Chapter 298: Yui with the Dog Collar
Watching Yui stare at him intently, Hachiman felt a bit puzzled.
"Yui, what are you looking at me for?"
"Um..."
Hearing his words, the girl pouted a bit unhappily.
"Where's your gift, Hikki?"
She really had to remind him, that cheeky little Hachiman.
"As for the gift, rest assured, I've prepared one for you." Saying this, Hachiman took out his gift.
Seeing him take out the gift, Yui quickly switched to a smiling face.
"Hehe, thank you, Hikki."
Taking the gift, the girl expressed her gratitude.
At this moment, a mischievous smile appeared on Hachiman's face. "You're welcome. Hurry up and open it."
Unfortunately, Yui didn't notice the sly expression and happily unwrapped the gift.
Inside the box lay an exquisite collar.
"What a beautiful collar! Can I try it on?" the girl asked joyfully.
"Of course," Hachiman said with a grin, fully expecting this outcome.
Seeing Yui wanting to put the collar around her neck, Yukino hurriedly tried to intervene.
"Eh? Yui, wait..."
But before she could finish her sentence, Yui had already put the collar around her neck and was asking for opinions from both of them.
"How is it? Does it look good? Yukinon, Hikki?"
"Hahaha."
This time, Hachiman couldn't hold back, bursting into laughter, and Yukino couldn't help but cover her face.
Seeing Hachiman suddenly burst into laughter, Yui couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"What's wrong? Hikki, did I wear it wrong?"
"Haha, Yui, do you know what this is?" Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle.
"Isn't it just a decorative collar for the neck?" the girl asked innocently.
At this juncture, Yukino couldn't tolerate it any longer and felt compelled to interject, "Indeed, it is a collar, but it's a dog collar."
"A dog collar?!"
Yui was taken aback, her face shifting from surprise to an embarrassed scowl directed at Hachiman, who was still chuckling.
"Hikki, you actually tricked me into wearing a dog collar."
"I didn't trick you."
Hachiman ceased laughing, innocently spreading his hands.
"I never said it was for humans to wear; you didn't even ask and just put it on."
Upon hearing this, Yui was dumbfounded, realizing it was true—she indeed put it on without asking.
Unable to find a good reason, Yui could only come up with a weak excuse, "I... I was just trying it on for Sable to see if it's comfortable."
"How comfortable is it then?" Hachiman grinned mischievously.
"Ugh... you cheeky Hikki, I challenge you!"
Unexpectedly, he dared to mock her, and Yui couldn't take it anymore, directly pouncing on him.
Seeing this scene, Yukino quickly intervened.
"Yui, don't do that. Be careful, this guy might take advantage of you."
Hearing Yukino's words, Yui blushed and moved away from Hachiman. She subconsciously thought that they were alone.
Seeing the two separate again, Yukino breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, seeing them close together just now made her feel uncomfortable deep down.
As Hachiman teased, "Hey, hey, am I really that kind of person in your eyes?" the girl shot him a disdainful look, then turned around to reveal another box.
"To celebrate Yui's birthday, I specially baked a cake."
Opening the box, Yui's eyes sparkled at the intricately designed small cake.
"Wow, a cake baked by Yukinon herself. Thank you."
"It's nothing. Although it can't compare to Hachiman's skills."
Feeling a bit disheartened that her culinary skills couldn't match a guy's, Yukino sighed.
"It's okay; cooking, and anything else, just improves with practice," Hachiman comforted.
"Besides, your cooking is already better than Yui's."
Unhappy to hear him say her cooking was worse, Yui pouted.
Though her culinary skills had improved somewhat compared to the original story, they were still at an average level. Compared to Yukino, she still had a long way to go, not to mention Hachiman.
Yukino chimed in to comfort her, "As Hachiman said, cooking just requires more practice."
"Yeah, I'll definitely practice cooking while wearing the apron you gave me, Yukinon." Yui nodded vigorously.
Hearing her words, Yukino's face softened into a gentle smile.
"Come on, let's have some cake."
"Sure."
....
....
Time marched on, and soon June came to an end.
Today marked the day for Hachiman to face off against Erina in a culinary showdown.
"The winner is Hachiman Hikigaya," declared Senzaemon, and as expected, Hachiman emerged victorious.
After the customary exchange of culinary skills with the girls, Hachiman found himself once again in Senzaemon's study.
Seated, Senzaemon chuckled, "I wonder what kind of collaboration you have in mind this time, young Hachiman."
"I'd like to discuss another collaboration with you," Hachiman smiled and nodded.
"Collaboration?" Senzaemon raised an eyebrow.
"I'm curious about the details of this collaboration you're proposing."
Given the success of their previous collaboration with the restaurant, Senzaemon was intrigued by Hachiman's new idea.
"Lately, I've been considering making an investment. I wonder if you'd be interested, sir," Hachiman revealed his intention.
"Investment?"
This took Senzaemon by surprise, as investing was a serious matter with the potential for significant risks.
"Yes, an investment," Hachiman affirmed.
"Have you heard of a company called Facebook?"
Recalling developments from his past life, Hachiman saw the rapid rise of Facebook in recent years, presenting a promising investment opportunity.
"Facebook? I recall it's an emerging internet company from the United States," Senzaemon said, stroking his chin.
As the head of the Totsuki Corporation, a massive conglomerate, staying informed about cutting-edge information was part of his role.
"Yes, based on the information I've gathered, Facebook is gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO)," Hachiman stated with a faint smile.
"And considering the data from the past two years, Facebook is on the verge of rapid growth, making it an excellent investment opportunity."
"I'm curious, young Hachiman, how much money are you planning to invest?" Senzaemon inquired.
"All of my current savings, totaling 16 billion yen."