Chapter 166: Hachiman, Skilled in Soothing People
After successfully baking a batch of decent cookies, the Service Club's mission found a satisfying conclusion. Once they had tidied up the cooking room, Yui conveyed her gratitude to Yukino in an official tone.
"Thank you, Yukinoshita-san. I owe my newfound cookie-making skills to your guidance."
In response to her expression of gratitude, Yukino nodded serenely.
"There's no need to mention it, Yuigahama-san. When I accepted your request, I made a commitment to see it through. However, your hard work was the decisive factor."
"I remember saying that the Service Club is here to offer assistance and solutions. Ultimately, success depends on your own dedication."
"Even so, Yukinoshita-san, without your meticulous guidance, I couldn't have done it on my own. So, thank you."
With those words, Yui gracefully inclined her head towards Yukino.
Indeed, the truth was that, while hard work was crucial, without proper guidance, many tasks would be as aimless as headless flies, regardless of how much effort was invested.
"Don't mention it, Yuigahama-san."
At this point, Yukino's lips curved into a smile. Assisting others was, after all, the core principle of her Service Club.
"Now, it's getting late. We should head back. Yuigahama-san, you can practice more at home. I believe you'll be able to create even better cookies."
As the two of them gazed out the window at the setting sun, Yukino calmly offered her words.
Hachiman and Yui made no objections to her words. After they had securely locked the door to the cooking room, the three of them departed from the school campus under the gentle evening light.
At a crossroads, they said their goodbyes to Yukino, and Hachiman and Yui continued their journey home together.
Unperturbed by any external interruptions, Hachiman instinctively reached for Yui's hand, and she welcomed the gesture without hesitation. Their relationship had long transcended the need for spoken affirmations.
A joyful smile graced Yui's face, whether it was due to her newfound cookie-baking skills or the new friendship she had formed with Yukino.
Before long, the two arrived at the traffic light intersection where their paths had first crossed.
The traffic light turned red, prompting Hachiman to come to a stop. With a playful gesture, he reached out to tousle Yui's hair.
"You really put in a lot of effort today, Yui."
"I knew it already. Yui, you learned to make cookies for my sake."
"Eh... Hikki, how did you figure it out..."
Hearing that he had discerned her intentions, Yui's eyes widened, and her blush deepened. She stammered over her words but quickly adjusted her response.
"No, it's not for you, silly Hikki."
Hachiman's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "My silly Yui. Besides giving them to me, who else would you want to give them to?"
His hand, initially tousling Yui's hair, moved down to gently pinch her cheek.
"Humph, I could give them to Yumiko and the others."
"That's not quite right. If you intended to give them to Yumiko and the others, Yui, you wouldn't have chosen to make them by hand. Handmade cookies are typically reserved for someone you care about."
"And you do care about me, don't you?" Hachiman's voice exuded confidence.
"Tsk, I don't care about you, silly Hikki. Stop being so smug."
Despite her playful words, Yui couldn't help but harbor a tinge of frustration in her heart.
Humph, silly Hikki, bad Hikki. You know I care about you so much, but you still haven't confessed. You said you needed to sort things out with the other girls first, but it's been half a year. Why haven't you sorted it out yet?
"Even if I don't give them to Yumiko and the others, I won't give them to you. I could give them to other guys."
"No, that won't do. My Yui is so beautiful; I can't let anyone take you away."
"I've decided. Just to be safe, I'll put my seal on you." As if sensing her frustration, Hachiman embraced the girl and planted a kiss on her moist lips.
"Um..."
Yui hadn't expected her crush to suddenly kiss her. At first, she hesitated, given that they were in the midst of a busy street. However, slowly but surely, she found herself getting lost in the moment.
After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by the sound of a wine bottle cap popping open, the two parted their lips. The tension in the girl's heart dissolved with that kiss.
"You can't escape now, Yui."
"Hikki, you're so naughty. We're still in the middle of the street, you know," the girl blushed with a hint of embarrassment.
"What's the difference? There's no one around anyway," Hachiman shrugged, seemingly nonchalant.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a childish voice came from his ear.
"Mommy, look! Onii-chan and Onee-chan are playing a kissing game."
He turned his head to see a seven or eight-year-old girl standing there with her mother, a woman in her thirties. It was evident that this mother and daughter were also waiting for the red light.
The two of them bore a striking resemblance, as though they had been carved from the same mold. Both had brown hair and brown eyes, and even shared similar, faintly arched eyebrows.
At this moment, the mother touched her cheek with one hand, her tone slightly ambiguous as she spoke.
"Oh, oh, oh, these young lovers are really passionate now."
"Mommy, did you and Daddy used to be like that?"
"Of course, my dear. Back then, your mother and father were quite passionate as well, but the greatest joy for your mother was teasing your father." Saying this, the mother slightly raised her eyes, obviously reminiscing.
Upon hearing these words, Yui's face flushed with embarrassment, and she bashfully buried her face in Hachiman's chest, employing the universal technique known to many women.
Using her index and middle fingers to playfully pinch the flesh around Hachiman's waist, she executed a playful 180-degree turn.
Though this kind of gesture held little significance for the current Hachiman, he decided to play along, taking a few exaggerated mock deep breaths to humor Yui's intentions.
Finally, as the green light mercifully appeared, Yui seized Hachiman's hand and, with her head lowered, swiftly moved away from the scene.
As they passed through the intersection, they soon reached the point where they had to part ways.
Yui had not completely regained her composure, and a delightful blush still graced her face.
"Hikki, it's all your fault today. I'm heading home."
Without even saying goodbye, she simply turned around and briskly walked away.
Observing the scene, Hachiman didn't mind at all. He recognized that Yui had always been somewhat shy, and the public display had likely left her feeling self-conscious.
Nevertheless, after the playful interaction they had just shared, he had a strong sense that her feelings for him had deepened.
With these thoughts in mind and a quick glance at Yui's disappearing figure, Hachiman simply shrugged and carried on walking in the direction of his own home.