"Youth is a lie. It is evil. What they call youth is nothing more than a convenient excuse for normies to gather together, laugh obnoxiously, and pretend they're living meaningful lives."
"On the contrary, refusing to worship youth, refusing to bow to that glittering façade—that is where true justice lies."
"Like a steadfast lighthouse, standing tall and unyielding in a storm-ravaged sea…"
"I, Hikigaya Hachiman, stand alone. A professional loner who will never abandon his principles."
That was the creed he had whispered to himself countless times. Yet the world, cruel and unreasonable, had other plans.
"Until the first semester of my second year," Hikigaya muttered under his breath, staring at the boy in the mirror, "I was dragged into a bizarre club by Hiratsuka-sensei, who just couldn't mind her own business. And there, I met the only other member of the Service Club at the time—Soubu High's infamous 'Ice Queen'..."
He grimaced, remembering the exact moment.
"Yukinoshita Yukino."
A girl who was, by all objective standards, stunning. A girl who could out-debate any teacher, cut down peers with a single glance, and still look like she had stepped straight out of a shoujo manga. And yet—
"This demon in human form made it her personal mission to drag me, a proud loner, into her twisted world. She forced me to walk a path where I, of all people, ended up praising youth. Praising it! The horror."
He narrowed his eyes at his own reflection.
"What a terrible personality. Seriously, she's nothing but a devil in disguise."
Hikigaya's voice dropped into a bitter grumble.
"I, Hikigaya Hachiman, hate Yukinoshita Yukino the most. And whoever in their right mind would fall for her… has to be some kind of masochist."
The boy in the mirror stared back at him, unimpressed. Hikigaya sighed.
"Hikigaya-kun, how much longer are you going to stay in there?" A familiar voice rang through the door, sharp and impatient. "Don't tell me you fainted just trying to use the toilet? Even for you, that'd be a new record for incompetence."
"Eh? N-No, I'll be right out," he stammered, straightening his disheveled shirt in a hurry.
With a quick goodbye to the miserable boy in the mirror, he stepped out of the restroom.
And then froze.
On the bed by the window, Yukinoshita lay wrapped in a blanket, her posture elegant yet oddly languid. A faint blush colored her cheeks as the warm rays of sunset spilled through the curtains, painting her pale skin with golden light. Her calves, partially visible beneath the blanket, gleamed faintly as if taunting him.
Her face, framed by that silky black hair, carried a soft, almost serene smile. For a dangerous moment, Hikigaya felt his brain stop working.
"Are you… staying the night?" Yukinoshita asked casually, her tone betraying nothing.
"N-No…" Hikigaya quickly shook his head, darting his eyes anywhere but her. Yet, despite himself, he stole quick glances back, unable to resist.
Did this wicked woman… cast some kind of charm spell on me?!
"Tomorrow's the first day of our third year," he muttered defensively. "I don't want the last opening ceremony of high school to be ruined."
"Pfft~" Yukinoshita chuckled, the corners of her lips lifting as a sly glint danced in her eyes.
"Don't run away next time, Zako-kun~"
Her teasing lilt, combined with the shallow dimples that appeared when she smiled, made her look devastatingly radiant—like Soubu High's Ice Queen had been reborn as an angel. But to Hikigaya…
That smile was the devil's grin.
"I wasn't running away," he argued, cheeks tinged pink. His words were clumsy, but his face was dead serious.
"As a man, when confronted by a lady, one must at least display a shred of gallantry. So don't celebrate too soon, Yukinoshita. Don't wag your cat's tail as if you've already won."
"You're right," she replied smoothly, her confidence overflowing.
"Except… you've never once beaten me. Win a single round against me first, and then you may talk."
"…."
Hikigaya let out a defeated sigh.
See?! This is exactly why I can't stand her! Anyone who falls for Yukinoshita Yukino is a certified masochist!
"Fine. I'm leaving. See you tomorrow at school."
"Mm. See you tomorrow," Yukinoshita replied, her smile following him until he closed the door behind him.
And then—
The moment his footsteps faded down the hall, the atmosphere of the room shifted. The warmth evaporated, leaving only a chilling stillness. Yukinoshita's smile dissolved, replaced by an expression sharper and heavier than steel.
If Hikigaya had seen her then, even he would've been shaken. This Yukinoshita looked more terrifying than when she stood up to her older sister Haruno—or even their mother.
After several minutes of silence, her gaze grew distant, and she exhaled slowly.
"Matchmaker System… what exactly are you?"
Her voice was low, calm, and deliberate—not the ramblings of someone with chuunibyou tendencies like Hikigaya's dramatic monologues, but a direct question to something unseen.
