The Exorcism Tale of Hachiman

I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I think about it, it's quite strange.

This is clearly his home, so why are there slippers belonging to this mother and daughter who are addicted to the internet on the shoe rack?

"The air conditioner is broken..."

After changing into slippers and neatly placing her old boots in the corner, Irisviel looked up and, rather embarrassed, explained why she had come to visit.

"No wonder."

As he rubbed his chin with his fingers, Hachiman Hikigaya's face lit up with a look of sudden realization upon hearing Irisviel's explanation.

He was saying that Ilya had stayed up all night playing games last night, but this morning she was all energetic and came over to play with Sakura... So she just came to freeload off the air conditioning?

"Have you called for repairs?"

"I've already called. But according to the repairman who came, the air conditioner probably won't be fixed until the afternoon..."

"I see. Then let's wait until the air conditioner is fixed before going back."

Having confirmed that Irisviel and Illya would return home after the air conditioner was fixed in the afternoon, Hachiman Hikigaya nodded and then went back to the living room.

However, just as he was about to sit down on the sofa, Irisviel took his place first.

"Mmm, that feels so good~"

Lying on the sofa, feeling the softness beneath her and the cool air from the air conditioner on her back, Irisviel wore a blissful expression.

"........."

Looking at the three women of different sizes who completely occupied the space on the sofa, Hachiman Hikigaya pinched the bridge of his nose and finally sighed helplessly.

He just wanted to laze around on the sofa all summer, but why couldn't he even have such a simple wish fulfilled?

"Let's go up..."

The sofa was already full, so Hachiman Hikigaya had no choice but to return to his room and continue slacking off on the bed.

"Onii-chan, I want ice cream!"

"I want to eat, too!"

"Hey, in that case, could you bring one back for me too, Hachiman-kun?"

"......"

Don't just set my itinerary without my permission!

He clearly didn't agree to buy ice cream for Komachi, so why did the mother and daughter ask for it to be included?

What flavor would you like to eat?

Although he was mentally pounding the table, in reality, Hachiman Hikigaya only paused on his way upstairs, a hint of helplessness on his face, before asking the three girls about the types and flavors of their ice cream.

"Anything is fine~ I'll love anything that Onii-chan buys!"

The lines were incredibly cheesy. If Komachi weren't his sister, Hachiman Hikigaya would probably have blushed like an innocent boy after hearing them.

However, as a man with younger sisters, especially now that he has two, Hachiman Hikigaya was completely unmoved by Komachi's provocative words and even felt a little amused.

The teasing comments about him are still stuck at the level of his first year of high school. Although they really made him flustered back then, they won't have any effect on him now!

"Ilya and Alice, what would you like to eat?"

His gaze swept past Komachi, who was leaning close to him, and Hachiman Hikigaya turned to the other two people on the sofa and asked them about their choices.

"Well, that's fine with us too."

After carefully considering all the different kinds of ice cream they knew, the two still couldn't make up their minds and finally gave the choice to Hachiman Hikigaya.

"So you're telling me to go out without even deciding what to eat?"

With a hint of resentment on his face, Hachiman Hikigaya went upstairs to get his phone and wallet, then headed towards the nearby convenience store under the scorching sun.

.........

"It's so hot..."

It's only morning, but the outdoor temperature has already reached over 30 degrees Celsius.

Yurikawa Hana kept shaking her collar in an attempt to cool herself down, but the truth was that the strenuous exercise only made her hotter...

"Were you the one who suggested we go out today?"

Walking beside Yurikawa Hana, Yotsuya Miko, wearing a blue and white short-sleeved shirt, finally couldn't help but speak up after hearing Yurikawa Hana's complaints.

I could have stayed home all day in the cold wind, but I don't know what came over Yurikawa Hana's mind, she suddenly suggested that we go out for a stroll!

That's right, it's exactly what it means to just wander around!

"But staying at home all the time is so boring..."

Sensing the resentment emanating from Yotsuya Miko beside her, Yurikawa Hana guiltily turned her head away, unable to meet Yotsuya Miko's gaze.

"Even staying at home when I'm bored is better than walking on the street under the scorching sun."

Yotsuya Miko gave a helpless sigh, her face saying, "I give up."

