Chapter 339: The Dumb Guy’s Method

“…Because you were fighting so desperately back then.”

Was she talking about the School Trip?

But what did that have to do with liking dogs…

Yukinoshita kept saying things that left Himekoji Tadashi scratching his head.

“Could we please hurry up and leave?”

Even as Himekoji kept puzzling over the connection, Yukinoshita was already pushing his back to make him move.

The girl wanted to see the cats badly.

“O-okay.”

So, pushed along by Yukinoshita, the two of them soon entered the puppy exhibit area.

Big piles of cages filled the area. It was huge, like two or three pet stores all put together.

Way more people visited this exhibit than the ones before.

Clearly, dogs were popular. Man’s best friend.

Chihuahuas, Miniature Dachshunds, Shiba Inu puppies, Corgis, Poodles… Besides these well-liked small breeds, there were also famous ones like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, and Bulldogs.

Every dog on show here was a specially bred purebred.

Each one had an impressive background.

Like, some were champion winners, some were award nominees, and others even did great at international pet competitions.

All these shiny achievements were written on info boards next to the cages.

Himekoji seemed interested. He looked at each one patiently, really into it.

Yukinoshita was the exact opposite. After entering the puppy area, the girl went totally silent. So quiet, Himekoji almost worried she’d stopped breathing.

Himekoji finally noticed this. He realised they shouldn’t hang around here any longer. Leading Yukinoshita, whose face didn’t look too great right now and who was keeping close behind him, he walked straight through.

Finally, they reached the cat exhibit area.

“Phew—”

The moment they left the puppy area, Yukinoshita let out a huge sigh of relief. Her whole body seemed to recover its color and spring back to life.

“So, um, Pervert-kun, could you buy me another bottle of water?”

Yukinoshita suddenly seemed to remember something. She pulled a thousand yen bill from her bag and handed it to Himekoji.

“Huh? Didn’t we just have some?”

Himekoji felt a little confused and asked without thinking.

“Just go already. And… you can take a bit longer too.”

“…”

This sudden, unreasonable demand actually kind of felt like something a boyfriend would get from his girlfriend…

Speechless, Himekoji took the money from Yukinoshita and agreed.

He kind of felt like he was just her tour guide and errand boy right now.

Oh, right, plus her human shield back in the dog exhibit.

…

When Himekoji came back carrying two bottles of water, this is what he saw —

Yukinoshita crouched down on her knees, legs hugged close to her chest. Her eyes were curved into soft, gentle crescents as she smiled.

Himekoji had never seen Yukinoshita smile like that before. He actually felt kind of amazed.

There she was crouched, her small hand gently stroking a kitten — petting it over and over. She occasionally fiddled with the kitten’s fur. To beg and play with it, Yukinoshita even made a super cute little “meow~” sound, just loud enough to be a whisper.

Man, she really loved cats…

She smiled so naturally right in front of a cat. So why wouldn’t she smile just a little more when she wasn’t?

Seeing Yukinoshita looking totally lost in such bliss, Himekoji felt bad calling out to her.

He finally got why she’d sent him to buy water earlier. It was probably because Yukinoshita wasn’t comfortable letting people see this side of herself?

Maybe that was also why she insisted on coming to the exhibition alone, splitting up from Yuigahama and the others.

Himekoji was just about to quietly turn around and find some random place to sit down and wait. But right then, the kitten Yukinoshita was petting suddenly turned its head and looked over at him.

Yukinoshita noticed and followed the kitten’s gaze.

The moment her eyes landed on Himekoji, that smile vanished from her face. Melted away like ice.

“That fast?”

Her eyebrows slightly furrowed. There was no doubt — she totally looked like she was finding him a disappointing “quick guy.”

Himekoji suddenly felt like an arrow had pierced his heart. He felt very wounded.

“Sorry.”

Coming back too quickly, really sorry about that!

Yukinoshita reluctantly stroked the kitten one final time. Mouthed a silent “meow” toward it. Only then did she stand up.

“Actually… you could’ve just kept at it. I was actually thinking of looking around the other exhibits.”

Himekoji, having ruined her wonderful moment, tried to make up for it.

But Yukinoshita refused.

“No. Let’s go. The raffle should be starting soon.”

So she’d still been thinking about that all along.

