My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 52.

Chapter 52: His Peaceful Summer is Gone Just Like That.

—OoOoO—

Summer was the most anticipated moment for students of the Land of the Rising Sun. After going through exams that drain their energy and minds, they could finally enjoy a moment of freedom. For a month, the busy school routine was replaced by days full of excitement, such as vacations to the beach, fireworks festivals, or just locking themselves in their rooms and being in front of the computer all day. It was a time for them to recharge their spirits before returning to face the tiring academic reality and demands at school.

Hachiman was no different. In fact, he never expected to look forward to it more than he did. He never thought he’d have a peaceful summer, not after he officially joined Jujutsu Tech. After all, it was a hectic season for sorcerers, one of the peaks where cursed spirits appeared everywhere.

“It’s like two sides of the same coin. If summer is heaven for students, it can be hell for workers.”

Hachiman muttered as he opened the mineral water bottle cap and drank it greedily.

Even though the sun barely showed itself on the eastern horizon, the guy seemed drenched in sweat. The back of his white shirt was so wet that it showed his sturdy back. Luckily, he was wearing shorts, so his sweat didn't accumulate too much on the fabric. However, his feet felt so damp that he wanted to take off his shoes right away.

“Do I need to buy new shoes? But I don’t really understand these things. I thought if I bought shoes that were quite expensive, they’d be of pretty good quality,” the guy complained as he wiped the sweat off his face.

He looked left and right, checking to see if other people were around. After ensuring he was the only one around, the boy entered the park and walked towards the tap to fill his empty bottle. However, he did not drink the water he had collected but instead walked towards the slide and climbed it.

Seeing a high school boy on a ride meant for kids might be funny. But for whatever reason, he had no intention of playing around there.

Instead, Hachiman sat down in a spot slightly hidden from the road. He took off his shoes and socks, exposing his bare feet. As if feeling the relief of being freed, he couldn't stop stretching his toes. The cool breeze hit his feet, giving him a relaxing sensation.

“It’s my first time jogging in this area. Not bad, though.”

Hachiman ended up in Yachiyo, which was about twelve kilometres from his home, according to his smartwatch. It was a small town in the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, a suburban area that seemed comfortable to live in because it wasn't too crowded and wasn't too quiet like the countryside.

“I should’ve bought some wet wipes before taking off my shoes in such a place,” the boy muttered.

Usually, Hachiman would go to the Ichikawa area every time he jogged. The reason was simple. He had monthly paid to a locker at the station there to store his change of clothes so that he could easily take a train home after some exercise. However, during the long summer break that had been going on for several days, he decided to jog to places he had never been to.

“If I take off my shirt and go topless here, I’ll look like a pervert, right?”

Hachiman pulled up the collar of his shirt and glanced at his body, which was still wet with sweat. Although his clothes were considered good with dry fit technology, they still used polyester as the basic material. His sweat did evaporate quickly, but the very high humidity made the air feel hotter, so the sweat produced was much more than usual.

"Even the wind isn't really felt, although this place isn’t very densely populated,” the boy muttered for the umpteenth time.

Hachiman closed his eyes, focusing on feeling for any signs of life around him. He thoroughly scanned every corner, not missing a single human.

“There are some, but they’re not around the park.”

After confirming the situation, the boy immediately took off his shirt. A long snort escaped his mouth when his skin directly interacted with the morning air. His eyes closed, enjoying the slight relief he felt as if he had just released a burden.

"I thought about going shirtless for a while, but now, I don't think I'll put on my shirt again soon."

The guy sighed. Sometimes, it only took one push to enter the temptation. After that, it was hard to return once he had felt the pleasure.

Hachiman raised his right hand forward. His middle and index fingers were linked, pointing in the air, and his other fingers were hidden in a fist.

"Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

The boy chanted a verse that sounded beautiful but had a gloomy feel to it. Just as the words ended, darkness descended to cover the slide area where he was resting.

“I look like an idiot using sorcery for something as trivial as this,” Hachiman said with a soft snort.

The boy looked up, staring at the sky now covered by darkness.

"Well, at least this way, I don't have to worry about anyone seeing me shirtless, and no one will dare to approach me."

For someone like Hachiman, jogging for tens of kilometres in the early morning was perhaps difficult to accept rationally. That wasn’t an excessive reaction. The boy was a lump of everything that created a symbol of true laziness. For someone who preferred to relax at home, physical activity in the morning and on holidays was something people never imagined.

But, of course, he had his reasons. After all, he was still a jujutsu sorcerer at the end of the day. A profession that required high physical activity. Maintaining fitness and improving body performance are the minimum requirements to survive this work. Although he was considered a young man who liked to be lazy, he never neglected the responsibility for his physical fitness.

