Chapter 516: Mrs. Yuigahama Watching Her Son-in-law
As Mrs. Yuigahama was observing Hachiman, he was also aware of her presence.
Her long flaxen hair was tied up in a bun, and her reddish-brown eyes shimmered with a gentle and soft light.
She wore a light yellow high-neck wool sweater and blue skinny jeans, a simple outfit that accentuated her curvaceous figure perfectly.
Her bust was more ample than her daughter's, and from Hachiman's estimation, it was about the same size as Kotonoha's.
However, after a few glances, he quickly averted his eyes, as staring too much was inappropriate given she was his future mother-in-law.
"Excuse me, Auntie, I'm here to study with Yui. Is she back yet?"
Hearing his words, Mrs. Yuigahama snapped back to reality and stepped aside.
"Oh, I completely forgot. Please come in, Hikigaya-kun. Yui and Yukino just got back."
"Thank you for having me, Auntie."
Hachiman smiled and walked inside.
Following Mrs. Yuigahama past the entrance, he reached the living room and saw that Yui and Yukino were already reviewing their study materials at the coffee table.
"Hey, Hikki, you're here!"
Seeing Hachiman come in, Yui waved at him happily, and Yukino nodded in acknowledgment.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Hachiman apologized with a smile.
Yui shook her head repeatedly, "Not at all, we just got back with Yukinon."
At that moment, Mrs. Yuigahama approached and greeted Hachiman.
"Please have a seat, Hikigaya-kun. I'll make you some tea."
"Auntie, really, there's no need to go to that trouble. Plain water is fine." Hachiman shook his head.
"Alright, Hikigaya-kun, make yourself comfortable. I'll get you some water."
Mrs. Yuigahama nodded and headed to the kitchen.
Hachiman sat down at the coffee table and took out his textbooks.
Soon, Mrs. Yuigahama placed a glass of water beside him.
"Here you go, Hikigaya-kun."
"Oh, thank you, Auntie." Hachiman quickly expressed his gratitude.
"No need to be so formal, 'Hikki.' Just make yourself at home." Mrs. Yuigahama laughed softly.
Uh, why are you also calling me 'Hikki'? And what do you mean by making myself at home? Are you already assuming that your daughter will marry me, Auntie?
Hearing Mrs. Yuigahama's words, Hachiman couldn't help but twitch his lips. After pouring the water, she sat on a chair and kept her eyes fixed on him, which made him feel a bit uneasy.
On the other side, Yui overheard her mother's remarks and blushed, feeling embarrassed.
"Ahhh, Mom, what are you saying?"
What does she mean by making yourself at home? I haven't married Hikki yet; it's too soon to say things like that.
Feeling slightly annoyed with her mother's casual remarks, Yui puffed up her cheeks.
"Mom, you should go take care of your own things. We need to start studying."
Upon hearing her daughter's plea, Mrs. Yuigahama gently touched her cheek, somewhat reluctantly responding, "But Mommy wants to spend more time with 'Hikki.'"
"Yui, you mention him so often, and I finally get to see him today, so I'm really curious."
"Ahhh, Mom, stop talking like that."
Caught off guard by her mom revealing this tidbit, Yui quickly, blushing furiously, tried to stop her mother from continuing.
"Mom, why don't you take Sable for a walk? I didn't have a chance to walk him this morning, so now would be a good time."
Indeed, since Hachiman had arrived, they could hear Sable whining from the balcony, likely because he hadn't had his morning run.
"Alright…okay."
Hearing this, Mrs. Yuigahama, although a bit disappointed, nodded in agreement.
"Then, I'll take Sable for a walk. I can make lunch when I get back."
With that, Mrs. Yuigahama stood up and headed towards the balcony.
Shortly after, she returned with Sable on a leash.
Upon spotting Yui, Sable excitedly tried to run toward her, only to be gently held back by Mrs. Yuigahama.
Seeing this, Yui crouched down and petted his head. "Sable, I need to study today, so let Mom take you out, okay?"
As if understanding, Sable barked twice in response.
However, hearing the dog's bark, Yukino seemed a bit tense, inching closer to Hachiman and grabbing the edge of his shirt.
Watching this, Hachiman remembered that Yukino was afraid of dogs.
Remembering this, he slightly shifted his position to stand protectively in front of Yukino.
It seemed Sable remembered his savior too. As Mrs. Yuigahama led Sable past Hachiman, the dog suddenly lay down and exposed his belly.
In the animal kingdom, showing one's belly is a sign of vulnerability and trust, and dogs are no different.
Seeing Sable in this posture, Hachiman crouched down and gently petted its belly.
Watching this interaction, Yui chuckled.
"It seems ever since you saved Sable, he's been very grateful to you, Hikki."
"That does seem to be the case," Hachiman replied with a smile.
He quickly straightened up, aware that the girl behind him was starting to tremble slightly. It would be best for Mrs. Yuigahama to take Sable out soon.
Yui then spoke, "Alright, Mom, go ahead and walk Sable."
"Yes, yes, I got it. I'm going now."
Hearing her daughter's directive, Mrs. Yuigahama nodded but cast a meaningful glance at Hachiman and Yukino before leaving.
Did she figure it out?
Noticing Mrs. Yuigahama's gaze, Hachiman felt a bit uneasy inside. However, it was a relief that she didn't say anything and calmly left the house with Sable.
Once her mother had finally left, Yui let out a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, Yukino, Hikki, my mom can be a bit quirky sometimes."
"Not at all, I actually find your mom quite charming," Hachiman replied with a smile.
"I think so too. You have a wonderful mother-daughter relationship," Yukino added, shaking her head with a hint of envy in her eyes.
Thinking of her own mother, Yukino felt a bit downhearted as it had been a long time since she'd experienced the warmth of a mother-daughter connection.
"Hehe, I'm glad you don't mind."
Hearing their words, Yui beamed with happiness.
"Alright, let's get back to studying. To get into the same university as you both, I need to work extra hard."
"Yes, let's study," Hachiman agreed.
...
When you're deeply focused on something, time tends to fly by.
While the three were engrossed in their studies, time slipped away. Soon, the sound of footsteps and Sable's barking came from the entrance, indicating Mrs. Yuigahama had returned from the walk.
Not long after, she entered the living room with Sable, carrying some ingredients that suggested she was about to prepare lunch.
"Yui, give me a moment, and I'll make lunch for you all," she said.
Hachiman saw this as a chance to earn some points with his future mother-in-law and quickly stood up. "Auntie, let me handle lunch. You should take a break."
"Eh… but Hikigaya-kun, you're a guest!" Mrs. Yuigahama hesitated, thinking it might be inappropriate for a guest to cook.
Hachiman waved off her concern with a smile. "It's no problem, Auntie. Didn't you say to make myself at home? I'm used to cooking at home, so don't worry about it."
At this point, Yui chimed in with a smile, "That's right, Mom, let Hikki make lunch. His cooking skills are amazing, and I'm sure you'll love it!"
Convinced by her daughter, Mrs. Yuigahama finally nodded. "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Hikigaya-kun. I'll just help you with prep."
Although she agreed to let Hachiman cook, Mrs. Yuigahama insisted on assisting, feeling she should contribute since she was the host.
"Great, I appreciate your help, Auntie."
Hachiman didn't refuse her offer and turned to Yukino and Yui. "You two keep reviewing; I'll go prepare the food."
"Mm-hmm, thank you," the two girls nodded appreciatively.
With that, Hachiman and Mrs. Yuigahama headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch together.
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