"Mr. Hachiman, you bought an apartment here to make your commute to Sobu High School easier, right?" Mr. Yukinoshita asked as he took in the layout of the apartment before him. The group had already arrived at Hikigaya's new home and had settled down. Hikigaya was busy making tea to entertain his guests.
"Yes, Mr. Yukinoshita, this is my final choice after considering many places. I am quite satisfied with this place," Hikigaya replied as he brought the prepared tea over and poured it for the guests.
"Mr. Hikigaya is right. The conditions of this apartment are definitely among the best in the Mihama District. If you want to commute to and from Sobu High School, it can be said to be the only choice," remarked the agent, who had been dragged into this situation without knowing the details. Since it was his job, he felt it was wise to support Hikigaya's statement.
"That's it, Father. I don't think there's any need to look at other options," Yukino said firmly. After learning about Hikigaya Hachiman's true identity, she had started thinking about what furniture to buy for the apartment.
"Is it really possible, Yukino? This is the first place we're seeing, and it's still early in the day," Mr. Yukinoshita insisted, hoping to compare prices from different stores.
Yukino found her father somewhat unromantic and couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to win her mother over in the first place.
"I think it's okay, Father. It's only a little over a kilometer away from Sobu High School, and the security measures in the apartment, from the entrance to the units, seem excellent. I don't think there would be a better choice," Yukino analyzed. The rental agent beside her nodded vigorously in agreement.
"That being said, we should at least go inside and take a look," Mr. Yukinoshita said helplessly. Even renting a house was a serious matter, and he felt it was unwise to confirm things without checking inside first. As a businessman, he couldn't accept such a lack of rigor.
"Let's go now, Mr. Yukinoshita. I can answer any questions you have about the house," the rental agent said anxiously, thinking that the order was almost certain.
"Well, please lead the way. Mr. Hachiman, thank you very much for your hospitality. Your apartment is very tastefully decorated," Mr. Yukinoshita said as he stood up and extended his hand to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Yukinoshita. It's just some ordinary furniture," Hikigaya replied modestly, though he thought to himself, 'This is a lie. I spent almost half of my money on the furniture.'
Hikigaya stood at the door, watching as Mr. Yukinoshita, his daughter, and the agent left. However, he noticed that Yukino turned around to look at him, her eyes seemingly asking, "Don't you want to come see it with us?"
"It's not like I want to rent a room... What do you mean by that look..." Hikigaya complained internally. Yet, he still followed them. As a resident of the apartment building, he could definitely provide some insights.
Once inside the room, Mr. Yukinoshita walked ahead with the agent, listening intently to the agent's introduction. Yukino stood next to Hikigaya, feeling a bit shy.
"Hi... Hikigaya-san, are you really the author Hachiman?" Yukino asked, still feeling it was surreal. Was she really going to be classmates and neighbors with the writer she admired the most? And for three whole years?
"That's right... There's nothing to hide. Didn't your sister tell you?" Hikigaya replied. This question nearly shattered Yukino's defenses once again. The thought that her sister had been with the author Hachiman for a year without her knowledge only made her feel more frustrated.
Frankly speaking, Yukino was not jealous or anything like that. She and Hikigaya Hachiman had only met once, and there was no question of developing feelings for each other. Even if she knew that he was the writer Hachiman, she respected him more than anything else. What she couldn't accept was that her sister deprived her of the right to know. She felt disgusted by Haruno's one-sided behavior of treating her as an imaginary enemy.
"My sister... Heh, maybe she was planning to tell me today but was delayed by other things. Fortunately, I met you here; otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been kept in the dark."
Yukino said this with some pride, but soon her thoughts shifted, and pride faded away.
"Mr. Hachiman... Please forgive me for being so presumptuous. I want to know, what is the relationship between you and my sister Haruno?"
In Yukino's worst-case scenario, her sister had been involved with Writer Hachiman for a long time, and this apartment was their secret hideout.
"Your sister and I are just friends, right? Maybe slightly more than ordinary friends? You may not believe it, but I don't have many friends," Hikigaya speculated. He knew that Haruno hadn't mentioned him to Yukino for a year, so he wanted to avoid further irritating her.
"Ordinary friends... or more? I understand, Mr. Hachiman. I'm sorry for asking such a personal question," Yukino replied, bowing slightly as all her questions were now answered.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you available now? I have some questions about the apartment and would like to hear your opinion," Mr. Yukinoshita said, needing statements from other residents to support the agent's introduction.
"No problem, Mr. Yukinoshita," Hikigaya responded before leaving, leaving Yukino alone to sort out her thoughts.
Yukino knew her sister would inherit the family business in the future, which meant her relationship with Mr. Hachiman would likely end in failure. With his status, it was absolutely impossible for him to marry into her family, and their mother would never allow her sister to marry outside the family.
"So, sister, what do you want to do? Are you going to disobey your mother, whom you've obeyed for almost 20 years, just for Hikigaya-san?"
Yukino raised her head. After considering everything, she no longer resented her sister. In the Yukinoshita family, love was never something that could be freely chosen, whether for her or her sister.
"Okay, Yukino. I think this is a good choice. As long as you confirm it again, I will go sign the contract with the agent," Mr. Yukinoshita said as he approached Yukino.
"I am happy to live here. There is no problem. I will have my father handle the contract," Yukino replied, turning to Mr. Yukinoshita with a smile, as if she had seen through everything.
"Let me introduce myself to you again, Hikigaya Hachiman-san. I am Yukinoshita Yukino. During the three years that we will be neighbors, I hope you will guide me," Yukino said as she walked up to Hikigaya and extended her right hand, symbolizing her return.
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