Yukino remained silent throughout, but after seeing Yukiteru leave, she gave a slightly amused smile and followed him. As for Hachiman, seeing that he was alone, he immediately said, "Ah, I'll be going now. Let's talk again sometime."

Afterwards, they left the dessert shop, leaving the girls staring blankly as the door opened and closed, feeling like they'd been just there for show the whole time...

After leaving the store, Yukiteru looked at Haruno, who was following behind him, and asked, "Aren't you in school? Why are you back in Chiba?"

"I helped out at the company this afternoon, and after that I wanted to find a place to eat something, and that's when I saw this brother and sister." Yang Nai put her hands behind her back, looked at Xue Hui, and asked, "Are you two having a get-together today?"

So that's what you're asking...

Suppressing the embarrassment of having forgotten about Haruno, Yukiteru calmly said, "Yes, it's autumn now, so I'm planning to make some good food to nourish myself. I'll also invite Hachiman and the others over."

"And then, you didn't call me?"

As soon as Hikigaya came out, he heard Haruno's question, which carried a hint of danger. He immediately shivered and stood still, watching silently.

Yukiteru, however, showed no sign of panic at Haruno's expression, simply nodding calmly: "Yeah, I forgot. But I guess since you're in Tokyo, it doesn't really matter whether you call it that or not."

Forgot...forgot?

Feeling a bit annoyed that her presence had become so faint, Yukino raised her voice a third higher: "Did Yukino forget to look for me too?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Ugh... what a failure! Is a married sister just water spilled out of a cup?" Clutching her chest, Yono muttered to herself in sorrow. However, her acting was so exaggerated that not only Yukiteru but even Komachi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ha...alright, alright, stop pretending. I bought a lot of things, one more won't make a difference, come on over." Slapping his forehead, Yuki had no choice but to invite Yuuno. Now that they were here, it wasn't realistic to leave her hanging any longer.

"Although the tone of your words still annoyed me a bit, I'll be magnanimous and forgive you. I drove here, so I'll just follow behind you."

Nodding, Yang walked towards her sports car parked not far away.

Yukiteru then gestured for the Hikigaya siblings to get into his car, and the two cars drove off the street one after the other.

In the car, Komachi, sitting in the middle of the back seat, excitedly tugged at Yukiteru's arm, completely ignoring the envious and jealous look on her older brother's face, and asked Yukiteru, "Yukiteru-nii, what kind of feast have you prepared tonight?"

"Well, I'll keep that a secret for now. You'll see when we get there. Also," Yukiteru said, gesturing to Komachi with his eyes, "if you keep this up, your brother's eyes will kill you."

Komachi immediately turned her head, glanced at Hachiman, whose expression was somewhat stiff as he stared straight ahead, and pouted: "Tch, aren't you just worried that I'll be kidnapped by Yukiteru-nii? You really underestimate me, Komachi. Komachi is so cute, it's perfectly normal for Yukiteru-nii to like Komachi. I wouldn't have any bad intentions, right, Yukiteru-nii?"

Hearing Xiao Ding's words, Xue Hui burst out laughing: "Hahaha, that's right, Komachi sees things clearly. That certain deep-seated sister complex is still too green."

"Yes, he's too inexperienced. He's always so fearful. He's so petty." Komachi, disregarding Hachiman's expression, criticized him without any politeness, making Hachiman want to cry.

A dozen minutes later, after hearing the sounds coming from downstairs, Komachi and Hachiman came down and were somewhat surprised by the size of the neighborhood. Komachi even said directly, "The houses here must be expensive, right?"

"The house itself wasn't particularly expensive, but the cost went up considerably after adding the furniture and renovations. All the royalties I'd saved up from writing all went into it." Xuehui didn't have any boasting about it to people he knew well, and honestly revealed the total cost. While the house's renovations and furniture didn't look luxurious, none of them were cheap. Xuehui and his family preferred something more refined rather than showing off their wealth.

Before going up, Yukiteru opened the trunk of the car and called Hachiman over: "Let Komachi hold the snacks you're carrying, you help me carry these."

After saying that, he placed the two shopping bags directly into the other person's hands.

"!!! So heavy!" Startled by the two large bags, Hachiman immediately grabbed them tightly, and then saw Yukiteru pull out two more bags.

How much did you buy?

"Not much, not much, it's better than not having enough to eat, right?"

As they talked, the four of them finally entered the building. Luckily, there was an elevator, otherwise Hachiman would have gone crazy.

Yang Nai helped them get the key and opened the door, and the four of them went inside.

"I am back!"

As soon as Yukiteru called out, a series of footsteps approached, and Yukino, Utaha, Shizuka, and Yui all came over.

Upon seeing Haruno enter with Yukiteru, Yukino exclaimed in shock, "Sister...Sister? What brings you here?"

"Why am I here?" Yang Nai repeated, putting on her slippers and coming up to Yukino. She reached out and pinched her younger sister's cheek, saying, "You didn't even call me when there was something delicious? What kind of younger sister are you?"

