Chapter 18: My Sister-in-Law Couldn't Possibly Be This Cute
"Hikigaya-kun, please just sit down."
Yukinoshita Yukino's long black hair was tied up, making her look instantly much more mature. After changing into home clothes, she put on a cat apron, which, combined with her cool and reserved face, created a contrast that was particularly adorable.
Hikigaya Hachiman was arranged completely clearly by Yukinoshita Yukino, just like a child. In front of him were baked cookies, black tea, and small cakes—Yukinoshita Yukino had prepared everything.
"If you want to watch TV, the remote control is here."
Hikigaya Hachiman stood up. "It's fine, I can cook anyway. I can help you wash and chop vegetables or something."
Yukinoshita Yukino was quite surprised, as most boys nowadays tend to be somewhat chauvinistic. "Hikigaya-kun, you really are quite versatile."
In response to Yukinoshita Yukino's praise, Hikigaya Hachiman took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He spoke in a rather nostalgic tone.
"Yukinoshita, to be honest with you, my dream when I was in elementary school was to be a househusband."
"Huh?" Yukinoshita Yukino was extremely surprised.
"The younger me didn't have such grand ambitions at all."
It was only after Hikigaya Hachiman met the Emperor that he understood what a true great man should be like. The true journey for a man should be the vast sea of stars.
As a veteran of the Legion, Hikigaya Hachiman followed the Emperor on the Great Crusade, quelled internal strife, and witnessed the Empire transform from an age of darkness and strife into an independent nation.
In the end, he perished together with those damned traitors. Hikigaya Hachiman's life could be described as magnificent and eventful. He wrote all of his experiences into his books.
That's why some readers felt that those two books were his memoirs, serving as his past thoughts about the Warhammer world.
Hikigaya Hachiman has retired. His only wish now is to occasionally crusade against xenos in the name of the Emperor and live out his brief life properly. That's why Hikigaya Hachiman found those Cursed Spirits so irritating. It's such a beautiful world, so why must there be disgusting things like Cursed Spirits?
Hikigaya Hachiman could only put in extra effort to purify those xenos. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine how happy his retirement life as a Warhammer veteran could be.
Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head.
Work is easier when men and women work together. Since Hikigaya Hachiman still had to visit Ishigami Yu 's house for a home visit, besides preparing a pot of sukiyaki, he also stir-fried three other dishes. They would just have a simple sukiyaki meal.
"Excuse me, I need to take a call."
After moving the dishes out, Hikigaya Hachiman felt his phone vibrate. It turned out to be his sister.
"Komachi?"
"Onii-chan, are you okay?" Hikigaya Komachi heard the phone connect and felt somewhat relieved.
"What is it?"
"I heard people say that there was a fire accident at Shuchiin, and all the first-year classrooms were destroyed."
Truly, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Even his sister's middle school had heard that something had happened at their Shuchiin High School.
Hikigaya Hachiman had used the minimum possible casualty ratio to kill that Cursed Spirit; otherwise, the loss would not have been just one floor but an entire building.
"I'm fine. Actually, the problem isn't that serious."
"No, I'm completely worried about you, Onii-chan."
Hikigaya Komachi thought that her Onii-chan was a monster of responsibility. If something happened at school, how could he not be on the front lines? For this, she had to see it with her own eyes.
"Hurry and open the door. Komachi is already outside your door.
Your adorable sister is here to have dinner with you."
"?"
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't expect Komachi to choose this time to come and have dinner with him.
Days like this had happened before. If Komachi missed her Onii-chan, she would take the subway over here.
"And, you idiot Onii-chan, I've been ringing the doorbell for so long, why haven't you opened the door yet?"
Hikigaya Hachiman might have been too relaxed while with Yukinoshita Yukino, causing him to relax his sensing of the surrounding world.
"Hold on." Hikigaya Hachiman hung up the phone.
But then he suddenly realized that he wasn't at his own home, but at his neighbor's house next door.
"Yukinoshita, my sister is here too."
"Hikigaya-kun, you have a sister?" Yukinoshita Yukino, who was busy, then suggested.
"Yes."
"Then why don't you invite your sister to eat with us?"
"Is that okay?"
"It's just a matter of an extra set of chopsticks." Yukinoshita Yukino nodded.
"Let me warn you first, my sister's personality is completely different from mine. She's quite lively.
She might say some strange things, so please bear with her."
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But very soon, Yukinoshita Yukino found out just how lively Hikigaya Hachiman's sister was.
"Komachi, I'm here."
Hikigaya Hachiman opened the door to Yukinoshita Yukino's apartment and greeted Hikigaya Komachi, who was already in the hallway.
"Onii-chan, when did you buy the apartment next door as well?" Hikigaya Komachi knew how astonishing her Onii-chan's manuscript fees were—two apartments a month, easily.
"Come in first.
Oh, and remember to call her 'onee-san' (older sister)."
Hikigaya Komachi habitually followed her Onii-chan into the room he was in. But as soon as she stepped inside, she felt something was off. The air was filled with a pleasant fragrance, and the shoes at the entryway were clearly a girl's small leather shoes.
But the sight she saw made Hikigaya Komachi unable to believe her own eyes.
A stunningly beautiful black-haired older sister, like a virtuous wife and loving mother, was carrying the dishes she had cooked to the table. She was utterly like a young lady, and her every movement was incredibly graceful.
"You're Komachi, right?" The girl spoke Hikigaya Komachi 's name.
"You're as cute as your Onii-chan said. Come quickly and wash your hands, it's almost time to eat."
Because she was Hikigaya-kun's sister, Yukinoshita Yukino tried her best to make her voice as gentle as possible.
Hikigaya Komachi suddenly realized that something was wrong.
'Wait a minute! Why was Onii-chan at a girl's house, and why were they on such good terms, eating dinner together?'
And this development... are they living together?
Hikigaya Komachi felt like the universe had exploded due to this sudden event.
My Onii-chan's girlfriend couldn't possibly be this cute.
"A lot has happened." Hikigaya Hachiman scratched his head.
Hikigaya Komachi nudged her Onii-chan with her elbow. "Onii-chan, could this be the unofficiated daughter-in-law of the Hikigaya family, my future sister-in-law?"
Hikigaya Hachiman tapped his sister's head with his finger. "Can't even eat without running your mouth."
The siblings freeloaded dinner at Yukinoshita Yukino's place.
"Hurry up and eat. After eating, I still have to go on a home visit to a student's house." Hikigaya Hachiman planned to send his sister off right after dinner and then go meet with the President.
"You workaholic Onii-chan, seriously."
Hikigaya Komachi suddenly felt that her Onii-chan was hopeless and couldn't distinguish between priorities. If he could win over this beautiful older sister, then Komachi could be very relieved about her Onii-chan in the future.