"Hey, Onii-chan… did you really recruit two girls? What are their names?"
After the usual round of sibling banter, Komachi finally got serious.
As a certified little sister, she took her role very seriously—especially when it came to her brother's hopeless love life. If she didn't intervene, her dear Onii-chan would probably die single and alone, surrounded only by his own sarcasm.
"Yukinoshita Yukino and Hayase Saki," Hachiman replied matter-of-factly. "Yukinoshita was basically forced in by Hiratsuka-sensei. And Hayase… well, she got dragged in by Yukinoshita."
Hachiman chuckled. Why did it feel like coercion was becoming some kind of Servant Club tradition?
If people ever found out, they'd probably think the club was some shady organization that bullied students into joining.
"Dragged in? Onii-chan, what kind of club is this? Why do you have to force people to join?"
Komachi blinked and gave him a suspicious look, her eyes darting up and down like she was scanning for signs of guilt.
Sure, she wanted her eternally dead-eyed brother—whose dream job was "househusband"—to interact with more people, ideally cute girls. But she definitely hadn't told him to kidnap recruits.
"It's nothing weird. We mostly just hang out in the clubroom, drink tea, and chat. You know—kill time together."
Hachiman quickly waved his hands in defense before Komachi's imagination could run wild.
"When I said 'forced,' I didn't mean that kind of forced. They both had… their own reasons for joining. I'll explain."
Between them, there were no secrets—at least, none that mattered. So he told her everything about Yukinoshita being cornered by Hiratsuka-sensei, and about Hayase almost getting caught up in some ugly drama at school.
Of course, he left out certain details—like the darker side of his after-school "activities." No need to make Komachi worry.
He knew that if he ever did something truly reckless, Komachi would still take his side without hesitation. But that was exactly why he didn't want to burden her with that knowledge.
"So, let me get this straight…" Komachi tilted her head. "A proud ice queen forced into the club by a teacher, and a timid, pretty girl who got pulled in by her? Onii-chan, are you sure you're not the protagonist of some romantic comedy?"
Her big, round eyes sparkled with mock seriousness. The more she heard, the more it sounded like the setup for a messy love polygon.
A strong-willed, justice-driven rich girl. A shy, quiet classmate. And between them—her brother, the self-proclaimed useless loner.
Yup. Total rom-com territory.
Then she froze, her expression flickering with a mix of curiosity and mischief. "Wait… does Kaede-neesan and her sister Shizuku know about this?"
She hesitated, biting her lip. Kaede, their next-door neighbor, had known her brother forever. Komachi was almost certain Kaede liked him, though the girl denied it every single time.
And Shizuku—stoic, expressionless Shizuku—might feel the same way but never showed it.
Still… two sisters in love with her brother? That couldn't actually happen, right? Their family was ordinary. Way too ordinary. No way those kinds of perfect girls would both settle for Hachiman.
More likely, they'd both leave him behind someday.
That thought made Komachi's chest tighten a little. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for Onii-chan to get to know other girls. If Kaede and Shizuku drifted away, he'd still have someone else—besides her and their parents.
Sure, it felt a little unfair to Kaede and Shizuku… but she was his sister, after all. Favoritism was basically her duty.
"Don't worry about it," Hachiman said casually, noticing her silence. "Kaede's the student council president now. We're working together to clean up the school's atmosphere. By the time you get into Sōbu High next year, you won't have to deal with any of that scummy crowd."
Komachi blinked. "You mean… those weird upperclassmen you mentioned before?"
"Yeah," he said simply. "If they show up again, I'll deal with them."
His tone was calm, but there was a quiet conviction behind it that made Komachi's chest feel warm—and uneasy at the same time.
"...Okay, okay, enough about your delinquent drama," she finally said, puffing her cheeks. "Go make dinner already, you sketchy, wannabe harem protagonist."
"...How am I a scumbag just for recruiting new members?" Hachiman muttered as she pushed him off her lap. "I haven't even done anything!"
He sighed and trudged toward the kitchen, shaking his head.
He couldn't deny it, though—he kind of liked Yukinoshita.
That calm, sharp tongue and cold exterior, hiding a fragile warmth she only showed to those she trusted... who wouldn't fall for that?
But this world wasn't the one he remembered. The car accident that once connected them had never happened. They had no "fated" past. And he wasn't the same Hikigaya Hachiman from that other life.
In this strange, slightly off-kilter version of reality—where the ordinary brushed up against the supernatural—he had no idea how to bridge that distance.
He'd started the Servant Club partly in hopes of meeting her again, but now that she was actually there… he wasn't sure what to do next.
At least there was Hayase Saki, who made things feel a little more normal. If he couldn't face Yukinoshita, he could always talk to her instead.
Exhaling quietly, Hachiman shoved the thought aside and started cooking.
Since their parents were always either working late or traveling, he usually handled dinner. Over time, he'd gotten pretty good at it. Maybe that's why, in his old life, he'd once dreamed of being a stay-at-home husband—the kind of man who quietly supported someone stronger than himself.
When the meal was ready, Komachi set the table. They ate together, traded teasing remarks, and for a while, it felt like an ordinary, peaceful evening.
Afterward, Komachi handled the dishes while Hachiman stretched his shoulders, debating whether to head out for one of his… "side missions."
The city had been strangely quiet lately. Whatever had been lurking in the shadows of Sōbu High hadn't shown itself for two days now. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was something else.
Either way, he couldn't let his guard down.
Tomorrow, the transfer student from the elven kingdom was supposed to arrive.
He had no idea whether she was the kind of "princess" who just smiled and waved—or the kind who brought trouble wherever she went. If it was the latter, things might get messy fast.
He'd need to be ready.
"Ding-dong~"
The doorbell cut through his thoughts.
"Is Dad back already?" Komachi poked her head out of the kitchen, drying her hands.
"But it's too early for that… maybe Mom came home from her trip?"
"Could be Kaede or Shizuku," Hachiman said, walking toward the door. "I'll check."
It wasn't common for the neighbors to visit this late, but it happened.
He opened the front door—and froze.
Standing outside was a girl he didn't recognize. She had short, lilac-colored hair and clear, amethyst eyes. In her hands was a neatly wrapped box of sweets.
"Good evening, Hikigaya-san," she said politely, bowing slightly. "I'm Tsukinose Vignette—your new neighbor from the apartment next door. I brought a small gift to say hello."
Her voice was soft, refined… almost too perfect.
The apartment building beside their house usually rented to students or young workers, so Hachiman assumed she was one too. But even as she smiled, his mind went blank for a moment—because the system in his head had already flashed a message.
[Character Detected: Tsukinose Vignette April]
Vignette?!
She's here too?
He felt his pulse quicken.
If she had crossed over… then maybe this world wasn't just an off-brand rom-com anymore. Maybe it was something else entirely.
He took the box of sweets from her hands, his expression calm—but his mind racing.
Just what kind of world had he really been reborn into?