Chapter 85: A Service Club of Three
It wasn't surprising that someone had come; after all, Yukinoshita Yukino had heard the footsteps as well.
This was the activity building, so it was perfectly normal for students to pass by. However, Yukinoshita hadn't expected that the high-level cursed spirit—who looked down on humans from her lofty height—would take the initiative to hide.
In her current half-dead state, residing within the body of an ordinary human was a fate more painful than death for the proud Miss Cursed Spirit.
Consequently, Hagoromo Gitsune wanted to seize control of Yukinoshita's body every waking second, but under the Post Office's insurance, it was completely impossible. Only with Yukinoshita's consent could Hagoromo Gitsune "log in" to take control, and if Yukinoshita wanted the body back, the spirit had no way to resist.
She couldn't die, yet she had to act as a bodyguard for a brat.
For Hagoromo Gitsune, living was a humiliation; constrained by strict rules, she was nearly driven insane. Initially, she had refused to hide her form, possessed by a self-destructive spite to let other students see two mouths on Yukinoshita's face. After all, the former "Lord of the Frost Moon" had fallen so far that she could only vent her malice by making the girl look like a freak.
Seeing her cooperate so proactively now seemed almost unbelievable to Yukinoshita.
Hagoromo Gitsune was sealed, not stupid.
She and Yukinoshita were currently grasshoppers on the same string; if the brat died, she would die too.
Having been sealed once, she valued her life more than anyone. In her current state, she was an irresistible temptation for any sorcerer looking to boost their performance record.
To Hagoromo Gitsune, the sorcerer outside felt as terrifying as a flood or a savage beast, severely threatening her and Yukinoshita's safety.
What on earth was going on? The fact that her sensing abilities had degraded to the point where she only reacted when he was within a three-meter warning range was simply absurd. If he had been hostile, wouldn't she be dead already?
Hagoromo Gitsune also realized that while Yukinoshita was physically thin and her strength negligible, she served as a perfect camouflage. Until she could master her own destiny in this unknown future, she had to be cautious. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she and this brat were now tied to same fate. She couldn't let a mistake on her part lead them both to eternal damnation.
She wondered: shouldn't the jujutsu world have declined after a thousand years? Why were there still such terrifying monsters? She had reached this conclusion based on the sorcerers who reinforced her seal three hundred years ago and those who performed routine maintenance fifty years ago.
The younger the generation, the weaker they were compared to the sorcerers of a millennium ago. Yet, in this era of "decline," there was someone with such horrifying strength—Hagoromo Gitsune even felt he was not inferior to her in her prime. Thus, sensing such a fearsome presence, she shielded herself completely and minimized her existence.
She was quite afraid of death after all.
With Hagoromo Gitsune hidden, Yukinoshita was left to handle it alone.
"Hikigaya-kun."
Yukinoshita Yukino felt a momentary pang of panic when she saw Hachiman walk in. She had assumed it was just a passerby. After all, her Service Club wasn't even officially operational yet.
"I left the things for the clubroom here this morning," Hachiman said.
Yukinoshita then remembered they were supposed to gather the club supplies together that morning. However, she had used Hagoromo Gitsune's teleportation technique to come straight to school. She had sat in the Service Club in quiet contemplation for two hours before her anxious heart finally calmed down.
"Yukinoshita, are you alright?" Hachiman asked.
He could sense that her state was quite off; she looked incredibly haggard. Before they parted last night, he thought she seemed happy, so why had she changed so much in just one night?
For a moment, Hachiman even thought of Soyo's situation; in Soyo Nagasaki's memories, Soyo had also suddenly become very gaunt. Surely the family hadn't fallen into ruin? With the support of the Shinomiya family, the Yukinoshita family should be thriving.
"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night," Yukinoshita said, forcing herself to perk up.
"Also, I think I left my phone at home, so I didn't see the messages you sent."
"I see."
Since she didn't want to elaborate, Hachiman didn't press her. He looked at her weary face and suggested, "Would you like some bread?"
It was lunchtime, and Yukinoshita, alone in the room, likely had no intention of eating. "Whatever happened, you should eat first."
Out of reserve, Yukinoshita wanted to refuse. But seeing the bread in Hachiman's hand, her stomach immediately protested.
Grumble~~
A blush instantly crept onto her face, rendering her unable to speak the refusal. She had only eaten the meal with Hachiman last night, and after sprinting through the night, she had eaten nothing. It was only natural to be hungry. Hearing the sound, Hachiman smiled but didn't tease her.
"You need energy to stay strong." Hachiman opened the bag to show her.
"Melon pan, red bean bun, chocolate-filled bread... which one do you like?"
Looking at the sweet breads, Yukinoshita suddenly realized that Hachiman liked sweets. You can tell a person's palate by the flavor of their bread.
"I'll take the melon pan then. Sorry, I'm troubling you again."
