Wow, She Is Crazy Beautiful

….

[-Continuation-]

.

[-Hachiman's POV-]

"Yukinoshita... Renjiro Yukinoshita. That's the name of this old man, young man."

And just like that, everything clicked. I froze, my stomach plummeting into my feet.

I fucked up.… and Big time.

I froze, my stomach dropping as everything clicked into place.

I knew exactly who I was dealing with now.

This wasn't just some random guy I bumped into while grabbing a quick gift for my girlfriend.

Nope.

This was my girlfriend's father.

My mind scrambled, running over everything I missed.

The guy's presence - authoritative, calm, just... powerful.

It was all clear now.

How had I not figured it out sooner?

Damn it, Chiba.

I should have connected the dots earlier, but for some reason, I didn't.

Maybe it was how he carried himself, or maybe it was how he tried too hard to act like he was cool.

Cool?

Yukino didn't try to be cool. She just was.

I felt the blood rush to my face as I realized what I'd just said. Old man. To Yukino's father.

Fucking great.

I needed to curse myself. If I didn't, I might just explode with everything that was building up inside.

The second I said it, Haruno had to chime in. Of course she did. "Father, that's funny. You used to hate it when someone called you 'old man.' What's with the sudden change?"

Thanks a lot, sis. Really.

I wanted to curl up into a hole. Or maybe just punch myself in the face. Either way, I was pretty sure I could disappear if I tried hard enough.

Why hadn't she told me earlier?

For someone who always seemed to be in the know, Haruno could've at least mentioned this.

You know, before I embarrassed myself in front of the guy who was, you know, Yukino's father.

But then again, maybe I should be thankful.

At least now I know.

But still... Damn it.

I should have asked Yukino for a family picture or something.

Anything.

Maybe then I wouldn't be standing here, completely blindsided.

It wasn't like my life didn't constantly throw curveballs at me. That way, I wouldn't be standing here like a complete blindsided.

I had prepared myself for meeting Yukino's mom, sure, but this? This was a whole new level of unexpected.

I wasn't ready for this at all.

Renjiro stood tall, his face still and unreadable.

He locked eyes with me, not even a flicker of emotion. No surprise, no anger - just calm, quiet authority.

"Yeah… used to hate it, didn't I?" He muttered, like he was above the conversation.

He didn't seem like he cared much, but I got the message. Loud and clear.

No more 'old man' comments from me.

Ever… old man.

I mean, Father.

Meanwhile, behind Renjiro, Yukino's mother, Sakura, stepped forward with quiet elegance.

Her gaze briefly passed over each of us, before landing on Yukino, her smile softening just a fraction. Her presence must have been rather unexpected.

"Oh my. Yukino. It's good to see you here earlier." Sakura muttered, before letting a gentle smile spread across her face. "I am glad…"

Yukino's response was a quiet murmur, somewhere between surprise and resignation. "Mother…"

Speaking of which, her appearance and her displayed demeanor were remarkably similar to Yukino.

Once she got older, they would be two peas in a pod.

Haruno, who had been quietly observing, turned to her mother with a casual question. "Did you finish your business?"

"Yes, we are done." Sakura replied smoothly, as though her composure never wavered. "I came to get you two, since we are planning to have a meal after this."

Yukino seemed a bit uncomfortable under her mother's gaze, but there was no escaping it. Sakura continued, her tone gentle but matter-of-fact.

"And Hayato, I am sorry for making you wait." Yukino's mother said, turning to Hayama with a smile that was effortlessly polite.

"Not at all, please don't worry about it. We were able to pass the time with everyone here." Hayama replied smoothly, always the picture of charm.

His voice never wavered as he shifted his attention toward us, and Yukino's mother's gaze followed, briefly sweeping over the group.

Yuigahama, clearly still trying to absorb the full picture, couldn't hold back. "Wow, she is crazy beautiful…" She murmured, almost to herself.

Komachi, ever the troublemaker, wasn't far behind. "Yukino's totally going to look like that after her marri–!" She began, but I was already in motion.

Stop it, you brat.

In one swift motion, I grabbed a tissue from the table and pressed it over her mouth, stopping her words dead in their tracks before she could do any more damage.

"She has got something stuck in her mouth... maybe… a cookie." I said, my voice stumbling over the words as I tried to cover up the chaos..

Komachi's protests were muffled behind the tissue, but at least the immediate disaster had been averted.

I sank back into my seat as casually as I could, ignoring the curious stares I had just earned.

Better this little spectacle than whatever chaos would have ensued if she had been allowed to finish her sentence.

Komachi gave me a sheepish grin from behind the tissue, clearly unrepentant, while I shot her a quick warning glance.

As the tension in the air faded, Yukino's mother, still poised and graceful, offered a small bow. Her eyes then turned back to Haruno, her expression soft but deliberate.

"Haruno, are they your friends?" She asked, her voice smooth and composed.

It struck me as funny how easily she assumed we were all Haruno's friends, even though we were clearly around Yukino's age.

Haruno, not missing a beat, gave a sly smile, clearly enjoying her own little game. "This is Gahama, a friend, but not mine... She is Yukino's."

"Ah, I am Yuigahama Yui, Yukino's friend." Yuigahama quickly introduced herself, her voice flustered as she bowed her head, trying to contain her excitement.

"Yukinon…" Yukino's mother repeated, tilting her head slightly as she studied both Yuigahama and Yukino. Her eyes seemed to sharpen for just a moment, as if her interest had been piqued.

"Oh my, my apologies," Sakura said softly, her expression lightening with a touch of amusement. "So you are one of Yukino's friends. You seemed so mature… I mistakenly assumed otherwise."

"Mature… Ehehe." Yuigahama's face brightened, a delighted smile spreading across her lips as she giggled, clearly flattered by the unexpected compliment.

She is easy to please…

I also understood where Haruno got her way of talking to people in a way that would make the other person like them.

Yukino's mother, with a delicate motion, placed a hand to her cheek, her voice warm but still deliberate. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuigahama. I am Sakura."

Yuigahama straightened, clearly flustered but also pleased by the warm reception.

"N-no, the pleasure's mine!" She stammered, her usual exuberance tempered by the calm presence of Yukino's mother.

Sakura's gaze softened as she continued, her tone warm yet measured. "Hayato is the only one I am familiar with among Yukino's friends. I am glad to meet someone else close to her. Please continue to get along with her."

"Yes! Of course!" Yuigahama vigorously answered back, and Yukino's mother lightly lowered her head.

Sakura gave a slight nod, her gaze returning to Yukino before turning to Renjiro.

Renjiro watched me for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as if sizing me up, before turning his attention back to Yukino.

"Yukino." He said, his voice steady but with an edge of curiosity. "It seems you have surrounded yourself with quite the interesting group."

Ah, I missed the timing to name myself.

…that's what I thought.

But nope.

Haruno's smile widened just a bit too much.

"Ah… Mother, this is Hachiman Hikigaya, Yukino's boyfriend."

Oh, damn it.

My mind froze as I mentally facepalmed. I could practically feel the awkwardness blooming around us.

.

….

[To be continued…]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★

[Author Reminder : 3+chapters advance in Patreon]