Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 563: There's Only One Answer

Is Haruno planning to make herself a tool to resist the Yukinoshita family, just like Yukino did?

Besides this reason, Hachiman couldn't think of any other explanation.

The idea that Haruno might genuinely like him was utterly impossible.

After all, there was no emotional foundation between them, so where would such feelings even come from?

As for love at first sight?

Come on, Hachiman didn't believe Haruno was the type of naive girl who'd entertain such ideas.

After pondering for a moment, he finally asked in a low voice,

"Miss Haruno, are you also hoping I can help you resist Mrs. Yukinoshita?"

"Eh?"

Hearing this, Haruno blinked, and it didn't take long for her to realize Hachiman had misunderstood.

But resisting her mother?

The thought stirred something in Haruno's heart.

After all, she didn't have much affection for her domineering and controlling mother either.

In fact, Haruno sometimes envied her younger sister.

With Hachiman's help, Yukino had essentially freed herself from Mrs. Yukinoshita's control.

She now lived independently, free to make her own choices in life and love.

But Haruno couldn't do that.

Even though she had been designated as the family's heir long ago and had gradually taken over the family business, she still couldn't defy her domineering mother in many aspects of her life.

Marriage was an even more hopeless matter.

As the heir to the family, tradition dictated that her future spouse would likely marry into the Yukinoshita family.

Yet even with that condition, Haruno wouldn't have the freedom to choose her partner.

Ultimately, Mrs. Yukinoshita would likely handpick someone from a family that could benefit the Yukinoshita household—a non-primary heir of that family, to ensure the marriage would secure an alliance while keeping the Yukinoshita name for Haruno's future children.

This way, the Yukinoshita family would establish a marriage alliance while ensuring its legacy remained intact through her offspring.

The thought of such a future made Haruno feel a wave of helplessness.

However, Hachiman's words just now had indeed pointed her toward a potential solution.

Yes, she could do exactly what Yukino had done—seek Hachiman's help.

Moreover, judging from her mother's attitude earlier, it seemed there was already an intention to have her interact with Hachiman. This could turn out to be a win-win situation.

With this realization, Haruno, using Hachiman's body as a shield to block Mrs. Yukinoshita's watchful gaze, put on a delicate and pitiful expression.

"I do have such thoughts. Hikigaya-kun, will you help your big sister?"

Paired with her exquisite looks, Haruno's expression was almost irresistibly endearing, a sight that could tug at anyone's heartstrings.

But Hachiman saw through her act immediately.

Though her expression was feigned, her words seemed genuine.

Thinking this through, Hachiman's lips curved into a smirk.

"I could help, but Miss Haruno, what will you offer me as compensation?"

"Compensation?"

Haruno blinked, somewhat caught off guard.

She was Yukino's older sister, yet he had the audacity to demand compensation from her?

But after thinking it through, she admitted he had a point. Hachiman had no obligation to help her resist Mrs. Yukinoshita; they had no familial or emotional connection.

Still, Haruno wasn't sure what kind of compensation she could offer. After some thought, she decided to ask.

"So, what did Yukino offer you as compensation?"

"Yukino, huh? She promised to become Yukino Hikigaya, so I helped her." Hachiman looked at Haruno with a half-joking smile as he spoke.

"So, what do you think, Miss Haruno? If you become Haruno Hikigaya, I can help you too."

"Ha… Haruno Hikigaya?!"

Hearing Hachiman's words, Haruno's eyes widened in astonishment.

Becoming Haruno Hikigaya would mean marrying him, wouldn't it?

But wasn't Hachiman already involved with her younger sister? How could he still…

Ah, now she understood. So this guy, with his seemingly righteous demeanor, was actually aiming for both sisters.

Realizing this, Haruno's expression turned displeased.

"But don't you already have Yukino?"

"That's right," Hachiman said, shrugging nonchalantly, "but Yukino is Yukino, and you're you." He continued to tease her with a playful smile.

"If you want my help, there's got to be a price to pay."

"I think becoming Haruno Hikigaya is a great idea. If you agree to that, I'll definitely help you."

Hearing Hachiman double down on his stance, Haruno bit her lip in frustration.

"Even if I agree, what about Yukino?"

"She's her, and you're you. What's the conflict between Yukino Hikigaya and Haruno Hikigaya?" Hachiman shrugged again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

At this, Haruno was certain: Hachiman really did have plans for both sisters. But then another realization dawned on her—this guy probably wasn't stopping at just her and Yukino.

The girls who had danced with him earlier today… weren't they likely his targets as well?

This thought made Haruno feel a surge of anger.

What a scumbag! Having Yukino clearly wasn't enough for him—he was dreaming of building a harem!

For someone like Haruno, who deeply cared about her little sister, such a notion was infuriating.

