Ishitsumugi no Shou 6-3N

Path of the Best Friend - 3

[Food court]

Hin: A paper bag full of letters... A towel, and these bags are... gifts?

Chi: What's all this...?

Hin: These are items Wakaba-chan got from her fans.

Mit: Eh!? All of these!?

Hin: I'd think that Yuuki-san and the other two are also receiving such things.

Tou: T-That could be the case... But she doesn't give them to me like this...

Mit: Me too... I don't know if Utanon receives anything or not...

Hin: Wakaba-chan discloses everything she receives to me.

Chi: S-So, uh... Uesato-san, are you going to...  burn all these?

Hin: Of course not! People really... are convinced that I'm some sort of demon of a woman, aren't they...

Chi: Ah, no! *cough cough* Slip of a tongue... Nevermind.

Hin: I check who sent what, and visit the sender to pay them back with an appropriate gift later.

Tou: Eeh!? H-Hinata-san, you?

Mit: Y-You mean pay back as in you get payback on them!? [1]

Hin: Get payback... Sheesh. Who do you think I am, a delinquent from the Showa era?

Mit: S-S-Sorry!

Hin: When Wakaba-chan receives something, all she responds with is just "thanks" or "appreciate it".

Chi: That's... If you get a bunch from unknown senders, wouldn't you end up really busy?

Hin: But me repaying the favour with gifts is directly linked to making her more popular and establishing a fanbase.

Tou: Right... What?

Mit: D-Did you just say making her more popular!?

Tou: Even thinking about Yuuna-chan getting more popular and us spending less time together is making me...

Chi: I can't do that either... I'm barely holding on as it is... If this goes any further, I'm certain that the darkness will destroy me.

Mit: Me too, I don't... want Utanon to get any busier. Hinata-san, how come you're fine with this?

Hin: What do you mean? You should understand by now. The more popular Wakaba-chan gets...

Hin: The happier I will be when she finally comes back to me, obviously!

Chi/Mit/Tou: What!?

Chi: What kind of thinking is that... How do I call this... Is this masochism?

Mit: B-But there's no guarantee that she'll come back to you!

Tou: That's right. What if she ends up leaving for good? How can you be so sure?

Hin: Well, that's because...

Chi/Mit/Tou: Because...?

Hin: Because the person called Nogi Wakaba cannot survive without me.

Chi/Mit/Tou: Whaaa-!?
==
Notes:

1 - "oreimairi" (gratitude visit) is a coloquialism that means to settle an old grudge (the original meaning of the term is to visit a shrine with gifts after what you prayed for came true)