Eriri stood alone, waiting quietly in the open clearing.
Meanwhile, Sayuri was standing unusually close to Hikigaya, almost leaning into him.
A soft breeze passed through.
The gentle, faint fragrance of an adult woman drifted toward Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, I really want you to… um, touch me here…"
Sayuri gave him an affectionate look, lightly pointing at her hip.
"??"
Hikigaya's face turned red as he quickly looked away, doing his best to stay composed.
"Auntie, have you been drinking?"
In broad daylight, with people around, Hikigaya naturally wasn't going to entertain her strange behavior.
"I haven't! Auntie… Auntie's being serious, Hikigaya-kun… I really want you to just… maybe a little pat… even if not there, maybe on my leg… Auntie really wants…"
"Sayuri-san, your daughter is watching us."
Faced with Sayuri's overly forward words, Hikigaya felt his scalp tingle as his eyes flicked toward Eriri in the distance — and sure enough, the girl was sneaking glances their way from time to time.
"Hehe, my Eriri's a sweet and innocent girl. If you sneak your hand back here, she definitely won't know what you're doing to me~"
"??"
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. Why did this whole situation feel like something straight out of an anime — a hapless protagonist secretly getting cornered by his childhood friend's mother?
"Hikigaya-kun, come on."
Sayuri's eyes sparkled, full of enthusiasm, looking as if she couldn't wait to dote on the boy.
Hikigaya, however, ignored her and calmly walked over toward where Eriri was.
"Hey! Hikigaya-kun~!"
Sayuri pouted and hurried to follow.
"Young men just don't appreciate mature charm… you think girls your age are treasures, huh? Hikigaya-kun, I'm telling you, I'm definitely more… skilled than my daughter~"
"Auntie, you're way too full of yourself."
"It's true! So tell me — do you think Auntie's better, or the girls your age? Hehe, I'm very confident in my… experience, you know~"
Sayuri beamed proudly.
"…"
Hikigaya couldn't deny it — Sayuri was, indeed, unforgettable in a way most girls weren't, with her teasing and all-too-practiced ways that could easily throw someone off balance.
He took a slow, deep breath but tried to keep cool. "Auntie, time to jog."
"Jogging? Wouldn't you rather do some… other kind of exercise with Auntie~?"
"Mom, what were you and Hikigaya just talking about?"
Eriri walked up to them, unable to hold back her curiosity.
"Hehe~ Sweetheart, Mommy was just helping you out! Hikigaya-kun actually likes you a lot, you know~"
"Sayuri-san!"
Hikigaya's face paled.
"Eh? Ah?!"
Eriri immediately panicked, flustered and blushing furiously as her heart raced.
"Y-you… Hikigaya-kun, you — even though you already have a girlfriend, you… you're still interested in me…?"
"Eriri, let me explain…"
Hikigaya shot a glare at the laughing Sayuri.
Sayuri giggled, "Sweetheart, it's because Hikigaya-kun has a girlfriend that he's just harboring a little crush on you. He won't confess, you know~"
"What… what do you mean by that?"
Eriri turned to Hikigaya in a panic, while he was left completely dumbfounded by Sayuri's twisting of the situation.
"It means that, well, if someday Hikigaya-kun breaks up with his girlfriend, maybe he'll pick you~"
Sayuri smiled sweetly from the side.
"Ah? R-really? Um…"
Eriri coughed awkwardly and huffed, "Don't think I'd just fall for you because of that! I… I don't even like you! Hmph~"
Her voice got quieter and quieter as she spoke.
Hikigaya: "…"
Classic tsundere.
Just then, Miura arrived.
A few minutes later, because she needed to train for an upcoming match, Miura went off to exercise on her own. Before leaving, she even gave Hikigaya a pointed reminder to make sure Sayuri and Eriri got some solid practice in.
"Hikigaya-kun, I'll be counting on you to take care of me and Eriri~"
Sayuri smiled sweetly.
Hikigaya could only nod and led the two through warm-ups.
Throughout the exercises, Sayuri behaved anything but proper, occasionally flirting with Hikigaya right in front of her daughter, making him break into a nervous sweat.
This woman was just… too forward.
If he didn't figure out how to get the upper hand soon, she'd keep playing him like this and drive him crazy!
"Hikigaya-kun~ you smell so good today~"
As they jogged side by side, Sayuri licked her lips and murmured softly, "Auntie's really reaching her limit here, you know…"
"Auntie, I'm covered in sweat."
Hikigaya gave her a look.
He didn't know why, but today it felt like every woman around him was acting strangely — their gazes, the way they looked at him, all carried a weird, hungry edge, like they were eyeing up a snack.
No, no, no. This must all just be his overactive imagination!
"Hikigaya-kun's sweat is sweet!"
"Auntie, please stop saying such weird things."
"Auntie's being serious, Hikigaya-kun… today, you're like a completely different person. Auntie… Auntie really can't hold back much longer. Hikigaya-kun, how about we sneak off to that little grove over there, hmm?"
"Huh?"
"Auntie's hungry~"
"???"
Just as Hikigaya opened his mouth to respond, he was completely caught off guard when Sayuri suddenly grabbed his arm and started dragging him toward the small patch of trees by the side of the path.
"Auntie, are you crazy?! Stop! Sayuri-san — Eriri's right behind us—"
"Auntie doesn't care anymore! Auntie just… doesn't want to think about anything right now!"
"!!!"
Meanwhile, Eriri, who was jogging from behind, slowed down and panted heavily.
"…Huh? Where did they go??"
She looked around in confusion — just a moment ago, she'd seen her mom grabbing Hikigaya's arm, and then… they'd disappeared somewhere?
"Ugh, ugh…"
At that moment, Hikigaya was hiding behind a tree with Sayuri, who was tightly covering his mouth with her hand, her eyes shining with an indescribable excitement.
Hikigaya's heart thudded hard.
No way.
Was this really happening right here and now?!
Your daughter's right over there!