Chereads / Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 500 - [500] The Harmonious Hikigaya Family

Chapter 500 - [500] The Harmonious Hikigaya Family

Chapter 500: The Harmonious Hikigaya Family

Watching the "parent-child interaction" in the kitchen, Mrs. Hikigaya couldn't help but feel delighted.

She thought this girl might make a good girlfriend for her son.

This scene didn't escape the attention of the other girls, either.

While most of them could take it in stride, Yumiko wasn't pleased at all. She already had a bit of a rivalry with Saki Kawasaki, and now seeing her use her younger sister to get closer to Hachiman only made her more annoyed.

Noticing the girls' gazes, Hachiman paused his actions.

"Alright, Saki, you should take Keika back to the living room. It's safer there."

Hearing this, Saki nodded and led her sister out of the kitchen.

Once the two sisters left, Hachiman resumed preparing breakfast.

Meanwhile, in the living room, the girls were secretly competing with each other, trying to win the most favor from Mrs. Hikigaya.

No matter how intense their competition was, Hachiman kept his focus on making breakfast.

Before long, breakfast was ready.

Tamagoyaki, grilled mackerel, miso soup... all simple home-cooked dishes. As for the main course, it was, of course, rice—a staple that never changed.

Due to the climate in Japan, fresh rice is available year-round, making it the most common staple food.

With breakfast ready, Hachiman called for the girls to help out, "Breakfast is ready. Come over and give me a hand."

Upon hearing this, the girls eagerly stood up, each wanting to show their domestic skills in front of Mrs. Hikigaya.

But while everyone else was trying to impress their potential future mother-in-law, one girl took a different approach.

Yukino walked over to Hachiman with a towel in hand. "You worked hard making breakfast."

As she spoke, she used the towel to gently wipe his face.

This was a rare treat.

Naturally, Hachiman didn't refuse and quietly enjoyed Yukino's attention.

Seeing this, Mrs. Hikigaya nodded approvingly.

Not bad, she thought. Knowing how to care for someone is a good quality for a wife.

However, as she looked Yukino up and down, she slightly furrowed her brow.

This girl... she's a bit flat...

.......

"Itadakimasu!"

Everyone gathered around, enjoying the breakfast together.

Mrs. Hikigaya took the opportunity to learn more about the girls, and she was quite surprised by what she found out—especially about Erina and Alice. She could hardly believe that her gloomy son had managed to connect with such important people.

Komachi also took the chance to brag to her mother about some of Hachiman's remarkable achievements.

Of course, she left out the whole "hero" part.

But even so, just hearing about her son's accomplishments was enough to make Mrs. Hikigaya drop her chopsticks in shock.

Kendo, writing novels, cooking…

When did her foolish son become so talented?

Now, Mrs. Hikigaya finally understood why so many girls were attracted to Hachiman.

Not only that, but in her absence, Hachiman had managed the household so well, keeping everything in perfect order.

In comparison, she felt she had been somewhat neglectful as a parent.

These thoughts left Mrs. Hikigaya feeling a bit downhearted.

"Haha, Mom, you don't have to worry about it," Hachiman said with a smile, as if sensing the guilt in her heart, trying to comfort her.

While he didn't feel particularly close to his parents in this life, he didn't harbor any ill will towards them either. After all, even though they were always busy with work, they still made sure to send him living expenses on time.

Although, Hachiman didn't really care much about the money itself.

"Honestly, compared to when you and Dad are home, I actually feel more comfortable when you're not around. I can do whatever I want."

"And with a sister and a house to myself, plus absent parents—doesn't that sound like the perfect setup for a light novel protagonist?"

Although she knew her son was trying to comfort her, Mrs. Hikigaya still felt a bit irritated. She delivered a swift karate chop to his head.

Hachiman could have dodged the chop, but he chose not to.

Well, he thought, let's just call this a parental perk.

After all, there's an old saying: even in old age, being scolded by your parents is a blessing.

While Hachiman wasn't old yet, combining the years from both of his lives, he wasn't exactly young either.

And since he had already been reincarnated, his previous life really was something to leave behind. He decided to take this chop as a sign that he was finally integrating into this family.

Even though he willingly took the hit, Hachiman still had something to say.

"Hey, Mom, what's with the sudden hit? It's embarrassing in front of everyone."

"Embarrassing? You're my son, and I'll hit you if I want to." With that, Mrs. Hikigaya swung at him again.

But this time, Hachiman wasn't just going to stand there. He swiftly dodged out of the way.

Letting you hit me once was already giving you a lot of face, but there's no way I'm letting you get me twice.

"Still trying to hit me? Don't I get any respect? If you keep this up, I'm really going to get mad."

"Tch, you're just a brat. What respect do you deserve?" Mrs. Hikigaya scoffed.

Though she said that, she still lowered her hand. After all, with so many girls around, it was important to let Hachiman save some face.

Seeing the playful interaction between mother and son, the girls couldn't help but laugh, especially Komachi.

It had been a long time since their home felt this lively.

This feeling… it's really nice...

...

After breakfast, everyone had free time.

Once the bedding in the living room was tidied up, the girls began to head back home, as they had already been out for a full day.

With their departure, the Hikigaya household returned to its usual calm.

In the living room, Komachi started chatting with their mom. The two had always been close.

Through their conversation, Hachiman learned that Mrs. Hikigaya was only back for a short break and would soon return to work.

Although Hachiman had considered suggesting that his parents retire—after all, he wasn't short on money and could easily fund a world tour for them—Mrs. Hikigaya declined the idea.

As his parents, she insisted, they couldn't just spend their son's money so casually, especially since they were still capable of working and weren't at an age where retirement was necessary.

After some more casual conversation, Hachiman went back to his room to write, and Mrs. Hikigaya headed to her room to rest after her tiring flight.

The day passed quietly.

Time moved forward, and after Christmas, New Year's Day was just around the corner.

When it comes to New Year's in Japan, you can't ignore the tradition of Hatsumode—the first shrine visit of the year.

Komachi would soon face her high school entrance exams, and a New Year shrine visit had become a crucial part of preparing for the big test.

After doing everything else she could to prepare, all that was left was to pray to the gods—whether they would actually listen or not was another matter.

Of course, relying solely on shrine visits without studying is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Komachi wasn't like that. She had been working hard throughout her entire third year of middle school to ensure she could get into Sobu High. The shrine visit was just for peace of mind.

Actually, it wasn't just Komachi—Hachiman could benefit from a visit too. He would soon be entering his third year of high school, and the pressure of university entrance exams was looming.

Not that Hachiman needed much help in that department. With his grades, he had nothing to worry about.

If you were to rank his performance, Hachiman was indisputably at the top of his year, even outperforming Yukino. After all, his maxed-out [Learning] skill wasn't just for show.

But to accompany Komachi, Hachiman decided to go anyway. Besides, if he remembered correctly, Yukino and the others were likely to be there as well.

"Onii-chan, let's go to the shrine!"

Komachi's voice interrupted his thoughts, and Hachiman glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was already 9 AM—early enough to go and return quickly.

"Let's go."

Hachiman nodded, and the siblings headed out together.

They took the train and soon arrived at the nearest shrine.

As expected, the shrine was packed with people eager to make their New Year's prayers.

As soon as they arrived, Komachi started looking around, seemingly searching for someone.

It didn't take long before she spotted her targets and dashed off into the crowd.

"Wow, Happy New Year, Yukino-nee, Yui-nee!"

As soon as Komachi's voice reached him, Hachiman heard a familiar response nearby.

"Happy New Year."

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