The Hikigaya couple's youthful love story is definitely not a problem.

Therefore, Yukino can write that Hachiman's concern was merely a habitual, instinctive reaction to the feeling that Yukino needed care.

Some people couldn't accept this fact, and Yukino initially thought that she was the one who had changed the most.

But now, looking at it, whether it's Hachiman or Rumi, it's all the same.

In fact, it is changing every day.

They changed even more because of their different experiences.

He smiled wryly, but his mood instantly lightened.

Hachiman's idea is correct, and Yukino wouldn't object to Ryumi taking care of her.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Yukino needs someone by her side right now, someone who can protect her at all times.

I don't need to be by her side every step of the way, but at the very least, I need to be able to sense if something is wrong if something happens to her.

Yukino didn't want to end up like those people in your news stories, dead for ages before being discovered by her neighbors, her body completely decomposed and unrecognizable, everything just too coincidental.

Yukino's life expectancy is estimated to be only about five years, and the time it takes for her to study in the United States from school to graduation is also expected to be five years, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

During these five years, Yukino and Rumi could have mutually benefited, since one of them was ill and the other had to leave her lover and family to pursue her studies. As for Hachiman, let him stay home alone and take care of the children.

Yukino raised the two children single-handedly and with great difficulty, so it cannot be said that Hachiman should take it for granted and start enjoying the benefits that the children bring.

Therefore, it is quite reasonable for Yukino to send Shinki and Yuuya to Hachiman so that he can fulfill his responsibilities as a father.

Moreover, Yukino thoughtfully provided financial support.

This significantly reduced Hachiman's burden, allowing him to focus solely on his own efforts. Even so, Hachiman's burden was still less than Yukino's, since even if Rumi left, he still had Komachi to help him.

So, was he right? Noticing Yukino's habit of biting the straw, a gesture that only occurred when she was thinking, Rumi couldn't help but ask.

Yes, that's right. He knows my personality and habits like the back of his hand. I didn't even notice this change myself, but he did.

Without saying anything more, Yukino simply lowered her eyes. She really didn't know what to say. Since Rumi and Hachiman got married, Yukino and Hachiman had never even met once, yet he seemed to be by Yukino's side every moment.

...

She didn't want to talk; Liu Mei was very angry, but of course, she also felt helpless.

What's infuriating is that even after marriage, Hachiman still has such terrifying calculations about Yukino's situation. Unfortunately, this is Hachiman's talent, and she has enjoyed the surprises brought by this talent more than once.

She silently suppressed her displeasure, knowing that she could easily find some excuse to make things difficult for Hachiman when she got home, making him coax her back. This would eliminate her unhappiness, so there was no need to show any negative emotions to Yukino now.

Do you want me to watch over you, or should I just do as Hachiman says? I do need someone to help look after me, otherwise I might make an unwise decision in a moment of impulse.

You're calmer than I am right now, so I feel more at ease leaving things to you.

Suddenly calmed down, no longer harboring her little grudges, the proud Rumi reacted immediately upon hearing Yukino's quamo, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

Okay, but I can't do that right now.

After all, I estimate I'll still have to go back to Zongwu High School for my senior year. If it's closer to home, I can't possibly go to the trouble of living with you again.

They tacitly dropped the topic of Hachiman, and Rumi understood that the only possible point of conflict between them was that lazy guy.

We've finally achieved this result, and everyone has managed to reach a satisfactory outcome through restraint. It would be such a shame to ruin it now.

Whether for her own sake, for her own amusement, or out of concern for Yukino, Rumi didn't want the current stable situation to spiral out of control. Therefore, it was wise to focus the conversation on the two of them and avoid anything related to Hachiman.

However, Rumi found that after filtering out all topics related to Hachiman, she and Yukino seemed to have nothing left to talk about.

Confined to his own thoughts, Liu Mei couldn't help but fall into reflection.

Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. The two have known each other for so long, it's impossible for them to have nothing to say to each other.

Unless they talk about Hachiman every time they meet.

