Chapter 313: Hachiman and Yukino's Daughter
Glancing at Tsurumi not far away and then at Yukino by his side, Hachiman, with a mischievous smile, seemed to have thought of something.
"Yukino, don't you think that girl looks a lot like you?"
The naive girl thought Hachiman was referring to the similarity in their situations and nodded.
"Yeah, the way she's being excluded now really reminds me of my childhood."
In Yukino's eyes, Tsurumi's current situation was identical to her own when she was a child. This similarity evoked a sense of nostalgia in her.
Reflecting on the experiences she had been through, the girl was determined not to let such a tragedy happen to others. At this moment, she was resolute in helping Tsurumi.
However, hearing her words, Hachiman chuckled and shook his head, whispering to her.
"I'm not talking about that. What I meant was, don't you think this girl looks a lot like you? Like our future daughter."
"Daughter?!"
Hearing this, Yukino's heart trembled a few times. Glancing at Tsurumi not far away, she blushed inexplicably.
"Jerk, what nonsense are you talking about." Trying to maintain her usual cool demeanor, the girl couldn't help but give him a light slap.
"Who... who would have a daughter with you."
Feeling Yukino's not-so-forceful blow, Hachiman smiled. However, the girl turned her head away, not wanting to pay him any attention, pondering something in her mind.
At that moment, Yui, who was walking ahead, turned around with a puzzled expression.
"Yukinon, Hikki, what's going on with you two?"
Hearing Yui's words, Yukino was startled. She quickly distanced herself from Hachiman, restoring her usual cool expression.
Hachiman chuckled, saying, "It's nothing. We were just saying that the little girl looks a lot like Yukino."
"Huh? Looks like Yukino? Where?" Yui suddenly became interested, following their gazes. She quickly spotted Tsurumi not far away and expressed mild surprise.
"Really? She looks exactly like Yukinon."
However, when she noticed Tsurumi's lonely situation, she hesitated.
"This child..."
The other four girls in the same group were gathered around Hayama, leaving Tsurumi alone not far away, fiddling with the camera hanging around her neck.
"Yes, she's being excluded," Yukino said with a cold expression, nodding.
"This... This is too pitiful. Is such a young child really being isolated?" Yui's tone carried a hint of compassion.
At this point, Hayama used his excellent social skills and quickly bonded with the four little girls.
"Big brother, where is the checkpoint?"
"Yeah, big brother, can you take us to find it together?"
"Okay, then I'll help you here. But keep this a secret from others."
"..."
Watching Hayama having a lively conversation with the little girls, Komachi looked somewhat anxious.
"Big trouble, Onii-chan. Compared to that handsome guy, you're obviously at a disadvantage, Onii-chan."
Hearing this, Hachiman twitched his mouth.
Meanwhile, ahead of them, Ebina seemed to have received some signal, teleporting to Hachiman's side and raising a finger, solemnly saying, "It's really bad."
"Compared to Hayama, Hachiman, you seem to be the weaker one. You'll instantly collapse when pressured by Hayama's dominance."
"Ah, this feeling..."
As she spoke, her face showed an excited flush.
Seeing Ebina like this, Hachiman couldn't help but take a step back.
Wow, fujoshi are indeed terrifying.
Seeing her best friend's reaction, both Yumiko and Yui felt a bit awkward. Yumiko took action, pulling her back.
"Hinachi, you're at it again. You're such a beautiful girl even when you don't speak."
To be fair, Ebina's outfit today was quite exquisite.
She wore a wide-brimmed sun hat on her head, half-framed red glasses on her face. Her upper body was adorned with a short orange jacket, and underneath was a light yellow dress tightened with a tied ribbon at the chest. She wore white lace-up sandals on her feet, giving off a lively and vibrant vibe.
Such a nice girl, but unfortunately, she talks.
However, hearing her words, Yui and the others couldn't help but glance at Hachiman and burst into laughter.
This prompted an exasperated reaction from Hachiman as he shot a subtle glare at both Kotonoha and Saeko.
I'm a straight guy, for goodness' sake. Isn't that clear to both of you?
After the playful banter, the group began considering how to assist Tsurumi.
Taking the lead, Hayama naturally approached Tsurumi, who was alone at the back of the group, and initiated a friendly conversation.
"How's it going, little sister? Did you find the checkpoint?"
"No."
Being suddenly approached by a stranger, Tsurumi naturally felt a bit awkward.
However, Hayama paid no mind and continued with his gentle approach.
"Don't worry, as long as we search together with everyone, we'll surely find it. By the way, what's your name?"
"Tsurumi...Rumi." The girl, feeling a bit uneasy with his sunny smile, turned her head slightly.
"I'm Hayama Hayato. Nice to meet you." Hayama said as he led Tsurumi. "Let me help you. The checkpoint might be hidden over there."
Observing Hayama's smooth approach, Hachiman stroked his chin.
"No wonder it's Hayama. He's so adept at charming little girls."
Upon hearing this, Yukino gave him a disdainful look. "What's wrong? Are you envious of him?"
Hachiman shrugged, watching as Hayama returned Tsurumi to the group of little girls. He shook his head. "No, I just think his methods are inappropriate."
"Why's that, Hikki?" Yui, confused, asked.
"You're right. His approach is indeed inappropriate and may even backfire," Yukino nodded in agreement with Hachiman's perspective. "Treating this girl in a special way is more likely to trigger rejection from the other girls in the same group."
As expected, even though Hayama brought Tsurumi back to the group of little girls, once he left, they resumed ignoring and excluding her, continuing their conversation without acknowledging her.
Observing this scene, Yui couldn't help but express concern. "Huh? They're just elementary school students. Can they really act like this?"
"Hehe, elementary school students are not much different from high school students. Sometimes, what they do is even more extreme. Also, because of their young age, adults find it challenging to reprimand them," Hachiman chuckled, thinking of mischievous kids.
At this point, Yukino's expression darkened, recalling her own experiences in elementary school. It was precisely because of those experiences that she was determined to help Tsurumi, not wanting the tragic situation she endured to happen again.