"Hikigaya-san, are you making this choice because you want to distract yourself from your literary creation?"
Yukino remained silent for a moment, feeling sympathy for Hikigaya. She thought he was diverting his energy from studying to focus on writing, which led her to lower the university's admission standards.
"My dear sister, he is Mr. Hachiman. Any university in Japan would welcome him and use various incentives to attract him to enroll," Haruno reminded her.
"Well, that might be a bit exaggerated, Senpai. I can't speak for other universities, but at least Chiba University is willing to accept me after I graduate from high school," Hikigaya corrected her, unwilling to make conclusions about opportunities that had not yet occurred.
"So, Hikigaya-san, you mean that even if you could get into Tokyo University, you would still choose Chiba University?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked in disbelief. As a student who could only strive for admission through hard work, she couldn't comprehend how Hikigaya could freely choose schools through special recruitment.
"That's right, Yukinoshita-san. Education is important, but for me, graduating from Chiba University or the University of Tokyo is the same because I don't rely on either to find a job. I prefer to choose a school in my hometown," Hikigaya explained, knowing Yukino might not understand his perspective.
"I see... I still don't fully understand, but everyone has their own thoughts and plans, so it's not really my place to comment further," Yukino replied. Her desire was simple: she wanted to continue attending the same school as Hachiman after high school, even though they had yet to graduate from junior high.
At that moment, the main hall door opened again, and Mr. Yukinoshita entered.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun. Welcome to the Yukinoshita home. My wife's business will be finished soon. Please wait a moment," Mr. Yukinoshita said.
He sat at the table with his back to the door, leaving only the seat facing the door empty, which was meant for the host of the house, Mrs. Yukinoshita.
"Hello, Mr. Yukinoshita. I'm sure you've put a lot of effort into preparing for the banquet. Last year's event was a great success, and I'm looking forward to tonight even more," Hikigaya said.
"Just enjoy yourself, Hikigaya-kun. I assure you, this year's banquet will not disappoint. By the way, I must say that your outfit today is very tasteful. I considered wearing a kimono to the event, but among our group, it would be quite unique," Mr. Yukinoshita replied with a smile while shaking his head.
In the Yukinoshita family, he played the role of a loving father, appearing no different from the fathers of ordinary families—just as talkative and caring toward his children. He was also the only person who could calm Mrs. Yukinoshita when she was angry.
"Mr. Yukinoshita, how is the apartment coming along? I haven't been there in a while," Hikigaya asked about the apartment building across from him, where Yukino would be moving in the future.
"Most of the furniture in the apartment is already there, so there's no need to buy anything new. This is quite convenient. After the New Year holiday, I'll check and fill in any gaps. I think it will be ready for move-in at any time," Mr. Yukinoshita replied.
Just then, Mrs. Yukinoshita, the last and most prominent lady of the household, opened the main hall door and hurried to her seat. Upon seeing Mr. Hachiman and Yukino sitting next to each other, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Hikigaya-kun. I was the last one to arrive, even though I invited you. If there was any wine, I would have to drink three glasses as punishment," Mrs. Yukinoshita joked. This surprised both Yukino and Haruno, who didn't expect their mother to make such a jest.
"It's okay, Mrs. Yukinoshita. I wish you great success at the banquet tonight. This is just a small gift. Please accept it," Hikigaya said as he picked up the four wrapped books from beside him, placing them on the table and pushing them toward Mrs. Yukinoshita. Haruno, sitting beside him, appeared a bit flustered.
"I'm so sorry for the trouble, Hikigaya-kun," Mrs. Yukinoshita replied, clearly surprised. She shot a sharp look at Haruno, having previously instructed her to inform Mr. Hachiman that he shouldn't bring any gifts due to the tight invitation timeline.
"My senior sister told me on the phone that I didn't need to bring anything. These are collector's editions of 'Malice' that were sent by the publisher a few days ago. They aren't on sale yet, so I thought I would give them as a gift," Hikigaya explained, noticing Mrs. Yukinoshita's expression and stepping in to defend Haruno.
When Yukino, who was sitting nearby, heard the contents of the gift, her eyes lit up.
"I see, Hikigaya-kun. Our whole family will love this gift," she said enthusiastically. Given that Mrs. Yukinoshita is a fan of Hachiman's work, often reading his published novels in her spare time, she was naturally delighted to receive the collector's edition that had not yet been released.
"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Yukinoshita. If possible, please don't forget to watch the TV series 'Malice,' which started airing at the beginning of the year," Hikigaya added, also promoting NHK.
The atmosphere in the room, which had grown somewhat dull with Mrs. Yukinoshita's arrival, became lively again.
"Speaking of which, Hikigaya-kun, you will be Yukino's neighbor for the next three years. My husband and I are very busy with work and have been neglecting to take care of Yukino. If she encounters any problems with her studies or in life, I would appreciate it if you could look out for her a bit," Mrs. Yukinoshita said sincerely. In truth, she was very caring and concerned about her two daughters. If it weren't for the fact that Yukino and Hachiman were becoming neighbors, she would have made it a point to visit Yukino's apartment at least once a week.
"Of course, as neighbors we should help each other," Hikigaya replied somewhat perfunctorily, noticing that the expressions of the two Yukinoshita sisters were quite interesting at that moment.
Haruno kept smiling with her eyes narrowed. While she seemed friendly, she was actually focusing intently on Hikigaya. In contrast, Yukino wore an expression that seemed to say, "No, you can't smile yet."
With these two sisters, Hikigaya found himself uncertain whether his situation was a blessing or a curse.
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