Hikigaya Hachiman's Path to Reformation

Slow Progression

Sorry Sakifags, I changed the plot at the last second since I wanted a change of pace!

"..."

Stare~

"..."

Staaree~~

"..."

Staaareee~~~

"Dearest Mother, the one who carried me for nine months, gave me life, nourished and birthed me into this world …Is there something you want to say…?" I sighed and looked up from the table that we were sitting at. Ever since I came back after escorting Haruno, she has been giving me that goofy grin. Not once breaking for the whole fifteen minutes that passed by after I arrived here. The thing is safely in my pocket, and I'm quite eager to open its contents.

"Oh nothing, really~…" Her grin remained the same as she rested her chin on her hands.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I do have a few questions…" She replied in a sing-a-song tone.

"And that would be...?"

I must have been imagining things, but I swore that I saw tiny pink hearts inside her pupils. "Haa-chan, why was Haruno-chan was here? Did you call her?" She asked.

"Yes," I reply casually.

"KYAAAAAHHH!"

My thirty-something-year-old Mother squealed like a giddy high school girl. Her face exploding into crimson, steam going out of her ears and doing her best to hold her voice. She slapped the table for some reason and stomped her high-heel clad feet on the floor. Her right hand was on her breast as if trying to calm down her erratic breathing and heartbeat. I know she looks younger than her actual age, but she has to be the mature one right now or else I'll walk out of this hotel and call a taxi to escape from the cringe.

"I just needed her advice and assistance for something school-related." I shrugged. I wasn't lying. She was breathing heavily right now, and some sweat had formed on her forehead. "Hehehehe. I-I-Is that so…?" She managed to say in-between heavy breaths. Even though it wasn't cold, I saw how hot her breath was since every time she exhaled it formed into a small white cloud. I nodded in confirmation.

"S-Say Haa-chan, do you know that Haruno-chan is single right now…?" Uwaah, she's really sweating, isn't she? It'll ruin her makeup for sure. And wait…that thing on her nose…is that-?

Is that blood…?

"Yes, I know."

"She was really beautiful tonight, right?" My Mother calmly wiped away her nosebleed, as if it was an everyday occurrence that was the least of her concerns right now.

"She has always been beautiful." I shrugged and nodded lamely.

My Mother was surprised at how casual I was with this kind of situation. I know how to be level-headed in any situation and not be a blushing stuttering teen. I have already long ago learned to controls hormonal reactions like that. She calmed herself down after drinking some water and wiping away her sweat and resumed her interrogation. After clearing her throat, she gave me a more serious face.

"As you may already know, Haruno comes from a prestigious family. As an heiress to their company, and a beautiful one at that. After college, she intends to work directly under her Father so she can learn from him. She had already told me that she has had many suitors before, introduced to her by her parents. Most of them are young men of similar backgrounds coming from affluent families in Chiba. She might not look like it but she has a lot on her plate and numerous things going around in her mind. She has her whole life written out and prepared for her. Her Father is a decent man, from what Joshiro says, but I've heard some sour and unpleasant things from her Mother. Haruno seems to have taken quite a liking to you, always asks how you're doing at the class when she drops by at the shop for some coffee or tea. This didn't just happen recently mind you, I think she started this routine of hers three or four months ago. If you're asking me, that's the most obvious kind of hint."

I was deep in thought, and just like Haruno earlier, I slowly tapped my fingers on the table. I refuse to pretend to not know what she's talking about. Feigning ignorance on something so obvious is something that I'd never do.

"Hachiman, what do you think about her?" My Mother asked. She must be serious since she used my first name and not my childhood name.

I always had this ability to filter out my surroundings and remove them from my senses when a question like this arises. It helps me focus more and assess what to do and say next in the next few seconds. Almost as if my perception of time has come to a complete stop, but my mental capabilities stay the same. This has happened many times before, the most recent one was when I had depressing existential and destructive thoughts while at the cafeteria at school…that was the time that I hit my lowest point.

I inhaled, her perfume still lingering on my person and my thoughts going back to how she was soft and warm as I held her. "Truthfully? Well, I honestly think that she is-"

"Tania-chaaaan, you're so pudgy and cuuuute~~..."

The baby that I had in my arms laughed in response and then bit the skin on my chin.

