Chapter 76: Boys Should Protect Themselves When Out and About
Nagasaki Soyo had mentioned earlier that her mother had been called in for overtime by a single phone call, leaving a table full of food untouched. Thus, Hachiman Hikigaya entered the residence quite calmly.
The door used a keypad lock. By using [Blood Manipulation] to simulate the corresponding positions of the lock cylinders, he could open the door with ease.
The house was very dark. There was an automatic sensor light at the entrance, allowing Hachiman to see the light switches on the wall. Carrying Nagasaki Soyo, Hachiman used an arm constructed from [Blood Manipulation] to turn on the lights in the main hall.
He then took off Soyo's small leather shoes and placed them on the shoe rack at the entrance. After taking off his own shoes, he walked inside in his socks.
Nagasaki Soyo's home was structured differently from Hachiman's floor; it was a duplex layout. The floor area was massive, with very high ceilings in the living room and giant floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the scenery outside. Because Soyo lived on the 45th floor—the highest level—the night view was even better than what Hachiman saw from his own home.
Hachiman had actually looked at this unit before but didn't buy it at the time. The advantage of the house was its size, but its disadvantage was also its size. In a house this big, where someone shouting upstairs couldn't be heard downstairs, living alone made it easy to feel "EMO."
Soyo's home was very tidy—so tidy that it lacked any sense of "daily life." In this regard, Soyo was similar to Hachiman and Yukinoshita; he simply felt that a place was a spot to stay, serving no purpose other than sleeping.
Hachiman temporarily placed Soyo on the sofa in the living room, as her bedroom was a highly private space. It wasn't appropriate for a boy like him to enter.
Before setting her down, Hachiman used a pillow to slightly prop up her shoulder. However, even though the soft sofa was clearly more comfortable than his arms, the girl's hands—unconsciously wrapped around his neck—clung to him like they were stuck with glue, refusing to let go. She was incredibly clingy.
Now, Hachiman only had to lower his head slightly to touch her cheek. If not for Soyo's steady breathing, Hachiman would have suspected she was faking sleep. But in reality, this was due to the deficiencies in Soyo's family life; her parents had divorced when she was young, and she had rarely experienced this kind of care. Being protected by Hachiman, the love-starved Soyo instinctively became very affectionate.
Hachiman gently moved the hands resting on his shoulders and settled her onto the sofa.
'Next time, I should really tell Soyo not to drink.'
Her tolerance was poor and couldn't compare to people like An and Subaru. In a four-person band, two of them had drunk themselves under the table—that was just too pathetic.
After settling Soyo, Hachiman went to the kitchen to pour a glass of warm water, placing it on the coffee table opposite the sofa. Looking at the sleeping Soyo, who looked like a "Sleeping Beauty," Hachiman reached out and poked her cheek. It was soft. He wondered how this face could have made such a determined expression earlier, only to transition into a crying mess by the end. He could even see the remnants of tear stains on her face and her reddened eyes.
Hachiman wondered when he'd be able to look at this face without wanting to laugh.
'My, Saki, your sins are truly deep.'
"Poor kid, she got wrecked by Saki-chan."
Sakiko had blacklisted Nagasaki Soyo, causing her to lose her composure to such a degree; just thinking about it was enough to make one feel despair. Just as Hachiman was thinking this, he felt his phone vibrate. Opening it, he saw it was none other than his dear "Little Sister-Sama." Komachi was making a video call to him, though he didn't know why.
Hachiman stood up, left the living room, went to the dining room next door, and answered the call.
"Hi-hi! It's the cute Komachi here! Did Onii-chan miss me?"
Hikigaya Komachi appeared on the screen giving a one-handed salute, though the playful, teasing expression on her face was unexpected.
"Yeah, yeah, your brother missed you a lot."
Hearing her brother's voice filled with perfunctory effort, Komachi huffed. However, her brother had always been like this, so it didn't surprise her.
"Right, right. I didn't interrupt you and Yukino-san, did I?" Komachi suddenly blurted out.
"Idiot, who would be doing 'that'?" Hachiman rolled his eyes at her.
