The silence pressed down on the alley, thick and suffocating. The only sound was the faint clink of Hikigaya's belt buckle as he stood at the exit, blocking the only way out.
"T-this… this isn't funny anymore, Hikitani. Y-you're insane." Yamauchi spat, his voice shaky but still clinging to some shred of defiance.
"Funny?" Hikigaya replied with a wide unsettling grin, looking every bit like someone savouring the moment just to unnerve. "You think I'm here to amuse you? No, Yamauchi… this is the furthest thing from a joke. If anything, I'm dead serious."
That admisson hung over them like a death sentence.
'It hurts… my legs… damn it, it's over… n-no, wait, if I scream—yes! If I scream loud enough, someone will hear. Someone will come. I'm not going to let this freak have his way…'
Yamauchi still in a bit defiance tried to shout. "HELP! SOMEB—"
His mouth opened, but what came out was a strangled grunt, muffled by the throbbing pain in his jaw from Hikigaya's earlier kick. His eyes watered from the effort.
Hikigaya tilted his head as he watched Yamauchi's pitiful attempt. Instead of anger, his grin widened.
"Ahh… look at you," he murmured, clapping once, slow and mocking. "Still trying, even when you know it's useless. That's… admirable. Really… really, I am really moved by that Yamauchi."
"...You know what?" he said "I've decided. I'll help you out."
Yamauchi's eyes widened, his trembling lips parting in disbelief.
"…W-what?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Hikigaya said, nodding furiously, his tone dripping with mock sympathy. "After all, I was the one who hurt you, wasn't I? After all, you're hurt because of me. That kick ah, I really should be more careful, shouldn't I? Such a cruel thing to do."
He spread his arms wide, his tone twisting into something maniac. "But don't worry. I'm merciful. So merciful. Let me help you cry for help. Let me give you that chance."
Then, without warning, his head snapped back and he screamed loudly into the alley.
"HELP! OH GOD, SOMEONE HELP!"
"PLEASE, WE'RE BEGGING YOU. SAVE US FROM THIS MANIAC!"
"YAMAUCHI'S GETTING CRUSHED, HE'S NOT GONNA LAST!"
"IKE'S DONE FOR HELP HIM, PLEAAAASE!"
"SUDO'S BLEEDING OUT, DO SOMEEETHINNNNGGG!"
"THIS FREAK IS TORTURING THEM!"
The alley echoed with Hikigaya's shout, every word brimming with twisted glee.
He let the silence hang for a moment, then lowered his voice into a mock whisper, dripping with false pity. "…Hmm. No one's coming, it seems. What a shame."
At the sound of his words, any hope that had sparked in their hearts was instantly crushed they realized they wouldn't be able to leave without Hikigaya's permission, and even if they tried to run, he would catch them.
Hikigaya clicked his tongue and gave a slow exaggerated sigh, shaking his head like a parent scolding a child.
"After all, this alley's a little too far from all the main campus infrastructure, isn't it? Isolated… quiet… and now, it's starting to get dark."
Hikigaya placed a hand over his chest, feigning sympathy, his grin never faltering.
"And I even screamed for you. I shouted your names, louder than you ever could. I begged for help on your behalf. But you know what?"
His tone dripped with mock sincerity before it twisted into venom.
"No one came. No one ever comes. Because who the hell would bother for people like you? You think anyone gives a damn about your voices? About your lives?"
"Don't you get it?! This whole damn mess, it's YOUR fault! Every bit of it! Your stupid ego, your pathetic need to feel superior, your refusal to back down when you should have… all of it! YOU dragged yourselves into this!" he spread his arms wide, "This is the price of your arrogance!"
The words sank heavy, each one stabbing deeper than the pain in their bodies.
They wanted to reject those words. After all, he was the one who started it. He was the one who had been messing with them all along.
So how could this possibly be their fault?
And yet, despite the urge to push back, they couldn't bring themselves to speak. Was it fear? Probably. But not entirely.
There was something else. Something they don't know. Something they had been blind to all this time.
