The Hikigaya couple's youthful love story is definitely not a problem.

Chapter 123 Really? Becoming a Father by Surprise

Seeing Hachiman's guilty look, Yukino didn't react much. She just smiled slightly and followed Hachiman's steps.

Perhaps it was because it was too early, or perhaps because Hachiman had actually found a place where people were extremely rare, but the two of them walked in the snow for several minutes, crunching and creaking, without seeing a single person.

Aside from the wisps of smoke slowly drifting from the chimneys of the houses not far away, which proved that this was still the tourist destination, the desolate and empty snowfield really made Yukino feel as if she and Hachiman were the only ones left in the world.

Humans are strange creatures. Whether in a bustling city or a quiet wilderness, over time, we will experience all sorts of negative emotions.

Once you change your environment, you will immediately feel a sense of peace and joy.

However, this feeling of comfort is very short-lived. It's fine for someone to experience the joys of rural life, but if you ask them to be self-sufficient, they'll probably be lamenting and regretting it again in just a few days.

Yukino wasn't at that point yet; the girl simply felt comfortable with the current atmosphere.

Back when I was in England, I stayed home every day and didn't go out much. I could only read books to keep myself company, and I almost forgot what snow was like.

For Yukino, who has always had a strong desire for freedom and wanted to break free from her family's control through her own abilities, those years in England were nothing short of a torment. Why do so many women seem to become completely different people after marriage and childbirth, losing their former gentleness and virtuousness? They completely exhaust themselves taking care of their children, sometimes even when they are very angry inside.

But she didn't even feel like talking; she just wanted to rest for a while.

Otherwise, she, as a mother, wouldn't be able to bear it if her child started crying.

Other mothers, when they can't take it anymore, can kick their husbands who are sleeping like dead pigs, but Yukino, when she hears her child crying in the middle of the night, can only struggle to get up.

Moreover, Yukino has more than one child.

The two little tenants took turns causing trouble, and even if Yukino were made of iron, she couldn't stand it.

Although there is a butler who takes care of Yukino's daily life, helping with shopping and cooking, Yukino really doesn't dare to let him take care of the child. If it weren't for Haruno abandoning the entire company during that period to come and help Yukino take care of the child, her health would probably be even worse than it is now.

Has it snowed in all these years, Kanba? Yukino grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, carefully rolled it into a ball, and looked up and down at Hachiman's body, as if she was planning where to throw it.

Snowing? The moment Hachiman turned around, he noticed Yukino's unusual behavior. He stared warily at the woman with a strange look in her eyes, afraid that she would use a cold snowball to make him realize something when he wasn't paying attention. 4. A bone-chilling cold.

Yes, I've been gone for so many years and haven't come back. There are so many things I want to ask, but when it comes to asking questions, I can't say anything at all.

Because Yukino was wearing a hat, Hachiman couldn't clearly see the hint of a smile on her lips; otherwise, Hachiman's vigilance would probably have increased several notches.

There were many questions I wanted to ask but couldn't bring myself to say them, and I couldn't just stay silent the whole way, could I? Perhaps because I had been playing in the snow for so long, Yukino's hands were no longer cold, but rather warm and cozy.

However, she knew that the feeling in her hand, just like the feeling in her heart, was all fake.

Once the brief moment of lucidity passes, the cold will return, and the pain will return.

However, the temptation to relieve the pain in her heart was irresistible, even though Yukino knew it was addictive.

...There hasn't been much snow in recent years—in winter, the air is all damp and cold, and it scrapes your face like a knife.

After spending a little time thinking it over, Hachiman realized that it really hadn't snowed much in Kanba in recent years. Even though Tokyo was covered in a blanket of white snow, Kanba only experienced a few cold winds and light rains.

That's really strange.

Yukino spoke with great confusion, as if she were wondering about something.

What's so strange about it? The weather has been like this for years. You don't need your spring and autumn clothes at all. Once you take off your summer clothes, you can wear your winter clothes. Even if it snows in June, I wouldn't find it strange.