"You know Tania-chan," I say "if your Hachi-nii wasn't here, your Dad wouldn't be able to join the teacher's meeting. Ino-sensei was the one holding the meeting, so she couldn't take you home. Taking you in the conference room is out of the question since you're a really noisy baby."

"Uuueeeehhh…Aaah!" As if to prove my point, she squealed and jerked her tiny legs after I pinched her chubby little cheeks.

"You've gotten heavier Tania-chan. You must be drinking lots of milk huh. That's a good baby, babies like you should eat a lot so you can grow big and strong." She has indeed gotten a bit heavier compared to the last time I carried her. I left my bag at the StuCo Room, and was currently on my way to the Club Room. I dropped by the Faculty Room to submit a few documents to be signed by the teachers. Hiro-sensei was there and after hearing his predicament, I offered to take Tania-chan for an hour or two while he attended the meeting. I didn't want to disturb the other members at the StuCo, so I decided to bring her with me to the Club Room.

I opened the door to the Club Room with my free hand and saw Yuigahama fiddling with her phone while talking to Yukinoshita. The latter was occasionally scribbling something on a notebook while she spoke.

"Please kno-. Oh, Hikigaya-kun…and -" Our Club President said before getting interrupted by her companion.

"Wow! What a cute baby!" Yuigahama stood up from her chair and quickly went over to me. Tania-chan looked at the new stranger with wary eyes and then instinctively grabbed me and turned in the opposite direction. Yuigahama wasn't affected by the baby's sudden coldness, even I was surprised.

"Hikki! Hikki!"

"Yes yes, my name is Hikki."

"So this is Hiro-sensei's baby! I've heard all about her! Tania-chan, right?" She exclaimed and went behind me to take a closer look at Tania-chan. The baby made what I assumed to be an annoyed sound and put her face on my chest, completely covering it from Yuigahama's eyes. I went to my usual seat and placed her on my lap, Yuigahama pulled her seat right next to mine, obviously with the intent to play with her. Since she still can't balance herself, I can't let her sit on the table without an arm around her lest she stumbles to the side or something. With no choice on the matter, held her while I played on my phone with my other hand. Tania-chan looked content with the pacifier that I gave her and just played with my fingers.

"Hikki, can I carry her?" Yuigahama asked excitedly with her hands already preparing to get the baby. Goodness, what is it with girls and their urge to touch and hold every baby they see. Are their maternal instincts that strong?

I sighed and put down my phone, I was just at the loading screen…

I picked up Tania-chan and made her stand up on my lap while holding her armpits. She dropped her pacifier but Yuigahama was fast enough to catch it.

"Now, introduce yourself to her," I say.

Yuigahama looked slightly confused before finally answering. "Y-Yahallo Tania-chan! I'm Yuigahama Yui, you can call me Yui-nee! I'm a friend and clubmate of your-" She turned to me with an unspoken question that I immediately understood.

"Hachi-nii. She feels more comfortable with strangers if someone she knows talks with them."

"Your Hachi-nii!" She continued. "You're really cute Tania-chan! When you grow up, I know you'll become really pretty like your Mom! Keep this a secret from your Dad, but I know a lot of girls who have a crush on him! Hehehe, some even sneaked him some letters and chocolates during last Valentine's Day!" Wow, she's going all out huh, but at least Tania-chan looks like she's warming up to her.

"You know Tania-chan, there have been some rumours around class lately, and it's making me feel anxious since what they say aren't exactly good things!"

I raised a brow at her statement and decided to ask further. "What do you mean?"

"Hm? Do you mean you didn't hear it yet? Ah, but then again Hikki isn't the most talkative guy in class so I guess things like these can get under his nose…" She said after a moment of thought. I had the urge to twist her ear for her second sentence, but the fact that I'm holding a baby with two hands spared her from her fate.

I scooted my seat closer to her so I can properly move Tania-chan to her. She didn't fidget as much as I expected, looks like she's starting to like Yuigahama. "Uwaah, she's heavier than she looks…Hikki, don't move away yet, I'm nervous." I decided to do just that and continued to ask her about the rumours that she said earlier.

"Most of them were to the guys and some of the girls. It started maybe a week ago I think." She said as Tania-chan looked between the two of us as we spoke.

"Was I mentioned?" I ask.

