Chapter 169 Fortune-telling! I Was Here First
Leaving the library.
Hikigaya suddenly remembered that his dormitory's supply of Max Coffee was running low, so he planned to head to the shopping mall to restock.
He noticed the plaza at the mall entrance was swarming with students. Everyone was lining up to enter a temporarily constructed black tent adorned with mysterious totems of stars and moons.
"Fortune-telling?"
Hikigaya lost interest with a single glance. In his eyes, so-called fortune-telling was nothing more than a scam.
'How can so many people believe in this?'
.
.
.
Though there were many idiots in this school, surely there weren't this many. Hikigaya looked closer and saw a sign hanging at the entrance of the black tent: "Our fortune-teller practices Venus Astrology. Divination is limited to groups of two only."
Practicing "Venus Astrology"? This sounded like pure nonsense!
However, he had to admit that from a business perspective, it was a brilliant marketing tactic. This way, teenage boys and girls overflowing with hormones would flock here in pairs.
'What a bunch of fools.'
Hikigaya averted his gaze and prepared to bypass the line, but a voice full of pleasant surprise called out from behind him.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you here for a reading too?"
Hikigaya turned and saw Ichinose Honami. Today, she was wearing casual clothes: a creamy-white long-sleeved sun-protection top. The tight design perfectly accentuated her full figure. Below, she wore a grey miniskirt paired with black hip-hugging tights. While she was covered up and showing no skin, she radiated an inexplicable sense of charm.
"No, I'm just passing by.
Is Ichinose meeting someone for a reading?" Hikigaya asked back casually.
"Not at all!" Ichinose tapped her two index fingers together, looking at him suggestively. "Although I'm quite interested in fortune-telling, unfortunately, the rule says it has to be in groups of two."
"Oh, then just grab whoever." Hikigaya waved his hand, wanting to leave.
"Wait a second, Hikigaya-kun!" Ichinose hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed his hand. She widened her eyes and puffed out her cheeks.
"In a situation like this, shouldn't Hikigaya-kun proactively offer to team up with me?"
"No, I'm not interested in fortune-telling!" Hikigaya shrugged to deny her, adding: "Besides, if Ichinose wanted to form a temporary team, she could find someone easily, right? Like that Shiranami-san..."
"Chihiro-chan and I aren't in that kind of relationship!" Ichinose explained helplessly.
'That's true, but you and I aren't in that kind of relationship either, are we?'
As if reading Hikigaya's eyes, Ichinose tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said calmly: "The rule just says two people; it doesn't say it has to be a couple. Friends can go together too, right?"
"Then Shiranami-san..."
"Chihiro-chan would take it seriously!"
"Is that how it is?" Hikigaya thought about it; Ichinose's concern wasn't groundless.
That girl already had "Yuri" tendencies; if you teased her, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary fantasies.
'But if you ask me to go, aren't you afraid I'll have fantasies?'
"Hikigaya-kun~ can I ask this of you?" Ichinose stared at him with burning intensity.
'Honestly, are you really that interested in fortune-telling?'
Thinking that he had nothing special to do this afternoon, Hikigaya figured he'd just accompany her. "Fine."
Hikigaya and Ichinose joined the massive queue. Unsurprisingly, 90% of the line consisted of one boy and one girl. These people were either couples or about to become one.
"Tch~ bunch of normies." Hikigaya couldn't help but complain.
"Um~ I wanted to say that in other people's eyes, maybe we look like normies too," Ichinose said with a smile.
"That's different." Hikigaya shook his head in denial.
"How is it different... Eh!
Isn't that Ibuki-san?"
Before Ichinose could finish her sentence, her attention was drawn to the entrance of the tent. Hikigaya followed her gaze and saw Ibuki Mio, who was currently being blocked outside the black tent. She was arguing furiously with the staff.
"It seems Ibuki-san is all alone," Ichinose said in surprise.
"That girl is basically a loner in class, it's not surprising." Hikigaya found it perfectly logical.
However, because of that, Ibuki was being rejected by the shop. Those damn profiteers—they clearly wanted to make double the money!
Ibuki Mio was truly stubborn. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she had lined up alone, enduring the strange looks from others just to get a reading. Now that the shop was refusing service based on the rules, it was incredibly awkward!
"Hikigaya-kun keeps staring at Ibuki-san. Do you want to go over there?" As if afraid he would escape, Ichinose grabbed his arm firmly with both hands.
"Why would I go over?" Hikigaya asked back, looking puzzled.
"But... aren't Hikigaya-kun and Ibuki-san on very good terms?" Ichinose stared straight at him.
"We're 'bros'! It feels weird to do a fortune-telling together."
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Totsuka. If Totsuka ever asked him to do a reading together, what would he feel?
On the other side, having failed in her argument, Ibuki Mio backed away with frustration and gloom. On her way out, her sharp eyes spotted Hikigaya and Ichinose in line.
"Hikigaya!" Ibuki Mio ran over with long strides.
'Wait, what's the rush?' Before Hikigaya could reply, Ichinose spoke first: "Yahaloo~ What a coincidence to run into Ibuki-san here."
"...What are you guys doing?" Ibuki widened her eyes.
"As you can see, I'm with Hikigaya-kun... for a fortune-telling!" Ichinose flashed a gentle smile.
"Tch! You, when did you get interested in this crap? Why didn't you come find me?" Ibuki kicked Hikigaya's leg in annoyance.
"Can I say I was just passing by and got dragged here by Ichinose to make up the pair?" Hikigaya told the truth.
"Then pair up with me too!" Ibuki excitedly grabbed his other arm.
"Wait a minute, Ibuki-san!!" Ichinose's eyes narrowed. "Shouldn't we follow the rule of 'first come, first served'? I was clearly here first..."
"But you haven't reached the front yet, have you?
My number is right at the front. Let me borrow him first!"
Ibuki had a strong grip. With a forceful tug, she pulled Hikigaya out of the line.
"Hey, you're being too barbaric...
People who don't know better would think you're a mountain bandit kidnapping a groom!" Hikigaya complained bitterly.
He turned back and threw an apologetic look at Ichinose, who was standing frozen in place.
"Urusai! Just follow me!" Ibuki Mio dragged him along, marching aggressively toward the entrance of the tent.
Read ahead (160 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting