Hikigaya, the Son-in-law of Three Surnames

"Um, Ms. Miura, the director is looking for you." Someone came over and shouted, but it was not from the news department.

Seeing this, Yumiko frowned and went to the director's office. About ten minutes later, Yumiko came out expressionlessly. A young girl named Arai Misaki was standing not far away. She smiled and said, "Please give me more advice in the future, Senior Miura."

It's nothing more than the godfather coming forward and asking Youmiko to give face to the young people so that they have more "development opportunities".

"Let me advise you that being a host is not an easy job," said Youmiko.

"It's okay. I'm still so young. If I did something wrong, wouldn't you be more understanding of me?" said Misaki Arai with a smile.

Yumiko left with a gloomy face without saying a word. When she reached an empty corner, she kicked the poor trash can open.

I'm really angry, whether it's the idiot Hayato, or the little girl who is always eager to take advantage of her youth to get ahead.

Forget it, find someone to vent to.

Then she called home, and before the other party could say anything, she shouted, "Hikigaya Hachiman! If I go back tonight and don't see you clean up the house, I will..."

Before she could finish her words, she heard a familiar female voice saying, "So what should I do, you stupid daughter? Go home now."

Really, so angry.

Chapter 5: Boyfriend for Rent

Yumiko hurried back to the apartment. Originally, her duty was to wait until the news was broadcast before leaving get off work, but this was just to be on the safe side. Generally speaking, she could go back home after recording the show unless there were any major problems. However, the fact that Yumiko left early still surprised her colleagues.

Before she even entered the door, she smelled an appetizing aroma of meat. As soon as she took off her shoes and entered the porch, she heard her mother's voice talking to someone.

"Ah, I didn't expect that Hikigaya-kun is so young and has a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. That's amazing. Unlike my stupid daughter, who could barely graduate from college and has to rely on her looks to get a job. That look is inherited from me, eh."

A mother is worthy of being a mother. Her ability to touch people's hearts is absolutely first-class. Youmiko's blood pressure rose.

"How could that be? Although I don't know much about the traditional media industry, Yumiko is already a leader among her peers at such a young age and can be a host." Hachiman said in a gentle voice, with a bit of magnetism in his vicissitudes of life, which easily makes people like him.

Youmiko complained, "Why do you have to sound so dumb? You sound like you're dying when you talk to me."

"Haha, it's just a job for the youth. Your success now is all thanks to that young face. If you can survive after you turn 30 and stay here, you can talk about it later." Yumiko's mother said with a sneer.

Yumiko couldn't help it any longer. After changing her shoes, she walked into the living room and said, "Mom, did you tell me not to worry about my career plan? I know what I want to do."

Yumiko's mother paused and said, "Ah, my busy man is back. I was thinking of saving some food for you."

"And you and Hikigaya are having dinner together?" Yumiko taunted.

"It's good, isn't it? Hikigaya-kun speaks nicely, and he's better behaved than my silly daughter who only makes people angry when she opens her mouth." Yumiko's mother gently looked towards Hachiman, who showed a "shy" smile.

Yumiko: “..............”

With a snap, she expressed her dissatisfaction with silence, closed the door and changed her clothes.

Yumiko's mother seemed to be accustomed to her daughter's bad temper, and continued to prepare tonight's feast in the kitchen with Hachiman. She was the main person in charge and Hachiman was helping her, and they did it quite smoothly.

At this time, Youmiko changed into cool home clothes and came out, a sky blue printed short shirt and white denim hot pants. The hot pants only reached her thighs, revealing her long, white and crystal legs. Her pink toenails were painted with sparkling gold powder, which made her look both fashionable and charming.

Yumiko ignored the two people in the kitchen and just trimmed her toenails silently on the sofa, but she couldn't help but prick up her ears to eavesdrop.

"Come to think of it, I've never seen any other man around Yumiko except Hayato over the years. Alas, but Hayato is about to get married, so I'm too lazy to talk about it... Oh, sorry, you don't mind, I hope." Yumiko's mother said softly. After all, this was like talking about a past lover in front of her daughter's current boyfriend.

