[20] "Yui's Unexpected Visit"
Yuigahama House
"Mom, what happened to the things I asked you to prepare?" Yuigahama Yui rushed into the kitchen as soon as she got home.
"The pork rib soup is ready, but Yui, are you sure you want to go by yourself?" Mrs. Yuigahama asked, her concern evident.
"Don't worry, Mom! I'm fine. Hikki got injured while trying to save Sable, and it's my responsibility too. I need to apologize to him."
In the end, Hikki got hurt because she hadn't held Sable securely.
"Oh, Mom didn't mean that. I was worried you'd get abducted on your way there by yourself!" Mrs. Yuigahama chuckled at her daughter's silliness.
"Come on now, I'm already an adult. It's not that easy to abduct me. You're being wicked, Mom." Yui said playfully, snuggling up to her mother.
Mrs. Yuigahama affectionately ruffled her daughter's hair, thinking how she was the one who felt abducted by Yui's antics.
"Alright, Mom, pack up the soup. I'm heading over to deliver it to Hikki." Yui said, after playfully acting like a child for a while. As the time was passing, she stood up once more.
"Go on, Yui, give it your best shot!"
Handing the packed soup to her daughter, Mrs. Yuigahama encouraged her.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm off!"
With the thermos full of soup in hand, Yui hurriedly left the house.
At Hikigaya's home:
Komachi, sitting on the sofa and watching TV, asked her older brother, "What's for lunch, Onii-chan?"
Hachiman, known for struggling with choices, replied, "I'm not sure. Any specific you like?"
Komachi thought for a moment and then asked herself, "Hmm, what do I like?"
Just as she was contemplating, Hachiman's phone rang suddenly.
"Hey, it's Yui?" Hachiman mumbled, looking at the caller ID before answering.
"Hi Hikki, how's your leg?" Yui's concerned voice came through as soon as Hachiman picked up.
"Don't worry, Yui. My leg's getting better. I should be able to go back to school in a couple of days."
"It's good to hear that. By the way, Hikki, I had my mom make some soup. I want to bring it over to you. Could you tell me how to get to your place?"
Hachiman hesitated, "Are you sure about this? I mean, wouldn't that be a bother?"
"Not at all! I insist. Just give me directions to your place," Yui reassured him.
"Alright then, thanks."
After confirming the details, Yui ended the call.
"Whoa, Onii-chan, you've got girls calling you."
As soon as Hachiman ended the call, Komachi plopped down next to him.
Is that what you think? That your Onii-chan is unpopular?Hachiman playfully rolled his eyes at his sister's remark.
"Hey, Onii-chan, is this girl attractive?" Komachi seemed quite curious about a girl calling her brother for the first time.
"More than just attractive, she's quite beautiful. Why the sudden interest?" Hachiman found it a bit odd for Komachi to be asking such a question.
"Do you think she could become my sister-in-law?"
Hachiman chuckled, "You're jumping the gun there. We're just friends."
How can it be fast,while he does want to accept Yui, it's not the right moment for that.
"Alright, alright. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let's just clean up the table so we don't embarrass ourselves."
Seeing that Komachi might have more questions, Hachiman quickly changed the subject.
The two siblings worked together to tidy up the room. Not long after, the doorbell rang.
"Onii-chan, go answer the door!" Komachi urged Hachiman excitedly at the sound of the doorbell.
"Why so eager?"
Hachiman gave his sister a puzzled look before getting up to open the door.
And there, when he opened the door, stood the familiar face of Yui.
"Hey, Hikky, good afternoon!"
"Hi, Yui. Thanks for coming. Please, come in." Seeing the thermos in Yui's hand, Hachiman quickly opened the door for her.
Taking the thermos from her, Hachiman ushered her into the living room.
"Onii-chan, who's this?" Komachi's eyes lit up as Yui walked in.
"Oh, Komachi, let me introduce you. This is my friend Yuigahama Yui. She's also a student at Sobu High School, just like me."
"Hi, Yui. This is my younger sister, Hikigaya Komachi." Hachiman introduced the two to each other.
"Komachi-chan, hello! I'm Yuigahama Yui."
Meeting Hachiman's family for the first time made Yui a bit shy.
"Hi, Onee-san! I'm Hikigaya Komachi. Welcome to our home as a guest." In contrast to Yui, Komachi appeared much more outgoing.
"Please, have a seat, Yui." Hachiman gestured towards the seating area.
"Hikki, is your leg doing alright?" Yui asked as she sat on the sofa, her gaze shifting to Hachiman's injured leg, her expression reflecting a touch of guilt.
"Don't worry, Yui. Look, my leg is completely fine." Seeing the guilt on Yui's face, Hachiman reassured her and even moved his lower leg to demonstrate his recovery.
"Well, Onii-chan, Onee-san, I'm going to start making dinner. You guys can chat for a bit."
Observing this, Komachi hurried into the kitchen to give them space.
As Komachi left, Yui's unease grew. From her perspective, it seemed as if Komachi might not want to see her—the person who had caused harm to her brother.
"Even though it's a bit belated, I still have to apologize, Hikki." She spoke with sincerity and bowed deeply to Hachiman.
"If only I had caught Sable back then, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I'm truly sorry, Hikki..." Yui's voice quivered as tears streamed down her face.
"Yui, please don't cry. It's not your fault. Nobody could have predicted something like this happening. Besides, I'm okay. I just need a couple of days' rest, and then I can go back to school as usual." Surprised by Yui's sudden tears, Hachiman rushed to console her.
"In the end, both Sable and I came out of this okay. Isn't that the best possible outcome?" Hachiman said seriously, his gaze locked onto Yui's.
Honestly, he had no regrets whatsoever. If the situation were to repeat, he would make the same choice without hesitation.