Chapter 129: The Upcoming Yukinoshita Sisters
Upon his return, Hachiman was greeted by an unexpected scene.
Yui, Kotonoha, and Utaha had encircled Komachi, and Yui, in particular, was engrossed in a lively conversation with her, as if they had quickly forged a strong bond.
Huh?
I had only gone to retrieve a watermelon, and it had taken no more than a couple of minutes. Could they have become friends so swiftly?
Is this the magic of female camaraderie?
At that moment, Saeko approached him with a graceful stride.
"Saeko, what's happening here?" Hachiman's tone conveyed his perplexity.
"Obviously, they aim to build a strong relationship with their future sister-in-law," Saeko candidly explained Yui and the others' intentions.
Ah, sister-in-law...
Upon closer contemplation, it made perfect sense. Komachi was his sister, and if things progressed with these girls, Komachi would indeed become their sister-in-law.
"Well, Saeko, shouldn't you also work on forming a close bond with Komachi?" Hachiman's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"What do you think?" Saeko rolled her eyes, her demeanor enchanting.
Undoubtedly, Yui and the others were striving to win Komachi over to advance their romantic interests. However, Saeko had already established a substantial connection with Hachiman. Whether Komachi aided them in this endeavor or not seemed to matter little.
Hachiman was not the type to start something and then abandon it halfway; he was committed to seeing things through to the end.
Saeko had evidently grasped his unwavering personality, which explained her confidence.
With this understanding, Hachiman couldn't help but direct his attention toward where Komachi was.
As expected, in social interactions, the outgoing Yui held the upper hand. Due to their personalities, Kotonoha and Utaha could only manage a sentence or two each.
Yet, in their own awkward way, they were undeniably charming.
Hachiman shook his head and approached them.
"I'm back."
"Oh, Onii-chan, you're finally back!" Komachi's face lit up with a joyful smile, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
When she had suddenly found herself surrounded by Yui and the other two, Komachi had been taken aback. However, she quickly realized that these three had a positive impression of her dear Onii-chan.
Even for Komachi, having all three of them around was a bit overwhelming. Seeing Hachiman, the central figure, return, she finally felt at ease.
"You say that, but I only went to get a watermelon, and it didn't take much time."
Hachiman gently tapped her forehead and proudly presented the watermelon he held in his hand.
It was well-known that Japanese fruits were quite expensive, and luxury fruits were even more exorbitant. For example, there were white strawberries from Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture, which cost around 30,000 yen for just 10 strawberries. Then there were top-tier grapes in the grape world, like the Ruby Roman from Ishikawa Prefecture.
These premium grapes were about four times the size of regular grapes, nearly the size of a golf ball, and they were individually packaged with detailed information about their origin and sweetness. The cheapest one would still set you back more than 20,000 yen each.
And when it came to watermelons, the prices were even more staggering. A regular watermelon could cost around 4,000-5,000 yen. That's why most watermelons in supermarkets were sold by the slice, with each slice priced at around 500 yen.
The luxury watermelons could reach prices in the hundreds of thousands of yen.
The watermelon in Hachiman's hand, while not as expensive as the top-tier ones, was still a high-end product worth several thousand yen.
Moreover, it seemed to have just been taken out of the fridge, as there were still droplets of condensation on the watermelon's skin due to the temperature difference.
Seeing the watermelon, Komachi couldn't help but feel a pang of temptation, her mouth watering. Yet, she quickly reminded herself that this watermelon was meant for the game involving Hachiman, and she couldn't indulge herself just yet.
Observing her reaction, Hachiman couldn't help but find it amusing.
"Komachi, do you want to eat some watermelon?"
"I do..." Komachi initially agreed but swiftly realized and shook her head.
"No, let's play the watermelon smashing game first, Onii-chan."
Seeing that she wasn't falling for his bait, Hachiman shrugged.
"Sure, how do you want to play?"
"Well... let me set up the watermelon, and then, Onii-chan, you'll blindfold yourself and try to smash it."
Komachi indeed wanted him to be the one playing the watermelon smashing game, and he didn't mind. Let's just play along.
"Alright, I'll go with that. What should I do?"
"Okay, Onii-chan, blindfold yourself first, and I'll go place the watermelon."
After making sure Hachiman had securely blindfolded himself with a cloth, Komachi carefully positioned the watermelon in a specific spot on the beach and then led him to another location.
"Here, Onii-chan, your baseball bat!" Komachi handed him a baseball bat.
"Remember to spin around, okay?"
Once Hachiman had completed his spin, the game commenced.
"Alright, dear sisters, you can now issue orders to Hachiman as you see fit," Komachi winked at the girls.
Several girls exchanged glances and began giving instructions.
"Hikki, the watermelon is on your left in front."
"Hachiman-kun, just keep walking forward."
"No, actually, the watermelon is on your right in front, Knight-kun."
"Yui's command is correct; just listen to Yui, Hikigaya-kun."
"That's right, listen to Yui."
While the blindfolded cloth on Hachiman's eyes didn't significantly hinder him, he played along, following the girls' instructions for the sake of the game.
Seeing that they could freely direct Hachiman, even Erina and the initially uninterested Shizuka joined in the game.
"Hey, kid, you've passed it; the watermelon is behind you."
"Tsk, are you an idiot? It's clearly to your right behind you."
"Hachiman-kun, don't listen to Erina; the watermelon is to your left behind you."
...
While Hachiman and the others enjoyed their beachside game, in Chiba City, within an elegantly decorated but not overly spacious apartment, a girl named Yukinoshita Yukino sat in silence, engrossed in a book.
The girl possessed long, waist-length black hair, fair and translucent skin, and a face that was charmingly close to perfection. Although her figure was petite with a modest bust, she boasted elegantly proportioned limbs and a finely defined, slender waist.
*Ding Dong!*
As Yukino indulged in her book, the doorbell suddenly chimed, pulling her from her reading.
With a hint of resignation, she set her book aside. At this point, she had a good idea of who her unexpected visitor might be.
As expected, when she opened the door, a face bearing a resemblance to her own greeted her. The newcomer was her elder sister, Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Onee-san, why are you here?" Yukino inquired, her expression retaining its customary coolness.
Haruno, unfazed by her younger sister's demeanor, greeted her with a cheerful tone. "Hello, Yukino-chan. Do you miss your Onee-chan?"
"Not particularly..."
"Oh, what a pity for your sister..."
"Onee-san, what brings you here today? If it's not urgent, please leave," Yukino said, disregarding Haruno's feigned tears and getting straight to the point.
"Oh, come on, it's a rare summer break, Yukino-chan. Don't confine yourself to this apartment all the time. How about we go to the beach together tomorrow?" Haruno proposed.