It could be clearly seen from his body proportions, which appear ideal with low body fat and tight muscles. His well-defined lean body is designed for high mobility without reducing agility and speed and could produce optimal power.

The second or often the main reason was the sensation after the workout. Morning workouts always start with a relatively empty stomach, which may only contain a few bananas and a glass of water for fuel. After the body had finished burning many calories during exercise, it needed to be refilled with some real food.

For him, a bowl of ramen with extra beef and pork was a post-workout meal of choice, even though he knew that many athletes would probably criticise him if they knew about his habit.

However, it wouldn't end there. The peak of pleasure that Hachiman was looking for was when he finished his meal. He could just sleep until noon, sometimes even until the evening, something he could only do on holidays.

In fact, when he imagined what food he’d eat at home later, the boy seemed almost asleep. He sat leaning on the railing of the slide, accompanied by the morning breeze, unconsciously making his eyelids feel heavy. If only there was no sound from his Android phone, maybe the guy would fall asleep.

His eyes opened with confusion written all over them. His eyeballs darted left and right as if trying to assess and re-register the information in his brain. Unconsciously, he massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to ease the drowsiness that had come uninvited.

Hachiman reached for the waist bag he had tied tightly around his waist. His fingers slowly pulled the zipper, and he plunged his hand into the bag, rummaging through it to retrieve the object that kept bothering his hearing.

A voice call via Line named 'Komachi' appeared on the screen, making his brow furrow involuntarily. The boy pressed a green icon and brought the smartphone close to his ear without getting caught up in speculation.

“Onii-chan, where are you?”

Hachiman didn't even have time to open the conversation, but the voice on the other end immediately answered when their call connected.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” the guy asked.

“Well, not really. But mom seems to have woken up early and is getting ready to go now.”

Hachiman frowned at the explanation.

“Didn’t she say she’d only leave for Hiroshima this afternoon?”

As the head of the Sales Department at AEON, one of the largest retail companies in Japan, Asuka was always required to be a worker with high mobility and flexibility. Although she had secured a reasonably high position in the company, she was still a salesperson to the core, the company's front line.

It caused the widow of two children to often travel to various places, both locally and abroad. As the eldest son, Hachiman understood his mother's busyness very well and was used to it.

"Mom said there was a change of plans, and she had to go to Malaysia after the new contract agreement didn't come through as scheduled," said the girl on the other end of the phone.

Hachiman seemed momentarily amazed when he heard his little sister uttering a rather advanced businessman's language, which he never expected to come out of her mouth. However, the silence created an awkward atmosphere that could be felt even though they were separated by distance.

“At least, that’s what mom said,” Komachi continued.

The guy exhaled while closing his eyes.

“When is she leaving? I'm in Yachiyo now. I might take a taxi home. But I'll run at full speed if I don't have time."

It may sound ridiculous. However, running would get him home faster than driving for a jujutsu sorcerer, especially one of Hachiman's calibres. However, it certainly didn’t come without risks.

"Oh, please. It wouldn't be funny if you suddenly appeared on the TV news the next day," the girl grumbled with a sigh. Mom said she's leaving for Narita in about forty-five minutes."

Hachiman nodded at the information even though he knew the other person wouldn't be able to see his reaction.

“I see. If there’s no traffic jam, there should still be time by taxi.”

“Alright. Then—oh, I almost forgot!”

A shout that came from his phone made the guy furrow his eyebrows.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“You don't wear your bag on your waist, do you? Like, you don't really do that, do you?”

Hachiman's eyebrow unconsciously raised as his gaze automatically lowered to look at his waist bag, which was in the exact position Komachi was discussing.

“I mean, it’s called a waist bag because its main purpose is to be worn around the waist, right?” the guy said.

“Noooo way….,” Komachi complained at length, “You should pay more attention to style, not realism.”

It wasn't like Hachiman never used a waist bag like the young people these days did. Occasionally, he’d strap it diagonally across his back or chest, but only if Komachi nagged him. Personally, he preferred using a small backpack over a waist bag because it had more space to store his belongings.

“Onii-chan, your coolness level will increase several times if you wear a trendy waist bag, you know?” the girl continued.

However, before Hachiman could reply, Komachi threw out another enthusiastic remark.

"Oh, I should have collected many Komachi points from that!"

“But, by being an ordinary Onii-chan, I can make my little sister stand out more, right?” Hachiman quickly replied, “That must earn me a lot of Onii-chan points.”

"Oh, come on. By all means, you are far from ordinary."

