Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

The nighttime streets were particularly tranquil.

Hachiman Hikigaya and Yui Yuigahama walked side by side, neither speaking a word.

However, despite the silence, Hachiman couldn't help but notice Yui occasionally pressing her lips together nervously.

Her behavior...

It felt like she could launch herself at him for a kiss at any moment!

Sigh.

The girls around him had been acting really strange lately.

Feeling uneasy, Hachiman instinctively widened the distance between himself and Yui.

Finally, after a long stretch of silence, Yui broke the ice.

"Hikki, about what happened tonight—I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Huh? Tonight?"

"Y-you know… you and Yumiko kissing... um, I swear I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell Yukinon, I promise!"

"Oh, thanks."

As expected of Yui, always so kind.

If it had been a certain devilish kouhai, she'd probably be smirking and saying something like, 'Senpai, you wouldn't want Yukinoshita-senpai to find out about this, would you?'

"Mm-hmm, don't mention it."

Yui shook her head, her gaze darting away. She hesitated before awkwardly asking,

"But, Hikki, doesn't it bother you? K-kissing someone other than Yukinon?"

"Not really..."

If this had happened in the past, he might have had a meltdown.

But ever since certain things had happened with Kasumigaoka, a mere kiss felt... well, oddly insignificant.

Cough cough! Of course, there was still some lingering guilt. It just didn't show on his face anymore.

Sigh. Yukinon, I'm sorry.

"Really? It doesn't bother you at all?"

"Since it was an accident..."

Halfway through his response, Hachiman suddenly noticed Yui inching closer, her eyes glimmering with a strange determination.

Wait!

He quickly sped up, putting more distance between them.

"It's getting late. You should head home so your mom doesn't worry."

"Oh... okay."

Realizing the moment had passed, Yui reluctantly nodded.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at Yui's house.

In the garden, her mother was tending to some plants under the soft glow of a porch light.

"Mom, I'm home!" Yui called out cheerfully.

Hearing her daughter's voice, Mrs. Yuigahama set down her gardening tools and looked up with a welcoming smile.

"Yui, you're back—oh, Hachiman-kun's here too?"

"Uh..."

Hachiman, who had been planning a quiet escape, froze in his tracks.

Yui explained quickly, "Hikki happened to be running at the park too, so after we finished, he walked me home."

"Ah, I see."

Mrs. Yuigahama dusted off her apron and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you for taking care of my little Yui! Come inside for a bit, won't you?"

"It's really late. I should head—"

"It's only just past eight," she said with a cheerful laugh.

"Besides, our house is just a few minutes away. Come in, have a drink. At least let me thank you properly for bringing this scatterbrain back safe."

"Well..."

Faced with her enthusiasm, Hachiman reluctantly agreed.

Still, as he followed Yui and her mother inside, he glanced back at the quiet street behind him.

"What's wrong, Hikki?" Yui asked curiously.

"Nothing..."

He shook his head but couldn't shake the feeling that someone was tailing him.

Hopefully, it's just my imagination.

Inside the Yuigahama household, Mrs. Yuigahama's hospitality only grew.

She brought out freshly baked mini cakes from the kitchen.

"Hachiman-kun, these are fresh out of the oven. Try one!"

She picked up a piece with chopsticks and offered it to him.

Sitting stiffly on the couch, Hachiman hesitated but eventually opened his mouth.

"...It's delicious."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it! This is my newest recipe," Mrs. Yuigahama said with a proud smile, covering her face coyly with one hand.

She then turned to her daughter, who was awkwardly standing nearby.

"Yui, sit down and eat too! I'll go get you both something to drink."

With that, she left the room, leaving an obvious hint in her glance at Yui.

Blushing, Yui nodded and plopped down beside Hachiman.

The space between them was barely a fist's width.

Satisfied, Mrs. Yuigahama smiled and retreated to the kitchen.

Minutes later, she returned with two glasses of juice, only to find Hachiman sitting alone.

"Huh? Where's Yui?"

"She went to the bathroom."

"..."

Mrs. Yuigahama sighed inwardly.

Such a perfect opportunity, and she leaves to use the bathroom? My daughter really is hopeless.

Still, maintaining her gentle demeanor, she handed Hachiman a glass of juice.

"Here you go, Hachiman-kun."

"Thank you."

Just as she handed him the glass, her grip slipped slightly.

In a flurry of movement, the cold juice spilled... directly onto his pants.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Hachiman-kun! That was so clumsy of me!"

She quickly crouched down, grabbing tissues to dab at the wet fabric.

"N-no, it's fine! I can do it myself—"

"No, no, this was my fault. Let me take care of it!"

Flustered, Mrs. Yuigahama knelt closer, her movements fast and efficient.

Hachiman, on the other hand, was utterly overwhelmed.

This mature, beautiful woman was crouched before him, her delicate scent filling the air. Combined with her stunning figure, it was far too much to handle.

"R-really, it's okay..."

"Hachiman-kun, stop squirming. Let me clean this up properly!"

"B-but—"

"Relax, just leave it to me."

Her earnest gaze looked up at him, her face mere inches away.

Unfortunately—or perhaps inevitably—the worst happened.

As Hachiman leaned down instinctively to speak, their faces collided...

And their lips brushed against each other.

Mrs. Yuigahama: "???"

Hachiman: "!!!"

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