As Yukino and the others left, the now-empty living room had only Hachiman and Yui remaining.
Glancing at the girl sitting not far away and playing with her phone, Hachiman didn't hesitate.
After all, the time he had left was, at most, an hour, and he couldn't afford to waste it.
With that thought in mind, Hachiman approached Yui.
Noticing him coming over, Yui tilted her head slightly, a hint of curiosity in her expression.
"What's up, Hikki? Is there something you need?"
"Yui, how did you feel about today's review session?" Hachiman started with a casual question. After all, even if time was tight, he couldn't just jump straight into asking such a sensitive question.
"Mm-hmm, it was great!" Yui responded enthusiastically, nodding with a bright smile.
"Thanks to you and Yukinon, I finally understood a lot of the questions that had been confusing me."
"That's good to hear."
Taking a seat beside her, Hachiman pulled her gently into his arms.
"But Yui, you can't just rely on the two of us to tutor you on weekends. You have to put in effort during the week as well."
"Plus, with exams coming up, the teachers will definitely cover key points in class. So, make sure you take good notes during this time."
Nestled in Hachiman's embrace, a faint blush appeared on Yui's cheeks.
"It's all because I'm so dumb. The teacher explained everything so clearly, but I still can't figure it out," Yui said with a sigh.
"Exactly, exactly. Who told you to be a dumb dumpling?" Hachiman replied with a mock-serious nod.
Hearing that, Yui puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Hikki, you're so mean! How could you call me dumb?"
This kind of situation is like when a girl asks you if she's gained weight recently. If you're foolish enough to say "yes" or even nod, she'll definitely get upset. Then, you'd probably have to buy her a dress or a handbag to cheer her up.
But Hachiman had no intention of going down that route. Instead, he gently lifted Yui's chin with his fingers and placed a light kiss on her soft, cherry-like lips.
"Eep..."
That did the trick—Yui was no longer upset. Instead, her face flushed red as she entered full-on shy mode.
"Hikki, what are you doing?! Kissing me all of a sudden like that!"
"I'm kissing my own girlfriend. Do I need a reason for that?" Hachiman replied matter-of-factly.
Hearing his response, a warm sense of happiness bubbled up in Yui's heart, and she rested her head against Hachiman's chest.
But soon, her expression turned to one of concern.
"Hikki, what if I can't get into the same university as you and Yukinon? What will we do then?"
And just like that, the opportunity presented itself.
Hearing Yui's question, Hachiman raised an eyebrow and looked down at the girl in his arms.
"Yui, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do. You're my boyfriend. How could I not trust you?" Yui replied softly, her tone filled with warmth.
Seeing her sincerity, Hachiman nodded and spoke with an unusually serious expression. "If that's the case, there's something I need to tell you."
"This might sound a bit fantastical, but it's the truth."
Yui was caught off guard by Hachiman's sudden seriousness. Though puzzled, her trust in him made her nod.
"Go ahead, Hikki. I'm listening."
Hachiman took a deep breath before revealing, "Actually, I'm a hero of this world. If you don't believe me, watch this."
As he spoke, a radiant ball of holy light formed in his hand, glowing softly as if to confirm his claim.
"A… a hero?!"
Yui's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the ball of light in Hachiman's hand.
"You mean like the heroes in anime and light novels?"
"Well, something like that," Hachiman shrugged, dispelling the holy light. "The difference is I don't need to defeat a demon lord or save the world."
"A hero… No wonder you're so amazing, Hikki."
Yui murmured to herself, still processing what she had seen. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she asked hesitantly, "Does anyone else know about your hero identity?"
Am I the last one to find out?
Hachiman seemed to read her thoughts and chuckled. "Actually, not many people know. Besides Komachi, Yui, you're the very first person I've told."
It was a small, harmless lie meant to indulge her pride.
As expected, Yui's eyes sparkled with delight at his words.
"Really? Even Yukinon doesn't know?"
"That's right," Hachiman said with a smile, gently patting her head.
"Not just Yukino— even Yumiko doesn't know. Yui, you're the very first person to find out."
This was actually true. Among the three of them, Yui was indeed the first to know.
"Even Yumiko doesn't know?"
Hearing this, a joyful expression spread across Yui's face, her happiness practically radiating.
So, I really mean that much to Hikki?
Yui couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. Deep down, she'd always harbored a bit of insecurity. Compared to Yukino or even Yumiko—or any of the other girls—she felt so ordinary.
She couldn't cook well, often fumbled through tasks clumsily, and yet, being able to stay by Hachiman's side was already more than enough for her.
But now, to her surprise, Hachiman had chosen to share such an important secret with her first. In that instant, her heart overflowed with a profound sense of happiness.
As for Komachi? She doesn't count.
Thinking this, Yui couldn't hold back anymore and leaned forward, offering her soft lips to him.
Hachiman, naturally, didn't refuse and kissed her back.
The kiss didn't last long, though.
There were still important matters to attend to. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Hachiman noticed that ten minutes had already passed.
This won't do. I can't waste any more time. My time is limited, and if Yukino and the others come back midway, things will get awkward.
With that in mind, Hachiman broke the silence again.
"Yui, you know, heroes actually have a lot of special abilities."
"Eh? Special abilities?" Yui's curiosity was immediately piqued.
"What kind of special abilities?"
"Well, things like healing with holy light, enhanced stamina, and even the ability to learn new skills much faster…"
At that moment, Hachiman felt like the Big Bad Wolf trying to entice Little Red Riding Hood, his tone calculated yet gentle.
"Oh, and there's one more," he added with a sly smile. "It can even make someone smarter."
Just as he expected, Yui's eyes lit up at the mention of becoming smarter.
"Really? It can make someone smarter?"
"Of course it's true," Hachiman nodded confidently.
Yui grew visibly excited, her entire demeanor lighting up. "How do we do it? Tell me, Hikki! Make me smarter so I can definitely get into the same university as you and Yukinon!"
Seeing her enthusiasm, Hachiman's lips curved into a small smile.
"The method is actually quite simple. You just need to..."
Leaning in close, he whispered the "method" into her ear.
"E-Eh?!"
Yui's eyes widened in shock, her entire face betraying her disbelief.
"We… We have to do that?!"
Though she admitted she wasn't the smartest, this sounded absurd to her. She had never heard of something like that making anyone smarter—let alone… having to drink it.
Hachiman noticed her reaction and shrugged nonchalantly, putting on a casual expression.
"Well, I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's just one of the unique abilities of a hero. And come on, Yui, do you really think I'd make something like this up just to do that with you?"
Hmm… He does have a point.
Yui nodded slightly to herself.
Given their relationship, if Hachiman really wanted to do something like that, he could just say so directly.
She wouldn't refuse him, and there would be no need to make up such an elaborate lie.
Maybe I should give it a try?
If it worked, that would be great. And even if it didn't, well… she had already prepared herself for this kind of thing.
With that thought, Yui's face turned a deep shade of red, but she nodded shyly.
"Alright… Let's do it. I trust you, Hikki."
Seeing her agreement, Hachiman's smile deepened, his plan falling perfectly into place.
Time to enjoy this dumpling.
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