Yuigahama Yui had temporarily left the Service Club, but Yukinoshita Yukino didn't plan to cut ties with her just because of that.
"Did you know Yuigahama's birthday is on June 18th?"
"How would I know that?"
Hikigaya Hachiman felt she was overestimating him.
"If nothing unexpected happens, June 18th should be her birthday. It's on a Sunday this year, so I'm planning to celebrate it for her," Yukinoshita Yukino said.
"Oh, well, good luck with that."
Hikigaya Hachiman glanced at the clock. It was almost time to wrap up the club activities and leave.
"Alright, we'll meet on that day at 4 p.m. The location will be at Yuigahama's house. I'll send you the details then," Yukinoshita Yukino said, not stopping him as he packed up to leave.
"Wait... I have to go too?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked reluctant. It would be so awkward if he went.
"Don't you want to mend things with Yuigahama?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked.
"...I'm not friends with Yuigahama, and we didn't have a fight, so what's there to fix?" Hikigaya Hachiman argued.
"Are you still going to say things like that?"
The girl sighed in frustration. "Come to think of it, Hiratsuka-sensei put you in the Service Club to fix that rotten personality of yours."
"What are you planning to do?"
From Yukinoshita Yukino's words, he sensed a subtle hint of malice and immediately became alert.
"Now that I think about it, Hiratsuka-sensei's violent methods might actually be an effective way to correct someone."
Yukinoshita Yukino's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"I get it, I'll go, okay? Just please don't use violence!"
Hikigaya Hachiman quickly raised his hands in surrender.
You've got to be kidding me—Hiratsuka-sensei's iron fist is one thing, but Yukinoshita Yukino, who could probably punch through a concrete wall with one blow, might send me straight to say goodbye to Komachi.
She must've been led astray by that old man Hayashizaki. Otherwise, how could Yukinoshita Yukino, who was perfectly fine before, turn so violent?
"Don't forget to buy a gift."
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was leaving the Service Club, a friendly reminder came from behind.
"I know."
He responded half-heartedly.
I only have experience giving girls gifts that ended in disaster—I've never actually picked a good one before...
Hikigaya Hachiman, pushing his bike as he prepared to leave the school, placed his hopes on his sister, Komachi.
…
...
June 17th, Saturday.
The day before Yuigahama Yui's birthday.
"Thanks for coming along with me, Hayashizaki-kun."
Under the bright summer sun stood a young girl wearing a sun hat.
Yukinoshita Yukino was dressed casually today. She wore a light blue sleeveless top with a high collar paired with a white skirt that fell just above her knees, swaying with her steps. She had beige sandals on her feet, showing her smooth, rounded toes.
Her waist-length black hair was tied into a neat high ponytail with a red ribbon tied in a bow, adding a touch of vibrant red to her look.
[What are you talking about? Wherever you go, I have no choice but to follow.]
Hayashizaki sighed and muttered in exasperation.
[What I mean is, I'd like to ask for your help in picking a gift for Yuigahama-san.]
Yukinoshita Yukino patiently explained.
[I know, I know. After all, you haven't really had many friends before, so it's normal to be worried about choosing the wrong gift. Totally understandable.]
Hayashizaki's nonchalant words made the veins on Yukinoshita Yukino's forehead twitch.
[And do you, parasite-kun, have experience giving gifts to female friends?] Yukinoshita Yukino retorted.
[Take a guess.]
[Ugh!]
Forget it. There's no point in arguing with someone so infuriating. I can't let a bad mood affect my gift-shopping for Yuigahama Yui.
The shopping destination Yukinoshita Yukino chose was *LaLaport*, a large American-style mall in the Tokyo Bay area, often referred to as the dating hotspot for Chiba high school students.
Though technically, Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't here for a date but with a soul from another realm in tow. If you stretch the math, it could almost count as a date with herself.
As Japan's first American-style shopping mall, *LaLaport* featured the country's first drive-in theater, an open-air sports field, a cultural center, and various branded shops. It catered to sightseeing, shopping, leisure, and entertainment all in one place.
Next to it was a horse racing track, visible from the pedestrian bridge leading from Minami-Funabashi Station to the mall's second floor.