"How could that be? I've been abroad before. Isn't it normal that someone would like such an outstanding girl like Yumiko? What's more, I'm the winner now." Hachiman said with a little complacency.

"Oh my, child, you really are too broad-minded." Youmeko's mother said with satisfaction. Haha, who can tell whether the slip of the tongue was intentional or not.

Youmiko, who was sitting on the sofa, couldn't help rolling her eyes. It was said that this person's ability to say different things to different people was too strong. What a PhD from a prestigious university, what a generous current boyfriend, he really had a set of ways to create his own character.

Yumiko raised her head and accidentally met Hachiman's eyes. For some reason, she suddenly felt a little flustered, as if she remembered that he bit her ear when they were emotional last night. She couldn't help but turn her head away and said indignantly, "Hypocrisy."

Yumiko's mother didn't seem to notice the interaction between the two. After lightly tasting the potatoes in the pot, she said, "Hmm, I didn't realize that Hikigaya-kun is good at seasoning. This potato beef is a little different from what we usually cook. The flavor is stronger."

Youmiko was a little surprised after hearing this. Although her mother did not have a formal chef certificate, her cooking skills were well-known and no worse than those of other chefs. To be praised by her, it was a rare achievement.

"Well, when I was studying abroad, my neighbor happened to be a chef, and this dish was just short of rosemary. Unfortunately, I don't use it in my daily cooking at home in China." Hachiman said.

"I remember there is an international supermarket nearby. Let Yumiko take you there." Yumiko's mother blinked her eyes and almost printed the word "assist" on her face.

But Yumiko couldn't help but say, "It won't kill you if it has less flavor, so that's enough."

For a stomach that has been ruined by the workplace, it actually doesn’t matter to her what she eats. Once when she was shooting on location and there was no hot water, she even ate instant noodles for a whole day. What rosemary? How pretentious.

The mama-san was so angry that she almost slapped her stupid daughter to death and stuffed her back into her stomach. However, she was her mother after all, and it was not easy for her to deal with her daughter. She brought up a lot of negative information about her.

"Hikigaya-kun, I'll tell you a secret. In fact, Yumiko still peed when she was in the second grade of junior high school..."

Before he could finish his words, Yumiko silently walked to Hachiman, covered his ears, and pushed him out of the entrance with a blushing face.

There was also a mocking voice behind him: "Tsk, you little brat."

I'm really angry.

But there was really nothing he could do about her. After all, she was his own mother. He could only endure the burst blood vessels.

The two of them got off the elevator in silence, and Hachiman took the initiative to say, "Thank you for your hard work."

Youmiko was stunned for a moment, pursed her lips and said, "Are you teasing me?"

"At least I am aware that I am just eating for free. Isn't it normal to say a few good words to those who hold financial power?" Hachiman said with a smile.

But Yumiko frowned slightly: "Do you have to say everything so coldly?"

I don't really consider him as an employee, well, although his current status is indeed a boyfriend for rent.

"But it's true, isn't it?" Hachiman said calmly as he walked.

"I'm tired from work and don't want to hear this, okay?" Youmei Zi said to herself.

"Of course, after all, eh." You're the employer.

But if he said it out loud, Youmiko would get angry again. In this regard, he was quite competent.

But Youmiko felt a little dissatisfied for some reason. Did this guy have to draw that line so clearly?

Walking out of the community slowly, Youmiko changed the subject and said, "By the way, those PhDs and overseas classmates you just told my mother about, are they true?"

Hachiman looked at her, blinked his big, pure eyes, and said, "Of course, I lied to her. I have never been abroad."

So please don't admit as a matter of course that you were cheating on her mother in front of her daughter, okay?

Chapter 6 Scarborough Fair

Although she knew that Hachiman was lying to her mother, she was the one who started it after all. It was she who asked Hachiman to act as her boyfriend to deal with her parents.

In fact, her situation is a little different from the usual ones where parents urge them to get married and find a boyfriend for rent. This is mainly because she has been tied to Hayato for too long, or in other words, she is too devoted to him, which forces her parents to treat Hayato as half a son-in-law.