For a moment, no one spoke until Ike overwhelmed with pain in his chest and this entire situation admitted it out loud. "Y-yeah… it's true… it's all our fault…"
Hikigaya's head snapped toward him instantly, his grin splitting wider than ever. His finger shot out, pointing straight at Ike as his body shook with glee.
"Ha… hahaha… ahhh, that's it! That's IT! Finally, you get it! YES! YES!"
A sound escaped him low at first, like a breath caught in his throat.
"...heh… hehheheh…"
Then it grew.
"Ahhh… ahaha… hahhh—hhahhahaha—!"
And then it broke free, wild and unrestrained.
"HAHAHhahahahAHA! Ahhhhhh—! Hhhaha—hhahahehehHAHAHHAHAH!"
The alley echoed with Hikigaya's maniacal laughter, so loud it seemed to shake the walls.
"AHAHAHAHA! Ahahahah AHAHAHA! HAAA—!"
Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo froze, their eyes wide, staring at him as if trying to comprehend the madness in front of them.
"I've… I've never seen anyone like this," Ike stammered, his hands clutching his shirt. "He's… insane."
Yamauchi's face twisted with unease, his voice barely a whisper. "He… he's lost it. He's not… he's not even the same person anymore."
Sudo's eyes darted between them, but he said nothing, his mind struggling to reconcile the deranged figure before him with the pathetic loser he'd always believed him to be.
Hikigaya's laughter slowly faded, his shoulders shaking for a moment before he straightened up. The manic glint in his eyes softened, replaced by his usual dead gaze.
He let out a quiet sigh, the eerie energy in the alley shifting as if the storm had passed but left an unsettling tension lingering in the air.
"Now," his voice dropped to a sharp, chilling whisper, "which one of you will stay?"
Sudo growled, his bloody nose dripping, in whatever defiance left as he tries to shout. "You think you can order US AROUND?! SCREW THAT—I'LL—"
"SHUT UP, SUDO!" Yamauchi hissed, his voice trembling as his eyes flicked nervously toward Hikigaya's belt. "You'll get us all killed!"
As his thoughts raced with panic. 'He'll pick me if we fight back… I'm not staying behind! Ah… my jaw it hurts. I…I.'
Those words struck Sudo harder than he anticipated, silencing him mid-roar as his eyes widened in stunned disbelief.
"What… what the hell did you just say to me…?"
But the moment shattered as Hikigaya slowly lifted his belt, his cold gaze settling on them. His grip tightened audibly on the leather. "Tick, tock. Time's running out."
Ike's desperation boiled over. "I can't stay behind! I-I'm not—"
Yamauchi's eyes darted to Ike, his mind spiralling as Hikigaya twirled the belt on his finger like a blade, the metal glinting ominously while he advanced. 'Make it him! Anyone but me! This guy will… will…'
"Ike, you're the one who kept whining about Kushida! You pushed us into this!"
Ike cut in, his voice shrill despite his aching jaw. "Why me?! It was Sudo's idea! He dragged us into this mess!"
Sudo snarled, blood dripping onto his shirt. "You spineless coward! I defended you in swimming class, and now you try to ditch me? You damn bastards!"
Ike went silent for a moment, the memory hitting him hard he was the only one who had actually stayed with them.
"S…sorry… I didn't mean it like that," he muttered to Sudo, glancing nervously at Yamauchi with the look of consideration.
Yamauchi's voice cracked, panic overtaking him as he felt both of their gaze. "You said we'd teach Hikitani a lesson, Sudo! You led the charge! You're the one who wanted to beat him the most! This… this is on you! Stay and face it!"
"I'm right, aren't I, Ike?" His thoughts screamed: Say it's him! Don't pick me!
Ike looked between them, hesitating, his chest tightening with fear.
Hikigaya's gaze flicked between them, "Twenty seconds left," he reminded them each word deliberate, slicing through the tension.
Sudo's eyes flared, his voice raw with rage. "I've had your backs every single time! Every time someone messed with you, I was the one who fought! And now… now you throw me away like I'm nothing? Like I'm garbage?!"
