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

"You're too cruel!" Hachiman looked at his hand and saw that the wound on his hand was still bleeding.

Does it hurt? Yukino looked at it with heartache, then put Hachiman's hand into her mouth and sucked on it.

What do you think? I didn't see you using so much force when you were eating steak. Are you trying to tear a piece of meat off me?

I heard that human flesh is as tender as veal! The girl smiled with her eyes narrowed, a smile that sent a chill down Hachiman's spine.

You've changed so much in the last few months, I'm starting to suspect you actually have three daughters. (Hachiman and Yukino are joking.)

"What? It seems you really liked the old me? Well then, I'll grant your wish, okay?" Yukino said in a joking tone after thinking for a moment, resting her chin on her hand.

No, please don't! If I could bear to see you like that, I would beat you eight times a day.

Do you know how hurtful your words can be? If I hadn't been used to being disliked since I was a child, any other person would have been driven to the point of jumping off a building.

Hachiman looked like he was still shaken.

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Yukino frowned, her pretty eyebrows furrowed, and said with some displeasure.

Ah, looking back now, I realize I've truly lived a tenacious life.

Hachiman seemed to be sighing over something, looking up at a 45-degree angle.

Hmm~ I've finished watching it~ Yukino is so cute~ Yui handed her phone to Hachiman, but Yukino snatched it away and deleted the video.

Oh dear, why did you delete it? It's such a waste.

Yui said regretfully, quite surprised as she had never seen Yukino like this before.

I thought Xiaoxue would remain cold and aloof even after she and Xiaoqi became a couple, and I was wondering why Xiaoqi was acting so strangely.

Turns out I was wrong; Xiaoxue is even braver than me.

Yui leaned close to Yukino and said with a teasing expression.

Um... could you meow again, like that?

Her eyes were shining; Yui seemed to be very expectant.

Meow~ Yukino complied for some reason, coldly mimicking Yui's expression before speaking to her.

Yuihama-san, you'd better forget everything that just happened, otherwise...

Yukino threatened Yui fiercely.

Dango was so frightened that she whimpered. Dango trembled and quickly hugged Hachiman's arm for comfort.

Ouch! Hachiman gasped as Yui's movements accidentally touched his wound, and he showed his injured hand to his pet with a pained expression.

Could you be a little gentler? I'm injured right now.

As he grumbled, he noticed his wound was bleeding again. Hachiman rolled his eyes and could only accept his bad luck.

Who told me to suddenly lose my mind and insist on showing Yukino's embarrassing past to Yui?

It was already a miracle that he wasn't killed by the enraged Yukino; Hachiman felt that his mere right hand was nothing to fear.

Oh dear, what happened to Xiaoqi? Did she get bitten by a dog? Should she get vaccinated right away?

Yui spoke with great concern, but failed to notice that Yukino's expression was somewhat unwell.

Yui, aren't you looking at it too intently? With a gentle smile, Yukino's teeth still had a few traces of blood, seemingly from licking Hachiman's wounds earlier.

This is my punishment for Hachiman, so he definitely doesn't need a rabies vaccine.

Ah...Is that so...? Yui cowered behind Hachiman and took a small home first-aid kit out of her bag.

How did you even prepare this? Hachiman seriously suspected that the Yui in front of him had been switched.

My mom prepared it. She said I'm always clumsy and easily hurt myself, so she wants me to carry it with me.

As Yui spoke, she used an alcohol swab to disinfect Hachiman, causing his hand to tremble uncontrollably.

"Does it hurt?" Yui asked softly, her voice gentle, as if afraid that her voice would frighten Hachiman's wound.

Fortunately.

He calmly watched as Yui treated his wounds, finally wrapping the bandage around several times and tying it into a pretty bow.

Try it; it shouldn't affect the activity.

Hachiman moved as Yui had instructed and found that he did not feel any discomfort. He then patted and rubbed Yui's head. The comfortable girl squinted her eyes and rubbed her head against Hachiman's palm.

Xiaoxue is really generous; I wouldn't have done that if I saw it.

Tch~ Sometimes you can't spoil him too much. This guy is a classic example of someone who takes advantage of kindness. If you're nice to him, he loses his bearings and forgets who he is.

Yukino was sharing her experience on how to manage Hachiman with Yui, which made him frown.

She silently prayed that Yui, who was gentle, considerate, understanding, and very obedient, would never go astray.

Hachiman looked at his hand, which was tied in a bow, and felt like crying.

Chapter Eighty-Six: Unexpected Changes

So, have you made up your mind? Hachiman looked at Hobe, who had just finished class and followed him and Yui to the Service Club. He put his schoolbag next to the chair, and when he realized that Yukino hadn't arrived yet, he moved a chair for Hobe and then sat down himself.