Hachiman let out a small smile as he heard his sister grumble. He wanted to continue joking around with her. However, from Yachiyo to his house, it’d take at least twenty minutes, even by taxi, unless it was speeding.

"Alright. I'll hang up, or we'll waste more time here," Hachiman said.

“Yeah, see you.”

“Hmm.”

The call ended and rang repeatedly. Hachiman immediately put the smartphone away from his ear. Without thinking, his thumb danced across the screen, looking for the application he often used to order a taxi.

"7,200 Yen? That's a lot."

Money was no longer a problem for the boy, especially after he became a special-grade sorcerer. However, his old habit of being so calculating about daily expenses always carried over even now. Therefore, he pressed 'order' with a heavy heart and a sour look.

—OoOoO—

The journey felt so short like time had flown by without him realising it. The boy only had time to daydream briefly, letting his mind wander aimlessly. However, without him realising it, the taxi driver's voice brought his soul back into his body.

“We have arrived, dear passenger.”

Hachiman looked out the window, making sure he was at the location he was ordering for.

“Thank you so much, sir.”

Without waiting for a reply, he immediately got out of the car and gave a few final greetings, expressing his gratitude.

The boy then turned around, looking back at his house. However, his eyebrows frowned when he found a Toyota AE86 parked in front of his house. It was a legendary classic car that had even been recognised as a classic antique, with a value that exceeded seven million Yen.

However, that wasn’t what caught Hachiman's attention. He knew the car, even the license plate number. More than that, he had ridden in and driven the car several times even though he didn’t have a driver's license.

“What’s Haruno-san doing here?”

Standing still in place wouldn’t answer that question. Only the morning wind blew softly, bringing a curiosity that tickled his mind. Hachiman knew there was no point in continuing to wonder. As such, he let out a resigned breath and stepped into his yard even though he was starting to feel bad.

—OoOoO—

“I'm home.”

Hachiman slowly closed the door of his house, then took off and replaced his shoes with indoor sandals. However, before leaving the living room, he briefly turned to the bathroom to wash his face and feet with soap. The cold water that flowed and wet his skin gave him an extraordinarily incredible feeling. His hands rubbed every corner of his face and between his feet, ensuring that everything was completely free from dust and sweat.

“Onii-chan, I put your change of clothes on top of the washing machine.”

Hachiman turned his head when he heard the cute voice and found his sister coming in with a set of clean clothes.

“Thanks, but you don’t have to bother, tho.”

“I’m a super little sister, after all. Something as small as this is nothing,” Komachi replied.

The girl didn't wait for her brother's reply and just walked away. Seeing her actions that came and went uninvited like a storm, Hachiman could only smile thinly and shake his head slowly.

'Should I take a bath now?' the boy thought momentarily, 'Or maybe not? I'll do it after sending Mom off. Right now, I’ll just take a quick shower.'

After feeling satisfied, he dried his body and changed his clothes, then went out to enjoy his quiet vacation at home. However, if only everything was that simple. Unfortunately, the boy had somewhat forgotten that an uninvited visitor was in his house, which made his face look dull.

“Oh, it's you,” the boy mumbled.

Haruno smiled while tilting her head when she found the boy standing in the doorway.

“You know, somehow I feel like I'm being insulted.”

Hachiman shrugged his shoulders indifferently and walked towards Haruno, who was sitting on the sofa.

“No, it's not. It's just your feeling.”

The guy looked around the room, looking for the person who was the reason he came home early.

“Where’s my mother?”

“Oh, do you mean Madam Hikigaya? Fortunately, I'm Madam Hikigaya at this moment,” Haruno said as she leaned toward Hachiman.

The boy's cheeks suddenly turned red like a boiling crab when he heard the joke. His eyes widened for a moment before he quickly looked away, pretending to be busy looking for something that wasn’t present in the room. His mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to give a reply. However, they seemed stuck in his throat, making him only able to remain silent.

“Hahahaha… Look at your face! You’re so cute, Hikigaya-kun.”

The short-haired girl tried to poke her conversation partner's cheek. However, Hachiman immediately turned his face away and pulled his head away from the crazy girl's reach.

“Can you stop it, please? What are you even doing here anyway?”

“Oh, me? I—.”

Before Haruno could finish her words, a voice from the stairs interrupted her.

“Haru-chan, I'm ready. We can go now if you want.”

The two youngins in the living room turned their heads simultaneously upon hearing the call. The head of the family, Hikigaya Asuka, appeared from the second floor, followed by Komachi and Yuuji, who carried a suitcase on his shoulder. However, as for Hachiman, his eyes were wide open, and his body frozen, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

“What? Haru-chan? Mother, since when did you get so close to this girl?” Hachiman asked, pointing at Haruno.

