Chapter 285: Encounter with Yumiko
After having breakfast, Shizuka and Hachiman left the Hiratsuka residence. Riding in Shizuka's car, they swiftly returned to Chiba.
Arriving at Hachiman's home, Shizuka unceremoniously kicked him out of the car.
"Wait for me. Next time, I'll try out some more tricks on you."
As Hachiman sat up from the ground, he watched Shizuka's departing figure, pondering to himself.
With a glance back, he pushed open his own front door.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Onii-chan."
Upon entering, Komachi in the living room greeted him.
"Yeah, I'm back. Thanks for taking care of the house, Komachi."
Seeing Komachi's cute smile, Hachiman's mood lifted, and he couldn't resist ruffling her hair.
"Hehe, it's nothing. Thanks to Onii-chan's generous payment, I got to enjoy lots of delicious food yesterday."
Feeling the warmth of his hand on her head, Komachi squinted contentedly.
"You, really are a little glutton." Hachiman teased, poking her forehead.
"Hehe, but my favorite is still the dishes Onii-chan makes." Komachi giggled, tapping her head playfully.
"By the way, this line scores high in Komachi's quote book."
Hachiman chuckled at her words. "Alright, I'll make lunch for you in a bit."
It was nearly eleven o'clock, and it was indeed time to prepare lunch.
"Yay! Onii-chan is the best!"
...
...
After lunch, the siblings sat on the sofa to rest.
"Onii-chan, what should we do this afternoon?"
Petting her cat, Komachi spoke up, feeling a bit bored.
"This afternoon, I don't have any other plans, so how about I accompany you for some casual shopping?" Considering he had no particular engagements today, Hachiman decided to spend the afternoon with his sister.
"Shopping! That sounds great!"
Excited at the prospect of shopping, Komachi's eyes lit up.
Indeed, shopping seemed to be a universally appealing activity for girls, regardless of age.
Locking the house door, the siblings quickly arrived at their destination.
LaLa-port TOKYO-bay
This was Chiba's largest shopping center, housing a variety of stores, a cinema, and hosting various large-scale events. It could be considered the most luxurious leisure and entertainment venue in Chiba and was rumored to be a popular dating spot for high school students.
Previously, Hachiman and Yui had chosen this location for their date.
"Komachi, is there anything specific you want to buy?"
Standing at the entrance, Hachiman looked at the facility map and asked.
"Well, let me think." Komachi propped up her chin with her hand, contemplating.
"I know! Let's buy clothes. The season is about to change, and it's time to get some new outfits."
After all, regardless of the season, a girl's wardrobe always seemed to be missing something.
However, it was late May, and the temperature was gradually rising. It was indeed time to prepare some transitional clothes.
"Alright, let's go buy some clothes."
Agreeing with Komachi's suggestion, Hachiman nodded.
They located the area with clothing stores on the facility map and headed towards their destination.
Arriving at the clothing section, Komachi was overwhelmed by the array of clothes.
"Wow, so many styles."
"If you like them, try them on. I will buy them for you." Hachiman indulgently smiled.
Although he wasn't the original Hachiman, after more than a year of being together, he genuinely adored his sister Komachi.
Perhaps every man is naturally a bit of a sister-lover.
"Yay! Thanks, Onii-chan. I love you the most."
Komachi cheered and began selecting styles she liked.
As for Hachiman, he sat somewhat bored on a resting chair, scrolling through his phone.
Soon, Komachi ran over holding a dress and gesturing as she put it on.
"Onii-chan, do you think I look good in this dress?"
Glancing at the dress in Komachi's hands, Hachiman, with limited interest, nodded.
"It looks good, it looks good."
Seeing his somewhat perfunctory response, Komachi pouted unhappily.
"Onii-chan, you're going to lose me with that attitude."
Unable to resist, Hachiman reluctantly put down his phone and tried to comfort her. "Okay, my bad. But no matter what, my Komachi looks cute in anything."
Hearing his words, Komachi felt a sense of satisfaction, but she still snorted lightly.
"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time, Onii-chan. You always know how to say nice things."
"But that line scores high in Komachi's heart."
Seeing her like this, Hachiman shook his head with a hint of amusement. He was accustomed to his little sister's tsundere tendencies.
As he glanced around, he spotted a familiar figure.
Golden locks with a subtle curl at the ends, emerald eyes full of vitality, a delicate face complemented by an elegant figure – an absolute head-turner.
Yumiko?
Raising an eyebrow at the sight, Hachiman approached her.
The girl was holding a piece of clothing and posing in front of a mirror.
After a moment's thought, a mischievous smile crept onto Hachiman's face as he slowly walked up behind her.
"Yumiko."
"Eek!"
Startled by someone suddenly calling her name from behind, Yumiko turned around to find Hachiman. A mix of surprise and irritation crossed her face as she playfully hit him.
"You jerk! Why'd you startle me like that?"
"Hehe, it's been a while, Yumiko. I missed you," Hachiman said with a mischievous grin, trying to pacify the annoyed girl.
Unfortunately, Yumiko didn't appreciate his words, giving him a disdainful look.
"Cut it out. We just saw each other at school a couple of days ago."
However, Hachiman wasn't one to easily give up. With the near-maxed-out "Flirting" and "Acting" modules, he tried again.
"Isn't there a saying, 'A day without seeing you feels like three autumns'? So, not seeing you for two days is like enduring six autumns."
Hearing this cheesy line, even Yumiko, known for her strong personality, couldn't resist a faint blush on her face. She couldn't help but playfully hit him.
"You jerk, always saying sweet things. I bet you charmed that silly Yui with the same tactics."
Hachiman chose not to respond to this remark and simply smiled.
"I wonder, Yumiko, have I charmed you as well?"
Unfortunately, the girl wasn't as easily swayed as Yui. Suppressing the flutter in her heart, she reverted to her usual self, the proud and queen-like Yumiko Miura.
"Hmph, you're far from charming me."