Chapter 271: Ichinose Seizes the Future with Her Own Hands
"Ugh! This... this isn't appropriate, is it...?" Hikigaya's expression was hesitant.
His relationship with Ichinose hadn't reached the point where they could stay overnight at each other's places.
"Why? Is Hikigaya-kun afraid of me?"
Ichinose Honami took a huffy step forward, looking up at him with a direct, piercing gaze.
"No, I'm afraid of myself."
Hikigaya averted his eyes.
"What are you afraid of regarding yourself?"
Ichinose Honami feigned ignorance, but the corners of her mouth, which she couldn't quite press down, betrayed her.
"Aren't you asking something you already know the answer to?"
Hikigaya looked helpless. He wasn't some impotent light novel protagonist. Facing such a beautiful girl, how could his heart remain indifferent?
"Heehee~ I believe in Hikigaya-kun!"
Ichinose Honami looked pure and innocent. "Alright~ it's settled then. You'll sleep in my room tonight, and you can just sneak out tomorrow morning.
I'll go take a shower first. Hikigaya-kun, please wait here for a moment."
After saying that, she picked up her clothes and walked into the bathroom, humming a cheerful little tune. Hikigaya had excellent hearing and noticed that the bathroom door wasn't locked from the inside.
This meant that as long as he reached out and pulled, he could follow her in.
'This girl is far too unguarded, isn't she?'
Through the frosted glass door, he could vaguely see the silhouette of a graceful figure. In particular, the shadows of a large mass swaying back and forth were simply a "huge evil" that bewitched the soul.
Hikigaya shook his head and forced himself to turn his back.
He sat in meditation, Silently reciting the Heike Monogatari in his heart: "The sound of the Kiyomizu-dera bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline..."
Wait, that's wrong. It's the Gion Shoja... or was it something else?Damn it!
You've fallen, Hikigaya Hachiman! Can't you even remember the ancient classics?
"Click~"
The bathroom door opened. Ichinose Honami walked out, carrying a gust of fragrant air. She was wearing a white dress-style nightgown, revealing a pair of glowing, white thighs.
I'm finished washing~
"Hikigaya-kun, it's your turn."
Ichinose Honami had a bright smile on her face, and her long gold-pink hair still carried a bit of mist.
"..."
Hikigaya experienced a brief lapse in concentration but quickly regained control of his emotions.
"Right, sleep—"
"But Hikigaya-kun is so tall, you won't be able to fit into my pajamas," Ichinose Honami stood on her tiptoes, measuring the height difference between the two.
Taking a breath of that fragrant air at close range, Hikigaya immediately performed a tactical retreat to prevent a "peasant uprising" from occurring.
"No need for all that trouble...
I didn't sweat much since it's winter. It's fine to make do for one more night." Hikigaya forced himself to stay calm.
"Let me see...
There's no unpleasant smell on Hikigaya-kun."
Ichinose Honami leaned in again to sniff him, then gave a "no problem" gesture.
'Do you have any idea that your actions almost caused a huge problem?'
Hikigaya bit his lip, using the sensation of pain to forcibly redirect his attention.
"Then, I'll go wash up first..."
Hikigaya entered the bathroom quickly as if escaping, locking the door behind him to avoid any accidents. However, the moment he turned around, his gaze was instantly snatched by the bright... undergarments piled on the washbasin!
'No, sister? Are you trying to test my resolve?'
He didn't know if he was hallucinating, but Hikigaya seemed to see wisps of pink mist rising from that pile of clothing, transforming into a succubus-like miniature version of Ichinose, constantly plucking at his heartstrings.
"Whew!"
Hikigaya took a deep breath, held it, turned on the cold water valve, and let the shower drench him from head to toe!
Because the dormitory used piped gas, the water heater was installed on the balcony. Ichinose Honami noticed that the heater hadn't started, so she immediately shouted toward the bathroom: "Hikigaya-kun, are you taking a cold shower in winter?"
"Ah~ don't mind me, I'm not the type who's afraid of a bit of cold—"
Hikigaya only felt his whole body burning up; he desperately needed physical cooling.
"I see, Hikigaya-kun's body is really solid."
Ichinose Honami offered her praise.
I'm begging you, stop praising me, or it's really going to become "solid" soon!
"But don't wash for too long, okay? Be careful not to catch a cold."
Ichinose Honami reminded him softly. "By the way, for a towel, just use... use mine."
After washing for a full twenty minutes, Hikigaya finally managed to slightly suppress the fire of desire in his body.