"Not as far as I can tell." She shrugged and started playing with the baby on her lap. Tania-chan looked like she was fascinated with Yuigahama's hair and tried reaching out to grab it. "Oh right! Hayato came by earlier with a request, he wanted our help to find out who it was."

"Hoooooh…" I say boredly. Looks like something's happened while I was gone. I don't like this request, it's too personal, I'll just skip this one and lie low for the time being. Requests like these should be avoided, we aren't detectives and the nature of this is snooping around the social circles and cliques and asking around. The exact kind of stuff that I refuse to do since it degrades me into some sort of gossiper. A cold voice was directed towards me, and I had completely forgotten about her presence after I entered the room.

"You sounded like you want something to say…" I didn't bother turning to face her and just continued playing on my phone and keeping an eye on Tania-chan.

"I don't like the nature of the request. Let him find out the culprit I say."

"I would have agreed, had the circumstances been different. With Yuigahama-san's help, I'm personally spearheading this one." She sounded slightly annoyed and I couldn't care less.

"Is that so." From the corner of my eye, Yuigahama looked like she remembered something urgent to do which made her break into a cold sweat.

"Oh no! I forgot to fill out the workplace survey thingy! Hikki hold her for a bit!" Shrugging and putting down my phone, I made Tania-chan sit down on my lap while I dully watched Yuigahama scramble to her bag and getting a pen and paper. However, after getting and placing it on the table, she started spacing out while staring at it.

"Uwaah, what do I write…?" She looked at the piece of paper with an empty expression as if she was seeing her bank account suddenly going on empty. Since we're sitting close to each other, I can see that she hasn't even started writing on it yet.

I sighed. "Good grief, you just remembered to do that now?" I say in exasperation and held my temples. She turned to me with tears threatening to leak out of the corners of her eyes and looking a tad bit ashamed of herself.

"Don't look at me! I forgot ok?!" After scratching her head in frustration, she then started stomping her feet like a child having tantrums. I gave her a disappointed stare as if I was listening to some lousy excuse that my employee made in an attempt to save his hide. Even with the clear evidence that he had been working rather sloppily not to mention frequent complaints on his negligence.

I leaned down to Tania-chan's ear and whispered to her. "Tania-chan look, Yuigahama-nee is having a fit. She should grow up and act her age right? That's like, really cringe not gonna lie. She's even an airhead, so that makes things worse for her. Uwaah…" Tania-chan turned to me with some drool dripping from the sides of her mouth.

"Eeeeaauhhh?" She tilted her head in confusion and then started to absentmindedly suck on her thumb.

"Hey! You're not whispering since you're letting me hear you! You're a bully Hikki, why don't you help me out here." She complained and then pleaded with me. I rolled my eyes at her and decided to agree to her request. "The questions are self-explanatory, there's no need for my help here…" I say after taking a quick look at the questionnaire.

"Grrrr, here! What about this one here, what did you put into it?" She pointed to the first question.

What industry in the future would you like to be employed in?

"Ah, I wrote down that I wanted to be a corporate employee or join a law firm. It's a really easy and simple question. You don't have to think too much about it." I say and shrugged. Tania-chan loudly laughed as I made her bounce up and down on my legs.

"Hmmm…ugghhh…Oh! Being a nurse sounds nice, or maybe a teacher!" She exclaimed and I just encouraged her to write them down and add a brief description of what made her want it. She was silently writing her answers down when she asked me. "How about you Hikki, what made you like the corporate and law thingy?" She said while still keeping her attention on the paper writing away.

I scratched my chin for a moment before answering. "I just wanted to follow my parents I guess." Giving her such a short and vague answer was the best I could do for now. I still feel kind of awkward if I tell her the true nature and extent of my parent's work. I have no idea how much my parents make in a month, and they aren't the kind of bunch to flaunt and show off that kind of thing. I don't want to come off as an arrogant and spoiled asshole or something.

"Hmm, I think being a lawyer or something like that suits you Hikki!"

"Ah, is that so. It's not because I look scary or anything…is it?" I arch a brow at her, letting some of my *cringe* menacing aura come out.

"N-Nothing like that, don't be silly! What about me, what sort of job do you think will suit me?" She asked.

Hmm, let's see…

Yuigahama is a nice girl. She's good with people and makes them feel at ease and always looks out for them. (Though she wears me out sometimes) Her grades are average, but there is always room for improvement. She's thoughtful, patient and always effortlessly manages to smile every day. She also can make people open up to her more. Someone like that would be…

"A Psychiatrist or a Guidance Counsellor, I think."

