Chapter 504: The Legendary Hachiman
After leaving the clothing store, they arrived at a glasses shop.
"Hikki, are you buying glasses for Yukinon?" Yui asked with some confusion.
"Well, sort of," Hachiman replied casually.
"Recently, Yukino has been using her computer a lot, so I thought I'd get her a pair of blue light blocking glasses."
Since the cat website Hachiman helped Yukino set up was thriving, she often used her laptop to respond to inquiries from cat owners. Additionally, with the consultation module on the school's website, Yukino had to address various requests, meaning she spent even more time in front of the computer.
Yui's eyes brightened at this.
"That's a really good idea."
Seeing the array of glasses on the shelves, Yui became interested. She picked up a pair of pink, full-frame glasses and put them on.
Well, with the glasses on, the usual goofiness of this silly girl was greatly reduced, replaced by a more scholarly vibe.
But this look… with her well-endowed figure and pink full-frame glasses, it was somewhat familiar.
Hmm, perhaps it resembles the "female teacher" trope…
With the glasses on, Yui excitedly turned to Hachiman.
"Hikki, Hikki, do I look a lot smarter now?"
Hachiman sighed helplessly. "If wearing glasses made someone smarter, there wouldn't be so many fools in the world."
"You'd be better off sticking with your silly self."
"Annoying, you're the silly one, Hikki," Yui pouted unhappily but took off the glasses from her nose.
Hachiman glanced over and saw a pair of blue light blocking half-frame glasses on a nearby rack. He picked them up.
"This one should be good."
The glasses Hachiman held were quite simple, without any flashy decorations. But the sign read "Computer Use" and "Effectively Blocks Blue Light," exactly what he was looking for.
"Let me check," Yui said, looking at the sign and soon nodded.
"This one is great; it's perfect for Yukinon."
"Then we'll get these." Hachiman said, taking the glasses to the cashier to pay.
At that moment, a playful and cheeky voice reached his ears.
"Ah, isn't this Hachiman-kun? What a coincidence."
Hachiman raised an eyebrow at the sound.
Looking over, he saw two familiar figures.
Yui, surprised, spoke up, "Haruno-senpai and Hayama-kun?"
"Yaho!"
Approaching them, Haruno greeted with a smile, and Hayama nodded beside her.
"Hello, Hikigaya and Yui."
"Hi there," Yui responded politely.
As for Hachiman, he kept his gaze fixed on Haruno in front of him, remaining silent.
Compared to Yukino, her older sister was much sharper and had a scheming nature that Hachiman found unwelcome.
Noticing Hachiman's unwavering gaze, Haruno raised her elegantly shaped eyebrows.
"Oh, Hachiman-kun, please don't look at me like that. I might get shy."
Shy, huh?
Hachiman scoffed at her words, but before he could respond, Haruno suddenly had a realization.
"Ah, I get it now. You two are secretly dating behind Yukino's back, right? That's why you're so nervous now that I've caught you."
So she's still trying to stir up trouble?
Unfazed by Haruno's words, Hachiman stopped Yui from explaining and spoke in a calm tone, "Well, if Miss Haruno wants to think that way, then so be it."
Seeing Hachiman's nonchalant demeanor, Haruno raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Had she made a mistake?
Haruno was unsure, as Hachiman's calmness suggested he wasn't caught off guard. She had originally planned to tell Yukino about this, but Hachiman's response made her reconsider.
If she was wrong, it could harm her standing with her sister, and she didn't want to worsen their relationship. After all, She was a doting older sister.
Smiling at Hachiman, Haruno extended an invitation, "Since we've run into each other, why don't we sit down and chat for a bit?"
Hachiman didn't refuse; after such a long time of walking, sitting down was a good idea.
After paying for the glasses, they all went to a nearby café.
Through their conversation, Haruno learned about the reason for their outing.
"So, you're buying a birthday gift for Yukino, huh?"
"Yes, tomorrow is Yukino's birthday, and as her closest friends, you definitely want to surprise her," Haruno said with a smile.
"Indeed, it's the least we can do," Hachiman replied, glancing at Haruno and Hayama across from him. "But you two are quite an unusual pair."
"Ha, we're just here for the New Year's gathering," Haruno laughed.
Hayama also chimed in, "Our families are old friends; our parents have been close for a long time. We're just here to join them for a gathering."
"Oh, I see," Yui said, intrigued by this new information.
"So, Hayama-kun and Yukinon have known each other since they were little?"
"Yes, indeed. If you really think about it, Hayama and Yukino could be considered childhood sweethearts," Haruno said with a smile, looking at Hachiman to gauge his reaction.
Unfortunately, she was disappointed. Hachiman simply sipped his coffee, showing no sign of surprise.
Childhood sweethearts? In this day and age, that's practically a losing proposition.
Moreover, Hachiman was well aware of their relationship. Given Yukino's personality, it was clear she would have no lingering attachments to Hayama.
While Hachiman remained calm, Yui was visibly surprised. Hearing that Hayama and Yukino were childhood friends, she couldn't help but ask, "Oh, so Hayama-kun and Yukinon have this kind of relationship? But why…"
Why does their relationship seem so strained?
Although Yui didn't finish her question, the others understood her meaning.
Hayama gave an awkward smile, "Actually, it's my fault. When we were young, I did something that hurt Yukinoshita, which is why things are like this now."
At the end of his explanation, the usually cheerful Hayama showed a look of self-reproach.
Seeing this, Yui chose not to press further.
At that moment, Haruno suddenly spoke up, "It's a pity our parents went somewhere else just now. Otherwise, I would have liked them to meet you, Yukino's friends."
As if summoned by the mention, a cool, familiar voice came from behind.
"Haruno, Hayama-kun, I didn't expect to find you here."
Looking over, Hachiman saw a gracefully dressed woman in a kimono, strikingly similar to Yukino and Haruno approaching them.
"Ah, are you done chatting? Mom," Haruno said, seeing the woman.
Indeed, this elegant lady was Haruno and Yukino's mother, Mrs. Yukinoshita.
Although she was the mother of two young women, time seemed to have left no mark on her. Her skin remained as smooth and delicate as a young girl's, and despite wearing a kimono, her well-proportioned figure was still evident. Her long black hair was neatly pinned up, giving her an aura of grace and elegance.
Mrs. Yukinoshita noticed Hachiman and Yui and, after a moment's hesitation, spoke.
"This must be Hikigaya-kun, then."
Hachiman wasn't surprised that she knew his name. As the head of the Yukinoshita family, it would be easy for Mrs. Yukinoshita to obtain his information.
Seeing an elder, especially Yukino's mother, Hachiman greeted her respectfully.
With a composed demeanor, he nodded toward Mrs. Yukinoshita. "Hello, Mrs. Yukinoshita. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hachiman Hikigaya."
Mrs. Yukinoshita, sensing Hachiman's demeanor, nodded slightly in approval.
Not arrogant or impatient, he was mature and composed—just as one would expect from the Legendary Hachiman.
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