Ichinose's towel...
'Not good! I feel the embers in my body are about to reignite!'
He couldn't go out like this, so Hikigaya could only stay in the bathroom for a while longer.
"Hikigaya-kun, aren't you ready yet?"
Feeling it had been a bit long, Ichinose Honami couldn't help but ask.
"I'm taking a dump."
Hikigaya sat on the toilet lid, saying something that completely ruined the atmosphere with a deadpan face.
"..."
Ichinose Honami instinctively took a step back, saying with an awkward expression, "Hikigaya-kun really doesn't treat himself as an outsider at all."
"Yes, it's quite comfortable."
To make the simulation more realistic, Hikigaya even reached out and pressed the flush button.
"It's... it's okay..."
"Hikigaya-kun should just treat this place as his own home."
Ichinose Honami didn't seem as disgusted as he had expected. Another ten minutes passed before Hikigaya looked down.
'Mm. Seal successful!
Only then did Hikigaya slowly walk out of the bathroom.
"Sorry for causing you trouble."
"Not at all~ On the contrary, I'm the one who has caused Hikigaya-kun a lot of trouble." Ichinose Honami gave a bitter smile.
It was now past eleven o'clock, and both of them felt a bit sleepy.
"I can just sleep on the sofa," Hikigaya said.
"But I don't have a second quilt here," Ichinose Honami voiced her concern.
In the summer, you could cover up with clothes, but the temperature at night in winter would be much lower.
"It's fine. I have a good constitution; I can handle the cold." Hikigaya said, trying to act tough.
"No, you'll catch a cold!"
Ichinose Honami looked toward her own bed, a flicker of hesitation crossing her eyes. Given her personality, she preferred a gradual approach. But thinking about how the other girls were already so far ahead, she made up her mind.
'This is a perfect opportunity for a high-speed overtake on the curve! I must grasp it!!'
"Um, Hikigaya-kun, if you don't mind, we could... together..."
Ichinose Honami crawled into the covers, leaving only a pair of bright eyes staring at him cautiously.
"No."
Hikigaya shook his head without hesitation.
"..."
"To refuse so bluntly... does Hikigaya-kun hate me?" Ichinose Honami suddenly felt a sense of loss.
"How could that be?" Hikigaya scratched his head.
"I think any normal man wouldn't hate a girl as cute as Ichinose, right?"
"I... I see..."
"Then why does Hikigaya-kun refuse to have contact with me?" Ichinose Honami was first delighted, then expressed her confusion.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."
"I trust you..."
"But I don't trust myself."
Hikigaya spoke the truth. This was no joke. If he really went up there, Ichinose would become a "Hikigaya" (family name)!
"Mhm~ It seems I have quite a bit of weight in Hikigaya's heart!"
Ichinose Honami leaned on the edge of the bed, looking at him with a grin. "How about this? Hikigaya-kun, sleep next to the bed, and I'll share half the blanket with you. That way, it can cover you."
Hikigaya thought about it; this was indeed a compromise.
"Why do I feel like this was your real intention all along?"
"Of course~ I was just joking earlier. Sleeping in the same bed and all that... it's still too early for high school students!"
A flash of cunning passed through Ichinose Honami's eyes.
Seriously... I almost got tricked again!
It made sense. No matter how much Ichinose trusted him, she couldn't really let him sleep in the same bed. Otherwise, wouldn't that mean Ichinose liked him?
In Hikigaya's view, Ichinose might have some favorable feelings toward him, but it definitely hadn't reached the level of throwing herself at him.
"Tch~ Sly woman."
Hikigaya lay down.
"Humph~ Hikigaya-kun isn't much better."
Ichinose Honami lay on her side at the edge of the bed, perfectly positioned to look down at Hikigaya. The compressed "huge objects" obscured his vision.
Hikigaya had no choice but to close his eyes. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Hikigaya-kun~"
The lights went out. In the dark room, only the sound of two people breathing remained.
After a long time.
Ichinose Honami whispered his name: "Hikigaya-kun, are you asleep?"
'As if I could sleep!'
Hikigaya stared at the ceiling with his "dead-fish eyes." "I'm asleep."
"You can still talk while asleep? Heehee~
In that case, let's talk for a bit." Ichinose Honami's voice held a hint of excitement.
"About what?"
"Just anything. Like things from the past..."
"You talk, I'm listening."
"Then I'll start from kindergarten."
"..."
