By June, Chiba was fully immersed in the heat of summer.
The scorching sun baked the asphalt roads, and even the shade under the trees failed to provide relief from the sweltering heat. The sound of cicadas echoed from the trees, adding a layer of annoyance to the oppressive weather.
Thanks to the weather, people on the streets were dressed much more lightly. Amid this lightness was a certain charm unique to summer.
The agreed-upon weekend quickly arrived.
A pair of siblings stood in front of Chiba Station, waiting.
The sister wore a breezy summer outfit—a light yellow camisole paired with denim shorts. At her brother's suggestion, she swapped her sandals for sneakers. Her excited smile revealed a cute little fang, giving her the air of an energetic and lively teenage girl.
In contrast, her brother looked far less impressive. He wore a plain white shirt and black shorts, with unkempt, messy hair sticking out awkwardly in places. His lifeless, droopy "dead fish eyes" added an extra layer of gloom to his already disheveled appearance.
Hikigaya Hachiman yawned and checked the time on his phone.
9:15 AM.
There were still 15 minutes left until the agreed time. Maybe I came too early…
Komachi had yanked me out of bed early in the morning, buzzing with excitement. We arrived at the station more than 30 minutes ahead of schedule, and now here I was, waiting.
People passed back and forth in front of the station, but there was no sign of Hayashizaki or Yukinoshita Yukino.
With Yukinoshita's personality, she should have arrived early too. So, did Hayashizaki end up holding her back?
Hikigaya Hachiman silently speculated about Hayashizaki in the most cynical way possible.
"Big brother, big brother! Do you think I could use that move too? You know, the one with blue flames on your hands!"
The girl beside me tugged on my sleeve.
Komachi, who had been brimming with excitement all night, was now even more fired up as the meeting time approached.
"That's cursed energy, not fire," I corrected her. Then I flicked her forehead.
"As for you? Yeah, no chance."
"You heard Hayashizaki-sensei say it yourself. All you can do is see curses, and other than that, you're just like an ordinary person. You can't use cursed energy at all."
"And don't underestimate being a jujutsu sorcerer. It's really dangerous—one wrong move, and your life is on the line."
I was in the middle of lecturing her about letting go of her dreams of becoming a sorcerer when I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve again.
I instinctively looked down and froze.
"So… big brother could also be in danger, right?"
Unlike my dead-fish eyes brimming with DHA, Komachi's normally bright and sunny gaze was now full of worry for her brother.
So this was where she was headed.
A mix of helplessness and bitterness spread across my face as I smiled. I reached out and messed up her carefully styled hair.
"No way. I'm the kind of guy who really values his life. If I ever meet a curse I can't beat, I'll run without a second thought. There's no way I'd get into any real danger."
"When it comes to running away, I'm the best."
I shamelessly gave myself a thumbs-up and flashed her a confident grin.
"Really?"
Komachi shot me a doubtful look.
"If we're talking about recklessness, you're the best at that too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten hit by a car while saving Yui-chan's dog."
As she spoke, she suddenly realized something.
"Ah, so basically, you're lying. What you say and what you do are completely opposite."
"Uh… that was a total accident. My body moved before my brain even realized what was happening," I said awkwardly.
"You always say you'd run away, but in the end, you love playing the hero."
Komachi pouted, clearly annoyed.
"In the past, I didn't say anything since we've lived together for so many years, and I know how stubborn you are. But now it's different. If you play the hero in front of those kinds of monsters, you'll really get hurt…"
"It's fine. You don't have to trust me, but you can trust Hayashizaki-sensei!"
I lied with a straight face.
The truth was, the first time I got hurt was because Hayashizaki had sliced off my arm.
But Komachi didn't know about that yet. In her mind, Hayashizaki was still this amazing, reliable guy—super strong, super nice, and super cool.
"Hayashizaki-nii really is trustworthy," Komachi nodded in agreement.
"Wait a second. What did you just call Hayashizaki-sensei?"
I was about to agree with her when I realized something serious.
"Hayashizaki-nii? Where did that come from?"
"Hmm? Is something wrong? Hayashizaki looks really young, so calling him 'sensei' doesn't seem right. I can't just call him 'uncle' either, right?"
Komachi tilted her head in fake confusion, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Of course not. If I call him 'sensei,' and you call him 'bro,' that would mess up the order of things, wouldn't it?"
Hikigaya Hachiman said with a serious expression.
"Besides, how could you use such a disrespectful term for Hayashizaki-sensei?"
"I think even if Komachi called him 'Hayashizaki-sensei' with me, he wouldn't mind."
"Mind what?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind, and Hikigaya Hachiman froze.
Hayashizaki and Yukinoshita Yukino walked over side by side. Komachi's eyes immediately lit up when she saw them, and she greeted them enthusiastically.
"Hello~! Hayashizaki, and Yukino-neechan!"
"Good morning, Komachi." Yukinoshita Yukino smiled and nodded at her.
"Hello, Komachi-chan."
Seeing the expression of hopelessness on the blank-faced Hikigaya Hachiman, Hayashizaki gently ruffled Komachi's head.
"You guys are here pretty early." He said casually.
"Well, I was so excited that I came early," Komachi chuckled, ignoring her older brother who had turned into a grayish-white statue beside her.
"You could have called to check, no need to just wait around like this," Hayashizaki said.
"It's because someone kept dragging his feet!" Yukinoshita Yukino gave him a light glare, not realizing the hidden information behind her words.
Even Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been looking blankly, suddenly returned to normal, his eyes wide as he stared at the two.
Wait, what?
Has Yukinoshita and Hayashizaki already started living together!?
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