Chapter 133: The Yukinoshita Sisters Have Arrived on the Battlefield
The black car came to a gradual halt, and from it emerged two striking women.
None other than the Yukinoshita sisters, Haruno and Yukino.
"How does it look, Yukino-chan? I didn't mislead you, did I? There really aren't many people on this beach," Haruno said with a smile.
"It does appear rather pleasant..." Yukino responded with a faint nod, her gaze resting on the few scattered figures along the shoreline. The sparsely populated beach aligned with her preferences.
"Shall we go then? We can head to the beach." Haruno took Yukino's hand and guided her toward the water's edge.
However, just as they were about to reach the sandy shore, a wooden signboard caught their attention.
"Huh? What's this... someone has already reserved the area?" Haruno remarked in surprise.
The beach was cordoned off by a signboard proclaiming its reservation for the next three days, shattering Haruno and Yukino's hopes for a pleasant day by the seaside.
"Ugh, why must it be this way? I was so looking forward to spending time with Yukino-chan," Haruno sighed, her disappointment evident as she examined the sign.
Yukino empathized with her sister's feelings but simply nodded with resignation. "Since it's already reserved, there's nothing we can do. Let's return, sister."
"Very well."
As they prepared to depart, a familiar voice reached their ears. "Isn't that Miss Haruno and Miss Yukino?"
Turning in the direction of the voice, they were surprised to see Hachiman and Kotonoha.
"Well, well, isn't that Hikigaya-kun! Are you here for a beach day too?" Haruno exclaimed in astonishment at the unexpected encounter.
Meanwhile, Yukino found herself fixated on Kotonoha, who stood beside Hachiman. Kotonoha's curvaceous figure was impossible to ignore, contrasting sharply with Yukino's more subtle proportions.
While Kotonoha's physique resembled the serene peaks of a mountain range, Yukino's was more like a vast, rolling plain. Despite their similar ages, Yukino couldn't help but feel somewhat inadequate in comparison.
"Why does she have such a well-developed figure when we're the same age? No, perhaps she's one of those who looks younger than her actual age. She might be around my sister's age. I'm still young and can keep growing, and growing, and growing!" Yukino repeated this mantra to herself three times, focusing on her own youthful potential.
"Yeah, Miss Haruno, are you here with your sister?" Hachiman nodded.
"Exactly, we planned to have a beach day too."
"But Hikigaya-kun, who is this?" Haruno directed her gaze toward Kotonoha. Certain attributes of the girl were particularly hard to overlook, especially combined with her angelic appearance.
"Oh, this is my friend, Kotonoha Katsura."
"Kotonoha, these two are Miss Haruno Yukinoshita and her sister, Miss Yukino Yukinoshita."
"Miss Yukino is a first-year student at Sobu High, just like us," Hachiman added, introducing them all.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kotonoha Katsura," Kotonoha offered a polite greeting, giving a slight bow while standing by Hachiman's side.
Both Haruno and Yukino nodded in response.
"We had plans to enjoy ourselves today, but unfortunately, it seems this beach has already been reserved. So, we were just about to head back," Haruno explained.
"If you don't mind, Hikigaya-kun, we can give you a ride," she added, heading toward their car.
Hachiman simply shrugged in response to her offer and offered a warm smile.
"No need to head back because I'm the one who reserved this beach. If Miss Haruno and Miss Yukino don't mind, you can join us."
"Huh?!"
"You reserved this beach, Hikigaya-kun?"
The sisters were both taken aback upon hearing Hachiman's words, particularly Haruno. She had been to Hachiman's house before and didn't get the impression that the Hachiman family was particularly well-off. How could he afford to reserve a beach like this? Yet, Hachiman's demeanor didn't suggest he was being deceitful.
"That's correct, and Shizuka-sensei is here too. Miss Haruno, if you have any doubts, you can go and check," Hachiman stated, mentioning Shizuka's presence as though he anticipated their skepticism.
"Shizuka-san is here?"
With Shizuka's confirmation, Haruno's doubts lessened significantly. Hachiman's resourcefulness had proven itself once again.
"Well then, Miss Haruno and Miss Yukino, would you like to join us?" Hachiman extended the invitation with a nod.
"I don't mind. What do you think, Yukino?" Haruno turned her attention to her younger sister.
"Well..."
"Alright, then. Thanks to Hikigaya-kun," Yukino agreed after brief contemplation. She didn't want to return home without having experienced anything, especially after making the effort to come to the beach.
"No problem. Miss Haruno and Miss Yukino, please follow me," Hachiman said as he and Kotonoha led the way.
"I'm back."
"Wow, Onii-chan, you're back! Where are my snacks?"
Upon spotting Hachiman's return, Komachi hurried over to demand her snacks.
"I didn't forget your snacks, little snack enthusiast. Here you go." Hachiman playfully tapped Komachi's forehead and handed her a large bag of snacks from his shopping bag.
"Wow, thanks, Onii-chan! You're the best!" Komachi cheered and scurried to sit beneath a sunshade with her bag of snacks.
Meanwhile, Kokoro quietly approached her older sister.
"Onee-chan, what did you and Hachiman-niisan do when you went out earlier?"
"Do? We just went shopping together," Kotonoha replied with a hint of puzzlement.
"Really, you didn't take advantage of the opportunity to do something else? It was a perfect chance," Kokoro commented with a slightly resentful expression on her young face.
"Something else..."
Kotonoha recalled the elevator incident upon hearing her sister's words, and a faint blush tinged her cheeks.
"N-nothing else happened."
Observing her older sister's sudden blush, Kokoro remained skeptical that nothing else had occurred. However, before she could inquire further, Komachi's voice rang out from nearby.
"Kokoro, come join us for snacks!"
"Coming, coming!"
Kokoro's eyes sparkled at the mention of snacks, and she promptly abandoned her sister to join Komachi.
Shizuka, wearing a sun protection garment over her swimsuit, also approached. She appeared like an ethereal fairy in her flowing white attire, but unfortunately, she still had her characteristic straightforwardness.
"What's up, kid? Did you get the beer I asked for?" Shizuka, as she approached Hachiman, extended her hand and casually inquired.
"Yeah, I got it. Here." Hachiman, with a somewhat resigned demeanor, reached into his shopping bag and handed her a can of beer.
Shizuka's face brightened as she accepted the beer and promptly cracked it open, taking a few hearty sips. "Ah... so refreshing!"
"By the way, Shizuka-sensei, I happened to run into someone you know during my outing," Hachiman mentioned, recalling the Yukinoshita sisters.
"Oh? Someone I know? Who could that be?"
Taking another sip of beer, Shizuka appeared somewhat puzzled.
"Hey... Shizuka-san!" Suddenly, Haruno emerged from behind Hachiman, causing Shizuka to spew out her beer in surprise.