Saying it nonchalantly, as someone who dabbles in writing, Hachiman is not as sensitive to the weather as farmers. Even if a typhoon sweeps through, for Hachiman it's just a matter of how long he stays at home.

It seems my resentment isn't that great after all.

She said with a hint of resentment that every time Yukino felt she couldn't go on over the years, she would always think of Hachiman.

However, in the end, that lingering longing was destined to turn into resentment.

Over time, Yukino felt that Hachiman should at least suffer a few misfortunes.

In retrospect, resentment does not cause any real harm to a person.

Otherwise, how could Hachiman's life be getting better and better, with such a young, beautiful, and very considerate wife?

This isn't my fault. You need to go find your sister. I'm a victim too.

Hachiman, who considered himself upright and honest, immediately became a non-stick pan in the face of this situation.

Looking at Yukino with a pitiful expression, the girl, who was in a good mood, quickly closed her eyes, disgusted. Still maintaining her girlish heart, Yukino was afraid that the eerie gaze of a salted fish with a frighteningly thick layer of salt frost on its body would keep her awake all night. When did I say I blamed you? I have never blamed anyone, have I? Just thinking about how Yukino was crying her eyes out the day before yesterday, almost ready to commit seppuku with two knives, Yukino couldn't stay angry.

In reality, no one is to blame, yet everyone bears responsibility for this.

The best thing is that things are unclear. Everyone just goes through the motions, maintaining a smiling facade, and that's enough.

As for what happens behind closed doors, it's just something to vent one's frustrations by cursing in bed, but the next day, one still has to continue acting.

Whether it's Hachiman, Rumi, or Yukino, they all already have a tacit understanding, knowing what they can do and what the other's bottom line is.

If Yukino dares to have anything ambiguous or unclear with Hachiman, Rumi will immediately turn into a man-eating tiger.

If Rumi doesn't allow Yukino to make arrangements for the child's future, then a mother who has lost her mind is capable of doing many horrifying things.

However, the most pitiful one here is actually Hachiman.

Others can vent their joy at becoming fathers, but he can only suffer in silence.

After all... this guy really did become a father.

Chapter 124 The Fox in the Snow

Before they knew it, Hachiman and Yukino had arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Unlike the lakeside, which was shrouded in a light mist and had a wide view, the two had just arrived at the foot of the mountain when their view was mostly blocked by too many trees.

Unconsciously, she stepped forward and grabbed Hachiman's sleeve. Yukino had a bad sense of direction, and this kind of complicated environment was something she should have tried her best to avoid.

As a result, I had a really nice chat with Hachiman today, and somehow we ended up here.

"Let's not go any further, shall we go back?" she asked softly. — Yukino, who was usually fearless, suddenly became a little timid when she saw the small forest covered in snow.

As an exceptionally rational person, Yukino wouldn't do things that seem foolish to prove that she has no flaws, like some people do.

Anyone familiar with Yukino knows that she has a terrible sense of direction.

After all, every time she goes out, no matter what the reason, she always has to find someone to accompany her to prevent any embarrassing situations like getting lost in front of her own house.

Especially with a forest on a snow-capped mountain in front of her, Yukino, who easily gets lost even in a city where it's easy to find her way, had no interest in challenging her survival skills. So she decided to go back, and it was time for breakfast anyway.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to turn around, Hachiman silently pulled his sleeve out of Yukino's hand.

Such behavior may seem somewhat heartless, but it is the best course of action.

Rather than leaving Yukino with a sliver of hope, which might lead her to develop other ideas and cause unnecessary trouble, it was better to turn around stiffly now and watch Hachiman approaching along the path they had come from. In the end, Yukino could only console herself by saying that Hachiman was too warmly dressed in winter to notice her little movements.

But does Hachiman really not feel it? Yukino has already made many subtle moves along the way. Even if Hachiman understands her feelings, he can't accept her actions.

