Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 573: In the Bathroom...

"It's just washing some vegetables, nothing that requires experience, right?"

"W-Washing vegetables?!"

Hearing Hachiman's words, Yumiko's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You just wanted me to help wash vegetables?"

Hachiman found her reaction a bit odd. "Yeah, what else did you think I wanted you to do?"

"..."

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere suddenly grew silent.

Yumiko opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her cheeks flushed red again.

So, after all that, it turned out she had misunderstood. Hachiman wasn't thinking about that kind of thing at all.

Ahhh, how embarrassing.

Seeing the girl's face turn bright red, Hachiman raised an eyebrow and pieced it together.

So Yumiko thought he was planning to do that.

Tsk tsk tsk, he thought, amused.

Who would've guessed she had such wild ideas, even imagining doing something like that in the kitchen?

Still, Hachiman wasn't dumb enough to say that out loud.

After all, Yumiko was like a ticking time bomb right now, ready to explode at any moment. It was better not to poke the bear.

Selecting a few ingredients that needed washing, Hachiman handed them over and said, "Here, this should be it. Thanks, Yumiko."

Hearing Hachiman's response, Yumiko snapped back to reality, her cheeks still flushed as she began to wash the ingredients.

Before long, the vegetables were clean.

Shaking the water droplets off her hands, Yumiko asked again, "Is there anything else I can help with?"

"No need. You can go rest; I'll handle the rest," Hachiman replied, shaking his head and politely turning down her offer.

After all, he was well aware of Yumiko's cooking skills—or rather, her lack thereof. She was about on par with Yui, which wasn't exactly a compliment. The last thing he needed was someone causing more trouble in the kitchen.

Yumiko didn't mind being turned away; she was well aware of her own cooking abilities and thought it best not to interfere.

With that in mind, she headed over to the couch, sat down, and started scrolling through her phone.

However, as Hachiman busied himself with cooking, a sudden noise came from the direction of the bathroom.

It sounded like wooden buckets or something similar had been knocked over.

Hearing the commotion, Yumiko stood up and walked to the bathroom door, knocking on it.

"Mom, are you okay?"

What answered her, though, was Mrs. Miura's faint groaning, tinged with pain.

"Ugh... ah... hiss..."

Alarmed by the sound, Yumiko immediately turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

A wave of steam greeted her, and she saw Mrs. Miura sitting on the bathroom floor, her brows furrowed and her expression showing clear discomfort.

Seeing this, Yumiko rushed over, her face full of concern. "Mom, what happened to you?"

Although her mom often teased her, when something serious happened, Yumiko couldn't help but worry.

Seeing Yumiko enter, Mrs. Miura winced and took a few sharp breaths before speaking haltingly.

"My leg... it cramped…"

"Cramped?!"

Hearing this, Yumiko was taken aback and instinctively thought of Hachiman.

His healing light should work, right?

With that thought, Yumiko quickly spoke, "Mom, hang in there for a bit. I'll get Hachiman to help treat you."

Saying this, she rushed out of the bathroom and ran toward the kitchen.

Seeing her in such a panic, Hachiman frowned slightly in confusion.

"What's wrong, Yumiko?"

"Come with me, quick! Mom's leg cramped!" Yumiko didn't have time to explain everything, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the bathroom.

Hearing that Mrs. Miura had a cramp, Hachiman's expression turned serious. He turned off the stove and followed her to the bathroom.

But as soon as he stepped inside, he immediately backed out in a hurry.

Because the moment he entered, he saw a snow-white, completely bare figure sitting on the floor.

There was no doubt it was Mrs. Miura, and the sight left Hachiman flustered as he quickly said, "Yumiko, put a towel or something over your mom first."

"Oh! Right!"

Hearing this, Yumiko snapped back to her senses, quickly grabbing a bathrobe and draping it over her mother.

"Okay, you can come in now."

Hearing her call, Hachiman stepped into the bathroom again.

The damp air, mixed with the faint fragrance of lavender—likely from a bath additive—immediately enveloped him.

His gaze shifted to Mrs. Miura, who was sitting on the floor.

