Chapter 25: Ryūen's Second Invitation
Though she kept playing the pity card, it didn't stop the class's attacks on Hikigaya. They only saw Kushida as gentle and kind, someone who'd forgive even after being insulted. For Hikigaya, this only fueled the hatred against him.
Matsushita Chiaki looked at Hikigaya with a meaningful smile. She didn't plan to say much, just curious about what he'd do next.
Sakura Airi, too, didn't want to join in the criticism of the black-haired boy. Though they had no interaction, she felt he wasn't a bad person. Sakura Airi always trusted her instincts.
Then there was Hasebe Haruka, the blue-haired girl with a tear mole by her eye. She seemed completely uninterested in who was right or wrong, or whether she'd been hurt, continuing to stay on the sidelines.
Like Hikigaya, she just wanted to avoid trouble and live a peaceful three years of high school.
Deceptions and schemes—she hated them.
But some of the girls, stirred up, couldn't control themselves, hurling all sorts of ugly words.
Karuizawa Kei followed the crowd, relentlessly insulting the gloomy boy.
[Yukinoshita Haruno: "Hahaha, so interesting! As expected of Class D—most of them are idiots."]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "You really have a twisted sense of fun. I feel bad for my student…"]
[Yukinoshita Haruno: "Oh, I feel bad for Hikigaya too. After all, he's… uh, my… sis boyfriend?"]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Don't tease your sensei, idiot."]
[Meanwhile, in the Service Club…]
[Miura and Ebina both had their mouths slightly open, hands covering their noses, eyes full of disbelief as they watched the video.]
[Isshiki Iroha: "Senpai, you're so pitiful…"]
[Hikigaya Hachiman: "Idiot, don't look at me like that… I'm not some stray dog with no home."]
[Yuigahama Yui: "But seeing Hikki misunderstood like this makes me so mad!"]
[Yukinoshita Yukino: "It can't be helped. Someone insists on solving problems this way, so he deserves this outcome."]
[Yukinoshita's tone was laced with agitation as she criticized Hikigaya Hachiman. Her mix of concern and reluctance to show it left Hikigaya momentarily dazed.]
['Looks like she really holds a grudge. We already made up, didn't we…?']
[But having companions like this, who care about him—this bond isn't fake, is it? It feels… pretty nice.]
Faced with the class's barrage of criticism, Hikigaya couldn't argue back. When he said those words, he knew this moment would come.
"You should just get out of our class!!!"
Someone's voice rang out, instantly filling the classroom. After a brief silence, the class resumed discussing the point.
The bell for the end of class had rung at some point, but Class D was still caught up in the debate. This time, Chabashira-sensei, unusually, didn't leave right after class but stayed, watching the students discuss with a look of disdain, as if they were trash.
"Enough!!!"
Hirata Yosuke's voice echoed through the classroom, startling even those passing by in the hallway.
No one had ever seen Hirata like this, and even the girls in the class were stunned.
"Do you even know what he did? Hikigaya, he…."
"Hirata."
Hikigaya's voice cut off Hirata before he could continue.
From the start, he had said he did what he did and said what he said for no one else. He didn't need anyone's pity now, and being attacked with these words was only natural.
"Hikigaya… I'm sorry, I got carried away."
Hirata Yosuke slowly sat back down. The sudden outburst silenced the class's discussions, but… at that moment, it was Chabashira's laughter that once again filled Class D.
"Hahahahaha, Hikigaya, this is what they're saying about you. Don't you have anything to say?"
"They didn't say anything wrong, so there's no need for me to argue."
"If this keeps up, you might get expelled, you know…"
Expelled?!
The word instantly reignited Hirata, who had just calmed down, visibly stirring him up again.
"Even if it comes to that, it just means I don't belong here."
Hirata was about to retort, but seeing Hikigaya raise a hand, he let out a helpless sigh.
"Hikigaya, I have to say, you did an excellent job. Getting the whole class to hate you like this—you've succeeded."
Chabashira's words once again drew the entire class's attention to her.
Hikigaya gave a light chuckle and replied, "Well, I was never a likable person to begin with, so it's only natural it turned out this way."
"Anyone who dares to hate you, I, for one, like you a lot."
Ryūen, Albert, and a short-haired girl appeared at Class D's door, loudly calling Hikigaya's name.
"If you can't stay in Class D, our Class C is always open to you. I guarantee no one will have a problem with you, and no one will dare point fingers. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"
Ryūen's appearance sparked another wave of discussion in the class.
Ike: "I heard this guy's the leader of Class C. How does he know someone like Hikigaya?"
Yamauchi: "Who knows? Maybe he's been cozying up to Class C all along and put on this whole act."
"…"
Horikita: "Our class's affairs don't need outsiders meddling. And… I won't let him go to another class."
Ryūen: "Oh? It's not your place to talk, little girl. Besides… this has nothing to do with you."
Ryūen's arrogance undoubtedly angered everyone in the class. Of course, Ryūen didn't care about the opinions of these small fries. He was here for one person only.
Hikigaya: "I don't think I'm worth anything special. Besides… since I was assigned to Class D, that means I'm just Class D material."
(End of this chapter)