"When I was very young, my father left us and went abroad. My mother worked three jobs by herself to raise me and my younger sister..."
Although Ichinose Honami spoke lightly, one could hear from the slight trembling in her voice that she was actually extremely lacking in a sense of security. Hikigaya didn't interrupt; he just listened quietly.
"On my sister's birthday, she really wanted that celebrity co-branded hairclip. In a moment of madness..."
Hikigaya already knew the cause and effect of this incident. It could only be said to be a mistake made in youthful ignorance. Considering Ichinose's original intention was to care for her sister, it was somewhat pardonable.
"Hey~ Hikigaya-kun.
You were that shop clerk back then, weren't you?"
This statement caught Hikigaya completely by surprise.
"You remembered?"
"Yes, I remembered. I heard that the clerk, in order to help me cover up the crime, voluntarily gave up a month's salary to bribe the manager into not pursuing my mistake."
Hikigaya was silent for a good while, then gave a long sigh.
"In the end, things still blew up."
"That wasn't Hikigaya-kun's fault!"
Ichinose Honami gave a tragic, self-deprecating smile.
"My subconscious wanted to cover up my own dark history, and I actually selectively forgot the benefactor who helped me. I really am a despicable woman!"
"..."
Hikigaya opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun.
Please forgive my late gratitude."
It wasn't just a verbal thank you. Ichinose Honami seemed to intend to put it into practice with her body.
"Wait, Ichinose?!"
Under Hikigaya's dumbfounded gaze, Ichinose Honami slowly got out of bed and lay down beside him.
"Heehee~ this is the thank-you gift."
Ichinose Honami held his arm tightly with both hands.
The stimulation of the three senses: visual, auditory, and olfactory! Hikigaya's whole body went stiff, not daring to move.
"Ichinose!"
"Yes."
"Now, get away from me immediately! Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, what will happen?"
"Something very scary will happen..."
"I'm not afraid~ If it's Hikigaya-kun, I can accept whatever happens."
Ichinose Honami had already made her resolution.
"No! This... this isn't the 'Genuine Thing' ì I want..."
Hikigaya shook his head violently, his eyes bloodshot. This was a battle between willpower and the body!
"I also want to obtain the 'Genuine Thing'.
But Hikigaya-kun is just too popular...
In this school, there are just too many women eyeing Hikigaya-kun...
I must seize this opportunity and strike first!"
Ichinose Honami's face was determined. She reached down; she was going to seize the future that belonged to her with her own hands!
"!!!"
Hikigaya's pupils shook. At that moment, his willpower experienced an earthquake!
There were no dreams tonight.
.
.
.
The next morning.
"This isn't a dream. This isn't a dream."
Hikigaya's mind was empty, but his spirit was clearer than ever before.
"Awoo!"
Ichinose Honami instinctively reached out to cover her face, then frantically pulled her hand away.
'Can you even shake this off?'
Hikigaya looked at the Ichinose Honami before him with a complex expression. Although he was a battle-hardened veteran in his dreams, in the real world, he was still a green recruit.
The two looked at each other, silent for a long time.
"..." "..."
"You go first." "You go first."
The startling synchronicity caused the two of them to stare at each other again.
"Pfft~"
Both of them smiled at each other.
"Good morning, Captain Ichinose."
Hikigaya greeted her with a smile.
"What do you mean 'Captain'... I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Ichinose Honami turned her head away, pretending to be angry.
"At least call me Honami-chan!"
"Alright, Honami."
Hikigaya naturally used her first name.
"Mhm~ Hachiman-kun."
Ichinose Honami's eyes lit up.
She thought that this way, she had finally caught up with the progress! Perhaps she was even far ahead of her peers!!
"Um, am I currently in the number one spot in Hachiman-kun's heart?" Ichinose Honami asked cautiously.
Yes.
If he answered like that, Ichinose Honami would definitely believe him without a doubt. But in the end, Hikigaya was unwilling to deceive her.
"No."
"What?!"
"Then, who is in the first place?" Ichinose Honami became emotional instantly.
"I don't know.
At least for now, I can't confirm it." Hikigaya spoke the truth.
"The 'Genuine Thing' Hachiman-kun wants is really troublesome!"
Ichinose Honami bit her teeth, a look of regret on her face. "If I had known, I would have just gone all the way and taken it directly..."
"Don't say such silly things, Honami.
If there is even a hint of hesitation, it isn't the Genuine Article."
Hikigaya's gaze was firm.
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