"Really? What made you say that?" She turned to me with a thoughtful expression, I can feel the gears inside her head twist and turn as they continued to ponder on my words.

Explaining it to the tiniest detail would be exhausting, not to mention embarrassing, so I just decided to give her the shortest answer possible. "Because that's the first thing that came to mind."

After waiting for the additional words that never came, she pouted at me and resumed writing. I made Tania-chan sit down on the table while I held her sides to get a closer look at Yuigahama's answers. She immediately protested and tried to push me away in vain. "Hey! Don't look! It's embarrassing!"

"Come on let me see, it's just the two of us."

"Nooo~! You sound like a creepy perverted pervert, getaway get away!"

"How can I help you if you don't let me see? I don't mean to brag but I'm quite confident in my sentence composition and checking skills you know." I say in an attempt to reason with her. That seemed to get to her and she reluctantly handed me her paper. After rereading it several times, I didn't see anything that needs to be corrected so I promptly gave it back to her. "I don't understand which part was embarrassing…" I mutter.

"Ok, to the next one!" She declared.

Do you see yourself having multiple degrees?

She gave me an expectant look as I thought of my answers. "Hmm, not really. But for higher studies like a Master's Degree or a PhD, I'd say it depends on your original degree I guess. It helps a lot since the higher your level of learning, then the higher your possible position in the company. Ah, but then again, PhD's are more for professors at academies and universities..." She nodded after listening to my answers intently. Uwaah, if I'm forced to become her tutor, then I have to charge her for this…

A voice coming from another person in the room broke the silent writing of Yuigahama. "A-As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with you." She cleared her throat as her right hand twirled the ends of her long hair while the other one was restlessly tapping the cover of the book that was on her lap. She eyed both of us with an expectant look as if she wanted something from us.

I ignored her and resumed playing with Tania-chan. I would make different facial expressions every time I revealed myself behind my hands. And every time I do it, it results in her high-pitched sounds of delight. Even the simple act of clapping my hands, causes her to try and imitate it. She continued laughing, even almost falling on her back as her tiny body shook with each laugh. Yuigahama finished faster than I expected, and after making a few corrections here and there, we proceeded to the next question.

What made you interested in the fields above?

"Hmm, well it's pretty obvious for me. I got influenced by my parents." I say.

"Yup, same here." She said and started writing away. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on ends and I felt eyes coming from Yukinoshita's direction. I saw her sneaking glances at us, pouting while looking somewhat internally conflicted as to if wanting to say something but forcing herself not to or maybe perhaps being too embarrassed. When we made eye contact, she quickly covered her blushing face with the book that she was reading, obviously ashamed of being caught in the act. The thing was, the book was upside down, and her attempt to correct its positioning caused her to lose her grip on it and she hastily leaned down to pick it up once more.

I was just giving her a boring deadpan stare all the while.

Uwaaah, what the heck is she doing, maybe she ate something bad this morning…

Or maybe Haruno has been teasing her too much lately, I dunno…

"Hikki, what do you think of this?" Yuigahama waved a hand over my face and handed me her paper. While my one hand was holding Tania-chan, I went through it and did my task.

"Hmm, these two here. The second one is redundant. Either change the subject or just remove the sentence entirely."

"Ok."

"As for this, the character is too vague and can be misunderstood. Use a more general one instead." I say as I gave it back and waited for her to finish. Tania-chan leaned on to her right side, she must want to crawl on all fours on the table. Since Yuigahama was still writing, I left her alone and guided the infant as she crawled on the table. I was holding the hem of her shirt of course and right next to her so there wouldn't be any chance for her to crawl off the table.

"Oeoughhaaau…" She made those sounds as she continued slowly crawling, looking ahead of her, seemingly transfixed on something. The smile not disappearing from her face. She came across a pen and reached out to get it but I quickly swatted it away in case she might hurt herself. I blocked her way and picked her up since we had already reached the end of the table, but she was reaching out with her tiny arms at something behind me.

When I turned around, Yukinoshita was right there, startling me and causing my heartbeat to pitch up. I gave out a surprised sound which made Tania-chan laugh at me.

