Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 561: Has Yukino Changed Her Personality?

Not long after, as the song ended, Hachiman and Yukino stopped dancing.

Seeing this, Mrs. Yukinoshita gave her eldest daughter a meaningful glance.

Although she was somewhat unwilling, Haruno couldn't defy her mother's wishes. Swaying her graceful figure, she walked elegantly toward the pair.

Meanwhile, on Hachiman's side, although the dance had ended, his hand remained resting on Yukino's waist.

Looking at the beautiful face so close to his and catching the faint orchid-like fragrance lingering in the air, Hachiman's hand mischievously began to slide up and down along her waist.

Noticing his subtle movement, Yukino shot him a glare.

"Behave yourself. Stop touching randomly."

Despite her words, there was no sign of her stopping him.

Fortunately, Hachiman didn't go too far and withdrew his hand after a few moments.

"Yukino, should we dance another one later?" Hachiman asked casually.

Hearing his words, a faint smile appeared on Yukino's lips.

It seems this guy really likes me.

She had noticed earlier that Hachiman had only danced one song with each of the other girls, never offering to dance again.

The thought of Hachiman wanting to dance a second song with her made Yukino feel a hint of pride.

Hmph, no matter how many try to compete, in the end, he's still mine.

"Sure—"

Just as Yukino was about to agree, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Oh my, Hikigaya-kun, would you mind dancing a song with me too?"

Hearing the voice, Yukino froze, her lips moving unconsciously as she murmured:

"Sister..."

Indeed, the speaker was none other than Haruno.

With a fake smile on her face, Haruno gracefully approached the pair.

"Yukino-chan, could you let me borrow Hikigaya-kun for a moment? Your big sister would like to dance with him."

"Sister, why are you—"

Yukino was utterly perplexed. Why would her sister suddenly ask Hachiman for a dance?

After all, the two barely interacted, let alone had any emotional connection.

Hearing her sister's words, Haruno sighed helplessly and subtly glanced in the direction of Mrs. Yukinoshita.

Noticing this, Yukino immediately understood.

So it was their mother who had sent her sister over.

Realizing this, Yukino couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

However, just as she was about to confront her mother, Haruno quickly grabbed her arm.

Without saying a word, Haruno silently shook her head at Yukino.

Seeing this, Yukino fell silent.

Yes, what would be the point of confronting her mother?

From a young age, once her mother made a decision, no one could change it.

In the end, the only reason she had a semblance of freedom now was because of Hachiman, who gave her the support to temporarily break free from her mother's control.

And during her previous visits home, her mother had repeatedly mentioned wanting to pull Hachiman into the Yukinoshita family.

It was likely that, after seeing Hachiman dance with those other girls earlier, her mother decided that Yukino wasn't taking full advantage of her opportunity and sent Haruno in to take action.

As always, in her mother's eyes, she was still no match for her older sister.

Thinking of this, Yukino's expression dimmed.

Noticing her mood, Hachiman gently squeezed her hand.

Feeling his small gesture, Yukino snapped out of her thoughts.

That's right—she still had Hachiman. He would never abandon her.

With this realization, Yukino's expression softened considerably.

Lifting her head and looking at her sister, Yukino displayed a confident smile.

"Alright, go ahead, Sister. Be my guest."

With that, Yukino actually stepped aside, making way.

???

Her actions left not just Hachiman but even Haruno stunned.

Haruno blinked in surprise and asked again, unsure of what she just heard, "Yukino-chan, are you really okay with letting Hikigaya-kun dance with me?"

"Of course," Yukino replied with a calm nod.

She believed Hachiman wouldn't be so easily swayed by her sister's charms.

Sure, Haruno was beautiful, but the two of them had no emotional foundation to begin with.

Yukino knew Hachiman well enough. While he could be a bit flirtatious, he wasn't the type to be led astray by superficial attractions.

Ever since Hachiman gained fame, many girls had confessed to him, yet he had rejected them all.

If he were truly the type to give in to temptation, he would've acted on those advances long ago instead of turning them all down.

Moreover, Yukino wasn't unwilling to compromise when it came to their relationship.

In her heart, she had already decided that if Hachiman ever wanted to take things further, she wouldn't refuse him.

But judging from his behavior toward her, while he enjoyed small gestures of affection—kisses, hugs, holding hands—he had never crossed the line.

She believed his attitude toward other girls was the same.

This self-restraint convinced Yukino that Hachiman wouldn't be easily swayed by her sister's attempts at seduction.

That confidence was why she had so readily given up her spot as his dance partner.

However, seeing Yukino step aside so calmly, Haruno found herself in an awkward position.

The truth was, Haruno's intention wasn't to actually dance with Hachiman.

She only came over to provoke Yukino a bit, hoping to push her to put in more effort.

Dancing with Hachiman had never been part of her plan.

At worst, if Yukino had refused her, Haruno would just have to endure some scolding from their mother later.

But what she hadn't anticipated was that her sister—who normally loved to oppose her—had actually agreed this time.

This left Haruno in an awkward position. After all, the request to dance had come from her own mouth, and now that Yukino had agreed, she had no excuse to back out.

For someone as sharp as Haruno, it was surprising—and frustrating—to find herself in such a predicament. She was practically on the verge of tears.

Meanwhile, Hachiman was even more puzzled.

Yukino had always been incredibly protective when it came to other girls around him. So why was she suddenly so relaxed when it came to her own sister?

Something wasn't adding up.

Sure, Hachiman knew Haruno was a bit of a "sister complex" type, and Yukino did admire her sister to some extent.

However, because Yukino had always wanted to surpass Haruno, their interactions were rarely friendly.

Yukino hardly ever gave Haruno a pleasant expression, let alone trust her in situations like this.

Though Hachiman's advice over time had somewhat eased Yukino's obsession with surpassing Haruno, her competitive spirit remained intact.

Whether it was Haruno or any other girl, Yukino didn't like losing or giving in.

So why the sudden change in attitude today?

It didn't make sense.

Was she that confident in him?

No way.

Even he didn't have that much confidence in himself.

If it weren't for the fact that he and Haruno didn't interact much, he couldn't entirely rule out the possibility of developing feelings for her.

After all, Haruno had a face almost identical to Yukino's—but with a more mature charm—and, well, her chest was… noticeably bigger than Yukino's.

Besides, the idea of dating sisters was undeniably appealing in its own way.

Unfortunately, though, he rarely had any opportunities to interact with Haruno. Their encounters were few and far between, making it nearly impossible for any feelings to develop.

Yukino's assessment wasn't wrong—Hachiman might have a wandering heart, but he wasn't lecherous. He held a deep respect for genuine relationships between men and women. If that weren't the case, he would've long become the kind of person who exploits his popularity.

After all, whether it was his female fans or the little admirers at school, there was certainly no shortage of them.

Since Yukino had already agreed, Hachiman saw no reason to refuse.

After all, this was practically a mandated dance, wasn't it?

With that thought, Hachiman extended his hand toward Haruno and invited her with a calm demeanor:

"Miss Haruno, shall we?"

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