Yamada Ryou swallowed her saliva, suddenly pressed Hachiman's hand against her front, and looked into his eyes with a face full of sincerity.
Although she wanted to set higher conditions, she truly had no better conditions to convince Hachiman.
Help Hachiman hold down Nijika and Nijika's older sister?
How could she control two people by herself? It was more likely she would be the one held down instead.
"What do you mean by force? Didn't you say in front of Teacher Kirisu that you, Nijika, Bocchi-chan, and the others are all my girlfriends?"
Seeing the shameless Yamada Ryou starting to play the pity card, Hachiman smiled, pinched Yamada Ryou's round, snow-white cheek, and started settling accounts.
"You already took my money before, and today you directly sat next to me and ordered coffee jelly and daifuku. Have you forgotten all that?"
"If you're not my girlfriend, then what would you say our relationship is?"
"...."
Hearing what Hachiman said, Yamada Ryou felt a bitterness in her heart.
No wonder Hachiman never had any objections to her actions and always watched her with a smile.
So he had long planned to settle accounts with her.
Figuring out the specific situation of Hachiman having designs on her for a long time, and even now Nijika had been pushed by herself to Hachiman's side, Yamada Ryou stopped struggling further.
However, she still had one point of confusion.
"Hachiman, how far have you progressed with Nijika and Bocchi-chan? Have you reached home base?", If Nijika only pushed her into Hachiman's arms and let Hachiman take some advantage, she might still think Nijika and Hachiman were purely innocent.
After all, he had already touched her thighs before, and they had bathed in the pool together. A little more physical intimacy, she felt, wasn't very serious.
But now that Nijika actually said such shocking words about helping Hachiman hold her hands down, then Nijika and Hachiman were definitely not just having good feelings for each other or being a little closer.
She had long suspected Bocchi-chan too; how could someone with severe social anxiety stick so close to Hachiman without having an intimate relationship?
"How far we've progressed... you'll know tonight. If you still can't think of conditions to convince me, then Ryou, you will come from behind and surpass their progress with me."
Hachiman glanced at Ijichi Nijika, whose face was flushed red as she looked over, and Gotou Hitori, who was extremely conflicted. He smiled, didn't explain directly to Yamada Ryou, and just held her as he quickly swam towards Yotsuya Miko and Kita Ikuyo's direction.
"....", Yamada Ryou.
'Surpass Nijika and Bocchi-chan...'
It seems the distance between Hachiman and Nijika/Bocchi-chan isn't as close as she imagined.
But, Hachiman, leaving aside the more intimately familiar Nijika and Bocchi-chan, instead listened to Nijika and made a move on her.
'Is he planning to use me as an appetizer?'
'Nijika, you're just too much.'
Yamada Ryou stared fixedly at Ijichi Nijika beside her, but Ijichi Nijika just gave her a blank stare, completely unmoved by her pitiful performance.
'When you were selling me out, you weren't like this.'
"Miko, are you all done bathing? We're preparing to go back."
Hachiman brought everyone to Komachi, Shion, Yotsuya Miko, and the others.
Just when Kita Ikuyo thought he was coming for her and was full of panic, Hachiman smiled at her, then turned to look at Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana.
"Hikigaya-kun, when did you come into the bath? Uh... We're about done too, but Yamada-san, what's with her?", Yotsuya Miko felt extremely shy about Hachiman suddenly appearing in the bath. But seeing that everyone else didn't seem surprised by his appearance or particularly shy, she could only quickly nod, indicating she was ready to leave too.
However, seeing Yamada Ryou held in Hachiman's arms also made her hesitate.
Although clothes automatically transferred elsewhere after entering the bath, and everyone was treating each other frankly in this misty bathhouse.
Still, Yamada Ryou being held by Hikigaya-kun was too intimate.
Ijichi Nijika and Gotou Hitori, who had a very good relationship with Hikigaya-kun before, were only by his side. She thought Yamada Ryou, who had an ordinary relationship with Hikigaya-kun, was instead being held tightly in his arms.
"Gulp!"
Kita Ikuyo secretly glanced at Yamada Ryou. Seeing Yamada Ryou suddenly staring straight at her, as if blaming her for running away alone, she quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet her gaze.
'Sorry! I didn't mean to run away just now!'
'But I didn't know what to do either, I'm really sorry!'
"Ryou isn't feeling well. I'm carrying her back to rest."
Hachiman, seeing that Kita Ikuyo seemed to have guessed something, smiled and said.
"Carry her back like this? Hikigaya-kun, did you bring clothes?"
