"Darling, how about we go buy some baby stuff?"
"Huh? Baby stuff?"
"Mhm! Clothes, diapers, formula... that kind of thing."
Eyes gleaming, Ai Hoshino eagerly fixed her gaze on the baby products section.
Pushing the shopping cart, Hikigaya twitched at the corner of his mouth.
After clearing out the shelves of shampoo, body wash, and other toiletries, Ai Hoshino had somehow set her sights on the baby aisle.
"Do you have a newborn at home or something?" Hikigaya asked.
"Not yet~," Ai Hoshino giggled as she patted her stomach. Then, with a coy look at Hikigaya, she added shyly, "That's why you, Daddy, need to put in some effort."
"??"
Face flushing, Hikigaya quickly pushed the cart forward, grumbling:
"Cut it out already!"
"Heehee~ I'm serious though, my dear~"
Ai Hoshino leaned in close, wrapping her hand gently around Hikigaya's arm.
Seeing this, Hikigaya sighed, visibly pained.
Can we please end this fake couple act already?
Hikigaya was dying to pull out.
But Ai Hoshino was relentlessly enthusiastic.
In the end, he was forcibly dragged to the baby aisle by her.
She was positively glowing with excitement, chattering nonstop about their "future baby."
Several minutes later—
After picking out a mountain of baby supplies, Ai Hoshino strutted out of the baby section, fully satisfied.
"Heehee~ Everything's ready. All that's missing now... is the baby~"
Clinging to Hikigaya's arm, she giggled again:
"Come on, hubby~ Let's do our best~"
"You... Sigh, let's just get out of here. Yukinoshita's probably waiting."
Unable to meet her gaze, Hikigaya looked away.
"No problem~" Ai beamed.
The two of them made their way toward the checkout line.
"'Baby daddy'—what do you think? Heehee, I feel like that title suits you perfectly, Hikigaya-kun~" Ai chirped like an overly cheerful little sparrow.
"I said—"
Just as Hikigaya was grumbling, he suddenly caught sight of someone by the exit—a beautiful woman in a kimono, watching him with a not-so-innocent smile.
"!!!"
It felt like he'd just locked eyes with a terrifying demon queen. Every hair on Hikigaya's body stood on end. A chill ran down his spine. His voice trembled:
"M-Ma'am!"
"Eh? Don't be silly, I'm your wife, remember? Why are you calling me ma'am?" Ai tilted her head in confusion, but then she noticed his strange reaction. Following his gaze, she turned toward the entrance and spotted the elegant kimono-clad woman with features remarkably similar to Yukinoshita's, smiling serenely in their direction.
"Huh? Is that Yukino-chan's older sister?"
Ai asked curiously.
"No."
Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Hikigaya immediately pulled away from her:
"You'd better stay away from me for now."
"Eh? Why? We're still pretending to be a couple, aren't we? I'm not letting go. I... I still wanna hold you, hubby~" Ai grinned mischievously, latching onto his arm again.
"You—!"
"Huh? Why are you shaking?"
"D-Don't touch me!"
Panic-stricken, Hikigaya turned toward the exit—only to find that Mrs. Yukinoshita had already vanished.
I'm doomed!!
Hikigaya's heart sank into a cold abyss.
"Whoa, you're sweating a ton."
Ai gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, concerned.
"Is that lady really that scary?"
"Sigh... Hoshino-san, let's just get out of here. Go meet up with Yukinoshita and bring her those pads, alright?"
"Alright."
Ai looked at him with concern.
"You sure you're okay? You're pale as a sheet. Seeing you like this hurts my heart, Hikigaya-kun."
"I'm fine... Just go."
"Mhm."
Ai nodded while casting a thoughtful glance back at the spot where Mrs. Yukinoshita had stood, her beautiful eyes blinking with faint curiosity.
A few minutes later—
Hikigaya and Ai exited the supermarket.
"I'll go find Yukino-chan, then. Watch the cart for me, okay? We'll be back in a bit."
"Got it."
Hikigaya watched as Ai headed toward the public restroom.
Once she was gone—
He took a deep breath and pushed the cart toward a nearby seating area.
Before long—
He spotted Mrs. Yukinoshita sitting calmly at a table, resting with serene elegance.
Gritting his teeth—
Hikigaya approached her, hesitating for a few seconds before greeting her stiffly:
"M-Ma'am."
"Mm, have a seat."
Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled gently and nodded to him.
Hikigaya paused, then reluctantly sat down across from her, visibly tense.
To avoid meeting her eyes—
His gaze dropped to the shopping cart next to her.
It was loaded with a variety of items—most of them feminine products.
Huh? She came here alone to buy all this?
While Hikigaya stared at her cart—
Mrs. Yukinoshita was also examining his cart... noting the women's products, and more importantly... the baby supplies.
With a faint smile, she asked:
"Hikigaya-kun, don't tell me... you got that girl pregnant?"
"Huh?!"
Hikigaya hadn't expected such a bombshell to drop right out of the gate. His expression twisted in panic as he frantically waved his hands:
"O-Of course not!"
"Then what's with all the baby items in your cart?"
"T-That was for me and Yukinoshita. Uh... Actually, I was shopping with her, and we ran into Hoshino-san on the way..."
Hikigaya rushed to explain, recounting everything that had happened, including the fact that Yukinoshita was currently on her period.
"I see."
Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded thoughtfully while Hikigaya sat stiffly like a scolded puppy, barely daring to breathe.
"However..."
She gave him a sly smile.
"Are you sure you were the one buying those things? Because I noticed it was that girl who paid just now, not you."
"Uh..." Cold sweat drenched his back. Hikigaya forced himself to stay calm. "I forgot my wallet, so I asked Hoshino-san to cover it."
"I see..."
Mrs. Yukinoshita responded casually, but her gaze remained locked on him, clearly amused. Hikigaya could barely withstand the pressure.
After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, she smiled again and said:
"Hikigaya-kun, are you really planning to have a baby with my daughter before even graduating high school? Well, it's not impossible, you know. So... when do you two plan on having a child? Or don't tell me... Yukino's already pregnant?"