Yukino had countless opportunities before; if she had just put in a little effort, the two of them would be living a very happy life now.

However, Yukino failed to seize these opportunities, which led to her current predicament.

While Yukino does seem pitiful, if Hachiman were to do something to wrong Rumi out of pity for her, wouldn't Rumi be just as pitiful? Rumi has given just as much as Yukino, and her love for Hachiman is no less than Yukino's. There's no reason why Hachiman would necessarily favor Yukino just because she has a child.

Hachiman was once able to relentlessly pursue his love, and now he can naturally give up the woman he once adored for love.

Hachiman has spent too much time and effort on Yukino, and now he's really tired and doesn't want to keep torturing her.

Regardless of what Yukino was thinking behind him, Hachiman had already figured it out clearly.

He would never give Yukino any chance to twist the thread he had finally straightened back into a ball of yarn.

Yukino followed closely behind Hachiman without saying a word. She thought that accepting her scarf would change his mind, but he was still the same as before.

"Do you feel Hachiman's voice suddenly ringing in your ears?" Yukino looked up in surprise, only to find Hachiman staring straight ahead. It seemed that the person who had just spoken had not stopped. Hachiman, with undisguised weariness in his eyes, looked at Yukino beside him, who was somewhat flustered.

After a brief silence, Hachiman broke the extremely awkward atmosphere between the two of them by speaking first.

Some things can be competed on equal footing, but matters of the heart are different.

There is no fairness to speak of.

In the past, I would stand by your side without hesitation; now, I will stand next to Liu Mei.

"And even if I achieve so-called fairness, allowing you and Rumi to use every means to compete, don't you think that's a bit too despicable?" Although he felt a little upset, Hachiman still tried to speak calmly.

The feelings between two people are already complicated enough—all sorts of troubles can easily arise, not to mention the involvement of more emotions.

However, Hachiman still felt somewhat guilty.

Although the situation they faced this time was slightly different, it was largely similar to what they had faced before.

Not only that, even Hachiman made the same decision.

Standing there, letting Hachiman gently and meticulously put the scarf he had taken off back around her body, Yukino felt no sweetness at all; instead, her heart was filled with an indescribable bitterness.

You could call what Hachiman said absurd, since he had hurt a girl's feelings time and time again, and yet he acted like he was having a hard time too.

Hachiman stood quietly beside Rumi, and the helplessness of having given so much but being unable to change any reality would drive Yukino to despair.

Last time, when Hachiman chose Yui, Yukino could still console herself.

Faced with the same choice this time, Hachiman still chose someone else.

The girl felt very strange. Logically, she should be expressing her deep sorrow by crying.

But Yukino pursed her lips and tried to hold back her tears for a long time, but she couldn't even manage to shed a single tear.

On the contrary, Yukino now feels a sense of relief.

For so many years, Hachiman has haunted her like a nightmare.

Every time I wake up in a fright, it's because of him; every time I feel weak, it's because of him.

Yukino craves warmth, fears reprimands, and wants Hachiman's care, but doesn't know how to get along with him.

As if she had been given a great reward, Yukino felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Although Hachiman made it clear that he would no longer have any deep emotional interaction with him, as an extremely responsible person, he would definitely take good care of the two children who had his blood flowing through their veins.

Even if she unfortunately passes away due to illness in the future, she won't have to worry about those two lovely angels not having their own childhood in the afterlife.

Yukino's health is already very poor. Although the tumor in her brain hasn't shown any signs of activity, this thing, which is like a time bomb, could explode at any moment.

Therefore, Yukino could only go to the hospital for check-ups on time to prevent a sudden outbreak that could compress blood vessels in her brain and cause her to fall into a coma.

The psychological stress caused by the illness, the exhaustion from taking care of the child, and many other things hidden in her heart weighed heavily on Yukino, making her realize that she really didn't need to be so attached to Hachiman.

Even if the two cannot become lovers, it would be excellent for them to live together peacefully and calmly as a divorced couple.