Chapter 63: Three Against One and You Still Got Owned?
After some comforting and recovery time, Hikigaya received a text from Sakayanagi.
'While we're still fighting for class interests, Little Hikki's already cleaning up the campus. The bad guy's been caught. Don't worry.'
Hikigaya turned off his phone. Since the creep was dealt with, they didn't need to hide in this alley anymore.
'But when did she get my email…?'
After sharing the text's contents with Sakura, she still seemed dazed, looking at Hikigaya with innocent eyes.
It felt… so unreal…
It's simply… unbelievable…
"Hikigaya, I don't know how to thank you enough…"
Hikigaya shook his head. This wasn't part of his original plan, and in truth, he wasn't the one who helped her—it was Kamuro, who took the risk by being the decoy.
So… he couldn't accept this gratitude.
"You said you came to find me to talk about something, right?"
Sakura lowered her head, as if too shy to meet the boy's eyes.
"Well… I just had a feeling you might be able to help Sudo, so… that's about it."
Hikigaya wasn't even sure what he was saying. Maybe it was because of what just happened, or maybe he was catching the girl's nervousness.
Hearing it was about Sudo, her legs began to tremble, but… it lasted only a few seconds before she steeled herself.
She gave a warm smile, the kind of sunshine that seemed to pierce straight into the boy's heart, so comforting.
"Hikigaya-kun, thank you. About Sudo's matter, I do… have some things to tell you, but please give me one night to prepare."
Since the girl had said so, Hikigaya couldn't exactly demand she tell him now.
Though time was tight, it didn't mean he had to get all the answers today. Learning that Sakura Airi indeed had information about Sudo's incident was already significant progress.
Besides, after going through something like that, any teenage girl would need time to recover. Hikigaya could understand that.
"Then… I'll wait for your message."
With that, Hikigaya turned to leave.
"Um, Hikigaya-kun…"
Sakura clasped her hands together nervously, calling out to the boy.
"What's up?"
"Could you… could you walk me back to my dorm?"
After saying this, Sakura, who had just calmed down, blushed deeply again.
She knew how silly it sounded, but… having just escaped a stalker, she was still shaken.
Hikigaya nodded.
On the way, the two barely spoke.
"Well… get a good night's sleep. I know it's a bit presumptuous of me to say, but since this is a government-funded school, after this incident, they'll definitely tighten security. No one will be able to hurt you here anymore."
Sakura nodded gently, giving the boy another warm smile.
"No matter what, I still have to thank you."
Hikigaya waved his hand and turned to leave.
Watching Hikigaya Hachiman's figure disappear into the distance, Sakura Airi closed her door, her heart pounding like boiling water, racing uncontrollably.
Perhaps, tonight, Sakura Airi won't be able to sleep.
Leaving Sakura's dorm, Hikigaya noticed the sky had completely darkened. At this hour, the special classroom building would likely be locked, just like last time. It seemed he'd have to wait until tomorrow.
Today, while there weren't any major breakthroughs, he'd at least caught a small lead.
Hikigaya returned to his dorm, about to open the door, when he noticed the light was already on inside his room.
'Holy crap, is it haunted?'
He cautiously opened the door, only to find Yamauchi, Ike, Sudo, and Kushida inside.
"So, how did you guys get in?"
Yamauchi: "Hahaha, last time we hung out, I made a spare key to your room. Your place is so empty, it's perfect for meetings."
'Hey, Yamauchi, that's a dangerous mindset. Outside this school, you'd get slapped with a breaking-and-entering charge.'
'And you guys are accomplices too!'
Hikigaya helplessly set his bag on the desk. Thankfully, he didn't keep any weird books in his room, or he'd have no privacy left.
Kushida pulled out her phone, sharing all the information they'd gathered today with the boy.
They'd posted notices around the special classroom building and other places, offering points for witnesses from that day, but obviously… no progress.
That was within Hikigaya's expectations.
He walked up to Sudo, asking seriously: "Sudo, I need to confirm. It was definitely self-defense, right? You didn't intentionally hurt them, right?"
Facing Hikigaya's question, Sudo didn't lose his temper. Instead, he spoke honestly to his brother-like friend: "I, Sudo, swear here that I absolutely didn't intentionally harm them. Even in self-defense, I held back and didn't injure them…"
"In fact, it felt like they wanted me to hit them…"
Hikigaya got Sudo's answer. Since he was being sincere, Hikigaya would definitely help him.
But… three against one (and they still lost? They should learn to play!)… and they still filed a complaint? That's practically turning the aggressor into the victim on purpose.
Was it Ryūen's plan to get hit intentionally?
Looks like the mysteries would need to be unraveled one by one.
From Sudo's words, it was clear that after club practice, he was about to leave when they dragged him to the special classroom building, where the conflict happened.
That logic didn't add up. If they were the complainants, why would they start trouble? That's just plain wrong.
If Sudo wasn't lying, then…
The problem lay with three guys who complained. What method did they use to convince the school they were the victims?
Hikigaya sank into a brainstorming session.
The others just watched quietly.
A knock came from the door.
