Actually, she shouldn't have suspected Kotegawa Yui, but Rurikawa Tsubaki, Ichinose Honami, and Ichinose Ayano didn't look particularly close to Hachiman on the surface either.
'Suspicious, very suspicious.'
Tomorrow she'd have to find a chance to test the two of them, see if maybe all the girls in the class had already been eaten up by Hachiman.
'Hachiman wouldn't really want to eat everyone, right? Could that be one of his hidden fetishes?'
Ijichi Nijika thought about herself and Marin, and before she could even start worrying about whether she was being unfair to Yumiko, she suddenly remembered her own sister.
'It seems like… Hachiman also has something with my sister and the PA-san.'
"Ryo… what's wrong with Nijika? She doesn't look very happy," Kita Ikuyo carefully poked Yamada Ryo while glancing at Ijichi Nijika, who was sitting there with clenched fists, deep in thought. She asked in a low voice.
She didn't know Ichinose Honami, but judging from their conversation earlier, it sounded like Hikigaya-kun's house had a lot of Sobu High students coming and going.
"Don't worry about Nijika. She's just overthinking. Give her a while and she'll cheer up."
Yamada Ryo walked over naturally and sat down on the soft sofa, unpacking the desserts she'd brought and distributing them to everyone.
"This one's mine, this one's the one Nijika gave me, and Bocci-chan, this one's yours."
"Ah! Thank you."
Gotou Hitori hurriedly accepted her donut with both hands, cradling it while looking around at the room's decorations, feeling a soft, pleasant warmth inside.
So they were having a sleepover at her friend's house tonight?
Would they spread out futons and all sleep together?
She'd seen that kind of thing in summer camp stories before, but she didn't have any real experience hanging out with friends, so she didn't know what would actually happen.
"Are we spreading futons on the floor tonight? Hikigaya-kun's house doesn't seem that big, right?", Kita Ikuyo was thinking about the same thing. She'd assumed that the reason Hikigaya-kun invited so many of them over was because his house was big.
But judging from what she saw, it was no different from an ordinary home. A regular detached house, and the rooms upstairs couldn't be many.
Just the people already here made quite a crowd, not to mention the girls said to be staying in the neighboring apartment.
"Didn't Hachiman say he was going to buy the apartment next door? Sleeping on the floor's fine, it's only one night, so no need to worry. Just relax, eat dessert, then take a bath and go to sleep," Yamada Ryo waved calmly as she took a bite of mugwort mochi, then spooned some black coffee jelly topped with white cream. The burst of flavor on her tongue.
Hmm. Maybe it was because she'd been eating too many greens lately, she couldn't quite describe the taste, but it was definitely delicious.
There seemed to be a lot of people staying over tonight. It would be difficult to find a chance to sell off Nijika.
But if she didn't take advantage of Nijika's current crush on Hachiman, before she confessed, to make a hefty profit, then once Nijika and Hachiman became an item, with Nijika's personality, she'd never let Hachiman keep giving Ryo money like he did now.
If that's the case, then she'd just have to bear the guilt of betraying her friend.
Just thinking about how she'd be richly rewarded by Hachiman after selling Nijika out tonight, so much that she wouldn't need to eat grass this month, or next month, or even the month after, made Yamada Ryo a little excited, eagerly anticipating the group sleepover later.
——-
Not far from the Hikigaya residence stood an old three-story apartment building.
Under the dim streetlight, Hachiman stood at the base of the building, looking up at the lit windows of the few occupied units.
It was already late; even office workers should've been home by now, so it made sense that this rundown apartment only had a few residents.
He remembered there weren't many people living here even before. With tenants frequently moving in and out, he barely knew anyone. It had only become lively after Vignette, Gabriel, and Shion moved in.
Aside from playing games with Yuina, Minami, and Rin in Shion's room, he occasionally visited Gabriel and Vignette too.
But that only made him more curious about what the little landlady and Komachi's friend Shion were doing inside. What was it they couldn't discuss out here and had to go into the apartment for?
He glanced at the real-time location tracker on his "Romance List." Komachi and Shion were indeed in the room Shion had rented before, and even Lala was there.
Could it be they were already discussing the sale and renovation of the apartment?
So tonight's themed party was changing venues too?
But before Hachiman could go up, two silhouettes slowly approached from a distance.
Under the faint streetlight, one was slender and the other full-figured.
"Miss Yuuko?"
Hachiman turned his head toward the slender figure with long straight black hair.
Beautiful and elegant, her demeanor gentle and obedient, she looked soft and easily bullied. It was none other than the college student Hayasaka Yuuko, whose gentle dependence had comforted him before.
"Hachiman-san? Good evening, Hachiman-san!"
When Hayasaka Yuuko first noticed a man standing under the apartment building, she'd been uneasy, worried it might be some creep. But as she got closer and saw it was Hachiman, she quickly lifted the bag in her hand and hurried over, bowing deeply.
"Hello, Hachiman-san! Thank you so much for what you did last time! I didn't expect to meet you here tonight."
Beside her, the curvy, bright, and lively high school girl with long black hair, Miyamoto Enka, also recognized Hachiman and quickly bowed in greeting.
"Miss Yuuko, Miss Enka, no need to be so polite. I didn't expect to run into you either. Did you just get off work?"
Hachiman waved a hand, looking at the two, each holding a convenience store bag, a bit puzzled.
These two, victims of the burger joint incident, surely hadn't gone and taken another late-night part-time job again?
It wasn't that they couldn't do night shifts, but it was obviously riskier for them.
Yuuko, who lived next door, had a gentle temperament from childhood, making it hard for her to fight back against harassment.
Enka, the high schooler beside her, looked lively and outgoing, less shy with strangers, but when it came down to it, she was no better at resisting either.
