Chapter 134: Brother's Gravity Will Capture All Nearby Celestial Bodies
The dessert shop Hikigaya Hachiman took Yuigahama Yui, Yukinoshita Yukino, and his sister to was his regular spot because the flavors were excellent. It was the same place where he had bought the cake for Kei before.
After everyone placed their orders, Hachiman took out a membership card.
"No need, I have a membership card here. It's quite a bit cheaper," Hachiman said directly, seeing that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama both wanted to split the bill. He indicated that he would pay this time.
"It's technically our club's first outing together. Think of it as my contribution to the team."
Reminded by Hachiman, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama realized that this was indeed the first time they had all gone out together since the club's founding.
"Alright then."
The two girls stopped insisting.
Furthermore, Hachiman was planning to visit Sakiko later, so he decided to pack some cakes for Kei since it was on the way. Miyuki's family lived right next door to Sakiko's. He asked the shop to pack an order first so he could pick it up when they left.
But that was for later; there was no rush.
"Let's find a seat with Komachi first."
Yuigahama Yui's face was full of joy. She acted very close to Komachi, holding Yukino with one hand and Komachi with the other. Because she was "Hikki's" sister, Yuigahama liked Komachi more the more she looked at her. Moreover, the identical ahoge (cowlicks) on the siblings' heads provided an unexpected gap-moe. It was like seeing a cute version of Hikki.
"Yes, Yuigahama-senpai."
"Mou, Komachi, you can just call me Yui."
Although Komachi had been a bit depressed due to the lack of news regarding Nanako and Mimiko, the degree of her slump wasn't as severe as Hachiman had imagined. After all, her brother had told her that Mimiko and the others were safe for now and recovering in a secure location.
In Komachi's eyes, any news was better than none; she believed her two friends would return to school once they were healed.
"Brother is very capable."
Just as Hachiman expected, Komachi's mood brightened the moment she learned her brother had joined a club. As a sister, she had worried herself sick over him. The image of him reacting
like a cat under high stress when they were younger was still fresh in her mind; she could only say he was recovering well now.
Komachi finally felt that her brother was officially ready to be "discharged from the hospital."
'Besides Yukino-san, there's also a Yui-san.'
If she hadn't accidentally discovered the secret dealings between her brother and Yukino-san, she wouldn't have known there was already someone she could call a sister-in-law. Komachi felt a bit resentful; her brother's secrecy was too good.
For instance, she wasn't very familiar with this Yui-san right in front of her, but it didn't matter if she didn't know her well. It was enough that her brother did. Komachi knew Yui-san and her brother were on great terms and were in the same club.
Honestly, when Komachi first heard that suspicious club name, her mind had wandered for a moment.
"Service Club?"
Combined with the way the "sisters-in-law" looked at her brother, it was normal for Komachi to think wrongly. A bizarre thought even flashed through her mind: The Service Club looks like a club for helping others, but it's actually a club for Brother to build a harem at school.
"No, no."
Komachi quickly snapped out of it; her brother wasn't the type to do something so ostentatious.
Under Komachi's subtle questioning, Yuigahama Yui ended up revealing everything she knew.
"In our club, Yukinon is the President, and Hikki and I are members."
Komachi felt like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry—so that suggestive name was Yukino-san's idea. Yukino-san was unexpectedly a bit of a "natural airhead" when it came to naming things.
In other words, her brother hadn't just helped Yukino-san pass the club audit; he had ended up becoming a member himself. Komachi felt helpless. She observed Yukino-san's expressions toward her brother and analyzed the details. She felt that if she called her "Sister-in-law" right now, the other party might just accept it. Last time it was a joke, but her brother was actually turning Komachi's expectations into reality.
Komachi once again sighed the same thought: I really underestimated Brother.
Even though it was her first time meeting Yuigahama Yui, the pink-haired girl's affection for her was genuine. Komachi felt that Yui-san was truly treating her like a real sister.
Damn, Komachi was even starting to feel jealous of her brother. What was so good about that dense idiot? Her brother had even mentioned his childhood friend; if she joined too, Komachi couldn't even imagine it.
'Has Brother unknowingly become this popular?'
Hachiman, returning after paying the bill, had no idea his sister had already mapped out his entire "foundation." He only saw her playful gaze, but he just smiled and didn't mind.
"What is it?"
For Hachiman, seeing his sister's mood improve was enough.
"Nothing," Komachi said with a giggle. "I'm just thanking the two sisters for taking care of my idiot brother. Right, sisters?"
Komachi showed her snaggletooth and smiled at the two women she might eventually call "sister-in-law." Hachiman laughed too, uncharacteristically not refuting her.
"Indeed."
Of course, the most important thing for him was that Komachi felt better. And clearly, she did.
"Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are both reliable friends of mine."
"Hikki..."
Hearing Hachiman say that, Yuigahama Yui felt a bit embarrassed. She was clearly even happier than before, looking like a puppy whose owner had just patted its head. Her joy was visible to the naked eye.
Soon, the cakes Hachiman had ordered were served.
Hachiman had only ordered a hot cocoa; Yuigahama Yui ordered macarons and a slice of ice cream cake; Yukinoshita Yukino ordered a Baumkuchen. Komachi, like her brother, ordered a hot cocoa and added a Black Forest cake.
Yuigahama took a bite of a macaron and immediately thought it was delicious. It wasn't as cloyingly sweet as she imagined, but crispy and delicious; the fragrant and soft filling beneath the crispy sugar coating was wonderful. She shared it with the other three.
"Komachi, this is super delicious!" Yuigahama picked up a macaron and fed it directly to Komachi.
Komachi didn't refuse and ate it in one bite.