It was a reasonable enough question. The two women had only met face-to-face once.

“Oh, you underestimate the socialising abilities of us women, Hikigaya-kun.”

“She is a brilliant girl. When I spoke to her on the phone, she gave me a lot of helpful advice about work.”

“No, it’s not. Rather, I thank you for giving me a lot of new perspectives, especially on things that salespeople often experience in the field, Asuka-san," Haruno replied humbly, "Also, it's rare to meet… a senior who’s willing to listen to all of the young people’s ideas earnestly.”

“Haru-chan, it's okay to call me an old lady instead of a senior, you know?” Asuka replied kindly.

Haruno's cheeks turned red when Asuka caught her red-handed.

"But you are still young, though. At least younger than my mother."

While the two women exchanged words, Komachi sat beside her brother, and Yuuji put the suitcase next to the table. On the other hand, Hachiman looked at them resignedly, and a grumble escaped his mouth without realising it.

“Good. Now, I'm the only man in this house,” he said sarcastically.

"You still have me, you know?" Yuuji claimed.

“No, you’re not. You’re an illegal occupant.”

The young people seemed so close, throwing out various jokes. The lively atmosphere of the house became a moral injection for Asuka before she left for a few days abroad. Moreover, having many children was always on her list of things she wanted to have when she was young. Seeing them suddenly made a feeling of reluctance to leave creep into her heart.

However, the woman understood that she had responsibilities that she must fulfil.

“It’s a shame to ruin this moment, but I need to go to the airport right now,” Asuka said as she looked at her watch.

The youngsters immediately fell silent and looked at the elder simultaneously. There was a bit of conflict, but one had to do what had to be done.

“Alright then,” Haruno replied as she stood up.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

Hachiman asked as he looked at the figure with one eyebrow raised. Meanwhile, Haruno could only tilt her head, thinking the boy already knew everything.

“I’ll take Asuka-san to the airport," the girl turned to Komachi, "I thought Komachi-chan had already told you on the phone?"

“I did not. Like, I don’t think it’s necessary,” Komachi replied.

The boy glanced at his sister briefly before his eyes returned to Haruno.

“Sorry for troubling you, Haruno-san.”

Hachiman lowered his head slightly, expressing his sincerity immediately to Haruno.

“No, it's fine. I have some business here, so it's not a problem."

Before anyone could interrupt the conversation, which should have been closed, Haruno looked at the pink-haired boy and instructed him.

"Yuuji-kun, can you help me to bring the suitcase to the car's trunk?"

“Yes, ma’am!”

The boy deftly carried the object with one hand, showing that his superhuman strength was beneficial in such a situation. However, Haruno didn’t pay much attention to Yuuji's help. Instead, she looked at the host with a sincere smile.

“I'm ready to go, Asuka-san.”

“Thank you, and once again, I'm sorry for troubling you, Haru-chan.”

“It's my pleasure to help you. So, you don't need to worry.”

For the umpteenth time, Haruno showed a genuine smile directed at the woman, which made a certain boy in the room hold his breath as if enchanted by her beauty. However, that genuine smile immediately turned into mischief when Haruno turned her gaze towards the boy.

"Besides, I can exploit Hikigaya-kun more in return, right?"

—OoOoO—

The car carrying Asuka had left the house with Haruno as the driver. The sight of the classic car disappearing around the corner was the children's farewell to their mother. However, none of them got up and went into the house as if they wanted to really absorb every inch of her presence that she left behind.

"How long will Mother be off again?" asked Hachiman, breaking the silence.

“She said at least about a week if everything goes according to schedule.”

The boy lowered his head slightly, blinking his eyes slowly as if digesting every word from Komachi's mouth. His shoulders rose and fell in barely audible breaths, which were then exhaled suddenly, along with a long, rough sigh.

"What's wrong, Paisen?" Yuuji asked.

“No, nothing.”

Yuuji pursed his lips as Hachiman replied nonchalantly. It really reminded him of Megumi, but his friend was a little better. At least his expression wasn't as scary as his senior's.

“You know, Yuuji-san. Onii-chan is actually a mama’s boy. When mom leaves us for even a moment, he gets flustered.”

Hachiman immediately glanced at Komachi sharply. However, his gaze shifted and glared at Yuuji when he heard the pink-haired boy who was trying hard to hold back his laughter.

“I'll beat you to the death if you dare to say stupid things, you twerp.”

“Huh? I didn't say anything, though?” Yuuji said to defend himself.

“That's the point.”

The short reply made Yuuji pursed his lips as if he felt guilty. However, the look in his eyes didn’t show any remorse. Coupled with his idiotic expression, Hachiman somehow wanted to beat him up.

