Chapter 129: Yukino Breaks Down
"Well, this is truly strange."
The Nine-Tailed Fox had imagined many scenarios. For instance, how would Yukinoshita Yukino react if she found out her little boyfriend was actually the powerhouse who had nearly killed her? But despite such a serious revelation, why did she state it so calmly?
According to the Fox's malicious speculation, Yukino should have been so terrified that her mind would crumble. To find out that someone close to her was the very entity that once viewed her as prey should have been devastating. However, the Fox had underestimated the bond between Yukino and Hachiman, as well as her mental resilience.
The Fox's silence confirmed to Yukino that her guess was correct. From the Fox's expression, she clearly saw shock—shock that Yukino could speak of this so tranquilly. Yukino felt a profound sense of relief. Her suspicion was verified.
Although the "Post Office" was currently dormant, who knew when it might suddenly malfunction and go back online? She had always worried about the trouble caused by the Post Office, fearing the Sorcery Association wouldn't be able to suppress it. She could sense the Post Office's vast ambition and its ability to mass-produce Special Grade combatants. If it churned out uncontrollable entities like the Nine-Tailed Fox in bulk, the destruction to the jujutsu world would be immeasurable.
Yukino had tried her best to mitigate the damage caused by the Post Office's missions, but alone, even with the Fox's power, she felt inadequate. Last time, with the "Whip of Torture," the Post Office had bypassed her authority and teleported the item directly; she had no means of counteraction. This was the limit for both her and the Fox. If Yukino told the Fox the true reason, it would probably be the Fox who broke down. In her eyes, if the Fox were truly reliable, she wouldn't have to place her hopes on others.
"To forge iron, one must be strong themselves." Even if Yukino trained to her absolute limit, she would only reach the Fox's level—merely the threshold of being able to trade blows with Hachiman.
But Hachiman was different. He was powerful enough to handle anything.
This meant Yukino could act as an undercover agent within the Post Office; the moment a situation arose, she could tip off Hachiman, minimizing the Post Office's destructive potential.
Previously, she had no path; now, she had found the channel.
'Hikigaya-kun is truly low-key.'
If he hadn't actively revealed his power today, she never would have known that the mysterious powerhouse had been by her side all along. It was utterly absurd. Is there anything he can't do? Yukino even suspected that the Three Great Families weren't nearly as powerful
as Hachiman. Otherwise, judging by his tone, he wouldn't have been so dismissive of the Zen'in clan.
As Yukino was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang.
"Sorry, I need to take this. Sister?"
It was Yukinoshita Haruno.
Since Haruno had recently joined the Yotsuba Group and was busy integrating the Yukinoshita family business into the sectors managed by the Hayasaka family, she had been incredibly preoccupied. Normally, with Haruno's "sister-complex" personality, she would visit her sister every day after school.
Haruno had simply been tied down by official duties. Now that the resort project was on track, she finally had time to see her beloved sister—perhaps for dinner.
"Yukino, where are you right now?"
Haruno was standing right outside her sister's apartment door, but it felt strange that no one answered the bell. She called Yukino, thinking that given her sister's personality, she should be holed up at home. Why would she be out?
"Oh, I'm out with friends."
Yukino felt a sudden surge of panic at the "check-in" call. Hachiman, meanwhile, caught a glimpse of her flustered expression through the rearview mirror. He had met Haruno once at a banquet hosted by Mitsuteru Yotsuba, where she was part of the reception staff. He had recognized her then and hadn't made things difficult for her.
"Friends?!"
Haruno was so shocked her voice was loud enough to echo.
"Yukino actually made friends!"
In the small space of the car, it was impossible for the others not to hear.
'Damn it!'
Yukino hadn't broken down when she realized Hachiman was a top-tier powerhouse, but she broke down now at her sister's shocked exclamation about her having friends. It was too embarrassing. It made it sound like she never wanted friends. And besides, what was the definition of a friend? Yukino felt herself becoming incoherent; the exposure of her friendless status made her breathing ragged.
What made it worse was a snicker from the side—specifically from the parakeet wearing a mortarboard in Mutsumi's hair. The parrot had a very human-like expression, peeking out from its master's hair to look at Yukino.
'I'm being looked down upon by a parrot!'
Yukino realized it instantly. Mutsumi noticed as well and reached out to push the bird's head back down.
"Sorry." Knowing how talkative "Midori" could be, Mutsumi apologized sincerely.
"It's fine." Yukino's face was flushed. She sighed inwardly. She should be lucky Hachiman was there; otherwise, that lively parrot might have started singing, making it even more awkward. The learned little bird was laughing simply because its master had friends.
