Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

Nighttime.

"Oni-chan, how about we take a bath together tonight?"

"???"

Hachiman, engrossed in his book, nearly choked on Komachi's sudden suggestion.

"Stop joking around! How old are we now? That's something we did when we were kids!"

Back then, they did often bathe together.

"Hehe, don't you want to?"

"Hmph, how could I possibly be interested in my own sister now?!"

"Oh~ really~?"

"Of course!!"

Glancing briefly at his little sister, whose figure was surprisingly well-developed, Hachiman firmly shook his head and replied with conviction.

"If you come in, I'd really be okay with it, you know! The door is open~!"

Giggling mischievously, Komachi grabbed her clothes and darted into the bathroom.

"Huh?"

Hachiman froze in place.

Was she serious? Or just teasing him?

Staring at the bathroom door, Hachiman quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Ahem! Komachi is just being her usual devilish self. I'm overthinking things!"

---

Elsewhere.

Yukinoshita had just finished her bath and was lounging on her large bed, a book in hand.

Her face was flushed, her mood visibly cheerful.

A few minutes earlier, she had called Hachiman and finalized their plans for a date tomorrow.

"Hehe, it's finally my turn! Time to properly pamper Hachiman and bring down his corruption points!"

Tomorrow would be her moment to shine!

She pondered how best to treat her beloved husband. Yes, she had to give it her all and ensure Hachiman felt well cared for.

As his official girlfriend, she couldn't afford to be overshadowed by the other clingy girls. That would be humiliating.

Just as Yukinoshita was strategizing her approach, a familiar voice chimed in her mind.

[Ding! Task detected. Kawasaki Saki no longer wishes to continue a purely platonic friendship with Hikigaya Hachiman. A new husband-related task has been activated.]

[Task: The host must ensure Kawasaki Saki reconnects with Hikigaya Hachiman and takes another step forward. Ultimately, she must develop a long-lasting, positive relationship with him.]

[Reward: 700 points]

[Time Limit: Three days]

"???"

Yukinoshita's eye twitched at the abrupt interruption.

This troublesome system!

Couldn't it pick a better time to chime in?

She wanted to yell at it but, as a refined lady, she held back.

"Hmph, even without your stupid tasks, I'd help maintain their friendship. Ahem... for the points, of course, to save Hachiman! Not because I enjoy it or anything!"

[The host's sense of duty to fulfill tasks is commendable. The system looks forward to your performance.]

"What do you mean by 'commendable'?! I'm only doing this for the points!"

The system fell silent, ignoring her complaints.

Yukinoshita huffed but chose not to waste energy arguing.

"Another husband-related task, huh? Letting them take another step forward... ugh..."

Rubbing her temples, Yukinoshita felt a headache brewing.

This was similar to the task involving Senpai. That situation had led to Hachiman maintaining a... unique relationship with her.

And now, Kawasaki too...

Yukinoshita quickly shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Well, Kawasaki's already... ahem... what's one more step? It's not a big deal..."

Besides, she still had her protection card, so there was nothing to worry about.

The real challenge was figuring out how to bring the two together.

Interestingly, from her previous task's reward, she had drawn a "Magical Blindfold."

The item would block Hachiman's perception of female presence, making him misinterpret his surroundings.

But...

"No way am I making Hachiman wear a blindfold and dragging Kawasaki into... that! That's insane!"

Yukinoshita wasn't one to take risks. She preferred a steady approach.

"Ugh, why do I always draw such useless items? Can't I get something actually helpful?"

Sighing, she decided to stick to her tried-and-true method.

Purchasing a "Dream Simulation Card," she planned to influence Kawasaki subtly through dreams, slowly changing her mindset.

Yukinoshita smirked.

"Hehe, I wasn't satisfied this afternoon. Now I can properly observe their... scenes in the dream."

"Ahem~ Of course, it's purely for research! To learn how better to serve Hachiman tomorrow! That's the only reason, not because I enjoy watching these kinds of things..."

Touching her flushed cheeks, Yukinoshita whispered to herself, justifying her actions.

---

Late at night.

Kawasaki Saki bolted awake from her dream.

"Hachiman, no—!"

Her face was bright red, drenched in sweat.

"Big sis, what's wrong?"

Her younger sister, Keika, rubbed her eyes sleepily, looking up at Saki in concern.

"Nothing, just a bad dream," Saki replied with a forced smile, patting Keika's head.

But inwardly, she was panicking.

Why did she dream of Hachiman?

And not just that—they were in Yukinoshita's marital bedroom... doing that.

By the end, she was even begging Hachiman... to give her a child!

Ahhhhh!!!

That dream was horrifying!

"Big sis, you always dream about Hachiman-oniisan~," Keika mumbled drowsily.

"If you like him so much, just confess already. I think he'd make a great brother-in-law."

"What?!"

Saki's face turned scarlet.

"Who's dreaming about that guy every day? What nonsense are you spouting?!"

"You are~. Always saying, 'Hachiman, I love you,' or 'I feel bad for Yukinoshita, but I love you so much...'"

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Saki's ears burned as she covered her face in embarrassment.

How much does this kid actually know?!

Just as Saki was about to protest further, she realized Keika had already fallen back asleep.

"Ugh!"

Saki buried herself under the blanket, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

Stay calm! Control yourself!

"I can't betray Yukinoshita again... She's my friend... I can't do this to her..."

Muttering to herself, Saki resolved to resist the lingering feelings Hachiman stirred in her heart.

****************************

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