Chapter 562: Please Marry Me (Please Get Married to Me)!

Chapter 562: Please Marry Me (Please Get Married to Me)!

After dinner, came a relaxing entertainment time. For this entertainment, when the four of them got together, only playing cards was the option left.

The leftover cookies from earlier became snacks for the card game. They chose hot cocoa for their drink.

“Hmm—”

As the lady of the house, Yukinoshita had trouble with making the hot cocoa. She put all her strength into it, but she could not unscrew the lid of the cocoa powder container!

She remembered that this kind of thing often happened at the Service Club. Yukinoshita was probably the brainy type, so it made sense she wasn’t good with brute force. It wasn’t a flaw at all, in fact, it should count as a cute trait, making her seem adorable.

Yuigahama naturally reached out her hand. In the past, these little trivial tasks were always handled by her.

“Leave it to me, Yukino…”

She didn’t manage to finish saying it.

Himekoji, who was beside Yukinoshita, quickly took over instead. Without any explanation, he grabbed the cocoa container from Yukinoshita’s hand and easily twisted the lid off.

His movements were fluid like he had done it countless times before. Himekoji then returned the opened container to Yukinoshita.

“All done~ Really, if you couldn’t open it, you should have told me earlier.”

His tone was gentle, soft, and matter-of-fact.

At first, Yukinoshita seemed a bit upset as she glared at Himekoji. She complained, “What? I was just about to open it when you snatched it away.”

But almost immediately, she chuckled.

“Here, the first cup of hot cocoa is for you.”

Himekoji happily reached out to take it. His expression was like a kid praised by a teacher with a big red flower. He gently blew on the hot surface of the cup and took a small sip, closing his eyes in contentment. “Mmm~ So delicious~”

“Right?”

Yukinoshita looked proud over this small thing, also like a child.

Yuigahama’s hand froze in midair, and her expression stiffened. She had never seen this side of Himekoji before, nor this side of Yukinoshita. Both were the exact way she had always wanted to see them.

What was this? Suddenly, she felt very down…

Yuigahama lifted her half-raised hand further, impulsively patted Hikigaya on the shoulder next to her.

Hikigaya was startled. “What are you doing?”

“A mosquito,” Yuigahama whispered.

“There isn’t one?”

“There is,” Yuigahama insisted with a nod. “Otherwise, where did this sudden stinging feeling come from?”

…

Four cups of hot cocoa, each with added condensed milk, flavored syrup, or marshmallows as per their tastes. They held them in their hands, curls of white steam rising.

“Clink~~”

Their cups clinked together, and they said things like “Cheers.”

Yukinoshita chose this moment to suddenly speak up—

“Now, let’s vote for the next head of the Service Club!”

“Huh?!”

Yuigahama and Hikigaya had no idea why Yukinoshita would say that.

That was because they didn’t know Yukinoshita would soon be leaving.

Luckily, Yukinoshita explained it to them afterward, hiding the thing about her pregnancy.

“Why go as an exchange student?”

“It’s way too sudden!”

They shook their heads, probably thinking the idea was too unreal. They couldn’t grasp it right away.

“Akito, is this for real?” Yuigahama asked Himekoji to confirm.

Himekoji nodded.

So, the feeling of loss in her heart became even stronger.

Himekoji had known about the exchange program for a long time, yet Yukinoshita only told her now.

Himekoji had never come closer, and Yukinoshita was distancing herself.

She hated that.

Yuigahama hated that.

“Now, there’s only one last thing left,” Yukinoshita said carelessly, gently taking Himekoji’s hand.

“What is it?” Hikigaya asked.

Yukinoshita and Himekoji exchanged a glance and spoke in unison. “Get married.”

“Huh?!”

“We planned to do it tomorrow, but now I’ve had a change of heart. How about tonight instead?” Yukinoshita looked to Himekoji for his thoughts.

“I don’t mind either way, but saying that suddenly makes it seem like you’re really eager,” Himekoji shrugged, acting all compliant.

“I really am eager.”

That was an answer he didn’t expect.

It felt like hitting the bullseye.

