Chapter 104: An Unnecessary Misunderstanding
Mashima's words left the students stunned, but nearly everyone knew the injured student could only be the one absent now.
Karuizawa Kei: "That guy did something so dangerous…"
Shinohara Satsuki: "Yeah, we had no idea. But because of it, our class pulled ahead of Class A by 30 points."
Matsushita Chiaki: "I think those 30 points weren't worth what he went through…"
Satō Maya: "I don't know how he did it. He told us to trust him, and now Class D's completely won."
Yukimura Teruhiko: "It might be luck, but maybe not… It's all too strange."
Sudo Ken clenched his fists, guilt written on his face. "If I'd been there, I wouldn't have let that guy hurt my brother."
Hirata Yosuke, one of the few who knew the full story, said nothing, only patting Sudo's shoulder gently.
"We'll have a chance to visit him together."
Ike Kanji: "Yeah, yeah, he's probably lying in bed all comfy now. Don't worry too much, Sudo."
Yamauchi Haruki: "Exactly. It's done, and we won! Isn't that the best outcome?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and in a cheerful atmosphere, after a final headcount, they prepared to return to the luxury cruise.
Akito Miyake: "Wait, where's Koenji?"
Horikita: "That guy went back to the ship the moment the exam ended. Don't worry, even if we forgot him here, he'd be fine. Next year's first-years might even see a fully evolved Koenji when they come for the exam."
Horikita's rare deadpan joke sent everyone into fits of laughter.
…
On the cruise, in Hikigaya's room.
Knock, knock…
"Come in."
The door handle turned naturally, and a blond, beautiful boy strode in.
Hikigaya frowned. "Koenji, I told you not to come in here all wet."
Koenji wagged a finger in front of Hikigaya's face, brimming with pride. "The water-drenched me is the most beautiful!"
"Fine, fine…"
"It's time to keep your promise, Hikigaya-boy. My role this time was worth far more than 10,000 points. I elevated Class D to a whole new level. When I filmed you getting knocked out, I could've traded it to Class A for way more points, but I didn't. Not for Class D, but because I see more opportunities for us to work together."
Hikigaya listened to Koenji's monologue, but his words weren't baseless. Koenji had held the key to Class D's victory over Class A. Trading the footage to Class A would've brought him greater profit, but he hadn't.
"By the way… if you'd done that, we'd have been completely screwed."
Hikigaya Hachiman sat up in bed, making no extra movements. He picked up his phone and transferred 20,000 points to Koenji Rokusuke's account, double what he'd promised.
Koenji wasn't a bottomless pit. Seeing the boy act so decisively, he felt satisfied.
"I look forward to our next collaboration."
"Just hope you don't set the price too high next time."
"That depends on the situation."
"I knew you'd say that."
"Smart move, Hikigaya-boy. Oh, forgot to ask, how's your body holding up?"
"I'm not a monster like you. The fever's gone, but it'll probably take three or four days to get back to normal."
"Oh, that's fine. Someone'll take care of you."
"Huh?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Koenji left without looking back. As Hikigaya pondered his words, Sakura Airi burst into the room, not even knocking.
"Hachiman, are… are you okay…?"
She was as impulsive as ever, panting as she reached him.
"Uh, I wouldn't say I'm in trouble. But Airi, you forgot to knock. That's not a good habit."
You never know what you might see barging into someone's room, scenes you'd never forget. At least, that's how it played out on TV, with people like the cult leader as prime examples.
Airi's cheeks flushed. She realized her recklessness might've bothered Hachiman. What if he'd been changing…?
Still, she couldn't suppress her emotions. Head lowered, she approached him and, under his puzzled gaze, hugged him tightly.
Hikigaya was lying in bed, and Airi, kneeling beside it, clung to him with both arms.
"Airi…?"
"Don't do something so stupid again… I-I don't want you to do that."
"Sometimes breaking the stalemate requires one person, and I happened to be standing there."
"Then there's me! If you'd told me, I would've done it for you."
Hikigaya smiled. "Then I'd be the bad guy. How could I let a girl do something like that? But… thank you for caring. Really, thank you."
Airi's eyes were already teary, and his words broke her restraint. Tears streamed from her eyes, spilling out with a splash.
"Hachiman, you're such an idiot."
"That's not nice to say to a patient."
"Well, you're still an idiot."
"Alright…"
They didn't say more. Airi held onto Hikigaya tightly, her tears soaking his clothes and blanket.
Hikigaya sat on the edge of the bed, letting the girl cling to him.
Had he ever been chosen so resolutely before?
In that moment, Hikigaya's heart asked itself this question.
For the old him, this scene would've been impossible. But now… it was happening right before his eyes, the sensation is so real.
Maybe he had changed, without even realizing it. And the people around him had changed too.
He'd faced a similar situation before.
"I hate the way you do things. I can't explain why, but it's so frustrating. I really hate it."
"Think about other people's feelings! You understand so many things, so why can't you get this?! I don't want you to do this…"
Back then, he'd vaguely sensed it but was held back by his obsession with the "genuine thing," unable to discern the truth of others' feelings toward him.
Now…
He knew clearly that there were people in this world who truly cared about him.
The past couldn't be undone, but the future was still a blank slate.
At the very least, he couldn't let them get hurt like that.
…
"Hikigaya!"