Yotsuya Miko was stunned, looked at Yamada Ryou who was almost pressed against Hachiman, and suddenly asked.
They all brought change of clothes, but Hikigaya-kun didn't seem to bring any, right?
"It's fine, I know invisibility magic. It's okay to go back directly. Miko, you all can soak a while longer if you want. Ryou and I will go back first."
Hachiman waved his hand. Seeing Yotsuya Miko was somewhat shy about his appearance, he didn't say more and directly left the bath with Yamada Ryou.
"Miko, you all soak a while longer, no need to rush back. We won't be sleeping that early."
Ijichi Nijika also hurriedly added a reminder, and followed Hachiman with Lala and the others.
"Invisibility magic... really amazing...", Watching Hachiman, who had gotten up and left the bath, carrying Yamada Ryou, with Ijichi Nijika and Gotou Hitori following behind, and their figures disappearing instantly, Yotsuya Miko was immensely shocked.
'Invisibility magic that makes people unseen... Do vengeful spirits also know similar invisibility magic?'
'Then if I learn invisibility magic from Hikigaya-kun, could the vengeful spirits still see me?'
'Wait, no, Hikigaya-kun knows invisibility magic, meaning it's highly possible he didn't just appear in the bath?'
'Then Yamada-san, who is being carried away by Hachiman, isn't feeling well because...'
Yotsuya Miko recalled Ijichi Nijika's reminder before leaving, suddenly looked at Kita Ikuyo, who had quickly run back to them earlier. Seeing her also looking back with an awkward, shy expression, she instantly understood something. A deep blush instantly spread across her fair, pretty face, difficult to dissipate.
'This... we agreed to all stay at Hikigaya-kun's house together...'
'Nijika and the others actually have that kind of relationship with Hikigaya-kun? Then how are we supposed to sleep tonight.'
———
In the bath, besides Yotsuya Miko and Kita Ikuyo, there were also Hayasaka Yuuko and Miyamoto Madoka, this pair of black long straight haired girls, who hadn't gotten involved.
They were already at the edge of the bath when Hachiman was discussing the reward for the commission with the little landlord, watching the very busy Hachiman from afar, not daring to disturb.
As a university student and a third-year hi*h sch*ol student about to face entrance exams, their ages were older than most girls present. But with zero romantic experience and not particularly bold, they couldn't call themselves seniors at all.
"Phew… that guy Hachiman, I've never seen him exercise much, so how is he getting more and more capable?"
"Hmm, even though you yourself, Kaede, can last quite a while, you always need to take a break when you're up against Hachiman."
"Suzu, you shut up!"
Kaede and Suzu leaned against the edge of the bath to rest and chat. After a while, they looked at Asou Miyuri, who was still savoring the experience like a greedy child, then suddenly turned to look at Hayasaka Yuuko and Miyamoto Madoka, who didn't dare to speak.
"Hayasaka-san, Miyamoto-san, do you like Hachiman?"
"Ah?"
Faced with Kaede's sudden question, Hayasaka Yuuko looked confused and nervous, not sure what Kaede really meant.
Although seeing Hachiman having so many fiancees and so many intimately close girls around him, she harbored unrealistic fantasies in her heart, when actually faced with others' questions, she still didn't have the courage to voice her true feelings.
Especially towards Kaede, the older sister of the Kaede-Suzu sisters, the childhood friend living next door to Hachiman-kun.
If she revealed to Kaede-san that she liked Hachiman-kun, would the arrangement Hachiman-kun promised, about letting her live in the apartment after it's renovated, be canceled?
"No, Kaede-san, you're mistaken. I don't have those kinds of feelings for Hachiman-kun."
Miyamoto Madoka was also nervous, but unlike Hayasaka Yuuko, who had ulterior motives in her heart, she shook her head in denial after reacting.
Although she was very grateful to Hachiman for saving her and Yuuko from the perverted hamburger fast food shop manager, she felt that this shouldn't count as liking; it was just simple admiration and yearning for Hachiman's handsome looks, outstanding abilities, and gentle temper.
Real liking should be like Yuuko-senpai's maidenly heart, secretly always looking forward to meeting Hachiman-kun, but when actually meeting, becoming so nervous and shy she can't even speak smoothly.
"Don't worry, I'm not trying to cause trouble for you. If you like Hachiman and want to join us, remember to tell me first and listen to me in the future."
Kaede looked at the nervously flustered Hayasaka Yuuko and the relatively calm Miyamoto Madoka. She didn't press them, but gave them a verbal promise.
