Chapter 122: Time Left For Yukinoshita Was Running Out
Chapter 122: Time Left For Yukinoshita Was Running Out
…
…
Himekoji didn’t drink either of them, because he wasn’t sleepy, nor was he thirsty.
…
After most of his classmates had left, Himekoji stayed behind to clean the classroom alone.
Cleaning the classroom and Hiratsuka-sensei’s home, this punishment started today.
Oh, right. And helping unclog the drain too?
…
After cleaning inside and out, Himekoji packed his bag and went to report to the Service Club.
“I’m late.”
Himekoji announced while pushing the door open.
As his eyes took in the scene, the Service Club looked just like usual. It was still that relaxing, cheerful afternoon tea setup.
Black tea with sweets, every single day.
Instead of calling it “middle class,” Himekoji felt more like calling it “corrupt.”
No surprises here—this expense would likely end up being charged to the club activity fund’s account, right?
So, after all, the true nature of the club—
was “corruption”!
…
“I’m late.”
“Are you late?”
Hearing the voice, Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly toward Himekoji at the door, her gaze cool and distant as always.
A moment later, she gave a small, meaningful smile and spoke again. “Oh, really now? For someone like you, Pervert-kun, showing up at this time could already be considered early.”
As she said this, Yukinoshita gently swept the hair resting on her shoulder aside, looking quite pleased with her own remark.
But Himekoji wasn’t pleased at all!
What the heck? Getting attacked the first thing she says?
Was that necessary?
Seriously, was there anything wrong with saying ‘I’m late’? Didn’t it just show he was being respectful?
He managed to be polite for once!
And this is the thanks he got? Merciless mockery from Yukinoshita.
Huh… Wait, why was he—a certified pervert—suddenly trying to be polite?
Was it because of Yukinoshita, who was so obsessed with formalities?
Had he unconsciously picked it up from Yukinoshita? Or rather… been unconsciously “train♂ed” by Yukinoshita?
Ugh, what am I even thinking?
Himekoji quickly shook his head.
“No, Yukino-chan! Akito was on cleaning duty today, that’s why he’s late.”
As usual, Yuigahama stepped in to explain for Himekoji.
So what were these two playing at, anyway?
Some kind of role-play?
One playing the villain, the other the hero?
Or maybe some tired old family game, with the strict father and loving mother?
Hold on—wouldn’t that make him the son?
No, no, no! That comparison was terrible! Wasn’t he just trashing himself? Seriously, calling himself Yukinoshita and Yuigahama’s son? Ridiculous!
Unless… hmm… unless he changed “strict father” to “devilish father.”
…
“Cleaning duty every day?”
Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow almost invisible, countering the point.
The emphasis of her question was obviously on the word “every.”
Himekoji was always late. And his reason couldn’t possibly be cleaning duty every single time, could it?
So, yeah, that dark mark probably couldn’t be washed clean.
Himekoji rarely even showed up at the club—rare enough to count on one hand. And the worst part was that almost every one of those few times, without exception, he arrived late…
Just like yesterday—he’d been stuck in Hiratsuka-sensei’s office forever before escaping. How long he’d been late, well, it wasn’t hard to imagine.
But even if Yukinoshita was technically right about all of it, Himekoji couldn’t just back down. At the very least, he couldn’t lose in spirit.
“That’s right! Duty every day!”
Himekoji stated boldly.
“Hm. Hiratsuka-sensei punished him with a week of cleaning duty. Punishments like that come fairly regularly.”
Hikigaya added a plain, matter-of-fact explanation.
“Oh, really? So Mr. Late here spends his entire life enduring punishment?”
As she said this, Yukinoshita gave Himekoji a faintly peculiar glance, followed by a disapproving tsk tsk and a slow shake of her head.
Wait, hold on—what was that look? That gesture? What did it even mean?!
Looking down on him? Pity? Scorn? Or maybe… sympathy?
Gah! That superior attitude of hers was seriously annoying!
See? This is exactly why Yukinoshita didn’t have a single friend!
Served her right!
Ugh, he’d been hesitant and felt a little bad earlier. But now? Himekoji was decided—
He absolutely had to make Yukinoshita experience the fear of being controlled by the “Holy Grail”!
…
Mocking and jabbing at Himekoji? For Yukinoshita, it was nothing more than a minor interlude during afternoon tea.
Yukinoshita excelled at tea ceremony, a talent she displayed flawlessly at this moment.
Yukino Yukinoshita prepared the tea. The teapot rested lightly on her fingertips, as thin as paper. Her middle finger pressed the lid, tilting it slightly. The stream of black tea flowed down smoothly and quietly.
Tender tea leaves slowly sank to the bottom of the cup, then floated up again. They drifted along the water’s flow, dancing gently—three sinks, three rises. The leaves curled slightly as if full of little wrinkles pinched together.
Steamy warmth carrying the tea’s fragrance curled upwards, framing Yukinoshita’s snow-white cheeks.
It should have presented a picture as beautiful as a painting, right?
Sadly, however, that wasn’t the case.
Because—
the cup Yukinoshita used for pouring was a disposable plastic cup. It looked cheap, awkward, and completely out of place.
