Chapter 481: Hachiman with Girls on Both Sides
The second day of the graduation trip had arrived, and today was for group activities.
Their first stop was the famous historical film set, Toei Kyoto Studio Park in Uzumasa.
The street sets perfectly recreated scenes from Yoshiwara Pleasure District and Ikedaya Inn, with staff dressed as samurai, ninjas, and other characters.
Additionally, visitors could also wear similar costumes for photo opportunities.
There were attractions like haunted houses and ninja houses, so the park was quite popular with tourists.
Hachiman naturally wasn't interested in dressing up as a ninja or samurai.
Well, not entirely disinterested.
If the girls dressed up like that, he would be very interested.
Like, in demon slayer costumes or something.
Ahem...
Although Hachiman wasn't interested, that didn't mean others weren't.
The streets, seemingly from the Edo period, along with staff dressed as samurai and ninjas, drew many students and tourists to take photos.
To outwardly help Tobe with his wish, Hachiman and the others acted together.
As they walked, they came to a haunted house. Hanging above the entrance was a wooden sign that read, "The Scariest Haunted House Ever."
Seeing this, Tobe immediately suggested, "Let's go in and check it out together."
Clearly, he wanted to use the haunted house to showcase his bravery. After all, haunted houses were a classic setting for couples on dates. When the girls scream in fear, the boys can step up to comfort and protect them, leaving a good impression.
This was evidently Tobe's plan.
Whether the girls screamed out of genuine fear or just for the effect was another matter.
Everyone agreed with Tobe's suggestion, including Ebina. Perhaps she wanted to see some different reactions too.
Seeing this, Tobe felt a surge of excitement, thinking his chance had come.
However, once inside the haunted house, he realized he had overestimated himself.
This haunted house was part of Toei's operations, and they proudly billed it as "The Scariest Haunted House Ever." Naturally, they wouldn't tarnish their own reputation.
The atmosphere was expertly crafted, with professional set designs and sound effects. Even the actors playing the ghosts were from Toei, far superior to those in ordinary haunted houses.
It wasn't long after entering that the girls were genuinely terrified by the spooky atmosphere, clustering around Hachiman for comfort.
With Saki on his left and Yui on his right, Hachiman once again found himself experiencing the sensation of having girls on both sides.
It seemed the two were genuinely scared, clinging tightly to Hachiman's arms and not letting go.
Especially Saki on his left, who almost pulled down Hachiman's jacket in her fear.
Hachiman felt a bit helpless. He hadn't expected the usually strong-willed Saki to be so afraid of ghosts.
But this also gave him a renewed appreciation for the warmth of the girls' embrace.
Hmm, the left side is probably around a D cup. Although slightly smaller than the right side, the feel is just as good, soft yet elastic—perfect.
At that moment, a scream came from Yumiko not far ahead.
She ran straight towards Hachiman and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist.
With soft warmth in his embrace but his arms already occupied, Hachiman couldn't reach out to comfort her and could only ask,
"What happened, Yumiko?"
Yumiko, trembling, pointed ahead with a shaky hand.
"T-there..."
Hachiman looked in the direction she indicated and saw a section of the wall open up. A decayed corpse emerged halfway out of it.
The corpse faced them directly, its eyeballs turning slightly in their sockets, and its mouth opening and closing, making groaning sounds like "ugh" and "ah," as if it were still alive.
Realizing Yumiko had been startled by the sudden scare, Hachiman quickly tried to calm her down with a gentle voice.
"It's okay, it's okay. It's all fake."
Maybe it was his comforting words or the calming effect of his presence, but Yumiko gradually regained her composure, though she didn't let go of Hachiman's waist.
Seeing this, Hachiman sighed and waited patiently for her to recover.
Yumiko wasn't the only one scared; Tobe was too.
Tobe clung tightly to Hayama's arm, eyes shut and face full of terror.
Hayama, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "Tobe, you can let go now."
Though they were friends, Hayama didn't want to be in this awkward situation.
But Tobe didn't listen, continuing to hold on.
Hachiman couldn't help but think,
This is your idea of a good performance?
After all that talk, now you're acting like this? No wonder Ebina isn't interested.
Unlike Tobe, Ebina didn't show any fear. Instead, she stepped back and watched Hayama and Tobe with a curious expression, her face slightly flushed.
Well, as long as you're happy.
But it seemed clear that Tobe had no chance.
If he could act a bit more manly, maybe Ebina would have a better impression of him. Even if this confession failed, he might still have a chance in the future.
But now?
He might as well give up and go to sleep.
As Hachiman was silently making his snarky comments, Yui's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hikki, Saika, aren't you two scared at all?"
Yui was puzzled seeing both Hachiman and Saika remain so calm. While she understood Hachiman's unflappable nature after knowing him for so long, she was genuinely surprised that Saika, who seemed delicate and more feminine than any girl, wasn't scared either.
Saika smiled, eyes squinting with amusement. "Ah, I find it okay. I actually like these kinds of things. I often watch horror movies, so I'm used to it."
So, a horror movie enthusiast—no wonder.
As for Hachiman, he gave a nonchalant smile.
"Well, knowing it's just people in costumes, what's there to be scared of? You guys are just too gullible, falling for it."
Although the haunted house was well-designed, Hachiman could still spot many flaws. Besides, knowing it was all fake, there was nothing to fear.
Even if it were real, so what? He was a hero, after all. If there were real ghosts, he'd just purify them with a burst of holy light.
What? Holy light doesn't work on Japanese yokai?
Then try demonic light; it'll obliterate them completely.
Yui pouted at being called gullible. "Hikki, you're the dumb one."
As she spoke, she pinched Hachiman's right side.
Feeling the pinch, Hachiman twitched his mouth in slight annoyance. Though the force was negligible to him, it still made him aware of her discontent.
Surprisingly, he felt a similar sensation on his left side. He turned to see Saki Kawasaki, who was clinging to his left arm, looking displeased, clearly not happy with being called gullible.
"Ah..."
Seeing Hachiman looking at her, Saki blushed and quickly turned her head away.
Meanwhile, Yumiko, who had regained her composure, also lifted her head and protested,
"It's fine if you call Yui gullible, but I'm not."
Hearing her friend say this, Yui immediately shot back.
"Yumiko, you're the gullible one."
"No, you are."
"No, you are."
Seeing the two about to argue, Hachiman quickly intervened to calm things down.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Let's get out of here first; we've lost sight of Hayama and the others."
Hayama and his group, who had been ahead of them, were now nowhere to be seen, likely already outside.
Noticing this, Yumiko let go of Hachiman's waist but didn't stray too far from his side, not wanting to be startled again.
With that, the four of them continued moving forward.
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