Himekoji was stunned for a moment but caught on fast. He fell to one knee to match the mood.

Under the stunned stares of Hikigaya and Yuigahama, he seriously proposed to Yukinoshita.

“Miss Yukinoshita, please marry me.”

Thank goodness he had kept the ring on him these past days—ready for sudden ideas like this.

Yukinoshita smiled softly, eyes bright with happiness. She gazed quietly as Himekoji slid the ring onto her finger. Then, she bent her slim waist, leaned her face close to Himekoji’s ear, and hugged his back and shoulders gently.

“Mr. Himekoji, please take me as your wife.”

As witnesses to this double proposal, Hikigaya and Yuigahama were both completely bewildered.

“I don’t know if I should clap to congratulate them or go grab a torch,” Hikigaya said, deeply conflicted.

Forget it, she would just clap. She was afraid if she grabbed a torch, she might lose her temper and set herself on fire out of rage—and that would have been a big loss.

“Wow… Wow…” Yuigahama’s lips trembled, but all she could make were meaningless sounds of awe. Tears welled hotly in her eyes, then she turned her face away in a panicked rush.

“Okay, let’s get started!”

Yukinoshita was the type to act fast, and Himekoji was equally fired up.

They pulled out the marriage form they had prepared in advance—the so-called marriage registration paper. It was already filled out completely. They checked it over, confident there were no mistakes.

“Seals, household registers, personal ID papers… All good. Off we go!”

“Huh? Huh? Go where?” Yuigahama couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of these “newlyweds.”

“City hall,” Himekoji answered as if it was obvious.

“It’s nighttime now. Will it even be open?” Yuigahama hoped for a no.

The city hall that handled marriages, she wished it never opened again! A mean, dark thought flashed through her mind.

Then she hated herself for having such a bad idea.

“There’s a night window. They process marriage applications 24 hours a day,” Himekoji had done detailed research.

Yukinoshita added an explanation. “It’s for people who work all day long and can’t come earlier, or celebs wanting to avoid crowds.”

“Oh, o-okay…” Her mind went blank from the shock. Her mouth moved on its own as Yuigahama forced a nod and a smile.

“Come with us,” Himekoji warmly invited.

“Sure,” Hikigaya agreed.

“Huh? T-together?!” Yuigahama missed her chance to object.

…

At city hall, Yuigahama and Hikigaya insisted on waiting outside.

Himekoji and Yukinoshita went in together, hand in hand.

As Himekoji recalled, in the original world, you had to be at least 18 to register a marriage. But he and Yukinoshita were only 17 now.

It seemed the World Reset was doing its job right. So, none of that was an issue anymore.

“You two are so young, and you’ve got such a beautiful wife already—pure envy! Here, your marriage is registered. Happy newlywed life!”

The process was unexpectedly fast and smooth. While handing over their papers, the staff offered good wishes and gave them a souvenir: a pair of lovely couple’s bracelets.

He also gave them extra wife registration forms, telling Himekoji to keep them safe.

“It’s so unfair. The husband form gets only one copy, while the wife forms get several,” Yukinoshita grumbled.

But it didn’t seem like she was truly bothered by it.

…

Outside city hall, Yuigahama kept her head tilted back.

“Doesn’t your neck hurt?” Hikigaya spoke up.

Yuigahama answered off-topic. “Turns out, the stars and moon are just like that.”

“Hmm?” Hikigaya wrinkled her brow, sensing something.

“I want lunch and dinner too.”

“Huh?”

“I want a love like theirs.”

Hikigaya knew Yuigahama said this suddenly because of what Himekoji had told her before—”Yuigahama, you need to know that someone who just wants to chase you might count stars and watch the moon with you, like you said. But someone who truly loves you and wants to spend their life with you will talk more about lunch and dinner instead.”

Hikigaya didn’t know what to say right then. Nothing felt like it would work.

After a while, Yuigahama finally lowered her head gently. Her tears stopped holding back.

“I want a love like theirs,” she repeated.

“I love a person like that too.”

She cried as she said it.

…