On weekends, the shopping plaza bustled with activity. Beneath the colorful exterior walls, groups of two or three walked together. Most were either groups of girls or a boy and a girl, dressed in light summer clothing, their cheerful smiles shining under the early summer sun.
Yukinoshita Yukino carried a woven handbag as she wove through the crowd and entered the mall, where cool air greeted them.
The parallel rows of beautifully decorated shops displayed a dazzling variety of goods, reflecting vibrant colors under the sunlight streaming through the glass dome. It was enough to make Hayashizaki feel a headache coming on.
Thankfully, being in a soul state saved me. Otherwise, tagging along with Yukinoshita Yukino through the entire mall would have been pure misery.
"What do you plan to get?"
Hayashizaki asked.
"I don't know. That's why I'm here shopping,"
Yukinoshita Yukino said, looking at the mall's directory with a slightly frustrated expression.
The mall was massive, with an overwhelming number of stores. Wandering aimlessly would likely take up the entire day.
"I need to plan the route in advance..."
The girl muttered quietly, studying the directory and thinking about which area to start from.
[You should focus on Yuigahama's preferences first. That way, you can narrow down the specific section to explore,]
Hayashizaki suggested.
[Don't tell me you don't even know what Yuigahama might like?]
He added, his tone suddenly filled with doubt.
"..."
Without a word, Yukinoshita Yukino pulled out a guidebook from below the directory, randomly picked a direction, and began walking, as though Hayashizaki's question hadn't reached her.
Of course, it had. After all, the voice was directly in her head, making it impossible to miss.
[So, you really don't know?]
Hayashizaki felt helpless.
[Quiet. I'm thinking.]
Yukinoshita Yukino studied the guidebook seriously, her gaze landing on the bottom-right corner of the map, where the pet section was marked. There was even an event highlighted—[Tokyo Cat & Dog Exhibition].
After carefully mapping out the route from her current location to the pet section, she also marked some women's accessory areas along the way.
"Alright, I've decided on the route."
She closed the guidebook, placed it in her bag, and changed direction, stepping toward the women's accessories section.
This area, as the name suggested, was filled with trendy women's clothing, accessories, and cosmetics. Yukinoshita Yukino entered a clothing store and began selecting outfits for Yuigahama Yui with her keen sense of style.
Although she rarely visited such crowded shopping centers, that didn't mean her fashion sense was lacking. Yukinoshita Yukino's broad reading habits included fashion magazines, giving her a solid foundation.
In no time, she found a few outfits she thought would suit Yuigahama Yui perfectly.
[What do you think of this one?]
Yukinoshita Yukino held up a purple shirt with a cute dog print on the chest, asking Hayashizaki mentally.
[It looks good.]
[And this one?]
She picked another piece that matched Yuigahama's bright and cheerful personality.
[It looks good.]
Hayashizaki, driven by some instinct, had become a mindless repeater.
[Is that the only word in your vocabulary?]
[It suits you.]
[...]
Realizing she couldn't rely on her parasite-like companion, Yukinoshita Yukino had to stick to her own judgment.
"The material isn't great..."
She felt the fabric and tugged it lightly before putting the shirt back on the rack with a disappointed look. Before the shop assistant could approach, she quickly left.
For her, the quality and comfort of the material ranked higher than the design of the clothes.
Under the curious gaze of the staff, Yukinoshita Yukino inspected one item after another but couldn't find anything that satisfied her, leaving even Hayashizaki feeling tired.
[How long do you plan to keep this up?]
[Instead of making useless comments, why not give me some actual suggestions? All you do is ramble on pointlessly. Honestly, you're worse than an air conditioner—at least an air conditioner cools the room and has a silent mode.]
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't hold back her criticism, prompting Hayashizaki to strategically retreat into silence.
After narrowly winning against Hayashizaki earlier, the girl was clearly in a much better mood. With a slight smile, she moved on to the next shop on her planned route.
In the accessory store, various earrings and necklaces filled the display racks, but Yukinoshita Yukino skipped over them and headed straight for the hair clip section. After carefully looking through the items, she couldn't find a clip suitable for Yuigahama.
