After escorting Mrs. Takasu home, Hachiman and Kawasaki set off together.
On the way, Hachiman noticed Kawasaki sneaking glances at his mouth every now and then.
And by the end of it—
She was just blatantly staring!
Unable to hold back anymore, Hachiman suddenly turned to look at Kawasaki.
The abrupt movement startled Kawasaki, making her quickly lower her head in a panic.
Hachiman: "..."
Kawasaki: "..."
For a moment, the atmosphere grew awkward.
"I know what you want to say, but... it's really not a big deal."
Taking a deep breath, Hachiman took the initiative to break the silence.
"This—this isn't something that can just 'not be a big deal'!"
Kawasaki pursed her lips before continuing,
"You're Yukinoshita's boyfriend. How... how can you just go around kissing other girls so casually? Tae-chan got drunk earlier, so I formally apologize on her behalf."
"Uh..."
Yep, that's Kawasaki for you—always taking things a little too seriously.
"Ahem, about this... I'll, uh, explain everything to Yukinoshita later. Don't worry, I'll make it clear that it was just an accident." Kawasaki spoke with a serious expression.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! There's no need to bring this up with Yukinoshita."
Hachiman was exasperated.
"Huh? But..."
"No buts. It was just an accidental kiss. I stopped caring about it ages ago." He waved a hand dismissively.
"How can you not care?"
Kawasaki grew anxious.
"A kiss is something that should only be shared with the person you love the most! If it's with someone else—"
"The thing is, Kawasaki, you and I have kissed countless times already."
"Eh? Ah? Ugh..."
Her heart skipped a beat, and her face immediately turned red. She stammered,
"T-that was different! That was... an accident..."
"Which is exactly why this was also just an accident."
Hachiman sighed.
"Alright, let's stop dwelling on it. Let me ask you something—are you heading to the supermarket later?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Kawasaki snapped out of her embarrassment, looking surprised.
"Just as I thought..."
Hachiman sighed again.
"You're planning to cook for me tomorrow, aren't you?"
"W-well, yeah? What else?"
Kawasaki responded hurriedly,
"I have to make sure you get enough nutrition! Otherwise, next time you and Yukinoshita—"
"Here, take this."
Hachiman pulled out ¥50,000 from his pocket and shoved it into Kawasaki's hands.
"...?!"
Kawasaki stared at him in shock.
"Hachiman, what's the meaning of this?!"
"It's payment for your cooking."
"Wait, are you treating me like your maid or something? I was just—"
"Take it. Otherwise, from now on, even if I starve to death, I won't eat another bite of your food."
"Ha?! Y-you—you..."
Seeing how stubborn he was, Kawasaki bit her lip before finally giving in and accepting the money.
Huh.
So this actually worked?
Hachiman suddenly realized something—when dealing with these women, sometimes, you just had to be firm.
Especially with Kawasaki. The more forceful you were, the more likely she was to listen.
Uh... probably.
After parting ways with Kawasaki, Hachiman could finally head home in peace.
Too much had happened today—first, Haruno stirring up trouble after school, then Mrs. Yuigahama's teasing at the park, and finally running into Kawasaki on the way home.
Sigh.
So exhausting.
Right now, all Hachiman wanted was a hot bath.
He just wanted to relax!
With quick strides, he headed for home.
However—
The more he wanted to get home, the more obstacles seemed to pop up in his way.
He hadn't even walked that far when—
Hachiman suddenly spotted a girl squatting beneath a streetlight in the distance.
She had her head buried in her knees, a baseball cap pulled low over her face. Long, violet hair cascaded down her back.
She was wearing incredibly short shorts, her pale thighs standing out under the dim glow of the streetlamp.
Though he couldn't see her face, her figure alone was undeniably top-tier.
"Uh...?"
A troubled young girl?
Why do things like this always happen to me at night?!
The one thing he really didn't want to happen—happened anyway.
Hachiman sighed internally.
To get home, he had to pass right by her.
And to be perfectly honest—
He had no intention of playing therapist for some heartbroken girl or runaway.
But...
If he just walked away...
Something about that didn't sit right with him.
Sure, Chiba was a relatively safe place, but who's to say some creep wouldn't pop up out of nowhere?
If he woke up tomorrow to see a news report about some girl being assaulted in the middle of the night, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stomach it.
Sigh. If only I were blind.
Then I wouldn't have to see anything.
I could just walk past her without a second thought.
But now—
Damn it!
I can't believe I'm actually trying to figure out how to deal with this mess.
Hachiman stood frozen in place, deep in thought for several minutes.
His first instinct? Call the cops.
Let the police handle it.
But the problem was...
Sure, reporting it would solve things temporarily.
Once the cops showed up, they'd definitely send the girl home.
But what about tomorrow night?
Or the night after that?
To be honest—
Calling the police was effective, but it wouldn't necessarily solve the root issue.
If this girl showed up here again tomorrow, was he supposed to keep calling the cops every night?
After thinking it through—
Forget it. No cops.
That left only one option…
Hachiman took a deep breath, deciding to give this troubled girl a harsh lesson—
Let her experience firsthand just how dangerous society could be!
Holding his breath, he took a bold step forward, walking straight toward the violet-haired girl.
Stopping in front of her, he hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Feeling lonely all by yourself? Heh heh heh. Wanna have a drink with big bro?"
Wait.
Is this how you're supposed to play a thug?
It should be, right?
Hearing his words, the violet-haired girl stirred slightly.
Slowly, she lifted her head and gazed up at him.
Her face—stunningly delicate.
Her violet eyes shimmered with star-like patterns.
She looked just like a celebrity.
Damn.
A real beauty.
Perfect!
Right now, Hachiman was playing the role of a lowlife drawn in by lust!
"How about after we drink, you let big bro take good care of you?"
Hachiman made no effort to hide his gaze, his eyes raking over her petite frame with feigned greed.
"?"
The girl—Hoshino—blinked, staring at Hachiman for a few seconds before breaking into a dazzling smile.
"A hotel? Sure."
"??"
...Huh?
Wait.
Is this girl really just a lost youth?
Did I actually just run into a filthy little—?!
Hachiman was utterly dumbfounded—completely missing the sly glint flashing through the girl's eyes.
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