Chapter 71: Ignorant Enemies Should Abandon All Hope
Both exits of the alley were blocked. The boy stood behind her, knowing nothing about fighting.
Kamuro gritted her teeth. Facing three burly guys while protecting Hikigaya was tough. This time, he'd really gotten her into trouble.
If he could spot her, he should've noticed these guys earlier. Walking to such a deserted place—what could she even say to scold him?
Was this guy doing it on purpose? For a moment, Kamuro thought so.
But she had no choice. With the princess's orders, she had no reason to back down.
Since it was a tough fight, she'd grit her teeth and face it. Their target was Hikigaya. If he escaped, it didn't matter if they caught her. As a Class A student, they likely wouldn't dare do much to her.
The plan formed in her mind. Kamuro had no other choice.
She'd never imagined, in a school like this, she'd go this far for someone from another class. Not even a fleeting thought.
But those guys… saying she and Hikigaya were lovers? That was completely wrong!
Kamuro's gaze hardened, assuming a defensive stance, eyes fixed on the three: "I'll cover you. Go."
Ishizaki: "I don't think you're going anywhere."
Komiya: "Yeah, after making us suffer like that, you're not walking away."
Kondo: "Let me show you the real power of my fists."
The three were eager, their leering smiles suggesting a barrage of fists was coming. Kamuro didn't step back.
Hikigaya's expression remained calm, unshaken even in this situation, as if… everything was part of his plan.
"Alright, that's enough, Kamuro."
"What are you talking about…"
"I mean, they've already lost."
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
Ishizaki's group burst into mocking laughter.
Hikigaya ignored them, slowly taking his phone from his pocket and showing the screen.
From the start, Hikigaya had been on a call with Student Council President Horikita Manabu. Sensing something was off, he'd dialed him.
Their words and actions, though not recorded on video, had all reached Horikita Manabu's ears.
The three lowered their fists powerlessly, while Kamuro looked at the boy in disbelief.
Horikita Manabu's cold voice came through the phone.
"Ishizaki, Kondo, Komiya… come to the student council room immediately to face punishment. Tardiness has consequences."
Beep beep beep…
The call ended, true to his style.
When they looked up, the three were gone.
Moments ago, they'd been in danger. Now… it was gone.
Kamuro, still in her defensive stance, froze.
Hikigaya scratched his head awkwardly: "Thanks just now."
"…I… I didn't help you at all…"
"If you hadn't shown up, I'd have taken that punch. Honestly… though I was prepared, I didn't want to get hit for no reason."
"So this was all your plan? Walking here on purpose too?"
"Sort of."
Kamuro crossed her arms, pouting irritably: "What a monster. Just like Sakayanagi…"
Hikigaya: "If Sakayanagi heard that, she wouldn't be happy."
Kamuro: "What, you care about her?"
Hikigaya: "What kind of logic is that?"
Kamuro: "Hmph! You played me again! The princess went through all this trouble to have me protect you, when you don't even need it. Your instincts are terrifying!!!"
Hikigaya: "Why does it sound like you're calling me a dog? And I said, without you, I'd have taken that punch."
Kamuro knew she was in the wrong and didn't argue further, just giving an annoyed look: "Great, Class C already lost 300 points, and now this. Ryūen's probably furious."
Hikigaya: "How do you know Class C lost 300 points?"
Hikigaya wasn't surprised they knew Class C lost the hearing, but it was odd they knew the exact number after just one day.
Point totals were only updated on the first of each month.
Kamuro smirked, opening one eye to look at Hikigaya.
"You don't know? Class A's intelligence network is pretty impressive."
"Makes sense. They sent someone like you to follow me, so it's normal for other classes to be tracked too. In that case…"
"What, no excitement at all? Let me have my moment!"
"Even if you say that…"
Hikigaya lowered his head again, still filled with gratitude toward the girl.
Their time together and her protection gave him a deep sense of security.
And in that moment, she'd genuinely thought of him, willing to put herself in danger to help him escape.
So…
"Thank you."
Sincere, without a trace of deceit, Hikigaya expressed his gratitude.
Kamuro's cheeks flushed at the boy's words. She turned away, hiding her reaction from him.
"Alright, alright, I get it, so nagging. If there's nothing else, go rest early. That way, I can report back and rest too."
Her body temperature was still rising, her heart pounding wildly. Staying together any longer would be bad—really bad.
Hikigaya nodded, then waved goodbye to the girl.
With only a few hundred meters to the dorm, the girl glanced at the gradually retreating boy, then slightly lowered her head.
Kamuro: 'What's… wrong with me?'