After careful recollection, Rumi realized that things seemed to be true. The things she and Yukino talked about either had some subtle hints or were related to Hachiman. The only other things unrelated to Hachiman were their various promises to each other.

However, in Liu Mei's mind, she did retain the memory of the very pleasant date they had.

What were they talking about on those occasions?

She tried hard to recall, and fortunately, she was still young and had not developed any dementia or similar illnesses, so she was able to recall those very pleasant meetings with relative ease.

It's okay if I don't think about it, but when I think back on it, I realize that the reason Fi and Yukino had such pleasant conversations was because those meetings all had something in common.

First, the meeting places are in various types of restaurants.

Secondly, the restaurant's food was indeed delicious, which prompted Rumi to exclaim in admiration. Only then was she able to strike up a conversation with Yukino, and they ended up chatting for an entire afternoon.

So, is this considered making friends through food?

She chuckled to herself, thinking to herself that Rumi didn't believe anyone else could be like the two of them, with nothing to talk about except food and Hachiman.

In short, once the reason for the awkward atmosphere is discovered, a solution will naturally follow.

Since the only time the two of them can have a pleasant conversation is when they eat, they should choose a place to eat.

Anyway, she was a little hungry. Although it was still early, she could eat from now until evening. She could always have a late-night snack when she got home.

With Hachiman as her mentor, Rumi isn't too worried about gaining weight.

In fact, the girl was constantly being urged by Hachiman to gain weight, because she really didn't have much flesh on her body, so much so that Hachiman often complained that it wasn't very comfortable to hold her in his arms.

Once a decision is made, it is natural to put it into practice.

However, despite trying to speak up several times, Liu Mei ultimately kept her words to herself.

There was no other reason than that it was simply because I was too ashamed.

The two of them had just eaten dessert at this cafe not long ago, so they shouldn't be hungry.

For some reason, after drinking a little coffee, Liu Mei became increasingly hungry, to the point that her stomach ached.

Frowning, Liu Mei's health was not good to be honest. He had to eat when he was hungry, otherwise he would experience waves of pain after a while. If he didn't find a place to lie down and rest, he would even have difficulty walking.

What's wrong? Do you need to go to the bathroom? Looking at Rumi, whose expression seemed off, with some confusion, Yukino's first thought was that Rumi was holding back her physiological needs.

After all, looking so restless, he really resembled someone who was feeling suffocated but couldn't find a place to go, and was about to burst out the door in a while.

No one knows what Yukino was thinking to herself, but Rumi was just embarrassed because she was mistaken by Yukino for wanting to go to the toilet.

The girl is very shy around people other than Hachiman and Komachi, so she can't be as carefree as she is at home, releasing harmful gas and then grabbing it and throwing it at Hachiman's face to disgust him.

In order to get rid of her status as a suspect for holding in her urine and regain her confidence as a beautiful girl, Rumi decides to swallow her pride and confess honestly to Yukino.

Isn't it normal for a beautiful girl to have a foodie side, especially since she happens to be the kind of person who, no matter what...

It's hard to tell whether someone is fat or not just by eating.

The girl's excess flesh would basically all go to her thighs and stomach, and these two areas are not easily seen by others. Those who can see them can hardly notice any changes because they see them every day.

Therefore, she has the confidence to be chubby in the US, at least as long as she weighs less than five pounds, no one will notice that she has gained weight.

Should we eat now? But I just ate at the restaurant only a few hours ago.

Confused, Yukino doesn't know what to do.

She understood the principle that people are made of iron and steel, and she also knew that Rumi had stomach problems—logically, she should take Rumi out to eat when she was hungry, but Yukino's digestive system had always been a problem.

She rarely senses me for a while after eating, especially since she and Liu Mei recently each finished a small cake.

That sweet, cloying stuff was so filling that Yukino felt completely stuffed from her stomach to her throat. Only liquids could flow down through the gaps, and she would vomit up any solid food she ate, no matter how little she ate.

