Chapter 337: Valentine's Gifts
"To think you'd stuff three portions of chocolate onto me at once..."
Hikigaya widened his eyes, putting on an exaggerated look of shock as he looked at Chabashira Sae. "Chabashira-sensei, are you perhaps a 'heavy' girl?"
"Heh!"
Chabashira Sae narrowed her eyes and leaned back against her chair, arms crossed, watching his theatrical performance with a half-smile.
"Keep acting.
Go on, keep it up.
If you're so capable, then don't take them!"
As she spoke, she made a feigned motion to pull the three boxes of chocolate back.
"Wait a moment!"
Hikigaya grew anxious instantly, immediately reaching out to grab one of the boxes. On the box was a drawing of a cute girl with a prominent ahoge (cowlick).
"This one, I must have!!"
"Oh?"
"Recognizing your sister's gift at a single glance... you really are an irredeemable sis-con, aren't you?" Chabashira Sae stared at him with a subtle expression.
"You don't understand, this is a local specialty of Chiba!"
Hikigaya righteously snatched the gift back from Chabashira-sensei's hands, cradling it in his arms like a precious treasure.
"It's because there are too many people like you that the outside world's stereotypes of Chiba people are deepened," Chabashira Sae deadpanned.
"I don't care!"
Hikigaya didn't bother arguing. He carefully opened the box; the chocolate itself was secondary—the important part was the handwritten letter.
[Dear Onii-chan, Happy Valentine's Day~~]
[Originally, Komachi was worried that if Onii-chan didn't receive chocolate from any girls, you'd be so sad you'd hide under the covers and cry.]
[But hearing from Chabashira-sensei that Onii-chan received a lot of chocolate this year, Komachi's heart feels both happy and complicated.]
[Anyway, I hope Onii-chan's love life goes smoothly~~]
[The only regret is that Komachi didn't have anyone to give chocolate to this year either...]
[Yabai~ What I just said scores super high points for Komachi!]
"Yes!"
Hikigaya couldn't help but nod heavily, placing a fist over his chest. "This is the best news I've heard all day!"
"Hikigaya, your expression right now is disgusting!"
Chabashira Sae looked at him with blatant disdain. Then, her gaze shifted, falling onto the other two boxes.
"There are two more gifts here. Aren't you going to open them and see?"
"Oh? Almost forgot..."
Hikigaya's expression turned indifferent, acting as if he didn't care at all.
"If the people who sent these knew about your attitude, they'd definitely be heartbroken," Chabashira Sae snapped at him.
"Who exactly are they from? Could they be a prank?"
Hikigaya truly couldn't think of anyone else back home in Chiba who would send him chocolate. Could it be Saika? That didn't seem to fit the Valentine's tradition, did it? Though if Saika really sent it, he'd be more than happy to accept.
Opening the box, he found a chocolate cake. Setting the taste aside for a moment, the appearance was... less than flattering. It was textbook "Dark Matter" cooking.
Hikigaya focused on the letter inside.
[To Hikki...]
Who was Hikki? Another strange nickname added to the pile.
"Yuigahama... Yui...?
Who was that again?"
For a moment, Hikigaya couldn't recall who it was. The letter was filled with her daily anecdotes at Sobu High, written with the literary skill of a simple ledger. After staring for a while, Hikigaya finally remembered the person.
"That pink-haired girl with the bun?"
When Hikigaya had gone to Sobu High for a club exchange activity last semester, he had saved a dachshund on the road. The pink-haired girl had specifically thanked him for "saving her dog's life."
How to put it? In Hikigaya's memory, Yuigahama Yui was a somewhat ditzy, simple-minded girl.
"Giri-choco (Obligatory chocolate)?"
Hikigaya set it aside casually. Then he opened the other blue, more exquisitely wrapped box. It contained a bag of finely crafted chocolate cookies, each stamped with a cute cat pattern.
"A cat lover?"
He scanned the signature: "The name... Yukinoshita Yukino."
Hikigaya's eyes glazed over slightly. In his mind, an image quickly surfaced of the girl he had sparred with during the club exhibition match at Sobu High. A cold beauty with long black hair—her image overlapped a bit with Horikita Suzune, though she was... flatter in certain areas.
[To my friend, Hikigaya Hachiman...]