Something only she could hear.
The System.
At first, Yukinoshita hadn't believed the strange voice in her head. It was absurd. Too unscientific. And yet… after she had drunk the so-called enhancement potion it gave her, and then tested it against Hikigaya… the results had been undeniable.
The poor boy hadn't stood a chance.
So she chose—for now—to believe.
A cold, mechanical voice rang crisply inside Yukinoshita's mind.
[Matchmaker System: as the name implies, the host must guide her boyfriend into becoming "close" with different high-quality girls.]
"…Make Hikigaya-kun close with high-quality girls?" Yukinoshita repeated slowly, her expression hardening. She was precise with words, so the vagueness instantly made her frown. It felt like the System had just dropped a puzzle in her lap, one she already hated.
"What exactly does close mean?" she demanded.
[Simply put: the host must ensure her boyfriend engages in, but is not limited to, the following behaviors with other excellent girls—holding hands, hugging, kissing, sharing a bed, raising children together…]
"Stop right there!"
For someone as composed as Yukinoshita Yukino, her sharp cry carried a rare crack in her calm demeanor. Her pale cheeks flushed scarlet as she repeated the words back in disbelief.
"You mean to tell me… Hikigaya-kun should hold hands with other women? Hug them? Kiss them? Even—roll in the sheets with them?!"
The words burned her lips as she spoke them, a mix of embarrassment and fury rushing to the surface.
[Yes. It also includes the possibility of having children.]
"???"
Yukinoshita's expression instantly froze, her icy composure turning lethal. She clenched the blanket in her fists until her knuckles went white, the soft fabric threatening to tear beneath her grip. Her heart pounded furiously, and the chill in her eyes could have frozen the air itself.
How could she allow her boyfriend—her Hikigaya-kun—to do such things with other girls? Just imagining him laughing, smiling, or even exchanging the most trivial touch with someone else made her chest feel painfully tight.
"You… you detestable system," she hissed. "Were you not taught the basics of morality? Or were you created by some pitiful, unloved fool who has never once experienced affection? This logic of yours is absurd! Hikigaya-kun is my boyfriend. Why would I condone something so depraved?"
[If the host refuses to complete system tasks, your boyfriend will die of illness.]
"…What?"
Her face betrayed nothing but an eerie stillness, though inside her rage roared like a storm. To scream at a heartless, mechanical voice would be useless, so she swallowed her fury and forced her intellect to the front.
"…What illness are you talking about?" she asked, her voice icy, controlled.
[The cause is unknown. With the current level of human medicine, the illness is incurable.] [If you fail to complete the tasks, you will be unable to earn points to save your boyfriend. In three years' time, he will die.] [Surely Yukinoshita Yukino would not want her beloved boyfriend to leave her forever?]
"…"
Yukinoshita's lips pressed into a thin line. She crossed her arms and sat upright on the bed, legs folded beneath her as she weighed the words carefully. Her sharp mind wanted to dismiss it all as nonsense, yet the mention of Hikigaya's life… that was something she could not easily ignore.
[It is but a slight sacrifice of your boyfriend's purity. In exchange, you can preserve his life. With your magnanimous heart, surely you can endure this, can you not?]
The voice was calm, almost coaxing. But to Yukinoshita, it was nothing less than the devil's whisper.
[Time is limited. The host must begin tasks quickly in order to accumulate points and save her boyfriend.]
"Tasks?" Yukinoshita shot back coldly. "Wait—I never said I would cooperate with you."
The System ignored her resistance. At once, a glowing interface appeared in her mind's eye, forcing itself before her thoughts, leaving her no room to retreat.
[Host Yukinoshita Yukino, please select one of the following two high-quality girls as the first target for your boyfriend to pursue.] [1. Yukinoshita Haruno] [2. Schoolmate Kato Megumi] [Host, please choose.]
"…Huh?"
Yukinoshita's breath caught in her throat, her sharp composure faltering.
"Haruno? My sister?"
Her brain nearly stalled.
What kind of sick joke was this? To suggest her older sister—Haruno—as a target? Even if Haruno met every shallow standard of a "high-quality girl," Yukinoshita could never accept involving that woman.
Her fists trembled at her sides. What twisted sense of humor was this so-called system playing at?
She wanted to reject the choices outright, but the shadow of Hikigaya's potential fate restrained her. After long deliberation, her gaze shifted to the second name.
"…The other option is…" Yukinoshita muttered softly, narrowing her eyes. "Schoolmate… Kato Megumi?"
The name felt unfamiliar on her tongue. She combed through her sharp memory for any trace, any recollection.
Minutes later, her brows drew together.
"…Who?" she whispered, genuinely perplexed.