The next morning.
Hachiman Hikigaya was the first to groggily open his eyes. He glanced at the girl lying beside him—his girlfriend, Yukinoshita—and let out a heavy sigh.
Last night… she had been terrifying.
Absolutely unstoppable.
And yet he had been working out lately, trying to improve his stamina.
Maybe… maybe it was because of what happened earlier that day with Horikita. Could that have drained his energy?
Hachiman furrowed his brows thoughtfully, gently tucking the blanket around Yukinoshita's shoulders.
Just then—
His phone, resting on the nightstand, started to vibrate.
Someone was calling.
He glanced at the screen, and his pupils shrank in alarm.
Kawasaki.
Hachiman quickly checked Yukinoshita—still fast asleep, not disturbed by the noise. Breathing a small sigh of relief, he carefully picked up the phone, slipped out of bed, and tiptoed into the bathroom.
After locking the door behind him, he cautiously returned the call.
"Hello, Kawasaki…"
"Hey, Hachiman!" came a bright voice on the other end. "Uh, sorry for calling so early. Um… cough, cough… are you and Yukinoshita up yet?"
"I just got up. She's still sleeping." Hachiman kept his voice low. "What's up?"
"Well, um…" Kawasaki hesitated, fumbling for words. After a pause, she blurted out, "How did it go last night?"
"Huh?"
His face turned bright red. "You're seriously calling me this early just to ask that?"
"I just want to know—how far did things go? Were you… happy? Did it… work?" Kawasaki asked shyly.
"Uh…"
Hachiman didn't know how to respond.
When he didn't answer, Kawasaki continued, "Wait, don't tell me… you still couldn't take Yukinoshita down?"
"…I need to keep working on my stamina."
He cut her off with a resigned sigh.
There was silence on the line.
"…Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."
"W-wait!"
Kawasaki quickly spoke up. "I have a suggestion."
"…A suggestion?"
Hachiman paused.
Kawasaki: "Yeah. It's a little dirty, I admit, but if it helps you finally win against Yukinoshita, I say go for it."
Hachiman: "Kawasaki, are you serious…?"
I'm the one getting bullied by Yukinoshita, and yet you're acting more anxious than I am—and giving me advice?
Kawasaki… you're too kind.
She continued, "Mornings are when guys… you know, are usually at their peak. Physically. Spiritually. Uh, you get what I mean, right?"
"…More or less." Hachiman answered awkwardly.
"And we girls, well… it's the opposite. Right after waking up, we're at our weakest. So this is your chance. All you have to do is…"
Her voice trailed off.
"You want me to… ambush her in the morning?" Hachiman's mouth twitched. He shook his head. "Even if your logic makes sense, that might work on normal girls. But Yukinoshita…"
"No! It'll work!" Kawasaki said with total confidence.
"…You're really sure?" Hachiman looked troubled.
"Trust me, Hachiman. I'm a girl. I know how our bodies work." Kawasaki said, deeply embarrassed. "She's still asleep. If you go now, you'll definitely succeed."
"…Why are you so confident?"
"B-because…"
Kawasaki stammered for a second, then mumbled vaguely, "Because… you'll see for yourself. Just trust me, okay? Whatever Yukinoshita says, ignore it. Don't let her get away!"
"Wait, what? Kawasaki? Hello?"
Beep…
She'd hung up.
Hachiman sighed.
Was he really going to follow Kawasaki's advice and do that with Yukinoshita first thing in the morning?
He rubbed his sore lower back.
"…Whatever. Let's do this."
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the bathroom.
He couldn't keep letting himself get steamrolled by his girlfriend. He was a man, damn it—he needed to reclaim some ground.
He crept up to the bed.
Slipped under the covers.
And gently nudged Yukinoshita's smooth shoulder.
But—
She was out like a rock. Mumbled something like "Stop it, hubby…" and went right back to sleep.
Sighing, Hachiman leaned down and softly kissed her lips.
"Mmm… nngh…"
That was enough to wake her.
Still bleary-eyed and clearly exhausted, Yukinoshita groaned and pushed him away. "You damn bottom-feeder… what the heck are you doing so early?"
"Time to get up, sleepyhead," Hachiman chuckled, coughing lightly to cover his embarrassment.
"…Let me sleep a little longer."
Yukinoshita shot him a sleepy glare and tried to snuggle deeper into the blankets.
She hadn't slept well last night at all.
No matter how hard she tried, her beloved husband's Corruption Level wouldn't go down.
Even now:
[Hachiman Hikigaya's Corruption Level: 20/100]
That frustration had kept her up all night. She'd only drifted off around three or four in the morning.
"You still want to sleep?" Hachiman smirked. "What happened to that fire from last night? Come on, up you go."
"Hachiman… y-you're not thinking of…?"
She sat up in alarm, eyes wide.
"I just want to, you know, wake you up a little."
Seeing her panicked face, Hachiman hesitated, eyes darting away. "That's all…"
"W-What? This early…? No way!"
[Ding! Hachiman Hikigaya's Corruption Level -1]
…Wait.
Why did his points go down when I said no?
"Yukinoshita… are you scared?"
"W-Who's scared?! If you insist, then… I suppose I don't mind. But I need to use the bathroom first! After that, I'll properly deal with you!" Yukinoshita huffed.
"Bathroom, huh…"
That word jogged Hachiman's memory—Kawasaki's advice.
As Yukinoshita tried to get up, he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Wait. Just hold it a bit longer."
"Eh?!"
Her face turned pale. "Uuu… Are you crazy? Let go! I need to go! I have to go right now, or I'll—!"
[Ding! Hachiman Hikigaya's Corruption Level -1]
"Hachiman, please… let me go! Have mercy…"
[Ding! Hachiman Hikigaya's Corruption Level -2]
What the heck?
Why is it that when I beg, his corruption level goes down?!