The handwriting in the letter was beautiful and elegant, the kind that let you know at a glance she was a top student. The content subtly expressed that she missed him and looked forward to their next martial arts sparring match.
Finally, Yukinoshita Yukino hinted that she intended to attend university in Tokyo in the future.
"So that's how it is..."
Hikigaya suddenly remembered information Sakayanagi Arisu had revealed to him in a dream.
In the future, he would become university classmates with Yukinoshita Yukino, and they apparently got along quite well—even sparking Sakayanagi's jealousy.
"If I had enrolled in Sobu High back then, I probably would have become good friends with her," Hikigaya mused with a complex expression.
"Heh! Hikigaya, do you really just want to be 'friends' with her?
I'm almost embarrassed to call you out!"
Chabashira Sae stared at him meaningfully.
"Ah... I... I only admire Yukinoshita, that's all..." Hikigaya's eyes darted around.
"Is that 'admiration'?
You're clearly just lusting after her body!
You're degenerate!"
Chabashira Sae attacked him mercilessly.
"What? Are the girls in Advanced Nurturing not enough for your 'Chain Link of Ships'? Do you want to link up the ships outside, too?"
"Chabashira-sensei's roasting intensity is quite high today."
Hikigaya wasn't about to take the verbal beating without fighting back.
"Is it because it's Valentine's Day and you have no one to give a gift to, so you're feeling frustrated?
Oh my~ If that's the case, I wouldn't mind reluctantly accepting a gift from Chabashira-sensei.
You brat, what did you say!!"
Provoked by Hikigaya's string of counters, Chabashira Sae turned beet-red and threw a punch out of embarrassment and rage.
Snap—
Hikigaya raised his hand and easily caught her wrist, continuing, "I heard Chabashira-sensei was also a student of Advanced Nurturing. How come you didn't follow the school's tradition of being proficient in both the pen and the sword?"
"Hikigaya, are you feeling very smug right now?"
"Not very smug, just a little bit~"
Hikigaya felt his expression must be very punchable. He couldn't help it; why did this foul-mouthed teacher always have to be so sarcastic toward him?
"Hahahaha!!"
Chabashira Sae let out a chilling laugh, looking almost broken.
"..."
Hikigaya was stunned, thinking he might have taken the joke too far. He instinctively let go of her wrist.
Unexpectedly, Chabashira Sae suddenly grabbed his tie and forcibly yanked him closer, the two of them locking eyes at point-blank range.
"Hikigaya, did you forget? Advanced Nurturing has another tradition."
"Wh... what tradition?" Hikigaya suddenly had an ill omen.
"Heh!"
"You're about to find out."
Chabashira Sae gave a cold laugh, and then suddenly raised her voice.
"Hikigaya Hachiman!
You certainly have some nerve, demanding a Valentine's gift from a teacher!"
"???"
Hikigaya's eyes widened in shock as he stared at her blankly. "Wait, what? When did I ever demand a gift from you, Sensei?"
"And to demand three gifts at once, you're being too greedy!"
Chabashira Sae completely ignored his defense, continuing her monologue while deliberately raising her voice to ensure it could be heard outside the door.
"Chabashira-sensei, what on earth are you talking about?"
Hikigaya was utterly bewildered.
These three chocolates were clearly sent to him by his sister and two friends. However, since Advanced Nurturing prohibits students from sending or receiving items from outside, Chabashira Sae had used her faculty channels to receive them for him. It was something that couldn't be made public.
Creak—
The office door pushed open.
"Chabashira-sensei... I'm here to submit my Japanese homework."
Ichinose Honami, holding a stack of notebooks, froze in place. Her gaze fell first on Chabashira Sae and Hikigaya, then swept across the three boxes of chocolate on the desk. The gentle smile on her face instantly solidified, and her expression became... vivid.
"Honami, I think there's a major misunderstanding right now," Hikigaya swallowed hard, trying to explain.
"Fine, fine!
Hikigaya, the chocolates you wanted, I've given them to you.
Now get lost!"
A look of schadenfreude appeared on Chabashira Sae's face.
"Chabashira-sensei, you..."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched violently. He cursed her eight hundred times in his heart.
This woman was doing this on purpose!