This mismatched disposable plastic cup instantly ruined all the hard-earned ambiance and refinement.
Seriously, this kind of comedy born from extreme contrast…
“Pfft!”
Himekoji suddenly felt the urge to laugh. He quickly covered his mouth, but he was a step too late. A chuckle escaped through his fingers.
Hearing the noise beside her, the girl frowned in displeasure and looked at Himekoji.
“And whose fault is it that I have to use a disposable teacup?”
Of course, Yukinoshita knew exactly why Himekoji was laughing and what he was laughing at.
The exquisite, expensive tea set and the premium, top-quality tea leaves, paired with such a shabby, even downright pitiful, disposable plastic cup – the sheer contrast even made her feel awkward herself.
Especially since Yukinoshita had brewed the tea so formally and seriously, following every step meticulously, methodically, without skipping a single one.
But the more formal she was, the stronger the sense of incongruity became.
“My bad, my fault.”
To everyone’s surprise, however, Himekoji “sincerely” apologized. At the same time, he opened his school bag, pulled out a box, and presented it to her with exaggerated reverence.
“An identical cup. I had to search the whole city to find it.”
“Identical?”
Half believing, half doubting, Yukinoshita took the box. Of course, before that, the hard-to-fool Yukinoshita checked the packaging seal multiple times.
And then, the hard-to-fool Yukinoshita was, just like that, easily fooled…
The double-packaged “Holy Grail” didn’t raise the slightest suspicion in the girl.
“Eh? Let me see! Let me see!”
The ever-curious Yuigahama craned her neck forward,
“Huh? It really is exactly the same as Yukino-chan’s one from before!”
Putting a hand dramatically in front of her mouth, Yuigahama let out an exaggerated exclamation.
Yukinoshita furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly. She paused for a beat, seemingly struck by a thought, then suddenly turned and retrieved from a nearby drawer the cup Himekoji had “defiled” yesterday.
She placed the two teacups side by side. They were like mirror images.
Could they really be exactly the same?
Yukinoshita looked at Himekoji in surprise. Two cups being identical wasn’t particularly strange—no, it was actually incredibly common.
But Yukinoshita hadn’t specified any requirements for the cup, and Himekoji claimed to have searched the whole city… no, coming from this Pervert, you had to discount his words by half at least.
Which meant… he’d gone to half the city… no, several shops, just to buy an identical cup… well… could you say… “it showed some thought”?
Yukinoshita gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. Based on her matter-of-fact, reward-and-punishment personality, she felt she should recognize and commend Himekoji for this act.
And so, Yukinoshita spoke coolly:
“In that case, I shall bestow upon you this extra disposable plastic cup. Congratulations, you have been granted this honor, Pervert-kun.”
Huh? Wait! Here we go again! That supernaturally condescending tone! What is wrong with this person? She’s toxic!
Bestow? Bestow my foot!
Who wants this crappy disposable plastic cup?!
“Rest assured, I haven’t drunk from it.”
After a moment, seeing Himekoji didn’t react, Yukinoshita added this pointless extra remark.
It was unclear what reaction the girl actually wanted.
Did she expect Himekoji to fall to his knees with a thump, hold the disposable plastic cup aloft in gratitude until tears streamed down, and reverently cry out things like—
“I am honored by your Grace’s favor!”, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”, “Long live Her Majesty!”, or maybe “This humble subject is overwhelmed with awe!” something along those lines?
“No, actually, her having drunk from it would have been even better for him.”
Hikigaya suddenly interjected, perfectly voicing Himekoji’s thoughts in an instant.
“Hikigaya-kun, what did you say?”
“No, I said nothing.”
The latter, pierced by Yukinoshita’s indifferent glare, immediately backed down.
…
And so, today’s tea session proceeded as smoothly as ever.
Himekoji held his disposable teacup, his eyes surreptitiously yet fixedly watching Yukinoshita Yukino out of the corner of his vision.
The girl’s soft, cherry-colored lips gradually moved closer to the rim of the cup.
Completely unsuspecting, Yukinoshita gently took a small sip.
Nice!
Seeing the long-awaited scene finally unfold before him, Himekoji couldn’t help but tighten his fist in excitement, roaring triumphantly in his heart.
Yukinoshita, Yukinoshita! Never thought you’d have a day like this, did you?
Now, I’m just three minutes away from dominating Yukinoshita!
…
Two minutes later.
“Pervert-kun, could you please retract your malicious, indecent, and sinister gaze? I didn’t mention it earlier to spare your feelings, but it’s super gross being stared at like that by you.”
Yukinoshita clutched at her collar that wasn’t the least bit disheveled as she glared at Himekoji.
To spare his feelings?!
Wait, didn’t you just say it all?!
Himekoji was stunned. How could someone be so shameless?
And… had he really been staring?
Well… he kind of had been.
He got a bit too excited and carried away with anticipation…
He never imagined Yukinoshita would notice!
But, so what if she did? So I stared at you! So what? What, huh?! Just tell me, what?
So what if I was looking at you?!
After all, you only have sixty seconds left to act smug!
Yep, that’s right. Finally, I can say it—
Yukinoshita’s time was limited.