This put her in a bit of a dilemma. Yukino felt embarrassed to just watch Rumi eat, as that would be impolite—both to the restaurant and to Rumi.

No matter what, you should at least order something and have it in front of you; this is basic etiquette when going to a restaurant.

Just like how Yukino used to order an Americano and leave it untouched when she went to Starbucks to use their Wi-Fi, it's the least you can do to show respect to the business.

Even if the restaurant is generous and doesn't mind that two people only order one meal, Rumi would probably still find it unbearable to be stared at by Yukino.

After all, Yukino doesn't like playing on her phone, and she didn't bring her book today because she was on a date with Rumi. If Rumi doesn't talk to her, Yukino will just stare at her longingly. What would you do if a cat kept staring at you? You would either go up and pet it, or stand far away for fear of scaring it away and just meow at it.

As for Yukino Rumi, who was staring at her longingly, she couldn't possibly go up and touch her. Putting aside whether their relationship had reached that level of intimacy, Yukino's eyes alone were enough to make Rumi back down.

Therefore, Rumi kept trying to find topics to talk about with Yukino, otherwise Yukino would make her feel uneasy.

Well then, how about we go to a buffet? We've had plenty of time and there's nothing to eat anyway, so we can chat and eat at the same time.

Suddenly, a great idea came to mind, and the student felt truly excellent when offering suggestions.

It's a pity that the point of excellence is wrong; who can only react so quickly when it comes to food?

Despite her habitual self-deprecating humor, Rumi's face was full of gentleness.

Waiting for Yukino's answer.

After thinking about it, Yukino realized that it did make sense.

Choose a relatively upscale buffet restaurant where two people can sit for an entire afternoon and evening. Not only is there a wide variety of food, but more importantly, drinks and fruits are free.

I happen to know a really good seafood buffet. My sister used to take me there often, but it's a bit far; you have to go to Tokyo first.

Yukino, who had already chosen the location, was undoubtedly responding to Rumei from the sidelines. Moreover, when seafood was mentioned, Yukino, who had just felt full, also felt a little hungry.

For the past month and a half, I've been eating and drinking in the UK. While there have been some amazing dishes, most of the time I've just been casually filling my stomach. Yukino's stomach really misses the sweet seafood from her hometown.

Unconsciously, she began to miss the freshness of scallops and oysters, and the sweetness of sea urchin after its strong fishy smell. Yukino, who loved seafood, hadn't eaten any fresh seafood from Japan in a long time. She hadn't thought about those flavors, but now that the memory had been awakened, Yukino felt an itchy itch in her heart, like being scratched by a cat.

The craving from her stomach urged her on like a whip, telling her to quickly have a couple of fresh oysters with lemon juice to calm her nerves.

Yukino swallowed hard without making a sound, then turned her expectant gaze to Rumi, waiting for her to agree to go to that seafood buffet so she could set off immediately and satisfy her stomach without stopping.

Chapter 22

Inside Maugoto, a Hokkaido crab restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo, Rumi is in a state of mental breakdown.

Although the various seafood, including hairy crab, king crab, and others, flown directly from Hokkaido, greatly satisfied Rumi's stomach, the girl's wounded heart could not stop bleeding just because her appetite was satisfied.

Rumi was deeply remorseful. Why did she act so generous on the bus, saying she would cover the entire cost of the buffet, and even after Yukino asked her repeatedly, she still patted her chest and promised to take care of it?

In conclusion, studying in the US cost him nearly 40,000 yen.

Although this amount is barely manageable for someone studying in the US, it still hurts to think about it.

You should know that in the world of Chinese students in the US, a so-called buffet is a place where you can eat your fill for a few thousand yen.

Rumi had been to many buffet restaurants with Hachiman before, from ordinary sukiyaki and yakiniku to rather unusual cake buffets, Rumi had tried them all.

Putting aside the taste, the prices are quite reasonable, making it perfect for people like me who love to eat but don't want to spend too much money while studying in the US.

However, today, those who studied in the US are being misled by the accumulated experience over the years.