"Good Lord! Don't scare me like that. Do you want me to die huh?" She narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing. Our staredown continued until I felt Tania-chan squirm around in my arms and had her back to my chest.

"Aaaaiiiee!" She cried with glee and then started reaching out to the girl in front of her. Ohhh, so that is what she was after.

I poked her tummy to get her attention. "Tania-chaaaan, do you want to go to her~?" She didn't reply but I felt her legs jerk forward in frustration. Yukinoshita arched a brow at the sudden change in my tone but said nothing. Sighing, I wordlessly stepped forward gave her Tania-chan, to which she had some mild trouble in handling at first. The both of them just blankly stared at each other until the baby started grabbing fistfuls of her hair and putting them in her mouth. "Looks like she wants you to carry her. Here you go." I say and went back to Yuigahama to see if she was done yet.

"Aaaaaaand…DONE!" She exclaimed as she proudly beheld her finished work. Since I had rested my head on the table, I didn't know what she was doing until I felt her hand on my head. "Thanks, a lot Hikki, you were a big help."

"Mmmm you're welcome…" I say tiredly, I want to go home now…

"Say, you wanna get a massage? I always give one to my Papa when he comes home from work." She said and stood up from her seat and telling me to sit upright, which I did without a word. She pulled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles. What the…am I gonna get beat up by a girl?

"Just relax and stay still Hikki, I'll be the one moving~… That'll be your reward for helping me out. And I don't mind doing this for you anytime if you ask me nicely~~~…" She whispered those words to me, her hot breath making contact with my ear and causing goosebumps to form.

Woah.

What the…?

Did…did she just…?

I gulped and had to do a double-take at her choice of words.

As if nothing ever happened, she started with my back, just below where the shoulder blades were. I felt her fingers push and apply pressure on specific areas, the same places where I worked when I give my parents massages at home. When I was smaller, I wasn't strong enough to do it properly, so I used to walk on my Father's back at his request. My Mother on the other hand used to get massages from me when her menstrual cramps got too painful. I don't do that anymore because of obvious reasons so Komachi replaced me. Looks like I had greatly underestimated Yuigahama. She knows what she's doing.

Some places in each person's body will always be ticklish. My Father's was on the middle are of his back, the place where the ribs end while my Mother's was on the rib under her armpits. Yuigahama had touched my ticklish area, and the results were as expected.

"AAGH!" I cry out and spasm, cringing away from her while attempting to stand up.

"H-Hikki! I said relax! You're too hard that's why you got ticklish!" Yuigahama complained and forced me back to my seat. "If you keep moving suddenly like that, this is gonna take a while!" She added after twisting my ear.

"Ok damnit." I did what I was told and relaxed a bit more. When she resumed at the area, I wasn't as ticklish as before and she moved on to my shoulders. She took her sweet time there for some reason, but I didn't mind. The way how her fingers worked felt good, and if I was lying on my back, I would have fallen asleep by now.

"Hey, Hikki." Her voice was strangely soft and low for some reason.

"My name is indeed Hikki."

"Do you work out? Your muscles in this area are weirdly stiff." She stated and continued.

"Last night I did push-ups before going to sleep. They're honestly still a bit sore right now." I was impressed, she managed to know that much?

"Oh, I guess that explains it." She finally finished and started doing the base of my neck. From the corner of my eye, Yukinoshita was reading Tania-chan her book as she sat on her lap. After looking at my watch, it's almost time for me to go back and wait in the faculty room.

"Hik-"

"Yes, Hikki here."

"ki, me and Sable are going on an early morning jog tomorrow, wanna come?"

"Tomorrow morning huh…I guess that's fine…" I say. It has been a while since I had a jog and it is a weekend tomorrow so I didn't see any reason to deny her. My regimen varies from day to day. My preferred order is legs, chest, abdomen and arms. I have to go to work at noon, but I still have time for myself in the morn.

"Ok, we're done! Hehehe, how was it?" She said and proudly puffed out her chest. Well, she can do that all she wants since she does have something to be proud of, amirite? Fuahahahahaha! Unlike another certain occupant in the room whose chest is flat as a washboard! Her chest is of no laughing matter, but some of the nutrients that she consumes should have gone to her brain instead of to her chest!

After flexing my shoulders, I felt some of the soreness had been reduced and a few joints pop. I stood up and started stretching my back like an old man after a game of chess at the park.

