68. Jabami Yumeko’s Secret Potion

68. Jabami Yumeko's Secret Potion

The sudden disturbance snapped Momobami Kirari back to her senses.

Perhaps even she didn't understand why she had so impulsively revealed her truest self to Hikigaya. Maybe it was what they called "being overcome by emotion."

Kirari lifted her elastic hips off Hikigaya's lap, smoothed down her pleated skirt, making sure it pressed flush against her long thighs.

"Yumeko, give us just a moment," she spoke up first, helping Hikigaya out of the awkward situation.

In that moment, she had returned to her usual graceful and noble demeanor.

Looking at Hikigaya, still dazed like his soul had left his body, her lips curled up slightly. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered, "I didn't expect you to be so shy, Hikigaya-kun~"

As she spoke, she reached out a finger and wiped away her own blood from the corner of his lips. "How cute~"

"But it's my first time doing this with a man too, so you don't need to feel like you got the short end of the stick."

"With that, our contract is sealed."

Hikigaya let out a long sigh, gazing at Momobami Kirari with a distant, haunted look.

His innocence… had been defiled just like that.

This development was completely outside his calculations—beyond the realm of deduction. Deduction could reveal the future, but it could never predict a woman's thoughts.

"I'm looking forward to your performance, Hikigaya-kun."

Kirari placed her hand on her chest and, right in front of Hikigaya, tucked the personal file back into place.

"Not going to finish reading it?"

"I want to keep my anticipation for you alive~ I hope that the next time I open this file, Hikigaya-kun will surprise me~"

"…"

That's fine too. A woman's pursuit should be as relentless and unending as this.

Though Hikigaya was still a novice in matters of love, he deeply understood the human heart. He knew that maintaining a sense of anticipation in a woman's heart was powerful. This way, Momobami Kirari would fall into a vortex centered around him.

This was baiting the trap!

Kirari adjusted the collar of her uniform and turned away without a trace of hesitation—like a heartless femme fatale who had used someone and moved on.

"But Hikigaya-kun, while you were away from school these past two days… quite a few interesting things have happened~"

"If you don't return soon, the situation might evolve in ways beyond your imagination."

Her voice grew fainter as she opened the door of the VIP hospital room.

Outside the door—

Jabami Yumeko stood with both hands holding a bowl of steaming hot lean pork and preserved egg porridge. Kirari's eyes dropped slightly, and she noticed that Yumeko's hands were red from the heat.

She smiled.

"Yumeko, that porridge looks delicious."

"Ehh~ Thank you, Kirari-nee, for the compliment~ Want some? I made extra."

Outside the battlefield of the academy, Jabami Yumeko looked just like the most innocent girl-next-door.

Even though she and Momobami Kirari were supposed to be bitter rivals, at that moment, she resembled a pure and naive little sister who idolized her elegant elder.

Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were lightly blushed.

Kirari went silent. The strange feeling in her heart made her avert her gaze from Yumeko's and sapped her desire to toy with this minor branch member of the Hundred Devouring families.

She said flatly, "Leave it for Hikigaya-kun."

After speaking, the figure of Momobami Kirari gradually receded into the distance.

Surrounded by bodyguards waiting at the hospital entrance, she returned to her luxury car. Slowly pulling out her phone, she gave an order to the person on the other end of the line:

"Send someone to secretly protect Hikigaya Hachiman's family."

After giving the instructions, she hung up and gazed out the window with a dreamy expression in her eyes.

Right now, Hikigaya Hachiman was like an unripe fruit—struggling with all his might in front of her to show his worth and maturity—yet completely unaware of how dark the outside world truly was.

If he wanted to take on someone like Mibuomi Aoi, he would have to be prepared for the possibility that his family could be hurt...

In the end, Hikigaya-kun was still just an immature fruit.

But it was precisely this kind of fruit that stirred up an uncontrollable surge of desire in Momobami Kirari's heart.

Hikigaya Hachiman was hers. He would be hers.

She would make Hikigaya her plaything.

"If Hikigaya-kun wants me to be his trump card, then I'll protect his family well," Momobami Kirari murmured.