"You're so stubborn, you stupid brother. If I didn't have ironclad evidence, why would I be calling you? My friend saw you two shopping at the mall after school and sent me a text."
When Komachi received the message, she felt a genuine sense of relief.
'Her brother had finally made something of himself!'
As expected of her brother's usual style—the type to strike when the time is right—it hadn't been long, and he had already managed to ask the girl next door out for a date after school. Komachi felt the day she could call Yukino-san "Sister-in-law" was fast approaching.
Komachi's words stunned Hachiman.
'They were seen even there? Is Komachi's intelligence network really that wide?'
"So what? We were just buying things."
Hachiman's words didn't convince Komachi.
"Geez, Onii-chan, it's not like it's a big deal to admit it. At most, I'll just have to change how I address Yukino-san."
Hachiman didn't want to discuss this topic with Komachi and skillfully pivoted to another one. "By the way, Komachi, do you remember our childhood playmate? The blonde girl we used to catch rhinoceros beetles with on the island."
Hachiman remembered he hadn't told Komachi about Uika yet.
"Onii-chan, that kind of subject change is way too sneaky," Komachi complained. But being reminded by her brother, Komachi seemed to recall another little tag-along who used to follow her brother around just like she did.
Back then, Komachi used to think: He's my brother, not yours.
"I remember that big sister, though I think I've forgotten her name." Komachi thought that if that girl could be found, she would probably be a very good friend for her brother.
"What about her?"
"I ran into her recently. You'll never guess how she's doing now."
Hachiman's words piqued Komachi's interest.
"Don't you really like the band 'sumimi'?
The Uika from sumimi is her."
"Ah!" Komachi was utterly shocked. Wait, Uika from sumimi was their childhood playmate? "No way! For real?!"
Hearing this huge news, Komachi moved her face so close it took up the whole screen, clearly very excited.
"It's true." Hachiman sent over several photos of himself and Misumi Uika.
Uika's face was quite recognizable. Fans in the comments were always praising her for having a "magnificent face." As a sumimi fan, Komachi could definitely recognize that it was indeed Uika.
"It really is!" Komachi looked at the photos; there were no signs of Photoshop, and both of them appeared natural. Uika's face seemed even more "magnificent" than what was seen on the mall's giant screens—she was incredibly cute.
After getting the affirmative answer from her brother, Komachi actually backed away from the screen.
"Hey, hey, is that necessary?" Although Hachiman could only see a blurry figure, Komachi had definitely run off to roll around on her bed.
"Onii-chan, you don't follow idols, you wouldn't understand. Onii-chan, can you come back and hit me? This surprise is too big; I'm afraid I'm dreaming."
Komachi quickly returned clutching her blanket, the smile on her face unstoppable. She was laughing like a total idiot on the other end of the line.
"Wait." Komachi suddenly realized something was off. These photos seemed a bit too intimate. Her brother and Uika's heads were pressed right against each other, and in most of the photos, the girl wasn't looking at the camera, but at her brother.
Komachi realized an even more startling issue. She gripped her phone with both hands, looking quite agitated.
'That girl was especially clingy to Onii-chan when she was little. Could those feelings still exist now that she's grown up?'
"Onii-chan... whose house are you at right now?"
Komachi also noticed that her brother didn't seem to be in his own apartment; he was in a home she didn't recognize. It was also a luxury house, but the open kitchen was completely different from the layout of her brother's place.
'Did their relationship progress that fast after reuniting?'
Komachi even began to imagine her brother staying over at the house of his idol-childhood-friend. After all, she could tell at a glance that the background wall wasn't his home.
"I have friends, too," Hachiman said without much explanation.
"Don't give me that. Onii-chan, I know exactly how many friends you have. Are you at Uika-san's house?"
"Huh?" Was his sister's question really that outrageous?
Komachi couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.
"Going home after school to shop and eat with a beautiful neighbor... then going home at night to spend a lovely evening with a currently popular idol..."
Komachi covered her mouth in disbelief. Good grief, he's not wasting any time at all!
"When did my brother become a time management master?"
"Stop, stop." Hachiman immediately interrupted Komachi's baseless fantasies. "Seriously, what is going on in that little head of yours?"