"You exceeded my expectations. Mind doing that for me now and then?" That felt nice, it's been a while since I had a massage that good. Komachi sometimes gets lazy, and I don't want to bother my Mother with such a trivial thing.

"Yup! I don't mind! You can even lie down on the table!" She said while putting her hands on her hips looking very satisfied with herself. Uwaah, I feel like I just became a regular and loyal customer of her services…

We heard a certain someone clear her throat and turned in her direction. When she opened her mouth, the temperature in the room dropped. "Yuigahama-san, I would highly advise against you getting too close with Hikipervert-kun. He might be leading you on and waiting for the right moment to strike so he can-" I cut her off since I know what she was going to say next. Good grief, insults are fine but when they are the same thing over and over again every day it tends to get very annoying.

"Oi oi oi, how rude can you be? Even someone as calm and level-headed as me can get mad you know. I didn't even do anything to you, and here you are saying stuff like that again. Are you itching for a fight huh?" I say while walking in her direction so I can take Tania-chan off of her dirty poisonous talons. Yuigahama must have thought that I was legitimately angry and jumped in front of me with her hands to my chest trying to push me back. "N-Now now Hikki! L-Lets not get too hasty! Yukinon was just doing her usual jokes! Right, Yukinon?!" She wasn't even trying to push against me, I can easily make her move aside anytime.

"Yukinon" said nothing, and directed her cold gaze to Yuigahama. Fortunately for her, she didn't see Yukinoshita make that face since she was facing away from her. If she did…well I'm not sure how I would react if I was her.

"Tch, always the same distasteful and unoriginal joke. It would have at least been a bit bearable if it had been a different one…Oi, Ice Queen, come here. I'm going to give Tania-chan back to her parents." I motion her with my finger and she came reluctantly after narrowing her eyes at me. Tch, damn Ice Harlot…wait that sounds funny.

Tania-chan must have felt my foul mood since she started reaching up to my cheeks and pulling on them as if trying to make me smile. After picking up her pacifier, I went to the door and opened it. "Come on Yuigahama, I'll treat you to a snack as thanks while we're out." She was surprised when I called her attention and looked between Yukinoshita and myself, looking very conflicted on what to do. She chose me and after quickly excusing herself, walked to where I was waiting. The last thing that I saw before closing the door behind me was her cold gaze being directed at both of us while her fists were clenched.

What the heck is up with her lately…?

"Tch, that annoying bitch…! One day I'm gonna dropkick her in the ovaries for sure!" I say and raise my fist to the Heavens as we finally reached the gates of the school.

A troubled laugh came from my left. "H-Hikki, you don't have to go that far…and wait, why the ovaries in particular…?" Yuigahama said the last part under her breath as she tried to ease up the tension within me.

"Damn her, what the heck is her problem?!" I felt her hand on my shoulder, clearly attempting to calm me down in some way.

After we gave back Tania-chan to her parents, I decided to go out early from the club. Even Yuigahama sensed the tension and decided to come with me. We left the Ice Queen in her lonesome, I bet she's closing the club room already since she already had one request in her hands. Serves her right I say! Even though I wanted to go home as soon as possible, I still had to drop by the supermarket and buy some groceries. My Mother might be late tonight so I might as well cook us up some dinner. Yuigahama decided to tag along, and I didn't mind her coming with me.

"U-Umm…Ah! What're you gonna make for dinner tonight?" Yuigahama asked as we continued to walk along. Since I had my bike with me, I didn't ride it and just pushed it right next to me. The sky above already had long streaks of red and orange and we passed by the convenience store some time ago where I bought some melon pan while she had some ice cream. We came across some of her friends from the other classes, and a few of them waved at me from across the street, as I recall, they were my classmates from the previous year. I was honestly surprised that they still remembered me.

*Hikigaya, modesty aside you aren't exactly the most forgettable kind of guy y'know…*

"I don't know, maybe a chicken or pork dish…" I shrugged and she hummed in reply.

"Do you remember what we did during our last Home Economics class?" She asked.

"Hmm, not quite. Why? Did something interesting happen?" I reply lamely.

"We made cookies and cupcakes, remember? Anyway, since I already know a bit, I baked one on my own! It tasted really good! Fufufufufu!" She proudly said and puffed out her chest once more. She should stop doing that, it's distracting, especially when we're walking. I might lose my footing and break my neck or something.