"I forgot! I just forgot!" Yukino quickly slapped away Haruno's hands, rubbed her cheeks, and said, "How dare you say that to me? Is this how an older sister should act?"

"Hmph, I'm the older sister, so of course I'm in charge!"

At this moment, Yukiteru changed his shoes and came in, saying to everyone, "Alright, let's sit down in the living room and talk. Hachiman, help me put my things in the kitchen."

Carrying a large pile of things, Hachiman followed Yukiteru into the kitchen, where he saw the copper hot pot.

"So, are we having hot pot tonight?" Although it didn't look like the kind of hot pot eaten in Japan, Hachiman still recognized it as a Chinese-style hot pot.

"Ah, that's right, we're having Sichuan hot pot tonight." As she spoke, Xuehui opened the refrigerator and took out the mutton stored inside. "Mutton hot pot is the best! This morning, I bought all the mutton that was air-freighted from Hokkaido, including tenderloin, fork, and hind leg meat, which are the best parts for hot pot."

After patting the packaged mutton, Xuehui felt her mouth watering.

After putting his things down, Hachiman went to the kitchen doorway, glanced at the group of girls over there, and said after thinking for a moment, "I'll stay here and help you. I won't join in the girls' conversation."

Hearing what Hachiman said, Yukiteru thought it made sense, so he asked him to help process the vegetables while he took out the drinks and other things he had bought and put them away, and then he started tinkering with them too.

To be honest, it's quite difficult to find an authentic Chinese meal in Japan, especially one that suits your taste, let alone something like Sichuan hot pot. Luckily, Xuehui got some imported hot pot base, the kind specifically for a divided pot. After fiddling around with it and heating it up, the aroma was irresistible.

After the meal began, the thin slices of mutton that filled the table disappeared at an increasingly rapid pace, forcing Xuehui to cut out some more before there was finally enough to eat.

Finally, the group was so full they could barely move and collapsed into their chairs.

After taking the last sip of cola, Xuehui let out a satisfied burp. Today's meal was perfect!

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Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Third update, one more chapter to come around 7 PM.

Chapter 205 A Request That Ended Before It Even Began (4/4)

After finishing their meal, everyone leisurely moved to the sofa in the living room. The advantage of a yin-yang hot pot is that everyone, whether they like spicy food or not, can enjoy their meal comfortably.

Among this group, only Xuehui, Xiaojing, and Xiaomachi could actually eat it. The others would give up after a brief attempt, at most taking a bite or two before moving on to the other side of the mixed bottom.

"What a pity, the essence is the spiciness, why don't you guys understand?" After soaking the pots and pans in the water, Xuehui also came over, sat down next to Yukino, and shook his head as he looked at the Japanese-style slouching.

"This level of spiciness is way too much, it's really not for me. I'm perfectly satisfied with what I have now." Touching her stomach, Yang Nai leaned back without any decorum and asked, "Couldn't you have found something a little milder?"

"Is it really that spicy? I think you guys are just too incompetent. This level is actually just average. But since you've said that, I'll adjust it a little next time and try making my own base." Seeing that not only Yang Nai said this, but the others also nodded in agreement, Yuki knew to agree.

After digesting their thoughts, the group started playing cards in the living room. After a while, they switched to playing UNO and continued until after 8 o'clock when Hachiman and the other two had to go home.

Yukino was staying here tonight, so there was no need to worry about her. Yukino and Yukino accompanied the three of them downstairs, where the car to take them home was already waiting.

"Thank you for your help, you even arranged a car to take us." Hachiman, the boy among the three, said to Yukiteru.

"We're all friends, so there's no need to worry about so much. Besides, I'm not worried about you, I'm just worried about the two girls, right, Komachi?" As he spoke, Yukiteru patted Komachi's head, making Komachi laugh out loud. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the two of them were siblings.

Yukiteru was used to Hikigaya's constant teasing, and after saying goodbye, he got into the car with Yuihama and Komachi.

"Alright, the guests have left, let's go upstairs too." Watching the car drive away, Yuki stretched, exchanged a glance with Yukino, took her hand, and turned to walk into the building.

That night, because of Yang Nai's sudden arrival and having a satisfying dinner, Xuehui didn't think about harming anyone. He stayed in his room alone, writing his manuscript, and after reading for a while, he went to sleep.

the next day.

This afternoon, Shizuka submitted Yukino's application form for the student council president election. Finally, there is a strong candidate among the candidates. The teachers are relieved that the student council president's abilities will not suddenly decline.

During the afternoon club activities, the request that Yukiteru had anticipated did indeed arrive.

Student council president Shiroki walked in with a cute girl with shoulder-length hair. Yukiteru had seen this girl before at the sports festival; she was the manager of the soccer team where Hayama Hayato was, a first-year student named Isshiki Iroha.

"Is there something you need today, senior?" Yukino was currently working on a rather difficult math problem, which was only for third-year students, and didn't have time to speak, so Yukiteru temporarily received her.

“I did have a request, but it was a bit difficult for me, so I came to you.” With his usual gentle smile, Shiromaru said, noticing Yukino’s work. “Ah, Yukino-san, are you already studying third-year material?”

