After mulling over a certain scene from Summer Reprise Volume 2 for a while, Hikigaya Hachiman felt his mind growing weary. When he got back home with his purchases, instead of returning to his room, he dropped onto the living room sofa to chat with his sister and unwind a little.
"Here, Komachi—your chips. Both are the flavors you like."
He handed her the two bags.
"Thanks, onii-chan!"
Komachi accepted them cheerfully, then pulled a few coins from her pocket and said with a bright smile, "This is for your delivery fee."
"No need. Who wants that? As your big brother, it's only natural for me to do this."
He raised a finger and added proudly, "Ah, that line sounded pretty cool, didn't it?"
"Mhm! That line scores very high in Komachi's book!"
She nodded in satisfaction.
"Onii-chan, you can have this bag. I can't finish them all anyway."
She handed one back to him.
"True, I am getting a little hungry," Hachiman admitted. Maybe it was the mental exhaustion from all that brainstorming—his energy reserves were running low.
Crunch, crunch.
The siblings munched away until both bags were gone.
"Hah~ Onii-chan, I finally get why they call this 'otaku happiness in a bottle.' After staying home all day, nothing hits quite like chips and a cold cola! Ahh~ burp~"
Komachi gulped down a mouthful of soda, then set the bottle aside with a blissful grin.
"Komachi, don't say things like that. You're making me worry," Hachiman said seriously.
He really didn't want his little sister turning into one of those messy shut-in girls.
"Ahaha, that's not what I meant! I was just joking. You're the only one who could actually stand staying home all day, onii-chan."
"…"
You really didn't need to use me as the example, you know!
He took a long sip of his cola. The carbonation bubbled down his throat, revitalizing him instantly and lifting his mood.
"Anyway," Komachi said, changing topics, "we're getting new neighbors soon. Did you know that, onii-chan?"
"Yeah, I saw a moving truck outside earlier. Looked like they were almost done unloading, so they're probably moving in tonight."
He replied absentmindedly.
"They seem like a nice family… but kind of strange too," Komachi said with a mysterious grin.
"Ha…"
She chuckled, as if recalling something amusing.
"Huh?"
Hachiman gave her a puzzled look that clearly said, And how would you know that?
"You're wondering why I think that, right?"
Komachi read his expression perfectly and began to explain.
"Their relatives came by yesterday to greet Mom and Dad before moving in. You were locked up in your room again, but I was there, so I heard a bit."
She giggled, covering her mouth. "You won't believe it—Mom and Dad thought the visitor was an auntie, but turns out it was an uncle! Though honestly, it's not their fault. That person—Uncle Gojou Shizuka—looks so much like a beautiful woman that if he didn't speak, you'd never be able to tell!"
"…You're not making this up, are you?"
"It's true! If you don't believe me, ask Mom and Dad when they get home. Or better yet, just wait until you meet that unbelievably pretty 'uncle' yourself!"
Komachi thumped her chest in assurance.
"Alright, alright."
Seeing how confident she was, Hachiman decided to take her word for it—at least for now.
Around dusk, as night began to settle—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
"Someone at the door?"
Hachiman stepped out of his room, just as Komachi came over as well.
When he opened the door, he was met by two women—both stunning in their own right.
One was dressed simply, with a cool, emotionless face that exuded the aura of a capable career woman.
The other wore a crisp white blouse, her expression gentle, a plastic bag full of fruit in her hand.
"Uncle Gojou! You're here again?"
Komachi greeted them brightly, stepping in front of Hachiman.
At that moment, Hachiman realized Komachi hadn't been exaggerating.
If you didn't look closely, it really was easy to mistake the so-called "uncle" for a woman.
"Ah, Komachi-chan. Are your parents home? We officially moved in today, so we brought a little gift," Gojou Shizuka said with a pleasant smile.
So this was the newly arrived Gojou couple—their new neighbors.
'Wait a second… why does this person look so familiar? And that name—Gojou…'
Something clicked in his head. A wild possibility flashed through his mind.
"Um, my parents are working late tonight," Komachi explained. "They'll probably be back a bit later."
"I see… and this is?"
Shizuka turned toward him.
"My onii-chan," Komachi replied.
"Nice to meet you," Hachiman said politely. "I'm Hikigaya Hachiman, Komachi's brother."
"Ah, so you're her big brother," Shizuka said, nodding. "You two seem to get along really well. You give off such a dependable vibe, Hikigaya-kun. If only my eldest were as mature as you."
Ahem.
Beside Shizuka, the woman with the gentle expression cleared her throat softly, shooting him a meaningful glance.
Shizuka immediately caught on and handed the bag of fruit over.
"It's just a small gift. Please accept it. We still have a lot to unpack, so we won't bother you any longer."
With that, the Gojou couple turned to leave.
"Oh, right—if you have time, you're welcome to drop by. Our daughter just moved here too and doesn't know anyone yet."
Leaving that line behind, Gojou Shizuka waved and walked away.
"See, onii-chan? I told you I wasn't lying," Komachi said, smirking.
"It really is… hard to believe."
Hachiman fell silent, lost in thought.
That night, when their parents returned, the siblings recounted the whole encounter.
"They brought this much fruit? That's far too generous," their father said.
"They seem like a lovely family," their mother added warmly. "If I get the chance, I'll chat with Mrs. Gojou sometime."
Their parents' tone had completely softened toward the new neighbors.
Hachiman wasn't surprised.
Judging from their demeanor and modest gifts, it was clear the Gojou family wasn't particularly wealthy. And raising three daughters on top of that… the fruit alone spoke volumes of goodwill.