Let's wait until Yukino arrives before you share your thoughts.

The Minister of Revenue sat somewhat awkwardly, but even so, he didn't forget to fuss over his unique hairstyle, as if he wanted to pull his hairline back to the back of his head.

"Ano~ Hikigaya-kun, can I ask you a question?" Sitting in the chair, Tobe's eyes were somewhat unfocused, and it was clear that he was a little nervous.

Asking is fine, but whether I'll answer you is another matter.

Hachiman adjusted his posture in the chair and lazily spoke to Tobe.

What's this all about...?

If you have something to ask, hurry up, otherwise I don't even want to hear it.

Hachiman didn't care about Tobe's dissatisfaction at all; instead, he was wondering why Yukino hadn't come to the clubroom yet. After all, Yukino was usually already brewing black tea when Hachiman arrived with Yui.

Um... I wanted to ask how you managed to win over Yukinoshita. After all, given her personality, many of us guys thought she was impossible to win over, so we were really curious about how you did it.

The Minister of Revenue said this with a curious expression on his face.

Even if you ask him, he won't tell you, because you simply can't do the same thing as him.

Hachiman was about to speak when he was interrupted by a cold female voice.

Sorry I'm late. I discovered yesterday that there was no tea in the department, and I forgot to bring any this morning, so I had to have someone deliver it. I just received a call and went down to pick it up, which is why I'm a little late.

With a hint of apology on her face, the girl put down her bag, took out the tea leaves, and went to the side to get busy.

Ugh... Tobe was extremely upset by Yukino's words, but as one of the parties involved, there was nothing he could do if Yukino didn't want to answer his question. He could only watch Yukino's busy back with great frustration.

Give.

Yukino handed a disposable paper cup filled with black tea to Hobe and sat down in her seat.

What were you just saying? Why are you mentioning me?

Yukino chewed on a cookie and blinked as she asked.

It's nothing, it's just that Kebu said he's made up his mind to pursue Ebina, so he wanted to ask for my experience.

Hachiman rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that he had no experience whatsoever. If you had a good impression from the start, you could have been like me.

"Have you made a decision? But have you thought about what if she refuses?" Yukino asked with interest.

You need to understand that if you fail, it's not just a simple matter of being rejected.

Even if you find an empty place to confess your feelings, it will still spread inexplicably and you might even be ridiculed.

Yukino said this, trying to dissuade Tobe from his idea.

Even though that's how it is, I still want to give it a try. After all, I wouldn't be willing to let my three years of high school pass by in a daze.

The Minister of Revenue touched his receding hairline and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Besides, it's not like anything is certain, is it? Although Ebina said she didn't want to be in a relationship, what if she suddenly changes her mind? That's uncertain, isn't it? At this moment, Hobe looked like he was going through puberty, his face flushed as he spoke.

Hey, you seem to be having some kind of delusional idea.

Moreover, this is practically saying, "I'll come back and marry you after this war is over."

Hachiman looked helplessly at Tobe, who had already set a death flag.

No... the more you think that way, the worse the outcome will be. You should prepare for the worst from the very beginning.

Hachiman advised him that, as a pessimist, he did not think about the joy of success before doing anything.

Instead, they often think about what the biggest harm their next actions will bring to themselves.

This mindset brought Hachiman many benefits. First, after careful consideration, Hachiman could confidently do what he wanted to do, because he had already prepared for the worst possible outcome.

And even if they fail, they won't wallow in self-pity like others.

Yeah, someone confessed to someone in middle school, and as a result, he was laughed at for the rest of his life, and all the girls avoided him like the plague.

Yukino glanced at Hachiman sideways.

Hachiman pouted, not wanting to bring up those unbearable past events again. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that he really had a lot of dark history.

I definitely wouldn't do that. Even if I were rejected, I'm sure I wouldn't be looked down upon. The Ministry of Revenue waved his hand, completely unconcerned.

This guy is totally acting like he's celebrating youth...

Okay, since you're so determined, we can't very well refuse.

So your request is to help you pursue Ebina-kun, right? Yukino asked Hobe.

Yes, I want your help when I'm pursuing her.

The Ministry of Revenue nodded, which was considered a formal request to Yukino.

So when do you plan to start? Otherwise, we might not have time to help you.

I've already decided. I'll feel much more at ease if you guys and Hayama are with me on the school trip. Even if I get rejected, there's nothing I can do about it. After all, it's a setback that we all have to experience in our youth.

After delivering his declaration of youth, Keibe bowed to the three of them and left the clubroom. Hachiman and Yukino waited silently for Ebina's arrival.

But for some reason, perhaps because the butterfly finally began to flap its wings, Ebina Hina, who was supposed to arrive at the Service Department shortly after Tobe left, did not appear.

What's going on? Yukino was puzzled.