.

.

.

"Eh…"

Jabami Yumeko stared at Kirari's somewhat flustered retreating figure, blinking her large, glistening eyes.

She didn't dwell on it. Using the back of her heel, she gently nudged the door shut.

With waist-length hair swaying gently, she walked straight toward Hikigaya Hachiman, eagerly placing the lean pork congee on the bedside table and blowing on her red, scalded hands.

Hikigaya wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but in the moment Yumeko entered the room, he thought he saw her finger lightly dip into the bowl of porridge.

The motion was so slight that even someone with his keen observation skills couldn't say for sure.

Immediately, he was reminded of a scene from one of the mystery novels he had written—this was a classic sign of someone poisoning food...

But he quickly shook his head, chuckling inwardly at how much Kirari had scrambled his brain.

There was no way Yumeko would poison him. He refused to believe he could misjudge someone's character twice in a row.

He pushed the thought from his mind.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Hikigaya said apologetically. "I was talking with President Momobami about some things…"

"There's no need to apologize, mm, Hikigaya-kun," Jabami Yumeko smiled gently, her eyes narrowing into crescents. Once the burning sensation in her hands faded, she lifted the bowl of lean pork congee again.

With a simple iron spoon, she scooped up a full mouthful and brought it to Hikigaya Hachiman's lips.

"Hikigaya-kun is having trouble moving right now, so you won't mind me feeding you, right?"

"How could I…"

Hikigaya shook his head. He wasn't the kind of person to be picky or overly sensitive. He immediately opened his mouth and swallowed the porridge.

The fragrance of the rice and the aroma of the meat fused perfectly, spreading throughout his mouth.

Warm. Thoughtful. It was a completely different sensation from the sticky taste of Kirari's blood.

'Oh no!' Hikigaya Hachiman's pupils shrank. He suddenly realized he had forgotten something very important.

He cast a discreet glance at the iron spoon—it was faintly stained with blood.

The blood in his mouth… he hadn't swallowed all of it!

If Jabami asked about it… what would he do?!

Normally, Hikigaya wouldn't be troubled by something so trivial, but for the first time, he found himself overwhelmed by such a domestic, mundane concern.

'I can only pray Jabami doesn't notice.'

Fortunately, Jabami Yumeko, with a calm expression, scooped up another spoonful of porridge and held it out to his mouth. With a hint of concern, she asked,

"Hikigaya-kun, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." Hikigaya let out a sigh of relief. The worst-case scenario hadn't happened.

Then, out of nowhere, Jabami asked,

"The lean pork congee I made… does it taste good?"

"Yeah. The texture is delicate and smooth. The rice and meat aromas are perfectly blended. It has the chewiness of meat and the richness of congee. Your cooking is excellent, Jabami."

As if to make up for the guilt he felt toward Jabami, Hikigaya—who usually guarded his words carefully—blurted out more praise than usual, going against his usual concise personality.

He used so many descriptive words—all with the goal of making Jabami happy.

If he could charm Momobami, then he could charm Jabami too.

Sure enough, Jabami Yumeko's face turned red with delight, and she eagerly brought the spoon to Hikigaya's open mouth again.

"Then, Hikigaya, please make sure to finish it all~"

'Why does Jabami seem… off somehow?' Hikigaya began to feel suspicious.

This kind of state… he'd only seen it once before—on that rainy day when Jabami had fallen deep into gambling madness.

There was no time to think further. Hikigaya's mind became completely occupied by the spoonfuls of porridge Yumeko kept feeding him.

He had wanted to tell her that he was full, but when he saw the passionate look in Jabami's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

The bowl of lean pork congee was soon empty.

"Thank you, Jabami."

Hikigaya slumped onto the bed, feeling a bit drowsy, only to see Jabami still sitting at the bedside, her hands propping up her cheeks, gazing at him with the eyes of someone inspecting prey.

A chill ran down Hikigaya's spine.

"W-What's wrong, Jabami?"

Suddenly, Hikigaya's expression changed. He stared at Jabami Yumeko in horror.

"Jabami! You…"