Ultimately, she is partly to blame for their current predicament.

If Yurikawa had refused instead of agreeing when she suggested going out an hour ago, the situation would be completely different now...

"But it's too late to regret it now..."

Feeling the burning sensation on her skin, Miko Yotsuya felt a wave of weakness wash over her.

Suddenly, she heard Yurikawa's cheerful voice.

"It's a convenience store, see you there!"

"convenience store?!"

Yotsuya Miko, who had been dozing off due to the scorching heat, suddenly opened her eyes wide upon hearing this.

In Japan, apart from those antique shops in the countryside, all convenience stores are air-conditioned!

Not only that, but air conditioning also means there's ice cream...

Imagining the cool, smooth feeling of swallowing ice cream, Yotsuya Miko couldn't help but swallow hard. She quickly grabbed Yurikawa Hana's hand and rushed towards the convenience store.

As soon as they entered the store, before the staff could even say "Welcome," the two girls, who had already lost their minds due to the high temperature, pounced on the freezer containing ice cream with wolf-like expressions.

"Yoshitani?"

Just as the two were about to touch the freezer, a familiar voice instantly plunged Yotsuya Miko into a freezing abyss.

Chapter 288 A Meeting with the Smell of Gunfire

"W-Why are you here, Hikigaya-kun?!"

Hikigaya Hachiman's lazy voice sounded like the low murmur of a demon to Yotsuya Miko.

Thinking about her previous outburst when faced with ice cream, Miko Yotsuya wished she could disappear into the ground right then and there.

"Shouldn't I be the one to say that?"

Hachiman Hikigaya curiously observed the two figures whose beautiful figures were outlined by their clothes, which were soaked with sweat.

This should be near his house, so why are they here?

"Um, this..."

Upon hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's words, Miko Yotsuya suddenly recalled how she and Hana Yurikawa had unintentionally veered off course towards the Hikigaya residence while strolling around.

Although they were really looking forward to running into Hachiman Hikigaya during their walk, they definitely shouldn't be in this disheveled state now!

"Jianzi, which one do you want to eat?"

Compared to Yotsuya Miko, who stood there awkwardly and at a loss, Yurikawa Hana, who felt no shame at all, had already picked out her favorite ice cream from the freezer and even found two options for Yotsuya Miko.

Turning around, she showed the ice cream she had chosen to Miko Yotsuya so she could make the final selection. It was only then that Yurikawa Hana belatedly realized that Hachiman Hikigaya was in the supermarket.

"Huh? What's Hachiman-kun doing here?"

Her tone was full of surprise and doubt as Yurikawa Hana tilted her head, pondering why Hachiman Hikigaya would appear here.

After all, in her opinion, although she and Miko Yotsuya had been walking for more than an hour, they had only been going around in circles around the Yotsuya house.

"My home is nearby."

Looking at this guy with an unusually long reflex arc, Hachiman Hikigaya frowned and helplessly explained why he was there.

"Eh?!"

Upon hearing that the Hikigaya family was nearby, Yurikawa Hana immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Even if she didn't know exactly how far apart the Hachiman and Yotsuya families were, she knew that if she were just strolling around, she definitely wouldn't end up in the Hachiman area.

"Seeing the child..."

Turning her head to look at Yotsuya Miko, whose face was already flushed with embarrassment, Yurikawa Hana's expression was full of teasing.

They said on the phone that it wouldn't matter if we didn't see each other for the whole summer, but their bodies have been behaving quite well.

"Woo..."

When her lie was exposed, Yotsuya Miko awkwardly lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes, at a loss for what to do.

Fortunately, Yurikawa Hana didn't continue to tease her.

"What has Hachiman been doing all summer?"

Yuri Kawana curiously sized up the dejected-looking boy in front of her.

Presumably because he doesn't have to go to school, he spends his days like the protagonists in comics, traversing every corner of the city to eliminate those nasty evil spirits.

"Stay at home."

"what?"

Yuri Kawana blinked. Had she misheard something?

How could someone like Hachiman Hikigaya possibly stay at home all summer?

"You heard me right, I've been staying at home the whole time."

However, Hachiman Hikigaya showed no mercy and shattered Yurikawa Hana's fantasy.