Yukinoshita felt very embarrassed. She hadn't helped with the supplies this morning, and now she was eating Hachiman's lunch.
Hachiman chose sweet things out of a subconscious habit to replenish calories. Because of his combat, the calories he burned in a day were staggering; he would practically lose a layer of weight otherwise. He washed it down with MAX coffee—a perfect match. He habitually drank two cans at once, and this time he shared one with Yukinoshita.
"The tea set hasn't been cleaned yet, so try a change of pace for once."
"Thank you."
Yukinoshita carefully took it. The crispy shell of the melon pan melted in her mouth, and the filling was delicious. The sweet taste calmed her anxious heart, letting her temporarily forget her troubles. She had been afraid Hachiman would ask questions—missing the exams and her haggard look wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. But Hachiman hadn't asked anything beyond the initial conversation, which allowed her exhausted mind to relax.
Currently, Yukinoshita's mood was at its most relaxed. She had checked the job-change and side missions; they were all mandatory. She had 48 hours for the job-change mission and about 60 hours until the next main mission, meaning she wouldn't have a moment's rest.
Just then, footsteps approached the Service Club—not just passing by, but coming straight there.
Knock, knock, knock!
The door was tapped, and a cautious voice came from outside. "Hello?"
The voice was very familiar to both Yukinoshita and Hachiman; they recognized it instantly. Yukinoshita looked at Hachiman, who nodded, indicating it was fine.
"Come in."
With Yukinoshita's permission, the person outside carefully slid the door open and stepped in.
"Yahallo!"
The energetic greeting was unmistakable. The pink hair and the silly smile belonged to Yui Yuigahama. She smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head with a simple, honest look. She was holding a bag of cookies.
"Yukinoshita-san, thank you for your help yesterday. I made some cookies today and wanted to..."
Yui's words sounded like a rehearsed script, stiff and awkward, which only made her seem more clumsy.
"Thank you..."
Yesterday, Yui had accidentally seen the Service Club advertisement on the first-floor bulletin board. It stated that they would lend a hand to anyone in trouble. Yui had tried it out with a "give it a shot" attitude, not expecting the founder of the club to be that very cute transfer student. She was indeed reliable and had solved Yui's problem in an instant. So, Yui had brought cookies to show her gratitude.
"Yuigahama-san, it's fine," Yukinoshita smiled, telling her not to worry. "I only fulfilled your request."
However, Yukinoshita found it strange that her first client was suddenly becoming so emotional. But soon, Yui stopped speaking mid-sentence. As she was bowing and scraping, she noticed a second person was present. She opened her eyes wide and nearly jumped out of her skin. She was clearly startled by Hachiman's presence.
"Eh! Hikki!"
Her voice was full of alarm. From her silly expression, it was clear she never expected to see Hachiman here.
"Why is Hikki here?"
"Hikki?" This time, it was Yukinoshita's turn to be surprised.
"We're classmates and friends," Hachiman explained, seeing Yukinoshita's confusion.
"What a coincidence." Although Yukinoshita had memorized all the students in the school, she hadn't anticipated that Yui and Hachiman were classmates.
Yui was also quite curious.
How did Hikki know this new transfer student? Even stranger, the scene looked like Hikki and Yukinoshita-san were having lunch together. Hachiman usually ate in the Student Council room. Yui often wanted to eat with him but could never find the chance because "Hikki" was always so busy. Why was he so leisurely here today?
"Ah, wait, now is not the time for that." Yui hurriedly placed the cookies on the table, her speech becoming a bit stuttery.
'Since she's Hikigaya-kun's friend, she's one of us,' Yukinoshita thought. She stood up and pulled a chair from the side, placing it opposite her and Hachiman.
"Have a seat, Yuigahama-san."
"Oh, okay."
With the help of Yukinoshita and a third-year senior, Tsubame Koyasu, Yui had successfully learned to bake cookies. She had made a lot and wanted to share them with her "teachers" from yesterday, but she still hadn't managed to give them to the person she really wanted to give them to. Because of the exam schedule today, the morning had been too tight for her to find a moment to hand them over. The cookies meant for Hikki were actually still in her school bag.
"I'm sorry. We have tea and a tea set, but they haven't been cleaned yet, so I can't host you properly for now," Yukinoshita said apologetically.
"It's fine!" Sitting stiffly across from Hachiman and Yukinoshita, Yui waved her hands frantically. For some reason, she felt odd—as if the two of them were interrogating her.
"Relax," Hachiman noted her tension. "I'm only here because I'm a member of this club."
"Eh! Hikki is a member of the Service Club?" Yui was genuinely shocked. This was a newly formed club, and Hikki had already joined? When did this happen?
"Is it possible for me to join?" Yui asked Yukinoshita cautiously. Hearing that Hikki was a member, she immediately voiced her own desire. She also wanted to be in a club with Hikki and improve their relationship.
Looking at Yui's pleading eyes, Yukinoshita found it hard to say no.
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