Hikigaya wasn't even sure what came over him—his hand instinctively swung out and smacked Haruno on the butt.
Was it because he had smacked Kasumigaoka's before?
And now he'd gotten used to it?!
His mind was in chaos, filled with dread at the realization.
"All done picking? You're not going to try on a few more?" Haruno smiled at Yukinoshita.
"No need."
Yukinoshita shook her head.
"Hehe, those ones you picked earlier will definitely have Hikigaya-kun completely mesmerized. This guy was staring at the lingerie in your hands the whole time~" Haruno grinned mischievously, her gaze naturally shifting to Hikigaya.
Yukinoshita's face turned bright red.
Hikigaya's expression stiffened as he quickly averted his eyes.
This woman… Haruno was seriously terrifying.
Just a few minutes ago, in the fitting room, her expression had twisted into something monstrous as she unleashed a level of torment on him he had never experienced before.
But now, outside…
She had transformed into a gentle and harmless big sister figure, radiating warmth and friendliness.
Sigh, women… truly dangerous creatures.
After finishing their shopping, Hikigaya and the others left the mall.
As usual, Haruno drove them home.
Before long, only Hikigaya and Haruno remained in the car.
The atmosphere was eerily silent.
Hikigaya shivered.
After a few minutes, Haruno finally broke the silence with a smile.
"I might've gone a bit too far just now~ I'm really sorry, Hikigaya-kun. No need to be so scared, I swear I won't be that mean to you in the future. Stompi— ahem, I mean, bullying you like that definitely won't happen again!"
"I-I should apologize too."
Taking a deep breath, Hikigaya cautiously said,
"I accidentally… uh, you know, hit your…"
"Hmm, at first I was pretty mad that you actually smacked my butt. But… hehe, thinking about it, if it's Hikigaya-kun, it's not entirely unacceptable~"
"Huh?"
"Oh? You're blushing. So deep down, you actually want to—"
"No, I don't!"
Hikigaya shook his head frantically, keeping his composure.
"I have absolutely zero interest in that kind of thing."
"Really? Hehe, don't most guys have some kind of preference when it comes to girls?"
"That's other men. I don't have any weird fetishes."
"Have you ever smacked little Yukino's butt?"
"H-Huh?! N-No way! How could I… why would I do that?!"
"Eh? Really?"
Haruno looked at him in disbelief.
"It's true!"
Hikigaya's face turned slightly red as he quickly changed the subject.
"Focus on driving, Haruno-san!"
"My driving skills are great, don't worry~"
With her eyes back on the road, Haruno smirked and added,
"But then again, little Yukino's butt is kinda small. Maybe Hikigaya-kun doesn't think it's worth the effort…"
"Please stop assuming I have a thing for spanking women. I already told you—it was just… an accident."
Haruno merely smiled in silence.
A few minutes later…
Still seated in the car, Haruno watched as Hikigaya walked into his home. Absentmindedly, her hand drifted to her own backside, gently pressing against it.
"Hmm… maybe… it's not that bad…"
---
Meanwhile, Hikigaya went about his usual routine.
After greeting his sister and having dinner, he stepped out to exercise.
Lately, he'd been feeling an overwhelming urge to get stronger.
Sure, he could easily knock out some random delinquent with a single punch now, but against Haruno… he had been completely powerless, utterly dominated.
And not just Haruno.
There was also 'Mini-Haruno,' Iroha.
Despite always acting all soft and weak, these women possessed absurd levels of strength at crucial moments. He couldn't even put up a fight.
Sigh, I'm still too weak. I need to keep training! Train like hell!
Resolving himself, Hikigaya made his way to the park.
Yumiko Miura was already there, warming up for an upcoming competition.
Her long, toned legs stretched elegantly against a railing, her pale skin contrasting sharply in the night air.
Even Hikigaya found it hard to look away, sneaking a few extra glances.
"…Let's start."
Noticing his gaze lingering on her legs, Miura's expression flickered with something unreadable before she hurriedly lowered her leg.
"Yeah."
The two of them began warming up and training together.
However, after a while, they eventually split off to do their own workouts.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
After running for several minutes, Hikigaya gradually slowed down, transitioning into a casual walk before finally settling onto a bench to rest.
"Thirsty?"
"A bit, yeah…"
Still catching his breath, Hikigaya absentmindedly reached for the bottle of water handed to him.
Then—
His entire body stiffened.
His head jerked up in alarm.
And when his eyes landed on the violet-haired girl standing before him, his hands trembled, sending the water bottle tumbling to the ground.
"H-Hoshino-san?!"
The Hoshino Ai. The legendary idol.
"Aww, you dropped it."
The girl bent down slowly, her perfect curves accentuated as she retrieved the bottle. Hikigaya quickly looked away, his heart pounding.
"Here~" Hoshino Ai offered the bottle to him once more.
"T-Thanks…"
Hesitating for a moment, Hikigaya finally accepted it—though he didn't drink right away.
"…What brings you here, Hoshino-san?"
"Hehe~ Of course, I came to see you, Hikigaya-kun! Right after my performance, I rushed straight over~"
Whoa, whoa, whoa! That's way too straightforward!
Also, how do you even know I'm in this park?!
"Hikigaya-kun, do you remember what I told you yesterday?"
"…What did you say?"
She smells nice… but why is she leaning so close?!
"Hehe~"
The idol's lips curved into a smile as she whispered,
"Just say yes, okay? Let's make a baby together~"
"Hah?!"
Wait, wait, wait!
I'm a married man!
You may have purple hair, but why do you sound like some random blonde thot?!
"I already told you—"
"Hehe, I'm just kidding~" Hoshino Ai giggled. "Go on, drink your water."
Sighing, Hikigaya twisted open the bottle cap.
As he lifted the bottle to drink, the girl's starry eyes sparkled, shining with an unmistakable excitement.
However—
Just as the water was about to reach Hikigaya's lips, a sudden voice cut through the air:
"Hikigaya! Who the hell is she?!"
Like an enraged tigress, Miura stormed over toward the bench, eyes blazing with fury.
Hikigaya: "!!"
Hoshino Ai: "??"
For a brief moment, her brows furrowed in displeasure at being interrupted, but she quickly smoothed her expression. Flashing a polite smile, she tilted her head playfully and asked,
"Hikigaya-kun, is this your girlfriend, Yukinoshita?"