Since Toshima Ward is closer to Yukinoshita's home, the driver will first take Haruno home, then Hikigaya, and then return. The car stopped in front of Yukinoshita's house. Before getting out, Haruno looked at Hikigaya Hachiman and asked seriously, "Why don't you come to my house? Writer Hachiman, my parents are your readers; they would definitely be happy to meet you."
"Excuse me, Ms. Yukinoshita Haruno, but it's almost ten o'clock in the evening. You're inviting me to your home. Regardless of whether your parents are asleep, even if I could actually talk to them, how would I leave your house afterward?" Hikigaya felt that his rival was trying to set him up.
"That's a shame, Hikigaya-kun. I just said hello at home today. Given our family values, you can imagine that my mother must be sitting at home, angrily waiting for my explanation. Even so, don't you want to come home with me?" Haruno spoke in a very pitiful way.
"Am I really that persuasive? Can I actually convince your mother to overlook your misbehavior today?" Hikigaya said, a bit unconvinced.
"No, my mother will still care about my actions, but tonight she will only have her eyes on you. Just think of it as helping me divert her anger for the evening. By tomorrow, her anger will have lessened." Haruno analyzed.
"You make a good point, but I still refuse." Hikigaya showed no mercy.
"Oh, you're such a cruel friend. How about we take a photo together? At least that would prove I was really with you tonight, so my mother will believe me." After failing to convince him, she had to settle for this compromise.
"That's no problem," Hikigaya agreed. The two of them leaned against each other and took a photo that looked like a couple.
"I hope this helps. Bye, Hikigaya-kun. Good night," Haruno waved goodbye and went into the house.
... ...
As Haruno expected, Mrs. Yukinoshita was sitting at the table in the middle of the hall. She always appeared expressionless, but Yukino believed that beneath the surface, her mother was boiling with anger.
"Sit down, Haruno," Mrs. Yukinoshita ordered in a voice that brooked no disobedience. As soon as Haruno heard this tone, her legs went weak, and she quickly sat down in her seat in a standard manner.
"Today marks the first time since you've become sensible that you've been out for such a long time without my permission. On weekends, you usually go out to relax during the day, and I rarely stop you. So I expect a reasonable explanation from you today, including who the other person in the car was."
Mrs. Yukinoshita was indeed very angry. She had not anticipated that just when her younger daughter's rebelliousness seemed to be diminishing, her eldest daughter, Haruno—who had been obedient for more than ten years—would do something even Yukino dared not do: leave home for an entire day without permission, return at ten o'clock at night, and bring home another person.
"I'm very sorry, Mother. But I had a reason for being so willful today, and here it is." Haruno handed her mother the phone with the photo they had just taken.
"This boy is Mr. Hachiman. His full name is Hikigaya Hachiman. Just a few hours ago, he won the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award. I was sitting next to him when it happened. You can ask any member of this association to confirm what I've said and whether the person in this photo is indeed him."
Haruno finished speaking in one breath, yet her heartbeat became steadily calmer, surprising even herself. Mrs. Yukinoshita examined the photo for a long time before finally speaking slowly. This time, her voice was gentle and noticeably different.
"Haruno, why don't you invite him in? Although it's a bit late, we have guest rooms at home."
"I'm sorry, Mother. Mr. Hachiman thought he would disturb your rest, so he decided to leave," Haruno replied, shocked by the power of the photo, which made her feel she was completely out of danger.
"I see. What a considerate child," Mrs. Yukinoshita said, her eyes showing a hint of kindness.
"However, Haruno, if that's the case, I won't stop you, but why did you leave without saying goodbye? Your father and I were very worried about you," Mrs. Yukinoshita asked in confusion.
"Mom, before I left home, everything was uncertain. A lot happened today," Haruno explained.
This statement contained a lot of information, and after pondering for a while, Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded slightly.
"Your behavior today is quite similar to how I felt back then. Well, let's stop talking. It's late, and you haven't washed up yet. Hurry and go to bed early. Good night, Haruno."
"Good night, Mother."
As their conversation ended, Haruno received a message on her phone from Hikigaya.
"I'm home. The driver was very skilled. How about you? Is everything okay? Are you out of danger?"
"It is indeed a convenient face, Hikigaya-san. I even feel like, if I want to go out to play in the future, all I have to do is mention my name, and my mother will allow it, no matter how long I've been away from home."
Hikigaya was stunned by her reply. He recalled that Imamura Naho had done something similar last time.
"As long as it's useful, I'll visit you at home when it's convenient. Good night, senior sister."
After a long night of hard work, Hikigaya finally got to admire his prize—a watch with his name engraved on it. He really liked watches and couldn't set aside this commemorative and unique piece.
He decided to subtly inform his followers about his award, so he put on the watch, snapped a picture of his arm, and posted it on Twitter without any text.
"Look, look! Mr. Hachiman has tweeted. Is he finally going to announce his award?"
Many mystery fans across Japan were eagerly awaiting the results. They all hoped to see Mr. Hachiman win the award, so they kept an eye on his Twitter all night.
"What is this? Is that Teacher Hachiman's arm? Never mind, just admire it first."
"Ah, there's a pervert above."
"You guys are missing the point. Mr. Hachiman wants to show off his watch. This is a Louis Erard, a less popular Swiss watch, the brand used at the Mystery Writers Association Awards."
"Yes, and if you look closely, 'Hachiman' is engraved on the dial. Doesn't this mean that Mr. Hachiman has won the award?"
Soon, the news that Mr. Hachiman, who was only fifteen years old, had won the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award spread throughout the mystery fan community in Japan.
-----