Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

An unprecedented look of shock!

Isn't she adorable, Yukinoshita?

Yukinoshita stammered, "Ah... although I hate going to crowded, noisy places, and places with too much cooking smoke, since we'll be fighting together from now on, it's not a bad thing to get to know each other better... let's go eat barbecue together..."

Yukinoshita's voice trailed off, but Fujimaru Ritsuka listened with a smile and gave a thumbs-up: "Let's go then, aibo! Let's go for some yakiniku!"

"oh....."

Hachiman Hikigaya stood to the side, cold sweat pouring down his face. Was this the legendary power of the Chaldea Master? He saw through the hidden weakness beneath the icy Yukinoshita in an instant and toyed with the poor Yukinoshita in the palm of his hand!

What kind of people am I fighting alongside?!

"Why are you still spacing out, Hachiman! Let's go!" Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled kindly.

“...Ah, here it comes.” Hachiman Hikigaya jumped and followed.

-------------------------------------

Thick slices of beef tongue sizzle under the heat of the charcoal fire, releasing delicious, rich oil that drips slowly down the wire mesh onto the charcoal below, making a series of sounds.

Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly flipped the beef tongue with long chopsticks to prevent it from overcooking, and then picked up a few pieces of beef tenderloin. The marbled fat was clearly visible, like slices of fine marble, and he carefully placed them around the edge of the wire mesh, away from the hottest part of the grill.

The aroma of butter slowly wafted through the air, and Hachiman Hikigaya grabbed his chopsticks, swallowing hard. Yukino Yukinoshita, clutching a panda plushie, sat in her chair, still basking in the surprise that the store's mascot was actually a collaboration with Mr. Pan.

Ah, this is the damn everyday life of youth! Sitting with a group of friends, eating and drinking, admiring the beauty of girls, isn't that better than fighting and killing monsters?

Once the meat was ready, Fujimaru Ritsuka used serving chopsticks to divide the beef tongue and tenderloin onto the two people's plates, then called for Yukino to come to her senses and pick up her chopsticks!

Sigh, women have beef, you know? I'm not stupid!

Start with the beef tongue. Dip it in a special sauce with lemon, and the thick slices of beef tongue are cooked to perfection by Fujimaru Ritsuka. The outside is crispy and fragrant, while the inside is tender and pink. With one bite, your teeth break through the crispy outer shell, and your tongue tastes the tender inside. It's as unforgettable as the pink tongue of a proud young girl!

Thump ↗ Thump ↘ Thump ↗ Thump ↘

Fujimaru Ritsuka unbuttoned his uniform, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up a piece of beef tenderloin. This time, he wanted to try a different dipping sauce. The beef tenderloin at this yakiniku restaurant was pre-treated and marinated, so he wouldn't use any sauce; instead, he'd dip it in raw egg. With such delicious food in front of him, who cared about health? Just eat!

He gently rolled the perfectly marbled beef tenderloin in sterile egg liquid with chopsticks before putting it in his mouth. The temperature of the raw egg liquid perfectly neutralized the heat from the tenderloin's fresh grilling, while the smooth egg liquid added a new layer of texture. With a slight chew, the melted fat and juices of the beef tenderloin blended together, creating a delicious "BIG BANG" sensation in his mouth.

"Oh my gosh! Delicious!" Fujimaru Ritsuka squinted her eyes in satisfaction, picked up the white rice, and began to devour it. The fragrant rice, after chewing, produced the unique aroma of starch, which, combined with the grilled meat in her mouth, created a perfect harmony—wait, that's not enough!

Fujimaru Ritsuka picked up the beef miso soup that was placed to the side, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and the warm soup flowed down her esophagus into her stomach, completing a wonderful cycle.

"Ah! Ah! The best!" Fujimaru Ritsuka exclaimed contentedly. When one is not bound by time and society and is happily filling one's stomach, that is the supreme moment when one transcends all the troubles of trivial matters, becomes carefree, and regains freedom.

"You look like a middle-aged man who's had a beer!" Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at him, but her chopsticks didn't stop. She picked up a piece of grilled meat and stuffed it into her mouth. The delicious meat, cooked to perfection, made her eyes crinkle into crescent moons with enjoyment.

"Hey, Fujimaru-kun, we're friends, right?" Hachiman Hikigaya turned around and put his arm around Ritsuka Fujimaru's shoulder.

"Hmm, what is that? Is it a confession? I'm sorry, it's impossible for us. I don't like men." Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted to say that, but she couldn't bring herself to say it because the eyes of Mr. Hikigaya Hachiman in front of her were full of charisma.

Hachiman Hikigaya picked up the tongs, held them in both hands, and respectfully handed them over: "Your control of the grilling temperature is so exquisite! Please grill a few more portions for me! Please!"

"Call me sir!"

"what?"

"Call me Lord Fujimaru!"

"Fujimaru-sama! Please!"

"Hmph, you've gone to such lengths. I just can't do anything with you, Hachiman-kun~"

Fujimaru Ritsuka took the tongs and happily started grilling the meat. Wow, she never thought her self-taught culinary skills, honed in preparation for a future where a certain "male back view" mother might not exist, would actually come in handy when grilling meat. "Oh my god, beets?"

