Chapter 20: The Only Way
"What are you going to do?"
"Who knows? I'm not some genius."
The boy didn't answer the girl's question. For him, there was only one way to solve the class's current problem.
But doing so would surely make those girls named Yukinoshita and Yuigahama sad.
Though they didn't seem to exist in this world, the boy still remembered that day, after his confession, the words they had said to him.
Being as smart as he was, he naturally understood how much that approach would hurt them.
But now, he had no other choice.
'If those two were here, they'd definitely give me a lecture.'
Thinking this, the boy let out a faint smile.
[In the Service Club, the two girls, hearing the boy's thoughts, lowered their heads in embarrassment. After a long pause…]
[Yukinoshita slowly raised her head: "So you knew, huh…"]
[Yuigahama: "You knew and still did it, Hikki… That's so sly."]
[Hikigaya: "It's the most effective way, after all…"]
[Hikigaya scratched his head awkwardly with one hand, his gaze already dodging the two girls.]
[Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, mouths slightly agape, looked at Hikigaya in this state. Finally, they exchanged a smile, as if all the coldness melted away in that moment.]
[Isshiki Iroha: "As expected, senpai is really smart, just not honest and kinda awkward."]
[Ebina: "Mmm, mmm, mmm! After all, he's all stuttery when he's with Hayama-kun too."]
[Hikigaya: "That's absolute slander! I definitely don't do that!"]
['If it's with Saika, it's fine, but Hayama? No way.']
[Seeing Hikigaya's intense reaction, Hayama only responded with a gentle smile.]
Hikigaya sat in his seat. As the bell rang, Chabashira-sensei stepped onto the podium and began teaching from her textbook.
During the class, students kept slipping in through the back door, likely those who got carried away during the break.
Hikigaya looked at the classroom. Though it seemed calm on the surface, with no one deliberately disrupting the atmosphere, in reality, everyone was doing their own thing. Aside from a few like Kushida, Hirata, Kōenji, Sakura, and Horikita, almost everyone else was buried in their own activities.
It was a chaotic mess.
'Class A's leader, Class B's leader, Class C's leader—this school is really interesting. Weird Senseis, weird students, and weird rules. It's hard to wrap my head around.'
'But a leader is just a leader. Let me teach you something. What truly unites a group isn't a so-called leader. Even with a tyrant, an angel, or overwhelming strength, if the foundational conditions fail, chaos ensues. There's only one thing that can unite a group of people who absolutely can't be called a team…'
'An enemy.'
Whether it was Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke, Kōenji, Kushida Kikyo, or even Sudo, any of them could become the class's leader. But even so, the gap with Classes A, B, and C remained vast. Compared to their leaders, Class D's were undoubtedly the weakest. So… if he created an enemy to solidify the united class, they might stand a chance against A, B, and C.
This way, no one would get hurt, and he could justifiably gain more points. That was the most efficient method, right?
If that's the case, then…
He took a deep breath. Class was already halfway over, and though everyone was back in their seats doing different things, it didn't affect what he was about to do.
Hikigaya took another deep breath, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and placed it on the desk. Propping his chin with one hand, he stared at the phone expressionlessly. His audacity stunned even Horikita Suzune.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Put it away, idiot."
Horikita kept whispering warnings to Hikigaya, but he acted as if he didn't hear, fiddling with his phone and even playing a video.
The volume wasn't loud, but in the quiet classroom, it was enough for everyone to hear.
In an instant, the least noticeable boy in the corner became the class's focal point. Even Chabashira-sensei put down her book, looking at him with a calm gaze.
[Yoshino: "Here it comes, here it comes! I've been waiting for this!"]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "So it really had to come to this…"]
[Yuigahama Yui: "After all, this is what Hikki's best at—drawing all the hatred onto himself to change others."]
[Yukinoshita nodded helplessly. She wanted to help the boy but felt powerless.]
[All she did was rely on him. Saying she'd help him was just a joke.]
Hikigaya ignored the gazes gathering on him, continuing to watch the video on his phone as if nothing was wrong.
"…"
The classroom fell silent, except for the sound coming from his phone.
Chabashira Sae set down her book and said slowly, "Hikigaya…"
"Chabashira, sensei, that's what I should call you, right?"
"Hikigaya!"
Horikita, unable to stand it, shouted angrily.
But Hikigaya showed no intention of stopping.
"It seems everyone's the same as me. Since we're all here, it means we're all defective products, right? That includes you, Chabashira-sensei."
"Since we're all the same, there's no need for superficial efforts. Human nature is the hardest thing to change. Right now, you all know exactly what you're doing."
"Class D is, as expected, nothing more than this."
Hearing the boy's words, Chabashira Sae let out a wicked, terrifying smile.
Sudo glared at Hikigaya angrily, clenching his fists. "Are looking for death?!"
Hikigaya: "This isn't a boxing ring, gorilla."
"Huh?"
As the class fell into a dead silence, Chabashira Sae burst into a booming laugh.
( End of this chapter )