“Hey, you. Clean all the water pipes on the roof and check the drainage in the garden. Do you understand?"

Yuuji tilted his head in surprise.

“Eh? Why me? And why suddenly clean everything?”

“We’re in the summer. The rainfall will start to increase. If there’s trash blocking the pipe, the balcony will flood,” said the rotten-eyed guy.

Hachiman didn't forget to point to the balcony he referred to, emphasising the situation to the pink head.

“And if that happens, I’ll beat you up for real,” he continued.

Yuuji didn't immediately answer those words. He looked away from Hachiman nervously, then glanced at Komachi, who smiled at them.

“Are you sure you're not looking for an excuse to beat me up, Paisen?”

Hachiman glared at those words.

“I could finish you off right here if I wanted to, you know?” the boy replied with a sigh, tired of the stupid joke.

"Oh, right. Sorry. Anyway, I'll clean it up. But later, okay? Not now, at least."

“Later, you say?”

Hachiman knew that procrastinating sometimes gave him its own pleasure even though it brought more trouble. When it came to wasting time lazing around, he was a veteran. Working with a tight deadline often gave him more strength, motivation, and inspiration to work, or at least, that was what he frequently used as an excuse when he was too lazy to do his work.

However, the boy knew that Itadori Yuuji wasn’t part of his kind. After all, they had lived under the same roof for over two weeks. Although Hachiman seemed so indifferent, he had actually been observing Yuuji well. In fact, he dared to guarantee that Yuuji was diligent and agile, immediately doing whatever he was told. Moreover, if he felt he owed something, he’d do it right away, even if it was the strangest request.

'Yuuji may be an airhead idiot, one of the stupidest beings I've ever seen. But finding excuses to procrastinate on work isn’t his character.'

Hachiman noticed that Yuuji had glanced at Komachi a while ago.

'Somehow, I’ve a bad feeling about this.'

Like a match made in heaven, Komachi's eyes suddenly sparkled after watching the boys interact. She stared at her phone, reading the message on the screen. Her expression looked brighter even though she unconsciously held her breath because she was so excited.

“What's wrong, Komachi?”

The girl flinched when the question reached her ears as she reflexively looked at her brother.

“Well, it’s not what I expected at first. But listen carefully, and promise me not to be mad. Okay, Onii-chan?"

Hachiman raised an eyebrow in confusion. When someone said something like, 'I want to say something but promise not to get mad',  things that came out of their mouths would definitely test your patience. However, before Komachi could say her reason, the car horn broke the atmosphere, causing the three teenagers to turn to the source.

“A van?” Hachiman muttered.

A white vehicle was parked in front of their house. It was a big family van that could fit up to 12 people if you didn't consider the extra luggage. Hachiman frowned when he saw the unfamiliar vehicle, thinking it might be a guest from his neighbour. However, seeing it still parked confidently, without moving an inch, made him think again.

Something felt like it was caressing the back of his neck, like a tickling air, even though no wind blew. It was a familiar sensation that made him immediately activate his cursed energy-tracking ability to confirm what he suspected.

"Oh, it's Hiratsuka-sensei," said Komachi.

“Hiratsuka… sensei?”

Hachiman spontaneously turned to his sister. The words that came out of her mouth made the boy change his mind. However, the shock he felt couldn’t be removed from his mind. He continued to stare at Komachi, demanding the girl to give an explanation. But she remained silent without intending to say a word until the sound of a car door closing took his attention.

Three women were seen getting out of the van. Or rather, one adult woman and two high school girls. Hachiman recognised all of them without exception. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration if people thought they were close to him. However, that was what surprised him right now.

"Hiratsuka-sensei! Yukino-san!"

Komachi ran towards them, ignoring her brother, who was still frozen. Seeing their names being called, the women turned around with smiles. The little girl quickly stood before them and hugged Yukino without waiting for her permission.

“Komachi-san, long time no see,” the black-haired girl greeted.

“Yes, it's nice to meet you again, Yukino-san.”

After saying those words, Komachi immediately released her hug from Yukino, afraid that her actions would make the girl uncomfortable.

“You guys know each other?” the pink-haired girl said.

“Yes, we do. In fact, Komachi-san was the one who helped me pick out your birthday present,” Yukino replied.

“Eh? I thought you went out with Hikki then?”

"Actually, Yukino-san came with her sister, and Onii-chan brought me with him, and since then, we've been chatting a lot on Line," Komachi answered.

Meanwhile, Yukino gave a nod of information.

“Eeeh?? It sounds really fun, though? And without me above all?? Let’s go shopping together next time!” Yui whined while hugging Yukino’s left arm.

