Chapter 167: The Lazy Angel Appears
Early the next morning, Hachiman awoke as per his usual routine. He drew back the curtains, opened the window, and welcomed the warm sunlight that flooded into the room. It was the peak of cherry blossom season, and a gentle breeze carried with it the subtle fragrance of flowers.
After completing a swift morning routine, he made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Not long after, Komachi, rubbing her eyes, descended the stairs.
"Morning, Onii-chan."
She yawned, revealing her cute little fang.
"Good morning, Komachi. Go freshen up; breakfast will be ready soon."
"Sure."
Komachi nodded and sleepily wandered into the bathroom.
As they sat at the breakfast table, Komachi spoke up with a hint of curiosity.
"Hey, Onii-chan, you mentioned quitting the kendo club, but these days you've been coming home pretty late. Did you start dating someone from there?"
Although Hachiman had accumulated quite a few female friends lately, and it was evident that some of them held a romantic interest in him, he seemed entirely oblivious to it all. Komachi couldn't help but worry about him.
"No, nothing like that. While I did quit the kendo club, I've joined a new club recently. I've been coming home late because of club activities."
"Oh, I see. I thought maybe you finally started dating someone. Come on, Onii-chan, make a move. You've got lots of girls around you. Find a sister-in-law for me, will you?"
Komachi pouted with an exasperated expression.
Komachi, you should know you already have two sister-in-laws, but you just don't know it yet.
Upon hearing her words, Hachiman's face couldn't help but display a somewhat peculiar expression.
"But, Onii-chan, you actually joined a new club. What are you doing in it?" Komachi, at this point, became curious about his new club.
"The club I'm in now, well, it's quite an interesting one," Hachiman replied and went on to explain the Service Club's purpose and its usual activities.
"Wow, it sounds great. A club that helps others achieve their dreams must be very fulfilling. I didn't expect you, Onii-chan, to participate in such a meaningful activity."
"Hey, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'I would also participate in such a meaningful activity'? What's the image of me in your mind?" Hachiman couldn't help but retort.
"Oh, Onii-chan, don't be mad. Even if you have your flaws, like being self-absorbed or a bit of a shut-in, you're still my most important Onii-chan."
"As your Imouto, Komachi will never look down on you."
"By the way, that line scores really high in Komachi's quote book," Komachi tapped her head and playfully stuck out her tongue.
Seeing her like this, Hachiman gave her an irritated look but didn't say anything.
In the cheerful conversation between the siblings, breakfast quickly came to an end.
As they left the house and crossed a street, Hachiman spotted a familiar figure.
Long, silky black hair, fair skin, bright eyes, and a school uniform that accentuated her figure.
Indeed, it felt quite amazing.
Hachiman could attest to that because he had toyed with it.
With an angelic face and a devilish figure, there couldn't be anyone other than Kotonoha.
"Good morning, Hachiman-kun, Komachi-chan," the young girl greeted them, revealing a faint smile when she spotted Hachiman and Komachi. Her greeting carried a gentle and soft tone, like basking in the spring breeze.
"Kotonoha, good morning."
"Good morning, Kotonoha-neechan."
The siblings greeted the young girl with smiles.
"Let's walk together, Kotonoha," Hachiman extended an invitation.
"Yes."
With a smile gracing her lips, the girl accepted and gracefully moved closer to his side.
"Let's go, Hachiman-kun."
With an extra companion, the three of them continued their journey.
They soon reached a crossroads, and Komachi waved to them.
"Kotonoha-neechan, Onii-chan, I'll be going ahead."
"Sure, take care, Komachi-chan," Kotonoha waved back with a smile.
"Be careful on the road, don't run too fast."
Hachiman couldn't help but express his concern and added a word of caution.
"I know, Onii-chan, you're so fussy," the young girl teased, and without looking back, she headed down another street.
As they watched Komachi's retreating figure, Hachiman withdrew his gaze and spoke to the girl by his side.
"Let's go, we should head to school."
"Yes."
Kotonoha nodded, and the two continued on their way to school.
A gentle breeze swept through, lifting cherry blossoms into the air and tousling the girl's long black hair. Though their conversation was sparse, they both relished this serene moment.
"Hachiman-kun, here's the bento I prepared."
As they approached the school, the girl produced the bento she had prepared in advance.
Since the incident where she and Yui had caused a scene by presenting Hachiman with bentos at the school gate, the girl had become more discreet. Whenever it was her turn to prepare a bento, she would wait until they were a good distance from the school before revealing it.
"Thank you, Kotonoha."
Hachiman accepted the bento, stowed it in his bag, and then, cautiously scanning their surroundings to ensure privacy, he leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on the girl's lips.
"Consider this a thank-you for the bento."
"Hmm... Hachiman-kun, you really..."
Although they had already been intimate, a street-side kiss made Kotonoha blush. She used her hand to wipe her lips, quickly checked for any onlookers, and then shot a slightly irritated glare at her significant other.
Seeing the girl's playful glare, Hachiman was tempted to go in for another kiss but restrained himself, mindful of their public setting.
"Let's go, Kotonoha. We're about to have class, and being late wouldn't be good."
"Yes."
The girl nodded, displaying her diligent student nature as she didn't want to be late.
The two strolled through the school gate, and upon entering the classroom, they noticed that most of their classmates were already present.
Hachiman was surprised to see Gabriel in attendance today.
After having taken three full days off, the normally lazy angel was finally coerced back to school by a determined Vignette.
She now slumped over her desk like a lifeless fish, dark circles under her eyes indicating that she had spent those three days immersed in gaming.
The appearance of Gabriel, the Lazy Angel, was quite a spectacle!
Nonetheless, her previous popularity remained intact, as several girls gathered around her, offering their concern and support.
However, when others attempted to engage in conversation with her, she merely responded with monosyllabic sounds like "Ah" or "Oh," leaving the girls who approached her bewildered. They had no idea that the once warm, helpful golden-haired little angel from the past was no longer the same.
As the school bell rang, Shizuka, who exuded a strong air of authority, entered the classroom and initiated the first class.