"As long as you don't have any bad intentions, I won't do anything to you either."
"This..."
Looking at Kaede, unsure if she was tricking her or really meant it, Hayasaka Yuuko, who wasn't good at dealing with strangers, became even more at a loss for words.
If Kaede really welcomed her like this, wouldn't that mean she didn't have to hide her feelings and could directly confess her heart to Hachiman-kun?
But did Kaede really think that? It feels more like she's tricking me into telling the truth.
"Don't doubt my words. Look at all the girls around Hachiman; you know. The lady next to us, Asou-san, also just joined tonight."
Kaede knew her words wouldn't convince Hayasaka Yuuko and the others, so she directly gestured for them to look at Asou Miyuri beside them.
"Landlady-san? You, you were a first-timer?"
Hayasaka Yuuko looked at Asou Miyuri, who was easily mistaken for the landlord's daughter, her eyes full of surprise and astonishment.
She thought Asou-san had long had a special relationship with Hachiman-kun, but she actually just had a breakthrough with him tonight in front of them.
"Please, like Hikigaya-kun, call me Miyuri-nee."
Hearing Kaede and the others talking about her, Asou Miyuri stopped her reminiscing, straightened up, opened her eyes, and smiled as she looked at the delicate and slender Hayasaka Yuuko and the plump, enticing Miyamoto Madoka.
"This feeling is really not bad. Not only is it better than some married women describe, it's even better than I imagined."
"If you like Hikigaya-kun, you should join sooner. Otherwise, with more and more people later, Hikigaya-kun will be too busy."
Actually, she could have held on a bit longer just now; she's just petite, not physically weak.
It's just that Hikigaya-kun was very busy, with so many girls coming to him in batches, so she couldn't properly enjoy it.
Considering Hikigaya-kun's powerful body, facing so many of them alone without any sign of fatigue, and still able to favor the next batch of girls... if there weren't so many girls as sisters, she might really have died.
Asou Miyuri felt a surge of emotion as she remembered that moment just now when it felt like her soul was about to float out of her body.
The feeling was so wonderful and so thrilling that she even wanted to bring a few of her close friends here for Hikigaya-kun to handle properly.
'They're always saying at get-togethers that I'm not mature enough? Then let's see just how mature they really are.'
'I really want to see those cold, elegant, dignified friends of mine kneeling and begging for mercy, showing an irresistible, crazed-woman look in front of Hikigaya-kun.'
"No, it's not like that. We're not for that kind of thing."
Seeing the landlady, Asou Miyuri, actually talking about her experience, Hayasaka Yuuko's pretty face blushed with shame, and she quickly waved her hands in denial.
She didn't seek out Hachiman-kun for that kind of thing. She hardly knows any men and knows nothing about that stuff.
"Uh," Miyamoto Madoka was somewhat interested in that kind of thing, but at this moment, she didn't know what to say either.
'The landlady looks really cute, but she's actually not very proper either. Even though it was her own first time, she still wants to drag others in. Feels like the people I've been running into lately aren't exactly normal.'
Luckily, the landlady and the others don't force people, otherwise she really wouldn't know what to do.
Compared to dating experience, and such things, she'd rather think about how to work part-time and earn money. After encountering the perverted manager, she doesn't want to work part-time for a while, but she has no savings, so she has to work.
Kaede, seeing Asou Miyuri more actively and eagerly pulling Hayasaka Yuuko and Miyamoto Madoka into the water than herself, stopped nagging Hayasaka Yuuko and the others. Instead, she looked towards Ichinose Ayano, Ichinose Marika, and Horigome China not far away, falling into thought.
The demi-human factions around Hachiman are way too strong, which is forcing her to gather the forces around her as well, so they can push back against the demi-human factions together.
The elf faction goes without saying. The elf princess faction led by Iris is the main culprit behind Hachiman's corruption.
The mermaid race too. Elio and the other three mermaid songstresses are even more popular worldwide than Iris, and Mermaid Princess Meroune even has an idol agency under her.
Since the morals of the mermaid race aren't much better than those of the elves, Kaede feels she has to consider the possibility that Meroune might send out young girls' idol groups to seduce Hachiman.
And then there's the dragon chief Ursula, who hasn't shown up recently. According to Iris, Ursula is out looking for powerful reinforcements. The succubus sisters and vampires at school have already joined Ursula's side, but it's still not enough. She's still running around out there looking for strong teammates.
[T/N: New novel is up—🔥I Became a Character in Honkai: Star Rail🔥. Enjoy~]
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