[Yukinoshita wasn't angry about Kamuro's flustered feelings. Seeing the boy escape danger in such a situation finally eased her tense heart.]
[Yuigahama: "That's great, Hikki didn't get hurt."]
[Hikigaya: "There was never going to be any trouble, you guys are just overworrying."]
[Yuigahama: "Because Hikki always makes people worry…"]
[Yukinoshita: "That's hard to argue against."]
[Isshiki: "Eh? Is that how it is? I thought Senpai was pretty reliable."]
[Hayama laughed: "In a way, he is pretty reliable."]
['The last guy I want to hear that from is you.']
[First-year Class C…]
[Ishizaki: "Me? Doing something like that, and getting played by this guy? It's just a movie, right? No way!"]
[Kondo: "Yeah, how could we do something that stupid!"]
[Komiya nodded frantically.]
[Ryūen said nothing, exuding his terrifying aura, silently watching the video.]
[Finally, he showed a meaningful smile, as if enjoying it…]
["This is getting more and more interesting."]
[First-year Class D…]
[Sato: "He resolved it again. Is this guy really that smart?"]
[Shinohara: "No need to doubt that, Sato. You've seen how harsh this school is."]
[Karuizawa nodded. To achieve this in this school, outsmarting Class C, his intelligence was undeniable to all.]
[Horikita looked at the video with admiration: "This is the true strength of individualism. One person changed a class, closing the gap with Class C in half a semester, and that's while he was passively handling things. Imagine what he'd do if he got fired up."]
[Even without Horikita saying it, the class noticed… whether Class D or others, anyone who interacted with the boy was gradually changing for the better, blending into the class. Those who hadn't interacted envied it, and even those outside the video admired him.]
[Be it Sudo, Sakura, Horikita… or others, it was the same.]
[Sudo: "I really want to see what Class D would be like in three years with him."]
[Sakura: "I'm kind of looking forward to it too."]
[Ayanokouji stayed silent throughout. Since he never appeared in the video, speaking now would only make his position awkward or unsolvable.]
[First-year Class A…]
[Hashimoto looked at the video with a teasing gaze, eyes darting between Kamuro and the screen.]
[Kamuro: "What?"]
[Hashimoto: "Hahaha, seeing little Masumi like this, she's so cute."]
[Kamuro's tone was cold. Though Hashimoto was also in Sakayanagi's faction, she never had the slightest fondness for him.]
["Don't call me by my name."]
[Hashimoto continued teasing: "Aww, little Masumi's so cold. You were so cute in the video."]
[Kamuro crossed her arms, looking at Hashimoto with exasperation: "You should see who it's about. That's someone even the princess is interested in."]
[Hashimoto fell silent, surprised. He hadn't expected the usually tsundere girl to admit it so openly.]
[From start to finish, Sakayanagi only showed a faint smile, saying nothing more.]
The brief rest day… was precious time for all students.
Most would hang out with friends in the commercial district or spend the day in the entertainment area. But some, like Hikigaya, slept all day.
Without parental supervision or Komachi's wake-up calls, Hikigaya let himself go. He'd been busy lately, so this rest was well-deserved.
No one can work nonstop, not even a corporate slave.
What was everyone doing? Sudo was probably at basketball club, Horikita studying alone, Kushida shopping with friends, Sakura likely alone in her dorm. Lying in bed, Hikigaya thought about his classmates, passing the time.
Forget it… might as well read.
Picking up his familiar math book, Hikigaya lounged in bed, spending a boring yet comfortable rest day.
Unknowingly, nearly three months had passed since enrollment. Hikigaya didn't know what he'd been busy with, no longer in a club, just living day-to-day. Even so, time felt too fast.
There were still many things about this school he didn't understand, many things beyond his grasp.
But since no trouble had arisen, it wasn't bad for him.
After all, this calm life was what he'd always pursued.
After a quick tidy-up, Hikigaya headed back to school. The relaxing weekend was over, and the grueling school days were coming.
The incident he faced last time hadn't spread in class or beyond. From the current class atmosphere, everyone seemed in good spirits, likely having enjoyed the weekend.
Hikigaya sat in his usual spot, scanning the room. Horikita, as always, arrived early to study. Sudo, also in a corner, was reading quietly—an impressive change.
Sakura Airi hadn't arrived yet. Tsk tsk, showing up at the last minute isn't good, Sakura-san.
The classroom gradually filled, growing noisier as class neared.
Kushida and some girls discussed their fun weekend. Hirata was doing the same. Of course… the blonde boy in the center, Koenji, stood out, combing his hair with an elegant comb.