Hikigaya opened it, and there stood the black-haired girl, Horikita Suzune.
"Horikita."
"About the witness information…"
She was about to share when she noticed several pairs of shoes by the door.
"What? They've taken over your room?"
"Don't tell me you have a key to my room too."
"Idiot, how would I have something like that?"
Horikita was clearly riled up by Hikigaya's words, her voice tinged with agitation.
Her loud tone instantly caught the attention of Kushida Kikyo inside the room.
"Horikita, you're here!"
She rushed out, greeting Horikita with her usual fake smile.
Seeing Kushida in Hikigaya's room, Horikita instinctively stepped back.
"I'm leaving. Bye."
'So you came all this way just to leave? Thanks for the effort.'
"Mm, see you."
"Wait…"
As if suddenly changing her mind, the girl's intentions shifted.
Even if it wasn't to share information or discuss Sudo's issue, she had to enter this room.
Her sudden change of heart made Hikigaya pause, and he looked at Horikita with confusion as she stepped into his room.
Kushida: "I'm so happy you're joining us to discuss, Horikita!"
Horikita pursed her lips, crossing her arms and saying: "I'm not here just to discuss this…"
Kushida, with an innocent expression, asked curiously: "Then why?"
Facing Kushida's question, Horikita's face reddened slightly before she let out a soft huff, giving no answer. Hikigaya, watching the entire exchange, could only sigh at Horikita's personality.
Horikita: "Back to the point. Your current approach is like searching for a needle in a haystack. No progress at all."
Ike and Yamauchi nodded helplessly. Horikita was right—they hadn't found any solid leads today. At one point, they even doubted if Sudo was lying.
But with a plan like theirs in this school, it was no surprise things turned out this way.
Horikita regained her usual calm, placing a hand on her chin in a thoughtful pose.
Horikita: "Actually, I suspect there's a witness to this incident, and… they're right in front of us."
Hikigaya: "Sakura, right?"
Horikita froze for a moment, then shook her head. For him, figuring this out wasn't difficult.
But for Kushida, Sudo, and the others, they looked at Horikita and Hikigaya with confusion.
They didn't even know how the conversation had turned to Sakura, but… it sounded like big news.
Horikita: "You figured it out?"
Hikigaya: "No, I confirmed it."
Horikita took a deep breath. This guy was moving faster than she'd expected.
Kushida: "I didn't mishear, right? You and Horikita are saying Sakura's a witness?"
Sudo: "I-I think so…"
Kushida reached for her phone, ready to call Sakura since they'd exchanged numbers at the start of school. Sakura wouldn't likely refuse.
But Hikigaya stopped her.
Sakura had been through too much today. She needed time alone to calm down… Besides, if a loner got a call like that, they'd have a million ways to ignore it—Hikigaya himself being the prime example.
Horikita walked to the desk with ease and sat down: "Even if Sakura becomes a witness to prove Sudo isn't guilty, it still wouldn't mean much. You know that, right?"
Hikigaya understood what the girl meant. Sudo was currently seen as the aggressor, so…
Having a witness from their own class wouldn't prove his innocence unless… there was stronger evidence to show he didn't intentionally harm anyone, like a recording or video.
But something like that… it probably didn't exist.
Sudo: "What does that mean…?"
Hikigaya: "This has nothing to do with whether it was self-defense. They set you up from the start, Sudo."
Ike: "Huh? What's that mean?"
Yamauchi: "I'm kinda lost too."
Both looked at Kushida, who shook her head in confusion.
Horikita: "Sudo, I have to admit your physique is strong, and your athletic ability is top-tier among first-years. But… without any martial arts training, could you really take on three people unscathed and, as Class C claims, seriously injure them?"
Hikigaya nodded, continuing to Sudo: "From the moment they dragged you to the special classroom building, it didn't matter if you attacked first, acted in self-defense, or, as you said, didn't hit them at all."
"Because if they wanted to frame you, you were already the aggressor, not the victim."
"Even if you could prove they started it, their complaint still says you threw punches."
With Hikigaya and Horikita's explanation, things became clearer for the group. From the start, this was a setup.
Sudo: "But… no way. I didn't even beat them up. Even if there were minor scrapes, how could that turn an aggressor into a victim? Is the student council full of idiots?"
Sudo was right. Without verification, a complaint couldn't be filed. Since it was approved by the student council, the three who clashed with Sudo must be seriously injured.
From what Sudo said, he didn't use excessive violence against anyone, and every move was made to protect himself.
The current Sudo truly wouldn't lose his rationality over something like this.
In that case… It only proved one thing.
'Ryūen, you're really ruthless…'
Hikigaya nodded, agreeing with Sudo's account, but… his expression turned heavy: "You might not have injured them, but for Ryūen, if you were his target, they had countless ways to pose as victims afterward, even… going so far as to beat the three complainants into serious injuries."
It was just a guess, but it was undoubtedly the most likely method. If Hikigaya was a ruthless person, he'd use the same tactic, and for Ryūen, that's exactly the kind of person he was.
Hearing the boy's analysis, even Horikita, who knew some of the inside story, froze in her chair.