He really wanted to crack her head open to see what was inside. Was there any sister who slandered her brother like this?
"What can I do? Onii-chan, you need to have some self-awareness about your own looks. Your face is too dangerous."
"Ha?" Hachiman touched his own face.
Komachi spoke with an incredibly serious tone.
"Even though you're a stupid brother, if you were to debut, you'd definitely be a top-tier idol." With those long legs, if he put on a suit, there's no telling how many girls would fall at his feet.
Moreover, Komachi felt that her brother was becoming more and more handsome.
In fact, this wasn't just her baseless imagination, but an optimization brought about by the use of spiritual power. Though Hachiman wasn't aware of it himself, his appearance was gradually approaching the peak of his looks from years ago as he used his spiritual energy. Furthermore, his two canine teeth were becoming sharper—a characteristic that became more pronounced with the use of his powers.
"Anyway, Onii-chan, remember: a boy has to learn to protect himself when he's out and about," Komachi warned him solemnly.
"Komachi doesn't want to become an aunt at this age, and Mom and Dad don't want to become grandparents this early."
Hachiman shook his head. "You're simply overthinking things."
"Stupid brother, this is Komachi giving you a precautionary shot. Hmm? Is that a girl's voice?"
Komachi suddenly heard a very faint, yet distinct, voice of a girl. Compared to Komachi hearing it over the video call, Hachiman heard it much more clearly. It was a faint murmur from Soyo; she was a bit thirsty.
"Water..."
"It's nothing. Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
"Wait, Onii-chan—"
The call ended. Looking at the chat history, there was only the photo of Hachiman and Misumi Uika. If her brother hadn't hung up right at that moment, Komachi wouldn't have thought much of it, but he had hung up so quickly and decisively.
"He really is at a girl's house."
But Hachiman couldn't exactly say: Your brother isn't at the house of your favorite idol, Uika, but rather at the house of the bassist from the band you used to like, "CRYCHIC."
To maintain his image as an older brother, Hachiman took the initiative to hang up and walked back over.
The "Sleeping Beauty" hadn't woken up. Instead, because her body temperature had risen after drinking, there were beads of crystalline sweat on her forehead. The girl's expression was even more delicate, her face flushed and quite cute.
Unfortunately, the Reverse Cursed Technique could only heal physical injuries; it couldn't remove toxins from the body, and it was even less effective against things like alcohol. Otherwise, he would have at least exorcised the drunken alcohol from Soyo's system.
"Water..."
Hachiman heard Nagasaki Soyo murmuring in his arms, wanting water. She must be thirsty. He stepped forward, used one hand to support Soyo's shoulder, and propped her up slightly from the sofa; drinking while lying down would definitely cause her to choke.
People who are drunk easily get dry mouths, and a rise in body temperature is normal. Hachiman could clearly feel the warmth radiating from Soyo's body.
The water Hachiman had prepared earlier came in handy. He brought the crystal glass to her lips. The girl's lips were somewhat pale, but when the moisture touched them, she almost immediately opened her mouth instinctively—like a kitten drinking water. One could even see her pink tongue inside.
Hachiman tilted the water into Soyo's mouth at a steady pace. "Slowly, no rush."
After taking in some water, Soyo's complexion looked much better.
"Good girl." Hachiman patted her head.
"Dad..."
Hachiman was stunned for a moment when he heard her words. He felt both annoyed and amused. "I'm not your dad."
Come to think of it, Soyo seemed to live only with her mother. But the peaceful moment didn't last; Soyo's expression suddenly changed, becoming very pained.
"Why did you... with that woman... abandon me and Mom?"
Soyo became very emotional, even grabbing Hachiman's hand. She seemed to be having a nightmare—not just one, but a series of them. The next nightmare seemed even more terrifying for her; she gripped Hachiman's hand tightly, refusing to let go. Fearing he might pull away, she even hugged his arm tightly against her chest.
"?"
Feeling the softness, Hachiman somehow recalled his sister's words: "A boy has to protect himself when he's out."
Soyo's voice was trembling. "Saki..."
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