"Yukinoshita-san, the bathroom is now empty," Hikigaya said.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Yukino walked into the living room wearing a bathrobe, wiping the remaining water droplets from her hair with a towel.
"Oh, I see. How does Komachi's bathrobe fit you, Yukinoshita-san?" Hikigaya asked.
Hikigaya's apartment has two bedrooms: one is Hachiman's own room, and the other was originally intended for Komachi when she visited. However, now both the room reserved for Komachi and the bathrobe and pajamas originally bought for her have been taken over by Yukino.
Hikigaya noticed that Yukinoshita seemed quite annoyed that she fit perfectly into the bathrobe and pajamas designed for Komachi's body shape.
"Well, I really regret that I can fit into Komachi's bathrobe and pajamas so well, Hikigaya-san," Yukino said, her tone somewhat exasperated. Hikigaya felt that he needed to comfort her.
"Don't worry, Yukinoshita-san. We're all still in junior high school. I believe you have a lot to offer," he reassured her.
Just as Hikigaya finished speaking, he felt a knife gently pressed against his head.
"Then I'll lend you my blessing, Hikigaya-san," Yukino said sweetly, stroking Hachiman's hair back and forth while keeping the knife poised above him. Hikigaya knew that she was wearing a loose bathrobe, so he had no intention of looking back; he wanted to be a gentleman.
"Well, I'm going to take a shower now, Yukinoshita-san. You can go back to your bedroom or stay in the living room if you prefer," Hikigaya said as he opened the bathroom door, the mist inside still lingering.
"I see you didn't take a bath..." Hikigaya remarked, looking at the empty bathtub with a hint of disappointment.
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The heavy snow outside the window created a calm atmosphere, but Haruno inside the house was far from calm. It was already past nine o'clock in the evening. She had just finished taking a bath when she received a selfie from her younger sister, Yukino. In the photo, her sister sat on an unfamiliar sofa, wrapped tightly in a bathrobe.
What really made Haruno uneasy was the familiar figure in the corner of the photo—Hikigaya. She felt apprehensive about what might happen to either her junior or her sister on that night. The fact that these two were in the same room was already disturbing enough, but what unsettled her even more was the realization that Hachiman and Yukino would be neighbors for at least the next three years. Her sister could easily visit him at any time, just like today, with any excuse—or even no excuse at all.
"Damn it, I'm so envious... No, it's just so damn annoying," Haruno muttered to herself as she sulked alone in her room. Frustrated, she decided to call Hikigaya.
"Toot-toot-toot. Hello, sister? Is there anything going on with Mr. Hachiman? He's taking a shower right now. You can tell me first," she said before ending the call immediately.
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"Is this where you're planning to write in the future, Hikigaya-san?" Yukino, who had already changed into pajamas, was pacing in Hikigaya's room. The pajamas were cute, and the small cotton ball pendants on her clothes swayed with her every step.
"Yes, after the entrance exam is over, I will buy a new computer for this room so I can play... uh, type better. The original one at home was passed on to Komachi; she's always wanted one." Hikigaya pointed at the still empty desk and noted, "He never pursued any personalized decorations for his room."
"I don't mean to praise or criticize you, but I think your room doesn't look like a writer's room. For example, the walls are too bare." Yukino glanced at the clean walls, expressing her thoughts. In her mind, writers—especially Japanese writers—should have a distinct personal style. Yet, whether in public or at home, Hikigaya-san appeared no different from an ordinary middle school student.
"You're right, Yukinoshita-san. It's empty, just as you said. Hmm... I think I will buy two maps of Japan and a world map to add some color to the walls," Hikigaya replied thoughtfully.
"... It's getting late, Hikigaya-san. I should head back to my room and rest. You should go to bed early too. Good night." Yukino felt the conversation had reached its limit and wished Hikigaya a good night. She stood up and walked out of the house, the little cotton balls on her pajamas swaying rhythmically with her movements.
Watching the cotton balls sway back and forth, Hikigaya felt his heart begin to race with unease. "Yukinoshita-san... please wait a moment."
"Is there anything else, Hikigaya-san?" Yukino turned around, curious about his request.
"Can I... take a picture of you in those pajamas? I don't mean anything special; I just want to show it to Komachi when I get home to see if she likes this style." Hikigaya offered a rather weak excuse, as the pajamas had been chosen by Komachi herself.
Yukino was momentarily taken aback by his request. After a moment, she slowly stretched out her right hand and made a "peace" gesture, then looked at Hikigaya with a questioning expression. "Should I... do this?"
After the photo session, Yukino asked Hikigaya to send her a copy of the picture in her pajamas. Although she wanted to share it with her sister with the caption, "Guess who took this photo for me?" she reconsidered, thinking about her sister's need for restful sleep.
"By the way, Yukinoshita-san, the most important thing today is to wish you a happy birthday." After Yukino left the room, Hikigaya stood at the door and called out to her.
"I originally ordered a cake for you, which was meant to be delivered this evening, but I didn't expect it to snow so heavily. The weather turned out to be really bad." Hikigaya expressed his regret; he had put a lot of care into the cake and truly wanted to taste it.
At that moment, the snow outside the window had begun to stop, and the snowplows were working diligently to clear the roads. By tomorrow morning, the snow should be completely gone.
"It's okay. Today has been fulfilling enough. If I could spend my birthday like this every year, I would consider myself very lucky, Hachiman-san." Yukino turned away from Hikigaya, not wanting him to see the happy smile spreading across her face.
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