Ding ding dong…
The bell rang, and Sakura Airi entered almost in sync with it.
She no longer wore her plain glasses, not since the last incident. But like this…
Her beauty predictably drew most of the boys' attention. Hikigaya was also pulled by some strange force, but… when Sakura looked up and their eyes met, he quickly turned away.
'Does she… have something to say to me?'
If she had something to say, it'd likely be about last week's stalking incident. As a student council member, it wasn't surprising she'd know.
Before Hikigaya could think further, Chabashira Sae entered in her familiar black uniform, stepping into the class.
She scanned Class D, then said: "First, congratulations on clearing Sudo-kun's name."
Sudo nodded in acknowledgment, shooting Hikigaya a "bro-only" look.
Of course, Hikigaya pretended not to see.
To him, such behavior was too normie.
"Second, as you probably know, Class C lost 300 class points. On the first of the month, the new point rankings will be out. I estimate the gap between you is about 50 points."
At this news, the class erupted in cheers.
Though they hadn't gained points, the gap with Class C was closing. With a bit more effort, they could surpass Class C and no longer be last.
Hirata lowered his head, showing a faint smile, murmuring: "Just a bit more effort…"
Seeing Hirata's expression, Karuizawa clenched her fists excitedly.
Except for Koenji, who as usual acted aloof, most students' excitement was palpable.
Chabashira crossed her arms, giving a faint smile, then fixed her gaze on the black-haired boy in the corner.
"Lastly… I have new information. For attempted assault, Komiya, Kondo, and Ishizaki will be expelled."
Sudo's eyes widened: "Huh?!"
Horikita, caught off guard, turned to Hikigaya: "What… happened?"
Kushida, looking scared, covered her mouth, unable to speak.
The lively atmosphere instantly cooled.
They weren't exactly sad—those three weren't from Class D and had framed Sudo—but…
For the first time, they clearly felt this school wasn't a joke.
If you didn't meet the school's standards or broke rules, expulsion was possible.
In other schools, bullies might get a lecture at most.
But here, expulsion was easy. Failing exams, breaking rules, or various other things could lead to it.
Sudo's skin crawled. Only hearing this news did he realize how close he'd been to expulsion.
The classroom stayed silent until Hirata's voice broke through.
"Everyone, don't break the school rules."
His caring words reached every student, who nodded in response.
"As long as we don't break rules and pass exams, we won't be expelled. We have to work together to reach Class A."
'What a grand, idealistic vision.'
Hikigaya didn't think it was impossible, but he knew the huge gap between Class D and Class A.
Such words only served to motivate, nothing more.
Once they realized the vast gap, that motivation would weaken.
Chabashira's expression returned to its usual indifference, as if nothing happened: "That's all I have to say. Any questions?"
Kushida stood, looking puzzled: "Um, Sensei… can I ask who was targeted in the stalking incident? Was it because they didn't get what they wanted from Sudo's case and wanted to retaliate against our class?"
Chabashira shook her head, not giving Kushida the answer she wanted.
"Even if you knew, what could you do?"
"I… we could take precautions! At least travel in groups to prevent it from happening again."
"Then, I can responsibly tell you, after this incident, the school will increase surveillance in every corner. This won't happen again."
Hearing Chabashira's words, the class received another piece of news.
The school would add extensive surveillance, likely focusing on the alley and special classroom building where incidents occurred.
But…
'Impossible. No school can completely eliminate bullying. Even 24-hour surveillance can't protect victims.'
Hikigaya knew this well.
Since bullying was inevitable, the issue wasn't the cameras. Rule-breakers would always find a chance.
Still, the school was taking it seriously, responding quickly after these incidents. Perhaps only a well-funded school could do this.
Chabashira's words stopped abruptly, and Kushida sat down obediently.
The classroom atmosphere was still decent. Though three students were expelled, they weren't from Class D.
It wouldn't take long for the class to move past this heavy mood.
But…
Sakura, in the distance, seemed to want to talk to him. In one class period, she'd glanced at him over ten times.
Horikita, beside him, was also watching, likely assuming he was the stalking target.
After all, it was just him, Sudo, Horikita, and Sakura involved.
Horikita hadn't been threatened, and Sudo was unlikely.
As for Sakura, with the student council backing her, suspecting Hikigaya made sense.
If that's the case…
During the short break, Hikigaya deliberately walked to the depths of the corridor, a place where people rarely passed by.
The two classrooms were some distance apart, and his classmates would only linger in the hallway outside their classroom, not venturing this far.
( End of this chapter)