"You better not be lying. Your last batch was quite…ah." I say and I received a slap to the shoulder.

"I-I'm not lying! I'll prove it to you!" She exclaimed in mild frustration.

"Interesting, when can I expect a bag full of fine warm cookies tomorrow morning…?" I say expectantly. If I can manipulate her into doing what I want then…

"Grrr! Fine, I promise you that they'll taste great! Just you see, I'll have you kneeling to me tomorrow!" She cried out with resolve and raised her fists to the Heavens. Oi, she just copied me right now, didn't she?

We finally reached the supermarket and after parking my bike outside, I went straight to the meats section. Yuigahama insisted that she push the shopping cart, leaning on it with her upper body, like a child doing groceries with her Mother. She checked out random things as I decided what kind of meat to buy, and when I finally returned to her, she had already put the things that she wanted inside the cart. She had lots of sweets and junk foods with her, basically the unhealthy stuff. I cringed and gave her a disappointed sideways glance.

I pinched her soft side, the area at her ribs when she was vulnerable and distracted. "KYAH!" She yelled in surprise and turned to me with a slight blush while pointing accusing shaky finger.

"H-H-Hikki you perv! W-What do you thi-"

"With this much junk food, you'll get fat in no time. Didn't you listen to what Hiratsuka-sensei said the other day? Return all of these at once. I know I said that I'll treat you but I refuse to buy you this much unhealthy junk food." I pushed all of the things that she had into her hands before she could even comprehend my words. "I'll let you have this one at least." The salty potato chips was the only one left of her original pile.

"W-Wait! Just for today please…!" She begged, but I held my ground. When she realized that her efforts were MUDA, she slumped with her head down and went on her way back to return the snacks she had in her hands. There were some adults nearby who noticed our exchange and had amused looks on their faces. A lady nearby returned a bag of salty pork grinds to the shelf upon hearing our conversation.

Umu, I feel like I did my part as an upstanding member of society, and not being a trashy lolicon-NEET. Wait, why did I say umu, I'm not a certain gender-bent Emperor from the Roman Empire…

After a short wait, the airhead finally returned and the both of us went together to pay for our purchases. "Uwaah…my sweets, my chips, my precious…" She complained and grabbed something invisible in front of her.

The line wasn't long, so I told her to just wait at the entrance. After separating our stuff, I went outside with the purchases in hand waiting beside my bike. We must have been inside longer than I remember since it was already quite dark out. I gave her her bag and hopped on my bike.

"Good grief, that took longer than I liked. Come on, I'll take you home."

She looked quite surprised at my words and did not expect me to offer her a ride home. I still have some pride as a guy, after all, leaving a girl to walk alone at night would be a trashy thing for me to do. It may sound corny and cringy, but I could never bring myself to do it.

My very soul shudders at the thought of doing it…Plus, if my Mother manages to catch wind that I did not escort a female acquaintance of mine at night to her home…

Then she would use, Takemizukashi Hachishiki, the sword and heirloom of our clan to behead me on the spot.

She smiled earnestly at me, and I'm once again reminded of the fact that Yuigahama is a very cute girl. I managed to resist blushing and looking away, doing so would only make me look awkward and abashed. And the atmosphere around us would be filled with the kind of tension and awkwardness that you see in teenage romance movies. "Thanks, Hikki. I mean it." She said sweetly before hopping on behind me. I felt her arms lock themselves in place at my abdomen, and I subconsciously stiffened on the contact.

"Just tell me the directions."

"Ok!"

The ride was a quiet one, but the silence around us was quite peaceful and comfortable. At one point, she rested her head on my back while I pedalled away. I didn't mind it since Komachi would always do it when I used to bring her to school.

The wind on my face was refreshing and it was a bonus that there were very few cars around.

"Yuigahama?" I crane my head to here while keeping my eyes on the road.

"Mmm?" She mumbled tiredly on my back.

"Where should we meet tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah, we haven't decided on that huh…" She thought and started thinking about possible places. By pure coincidence, we passed by a small playground that would be perfect for the rendezvous. We must have had the same thought processes since we opened our mouths to speak at the same time.

""Would this place be alright?""

She started giggling, while I just sighed with a small smirk.