Yukino Yukino hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself. "If you don't say anything, I'll grill it too. Oh well, as long as there's delicious grilled meat, that's fine!"

In today's contest, Yukino Yukinoshita emerged victorious!

7. Thump ↗ Thump ↘ — This refers to Hachiman's heartbeat.

"This solitary act of enjoying delicious food without being disturbed by anyone or having any worries is precisely the best cure that modern people are equally endowed with!" With her hearty meal, Fujimaru Ritsuka leaned back in her chair and gave a satisfied summary of today's gathering.

Yukino Yukinoshita, scooping up caramel pudding with a spoon, sighed regretfully: "Fujimaru-kun, spouting sentences that seem to make sense even though you've copied them from who-knows-where won't improve your scumbag image. Besides, this sentence sounds more like it's describing a solitary gourmet!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her finger: "You're wrong, Yukinoshita. That describes a state of mind, a focused attitude where you ignore everything around you when there's delicious food in front of you. Did you and Hachiman talk when you were eating my meat?"

Yukino Yukinoshita nearly choked. As an elegant lady, she blushed a little when her gluttony was pointed out: "That's different, that's..."

"And what's more!" Fujimaru Ritsuka waved her hand to interrupt her, emphasizing her words with a pained expression, "You were eating my flesh so enthusiastically and with such relish just now, and after you finished, you coldly called me Fujimaru-kun, and kept calling me a scumbag. Ugh, it hurts my heart! Didn't all that meat satisfy you? Yukinoshita! You insatiable woman!"

Although she felt that what he said was a bit off, it was also true. "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding." Yukinoshita chuckled and awkwardly fidgeted, saying softly, "...That's right, from now on I'll call you Fujimaru, is that alright?" When she said the second half of the sentence, she raised her voice, like a kitten baring its teeth and claws in front of a big wolfhound.

Plan pass!

Fujimaru Ritsuka grinned crookedly; she'd really struck gold this time.

In Japan, how you address someone is a very particular matter. For example, "[XX (surname) + Sang]" means "XX classmate" and is generally used to refer to people who are not very close to each other, or at least to people whose relationship is not superficially intimate, as a sign of politeness.

【XX (surname) + Jun/Jiang】This suffix is ​​used for both men and women, indicating a closer relationship, at least to the point of being considered friends. The suffix is ​​optional.

【XX (name) + Jun/Jiang】 or nicknames are generally only used between very close friends. If you call someone by their name directly, then it's really only used between very close friends or romantic partners.

For example, when Yui calls Yukino "Yukino-chan," she uses the very familiar and affectionate term "Koyuki." It's worth mentioning that... when Yui calls Hikigaya, the pronunciation of "Hikigaya" and "Hikigaya" is actually the same. Whether it's interpreted as a nickname or a surname is entirely up to the individual's interpretation.

The mystery behind this is as profound as the monkey calling Princess Iron Fan "Sweetie" one night and then calling her "Old Lady Cow" the next.

Fujimaru Ritsuka understands this perfectly; titles have a magical power, and a change in name often leads to a change in reality. This way, their favorability can slowly increase! Hehehe, they'll be teammates from now on, how can they not increase their favorability? Unite all forces that can be united!

Hachiman Hikigaya had seen through everything: A master of seduction, truly impressive! His ability to move effortlessly between Charlotte and Mash is simply astounding! The Master of Chaldea is awe-inspiring!

If Fujimaru Ritsuka had a reputation system, he should be able to see the +1 notification constantly appearing above Hachiman's head (referring to reputation), right? Unfortunately, he can't change it.

He inexplicably sensed the admiring look in Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes, took a sip of orange juice, and steered the conversation to the important matter: "Now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, let's talk about serious stuff."

I specifically requested a private room, and just now I instructed the waiter to remove the plates and told them that they didn't need to come over for the time being. There's also a lot of noise outside. This kind of situation is perfect for having some private conversations that can't be shared in public.

Fujimaru Ritsuka tapped the table lightly with her fingers, first summarizing the current situation: "Below the cave, our combat strength is not enough to break through the red mist's invasion, so we need to find a solution. Currently, the only clue we know is the symbol of Mammon."

Hachiman continued, "And since you've seen the conceptual connection and know that the cave is closely related to the outside world, we can tentatively assume that the current state of the cave is more than 70% likely to be man-made."

After they finished speaking, they turned their gaze to Yukino Yukinoshita, who had not yet expressed any opinion.

Yukino crossed her arms and tapped her arm lightly with her fingers: "Why don't we look into religious groups?"

“Religious groups… that should be a breakthrough point.” Fujimaru Ritsuka rubbed her forehead in annoyance, sensing the trouble ahead.

The main problem is that Japan has far too many religions!

The main religions in Japan are Shinto, Buddhism, and other religions. Modern Shintoism has declined in some ways. Although more than 70% of Japanese people visit Shinto temples during festivals, this is more of a cultural tradition than a belief.

Buddhism, with its authority over burial sites, has become more deeply integrated into the lives of Japanese people than Shintoism, making it the religion with the largest number of devout followers in Japan.