Her younger sister was wholly devoted to Hachiman, and the idea of him scheming like this made Haruno's anger boil over.

"How can you do this? How is this fair to Yukino?"

"I'll naturally explain things to Yukino myself," Hachiman replied calmly. "Miss Haruno, all I need is your answer."

For Hachiman, the idea of a harem was something he had long since decided upon. At this point, he had no intention of giving up on the girls in his life.

As for Haruno, he wasn't particularly concerned. Whether she joined or not didn't make much of a difference to him. If she truly decided to take the leap, he would help her.

Besides, what difference did it make if he didn't help? Judging from Mrs. Yukinoshita's behavior today, it was clear she already intended for Haruno to interact with him romantically.

In other words, even if Hachiman did nothing, there was still a high probability that Haruno would end up marrying him.

Watching Hachiman's nonchalant demeanor, Haruno ground her teeth in frustration.

She understood all too well why her mother had sent her to interact with Hachiman today. It was evident that Mrs. Yukinoshita already had plans for her and Hachiman to form a relationship.

Mrs. Yukinoshita's goal was to bind Hachiman to the Yukinoshita family.

If Yukino alone wasn't enough, she didn't mind doubling down. For her, achieving this objective was worth any price—even if it meant offering both of her daughters.

After all, having multiple wives wasn't uncommon in powerful families.

This was the reality of life under the influence of capital.

Realizing this, Haruno felt a wave of helplessness.

She knew that even if she refused Hachiman now, her mother would likely push her toward someone else in the future.

There's no harm in comparison.

Rather than being forced to marry some stranger she had never met, Haruno would rather choose Hachiman.

At least she was somewhat familiar with him.

And judging from today's events, Hachiman was different from those insincere individuals.

At the very least, this jerk was honest. If he desired her, he made no pretenses about it.

Hearing this, Haruno let out a helpless sigh.

"If I agree to your plan, what do you intend to do?"

"I'll target the Yukinoshita family's businesses, force your mother to come to me for a truce, and then take both you and Yukino away," Hachiman said with a mischievous smile, revealing a scheme that was nothing short of audacious.

While the end result would allow both Haruno and Yukino to gain some freedom, the process made all the difference.

The first issue was control. If he did nothing, it was likely he'd still end up with both sisters.

However, Mrs. Yukinoshita would undoubtedly use that situation to her advantage, imposing numerous conditions and tying him to the Yukinoshita family.

But if Hachiman actively went after the Yukinoshita family's businesses, it would flip the script.

Knowing Mrs. Yukinoshita's character, she'd inevitably come to him to negotiate in order to preserve her family's interests.

At that point, he would hold the upper hand and be the one setting the terms.

Secondly, Hachiman disliked the feeling of being manipulated.

His philosophy was simple: if others don't provoke him, he won't provoke them.

But if someone made a move against him, they'd have to deal with the consequences.

Haruno, however, was stunned by his declaration.

"Target the Yukinoshita family's businesses? Do you even know how much money that would require?"

The Yukinoshita family wasn't a massive conglomerate, but their total assets still amounted to somewhere between 10 and 20 billion yen.

To orchestrate a successful business attack, one would need at least five times that amount.

Even though Hachiman's current assets were two to three times larger than the Yukinoshita family's, it still wouldn't be enough to pull off such a move.

Hearing Haruno's concerns, Hachiman smiled faintly.

"Don't worry about the money—it's more than enough."

In reality, what the Yukinoshita family could uncover about Hachiman's assets was merely the tip of the iceberg—Facebook stocks, royalties from light novels, and collaborations with the Nakiri family in restaurant ventures.

These were just his visible assets.

Over the past two years, Hachiman hadn't been idle. Using his maxed-out [Finance] module, he had been amassing wealth in the financial markets at an astonishing rate.

His current assets had already surpassed 100 billion yen.

And if that wasn't enough, there was always the Nakiri family.

Given his current relationship with them, borrowing a few hundred billion—or even a trillion—yen wouldn't be an issue.

Seeing Hachiman's confident demeanor, Haruno suddenly realized the truth.

That's right. Even if Hachiman alone wasn't enough, the Nakiri family was there to back him up.

If the Nakiri family got involved, targeting a relatively small-scale family like the Yukinoshitas wouldn't be a problem at all.

With this thought, Haruno felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Just then, Hachiman's voice reached her ears again.

"So, Miss Haruno, what is your decision?"

Seeing Hachiman's calm and confident smile, Haruno let out a bitter chuckle.

Sorry, Yukino. It seems your sister is going to let you down. But think of it as helping your big sister out, okay?

After composing herself, Haruno once again flashed a charming smile.

"Since you've put it that way, Hikigaya-kun, what else can I say?"

"Then there's only one answer—"

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