This matter was clearly much more complicated than they'd imagined.
Sudo finally understood how he'd been played into Ryūen's hands. He'd tried so hard to avoid trouble, but in reality…
It was completely useless. They had deliberately targeted him.
His face showed distress, worry etched across it.
Sudo: "So, is there any way out now?"
Yamauchi, Ike, Kushida, and Horikita all turned their gazes to the boy at the same time.
Hikigaya lowered his head, giving a faint smile: "There's always a way… Since Ryūen wants to turn the aggressor into the victim, we just need to flip it back from that angle."
With Sakura now, if they could establish the victim's perspective, they'd hold the initiative.
Horikita didn't understand what the boy was planning, but it had only been a day. Drawing conclusions so quickly seemed premature.
It was getting late, and Yamauchi, Ike, Kushida, and Horikita left one by one. Only Sudo remained, lying on Hikigaya's bed with a worried expression.
'Looks like this hit him pretty hard.'
Sudo spread his hands on the bed, questioning himself as if in doubt: "Hikigaya, should I just drop out? I feel like I'm always causing trouble for Class D, whether it's my grades or this incident."
Hikigaya had no idea how to comfort someone. That wasn't his strong suit at all.
So, he could only speak his honest thoughts.
"Whether you drop out or not isn't something I can decide for you."
"Since we're all in Class D, there's no such thing as dragging each other down. I can tell you… just like my loner tendencies cause trouble for others, your grades do too. But… I don't hate myself for it, and you're the same, right?"
Sudo nodded thoughtfully. Though he'd been doubting himself, he definitely didn't hate himself that much.
Hikigaya: "Everyone has things they're bad at. Just like I can never fit into a good group, your grades are always low… But that's not set in stone. At least for you, when the school holds a sports festival, your strengths will shine. That's true for everyone."
"This incident isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself too much. Even if you weren't here, Ryūen would just find the next target."
After hearing Hikigaya's words, Sudo sprang up from the bed. He walked over to Hikigaya, giving his shoulder a light pat.
"Thanks, bro."
'Stop calling me that normie nickname!'
Watching Sudo leave his room, reinvigorated, the small space returned to its usual cold, quiet atmosphere.
But for Hikigaya, this feeling was the most comforting.
Bathing alone, studying alone, lying in bed alone to rest. Though Sudo's issue wasn't fully resolved yet…
Thinking about today's events, how he'd tightly hugged Sakura—crap… crap, it's over. He'd definitely be seen as a creep now.
And so, Hikigaya tossed and turned in bed like a wriggling maggot.
But Sakura wasn't doing much better.
Kamuro lay in bed, unable to sleep, still cursing Hikigaya for what he'd done to her that evening.
How could that guy do something like that!
Sudo, on the other hand, was unusually quiet in bed, determined to start anew.
Everyone had their own troubles…
[Kamuro, watching herself being used as a tool in the video, angrily tattled to Sakayanagi.]
["So infuriating, so infuriating! How could that guy do this! He didn't treat me like a girl at all. And you, Sakayanagi… you didn't even take my side, you sided with an outsider!"]
[Sakayanagi watched the video with interest, then said to Kamuro: "It's a different timeline, after all. I don't know what that version of me was thinking. Don't overthink it. That guy doesn't even exist in our school."]
[Kamuro: "I'm just pissed off. Seeing myself get bullied like that in the video, I'm really pissed off."]
[Hashimoto: "You're just too spoiled by Princess usually. She doesn't make you do much. Besides, you didn't lose anything."]
[Kamuro didn't bother with this smooth-talking guy. She always lost arguments with him, so she'd rather stay quiet.]
[Sakayanagi: "But Kamuro's not wrong. I actually sided with an outsider… That's a bit unexpected."]
[Kito looked troubled, glancing at Sakayanagi: "Princess… uh, I don't know if I should say this."]
[Sakayanagi: "Speak freely."]
[Kito: "I mean, in that video, you were a hundred times more indulgent with that guy than with Kamuro. Could it be…"]
[Sakayanagi already knew what Kito was hinting at, but she didn't panic. She just shook her head gently.]
["No way…"]
[Hearing this, Kito didn't press further. Hashimoto, getting a clear answer, chimed in: "Exactly, exactly. How could Princess fall for someone? In my opinion, Princess, you probably just saw potential in his abilities, so you paid him so much attention."]
[Sakayanagi shook her head again, leaving Hashimoto stunned.]
["That's not it either…"]
[Faced with such an ambiguous response, Hashimoto, Kamuro, and Kito were completely baffled.]
[What was going on?]
[Sakayanagi: "I can't quite explain it, but I can feel that it wasn't just about his abilities that made me want to pull him in. Of course… it's definitely not about falling for him either."]
["It's more like… a mix of admiration, reliance, and other complex emotions, which is why I wanted him to stay safe in this school and keep surprising me."]
[Unlike the feeling Ayanokouji gave her, where she wanted to challenge him, with Hikigaya, she had no such desire.]
[But what exactly was she thinking? She couldn't quite explain it herself, nor was it easy to articulate.]
(End of this chapter)