69. The Drained Hikigaya Meets the Parents
Hikigaya Hachiman closed his eyes in agony, as if sinking into despair, or transcending it…
It wasn't until he had completely stabilized himself that he left the bathroom, only to find the usually energetic Yumeko Jabami frozen in shock.
"Jabami!!" Hikigaya shouted in embarrassment and anger.
"S-Sorry!" Jabami Yumeko looked like steam was rising from the top of her head.
.
.
.
Hikigaya Hachiman hadn't been wrong.
He was right all along.
When Jabami had brought in the congee, she had indeed added an invisible, colorless drug—something like an aphrodisiac.
The effect was strong and fast-acting—so much so that before he could even call for a nurse, he felt like a volcano pushed to its absolute limit, ready to erupt.
Between losing his dignity and getting away from Jabami Yumeko, Hikigaya had chosen the latter and got up to go to the bathroom.
He was furious now.
Looking at Yumeko kneeling obediently in front of him, he still hadn't calmed down.
"Why would you do that, Jabami!?"
"I…" Yumeko murmured, her long black-stockinged legs fidgeting and rubbing against each other anxiously.
"Speak!"
"Because… I saw that you and Kirari-nee had formed a contract, and… I got angry…"
Jabami's voice grew smaller and smaller, but Hikigaya still managed to hear her clearly.
He closed his eyes in anguish.
This was Murphy's Law—what you fear most is what's most likely to happen. As it turned out, Jabami had already sensed Kirari's strangeness during their conversation at the door.
'2, 3, 5… 101…'
Hikigaya frantically counted prime numbers to calm the unbearable sense of shame surging inside him.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
With a bit of a headache, he asked, "So you know about the Momobami family's contract ritual? Your Jabami family doesn't have weird stuff like that too, right?"
"No!" Jabami denied immediately.
'She's lying!'
Hikigaya's brow twitched. He could only hope that each family within the Hundred Devouring Clan had their own different rituals. Otherwise… he really didn't want to be strapped down and bled with a carving knife by Jabami Yumeko someday.
He decided to change the subject to something light and cheerful, to ease the awkward atmosphere between them.
"You said your sister is also staying in the hospital?"
"…Yeah. She's sick."
The blush on Yumeko's face quickly faded at the mention of her sister. Her expression turned serene, like a gentle princess.
Hikigaya could sense the shift in her mood—cold, lonely, and melancholic. It felt like an ancient poem, one he would need to slowly read and uncover.
"Is now a good time? I'd like to go visit her," Hikigaya offered proactively.
He was genuinely curious—what kind of woman could stir such deep emotions in Yumeko?
From what he knew, Yumeko only ever showed emotional fluctuations when it came to gambling… So it was reasonable to guess that her sister might be the very origin of her obsession with gambling.
"Of course! If Onee-sama saw Hikigaya-kun, she'd definitely be happy!"
Yumeko beamed like a flower in full bloom, eagerly tugging on Hikigaya's cast-wrapped hand and pulling him toward Room 101.
"Little Yumeko, who's this young man you're bringing today~?"
"Grandma, this is Hikigaya Hachiman—he's my dearest friend."
Along the way, quite a few people greeted Jabami Yumeko.
There were elderly patients, beautiful young nurses, mature and composed doctors—women of all kinds. They all seemed very fond of Yumeko.
At last, Hikigaya was led to a rather special hospital room.
Why "special"…? Because the moment Hikigaya saw the door, he felt a sense of coming home.
Yes—this thought felt absurd even to Hikigaya himself, but it was the truth. Yumeko had turned this particular special ward in the hospital into something that felt like home.
Hikigaya's first thought was of money and connections. Only that could explain how someone could afford to permanently reserve and renovate a deluxe private suite at the University of Tokyo Medical Hospital.
'As expected of someone from the Hundred Devouring Clan… Even a seemingly "fallen" Jabami still has this much power.'
Before Hikigaya could think further, Yumeko pressed down on the doorknob and led him into the room.
With just one glance, Hikigaya was stunned.
What he saw were countless paper cranes—red, purple, yellow… a burst of vivid color that flooded into his brain all at once.
It almost threw his mind into chaos.
His rationality began to waver. Hikigaya instinctively looked toward the disheveled-haired woman sitting blankly on the bed, who at that moment was mechanically repeating the action of folding paper.
Stiffly, Hikigaya turned his head toward Jabami Yumeko and swallowed hard. "Your sister… she…"
Jabami showed a gentle smile, but to Hikigaya, it carried an indescribable eeriness. "My sister has gone insane~"
The two stood by the door, and Hikigaya quietly listened to Jabami Yumeko's account.
"Do you remember last time, Hikigaya-kun? What I told you in the car."
"Yeah. You said your sister… it was because of gambling…"
"My sister loved gambling. When we were little, she often won snacks from kids her age through gambling and brought them home for me to eat."
"Our parents died in a car accident."
"To protect the Jabami family's status in the Momobami Clan, my sister had to take on the role of head of the family at a very young age. She kept gambling with the other branches of the Momobami family."
"Until one day, our aunt—wanting us to live a peaceful life—helped our opponent cheat in what should have been a guaranteed win for my sister. My sister lost the match."
"She lost the Jabami family's dignity and status. Overnight, Jabami fell to the bottom ranks of the Momobami Clan…"
There was neither sorrow nor joy in Yumeko's eyes. Hikigaya couldn't even sense any resentment toward her aunt.
But the more calm she appeared, the more terrifying it was.
Generally speaking, when traumatic memories are vented, they still leave lingering emotions. Whenever those memories are brought up again, they'll evoke painful feelings. But someone like Jabami—who sealed those emotions deep within—was simply waiting for the day they would erupt.
"My sister, Jabami Souko, was diagnosed with a mental breakdown after that day. Since then, she's been mechanically folding the paper cranes our mother once showed us as children. Again and again, never stopping…"
"...Jabami Souko." Hikigaya quietly memorized the name.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you think my sister was wrong?"
"Even though I'm just an ordinary person, and I can't understand the cruelty of your Momobami clan's internal struggles… I don't think Souko-san did anything wrong. While gambling itself isn't right, her intentions… sigh…"
Hikigaya felt his mood grow heavy.
Any earlier romantic or tender feelings he'd had were now completely gone.
"Then… was it my aunt who did wrong?"
Hikigaya paused in silence. "Even though her actions were extreme… I think your aunt's original intentions were good."
"Then who was wrong…?"
"…"
Hikigaya said nothing.
Was it the world that was wrong? Or rather, was it the Momobami Clan—the twisted desire flowing through their blood—that was the real problem?
The desire to gamble, the thirst for power, the need for control… all of it had entwined the fates of everyone, including Hikigaya Hachiman himself.
"Hikigaya-kun."
"I'm here."
"I don't know what kind of contract you made with Momobami Kirari … but can I ask you, please—don't forget about me."
"…I promise."
Jabami Yumeko gave a dazzling smile, as if banishing all the gloom in the room.
She held onto Hikigaya's hand and slowly walked toward the hospital bed.
"Sis, I brought Hikigaya-kun to see you."