Her father had advised her at the beginning that it was okay to like someone but she shouldn't lose herself. Unfortunately, she didn't listen at the time. To be honest, half of her current situation was her own fault.

Therefore, when the news came that Hayato was going to get married, her parents did not urge her to get married, but were more worried about her mental state.

In fact, she thought she was a pretty good person, except for the fact that she was upset yesterday and wanted to find someone to vent her feelings. Then she met Hachiman. After all, he was a classmate, so it was easier for her to accept him than a stranger. Although she regretted it halfway, it turned out that this guy was obviously not a good person, so she was pushed into bed by him.

Well, I’m already 25 years old. If I don’t try, I’m going to become an old maid, Yumiko thought.

Inside the supermarket, she followed behind Hachiman and watched him carefully select spices.

"I say, since you said you were lying, then where did you learn cooking skills?" Yumiko said.

Hachiman carefully picked through the pile of nutmegs and said, "As long as you travel far enough, you will naturally meet all kinds of strange people, and they will occasionally teach you many strange skills."

"He's just a homeless man?" Youmiko said curiously.

Hachiman looked up at him and murmured in dissatisfaction, "I say, don't keep calling me a homeless person. Although I looked quite disheveled when I met you last night, I'm not always that disheveled, okay? Besides, in a country with well-developed public transportation, if you just want to travel around, it doesn't cost much at all. Many people attach too much meaning to long journeys, but in essence, it's no different from walking around the park downstairs."

Yumiko said jokingly: "It's not just money that is the cost. For most people, time is the most expensive cost. Of course, you are not included."

For example, Yumiko herself has said many times that she wants to go to the European town of Florence to be a petty bourgeoisie female intellectual. She has money, but she lacks time. There are always too many worldly troubles that prevent her from traveling. She goes on a trip for a month? Believe it or not, when she comes back, Misaki Arai will be brave enough to replace her as a new female host. It's not as easy as he said.

Only someone like Hachiman, who "gave up on himself" at a young age and is alone, can speak without any pain in his waist.

Hachiman usually just tells others his ideas, and he doesn't argue whether the other party accepts them or not. This is a habit he formed after traveling to many places.

Seeing that he didn't refute, Youmiko felt a little bored. After all, she was still a little jealous of his lifestyle, so she asked, "You haven't told me yet, who taught you this cooking skill?"

Hachiman pulled out a convenient bag and put the nutmeg he had chosen into it. Seeing that Yumiko was not giving up, there was nothing to say: "I learned it from a girl. The girl seemed to be a chef in a Michelin restaurant in Europe. She came to Neon to look for inspiration. She happened to meet me in the sea of ​​trees at the foot of Mount Fuji, and then we secretly climbed to the top of Mount Fuji. It was December at that time."

Yumiko's eyes widened. "You two are lucky not to have fallen to your death."

Generally speaking, Mount Fuji is only open for a few months in the summer. It is too dangerous at other times, not to mention winter.

"Well, I was really lucky. I didn't encounter any rainstorms or snowstorms on the way. After that, I traveled with her for a few months and learned a little bit." Hachiman said.

Yumiko thought about it for a moment, then said with a strange expression, "Didn't anything happen between you two?"

It's not that she is suspicious, but based on Hachiman's bad behavior towards her, and the fact that foreigners are more open-minded, she can't help but think of something wrong.

Hachiman's expression also started to look strange: "When she was on the top of Mount Fuji, the sun was just rising, and we were both very excited. She asked me if I wanted to have sex with her here..."

"You agreed?!" Youyouko said in shock. These two guys are too bold. That's the National Mountain.

"No, it was freezing cold at that time, and I don't have Maomei's talent for resisting the cold. And then she never mentioned it again. Anyway, we were both very happy when we broke up, and we didn't have to do that. You seem to have a lot of misunderstandings about me." Hachiman argued for his image.

"Ah, what a pity." Yumiko said with some pleasure.

