Chapter 6 – A Long-Awaited Return to the Service Club
Hikigaya deliberately waited a while before dealing with Yukinoshita's situation.
It was his way of reminding Yukinoshita Haruno.
The timing was about right now—he could go and check in.
The next day, Hikigaya arrived at school as usual, spent an uneventful day in class, and then headed toward a place he hadn't visited in quite some time: the Special Building.
Although it had been a while, the place hadn't changed much.
The closer he got to the Service Club, the quieter it became.
He stopped in front of the Service Club's door.
A normal person might think it was silent here, but Hikigaya could hear the sound of breathing from inside.
The rhythm of that breathing gave away the owner's state of mind.
Uneasiness and fear—this person was in a state of extreme helplessness.
It made sense.
Overnight, her family had crumbled. Strictly speaking, someone had even died.
Although not entirely gone, which could be considered the one and only consolation.
But the fact that not everyone died didn't mean nothing had happened.
And if Hikigaya's information was correct, Yukinoshita Yukino hadn't seen her family in quite some time.
She was now like a fledgling bird, wings not yet fully formed, trapped in helplessness and loneliness.
Knock, knock...
Hikigaya rapped on the door.
There was no reply, but the breathing inside grew faster.
Pushing the door open, he walked in.
It seemed that ever since he stopped coming here, fewer people had as well. Even the dumpling girl who used to be so close to this girl in his original world wasn't here.
This world apparently did possess some kind of corrective force.
Despite the absence of Hikigaya Hachiman's influence, Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui had still become close friends—God only knew how that had happened.
Hikigaya walked toward the window.
The person he was looking for was sitting there with her back to him, all alone, body leaning against the window sill.
Her delicate face looked dazed and haggard, staring blankly out the window with empty, unfocused eyes.
She held a book in her hands, but it just lay flat on her lap.
Her once-elegant posture was completely gone.
Even when someone entered the room, she didn't turn to look. The wind flipped a corner of her skirt, revealing the pure white triangle of her undergarments—completely unguarded before Hikigaya's eyes.
Seen this way, she almost looked like a life-sized love doll...
How pitiful.
Hikigaya stepped in front of Yukino, blocking the sunlight.
Her slender brows twitched slightly, as if sensing that the warmth of the sun had left her. Her drifting thoughts were finally slowly pulled back.
Before long, her eyes regained focus.
"You've been sitting here dazed all day?"
Hikigaya crouched in front of her.
Seeing she still didn't respond—like she hadn't fully returned to herself—he sighed softly and reached out to adjust her skirt.
"A girl should have some modesty," he added.
This time, there was a reaction.
Yukino lowered her head, her glossy black hair slipping down her shoulders. S<
he calmly looked at Hikigaya, who was gazing up at her.
Her lips parted slightly but didn't form any words.
She didn't seem to care at all that a boy had just adjusted her skirt.
Hikigaya noticed that her lips were already cracked.
After a moment, Yukino finally spoke—but her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"Is it you…"
"Hm?"
"My father's situation…"
Ah, so that's what she was asking about.
That was something Hikigaya could answer with a clear conscience. However...
Telling someone whose father had just died that it was basically his own fault—yeah, that would be pretty harsh.
"I'm not sure why you're asking me, but this has nothing to do with me. If you want the details, you should ask your sister."
As he spoke, Hikigaya reached out and took Yukino's hand.
Life flowed into her like a gentle stream, filling her dried-out body with energy.
This girl had probably gone without food for days.
Not because she couldn't afford it—her mother was still alive, and her maternal family still existed.
She hadn't fallen into such dire straits.
More likely, it was the emotional toll of her father's death—she had no appetite whatsoever.
Even with the memory of his past world, Hikigaya could already tell from past interactions—Yukinoshita Yukino was the classic "sharp tongue, soft heart" type.
Always appearing aloof and cold, but once someone like that broke, it was very hard for them to stand back up on their own.
In fact, if Hikigaya had come any later, she might've been in real danger.
Her body was already in a state of serious exhaustion.
For some reason, though, it wasn't visible from the outside.
Humans were sometimes more mysterious than gods—no wonder monsters like God Slayers existed.
"Growl…"
Yukino's stomach let out a sound.
That wasn't just hunger—it meant her body functions were beginning to recover, responding as they should.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat."
Hikigaya pulled her up.
Maybe because she'd been sitting too long, Yukino immediately lost her balance as she tried to stand.
If she managed to get up at all, it was entirely due to Hikigaya's support.
Naturally, he didn't let her fall. With a slight shift of his body, he caught her and then, with a princess-carry motion, lifted her into his arms.
Even lighter than he'd imagined…
"N-No…" A blush bloomed on Yukino's pale face as she weakly struggled. "I can…"
"Yeah, you can tell yourself that all you want. Like hell I'm believing it," Hikigaya mocked, carrying her toward the door.
Girls getting embarrassed was normal. Hikigaya wasn't about to argue with a kid. Yep, that's the mature way to see it.
Still, the Yukinoshita Yukino he remembered was the kind of girl with a weird temper.
Just in case she ended up feeling so humiliated that she spiraled into something like "Dear God of Isekai, let me travel and become overpowered," he decided to gently activate his Uncle Aura once more to calm things down.
Come to think of it, even though it wasn't quite the Fool's Aura, having the ability to cloud perception was pretty handy.
Whether it was Hou Yi or Di Jun, they had all fallen for such tricks.
One used it to steal; the other to hide.
As soon as they stepped outside, Yukino buried her head in Hikigaya's arms, not daring to look at anyone.
She barely had any strength left, and yet she still managed to pull off that high-difficulty move.