Chapter 479: Getting Rich by Selling Water
"I understand."
Hearing Yui's call, Hachiman responded and nodded toward Tobe.
"From here on out, it's all up to you."
Since he had accepted the request, he still had to put in a bit of effort.
"No problem, leave it to me," Tobe replied confidently with a smile.
"Good luck, then."
Seeing Tobe's confident demeanor, Hachiman shook his head with a sigh. He then walked towards where Yui was waiting, ignoring Tobe.
At the entrance, Hachiman noticed quite a few people already gathered, including other tourists besides their student group.
The entrance led to a descending staircase, which was dark and obscured anything beyond.
Seeing Hachiman approach, Yui smiled and said, "Let's go in together, just the two of us."
The staircase was narrow, accommodating at most two people side by side.
Hearing Yui's suggestion, Hayama spoke up, sounding a bit resigned.
"We don't have much time before we need to regroup, so let's not take too long."
As one of the few in the know, Hayama understood what Tobe intended to do. While he wasn't particularly optimistic about the plan, he wasn't going to stand in Tobe's way as a friend.
"That's right, so hurry up, Yui. You're with me," Yumiko interjected.
"Huh?"
Yui was taken aback. She had intended to team up with Hachiman, but before she could say anything, Yumiko grabbed her and pulled her along.
As they passed by Hachiman, Yumiko gave a little huff before descending the stairs.
What's her problem now?
Seeing Yumiko's attitude, Hachiman was puzzled.
Tsk, I get it. This one needs some correction. I'll add another mark against her in my mental notebook.
While Hachiman was making this decision, Hayama's voice reached his ears.
"Hikigaya, let's pair up and go in last."
Although Hayama didn't have high hopes for Tobe, as his friend, he wanted to give him the best chance.
"Alright."
Hachiman had no objections to Hayama's suggestion.
On the other side, Tobe cast a grateful glance at the two of them and then turned to invite Ebina.
"Then, Ebina, let's go together."
Ebina, meanwhile, was lost in her own peculiar daydreams.
"A dark hallway... Hayama x Hachiman... hehe..."
Maybe it was the thought of seeing her favorite pairing in action, but Ebina eventually agreed to go in with Tobe.
"Let's head in too."
"Sure."
Hayama and Hachiman were the last to go down. As they descended the stairs and turned a corner, the light dimmed significantly.
However, Hachiman's vision wasn't affected; he could clearly see Tobe and Ebina ahead.
Contrary to his earlier bravado, Tobe's performance was now pitiful.
He was cautiously inching forward with his hands on the walls, mumbling things like, "Wow, it's really dark in here."
Hey, buddy, is this what you meant by 'watch my performance'? No wonder Ebina isn't interested in you.
Seeing Tobe's embarrassing display, Hachiman shook his head in exasperation.
Just then, Hayama's voice reached his ears.
"You know Tobe's chances of success are slim, right?"
"Of course," Hachiman replied bluntly. "We can only offer advice. When it comes to confessing feelings, there's no guarantee of success. And from Ebina's reaction, it's clear she doesn't have any feelings for Tobe."
"I understand that."
Hayama cast a glance at the two ahead, who had no real interaction, and smiled wryly.
"You should also know what will happen if Tobe confesses and fails," Hachiman continued.
"I've mentioned before that if two people who know each other well confess and fail, things can become awkward. They might not even be able to stay friends."
Hayama's smile grew even more strained.
"I know. Ebina even approached me privately, asking me to dissuade Tobe from confessing."
"I've tried talking him out of it several times, but he hasn't given up."
Hachiman recalled seeing them together once before, probably when Ebina tried to make her case.
"So, what's your plan?"
"I don't want their relationship to sour, but I'm out of ideas," Hayama sighed, then turned to Hachiman. "I hope we can maintain the status quo. Both Tobe and Hina are my friends, so I'm asking you to come up with something. Please!"
Hachiman raised an eyebrow at Hayama's earnestness. Throughout the original series, Hayama had always played the role of the good guy who never wanted to hurt anyone, likely a result of what happened with Yukino when they were kids.
"Got it. I'll see what I can do."
Hayama smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Hikigaya."
"But do you have any ideas right now?" he asked.
"Well, it's not that simple," Hachiman shrugged. "It's obvious to everyone that Ebina has no feelings for Tobe. The key is whether Tobe can see that."
"If he realizes it on his own, things will turn out fine."
"But if Tobe doesn't get it, we'll have to think of another way."
"I understand. I'll keep talking to Tobe over the next couple of days and try to dissuade him from confessing," Hayama nodded.
Though he had asked Hachiman for help, Hayama wasn't the type to just stand by. He would do everything he could to prevent a fallout between his friends.
Hachiman nodded as well. "Alright, let's go."
Hayama agreed, and the two continued forward. The dark corridor wasn't very long, and soon they emerged into the light.
"Let's hurry back to the meeting point. We don't want Hiratsuka-sensei to scold us," Hayama said as he was the last one to exit.
Everyone agreed and returned to their class group.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Kiyomizu Temple. True to its reputation as a famous landmark, the steps leading up to the temple offered a stunning view of the mountains, now ablaze with autumn leaves like a vivid oil painting.
"Wow, so beautiful," Yui exclaimed, admiring the scenery. She pulled out her point-and-shoot camera to take pictures.
Hachiman also took out his phone, but instead of photographing the maple leaves, he focused on capturing Yui with the red foliage as her backdrop.
Noticing Hachiman's actions, Yui blushed. "Hikki, what are you doing? Don't take pictures of me secretly."
"But I think you look more captivating than the maple leaves," Hachiman replied with a smile.
"Geez, what are you talking about, Hikki?" Yui's face turned even redder.
Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, Yui sighed in relief and scolded Hachiman softly. "Don't say such things in public."
Seeing Yui's flustered reaction, Hachiman found it amusing. He remembered her complaints about him not being more affectionate, but if he were to make any public displays of affection, she would be the first to get embarrassed.
Girls really are mysterious creatures, he thought.
The class continued moving forward. Kiyomizu Temple was famous not only for its scenic maple leaves but also for its legendary spring water, said to grant any wish.
The legend claimed that anyone who drank the spring water and made a wish, especially about love, would have their wish come true.
They soon reached the spring, which was crowded with students and other visitors. Many people visit shrines seeking psychological comfort rather than truly expecting their wishes to come true.
If simply drinking the spring water could grant romantic wishes, the world wouldn't have so many single people. And if it were truly that effective, Kiyomizu Temple could easily thrive just by selling the "wish-granting" water instead of relying on tourism.
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