Framing and slandering... this truly was the "school tradition" permitted by Advanced Nurturing. Back in the day, Chabashira Sae had led Class D all the way to Class B, only one step away from Class A.
Having survived such intense class competition, how could she possibly be a soft, easily bullied target?
"Hey~ Hachiman-kun..."
Ichinose Honami walked over, a gentle smile back on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes.
She grabbed Hikigaya's arm with great force, her fingertips almost sinking into his flesh.
Her sweet voice carried a hint of a chill: "Is it convenient for us to have a little chat now?"
Hikigaya: "…"
Hikigaya only felt mentally exhausted.
He grumbled inwardly: Can I say it's not convenient?
Watching Hikigaya look dejected and full of despair as he was forcibly dragged out of the office by Ichinose Honami, Chabashira Sae finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. The frustration from being provoked by Hikigaya earlier was swept away in an instant.
"Kid, you think you can play mind games with me? You're still too green!"
She picked up her teacup and took a light sip, her eyes full of triumph. Then she muttered to herself with self-deprecation, "If I still don't have anyone to give a gift to by next year's Valentine's, I'll just use this kid as a placeholder!"
.
.
.
In the school's back garden.
"Hachiman-kun!"
Ichinose Honami warned him with a serious expression, "First of all, I must tell you, an impure relationship between a teacher and a student is prohibited by law!"
"Honami, you've got it wrong. There's nothing abnormal going on between me and Chabashira-sensei." Hikigaya waved his hands frantically in explanation.
"Then why did you demand three gifts from her?"
"Chabashira-sensei was talking nonsense."
"But these chocolates in your hands..."
"These were given to me by other people," Hikigaya answered truthfully.
"Who?"
"My cute little sister, and two friends from outside the school."
"Eh? They actually came from outside the school..."
Ichinose Honami blinked, seemingly not expecting that answer. "If I knew that was possible, I would have begged Hoshinomiya-sensei to help me send a gift to my sister."
"Honami, don't you have no points left?"
"Um... that seems to be the case."
Ichinose Honami gave a sheepish smile, and then her gaze toward Hikigaya became a bit more awkward. "That... Hachiman-kun, for this year's Valentine's, I wasn't able to give you any chocolate."
"It's fine, I didn't ask you for any."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hikigaya felt it wasn't a great thing to say, so he quickly added, "I mean, there's no need to spend extra points."
"... I heard a lot of girls gave you chocolate today, even senpais from the higher grades."
Ichinose Honami pouted, her face full of a sense of loss. "I didn't give anything. I feel like I'm losing out!"
"Wait? Honami? How is you not giving a gift 'losing out'?" Hikigaya expressed his inability to understand the logic.
"Of course it is! This is a major holiday for getting closer to Hachiman-kun!"
Ichinose Honami gazed at him with burning eyes. There was no need for words to describe the emotions contained within that intense look!
"Well then, next time..." Hikigaya thought he'd just gloss over it for now.
Unexpectedly, Ichinose Honami had no intention of letting go. Her voice carried a hint of determination: "Next time is next time. This time, I don't want to miss it either!"
"Then Honami, what do you plan to do?" Hikigaya sighed helplessly.
"A gift that doesn't cost points."
Ichinose Honami blinked her pure, large eyes. "How about this: let me go to Hachiman-kun's room and cook a dinner for you myself."
'Are you sure you're just coming to cook?'
Hikigaya seriously suspected Ichinose Honami had other motives!
However, what will come will come; avoiding it was useless. Since it was unavoidable, he might as well accept it straightforwardly.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Honami."
Seeing Hikigaya agree so readily, Ichinose Honami showed a look of joy.
"Hachiman-kun, please wait for me for a bit...
I—I'll go back to the dorm first and get ready!"
-
-
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Dorm Room 404.
Hikigaya waited for about half an hour before the doorbell rang.
"Sorry to keep you waiting..."
Ichinose Honami had changed into a bright and lively pink dress. She had applied a bit of light makeup, making her look even more radiant and moving.
"Honami, are you fully armed for the battlefield?" Hikigaya couldn't help but tease.
"Yes, this is the battlefield of life," Ichinose Honami responded directly.
This instead made Hikigaya feel a bit embarrassed.
In the last two days, one after another... he felt like his room had become a literal battlefield for girls!
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