Normally, people wouldn't run into so many bad folks, but they were just too easy to pick on. That alone could tempt the worst in people.
"No, no, after that incident, neither of us are thinking about part-time work for now. We just went to the convenience store to get something to eat."
Yuuko blushed slightly and shook her head at Hachiman's concern.
It was embarrassing to admit, but she really wasn't considering working again anytime soon. She was terrified of running into another boss like that.
Her family was well-off anyway, she hadn't needed the money, only wanted to challenge herself.
But who could have expected her first job to end with a manager who wanted to commit a crime? If not for Hachiman's help, she didn't know what would have happened.
"I felt the same way. But my apartment's lease ended, and since I don't plan to work for a while, I decided to stay with Yuuko-senpai. She also helps me with my studies sometimes."
Enka glanced at Hachiman, the one who'd saved them from that perverted manager, and after hesitating, explained her situation honestly.
She'd been scared too. But with high rent and no part-time income, she couldn't afford her own place. Asking her parents for help felt humiliating, and she didn't want to move back home.
After thinking it over, she asked Yuuko if she could stay with her. Yuuko had welcomed her warmly, so she moved in.
"Just moved in, huh…", Hachiman nodded thoughtfully.
He'd been planning to buy the whole apartment and renovate it, turn it into the Service Club's designated activity space.
He'd only needed to talk it over with Gabriel and Vignette, maybe reserve rooms for them. But now that Yuuko also had a junior staying with her, that meant one more person to persuade.
"Um… Hachiman-san, are you heading home now, or to see Tenma-san? If you're free…", Yuuko didn't know what Hachiman was thinking, but looking at him standing there alone, her eyes flickered uncertainly before glancing toward Enka.
Would Enka mind if she invited him over?
She'd seen Hachiman surrounded by beautiful, capable girls several times. Now that she'd finally caught him alone, she wanted to properly thank him.
But with Enka here, she couldn't just invite him in without asking her first.
"Senpai's right. We haven't properly thanked you yet, and we just bought some food."
Enka caught Yuuko's glance and froze for a second, then quickly understood.
"If you don't mind, please come up to Senpai's place!"
She wasn't particularly brave, but she wasn't ungrateful either.
If even gentle, reserved Yuuko-senpai could invite Hachiman over, she couldn't just hesitate and ignore the debt they owed him.
"Thanks for the invitation, but I'm really sorry. I'm meeting with the landlady tonight about something. Maybe another time."
Hachiman smiled, shaking his head politely.
Normally, he might've accepted, but tonight, Nijika and the others were waiting at home, and he also had to discuss buying the apartment with the landlady. He really didn't have time.
"The landlady? You mean Miss Asou?"
Yuuko hesitated, uncertain.
"Yeah. I'm actually planning to buy this apartment."
Since they'd asked, Hachiman decided to be upfront about it rather than let them think he was kicking them out.
"Buy the apartment…"
Yuuko froze, immediately realizing that meant she might have to move out.
There were other places nearby, but none as quiet and private as this one. Not to mention, this was just next door to Hachiman's place.
If she ever got the courage… she could just walk a few steps to his front door.
"This place is a bit old, so I plan to renovate it, connect a few rooms, make a big living room, a movie room, and a bathhouse. It'll be much more comfortable."
Seeing her expression change, Hachiman quickly reassured her.
"Don't worry, the construction will only happen in the daytime, when you're in class. It won't bother you."
"If you still want to live here, I'll keep rooms for you."
If it were strangers, he'd just pay them to relocate and have Ziyin handle the movers. But clearly, that wouldn't work with Yuuko.
After all, his dependable, comforting aura, the same one that made Bocchi and the others feel safe, had come from his connection with her.
Maybe Yuuko wouldn't become as dependent on him as Bocchi had, but judging from how the shy, withdrawn girl had just invited him over, she definitely had a good impression of him.
"Keep rooms for us…", Yuuko blinked, wondering what exactly he meant.
Would Tenma-san and Tsukinose-san, those close to him, also have rooms?
If she lived there too, in the renovated apartment… when Hachiman came to visit them.
"Miss Yuuko? Hikigaya-kun? Oh, Miss Yuuko's here too, perfect timing, come up with us."
A small voice called out. The petite landlady, Asou Miyuri, had stepped out of her room and was waving from the old apartment's second-floor balcony.
"Miss Asou's calling me too? Is it about Hachiman-san buying the apartment?"
Yuuko pointed at herself, puzzled, looking up.
It wasn't time to pay rent yet, so the landlady shouldn't have business with her. But after Hachiman had just mentioned the sale, she immediately guessed that was it.
"So you already know? Yes, Hikigaya-kun plans to buy and renovate the building. I thought I should talk to you too, since you still have quite a bit left on your lease," Asou Miyuri blinked in surprise, then nodded with a smile.
"If that's the case, there's no need to ask for my opinion. I agree."
Yuuko nodded immediately after confirming it was what Hachiman had mentioned.
"Well, Yuuko-san, you two should come up with Hikigaya-kun anyway. Even if you trust each other, it's best to sign the papers in person."
Seeing Yuuko agree without even asking about the details, the landlady blinked and glanced at Hachiman, smiling meaningfully.
Recently, a few more tenants had moved out. Other than Vignette and Tenma, the ones close to Hachiman, Yuuko was the only resident left.
But she hadn't expected the shy, reserved Yuuko to be close to him too.
No wonder Hachiman wanted to buy this place. With so many beautiful girls here, she couldn't blame him for wanting to turn it into his personal harem apartment.
"Th-that… alright then…", Yuuko's face flushed at Asou Miyuri's teasing, realizing she might have been too hasty.
She stole a quick glance at Hachiman beside her, only to find him smiling at her.
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