Chapter 163: Yui who wants to make cookies
Following their departure from the foolish demon, Hachiman and Vignette soon arrived at school.
"Good morning, Hikki," Yui greeted Hachiman as they entered the classroom, her lively voice resonating.
"Good morning, Yui." Hachiman returned the greeting, smiling as he observed the pure smile on the girl's face.
"Good morning, Vignette," several other girls approached Vignette, who had already garnered a fair share of admirers, despite the school year being in its early stages.
"Hey, Vignette, why didn't you come with Gabriel today?" one of the girls inquired, appearing puzzled.
Typically, Gabriel and Vignette attended school together, so Gabriel's absence was indeed unusual.
"Gab wasn't feeling well today, so she asked me to request leave for her," Vignette explained.
Upon learning that Gabriel was unwell, the girls expressed their genuine concern.
"What? Gabriel is sick? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, it's hard to believe that Gabriel is unwell. How about we pay her a visit after school?"
"Great idea. Let's all go together."
"..."
Evidently, the still-unchanged little angel had garnered quite a few admirers. In response to the girls' discussion, Vignette swiftly interjected, "Oh, there's no need for that. I checked on Gab today, and it's nothing serious. She just has a mild cold, and with some rest and medication, she'll recover soon."
At this moment, the girls still believed that Gabriel was genuinely unwell, and it would be troublesome if her angelic identity were exposed in front of outsiders.
"Uh... I understand. In that case, we won't disturb Gabriel's rest."
"What a shame. We were curious to see what Gabriel's room looks like."
"Yeah, given how diligent Gabriel usually is, her room must be immaculate."
However, Hachiman discreetly rolled his eyes in response to their discussion.
Hachiman knew well what Gabriel's room looked like after her fall from grace, as revealed in the original work. If these girls were to witness the chaotic state, their idealized perceptions would undoubtedly shatter.
"By the way, Vignette, what's your relationship with Hikigaya-kun? Why did both of you come to school together today?"
With the matter of Gabriel's health settled, the girls naturally transitioned to other subjects. Observing Hachiman and Vignette entering the classroom together, they couldn't resist the allure of a bit of gossip.
After all, gossip was a deeply ingrained human instinct, especially among energetic high school students. Campus romances were a perennial favorite topic.
"What!?"
Vignette was taken aback by this unexpected question but quickly caught herself and waved her hand.
"You've got it wrong. Hachiman and I are just regular friends. It just so happens that he lives near Gab and me, and I ran into him while visiting Gab."
"What a disappointment."
The girl who had posed the question appeared visibly let down.
"That's right, it's just as I said, not what you imagined."
Relieved that the misunderstanding had been clarified, Vignette let out a sigh. Despite her fondness for Hachiman, she recognized the insurmountable barrier between a demon and a human in a romantic context.
Not only her, even the eavesdropping Yui on the side breathed a sigh of relief, though her heart was tinged with a touch of concern.
Hm, that stupid Hikki. Why hasn't he confessed to me yet? It keeps me on edge every day.
Could it be that what I've done so far isn't enough? It seems I need to put in more effort.
As for my mother, why didn't she teach me how to make sweets? She claims my culinary skills aren't up to par, but others have already learned to cook.
After Mrs. Yuigahama's dedicated teaching over the course of half a year, Yui had finally acquired some basic cooking skills.
She could now prepare rice balls, omelet rice, fried pork cutlets, and etc. Although the taste wasn't outstanding, it was at least edible. This progress filled the girl with confidence, believing that her culinary abilities had improved.
However, when she approached Mrs. Yuigahama to learn how to make sweets, the lady flatly refused, not even willing to instruct her in something as simple as cookies.
This rejection left Yui rather vexed.
Hmph, if Mom won't teach me, I'll find someone else to learn from.
But not only did she have to seek out a new instructor, this dilemma also caused Yui to waver.
Hikki?
The thought crossed her mind, but she promptly dismissed it.
No, that wouldn't work. I wanted to surprise him with it; having him teach me would spoil the surprise.
Yumiko? Hina?
The girl contemplated her two best friends once more and, once again, shook her head.
Because they weren't skilled in cooking either.
In the end, Yui couldn't come up with a suitable candidate. Left with no other option, she decided to approach her class advisor, Shizuka Hiratsuka, after school. Perhaps she could recommend someone.
"Hikki, just wait. I will definitely make delicious cookies for you to enjoy."
As she gazed at Hachiman, seated not far away, the young girl quietly formed a resolute determination in her heart.
Strangely, Hachiman suddenly felt a chill, as though he had encountered an impending threat, and he quickly scanned the room with a cautious look.
The classroom had filled with most of the students, except for Gabriel, who was on leave, and the foolish demon Satania, who had yet to arrive.
Finally, just moments before the class was about to begin, the foolish demon made her entrance, still sporting a band-aid on her face.
"Hey, did you just get into another scuffle with that stray dog and come out on the losing end?"
Hachiman couldn't help but be amazed, and his estimation of Satania's intelligence hit a new low, despite her usual foolishness.
---
Time swiftly passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was after-school hours.
After arranging his backpack, Hachiman returned to the Service Club's meeting room.
Upon entering and closing the door, he found the room empty, with Yukino, deeply engrossed in her book.
Even though she remained entirely absorbed in her reading, upon hearing the door close, she greeted him.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun."
"I thought you might not come today."
"Could it be that Hikigaya-kun is a masochist?"
With these three sentences, the young girl once again showcased her acerbic nature.
"Of course not," Hachiman retorted.
"Then you're a stalker," the girl continued her biting banter.
"Why do you say that as if I have feelings for you?"
"Isn't it?"
This response briefly left Hachiman speechless because he did, in fact, have feelings for Yukino. After all, beauty possesses its unique charm, and attractive individuals naturally tend to capture the affection of others.
And Hachiman couldn't help it; when he looked at Yukino, she reminded him of his first love. But when it came to personality, she was much more like Yui.