“Yeah, true.”

…

They were waiting at the raffle spot for it to start when Yukinoshita’s phone rang.

It was Yuigahama calling. Still worried she might get lost.

Only then did Yukinoshita remember she hadn’t even let them know she was fine.

“Yeah, yeah. No need to worry. All good now.”

The girl picked up and spoke a few words. Then, she suddenly glanced over at Himekoji.

“Found my way back now, yeah… I’m with Pervert-kun right now.”

“Huh? Huh?! Yukino-chan is with Akito? How’d you two end up together? What are you guys doing together?”

“A date?”

Hearing Yukinoshita give that answer, even Himekoji beside her was shocked for a moment.

He’d barely managed to snap out of it when Yukinoshita already hung up.

“Why did you have to say we were on a date…?”

Himekoji suddenly got the feeling he’d landed himself in big trouble.

“But isn’t it though?”

Right then, Yukinoshita got strangely serious and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Well… it’s really true. You just cannot lie at all.”

Himekoji rubbed his forehead and sighed.

…

“Yukino-chan and Akito were dating?! How could that be?!”

Yuigahama put down her phone, still shocked.

“It’s not really that shocking.”

Meanwhile, Hikigaya looked completely calm.

“Dating! They’re dating! And it’s Akito and Yukino-chan! How are you not surprised?”

Yuigahama couldn’t understand Hikigaya’s thought process.

“That sounds exactly like something Yukinoshita would do, right? If it’s part of the request.”

“The request?”

“Mhm. Aoyama’s request.”

After a pause, Hikigaya continued.

“It all makes sense now. Yukinoshita always gives her all for a request. That’s natural.”

“But what does it have to do with the request?”

Yuigahama still didn’t get it.

“At least it’s useful experience.”

Hikigaya gave a simple explanation.

“Huh? Experience?”

Hearing this, Yuigahama shivered.

Then, as if ashamed, she lowered her head.

“Yukino-chan is so selfless… Compared to her, I’m so rotten.”

“Rotten?”

This time, Hikigaya didn’t understand.

“Yeah. Super rotten.”

“What are you talking about? After finding out who Aoyama really likes, you threw yourself into helping her. You’re the same as Yukinoshita—both hopelessly nice people I can’t understand. How could that be rotten?”

“That’s exactly why it is.”

Yuigahama slowly raised her hands to cover her face.

“Haven’t you all called me stupid? I really am dumb. Anything I do, I fail over and over before finally succeeding. Love is definitely the same. But with love… liking someone… once you confess and fail, you usually never get a second chance, right? So… I can’t afford a bunch of trial-and-error attempts. My chance comes only once. I need to make my move when I’m sure it’ll work…”

“Wait, you mean…”

Hikigaya, who hadn’t blinked at the news of Yukinoshita and Himekoji dating, now finally looked shocked.

His Dead Fish Eyes stared at her in disbelief, as if seeing her for the first time.

This dumpling head he always thought was a fool.

“Yeah. I helped Nanami… but I used Nanami too…”

“Of course I really want her to succeed!”

“But if… just if… she fails… I’d learn from what she did and try myself.”

“Yukino-chan was willing to gain experience for Nanami. But I wanted to make Nanami my experience…”

“So rotten. I’m really rotten…”

“But I can’t help it! It’s ’cause I’m stupid!”

“I can only use stupid methods!”

“…Even if it’s rotten.”

“I’m scared… scared that even my wish for Nanami’s happiness… might be fake.”

Suddenly, without warning, the girl’s emotions burst. Big drops of tears welled up and rolled down.

She had an urge to cry. Had an urge to cry. Had an urge to cry.

Couldn’t hold back. Couldn’t fight it. Couldn’t stop it.

Yuigahama wept in front of Hikigaya.

They say fools hide their feelings deep inside.

But for the first time, she laid hers bare.

Because she was a fool, she chose a fool’s method.

Truly foolish.

“No, this has nothing to do with being rotten.”

Stepping forward, Hikigaya patted Yuigahama’s head gently.

“Feelings aren’t a matter of ‘rotten’ or not. Besides, you really did help Nanami. You didn’t get in her way, didn’t trick her… You’ve done great, Yuigahama. Just go the way you think is right.”

“Hang in there.”

…