Chapter 60: Dinner at the Hikigaya Household
Evening had fallen, and the Hikigaya family was currently immersed in a peaceful atmosphere.
"Hachiman, are your aunt and uncle not at home?"
Looking around, Aragaki Takiya didn't see the Hikigaya couple anywhere, so he asked out of curiosity.
"Ah, they're working overtime. They do it so often that sometimes they just sleep at the office."
Hearing Aragaki Takiya's question, Hachiman Hikigaya wasn't surprised at all. He had long since grown accustomed to this lifestyle. In any case, it reduced unnecessary communication—well, for him, at least.
"I see..."
Aragaki Takiya expressed deep understanding upon hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's words. After all, the pressure of modern social life was immense, and since the Hikigaya parents had to support a household of four, it was only natural for them to put in extra effort.
With that, the two began chatting about daily life. However, it was mostly Aragaki Takiya talking, while Hachiman Hikigaya would chime in with a word or two every now and then.
"By the way, Hachiman, your new school life... have you been able to get used to it?"
Looking at the absent-minded Hachiman Hikigaya beside him, Aragaki Takiya suddenly asked this question.
"Huh? School life? It's pretty much the same as before..."
Hachiman Hikigaya answered subconsciously, and at the same time, memories of the past few days flashed through his mind.
Hmm, as usual, arriving at the classroom before the bell, then reading, attending class, the breaks in between, listening to music...
There didn't seem to be anything particularly worth mentioning. If he had to say something, it might be a certain Iron-fisted warrior in a white coat...
Thinking of this, Hachiman Hikigaya somehow began to compare his current school life with his past. After a brief minute of reflection, he actually reached a conclusion.
Compared to his previous school life, he was actually more accustomed to his life now!
"What am I thinking? Probably only a masochist would like a teacher like that..."
Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't stop the fantasies in his head, but his gaze uncontrollably fell upon Aragaki Moeha, who was watching TV nearby.
"By the way, Aragaki, about that..."
Hachiman Hikigaya pointed toward Aragaki Moeha in the distance, but he didn't quite know how to broach the subject.
"You mean Moeha?"
"Yeah..."
"Moeha is the child of a distant relative. I'm just looking after her for a while..."
Sensing Hachiman Hikigaya's confusion, Aragaki Takiya could only silently apologize in his heart. There was no helping it; Aragaki Moeha's identity was far too special. Even he had spent quite a bit of time adjusting to it, so it was better if as few people as possible knew.
"Is that so..."
Having received Aragaki Takiya's answer, Hachiman Hikigaya didn't ask further. He naturally knew that Aragaki Takiya's answer was fake. After all, he had been friends with Aragaki Takiya for so long, and he had never seen the other's family members.
Moreover, Aragaki Takiya had once told him that his parents had passed away and such. So, where did this distant relative come from?
After thinking this much, Hachiman Hikigaya just shook his head slightly. Regardless, he trusted Aragaki Takiya's character; the guy would absolutely never do something like kidnapping a child. But if he thought about it from another angle...
What if that Little one was actually Aragaki Takiya's daughter?
At this thought, Hachiman Hikigaya almost laughed at his own sense of humor. How could such a thing be possible? After all, Aragaki Takiya's state at school was usually the same as his own—he rarely even had males around him, let alone girls.
Besides, the age gap simply wouldn't allow it. This was likely the biggest joke he could think of all year.
"Still, speaking of which, Aragaki's younger sister looks a bit familiar..."
Looking at the Little Loli sitting obediently on the sofa, Hachiman Hikigaya had a vague feeling that he had seen her somewhere before...
It wasn't that he had seen a child exactly like her, but rather that hair color, and those blue eyes.
Hachiman Hikigaya felt like he was on the verge of grasping something, but he just couldn't recall it.
"Brother, dinner is ready! Come help me carry it out~"
Just as Hachiman Hikigaya was racking his brain, Komachi's voice drifted over from the Kitchen.
"Okay, I'm coming..."
Hearing Komachi's voice, Hachiman Hikigaya could only set aside his thoughts for now. After all, Aragaki Takiya was a guest, and as the host, he couldn't appear too lazy.
"Alright, come and have a taste, Aragaki-nii! These are all Komachi's specialties..."
At the dining table, Komachi, who had just taken off her apron, was proudly displaying the results of her culinary skills. The table was full of dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted excellent—all of which were her handiwork.
Well, Komachi really had worked hard...
"They all look delicious. It seems you enjoy quite a high standard of living at home, Hachiman."
Looking at the dishes Komachi had prepared, Aragaki Takiya reached a conclusion after a brief comparison.
This was on the same level as Mahiru Shiina. He still had a long way to go compared to them.
"Hehe, exactly! But even so, Brother is often unsatisfied~"
Komachi quite enjoyed Aragaki Takiya's praise, but while responding, she didn't forget to take a jab at her brother.
"Eh? I never said anything like that. Besides, I love Komachi very much..."
Hachiman replied subconsciously, but only after he finished did he realize that they had a guest over today...
"Well, the bond between brother and sister is truly deep..."
Watching this heartwarming scene between the Hikigaya siblings, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Once upon a time, he also had a younger sister, but unfortunately, she had been adopted by another family...
"No, what am I thinking? In that situation, being adopted was the better outcome..."
Feeling the thoughts in his heart, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Although he missed her dearly, he knew that such thinking was wrong. Rather than working part-time to study like him, it was better for her to be adopted by a good family.
After all, his lifestyle was very hard, and...
Looking at Moeha beside him, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but ruffle her hair, receiving a somewhat confused look in return.
If she were still around, plus Aragaki Moeha, he wouldn't even know how to handle it.
Soon, the two pairs of "siblings" began to clear the food off the table. Due to Komachi's superb cooking skills, Aragaki Moeha had developed quite a good impression of her. And thanks to Komachi's gentle personality, she could finally interact with Aragaki Moeha.
"Hehe, you're so well-behaved and cute~"
Like other girls, Komachi quickly became infatuated with Aragaki Moeha.
How should she put it? With her beautiful appearance and cute little movements, if circumstances allowed, Komachi would want to take charge of all three of her daily meals.
"Tsk~"
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Aragaki Takiya seemed to hear a strange sound. However, when he looked at Aragaki Moeha eating properly and Komachi, whose attention was entirely on Moeha, the source of that sound immediately became clear.
"As expected, sis-cons really are terrifying..."
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