Since Yuigahama usually used hair ties, just gifting a single hair tie felt too plain. With that, the accessory store was regretfully crossed off her list.
Next, she tried a cosmetics store. However, being naturally beautiful and rarely wearing makeup, Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't familiar with different cosmetic brands, so this shop was also a no-go.
As she wandered, she found herself in a toy store.
Watching Yukinoshita Yukino pinch and play with a panda plushie, seemingly unable to put it down, Hayashizaki couldn't help but comment.
[You like this ugly panda plushie?]
Come to think of it, Yukinoshita Yukino's bed and room seemed to have several panda plushies and other related items in different designs.
But Hayashizaki just couldn't accept the plushie's signature smug, upside-down triangular eyes. It reminded him of how Hikigaya Hachiman's relatively decent face immediately fell apart when paired with those dead-fish eyes of his.
How could they turn such a cute national treasure into *this*?
It felt like... Kung Fu Panda was a better representation.
The moment he made that comment about Yukinoshita Yukino's panda plushie, Hayashizaki—still within her domain—instantly felt an overwhelming wave of hostility. It was like being stranded in the icy Siberian wilderness, frozen solid by a chilling gust.
[While I didn't have high hopes for your taste, to see it sink to this level still manages to surprise me. But considering that Parasite-kun is practically a caveman from a thousand years ago, incapable of appreciating modern aesthetics, I can't really blame you. So until your taste reaches the level of a normal person in this era, could you please just keep your—]
Both ears closed, pretending nothing happened.
After cutting off Yukinoshita Yukino's rapid-fire remarks, Hayashizaki let out a slow breath and sighed.
"Shopping with women is terrifying."
Better not bring this up again next time.
Unaware that she'd been muted, Yukinoshita Yukino let out a light hum as she held the plushie and walked to the cashier.
Then, her eyes accidentally landed on a dog plushie nearby.
She walked over, picked it up, and examined it for a moment. If she gave this to Yuigahama, she'd probably like it—especially since Yuigahama's family had a dog, right?
Just as she was about to ask for Hayashizaki's opinion, she remembered how mercilessly she'd scolded him earlier. The words got stuck in her throat, and she didn't ask after all.
Hayashizaki, on the other hand, stayed silent.
Did she... go too far?
After all, everyone has their preferences. It was normal for Hayashizaki to dislike a plushie she liked. It was just that his casual remark had irritated her, and she lost her temper, saying more than she should have.
Pressing her lips together, Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated for a moment before taking the dog plushie along with the panda plushie to the cashier.
She decided to keep the dog plushie for now. If she couldn't find a better gift later, she'd give this one to Yuigahama.
With this thought in mind, Yukinoshita Yukino resumed browsing the stores, though her initial enthusiasm seemed to have faded.
Not long after, as she looked around for another shop to visit, she heard a chorus of meowing and barking in the distance.
Looking up in a daze, she realized she'd unknowingly reached the end of her planned shopping route.
"Woof woof!"
A sudden bark nearby startled Yukinoshita Yukino. She stepped back three paces before looking toward the source of the sound—a large Akita dog in a display cage.
The short and cute limbs, a stocky body, and a smile as pure as an angel's made Akita dogs a beloved breed among the Japanese.
Besides Akitas, the exhibition featured various other dog breeds, with barks of different pitches echoing around, creating a lively atmosphere.
At that moment, the adorable dog at the exhibition stuck out its tongue, staring at Yukinoshita Yukino before letting out another bark, as if pleading for her to pet it. However, Yukinoshita Yukino shrugged her shoulders and quickly walked away, heading toward the cat exhibit instead.
"Wow? Are you really that afraid of dogs, Yukinoshita?"
Although Hayashizaki stayed within his own mental space without talking directly to Yukinoshita Yukino, he couldn't stop observing her actions.
This won't do. Having such an obvious weakness could make her an easy target for enemies.
After thinking for a moment, Hayashizaki's eyes lit up as if he'd just come up with a brilliant idea. He chuckled like a mad scientist.
It's time to prepare some desensitization training for Yukinoshita Yukino.
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