Chapter 318: Heart-to-heart Under the Moon
The girl gazed at the sky, humming a soft, melodious tune.
Her black, flowing hair draped over her shoulders, complementing her delicate facial features and slender limbs. In the hazy moonlight, her subtly flat curves added a touch of sacred radiance.
Lost in this beauty, Hachiman accidentally stepped on a dry twig beneath his feet.
"Who?!"
The snapped twig naturally alerted the girl.
With no other option, Hachiman stepped out of the shadows, wearing a gentle smile on his face.
"Yukino, it's me."
Seeing the familiar figure, Yukino sighed in relief.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"You're still up too."
Hachiman smiled and approached the girl, naturally taking her hand.
"Can't sleep? Not developing a fear of beds, are you?"
Sensing Hachiman's gesture, Yukino raised an eyebrow but made no effort to resist, allowing him to hold her hand.
Unaware of when it happened, she had grown accustomed to it, finding a subtle sense of peace in it.
Looking up at the night sky again, Yukino spoke faintly, "Miura came to argue with me just now. It took me thirty minutes to make her cry, and now Yui and Ebina are consoling her."
Hearing her words, Hachiman shook his head in resignation.
"You, being classmates, don't you find it awkward?"
And they would be sisters in the future.
He added in his mind.
Yukino's face carried a hint of helplessness.
"I didn't expect Miura to be so fragile, actually crying outright."
"Yumiko's nature isn't bad; she just has a bit of a pride issue," Hachiman chuckled.
"In the future, don't target her like that."
Yukino gave him a glance. "If you have something to say, tell Miura yourself. I'm not intentionally targeting her; she always picks a fight first."
"Alright, alright. I'll talk to Yumiko later," Hachiman shrugged, turning to look at the girl's profile. In the moonlight, her face reflected a delicate sheen.
Unable to resist, he reached out and gently touched Yukino's cheek.
Smooth and tender, like a peeled boiled egg.
Feeling his touch, the girl shivered, an odd sensation stirring in her heart.
From childhood to now, she had never been so intimately close to someone of the opposite sex.
But why... why didn't she feel repulsed?
"Do you hate me?"
Sensing Yukino's trembling, a hint of disappointment flashed across Hachiman's face. Perhaps he had been too hasty.
Seeing the fleeting disappointment on Hachiman's face, Yukino felt a subtle ripple in her heart and couldn't help but speak.
"I don't hate you, just feels a bit strange."
"That's good then." Hachiman's face lit up with a smile.
"If you ever feel dislike, remember to tell me."
With that, he reached out, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder, and embraced her.
Being held by Hachiman, Yukino's body initially tensed slightly, but after catching a whiff of his scent, she relaxed. Although her heartbeat quickened a bit, she strangely felt a sense of tranquility.
A peculiar sensation.
Why? Why was she feeling like this?
The girl repeated the question in her mind.
Could it be... she likes him?
This thought surfaced in Yukino's mind, lingering for a long time.
The girl looked up at Hachiman's face, carefully observing. There was indeed a bit of charm.
"What's wrong?" Hachiman looked puzzled as he noticed Yukino's gaze.
"Nothing." The girl shook her head, standing upright from his embrace.
"Do you really want to help that child using that method?"
Although it was regrettable not to feel the girl in his arms anymore, when it came to serious matters, Hachiman's expression turned earnest.
"It's natural, and currently, isn't it the best option available? Since we've decided to help that child, we can't give up halfway."
Hesitating, Yukino mentioned, "But if you do it like this, won't your reputation suffer?"
"You didn't even know that child before. Is it really worth it?" she continued.
"Knowing or not doesn't matter. Consider the requests we've taken on before. Yukino, how many of those people did you actually know? Offering help to those in need—wasn't that the purpose you set for the Service Club activities?" Hachiman smiled.
"And as for reputation, there's nothing to care about. True strength lies in not being bothered by others' opinions. Strong individuals have a resolute mindset and clear goals, not easily swayed by external influences."
"Why concern yourself with the gaze of others?"
The strength of real heroes lies in their unwavering determination and focus, not getting easily swayed by external factors, much like the situations where villains in anime are effortlessly silenced by the protagonist's words—those are just for show.
In real life, convincing someone is often much more challenging than using sleeping techniques. That's why Hachiman tends to employ such methods with those girls.
For a successful harem, good persuasion skills are essential.
"Moreover, we just happened to meet these kids. How many times will we cross paths in the future? What significance does their opinion hold for me?" Hachiman shrugged nonchalantly.
Hearing his words, Yukino fell into silence.
Although his words made sense, there was still some doubt in the girl's heart.
Is the Service Club she established really like this?
Completing requests by harming others...
Like this plan, sacrificing Hachiman's reputation to help Rumi Tsurumi gain friendship.
The whole event was their strategy, a falsehood. So, if friendships are achieved through deceit, isn't that also false?
As if understanding the girl's thoughts, Hachiman smiled.
"Don't worry. This is just an unavoidable method. If there's a better way, I won't resort to harming myself like this."
It's worth noting that in the original work, Hachiman often used self-destructive methods to fulfill requests, like the various self-sabotaging acts in the anime. This caused disagreements between him and Yukino.
Now, he naturally wouldn't do that. He's not the original Hachiman, and there are often better ways to handle things.
"I hope so. I don't want to see anyone get hurt," Yukino nodded.
"Are you showing concern for me, Yukino?" Hachiman's tone carried a hint of playfulness.
Seeing his unserious demeanor, the girl gave him a disapproving look.
"It's getting late; I need to go back and rest."
Saying this, Yukino turned and walked toward the direction of the cabin.
Hachiman shrugged, unconcerned, and followed behind the girl.
As the two departed, the forest regained its tranquility.
Moonlight poured down like water, creating dappled shadows of trees.
A gentle breeze passed through, causing the leaves to rustle continuously.