Don't be fooled by Mutsumi's silence; she actually had many friends. She was in a band, after all. Someone as friendless as Yukino was truly a rarity. Mutsumi only looked lonely now because her two friends had a falling out, leaving her stuck in the middle.
'It's all Sister's fault.'
Yukino's face went from pale to red. The parrot had some intelligence and was a manifestation of Hachiman's student's technique; she couldn't very well blame the bird.
Haruno, hearing female voices on the other end, felt much more relieved. Her sister wasn't out late with a boy. If Haruno knew that her sister had spent several late nights in a room with a boy, she would probably explode.
"That has nothing to do with you, Sister. Do you need something?" Yukino took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Waaaah, Yukino is so cold! You have friends now so you don't want your sister?" Haruno whined, acting like a spoiled child to her younger sister.
"Geez, can't I look for you for no reason? I'm standing at your apartment door right now."
"Huh?" Hearing her sister was at her door, Yukino felt helpless. She really was already there. "Sister, wait in the lobby for a moment. I'll be back soon. That's all."
Yukino hung up quickly before Haruno could say more. She cleared her throat to hide her earlier embarrassment.
"Sorry, I might not be able to go to dinner with you. Hikigaya-kun, you can just drop me off at the nearest subway station."
She saw they weren't far from her place. The subway would be convenient.
"No need. It's just a short drive; I'll take you straight to the gate." Hachiman found an exit on the elevated highway; he knew a shortcut home.
"Thank you." Yukino knew it was hard to change Hachiman's mind once he decided, so she thanked him. She made a mental note to tell her sister to call ahead next time.
'Sister always does this!' Just doing whatever she wants without notice. Yukino thought about what would happen if Hachiman were at her house one day and her sister suddenly rang the bell. The thought made her blush with shame.
A few moments later, Hachiman dropped Yukino off at their complex. Yukino stepped out and waved to Hachiman and Mutsumi.
"Bye, see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Wakaba-san."
Mutsumi nodded and waved back. Once Yukino disappeared from sight, Hachiman drove off.
"I'm neighbors with her, so we live in the same complex." Hachiman knew Mutsumi must be familiar with this area. Not just because he lived here, but because her dear friend Soyo Nagasaki lived here too. Their first meeting had been in the basement parking lot.
Speaking of which, Soyo had once spoken coldly to Mutsumi due to a misunderstanding involving Hachiman. Having looked into Soyo's memories, Hachiman realized Mutsumi's "art of speech" was indeed... problematic.
"I never felt that the band was fun." That single sentence from Mutsumi was enough to end any conversation. It's no wonder her cursed power manifested in such a specific way—because she was bad with words, she wanted a "mouthpiece."
"Mutsumi, is there anything you want to eat?" Hachiman wasn't picky, so he asked for her opinion directly.
"What about Hachiman?" Mutsumi tilted her head, looking adorable in her daze.
"I'm fine with anything. It depends on you." Hachiman felt a bit helpless. He was the one asking her, yet she flipped it back on him.
After thinking for a while, Mutsumi said, "Gyudon?"
"Gyudon?" Hachiman was stunned for a moment by such a "down-to-earth" suggestion. Logically, a young lady like her shouldn't have tried such things often.
"Yes." Mutsumi nodded, even adding the brand name. "Yoshinoya."
"Yoshinoya's gyudon, huh." Hachiman nodded. Mutsumi only mentioned it because Soyo had told her about it. It was a rare occasion where Soyo had eaten gyudon with new friends and said it was delicious. Mutsumi was usually too busy with guitar practice or various training classes her parents signed her up for. Only recently, with Hachiman, had her father allowed her a bit of freedom to go out.
When she was with Hachiman, Mutsumi felt relaxed and pressure-free. The last time she had a meal out with friends was back in middle school with the members of CRYCHIC; it had been a long time. Soyo had mentioned it that afternoon while Mutsumi was watering her cucumbers. Curiously piqued by Soyo's recommendation, she wanted to try this "delicious" gyudon.
Hachiman pulled up Apple CarPlay to find a Yoshinoya. A navigation prompt appeared. Mutsumi leaned forward from the back seat and pointed to a specific location on the screen. "Go here."
"Alright." Hachiman clicked the address. He glanced at it and realized it was near the place where Soyo and her new band practiced. He understood immediately: Mutsumi was going there because of Soyo's recommendation. She wouldn't just randomly crave gyudon.
Hachiman arrived at the location, parked, and saw the shop. The Yoshinoya logo was prominent. Since it was dinner time, the place was crowded. It was a small shop with a wrap-around counter and a few small tables.