However, she suddenly remembered something, released Yukino from her grip, and looked back at Komachi.

“By the way, I haven't introduced myself, have I? The name's Yuigahama Yui, but feel free to call me whatever you like.”

“I'm Hikigaya Komachi. I've heard a lot about you from Onii-chan, and thank you for being his friend since he moved on, Sobu,” replied the short-haired girl while bowing.

“Oh? Really?! Was Hikki really talking about me?! What did he say?!”

However, before Yui could get her reply, a clapping sound was heard and stole the attention of the three girls.

“Yo, kids. I’m glad you’re getting along so well, but please don’t be too loud and disturb the neighbours on a Sunday. It’s still pretty early, after all.”

Hiratsuka, who came from the other side of the van, wore a dark red short-sleeved T-shirt and a plain green patrol cap. Her black cargo pants and pair of boots gave the woman a tomboyish impression. Moreover, tied in a ponytail, her hair gave her a strong aura.

“Ah, sorry, I got a little carried away.”

“However, I didn’t know that you also knew Komachi-san, Hiratsuka-sensei?”

Yukino's sudden question caught the girls' attention, especially Komachi, who instinctively held her breath. However, Hiratsuka was a veteran in the field, so these things didn't make her nervous.

“If you’ve a problematic student who writes stupid and idiotic things every time he’s given an essay, you’ll eventually get to know his family because he won’t stop being stupid unless you tell them,” replied the woman.

“Stupid and idiotic things, huh? That sounds so like Hikigaya-kun would do,” Yukino muttered.

The girl pinched her chin, showing her usual gesture when teasing the boy. However, she immediately realised she wasn’t in a clubroom where she and the boy could exchange words privately.

“I am sorry, Komachi-san. I didn’t mean to badmouth Hikigaya-kun even though his behaviour is a bit of a headache for the people around him," added the long black-haired girl, slightly lowering her head.

“Ah, no, no. I should be the one apologising and thanking you on his behalf for taking care of my brother.”

Seeing the interaction, Hiratsuka smiled with satisfaction. Actually, she was also quite worried that Yukino would discover the Jujutsu Society's secret. After all, the girl was kind of a carbon copy of Haruno regarding intelligence. Although their personalities were like heaven and earth, Yukino had extraordinary brain power like her sister.

However, Hiratsuka should be grateful because the girl's eyes were always focused on surpassing Haruno and getting recognition from her parents. Although it sounded ironic, it was only because of that that Yukino didn't care too much about the little oddities that Hachiman showed. Otherwise, she might start sticking around her nose just like Haruno did.

'My original intention of putting Hikigaya in the same club as Yukinoshita was to help them learn to socialise. But I never considered that there would be so many problems that could threaten them.'

Hiratsuka sighed as she closed her eyes.

'Guess I'm not that humble. I'm too confident and become arrogant about my power and judgment. It gives me chills because it somehow makes me look like Gojo-san.'

—OoOoO—

While the girls were chatting happily, the only two boys there seemed to be standing far away from the crowd like outcasts. However, unlike Hachiman, whose face looked tired and dishevelled, even worse than usual, Itadori Yuuji stared at them cluelessly.

“Wow, you really are surrounded by beautiful girls, huh, Paisen? You’re living the dream of many men in the world.”

Hachiman glanced at the pink-haired boy.

“You call them beautiful?”

"Are they not?" asked the junior.

Hachiman rolled his eyes as a tired and rough sigh escaped his mouth.

“Well, they are. But see that black-haired girl? She’s like a witch. The words she spews are like curses that can skin you alive. If you let your guard down for a moment, she’ll bite and chew your heart," Hachiman replied, pointing at Yukino with his chin, "As for the pink-haired one, well, she's an airhead. She's literally just like you, but a female version."

It had been two weeks since Yuuji had lived in the Hikigaya Family's residence. It was a short time, but it was enough to see the temperament of his colleagues who lived under the same roof. Overall, the Hikigaya Family was warm to him and ensured he never felt alienated. Even Hachiman, who seemed very cold, often showed his concern in his own ways.

However, Yuuji was always at a loss for words whenever his senior strangely explained something. Which sometimes made it difficult for him to distinguish whether he was joking or serious.

“By the way, Itadori,” Hachiman’s call interrupted his reverie, “You know something about this, don’t you? Come to think of it, you and Komachi have been looking suspicious since earlier.”

If Yuuji had said that it was hard to differentiate Hachiman's jokes because of his strange sense of humour, there was one thing he understood about his senior. When the eldest Hikigaya decided to ask directly, without any sarcastic words at all, Yuuji knew he was fucked up.

“Well, you know, it's not like—.”

“You don’t think you can fool me any further with your birdbrain, do you?” Hachiman cut in quickly.

“Sorry.”

Yuuji paused for a moment, watching the boy's reaction. However, the lazy look he gave seemed somehow more terrifying than usual.

“Actually, Komachi-san told me that Hiratsuka-sensei invited you guys to go camping or something.”

“Oh? And then?”

“Because she was worried that you’d run away, Komachi-san asked me to hold you back when she gave the sign on D-day until Hiratsuka-sensei picked you up.”

Before Hachiman could respond, Yuuji continued his explanation.

"However, we didn't expect Hiratsuka-sensei to come so soon."

Hachiman scratched the back of his head lightly. A faint sigh seemed to accompany it as if he couldn't understand their ridiculous actions.

“If it was just like that, you should’ve just told me from the start."

“Oh, do you wanna cooperate then?”

“No, of course not. If I had known the situation, I’d have insisted on dropping my mother off on Narita and then running away."

Without waiting for Yuuji's reply, Hachiman sighed as he walked towards the girls. However, his legs felt heavy, as if his body refused to move. Every step felt like it was dragging an invisible weight, slowing down his already lazy pace. His face looked even more dishevelled, clearly reflecting his reluctance to go along with the ridiculous idea. However, he knew that he would never win an argument if his master, Hiratsuka Shizuka, had already decided on something.

—OoOoO—

“Oh, Hikki, long time no see!”

Yui exclaimed as her eyes caught a boy approaching. She tilted her head, looking at another boy following her clubmate. Seeing their arrival, Komachi immediately approached the boys. However, she barged into the pink-haired boy instead of going to her brother's side.

“Yuuji-san, Onii-chan didn’t scold you, right? I mean, sorry for asking you to do something for nothing.”

“Oh, that's fine. No one will know your pick-up came early. After all, it's a good thing, isn't it?”

“You should’ve clarified that I wasn’t scolding you, don’t you think so?” Hachiman snapped.

Yuuji stared at Hachiman awkwardly for a moment. His eyes blinked a few times before his attention returned to Komachi.

“But you were quite scary earlier.”

“Oh, I’m glad you two are getting along so well,” Komachi replied.

However, she knew her tsundere brother would probably protest with his typical words. So, she immediately turned to the girls.

"Yukino-san, Yui-san, and… Hiratsuka-sensei," the girl said hesitantly as she said the woman's name. "Let me introduce you. This is Itadori Yuuji, our relative from Miyagi visiting for the holidays."

Yukino bowed her head as a greeting and formality for the introduction, and Yui waved with a friendly smile. Meanwhile, Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow, surprised that the girl also introduced him to her. After all, they had already met last week.

However, Hiratsuka immediately understood that it would seem strange to the girls if Komachi didn't introduce Yuuji to her, as it would give the impression that she had known the boy from the start.

“Yuuji-san, they are Onii-chan’s clubmates and teacher. Yukino-san, Yui-san, and Hiratsuka-sensei.”

The pink-haired boy immediately bowed ninety degrees.

“Nice to meet you, seniors and sensei!”

“If Hikigaya-kun says weird things about us, especially about me, you know he’s just spouting nonsense, right?” Yukino said.

When the black-haired girl said those words, an air of discord suddenly erupted. The temperature in the atmosphere seemed to drop, making the innocent boy suddenly break out in a cold sweat. He remembered Hachiman's words momentarily, which considered the girl like a witch.

'I'm sure we were far enough so they couldn't hear us when Paisen was badmouthing her, but somehow this Yukino-san seems to know about it. Scary. This girl’s scary, eh. Even scarier than most of the cursed spirits I've ever met.'

However, before the verbal war between her two proud students could begin, Hiratsuka clapped her hands rather loudly, enough to attract the attention of all the teenagers.

"Alright, kids, I don't want to waste more time. So, save your youthful energy for later, okay?"

The woman then stared at Hachiman intently.

“Any objection, Hikigaya? You’re joining us, aren’t you?”

“Even if I refuse, I know you won’t listen to me at all,” Hachiman said with a sigh.

"You know me so well, huh? C'mon, boy."

Hiratsuka immediately embraced her student’s shoulders, dragging him by force. However, Hachiman resisted the woman, trying hard to escape her embrace.

On the other hand, Komachi and Yuuji were facing each other, separating themselves from the crowd.

"I'm really sorry that we had to leave you alone at home for a while, Yuuji-san," she whispered, making sure no one else heard, "I've talked to Hiratsuka-sensei. But she's afraid Yukino-san will get suspicious when she sees your physical abilities. You know, she's as sharp as Haruno-san."

