured Yuigahama a cup of steaming miso soup. "Since Hikigaya-kun and I are neighbors, we've shared meals a few times, so I happen to know his preferences."
Yukinoshita didn't hide the fact that they were neighbors. She knew Yuigahama was Hikigaya's close friend. To favor one and neglect the other wasn't her intention.
"Yukinon..." Yuigahama looked into Yukinoshita's sincere eyes.
"What she means is, Yukinoshita wants to get along with you too," Hikigaya added.
Hikigaya knew that if left alone, Yukinoshita's words might sound like she was bragging. To prevent any misunderstanding, he supplemented her thought. "If you become friends with her, she'll treat you just as well as she treats me."
"Hikki..."
None of the three were particularly honest with their feelings. When thoughts and questions are suppressed, they eventually fester into major problems. Hikigaya had learned from dealing with the "little potato" (Iino) that speaking clearly face-to-face was vital. A triangular relationship looks stable, but a small misunderstanding can make it collapse. Honesty was the only way to keep this group together.
"Hikigaya-kun!" Yukinoshita called out his name, sounding embarrassed and slightly annoyed that he'd seen through her.
'Yukinoshita, since when did you have so many schemes?'
She had always been sincere with those around her. There was no "victor's gaze" here. Because she had no experience with friends, she simply showed her affection in the only way she knew how.
"So, hurry up and eat," Hikigaya said. While Yuigahama wasn't looking, he reached into her bento, snatched one of her two meatballs, and popped it into his mouth. "Not bad."
"Ah!" Yuigahama noticed her missing meatball immediately. "Hikki! Unfair! Mom only gave me two!"
Though Yuigahama enjoyed eating, she was strict about her figure. Her bento was mostly healthy vegetables with very few fried items.
"Hikki?" Yukinoshita heard the nickname Yuigahama used.
"It's like 'Yukinon'," Hikigaya responded after swallowing. "This idiot likes giving people nicknames."
"Oh, I see." Yukinoshita found the name "Hikki" amusing, her lips curving into a smile. Originally, she found Yuigahama's habit of being overly familiar a bit difficult to adapt to. If she were the only one being teased, it would be a bother, but if they were both in the same boat, it was actually quite fun. "Hikki... it's a cute name."
"Right? Right?!" The indignant Yuigahama was instantly appeased by Yukinoshita's validation. Her mood swung back to being cheerful. Yuigahama loved giving nicknames, but she usually prioritized cuteness over practicality.
To others, names like "Hikki" (which implies being a shut-in) were a bit of a bother. Hikigaya was serious and quiet, but not exactly a shut-in. The only thing "shut-in" about him was his ability to beat his opponents until they "shut in" themselves.
"Wait, no!" Yuigahama realized she had been diverted again.
However, Hikigaya's interruption had successfully broken the icy tension and given Yuigahama a graceful way out of her funk. Being sensitive to social atmospheres, Yuigahama realized this immediately.
"So sly! Hikki!" In a battle of wits, Yuigahama knew Hikigaya would crush her. Just as she was about to figure out the core of her anxiety, he'd scrambled her thoughts. "Hikki is too sly..."
The only response she got was the sound of Hikigaya chewing.
"I have to head to the Student Council soon."
His interjection had revived Yuigahama's spirits, pulling her out of the slump she had been in earlier. She was essentially "wrapped around his finger"—her every emotion controlled by his actions.
"Hmm?" Yukinoshita looked at the half-meatball Yuigahama held out with her chopsticks.
"Yukinon, let's go halves," Yuigahama said, splitting the remaining meatball in two. "My mom's meatballs are really delicious. I want to get along with Yukinon too."
Yukinoshita paused, thinking of Hikigaya's earlier words, and then smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Watching them share the meatball, Hikigaya's pace didn't slow, but a slight smile touched his lips. He needed to get to the council room, so he ate quickly.
"I'm finished." Knowing Yukinoshita's appetite precisely, he had polished off about two-thirds of the food before setting down his chopsticks.
"Go on ahead, Hikigaya-kun," Yukinoshita said, knowing he was recruiting a new member. "Work is more important."
"Yeah," Yuigahama echoed.
"Right." Hikigaya stood up. "By the way, Yukinoshita, would you want to join the Student Council?"
Yuigahama's ears perked up as she packed away her things. Hikigaya felt Yukinoshita was motivated and would be good at contributing to the school.
"The Student Council?" Yukinoshita eventually shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm still quite immature."
Before coming to Shuchi'in, she might have wanted to join to train herself. But now that she had the power to change the world literally, the Student Council felt less vital.
What she didn't realize was that Shuchi'in's council was exactly where one could "change the world" through ordinary means. These "problem children" would lead Japan's economy and balance in twenty years; guiding them was a massive undertaking. Hikigaya had already stepped ahead of her—the future was already changing because of him.
"I see." Hikigaya didn't push. He saw Yuigahama's hopeful eyes and shook his head at her before leaving. "The water there is too deep; it's not for you."
He felt Shinomiya Kaguya's "Death Glare" alone would be enough to make Yuigahama break down in tears or fall into depression. Only someone with a massive heart like Fujiwara Chika could handle it. Yukinoshita could take it only because she was exceptionally strong. He would only invite Yukinoshita, never Yuigahama.
"What? You're talking like I'm a dummy!" Yuigahama complained. "Hikki is so biased. We've known each other for two years and you've never invited me. I passed the Shuchi'in entrance exam fair and square too!"
"I'm leaving now. And I never called you a dummy," Hikigaya sighed as he walked out.
A pouting Yuigahama turned to Yukinoshita for comfort. "Yukinon~ look at him!"
Yukinoshita refrained from saying that people who worry about being seen as dummies are often, in fact, dummies. Otherwise, Yuigahama-san would surely throw a tantrum.
Hikigaya walked down the hallway, reflecting on his relationships.
When he and Yukinoshita inadvertently displayed their closeness, Yuigahama looked like an abandoned puppy. Her face practically screamed, "Don't you want me anymore?" One more push and she'd definitely start crying.
Hikigaya wouldn't deny his responsibility; he was the one who had spoiled her to that point.
As the saying goes: With great power comes great responsibility. Hikigaya was a "monster of responsibility"—he wouldn't let go.
However, the concept of a "wife" was still quite novel to an Astartes who had been a bachelor for hundreds of years. While Space Marines could technically father children, their endless wars left no time for such things. Back in the Warhammer world, under the influence of the "Bloodthirst," he saw mortals as little more than "snacks." He used to avoid them.
In this world, because he was no longer in that original body, the influence of the Bloodthirst was minimal. Sixteen years of peaceful life had allowed him to integrate into society like a normal person. But his mindset remained that of the old world—one wife or two didn't matter; the Great Nobles always had many. The laws of the normal world didn't carry much weight in his eyes.
Near the Student Council building, two people—one tall and thin, the other small—were walking together like a pair of bickering rivals. The small girl kicked the boy for walking too slowly.
"What was that for, Iino?!"
It was Iino Miko and Ishigami Yuu. Iino, not trusting Ishigami, was personally escorting him.
"Listen up. When we see the Department Head and the others, you must be polite!"
"I know," Ishigami said seriously. "That person is the benefactor who saved not just me, but my entire family."
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