Besides these two, there are a host of other original, newly formed religions, most of which have a leader and various subordinate levels. Some successful new religions, such as the Soka Gakkai, a new religion converted from Buddhism, even established its own independent political party, the Komindan Party, which, maintaining a neutral political stance, often forms coalitions with other parties to govern. There's also the Happiness Science cult, which claims 1000 million followers and amasses wealth by selling the leader's books, movies, and merchandise. One actress even retired from acting after converting to the religion.

These new religions are not only numerous, but they also wield considerable influence through the collective organization of the New Japanese Religious Groups Federation. If a cult masquerading as a new religion truly exists, the investigation will likely be time-consuming and laborious.

Is there really enough time? Fujimaru Ritsuka recalled the situation in the cave, and a sense of crisis rushed to the back of his head. He hurriedly asked, "When was the first time you went there, and what was the interval between the three times?"

"Around late April, I think, it was only a few days after I joined the Service Club..." Hachiman Hikigaya tried hard to recall.

"The second time was after Hihama asked me to make cookies..." Yukino Yukinoshita also noticed something was wrong.

“It’s April 28th now, which means that within ten days, the monster has already started to transform from what you called a flesh and blood slime into a respectable little devil.” Fujimaru Ritsuka paused for a moment and held up three fingers. “I can assure you that if this matter is not resolved within three days, then the trouble could get much bigger.”

A chill ran down the spines of everyone present. The relaxed and joyful atmosphere of the barbecue gathering just moments before vanished completely in an instant, as if it were a fake.

Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes lit up with realization: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! Hachiman!"

"Is there a solution?!" Hachiman was very excited. As expected of Chaldea's Master! He can easily do things that we can't!

"You're going to dress up as a woman tonight!"

"what?!"

8. Kongming's Trap (Refresh the image)

Because of the Japanese constitution's protection of "freedom of association," many well-known yakuza organizations are legal entities, and they have even maintained order when the Japanese police force was insufficient. Conversely, Japan cannot target specific organizations; it can only target individuals after obtaining sufficient evidence. Even now, with the Japanese government enacting the "Organized Crime Designation Countermeasures Law," which has reduced the size of yakuza organizations—some of their less successful leaders have been forced to open milk tea shops, enduring insults and maintaining a smiling facade—the surviving yakuza groups remain extremely active in local communities.

After thinking about all this, Hachiman Hikigaya came to his senses, and he was a little horrified: "Crossdressing... are you trying to set me up?"

“Wrong, I’m not enforcing the law. I’m doing something that’s on the edge of the law but not illegal.” Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled gently, but her eyes seemed to roar like a tiger. “Choose, Hachiman, do you want to crossdress, or do you want to push this dangerous task onto Yukinoshita!”

Mr. Hachiman Hikigaya, as a dignified man, would naturally not allow a girl to do this.

Even if this girl knows Aikido and has obtained the power of a Heroic Spirit, she can still fight him to a standstill!

A man can't say no when it matters!

Hachiman Hikigaya, his face filled with heroic spirit and indignation, cried out, "Let go of that girl! If you have a problem, come at me!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka clapped her hands and shouted, "Yay! It's settled then. Let's go buy long hair now. Yukinoshita, you have some cosmetics, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita suppressed a laugh, covered her mouth, and nodded.

Fujimaru Ritsuka took out her phone from her pocket and handed it to her: "Then please enter my email and phone number for me. I'll go buy some wigs and other costume props from Hachiman Hikigaya first, and then call you to confirm what else I need. We'll meet up at your place later."

Yukino Yukinoshita took the phone and paused for a moment, looking a little hesitant.

Fujimaru Ritsuka tilted her head and blinked: "What's wrong?"

“…It’s nothing.” Yukino tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, feeling a little hot, and then looked down to enter her phone number and email address.

Hikigaya was utterly astonished! Is this even possible? He so effortlessly got the phone number and email address of a girl he met on their very first day! This isn't just being a social butterfly, it's being a Casanova! No wonder he's the Master who remains untouched by the clutches of Chaldea!

If Fujimaru Ritsuka really could read minds, she'd definitely give Hachiman a piece of her mind: "This is nothing! This is a Casanova! What were those friends he knew in his past life? The ultimate cannon fodder god?"

However, Fujimaru Ritsuka does lack some common sense. Having spent the past 17 years focusing on training and rarely participating in social activities, he doesn't really understand what exchanging email addresses with girls means. He just felt it was necessary, so he did it.

Having obtained the contact information, Fujimaru Ritsuka readily put away her phone, pushed Hachiman with both hands to walk out, and waved goodbye without looking back: "That's all for now! See you later, Yukinoshita!"

“...See you in a bit,” Yukino Yukinoshita replied softly.

Hachiman's voice came from outside the door again: "Wait a minute! I just realized that wasn't a choice between two, it was a choice between three! Wasn't the option to dress up as a woman included?!"

"Oh dear, you've already agreed, are you going to go back on your word? A man's word is his bond, if you go back on your word, I'll be very sad!"

"Don't try to take advantage of me, let go! HA?NA?SE! Fujimaru, you tricked me!"

puff!