Her place was nearer than I thought, and we soon arrived at her apartment complex. I stopped right in front of the entrance and we got off together.

"You should lose some weight. You were heavier than I thought, my legs are throbbing right now." I jokingly say. She laughed and playfully hit my shoulder after I handed her her stuff. Our fingers brushed against each other and I heard a small sound from her.

"Hey, Hikki…" She looked up at me, meekly scratching her chin. She was looking at me but her eyes can't look at mine for some reason. Her other hand was gripping the hem of her skirt, while she would tilt and balance herself from one leg to the other.

"Would you…like come inside for some tea…?" A blush was on her face and she couldn't look at me in the eye. But the thing that caught my attention was the fact that she was biting her lower lip.

"I…ugghh…" I had difficulty saying as if my capability for speech was suddenly taken away from me.

"I can't."

"Huh?" This time her eyes made contact with mine. Though she was not showing it on her face, I saw hurt and disappointment in them. I wave my hands in front of me, eager to clear up any misunderstanding between us that may have formed.

"I'm sorry my answer was too vague." I lift my groceries for her to see. "I still have to cook dinner at my house," I say.

It was as if a switch was turned on inside her head because her emotions did a complete backflip. She quickly laughed awkwardly and scratched her head. "Oh right! I'm sorry I took too much of your time!" She quickly bowed in apology and I told her to raise her head.

"No no, please don't apologize. I was the one who offered to take you home." I say. She pouted, looking very internally conflicted and confused as to what to do or say next while looking down. She looked very embarrassed at herself, and I somewhat feel sorry for turning her down.

If I wasn't the one cooking tonight at home, I would gladly have accepted her offer for some tea.

Just like my Father, I am a filthy cheapskate after all. And food and drink are served best when it's free!

Deciding to take the initiative, I hop back on my bike. "Does 3 am sound good?" I ask.

She widened her eyes and I can already hear her complaint before she even opened her mouth. "What?! That's waaay too early!" She frowned while crossing her arms around her chest.

I shrugged. "4 am?"

"No!"

"5 am?"

She put her hand on her chin and closed her eyes. "Hmm, I guess that's fine." She said after a few moments of thinking. I nodded and put my foot on the pedal of my bike.

"Well, see you tomorrow morning I guess," I say.

She gave me her trademark 50000-watt smile. "Yup! Thanks for bringing me home Hikki!" I turned and started, but I only made it a few meters because I almost forgot to tell her one important thing for tomorrow. She was still on the stairs and within earshot, if I raise my voice enough.

"Yuigahama!"

She faced my direction, surprised that I had suddenly called her name. "What?!" She shouted back.

"The cookies! Don't forget the cookies!"

Even from this distance, she grinned and gave me a thumbs up. I sighed in relief, the cookies were another personal enhancement factor that I added myself, in case I get lazy and call off our little walk tomorrow. If I do get lazy, the cookies might be a crucial factor that would make me go. And I'm honestly a bit curious if she had improved her baking skills.

Yes, I have contingency plans for myself in case I get lazy. I have an anti-Self plan.

I gave her a short farewell wave and she returned with one of her own before resuming pedalling home. I still remember the route that we took so all I had to do was reverse the sequence and follow it.

"Don't worry my dearest Imotou, your Onii-chan is coming!" I declare to myself before pedalling faster.

Hello, my comrades, it is I, Ivanov117 once again!

I quite enjoyed writing this chapter. I especially adored doing HikiMama's part (Hikigaya Hitomi). HikiMama has also noticed something going on huh. I guess she's just as perceptive as her son huh. I do wonder what would be HikiPapa's reaction to this new information, well, assuming his wife tells him that is.

Imma reply to some of the reviews!

HarimaHige: I already have an idea for that one yeah.

BorderLand: "Block of Ice" lmao

fluffpenguin: Hmm, from what I remember, after rewatching the series, she was only the head of the school festival committee.

BTW you may have already noticed by I'm a member of the Haruno Cult. That's why every interaction that they have tends to get flirty with playful teases being thrown around. With the older of the two being more successful in the end.

If I had my way, I'll set them up together in the next chapter...but that would ruin the fun in everything!

And who knows, maybe I'm writing a HachixHaru story set a few years after the LN ends. Both of them are mature and doing great in their respective careers, especially the former...

A'ight mates that's all for now, see you next time!