Chapter 30: The Red-Haired Hedgehog's Change
Since the other party bore no ill will toward him, Hikigaya just shook his head lightly.
In the end, his understanding of this school was still rooted in that of a normal school. Though it had unique systems and rules, aside from that, it didn't seem much different.
But in reality, he was just a student who hadn't even been here a full month.
What exactly was this so-called "danger"?
The girl packed up the utensils, giving Hikigaya a faint smile.
"You'll find out later. When that time comes… I'm quite curious to see how you'll react."
"Scary… You're casually reading my mind again. But I'm not as impressive as you think."
"Who knows…"
"You're not listening at all."
Lunch break was almost over, and Sakayanagi's goal had been achieved.
She slowly extended her hand, citing her leg inconvenience as a reason for needing Hikigaya's help.
The boy's face flushed slightly. Since he had eaten her food, and she did have mobility issues…
While he was still thinking, the girl teased: "What's wrong, Little Hikki? You weren't this hesitant when you held my hand earlier."
"I wasn't hesitant."
Hikigaya stood up, brushed the dust off himself, and extended his hand to the silver-haired girl.
Seeing his hand offered, the girl's face lit up with an even brighter smile.
"As expected, Little Hikki, you're very gentle."
"I told you, I'm not, idiot."
For some reason, when alone with him, the girl completely shed her commanding leader aura, interacting with him like an ordinary girl. Hikigaya didn't dislike this feeling.
Of course, this didn't mean he had developed feelings for her. In such a short time, he couldn't let his guard down.
Which was her true self? Was he just a toy being played with in the palm of her hand?
Countless questions gnawed at Hikigaya's mind.
How many secrets did the girl in front of him still hold?
Was everything he pursued just a facade?
No matter how much he thought, Hikigaya couldn't find answers in such a short time.
So, maintaining the status quo was enough for now.
[That said, in the Service Club, watching their intimate actions, the murderous glares were fully directed at Hikigaya.]
[Isshiki: "The snow… it's gotten worse…"]
[Yuigahama, looking reluctantly at her own hands, said with a hint of grievance: "Hands… I haven't even held hands with a boy yet…"]
[Hikigaya: "What's the big deal? I haven't held hands with a girl either, except for Komachi. Komachi's just too cute."]
[Ebina: "Is this guy accidentally revealing he's a siscon again?"]
[Yukinoshita: "Well, if it's Hikigaya-kun, it's not surprising. But… saying this while watching this video…"]
[Yukinoshita: "Looks like Hikigaya-kun's romantic luck is about to turn around starting today."]
[Hikigaya: "Hey, don't say that with such a murderous look."]
[Though no one said it outright, the jealousy subtly permeating the Service Club spoke volumes.]
[The boy wasn't slow to react—he understood these feelings. But Hikigaya was just a self-conscious person. He couldn't be sure of others' true emotions and had to repeatedly verify their authenticity. That's why his heart always resisted anything fake.]
With the boy's help, the two made their way back to their respective classes. After a simple farewell, Hikigaya returned to his seat.
After briefly reflecting on his lunch break conversation with Sakayanagi, he started spacing out.
Aside from learning that this school had something special about it, he gained nothing else. If anything, he got a free meal.
Just as he put on his earphones and picked up his book to enjoy this peaceful moment, a massive figure suddenly blocked his view.
'School bullying, huh… Red-haired hedgehog, I'm not fighting you. There are cameras here.'
Before Hikigaya could think further, Sudo suddenly bent down and bowed deeply to him.
The dramatic gesture startled Hikigaya, causing him to shut his eyes tightly. When he felt no pain, he slowly opened them.
Sudo: "What I did before wasn't manly. It was my fault."
"Even though I don't feel a sense of belonging to this class, for someone who can make such a huge sacrifice for the class, I can't help but admire you."
'Didn't I say it wasn't a sacrifice? Are they all idiots?'
The red-haired hedgehog didn't notice Hikigaya's expression and kept using every word he could muster to express his apology.
'Such an honest guy—I can't hate him. Though he's kind of scary… But…'
Hikigaya turned his head away: "I didn't do it for you or the class. Everything I did was for myself. So… you know, I'm not as great as you think."
Sudo: "Even so… I still have to apologize for what I said before…"
Hikigaya raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Didn't I call you a gorilla before? Let's call it even."
Hikigaya didn't want to accept the apology. No… rather, the other party didn't need to apologize at all. He never felt he'd been hurt, so the apology was just Sudo's self-righteous assumption.
Still, Hikigaya appreciated such honesty.
After brushing it off with a few words, Hikigaya put his earphones back on, only to hear the black-haired girl beside him muttering to herself: "Looks like Chabashira-sensei was right. If we want to reach Class A, you're indispensable."
Unsure if she was talking to him, Hikigaya chose to pretend he didn't hear.
"Hey, why are you pretending not to hear again?"
Horikita seemed a bit annoyed. She turned to face Hikigaya, arms crossed.
'This girl is still so arrogant…'
"When you talk to someone, look at them first…"
It was basic etiquette, and Hikigaya didn't want to dwell on it.
Horikita, schooled once again, had a faint blush on her face.
(End of this chapter)