Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

"But I believe in you, Hikigaya-kun. I know you'd never betray Yukino."

Gently sipping her coffee, Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled warmly at the boy beside her.

The two weren't sitting across from each other—Mrs. Yukinoshita had deliberately taken the seat next to Hikigaya, so close that their bodies nearly touched.

Which made things all the worse.

Hikigaya sat as stiffly as a statue, forcing an awkward smile onto his face.

The pressure was crushing. If this auntie ever found out about the dumb things he'd done behind Yukino's back, she might really kill him.

"Thank you, Auntie. I would never... never betray Yukino."

Bitterness welled in his heart, but Hikigaya could only grit his teeth and promise.

Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded, then gently pushed a cup of coffee toward him.

"Hikigaya-kun, I ordered this for you just now. Give it a try."

"O-Okay."

He picked up the cup carefully.

"Be careful not to burn your tongue."

Mrs. Yukinoshita's voice was soft and kind.

"Mhm."

To be honest…

As an elder, Mrs. Yukinoshita really was exceptionally kind to him. She didn't carry the condescending air of a superior—only a gentle, nurturing presence, almost motherly in its warmth.

But—

Her gentleness was completely different from Mrs. Yuigahama's.

Being around Mrs. Yuigahama felt easy, carefree. Zero pressure.

But with Mrs. Yukinoshita—even though she was gentle—he felt a natural sense of awe. Maybe even... fear.

"Hikigaya-kun, your coffee~"

"Huh? Ah—I spaced out for a second!"

Realizing he'd just spilled coffee on his pants, Hikigaya's face turned bright red.

God, what an idiot. How does one even manage to spill coffee like that?

"Hehe, don't be so nervous. Just relax—it's not like Auntie's going to eat you, teehee~"

Mrs. Yukinoshita giggled playfully, a striking contrast from her usual serene self.

"Uh... yeah."

Hikigaya nodded sheepishly.

"Here, Auntie will wipe it for you."

"Eh? N-No, it's fine! I can do it myself!"

He quickly waved his hands.

"No worries. When Yukino was little and spilled juice on herself, I wiped her off too~"

With a chuckle, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and began wiping the front of his pants.

At this point, refusing would only make things more awkward, so Hikigaya just had to accept it.

But as she wiped, her hand gradually pressed against his thigh... and she suddenly clamped her legs together tightly.

"Hiss—w-what's wrong, Auntie?"

She was pressing hard. It actually hurt a little.

Compared to other women, Mrs. Yukinoshita really had some serious... raw strength.

"...It's nothing."

She quickly withdrew her hand and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Auntie... needs to go to the restroom for a moment."

"??"

Didn't she just go a little while ago?

Why again?

"Auntie, did you... eat something bad?"

Hikigaya asked, concerned.

"No, not at all."

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Mrs. Yukinoshita shook her head and explained, "I just need to go. It's not that kind of... issue. Probably just drank too much coffee, that's all."

"Ohh..."

Hikigaya didn't dare probe further.

"I'll be right back. Hikigaya-kun, keep enjoying your coffee—Auntie will return soon."

With that, she stood up and quickly made her way to the restroom.

"..."

Watching her walk away, Hikigaya instinctively averted his gaze from her elegant figure.

Such a beautiful body... no, wait—get a grip, Hachiman!

---

Elsewhere, at a certain hotel in Tokyo.

"Suyo, Mommy's home~"

Mrs. Nagasaki opened the door with a cheerful voice, clearly in high spirits.

"Welcome home, Mom."

Wearing an apron and emerging from the kitchen, Suyo greeted her mother with a smile.

In their household, nearly all the chores—cooking, cleaning—were done by Suyo. Her mother, in contrast, was more like a pampered child, coming home from work to enjoy the nurturing care of her daughter, who acted more like a mother than a daughter.

"Hehe, something smells amazing. Suyo, your cooking just gets better and better~"

Mrs. Nagasaki sniffed the air appreciatively and came over to gently hug her daughter.

"Mom, I'm still cooking. I probably smell like oil."

"No way, my Suyo always smells wonderful~ Mm, my soft, squishy baby girl~"

Unable to resist, she rubbed her head affectionately against Suyo's chest.

Suyo chuckled wryly, as always, and gently patted her mother.

Having lived together for so long and relying solely on each other, the bond between mother and daughter was incredibly close—and they knew each other inside and out.

So of course, Suyo immediately noticed something different.

"Mom, you seem extra happy today. Did something good happen?"

"Hehe, you caught me~"

Mrs. Nagasaki slipped out of her daughter's arms and smiled. "Something good did happen… and maybe something bad too? Hmm... maybe not bad, just complicated."

"Oh?"

Suyo was intrigued. "So what's the good news? Judging by that look on your face... don't tell me you got a boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend? As if! This isn't about me—it's about you."

Mrs. Nagasaki gave her daughter a teasing glance.

"Me?"

"Mhm! It's about my darling daughter's future happiness~"

Mrs. Nagasaki beamed.

"Eh? My future happiness?"

Suyo looked more confused than ever. "What do you mean?"

Smiling playfully, her mother grew uncharacteristically serious:

"Suyo, Mommy took a little trip to Chiba today and... hehe, I met your beloved Hikigaya-kun. I took a good, long look at that boy, and I have to say—he's wonderful. You really have good taste, sweetie. Even better than mine, actually. I really, really like Hikigaya-kun~!"

"??"

Suyo's eyes went wide. She stared at her mother in disbelief.

"M-Mom... You met Hikigaya-kun?!"

"Yes, sweetie! And what a lovely boy he is~"

Mrs. Nagasaki looked positively dreamy as she recalled the encounter.

"??"

Suyo fell into stunned silence. Her expression darkened.

Unbelievable.

First you seduce my Shouko, and now you're going after my mother too?!

What the hell are you trying to pull, you infuriating man?!