"Yui-san, my Black Forest cake is very tasty too. Yukino-san, here."
Komachi had ordered a double portion of Black Forest cake, showing she had intended to share with the two "sisters" from the start.
As expected, sweetness was a great way to relieve stress and sadness. Hachiman took a sip of hot cocoa and watched the interaction between Komachi, Yui, and Yukino; his mood became very pleasant.
Noticing her brother's gaze, Komachi gave him a sweet smile.
"Brother can have some too, but you have to wait until I can't eat anymore."
"Give me back the touch of emotion I just felt, Komachi!"
Hachiman couldn't help but roll his eyes at his sister.
'Don't say that in front of everyone, it's embarrassing.'
This was also one of the reasons Hachiman didn't like dining in; Komachi had a small appetite, and eating sweet things made her full easily. At home, leftovers could go in the fridge, but you can't exactly pack up a half-eaten slice of cake at a shop, can you? To avoid waste, it was always left to the brother to finish.
In the Warhammer world, Hachiman had learned to cherish food and never waste it.
"It's fine, I just know that the great Brother will definitely forgive me," Komachi said with a smile, holding her spoon.
Sitting nearby, Yukinoshita Yukino watched the way Hachiman and his sister interacted with envy. This dynamic was completely different from her relationship with her own sister. Although they bickered, it was clear the siblings were very close.
For Yukinoshita Yukino, she had basically stopped being intimate with her sister, Haruno, since she was a small child. Seeing Hachiman and his sister with no barriers between them made her truly envious. It was also likely because her own sister's personality was far too wicked and mischievous—not acting like an elder sister at all. Yukinoshita was constantly being teased by her, so she couldn't bring herself to like it.
"It's fine, once you give birth to those 100 children, you'll have plenty of children to be close with," the Hagoromo Gitsune joked. "Don't be afraid of loneliness; they will be just as intimate with you."
Yukinoshita's calm mood was disrupted by the fox again. She couldn't help but snap back in her mind, "Are you ever going to stop?"
The fox truly took every opportunity to tease this girl whose words and heart were opposites; teasing her was far more interesting than talking to those old monsters.
"Don't say that, it was your own expectation. Work hard, little girl, so you can have 100 chubby boys with your little boyfriend in the future," the fox mocked.
Yukinoshita unilaterally ended the conversation, ignoring the foul-mouthed creature. Perhaps seeing the people in front of her allowed her to feel the warmth of family. This was what she wanted to protect.
She looked at them, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes, which gradually became resolute. She had to protect this warmth.
"What is it, Yukino-san?" Komachi looked at Yukinoshita, feeling it was strange that she was just staring blankly at the small portion of Black Forest cake she had offered.
"It's nothing," Yukinoshita shook her head. "I just felt... it would be nice if I had a sister like Komachi."
"Yukino-san can just treat me like a sister! Yui-san too, okay?"
Compared to her brother, Komachi's social skills were essentially max level. She smiled brightly; after all, these two were her future family.
From the results, Hachiman's plan to have the two "big sisters" of his club cheer Komachi up was quite successful.
After finishing the sweets, Hachiman had things to do. Yukinoshita Yukino was dragged away by Yuigahama Yui to go window shopping, saying that since they were all out, they might as well play a bit longer.
Initially, Yuigahama wanted Hachiman to join them for a "three-person outing," but unfortunately, Hikki had plans for the evening. Yukinoshita had nothing to do back home anyway, so she was pulled away by the enthusiastic Yuigahama.
They were very close to the subway entrance, so Hachiman didn't need to drive them; they were heading to another district to hit the malls and digest the sweets they had just eaten. Komachi asked her brother to drive her straight home.
When only the two siblings were left in the car, Komachi finally couldn't help but ask.
"Brother, why does Yui-san look at you with the same eyes as Yukino-san?"
Hachiman didn't answer directly but simply explained his relationship with Yuigahama.
"When Yuigahama first entered her first year, she was almost bullied. I became close with her then."
Compared to the recently transferred Yukinoshita, Hachiman and Yuigahama clearly knew each other longer, and Yui was likely closer to him.
"Brother, I was really thinking just now, what if you're a scumbag?" Komachi felt very helpless—so this one had started back in the first year. "Dumping Yui-san or Yukino-san would definitely break their hearts."
"I won't," Hachiman reflexively refuted.
"True." Komachi shook her head. Her brother's sense of responsibility was far greater than she imagined—he was a "monster of responsibility."
Knowing her brother and falling for him... Komachi felt that her "sisters-in-law" would probably never be able to leave even if they wanted to. The man named Hikigaya Hachiman would firmly grasp everything that came near him. Like a black hole, that powerful gravitational pull would bind all approaching celestial bodies.
Wanting to leave? That was simply impossible. That was also her brother's domineering side.
"Also, isn't this something you shouldn't be worrying about?" Hachiman suddenly realized he had unknowingly let Komachi fish for so much information.
"What's wrong with me caring about my future sisters-in-law?" Komachi tapped her head with a finger and gave him a cheeky grin. "Ehehe."
After dropping his sister off at home, Hachiman headed to the area where Sakiko lived. Driving into that familiar district, he suddenly saw a middle-aged man, drunk even in broad daylight, staggering up the stairs.
When the man saw Hachiman's Range Rover SVJ—which looked completely out of place in the slum-like area—il he let out a disdainful sneer.
"Damn it... that bastard woman stole my wealthy life. Otherwise, I'd be driving a Rolls-Royce too."
The man looked somewhat like Sakiko. Hachiman's guess was correct; from the way he walked toward Sakiko's home, that was likely Sakiko's father.
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