Yuuji stole a glance at the black-haired girl. However, he immediately looked away when their gazes met.

“Yeah, I can feel it. She seems creepy in some ways.”

Komachi sighed. Her goal wasn't to put a wall between Yuuji and those closest to her. In fact, she really wanted him to be a part of it.

'However, with Yuuji-san's personality, which tends to be careless and quite clumsy, and Yukino-san, who is always observant and sharp, it might be better if he doesn't get close to her.'

Meanwhile, Yukino felt a slight sting on her neck, like a pair of eyes watching her. Having been a victim of bullying and always being the centre of attention made her quite sensitive to the gazes of the people around her. However, when she looked back at Yuuji, the boy immediately hurriedly avoided her as if he were a sinner who had been caught red-handed.

'Well, at least I don't think that boy has a weird personality like Hikigaya-kun.'

The girl sighed as she closed her eyes.

‘But, speaking of Hikigaya-kun….'

Her eyes instinctively drew to the boy, still trying to free himself from the teacher. And yet, her gaze couldn’t be pulled away from the sight.

Seeing the boy in a short-sleeved shirt was a first for Yukino. A while ago, when they were hunting for gifts for Yui, Hachiman came wearing a long-sleeved shirt, making her not pay much attention to his posture. Even at school, when they only had the summer uniform, which was a short-sleeved shirt, he always wore a long-sleeved T-shirt underneath his clothes.

At first, Yukino thought the boy had a taste in clothing obsessed with long sleeves. After all, it wasn't uncommon, even though it was usually only pubescent teenagers who did that to their uniforms.

However, when Hachiman, wearing short sleeves, appeared in front of her, she could see the sides that the boy usually hid. His arm muscles looked well-defined. They weren't too big, but she could tell they were sturdy. Even when his hands were busy trying to free himself from Hiratsuka, his slightly thin shirt, which seemed to be a summer-specific outfit, made his well-developed back muscles stick to the fabric.

'His body proportions seem too good for someone who claims to spend time lazing around.'

Watching the teacher and student struggle for too long—or rather, peeking through the gaps in his shirt to observe those muscles for too long—made Yukino's cheeks unconsciously turn red like a tomato. She began to feel the temperature around her face rise, making her hold her breath for a moment. In fact, it was unknown when her mind began to reconstruct the shape of the guy's body.

'What are you thinking, idiot!' the girl thought as she turned her face away, trying to look as natural as possible.

'There are many examples of people who like to laze around but choose to have a good body shape. Even if it's Hikigaya-kun, he must be ranting, 'Having a healthy body allows you to laze around in peace because you won't get stiff joints' or something like that.'

Yukino tried to imitate the boy in her mind, complete with gestures and speech. The girl probably didn't realise she was starting to make a strange expression, but it also looked cute. However, her reverie was interrupted when she heard the sound of a car door closing, with Hiratsuka successfully forcing Hachiman into the front seat.

“C’mon, kids. We’re running out of time!” the woman exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Yukino took a deep breath, throwing away all the dirty thoughts that had suddenly appeared in her head for some reason.

'It's none of my business. I don't care at all. I only came here on Hiratsuka-sensei's invitation, nothing more,' she thought, trying hard to purify her thoughts.

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Hello guys, how are you doing? I hope you're doing fine, and may God bless you all. In addition to a brief review, I have some announcements at the end.

Alright, this chapter is the opener for the summer arc. As I said before, this time I'll emphasise that there'll be no conflict between sorcerers or cursed spirits in this arc because I want to focus on building relationships between characters from the Oregairu-verse. Because after this, more conflicts will occur in Chiba, this arc is the foundation for determining the direction of the conflict.

Well, besides that, I'm sure some of you also want to see the continuation of Hachiman and Haruno's relationship, which I can't wait to write. I also added a little dynamic to Yukino. Hopefully, you like it.

Also, for announcements, I have two.

1. According to the poll, the new story will be Spider-Man x BNHA. As the description says, it'll be a harem and won't be the main project, but I'll update it regularly. The heroines aren't decided yet, but it'll likely be four or five girls, with one girl or two from the Marvel-verse (definitely not MJ or Gwen).

2. Actually, this week I'm on holiday. Like a week of national holiday. So, I'm hanging out with my big family, away from anything related to my work and hobby. In other words, I've had no chance to write at all. In fact, the reason why I was able to upload this story on time is that, somehow, I already finished the draft, so all I did was proofread it here and there, and that can be done through my phone.

In short, the next update will probably be delayed by a week. So, One Way Home will be ready in three weeks.

Okay, that's all from me. Hope you guys enjoy this story, and see you later.