Chapter 518: A Date for Three
As night fell, Yui and Yukino lay side by side in Yui's room. Though neither of them spoke, both were still awake.
"Yui, is there something you want to talk to me about?" Yukino unexpectedly broke the silence.
She had a vague sense of what Yui wanted to discuss. As the self-proclaimed victor in their unspoken rivalry, Yukino felt it was her responsibility to address the tension.
"Yukinon..." Yui turned to her side, gazing directly at Yukino. "Have you already made up your mind?"
"Yes, I've decided. If I were to give up now, I know I'd regret it later on." Yukino nodded seriously, determined. Despite being close friends with Yui, she wasn't willing to give up on Hachiman.
Yet, Yukino didn't want to lose Yui as a friend either. After all the time they had spent together, she had grown accustomed to Yui's presence in her life—sharing meals, laughing, and playing together. These moments had become an integral part of her daily routine, and she couldn't imagine life without them.
I really am a foolish person, wanting to hold on to everything, Yukino thought, a bitter smile appearing on her lips.
As she wrestled with these conflicting feelings, Yui's voice broke into her thoughts.
"In that case, Yukinon, let's go on a date tomorrow!"
"Huh?"
Yukino was taken aback by Yui's sudden suggestion.
"I mean it—let's go on a date tomorrow. We can invite Hikki along and make it a date for three," Yui suggested with a cheerful smile.
"A date... for three..."
Yukino was even more bewildered; she had never heard of a three-person date. But Yui, clearly pleased with her idea, didn't offer much explanation and simply giggled.
"Yes, a three-person date. It's decided, then. Good night, Yukinon."
With that, Yui turned back over, closing her eyes as if she were ready to sleep.
Seeing this, Yukino opened her mouth to speak but ultimately just said, "Good night."
Though she was full of questions, she didn't press further, given the situation.
Turning over herself, Yukino closed her eyes, and it wasn't long before her breathing became steady.
At this moment, Yui opened her eyes again.
Sorry, Yukinon, I won't give up on Hikki either.
And there's something you might not know yet: Hikki, that secretly charming guy, once said he wouldn't give up on any of the girls who like him.
While it sounds somewhat absurd, Hikki promised me he would make it work.
I like Hikki.
So, I trust him!
I believe we can always be together!
With these thoughts running through her mind, Yui closed her eyes once more.
This time, she was genuinely ready to sleep.
Before long, her breathing also became steady and calm.
.....
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, after Hachiman dropped off his sister, Komachi, for her exams, he received a call from Yui.
"Hikki, let's go on a date," she said.
Hachiman blinked at this but didn't refuse. When your girlfriend asks you out on a date, how could you say no?
He got ready and headed to the place where they had agreed to meet.
As he looked around for Yui, her lively voice reached his ears.
"Hikki, over here!"
Looking in the direction of her voice, Hachiman was taken aback.
Standing there weren't just Yui, but also Yukino.
Is this... a date for three?
This reminded Hachiman of a particular storyline from the original series. However, due to his influence, Yukino had already started to break free from the control of her family, and Haruno hadn't dared to interfere with her choices.
In this peaceful situation, the Soubu High Service Club members had maintained a harmonious relationship.
Hachiman was curious why this situation was happening now.
Could it be that Yukino had come to a realization?
No, probably not. He had reassured her, making her believe she would be the ultimate winner, which is why she had been so calm.
Hachiman's plan was to make his, Yui's, and Yukino's companionship a natural part of her life.
Habits become nature, and habits are difficult to change.
If he could make this trio a habit for Yukino, achieving his goal would become much easier.
Well, no need to overthink now; the most important thing is to enjoy the date with both of them.
With this in mind, Hachiman walked over to Yui and Yukino.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's okay, Yukinon and I just got here as well," Yui said, shaking her head.
"That's good."
Hachiman nodded but, looking at the two girls together, couldn't help but ask, "By the way, what made you decide to hang out today?"
Yukino seemed unsure herself and shook her head slightly.
"Actually, it was Yui who pulled me out."
Hachiman turned his gaze to Yui.
Yui giggled, "Well, I thought once we reach our third year, we won't have much time to play anymore."
"I've always wanted to visit this aquarium, so I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to come here together."
