Why does the Ruined King still fall in love?

I looked towards the owner of the voice.

The moonlight shone on her dark hair.

She is wearing a soft blue kimono with a pattern of snowflakes that resemble flowers.

Standing in front of me is Yukinoshita Yukino

"Um... yo? What are you doing here?"

Yukinoshita's eyes pierced my restless soul.

"I could have asked you the same question," she said softly.

"But if you must know, my mother insisted that I go. And I underestimated how long a party would take, so I ran away."

I didn't realize until now that Yukinoshita's face was flushed, and her forehead was covered with sweat, as if she had just finished a run.

She brushed some hair from her ears.

Only Yukinoshita can look so dignified when he's out of breath.

-------------------------------------

We returned to the party to find that the food had already been served.

Komachi, being a very generous and good sister, ate everything I had with great courtesy.

What a little rascal.

However, she is a growing girl who needs calories.

But seriously:

I'm hungry.

Yukinoshita stood next to me and followed me.

Her shoulders were drooped, and so was her head, as if trying to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Still, she caught the eye of men and women, all whispering and staring at her from afar.

"Yeah! Miss Yukino!"

It was the person next to me, not her brother, who Komachi greeted first.

It's so sad.

"Want some shrimp? It's delicious!"

She said, and gave her a plate of shrimp that was supposed to be mine.

"No thanks."

Yukinoshita said softly.

"Um... anyone sitting here?"

Yukinoshita pointed to an empty seat next to me.

Komachi shook her head, so she quickly sat down.

Her head is still down.

"Hey... shouldn't you... introduce yourself to your parents?"

After listening to Yukinoshita's words, I looked in the direction of the main table.

We sat at a table in the back, far from the stage where the bride and groom were, but even I could make out the crowd surrounding the Yukinoshita family.

"Yes, yes! You need to introduce Oni-chan to your parents-in-law."

Komachi said with a smile.

Yukinoshita turned her head towards me and sighed helplessly.

"I'd rather not have that."

Looking at the crowd again, I feel a little bit sorry for her.

"Okay, you're welcome to sit with us! Everyone else at the table left in the fourth quarter, presumably for business or something, so, now it's just Komachi here. Great, Komachi and Ou Ni sauce!"

Wait, wait, you mean you didn’t just eat my portion, but the whole table’s!?

Yukinoshita looked at me suspiciously.

"Maybe they find your presence off-putting."

"Not at all. I'm a friendly fellow."

"Even in a teahouse, you can remind them that their loss will not be surpassed by the fear of sitting next to you. Now, why don't you allow yourself less doubt and sit down?"

Yukinoshita crossed her arms and tilted her head towards one of the empty seats.

I gritted my teeth and sat between Yukinoshita and Komachi.

My sister told us what happened.

Obviously, they serve food.

delicious food.

Like the food at a wedding, it was they that lured me on a solitary expedition into this cave of liars and sycophants.

In short, Komachi found nothing but the deliciousness of the food.

“They have juicy duck...”

"enough......"

I can feel my stomach growling.

My heart is getting stronger and stronger, and I want to do Hikigu's justice.

"...then a pickled appetizer..."

"stop......"

My head started spinning from lack of nutrition.

"Hey...doesn't that group look like they're walking towards us?"

"Yes...is that so?"

Looking into the distance, Yukinoshita sighed.

She stood up, walked forward, and introduced herself to the protagonist.

It was an elegant woman, motionless on her feet, followed by a small retinue.

If the traditional kind of Japanese aristocracy could be personified, it is this man.

"Good evening, Mom."

Yukinoshita bowed.

"Yue Nai... you're here."

Her mother replied, touching her daughter's cheek tenderly.

"I thought you didn't want to come."

This mother-daughter exchange could be more accurately described as a company manager speaking to a subordinate company employee.

And that employee just spilled too much coffee and broke too many printers.

Yukinoshita slumped her shoulders, stroking her arm in a pose I had never seen before.

She glanced at me, and all I could think was "what the hell can I do for you now, in front of your mother?"

"me......"

She looked away from her mother, and I caught her eye again.

I know you're in a hurry, but take it easy.

Even if you look at me, I can't explain to her why you are late.

"Hey sister Yukino! Is that your mother?"

Komachi looked at Yukinoshita's mother with awe-filled eyes.

Yukinoshita's mother also noticed Komachi.

"Is this your friend?"

"Ah... yes... this is Hikigaya Komachi. She's going to be a junior at my school."

Yukinoshita's mother covered her mouth with her hands, smiled in surprise, and exclaimed loudly, "That's great! Welcome the new generation and guide them. Just like my daughter expected!"

"Yes......"

Yukinoshita's fingers twitched restlessly around her body.

"You must be hungry? Looks like you need to prepare another meal, come on? The bride and groom will be overjoyed to see you. The bride has a younger brother, and I want you to meet too... "

I lost the opportunity to introduce myself.

Maybe I have a perpetual invisibility aura that causes me to be like this.

If I remember correctly, this will be the second time I haven't been able to introduce myself to her mom.

Mother Yukinoshita took her daughter's hand and gently pulled her through the crowd to the front row of the wedding.

"Brother didn't say a word, did he blend into the background? Komachi wondered if the dishes at the bride's younger brother's wedding could be better than this?"

"You idiot sister, shut up."

Chapter 110 Two Short Stories · Hiki Valley Hachiman's Love Letter ([-])

After dinner was over, several tables were cleared to be used as dance floors.

There seemed to be a small group of waiters clearing a rough space while serving the after-dinner appetizers.

Time to cut the cake is coming soon, as to why I know so well...  

Because Komachi was so excited, she reminded me every second.

Afterwards, Yukinoshita took off her kimono and put on an evening dress.

Currently, she is dancing with a certain girl.

It was slow and methodical, with one hand on the girl's shoulder and the other on the girl's shoulder.

They danced for a while, while all eyes in the room were on them on the dance floor.

As one partner leaves, the other walks up to her.

They exchanged a brief greeting before embracing and they waltzed around the circle again.

It's normal for a daughter of a famous family to participate in this kind of dance, but why are girls dancing with Yukinoshita?

I don't quite understand it, but it has nothing to do with me, because I know that I am not from that class, so naturally there is no need to care about these.

But... Even though I danced with girls, when I saw Yukinoshita dancing, I still felt a little uncomfortable.

"Sister Yukino doesn't look like a princess?"

"Yes...I think so."

After answering my sister's curious question, I didn't watch Yukinoshita as she continued dancing.

Because these dances all look the same to me.

Partner after partner would come and ask her to dance, and she would obey them.

It was like an otherworldly show, as if I was gazing at a plane in the distance.

People applaud and dance with the snow.

Somehow I don't like it.

Hayama was the last one to go up.

They danced together, but unlike the previous dances, when they danced with Hayama, both of them were very obviously restraining each other, as if they were completing a boring job that each of them had to perform.

That's it.