With two and a half minutes left until three o'clock in the afternoon, the Yukinoshita family's black luxury car came to a stop in front of the Hikigaya family's house.
Standing at the door to see him off, Hikigaya took his gifts and sat in the back seat. The Yukinoshita family owned many luxury cars, but only a few drivers. Since Hikigaya had frequently ridden in Yukinoshita Haruno's car before, he had grown familiar with the driver.
"Mr. Hikigaya, I think your appearance today will surely surprise many people," the driver remarked, noticing Hikigaya's attire. He couldn't recall ever having seen Hikigaya dressed like this before.
"Thank you for the compliment. After all, it's my first time visiting the Yukinoshita family, so I have to dress formally," Hikigaya replied. There was another reason for his outfit: after arriving at the Yukinoshita residence, he would need to sit upright for a long time due to proper etiquette. If he wore a tight suit, Hikigaya, who had not received relevant training, might struggle to maintain his composure, so a loose kimono became the best choice.
The driver's skills were exceptional, and the car moved at a comfortable speed. After a pleasant ride, the luxury car came to a smooth stop in front of the Yukinoshita mansion.
Through the car window, Hikigaya noticed a lady with an imposing demeanor standing at the door. He concluded that she was Mrs. Yukinoshita. He had already met the other three members of the Yukinoshita family, but Mrs. Yukinoshita had not yet been introduced to Hachiman, so she chose to greet him personally.
Hikigaya picked up the gift in his left hand and stepped out of the car. Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled as she welcomed him.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun. I am Mrs. Yukinoshita, and on behalf of the Yukinoshita family, I welcome you."
Mrs. Yukinoshita extended her right hand toward Hikigaya while speaking. She looked at the young man in the kimono before her with surprise. She hadn't expected that Hikigaya, only sixteen years old, would already possess the unique temperament of a writer.
"Thank you for welcoming me, Mrs. Yukinoshita. I have always wanted to visit you, and today I finally have the opportunity," Hikigaya replied respectfully. Mrs. Yukinoshita's hands felt incredibly smooth, as if the years had never left any traces on them—a level of maintenance typical for someone of her status.
Hikigaya followed Mrs. Yukinoshita through the main gate, across the wide courtyard, and down the long corridor until they reached the entrance of the main hall.
"Please, come in and have a seat, Hikigaya-kun. I have some matters to attend to tonight, so I must excuse myself for now," Mrs. Yukinoshita said, bowing slightly before leaving.
Once inside the main hall, Hikigaya saw only Yukinoshita Yukino sitting there. Upon spotting him, she displayed a look of surprise.
"Mr. Hachiman, you're really here? I thought my sister was joking," Yukino exclaimed, somewhat incredulous.
"I originally thought I would go directly to the venue, but your sister called and told me that Mrs. Yukinoshita wanted to see me. Since I had been planning to visit for the past year, I decided to come here early," Hikigaya explained. Without further thought, he sat down next to Yukino and placed the gift on the table.
"I see... By the way, Hikigaya-san, wait a moment while I make some tea," Yukino said before hurriedly getting up and leaving, placing her cell phone on her cushion as she went.
"Hello! Hikigaya-kun, you're here! Wait, your outfit is so surprising! Why didn't you wear it to show me before?" Haruno entered the main hall, catching sight of Hikigaya in his kimono. She asked, surprised and delighted.
"Well, since the new year is approaching, I needed to make some changes. Plus, the thought of sitting in a suit made me uncomfortable," Hikigaya replied honestly. He and Haruno had always been straightforward with each other.
"Haha, is that so? You think too much, junior brother. As a distinguished guest of our family, you can sit however you like. Mother is only concerned about your comfort, not about how you sit."
Haruno smiled as she approached Hikigaya Hachiman, but noticed a cell phone clearly placed on the cushion beside him. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she decided to sit on the other side instead.
"So, Yukino was here just now?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, senior sister," Hikigaya replied. "When I entered the room, your sister was the only one here. She went to make tea as soon as she saw me."
"Damn it! Hachiman's handsome new look was appreciated by Yukino first..." she thought indignantly. Her dear sister had even taken the seat next to him. Haruno knew Yukino had already mastered her college skills before even graduating from junior high.
Just then, Yukino returned with the tea. She had appeared quite happy, but when she saw Haruno, her expression instantly reverted to its usual coldness.
"Senior Yukinoshita, will you still be a day student when you go to college next year?" Hikigaya asked, trying to find a conversation topic.
"Yes, junior. But there's no need to ask our driver to pick me up anymore; I've already learned to drive. After the entrance examination, it will be time to buy a car, and then I can take you for a ride, junior," Yukino replied, beginning to envision the scene of her junior sitting in the passenger seat.
"What a waste, sister. We all know you can definitely get into the University of Tokyo, right?" Yukino sipped her tea calmly.
"Who said that wasn't true, Yukino-chan? How about you help me make up for my regret of not getting into the University of Tokyo?" Haruno looked at her sister with interest, but Yukino's expression remained unfazed.
"I will be admitted to the University of Tokyo, but not to make up for someone else's regret. I'm doing it for my own goals. Don't you agree, Hikigaya? So many great writers in the Japanese literary world came from the University of Tokyo, so I assume that's your goal as well," Yukino confidently asked Hikigaya Hachiman. She believed he was destined to become a literary giant, with high ambitions.
"Well, Yukinoshita-san, how should I put it? I actually want to go to a school that's closer to home. Chiba University is pretty good; at least it's one of the top 20 universities in Japan..." Hikigaya said a bit embarrassedly. He suddenly felt somewhat inadequate. However, he realized that which university he graduated from didn't significantly impact him; instead, it was the school's reputation that would be affected.
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