It seemed she was serious about getting into the same university and was prepared to work hard in her final year.
Hachiman and Yukino both softened their gazes at her resolve.
"Alright, then let's have a great time today," Hachiman said.
"Exactly, Yui, we'll both be here with you," Yukino added.
Yui beamed with happiness.
"Yeah, let's go inside!" she said enthusiastically.
.....
As the trio entered the aquarium, they were immediately captivated by the stunning sights before them.
The corridors were flanked by massive tanks, housing a variety of colorful fish swimming about.
There were sea bream, flounders, sardines, clownfish, rays, and even...
"Wow, a shark!"
Yes, a shark.
Yui was particularly excited to see the sharks swimming in the tank and eagerly pulled out her phone to snap some photos.
In contrast to Yui's excitement, Hachiman and Yukino were much more composed.
Hachiman, of course, had no reason to be impressed, having once battled and emerged victorious against the ocean's apex predator—the great white shark. These ordinary sharks didn't spark any excitement in him.
As for Yukino, she didn't have much affection for these intimidating-looking creatures.
Until...
"A cat shark?!"
Yukino's interest was piqued upon seeing a species named after her favorite animal.
True to being an extreme cat lover, she was drawn to anything related to cats. Even the panda, which is actually a bear, was one of her favorites simply because its name suggests a feline connection. Of course, it could also be because pandas are inherently cute and charming.
At that moment, the three found themselves next to a smaller open-top tank, allowing direct exposure of the water to the air.
The labels listed names like "Cat Shark" and "Dog Shark."
An accompanying sign indicated that these were species one could touch, stating: "Please gently stroke with your fingers."
"So these are touchable sharks," Hachiman remarked.
"Look, Hikki, it's a dog shark," Yui pointed out with excitement.
Not only was Yukino drawn to the cat shark, but Yui was equally thrilled about the dog shark.
"Can I touch it? I want to try."
Looking at the sign on the wall, Yui eagerly reached into the water.
"Hey, it kind of feels like Sable!"
Wait a minute, how is that similar at all? The texture of shark skin and dog fur can't be the same.
Meanwhile, Yukino examined the so-called cat shark.
"A cat shark... it's puzzling. What makes it similar to a cat?" she mused, rolling up her sleeves to touch it.
As her fingers made contact with the cat shark, she showed a surprised expression.
"It does... kind of feel like a cat's tongue," she noted.
"It's just that the shark skin is a bit rough," Hachiman couldn't help but chime in with a critique.
"Saying it feels like a cat's tongue seems like quite a stretch."
Unfortunately, Yukino disregarded his comment and continued her own train of thought.
"Cat... cat shark... cat... meow... no, it should be 'sha' instead."
No, no, Ms. Yukinoshita, your reasoning has gone off track.
Sharks don't make a sound like "sha," or any sound for that matter.
Could it be that you've been influenced by that silly Yui? The once cold and intelligent Miss Yukinoshita is no more.
Speaking of Yui, after spending some time touching the dog shark, she turned her attention elsewhere.
However, upon touching another fish, she let out a surprised yelp.
"Wow!"
Hearing her exclamation, Yukino quickly asked with concern, "What happened? Did it bite you?"
"No, it didn't bite me. I just touched a really slippery fish, and it felt kind of sticky," Yui explained.
Yukino nodded, "Did you touch something unpleasant, like a Hikigaya fish? You should wash your hands right away."
Only Miss Yukinoshita could say something so cutting with such a straight face.
Hachiman twitched his lips and couldn't help but retort, "It's the rays that secrete mucus, not me. Don't just casually compare me to a ray."
Though I do secrete certain substances, it's definitely not from my skin.
Hearing his quip, Yukino rested her hand on her chin and nodded seriously.
"So it's a ray, then? Sorry for comparing you to something unpleasant, Mr. Ray."
"Right, right, don't compare me to something unpleas—"
While her initial response seemed normal, her final apology floored Hachiman when he realized the intended recipient.
"Hey, hey, that's even worse! The apology should obviously be directed at me!"
"Is that so? Hikigaya...kin," Yukino replied, with a serene smile.
You two-timer, even a ray is better than you in every way.
Picking up on the underlying tone of Yukino's words, Hachiman found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
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