Chapter 287: The Reason for the Visit is Actually a Broken Air Conditioner
"Irisviel?"
Hikigaya Hachiman similarly scrutinized the woman standing before him, dressed in a snow-white long dress.
What kind of wind was blowing today? This mother-daughter duo, who had transformed into a pair of shut-ins ever since arriving in this world, had actually come to visit his house on the same day! And right after staying up all night playing video games, no less...
"Good morning. Illya should be here already, right?"
Sensing the confusion in Hachiman's tone, Irisviel clasped her hands elegantly over her lower abdomen and gave a graceful, aristocratic greeting. If Hachiman didn't know her true nature at home, he might have mistaken her for a noble lady from somewhere.
"Illya is here. Please, come in."
As he spoke, Hachiman stepped aside to let Irisviel into the house.
"So, Irisviel, is there a reason you came to see me?"
Closing the door, Hachiman watched as Irisviel—just like Illya—pulled a pair of exclusive slippers from the shoe rack. His expression turned a bit strange. He hadn't noticed it before, but thinking about it now, it was quite odd. This was his house, so why were there slippers for this gaming-addict mother and daughter on the shoe rack?
"The air conditioner is broken..."
After changing into her slippers and neatly placing her tall boots in the corner, Irisviel looked up, looking quite embarrassed as she revealed the true reason for her visit.
"No wonder."
Rubbing his chin and hearing Irisviel's explanation, a look of sudden realization appeared on Hachiman's face. He was wondering why Illya was so full of energy this morning, running over to play with Sakura despite staying up all night... Turns out they came to leech off the air conditioning?
"Did you call for repairs?"
"I already called. But according to the technician who came by, it won't be fixed until the afternoon..."
"I see. Then just wait until it's fixed before heading back."
Confirming that Irisviel and Illya would head home in the afternoon once the repairs were done, Hachiman nodded and walked back into the living room. However, just as he was about to sit down on the sofa, the spot was snatched away by Irisviel.
"Mm, so comfortable~"
Lying on the sofa, feeling the softness beneath her and the cold air from the AC washing over her back, Irisviel wore an expression of pure bliss.
"........"
Gazing at the three females—large, medium, and small—completely occupying the sofa, Hachiman pinched the bridge of his nose and finally let out a helpless sigh. He just wanted to be a "salted fish" lying on the sofa for the entire summer break, but why was such a simple wish so impossible to achieve?
"I'll just go upstairs..."
The sofa was at full capacity. Left with no choice, Hachiman opted to return to his room to continue slacking off in bed.
"Onii-chan, I want ice cream!"
"I want some too!"
"Eh, in that case, Hikigaya-kun, could you bring one for me as well?"
"...."
Don't just decide my itinerary without permission! He hadn't even agreed to buy ice cream for Komachi, so why did that mother and daughter demand to be included!
"What flavors do you want?"
Though he was mentally slamming the table, in reality, Hachiman's footsteps merely paused on the stairs. With a look of resignation, he asked the three women about the types and flavors they wanted.
"Anything is fine~ As long as Onii-chan buys it, Komachi loves it!"
It was a rather mushy line. If Komachi weren't his sister, Hachiman might have reacted with the bashful expression of an innocent boy. However, as a man with sisters—and now two of them—Hachiman felt no inner turmoil facing Komachi's teasing; he even felt a bit like laughing.
Her teasing remarks were still stuck at the level of a high school freshman. While they had certainly flustered him back then, they didn't affect him in the slightest now!
"Illya, Iri, what do you want?"
His gaze bypassed Komachi, who had sidled up to him, and he looked at the other two on the sofa to ask for their choices.
"Um, anything is fine for us too."
After thinking through various ice creams in their memory and failing to reach a decision, the two ultimately left the choice to Hachiman.
"So in the end, you want me to go out without even deciding what you want to eat?"
With a trace of resentment on his face, Hachiman went upstairs to grab his phone and wallet. He then stepped out into the sun, which was already beginning to radiate waves of intense heat, and walked toward the nearby convenience store.
.
.
.
"So hot....."
Even though it was only morning, the outdoor temperature had already reached over thirty degrees.
Miko Yotsuya's friend, Hana Yurikawa, kept tugging at her collar, attempting to bring some coolness to her body. However, the reality was that the exertion only made her hotter...
"You were the one who suggested going out today, right?"
Walking beside Hana, Miko Yotsuya, dressed in a blue-and-white short-sleeved shirt, finally couldn't help but speak up upon hearing Hana's complaints. They could have stayed home all day in the AC. She didn't know what had possessed Hana to suddenly suggest wandering around outside!
And yes, it was wandering in the literal sense!
"But staying at home all the time is so stifling..."
Feeling the resentment radiating from Miko, Hana guiltily turned her head away, not daring to meet Miko's gaze.
"Even being bored at home is better than walking on the road under this blazing sun."
Miko wore an "I give up on you" expression and let out a helpless sigh. Ultimately, her part in their current predicament was her own fault. If she had chosen to refuse instead of agree when Hana suggested going out an hour ago, things would be completely different now...
"Well, there's no use regretting it now..."
Feeling the scorching heat on her skin, Miko felt a wave of exhaustion. Suddenly, Hana's cheerful voice rang in her ears.
"It's a convenience store, Miko!"
"A convenience store?!"
Miko, who had been drowsy from the heat, snapped her eyes open. Convenience stores in Japan—except for those antique shops in the countryside—were all equipped with air conditioning! Not only that, AC meant ice cream...
Fantasizing about the cool, smooth sensation of ice cream sliding down her throat, Miko couldn't help but swallow. she hurriedly grabbed Hana's hand and lunged toward the store.
As they entered, before the clerk could even say "Welcome," the two girls—who had lost their rationality to the high temperature—lunged toward the ice cream freezer with the expressions of hungry wolves.
"Yotsuya?"
Just as the two were about to touch the freezer, a familiar voice caused Miko Yotsuya to instantly drop into a cold abyss.
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