After Yukinoshita's bold, territory-marking kiss, she continued to lavish Hikigaya-kun with words of encouragement and tender care. And like magic, she watched with immense satisfaction as his Degeneracy Value ticked down once more, settling at 13/100.
See? I knew it! The woman Hikigaya-kun truly loves is me, and only me!
Yukinoshita couldn't help but chuckle softly to herself, a victorious, proud smile playing on her lips. She turned slightly to adjust a stray strand of her silky black hair in the mirror, her expression shifting to one of serious consideration.
"It's decided then," she announced, her voice firm. "If Hikigaya-kun successfully completes the task I've given him before this week is over, we will go on a date this weekend."
Hikigaya, still standing beside his girlfriend with a face flushed bright red from the sudden kiss and attention, looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "A d-date... you mean?! With just the two of us?!"
Yukinoshita turned to fully face him, giving him a look that was equal parts fond and exasperated. "You silly boy, what else would a date mean for a boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Hikigaya's entire body went rigid. "Eh?!"
[Ding! Hikigaya Hachiman's Degeneracy Value has changed.]
[Degeneracy Value: -1]
[Current Degeneracy Value: 12/100]
Very good! Excellent!
Indeed, the more love and affection I show Hikigaya-kun, the more guilty he feels for his recent... indiscretions. That guilt makes him refocus his attention entirely on me, and once his heart is back where it belongs, the Degeneracy Value naturally decreases! My strategy is flawless!
"Ah, well, you see... sigh..." Hikigaya, meanwhile, quickly averted his gaze, unable to meet Yukinoshita's earnest eyes. He let out a long, suffering sigh. "But making three opposite-sex friends is just too difficult. And Kasumigaoka-senpai... she... she probably... after what just... she probably won't..."
Hmm!
Yukinoshita's sharp instincts immediately picked up on his hesitation. He was probably wrestling with the urge to confess everything that had just happened in the stall, to come clean about the kiss and the confession. But she couldn't possibly let him say it out loud! That would shatter the delicate facade she was maintaining.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai is a wonderful girl," Yukinoshita interjected gently, cutting off his stumbling confession. "I already believe wholeheartedly that the two of you are good friends now. So, Hikigaya-kun, that means you only need to make two more opposite-sex friends. See? It's much more manageable now."
"Uh..." Hikigaya naturally wanted to object, to correct her gross misunderstanding. But after hesitating for a few seconds, he just sighed in defeat. "That's not really it. The thing is... Kasumigaoka-senpai probably won't want me to go to her house this weekend anymore. Us being friends... it's probably over..."
Hearing this, Yukinoshita immediately interrupted him again, her tone suddenly shifting to one of stern authority. "Hikigaya-kun! Can't you have a little more confidence in yourself?! Kasumigaoka-senpai genuinely appreciates you! She truly considers you a friend! Don't you dare disappoint her or push her away, understand?!"
*Hmph! You're not going to go to her house? Then how in the world are the two of you supposed to get into the same bed later? No bed-sharing means no mission completion! And no mission completion means I lose 10,000 points! This is non-negotiable!*
"Yukinoshita, you..." Hikigaya looked at his suddenly forceful girlfriend, completely at a loss.
"In any case," Yukinoshita declared, her voice leaving no room for argument, "I have already given my approval. You and Kasumigaoka-senpai are friends! Hikigaya-kun, do you have any other objections?"
"N-no..." Seeing his girlfriend revert to her dominant, intimidating self, Hikigaya instinctively recalled the countless miserable afternoons he'd endured under her thumb before they started dating. He immediately shook his head, falling into obedient silence.
"That's more like it." Her stern expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a sweet, radiant smile. "After you finish helping Kasumigaoka-senpai at her house, we'll go on our date. And as for your reward..." she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I'll do my best to satisfy you. After all, it's been a whole week since we last... ahem... you know!"
"Eh? Th-that's... that's really not necessary!" Hikigaya's expression shifted slightly upon hearing the latter part of her sentence, a mix of panic and something else flashing in his eyes. "I don't need any special reward! I'll complete the task seriously on my own!"
"Huh?" Seeing the clear reluctance on his face, Yukinoshita couldn't help but purse her lips, her expression instantly becoming dejected and wounded. "Hikigaya-kun... are you saying... you don't want to go on a date with me?"
"!"
It had to be said, Hikigaya had never seen Yukinoshita make such a genuinely regretful, almost pitiful expression before. To him, a Yukinoshita looking like that was simply an unfair, devastatingly cute attack on his senses! Thinking about how he'd been diligently exercising these past few days to improve his stamina, his heart softened instantly.
"O-of course not!" he backpedaled quickly, his resolve crumbling. "I'll listen to you. If I complete the task, we'll go on a date this weekend."
Seeing him change his mind so readily, Yukinoshita immediately beamed, her sweet smile returning in full force. "Hehe~ I knew it. Hikigaya-kun really does want his reward, doesn't he?"
Hikigaya couldn't handle her teasing gaze and pouted, turning his face away. "...I don't want it at all."
"Hehe~" Looking at his utterly flustered and embarrassed expression, Yukinoshita felt immensely pleased. "You little pest~ This weekend, I'll be waiting for you~"
"Hey! Don't you look down on me!" Her taunt immediately ignited Hikigaya's defiant, competitive spirit.
The two of them chatted and laughed, quickly falling back into their familiar, comfortable pattern of bickering.
[Ding! Hikigaya Hachiman's Degeneracy Value has changed.]
[Degeneracy Value: -2]
[Current Degeneracy Value: 10/100]
That's great! It's even lower now!
As the Degeneracy Value decreased further, Yukinoshita felt a significant weight lift from her shoulders, her mind much more at ease.