Yamauchi's face twisted, panic and frustration bubbling over. "You brought this on yourself, Sudo! Always picking fights, always making things worse! We're better off without you!"
Sudo's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, trembling with barely contained fury. "Better off without me? YOU UNGRATEFUL IDIOTS!
"Idiot… IDIOT?! Who the hell are you calling that? You're the one always going nuts, jumping on people we never even asked you to touch! You just wanted a reason to mess with everyone. We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you… DAMMIT!"
"HAH! You think you're better than me? Yamauchi. Always whining, always hiding behind your excuses! You think you're better than me? You're so damn useless. You wouldn't last a second without me dragging your sorry ass along!"
"Shut… up. Just… SHUT UP, YOU DAMN GORILLA."
"You… you creepy, perverted freak. And you've got the nerve to call me that?"
Sudo turned his gaze on Ike, the rage in his eyes softening into a desperate plea. "Ike, tell me I'm right! Tell me they're wrong! I've been there for you! Tell me you wouldn't throw me away!"
Ike shrank back, jaw aching, eyes darting to Hikigaya's spinning belt. "Sudo… I… it's not—"
"Ten seconds left Decide—or this belt will decide for you." Hikigaya reminded them belt rotating menacingly on his finger.
Yamauchi swallowed hard, his voice trembling but edged with panic. "Ike… look at him! Look at what he's done! Sudo… you're so damn violent! If it weren't for you… we wouldn't even be here!"
Sudo's eyes blazed, mouth opening to argue, but Hikigaya's sharp voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Seven… six… five…"
Ike's heart hammered against his ribs. He looked at Yamauchi, a coward who was now begging him to betray the only one of them who had ever fought back.
Then he looked at Sudo, whose eyes were filled with a desperate plea he had never seen before.
A gut-wrenching ache twisted in his stomach. He didn't want to choose. He wanted to go home. He wanted this nightmare to end.
He wanted to go back to the way things were, but he knew they never could. His gaze flickered back to Hikigaya, who was just standing there, an amused look on his face as he waited for the show.
"Four…"
He had to make a choice. He had to save himself. He couldn't be the one left behind. He couldn't. He didn't want to face that punishment and what if they betray him too. But…but What if they are just playing with him all?
"Three…"
Yamauchi's face twisted in fear. "Ike! Just say it! It's him! It's all his fault! Please, just say it! Don't leave me here! We're friends!"
"Two…"
"Don't you dare, Ike! Don't you dare! I am your friend too." Sudo's voice was a raw, broken plea as if this moment has some completely different meaning for him.
"One…"
The metal belt gleamed as Hikigaya's hand raised it, the leather coiling like a serpent around his fingers. The air felt impossibly thick, each second stretching into an eternity.
Hikigaya's voice dropped to a low hiss. "Time's up."
The belt swung down with terrifying speed time seemed to slow as Ike's eyes widened in panic. But then, in that instant, a word burst out of his mouth before he even realizes it.
"DON'T HURT ME! It's… it's him! It's SUDO it's all his DAMN FAULT."
Then, just as the leather was about to strike, Hikigaya's wrist twisted with practiced precision. The belt coiled tightly around his fingers, jerking to a stop inches from Ike's shoulder.
Sudo's face went pale, disbelief and sadness clashing in his eyes as he looked towards Ike. "I… I—"
"Fuck you, fuck you all."
Yamauchi slumped a little, his face showing clear relief. Ike's chest rose and fell heavily, like he'd been holding his breath for a long time. The pressure eased just enough for him to understand he had made it through.
"Good. Very good. You've shown me your true colors."
Hikigaya's lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk. "Looks like it's settled then. Sudo will stay."
Then, to their shock, Hikigaya's hand rested gently on Ike's shoulder. Ike flinched at the touch.
"Come on," Hikigaya said softly. "Let me help you up." He lifted Ike to his feet, then turned to Yamauchi, offering the same quiet gesture.