The normally composed and mischievous woman now had her brows tightly knit, occasionally gasping sharply from the pain of the cramp in her leg.

Although she was covered in a bathrobe, it only partially concealed her upper body, leaving her long, slender legs exposed.

But there wasn't time to dwell on such details—helping her was the priority.

With that thought, Hachiman crouched down.

"Which leg is it?"

Mrs. Miura bit her lip lightly and answered in a low voice, "R-right leg."

Without hesitation, Hachiman reached for her right leg.

The sudden and direct action made Mrs. Miura wince further, her brows furrowing tighter as she let out a soft groan of pain.

"Ugh… it hurts…"

Seeing her mother like this, Yumiko immediately scolded him. "Can you be more gentle?"

"This is gentle," Hachiman replied calmly, his tone steady.

With that, Hachiman began to carefully examine Mrs. Miura's right leg.

A muscle cramp, after all, is just a spasm caused by the involuntary contraction of the muscles, leaving them stuck in a tightened state.

Ignoring the smooth, soft sensation beneath his fingers, Hachiman worked his way up from the ankle, quickly locating a knotted muscle in her calf.

Having identified the spot, a faint glow of holy light emanated from his hands.

Under the influence of the light, the cramped muscles began to gradually relax.

Seizing the right moment, Hachiman applied firm pressure, instantly dispersing the tension in the muscle.

"Ahhh!"

Mrs. Miura let out a sharp cry of pain as her body jolted. Her snow-white, slender neck arched back, and her other foot reflexively curled.

The sudden movement caused the loosely draped bathrobe to shift slightly, revealing her delicate, rounded collarbone.

With his sharp vision, Hachiman couldn't help but catch a fleeting glimpse of the curves beneath the robe and the faint blush of something more hidden.

But he quickly averted his gaze, not lingering for even a second.

"It's done. You're fine now," he said calmly, standing up.

Hearing this, Yumiko immediately turned to her mother, asking with concern, "Mom, how are you feeling now?"

"Ah... it's fine now. Thank you, Hachiman-kun," Mrs. Miura replied, a look of relief spreading across her face as she expressed her gratitude to Hachiman.

"That's good," Yumiko sighed in relief.

"Since everything's okay now, I'll head out," Hachiman said, nodding briefly before leaving the bathroom.

Given the situation, it wouldn't have been appropriate for him to stay any longer.

Back in the kitchen, Hachiman resumed cooking as if nothing had happened, his demeanor calm and composed.

Before long, Yumiko appeared, helping her mother out of the bathroom, supporting her carefully as they made their way back to the living room.

Mrs. Miura was still wearing the same bathrobe, her damp golden hair cascading over her shoulders.

"Mom, sit down for a bit. I'll help dry your hair," Yumiko said with concern as she helped her mother to the sofa.

"I'm really fine now... Hmm... okay, Yumiko, go ahead," Mrs. Miura replied, initially intending to refuse. After all, Hachiman's treatment had completely resolved the cramp.

But seeing the genuine care in her daughter's eyes, Mrs. Miura felt a warmth in her heart.

Oh well, I might as well enjoy this rare moment of being pampered by Yumiko.

And so, Mrs. Miura sat on the sofa, quite content as her daughter helped blow-dry her hair.

The soft hum of the hairdryer filled the room, and her damp golden locks gradually dried.

Enjoying Yumiko's attentive care, Mrs. Miura's face softened into a look of comfort.

Hmm… my son-in-law is cooking, and my daughter is drying my hair. This feels really nice, she thought to herself, thoroughly savoring the moment.

Before long, her hair was completely dry. Around the same time, Hachiman finished preparing the meal.

Placing the dishes on the dining table, he removed his apron and called out to the two in the living room.

"Auntie, Yumiko, dinner's ready."

"Alright, I'll just change into something more appropriate and be right down," Mrs. Miura replied.

Standing up, she headed upstairs to her bedroom. After all, she was still wearing a bathrobe, and her long, slender legs were fully exposed—not exactly suitable attire for dinner.

It didn't take long before she returned, dressed in a comfortable, loose-fitting outfit.

The three of them sat at the dining table, and dinner officially began.