I'll Take Nanase-san, Who Is Small And Adorable, Away From Her Cheating And Clueless Ex And Make Her Happy. - Chapter 305: Manager Hiyori-san!

Manager Hiyori-san!

“…And that’s why I won’t be able to help around the house for a while. I’m really sorry, but please allow me to be selfish for a bit.”

“What are you saying so dramatically? Of course that’s perfectly fine!”

“Seriously. You worry too much, Yuusuke.”

That night, after I told my family I’d be entering the city basketball tournament, I was showered with warm words.

Even Hiyori-san, who by now sat at our dinner table like it was the most natural thing in the world, didn’t object—if anything, she was pleased.

“I mean, I put you all through trouble during the judo tournaments in summer, right? And Masato’s gonna be useless during exam season anyway. It’s not like you’re the only one. No need to stress over it.”

“High school kids don’t need to obsess about house chores to begin with. Leave that kind of thing to your mother, alright!!”

“…Thank you.”

I hadn’t expected resistance—but receiving their kindness directly like this warmed me more deeply than I expected.

Once again, I felt grateful for being surrounded by a wonderful mother and younger brothers.

Beside me, Hiyori-san laughed softly and said:

“Yuusuke, you really are kind. Not only did you find that tournament, you even said you’d join yourself. You’re such a good friend.”

“I just wanted to help Gakuto however I could. He’s done a lot for us too.”

Gakuto was one of the few friends who knew our circumstances—from before the festival and everything involving Kouma and Shibamura.

Wanting to repay him in some way was part of it.

But honestly, the main reason was friendship—such a dramatic, cliché thought I could only laugh at myself.

And at that moment, Masato cut in:

“It’s awesome, Yuusuke! You’ve got a girlfriend who’s basically your future sister-in-law, and you’re returning to basketball too—even if just temporarily. Romance and sports? That’s like peak youth!”

“Seriously, I feel like clapping—CLAP YOUR HANDS situation!!”

My brothers stood up and began dancing weirdly.

It’d been a while since they did that.

While I watched their bizarre celebration dance, Mom spoke with Hiyori-san.

“Still, Hiyori-san—are you sure? With Yuusuke practicing, you two won’t get to go out much, right?”

“That’s not a problem! I can still stop by like today and have dinner with everyone… and besides, I’m planning to join the team too!”

“What! Hiyori-san, you can play basketball!?”

“Not as a player! As manager—I’ll be supporting Yuusuke and everyone!”

“Ohh, I see!”

Mom nodded, relieved.

I smiled, thinking it’d be impossible for a girl to join us on the court anyway.

But Hiyori-san puffed her chest proudly.

“I may not look like it, but I was basketball club manager in middle school! As someone experienced, I’ll support them properly!”

“Oooh! That’s our future sister-in-law! So reliable!”

“At this point, why not just form a brand-new basketball club with the tournament members and restart from scratch? Wouldn’t that be better?”

“It doesn’t work that way. The goal right now is to raise morale and bring everyone together—not to replace the existing club.”

For the basketball club to resume activities, they need to restore trust.

Even if we perform well in events like this, it won’t directly lead to reinstatement.

We can help in unsanctioned matches, but restoring trust in the school and community has to be done by the club members themselves.

“Well, let’s not overthink it. We’ll help in any way we can, okay?”

“Yeah. We should focus on what we can do.”

I nodded, sipping my miso soup.

And just then, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment, Hiyori-san leaned close with a little sly smile, and whispered heatedly into my ear:

“And… I’m expecting you to show me something really cool out there…♥”

“Ghh—!?”

I barely managed not to choke on the soup.

As my family eyed me suspiciously,

Hiyori-san smiled beside me,

utterly pleased with herself.