"I didn't think so when we broke up, but now that you mention it, it does make some sense. That guy is quite good-looking." Hachiman shrugged again.

Yumiko curled her lips and followed him to the place where rosemary was sold.

Seeing that her face was indeed a little haggard, Hachiman said, "I say, you are so tired every day, your nerves are so tense, you will age quickly."

This sentence touched Yumiko's heart. Yumiko looked at the mirror hanging on the load-bearing column of the supermarket. Although she was still the bright and charming female anchor, she had to use skin care products to cover up her skin problems, and the bags under her eyes were bigger than when she was a student. This was the price of growing up in the workplace. Even with all her crazy efforts, she was able to maintain her beauty now, which was already a natural beauty.

It was rare that Yumiko didn't refute, so Hachiman said, "Do you know what the background music is playing now?"

"I've heard of 'Scarborough Fair' before," Yumiko said a little bored.

*Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

*Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

*Remember to give my regards to the person who lives there

Hachiman picked up a sprig of rosemary, then looked at her and said, "Let me teach you a way to relieve stress."

He held the strip of plant in both hands, then put his hands on his nose and took a deep breath, as if he was taking illegal drugs.

When he was done, he handed her another sprig of rosemary, as if asking her to try it.

"No, no way. What kind of weird method is this? " Youyouko resisted instinctively, but could not resist Hachiman's gaze. She finally took the rosemary and imitated him. She put the spice in her hand and took a deep breath. The unique rich pine scent of rosemary instantly rushed into her nostrils, and then she heard Hachiman say.

"Don't open your eyes. Keep them closed. Do you smell the strong scent of pine?"

Unconsciously, Yumiko followed Hachiman. Rosemary had a calming effect, so it made her feel a little more comfortable.

“You imagine yourself picking this fresh rosemary, and next to it is a fallen, moss-covered dead tree…”

Hachiman guided her step by step, deliberately making her imagine the picture.

"Not far away, there is a green grassland dotted with scattered snowflakes. There is a deer, its smart eyes staring at you from a distance, it is a little wary..."

"Further away, there is a lush pine coniferous forest. In summer, you would go in there to pick some fruits, but now it is winter, you can only watch from afar. Further away, there are endless mountains, which are both sacred and desolate..."

* She was the girl I loved deeply

*Tell her to make me a burlap dress

*On a mountain deep in the green forest

*Coriander, sage, rosemary and thyme

Chapter 7 Spicy Duck

The two left the international supermarket, still holding a large convenience bag in their hands. Yumiko's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she couldn't help covering her face.

"It's so embarrassing. Luckily the cashier didn't recognize me, otherwise I would have quit this neighborhood and moved out immediately."

Because she was holding the rosemary, which was still a commercial product, and sniffed it hard, with an intoxicated expression on her face, when she opened her eyes, she saw the supermarket staff looking at her unkindly. At some point, the guy who started it all stood far away, as if to say that he didn't know her.

Youmiko was so embarrassed that she almost burst into tears. In the end, she could only grab nearly a pound of rosemary to pay the bill. This kind of thing was only charged by two pieces for normal use.

"Don't worry, the influence of the female host of the TV station is not as great as you think." Hachiman comforted.

"Thank you so much." Don't say you can't speak, or say you did it on purpose. It's obvious to Yumiko that you did it on purpose.

"You're welcome. Look, your mental state is better now, so my stress relief method is still useful." Hachiman boasted.

I was mad at you... Well, I wouldn't say that. Although it was embarrassing to be stared at by the staff, those few minutes of immersion in the fantasy of the mountains and grasslands did give her a wonderful sense of relaxation.

"There are still a lot. You will definitely not use it up in cooking. You can try it yourself occasionally." Hachiman pulled the big bag of rosemary, and Yumiko gave him a good-looking look.

Yumiko didn't bother to pay attention to him. She always felt that he was mocking her. But after thinking about it, she asked, "I say, do you usually lie to girls like this?"

Hachiman had to maintain his image again: "How can you say it's a lie? They took me home voluntarily."