"Girls' weaknesses, huh?"
Hikigaya mulled it over.
Suddenly, an image from a certain anime popped into his head. His face flushed red, startled.
"Wait… don't tell me you mean…"
"You—You get it?" Kawasaki asked again.
"Uh… Y-yeah, I get it."
Quickly calming his chaotic thoughts, Hikigaya gave a dry cough.
"Thanks, Kawasaki. I'll… I'll try to find Yukinoshita's… weakness."
"Mhm, no need to thank me."
After saying that, Kawasaki averted her gaze, opened her mouth as if to speak—then hesitated.
Hikigaya: "Is there… something else?"
"Well, ahem, a woman's weakness is usually really… really well hidden…"
Kawasaki spoke shyly.
"To better develop your ability to find that kind of thing, I… I figured I could… help you!"
Taking several deep breaths, she mustered her courage and looked Hikigaya straight in the eye.
"Huh?"
Hikigaya was stunned.
"Wait, you mean… you want me to find your weakness?"
"…Yeah."
Kawasaki shyly lowered her head and nodded.
"T-That's probably not a good idea…"
Hikigaya paused, then quickly shook his head.
Kawasaki replied softly, "If it's you… I-I don't mind."
Hikigaya hesitated. "But still…"
"Hikigaya, this is for Yukinoshita. Don't you want the two of you to be even happier together?"
"Kawasaki…"
Looking at the sincere girl before him, Hikigaya found himself dazed. Then he gave a wry smile.
"You're too kind. Don't be so considerate toward us—think about yourself more."
"B-Being kind is just what friends do!" Kawasaki explained in a flustered tone.
"Friends, huh…"
Hikigaya sighed.
"If it weren't for Yukinoshita, then maybe, Kawasaki… huh?!"
Just as he was about to say more, Kawasaki pressed a finger against his lips.
"Don't say anything."
Blushing deeply, she grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward a nearby tree.
"Ka-Kawasaki, wait—"
Whoa, she's strong!
When women get serious, their strength really is an unsolvable mystery.
Kawasaki forcibly dragged Hikigaya behind the tree.
Under the cover of the thick trunk and the darkness of night, even though the tree stood by the roadside, it was almost impossible to notice anyone hiding behind it.
"Hikigaya. Enough talking—let's begin."
With that, Kawasaki closed her eyes.
Seeing the girl standing in front of him, like a flower waiting to be picked, Hikigaya gave a bitter laugh.
"Kawasaki, do you really think I'd just… pull down your pants or something?"
"?"
Startled, Kawasaki's eyes shot wide open.
"Huh?! I thought you were just finding my weakness—why would you take off my pants?!"
"Eh?"
Hikigaya looked at her, speechless.
"How else am I supposed to find your weakness if I don't take them off?"
"??"
Kawasaki stared at him in utter confusion.
"What are you even talking about?"
"…"
Hikigaya also fell silent.
They stared at each other—he looked at her, she looked at him—and both stood frozen.
But—
As someone who had already become a woman, Kawasaki quickly caught on.
The next second, her previously composed face turned an impossible shade of red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"W-Wait… D-Don't tell me you thought I meant you were going to… going to… do that to me? No way, Hikigaya! You can't—!"
"N-No! That's not what I—!"
Hikigaya's face turned beet red. Utterly embarrassed, he stammered:
"Sorry, sorry! I misunderstood. But based on what you were saying earlier, what exactly did you mean by 'weakness'...?"
"J-Just a normal weakness! Like, for example, I… I'm kind of really sensitive if someone keeps touching my ears, so… Ah! Crap, why did I just blurt that out?!"
Her body stiffened. Kawasaki quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
"Huh?"
Hikigaya had a moment of realization.
"So that's what you meant."
So it was a surface-level weakness.
Cough cough. He'd mistaken it for… a much deeper weakness.
"Ughhh, what else could I have meant?! And you actually thought I'd just let you…!"
"S-Sorry."
Hikigaya awkwardly apologized again.
I should've known… Kawasaki's such a pure girl—there's no way she'd help me with that kind of thing.
Both of them stood there, utterly disoriented in the night breeze.
A few seconds passed.
Hikigaya broke the silence with an awkward cough.
"Alright, I think I get it now. I'll try to look for Yukinoshita's weaknesses. Who knows? Maybe she's also super sensitive about her ears…"
"Hikigaya!"
Just as he turned around, Kawasaki suddenly grabbed his arm.
"W-What is it, Kawasaki…?"
"L-Let's try it your way. Just once. After all, the method you mentioned might actually be more effective than mine…"
"Wait—Kawasaki, you—"
Hikigaya was stunned.
"No way. I can't do that to you. Absolutely not."
"I-I don't mind. As long as it helps you two."
Kawasaki looked at him bashfully, but her eyes burned with determination.
Hikigaya quickly turned away, drawing a deep breath.
"You have to understand—my heart belongs to Yukinoshita. I'm her boyfriend. I'll be her husband someday. There's only Yukinoshita in my heart. If you do this—"
"D-Do you think I like you?"
Staring at him, her face flushed with embarrassment, Kawasaki snapped:
"I-I don't have feelings like that for you at all! I-I just want to… to take care of a certain need. Yeah! That's it! Just handling my daily needs!"
"…Huh? 'Daily needs'?"
Hikigaya looked at her, stunned.
"Well, I mean, if it's you, Hikigaya, I can deal with it. It's not like this is our first time… Ahem. If not, then I'd just have to take care of things myself back home…"
Afraid Hikigaya might think she was a slut, Kawasaki quickly explained.
"S-So I figured I'd let you off easy, that's all. A-And maybe you can get some early experience figuring out how to really find a… weakness…"
The more she talked, the redder her face became.
By the end, her voice was practically inaudible.
Hikigaya sighed.
"Kawasaki… didn't we say last time would be the last time?"
She froze, clenched her teeth.
"Ughhh… I'm only doing this for Yukinoshita. For you two. This is absolutely the last time. Definitely the last time. Come on—start looking."
At this point, she wasn't going to let him refuse.
"W-Wait, Kawa—"