"You two can leave for now," he said, gently this time. "But before you run off… let me give you some advice. Tell whoever you want. Brag about this. Spread it around. But just don't tell any teacher about this."
Yamauchi and Ike exchanged a brief, hesitant glance, nodded, and then slowly began to step back.
Their movements were cautious, as if half-expecting him to change his mind. Finally, they turned and walked out of the alley, bodies trembling not just from pain, but from the lingering, unsettling horror of the last few minutes.
Only Sudo remained, his mind spinning, his gaze locked on the boy in front of him as if expecting something anything to happen. A hollow ache settled in his chest. He wasn't angry in a very long time. He just felt… left behind something he never wanted to feel again After...after.
Hikigaya tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Seems like you've been left behind, Sudo."
Sudo's fists tightened on their own as he heard those words, but the strain in his shoulders felt different tense and heavy, without the usual fight. His breathing was rough and uneven, as a strange emptiness began to take hold.
Hikigaya stood motionless for nearly a minute. Then, as if on impulse, he dropped his belt and slowly raised his hand.
"…Actually, you know what, I've changed my mind," Hikigaya said flatly. "You can leave too."
Sudo's eyes widened. "What…?"
"I said go. Leave," Hikigaya repeated, his voice calm but firm. "Unless you really want to stay and fight me again. But judging by that broken hand and your nose, I don't think you'll enjoy the outcome."
"You… you…" Sudo's voice trembled, tinged with a raw sadness. He couldn't bring himself to be angry. The fight had been drained out of him, replaced by a profound sense of loss.
"You think this is over? You think you can—"
"Don't confuse my pity for weakness Sudo," Hikigaya muttered. "I don't need to 'look down' on you. You're already lying in the dirt."
Sudo just stared at him and clicked his tongue, unable to comprehend this sudden turn of events. He slowly got to his feet, his body shaking, and limped out of the alley. He didn't look back. There was nothing left to see.
Hikigaya exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders like a storm passing over a dark sky.
He lowered himself onto the edge of the nearby well, the cold stone pressing against his back. "Seems like… I might've gone a bit overboard this time," he muttered quietly to himself.
he muttered quietly to himself. His fingers grazed his belt, now resting harmlessly at his side. "I didn't mean to leave him this hurt… especially the hand."
After a long, heavy pause, he pushed himself up. His body ached, his muscles protesting, but his mind lingered on the day he'd just survived. 'But there are still somethings which I need to fulfil.'
"Looks like… I missed my extra class today too," he muttered as he stood up.
Then, unexpectedly, a voice cut through the silence smooth but carrying an edge that sent a shiver down his spine.
"That was a brilliant performance, wasn't it, Hachiman? But are you sure that entire charade of yours was just a performance… or something far deeper?"
Hikigaya's head snapped toward the sound. At first, he saw nothing. Then, his eyes caught the glint of a crumpled metal sheet leaning against the far wall, half-buried in grime and rust.
His entire body froze as he stared at his reflection in the metal sheet.
Except the reflection was not his, no it was of a figure who has in a black leather jacket and a hoodie, the face was completely hidden by a mask of PAN-SAN the panda.
Hikigaya's breath hitched. His face went pale, and his teeth began to tremble. A look of sheer terror appeared in his eyes.
"W-what… but… how… why…Again?"
"Look at you… all startled Hachiman. I guess coming face to face with your long-forgotten madness can be… a bit unsettling, huh?"
The voice was his own, yet it came from the reflection. Hikigaya blinked, shaking his head violently. The figure in the metal sheet remained, its masked face tilted in a mocking, silent question.
Desperate, he slammed the side of his head with his palm. A sharp, stinging pain shot through his skull. He winced, then looked back at the metal sheet.
The reflection was back to normal. Just him Hachiman Hikigaya, standing alone in a grimy alley, his face looking pale.
"Damn… Komachi always stresses that I take my sleep medicine… I guess this is what happens when I've barely slept more than two hours a day since arriving at this school."
He rubbed his eyes and glanced back at the metal sheet.
"Or Maybe…maybe I am once again losing my marbles..."