"Welcome!" Two staff members greeted them. One was a tall girl with a healthy tan, and the other was a short, petite girl. Both wore the Yoshinoya uniform.
"Welcome. What would you like to order?" The tall girl stood at the counter.
Hachiman looked at Mutsumi. "Mutsumi, you first."
Mutsumi looked at the menu and ordered the signature dish Soyo had mentioned. "This one. One signature gyudon."
"Size, please?" the tall clerk asked.
Seeing Mutsumi's hesitation, Hachiman decided for her. "Standard... actually, make it a small." Mutsumi usually ate cucumbers and didn't seem into meat; a large portion might be too much. "I'll have a signature gyudon, large, and an extra Japanese Hamburg steak." Hachiman was feeling quite hungry himself.
"Understood." The tall girl took the order, and the petite girl started preparing it. Hachiman stopped Mutsumi from pulling out her wallet. "I've got it." Yoshinoya didn't cost much.
They sat at a table, and Hachiman poured Mutsumi some warm water. "Have some water." He saw her peering out the window; she was likely thinking of Soyo. "Mutsumi, how is that friend who's making things difficult for you?"
Hachiman was on good terms with Soyo and her band, but Mutsumi didn't know that.
"She formed a new band. They're having a live show soon." Mutsumi held her cup with both hands, looking back from the window. "Are you interested, Hachiman? I can ask her for another ticket."
Because she valued Soyo, she carried the ticket with her. Hachiman saw his chance. "I think I have that ticket too." He reached into his "pocket" (actually his storage ring) and pulled it out.
Seeing two identical tickets side-by-side, Mutsumi froze, her eyes wide with shock.
"A friend gave it to me too," Hachiman said, continuing to guide her. "Speaking of which, she's from Tsukinomori, same school as you. You might know her."
"..." Mutsumi opened her mouth slightly, clearly not expecting such a coincidence. She wasn't stupid; in all of Tsukinomori, Soyo would likely only give a ticket to her. The person who gave Hachiman the ticket was obviously Soyo!
'Does Hachiman know Soyo?'
Mutsumi realized. She also remembered Soyo lived in the same building as Hachiman. "Hachiman knows Soyo too?"
"Mutsumi..." Hachiman hadn't expected to be such a "transparent person" after they had already briefly met in the parking lot. If he remembered correctly, Soyo's band was self-funding the show; every free ticket given away was a loss. Hachiman wasn't just a ghost member of their group; he occasionally lurked and read their chat logs.
Soon, the tall clerk brought their food—two red-and-white bowls with the Yoshinoya logo. The gyudon looked appetizing with its thin beef slices and soft onions in a sweet-savory broth, steam rising from the bowl. One could add an onsen egg, but Hachiman disliked the slimy texture; it reminded him of blood.
When the clerk saw the two familiar live tickets on the table, she spoke up. "Are you two going to that live show?"
"Yes," Hachiman nodded.
"What a coincidence! We're going too," the clerk smiled. "A band member who always supports our shop gave them to us."
After their practice sessions, Momoka Kawaragi and her band often came here to eat. Mostly because it was cheap and they had ice-cold beer. Even paying for four people didn't cost much. A bowl of beef rice and a cold beer—nothing beats that.
"Small world," Hachiman remarked. "We're friends with the members of that band too."
Mutsumi was even more shocked now. Not only did Hachiman know Soyo, but he also knew the members of her band. She knew Hachiman was social, but not this social. Does Hachiman know everyone I know? she wondered.
After a few pleasantries, the clerk left them to enjoy their meal.
"If you're that worried, why don't we go take a look?" Hachiman suggested.
Mutsumi was tempted, but she knew Soyo's practice was at a critical stage. An outsider like her watching would only distract them. "It will interfere with Soyo's practice. Let's just go home after eating." Besides, after trying the gyudon Soyo recommended, she felt satisfied. "It's delicious." The warm rice with savory-sweet beef was pure satisfaction. Occasionally eating something this flavorful was quite a treat for someone used to a bland diet.
"Want some Hamburg steak?" Hachiman cut a piece for her.
"Mm."
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After finishing their meal, Hachiman drove Mutsumi home. When the car was empty, a slight smile touched his lips. Mutsumi and Yukino joining the Association gave their respective families a bit more leverage. In these increasingly chaotic times in the jujutsu world, strength was the only absolute authority.
As Hachiman started to drive back, he suddenly sensed an evil cursed energy—a Grade 3 cursed spirit. Although it was only Grade 3, it was enough to completely block the road ahead.
To Hachiman's surprise, he saw several heavy trucks entering the police cordon. From the logo on the trucks, he recognized it instantly.
'Isn't that the Toyokawa Logistics logo?'
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