“I’ve already finished the second-year material, so I’ll move on to the next one.” After successfully completing the last step, Yukino confidently closed her book without looking at the answers to the questions. She then said to Shiromaru, “Please sit down, senpai, and this junior as well.”

After the two sat down, Shiromaru began to speak: "To be precise, the person I want to make a request for today is the child beside me."

At this point, Isshiki Iroha stood up somewhat awkwardly and said, "Um, I'm Isshiki Iroha, a first-year student. Hello everyone."

"Is it Isshiki-kun?" Yukino nodded and asked, "So, what's the request?"

With a hint of embarrassment, Isshiki said, "Um, I participated in this student council president election, but I hope you can help me lose."

"Pfft...cough cough..." Hachiman almost spat out his tea after hearing this. After finally stopping himself, he said apologetically, "Sorry, I was shocked. Are you sure you didn't misspoke? It's not that you're going to be elected, but that you're going to lose?"

Nodding, Isshiki Hachiman said, "That's right, I was eliminated. Well, actually, I didn't want to participate on my own initiative; I was just forced into it."

Then, Iroha Isshiki began to recount the whole story.

Yukino nodded after hearing this, and said calmly, "I see. You were maliciously recommended? Because you're popular among the first-year students and became the manager of the soccer club, some people are unhappy and want to see you make a fool of yourself. It's true that some people might have such thoughts. But if you don't want to, wouldn't it be better to just refuse?"

"Um... well, there are all sorts of reasons~" Iroha Isshiki stuck out her tongue somewhat awkwardly, then put her hands together with a pitiful look and said, "Um, seniors, could you please help me?"

Seeing Isshiki Iroha's state, Hikigaya, with his always sharp eyes, had already figured out why this girl was in trouble. She was similar to Sawamura, who frequently visited the Service Club, bound by the role she played and forced to accept certain situations.

After listening, Yukiteru exchanged a glance with Yukino and said, "I think this can be considered the fastest I've ever completed a request in our Service Club, right? It was completed without even needing to be mentioned."

Seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the two people opposite her, Yukino nodded and said, "Isshiki-kun, you were forced to participate in the election, but you're afraid of being ridiculed if you lose, right? You can rest assured about that, because I filled out the application form yesterday, and Hiratsuka-sensei has already submitted it for me."

"...Huh? Really?!?!" As soon as Yukino said that, Shiromaru exclaimed in surprise. She had always hoped that Yukino would take over the position of student council president, but she had failed to persuade her once before. This time, Yukino had actually decided to run for the position. What a huge surprise!

Yukino knew why Shiromaru was so happy, but she didn't care. Instead, she looked at Iroha Isshiki and said, "Iroha-kun, unlike you who didn't participate voluntarily, I'm going to succeed now that I've participated. As long as I create a huge gap between myself and all the other candidates, no one will target you."

Xuehui chimed in, "That's right. No one will bring this up then, because it's not that you're too weak, but that your opponent is too strong."

"I feel like what you're saying sounds like something a villain would say, and it's not like you're running for office." Looking at Yukiteru's confident face, Yukino shook her head speechlessly, but she still said to Iroha Isshiki, "Although I feel like something's not quite right, that's roughly the idea. Iroha-kun, there's no need to worry too much. Just live your life according to your own plans. Being a club manager and then the student council president is really not very realistic."

"Um... well, although it's not suitable, aren't you also a club president, senior?"

Faced with Iroha Isshiki's question, Yukino remained calm, smoothed her hair, and slowly said, "The Service Club is a place that accepts and completes requests, and provides help to those in need. This doesn't conflict much with my becoming the student council president; on the contrary, it will help me achieve this goal more effectively. So, Iroha-kun, you understand now, right?"

"Hmm... Ah, you seem so amazing, senpai." Seeing Yukino's calm and composed demeanor, Iroha Isshiki, who had initially been somewhat skeptical of the rumors about Yukino, couldn't help but clap her hands.

Impressive! I'm truly impressed.

"Oh, if that's the case, then there's no problem at all, right? Although it's a bit inappropriate to say it like this, the most suitable candidate for student council president has emerged, and now I should start preparing for the handover~" Shiromaru clapped his hands happily. He originally thought today would be quite troublesome, but it turned out to be a good thing.

Just as the two were about to thank them and leave, the club door suddenly opened, and Eriri, who hadn't been there for several days, appeared at the door.

"Oh, you guys are talking about something, sorry to bother you."

Upon seeing that there were other people inside, Eriri realized what was happening, apologized, and immediately turned and left.

Just as he was leaving, Yukiteru seemed to see Eriri raise her hand to wipe her eyes?

Before anyone could react, Shiyu appeared at the door. She walked in, sat down next to Yukiteru, and said directly, "It seems like this is a big problem. I'm not very good at comforting people, Yukiteru-kun, I'll leave it to you."

"Huh?" Yukiteru pointed to himself, completely bewildered. "Didn't you tell me you were going to discuss doujin games? Did something happen to Aki Tomoya?"

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