Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 543: Mafuyu's Dating Adventure

As the music ended, Mafuyu also concluded her performance.

Just as she was calming her emotions, she heard applause nearby.

"Clap—clap—clap—clap—"

Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw Hachiman standing not far away, his hands continuously applauding.

"It was beautiful, Mafuyu."

"Thank you."

Mafuyu's cheeks flushed slightly as she expressed her gratitude, then she playfully complained.

"Seriously, weren't we supposed to do this together? How did it turn into me performing alone?"

"Haha, sorry about that! Honestly, I wanted to see you skate by yourself. You were truly stunning," Hachiman replied with a smile, extending his hand towards her.

"Hachiman will you dance with me?"

"Of course."

Mafuyu's face lit up with a radiant smile as she extended her hand.

Hachiman took her delicate hand and pulled her into his embrace.

As she leaned against Hachiman's chest, a faint blush crept over Mafuyu's face.

"What... what are you going to do?"

This wasn't at home; if someone saw them, it would be so embarrassing.

Clearly, she thought Hachiman was about to kiss her again.

Seeing Mafuyu's shy reaction, Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle; he understood she had misinterpreted his intentions.

"Of course, we're going to skate together." He gestured with his phone.

"Come on, Mafuyu, you choose a song."

"Of course, but if you want to do something else before skating, I wouldn't mind either."

Realizing Hachiman was joking, Mafuyu blushed and muttered, "How humiliating!"

With her cheeks slightly flushed, she took Hachiman's phone and began selecting a song.

Before long, she picked a piece she was most familiar with.

As she pressed play, the melodious music filled the ice rink.

And thus, the scene for their ice dance duet commenced.

...

As several songs came to an end, the two paused their dazzling duet.

At that moment, Mafuyu was resting in Hachiman's arms, breathing slightly heavily, clearly having exhausted a lot of energy.

"Have you practiced figure skating before? You seemed so skilled," she asked, recalling Hachiman's graceful movements from earlier.

"No, I haven't. I just have good athletic instincts, which helps me keep up with your moves," Hachiman replied with a smile.

He truly had never practiced figure skating, not even at a basic level.

With his maxed-out physical attributes and learning abilities, Hachiman was able to pick up new skills exceptionally quickly.

For instance, just now, he had effectively been learning on the fly, using his enhanced vision to observe Mafuyu's movements and anticipate her trajectory.

He then imitated and coordinated those movements using his similarly enhanced athletic instincts.

To an outsider, their synchronized performance could only be described as seamless.

Upon hearing Hachiman's words, a hint of resignation appeared on Mafuyu's face.

"It seems like nothing can ever stymie you, Hachiman."

Could she really be worthy of such a talent?

In that moment, uncertainty began to creep into Mafuyu's heart.

Noticing her inner turmoil, Hachiman gently tapped her forehead with a smile. "Alright, don't overthink it. I'm right here with you."

"As long as you don't push me away, I'll be by your side for life."

"Mm… mm…"

At his words, Mafuyu's face flushed as she nodded, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Unable to help herself, she leaned in and kissed him softly.

....

Unbeknownst to them, it was already around ten in the morning, and the crowd in the venue started to grow.

Since it was a rare day off, not everyone could get up as early as Hachiman and Mafuyu.

As she lay in Hachiman's arms, reluctant to move, a hint of shyness crossed Mafuyu's face as she softly suggested, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

Hachiman nodded. Their purpose for coming here was to help Mafuyu resolve her emotional turmoil, and with that goal achieved, it was time to leave.

After returning the skates and protective gear at the front desk, they exited the arena.

Since it was still early, they had no intention of going home just yet, so they began to stroll around like a real date.

Unfortunately, whether during her student days or after starting her career, Mafuyu rarely went out shopping, so she didn't quite know where to go.

Hachiman wasn't in a hurry; he allowed her to lead the way as they wandered.

As they passed by an arcade, Hachiman suddenly smiled and said, "Mafuyu, how about we go in and play?"

"Eh? An arcade?"

Mafuyu looked up at the building, a bit hesitant. "But... I've never been to a place like this before."

"That's exactly why we should try it!" Hachiman grinned, taking her hand. "Come on, let's have some fun."

"Eh, eh, eh!"

Mafuyu had barely time to let out a small exclamation before Hachiman pulled her inside.

Once in the arcade, Hachiman exchanged some cash for tokens and cheerfully asked, "What do you want to play, Mafuyu?"

"I've never been here before…" she whispered.

Having focused entirely on figure skating during her school years, she hardly had any free time, and after starting work, it was even less; places like arcades felt completely foreign to her.

Hachiman chuckled at her response. "Then let's start with the simplest game."

"Okay."

Mafuyu nodded and followed as Hachiman led her forward.

Before long, they stopped in front of a machine.

The machine had several holes and was accompanied by inflatable mallets; it was the classic game—Whack-a-Mole.

Hachiman handed Mafuyu a mallet with a smile. "Here, give it a try."

Taking the mallet and glancing at the instructions, Mafuyu asked uncertainly, "So I just hit the moles when they pop out, right?"

"Exactly, it's pretty simple," Hachiman confirmed with a nod.

"But you have to be quick; the moles retreat fast."

"So, are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Mafuyu nodded seriously in response to Hachiman's words.

Seeing her serious demeanor, Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle. He took a token from his pocket and dropped it into the machine's coin slot.

As colorful lights flashed and music played, the Whack-a-Mole game was activated.

One by one, moles started popping out of the holes, exposing their heads.

"Smack—"

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