"Uh, I'll come back later."
Kushida Kikyo's face darkened, twitching slightly before she forced herself to stay calm and walked out.
Hikigaya and Airi froze. By the time they snapped out of it, both realized their faces were as red as ripe apples.
"I-I-I… I just remembered I have something to do. Hachiman, I'll come back later!"
Without another word, Airi bolted out, not giving Hikigaya a chance to call after her.
Hikigaya sat stunned on the bed. What had he just done?! His mind was completely blank.
"I knew it. I hate people who don't knock…"
[In the Service Club…]
[Isshiki Iroha: "Nice one, Senpai! The exam's barely over, and you're putting on this dramatic show. You're gonna end up on the girls' blacklist like this."]
[Hikigaya: "Uh, what blacklist?"]
[Isshiki: "Instagram, obviously! Don't you know? If you get blacklisted, all your messages get ignored, and you're just sitting there thinking people are busy."]
[Hikigaya, thoughtful: "So that's why no one replied to me back then. I must've been blacklisted…"]
[Yuihama Yui: "That's such a sad story…"]
[Hikigaya, puzzled: "How do you blacklist someone?"]
[Isshiki pulled out her phone and, in front of everyone, opened Instagram, showing how to blacklist someone from her contact list.]
[Not bad, Isshiki…]
[Learning the process, Hikigaya quickly took out his phone and, copying her, blacklisted Isshiki.]
[Of course, she saw him do it.]
[She marched over, hands on hips, and grabbed his ear with a fierce tone. "Senpai, what's the deal with blacklisting me?"]
[Despite the pain from Isshiki tugging his ear, Hikigaya remained calm. "I don't want trouble from you. You've got too many problems, Isshiki."]
["Then you should just accept my troubles honestly."]
["What, are you a tyrant?"]
[Yukinoshita Yukino clenched her fists, watching the two bicker. Her eyes flicked between them. Though she told herself it was childish, she still wanted to try.]
[Finally, Yukinoshita took a deep breath, gave a gentle smile, and looked at them. "I want to try too."]
[Hikigaya and Isshiki froze. Yuihama Yui, Hayama Hayato, and the others were stunned too.]
[Hikigaya: "What's that supposed to mean?"]
[Isshiki: "Go ahead, Senpai…"]
[Yukinoshita didn't hold back. After sitting so long, she needed to stretch. A gentle aura radiated from her, until she reached Hikigaya, and he distinctly felt a murderous intent.]
[The pain in his ear hit like it was yanking his heart, making him wince.]
[Yukinoshita, tugging his ear, asked Isshiki puzzledly, "Like this?"]
[Isshiki: "You're doing great, Senpai!"]
[Hikigaya: "Are you trying to kill me? Or just pretending to kill me subtly?"]
[Yukinoshita: "Is it really that dramatic?"]
[As she spoke, Yukinoshita grabbed his other ear. If Yuihama wasn''t sitting nearby, she wouldn't have noticed Hikigaya's ears were already bright red. Yukinoshita's grip was strong.]
[Yukinoshita, smiling gently: "How's it feel?"]
[Hikigaya: "Like a massage, except the force is all over the place."]
[Yukinoshita, still smiling softly: "Oh, good then!"]
[I have reason to suspect you're getting revenge.]
[Soon, with both of Hikigaya's ears glowing red, Yukinoshita finally let go.]
[Instead of returning to her original seat, she moved to sit next to Hikigaya, close to him and Yuihama.]
[Yuihama: "Yukinon?"]
[Yukinoshita: "We've had guests for so long and forgot to arrange seats for them. Watching the projection from that angle must be tough. You can take my old spot."]
[Miura Yumiko, Ebina Hina, Hayama Hayato, and the others weren't clueless, but some things didn't need to be said outright.]
[Hayama: "Thanks for the kindness. That angle was pretty uncomfortable."]
[And so, the row of seven seats now had everyone sitting side by side. Hikigaya, flanked by Isshiki and Yukinoshita, felt a bit uneasy.]
[Because… the next moment, he felt Yukinoshita secretly pinching his thigh hard.]
[This girl's really out to get me.]
In Class 1-C…
The entire class had gathered, a rare occurrence. Calling them Class C now felt off, once the results were announced, they'd become Class D.
This issue was exactly why the whole class was here.
Class C student: "Katsuragi's group got completely crushed by Hikigaya. That guy's a real monster."
"No kidding, Ryuen, you picked the wrong opponent. You shouldn't have challenged him. At least for now, no one can beat him."
"Ryuen, you lost again. The leader position should be up for debate. You know it too, a tyrant only works when they're overwhelmingly strong."
"Exactly. We don't blame you for dropping us to Class D. Hikigaya's not someone normal people can take on. We also admit we were wrong. Back at the start of the year, when you went to Class D to recruit him, it was the right move. Too bad he'd never join us, that's clear now."
"Our class can't afford to keep gambling. If we go all-in again, we might never recover. Ryuen, you need to step down."
The class's mood turned against Ryuen Kakeru. Ibuki Mio and Albert Yamada could only watch, powerless.
Ryuen knew he hadn't achieved anything significant since entering the school. He'd even caused Ishizaki Daichi and two others to be expelled.
Hiyori Shiina: "If Ryuen-kun stops being the leader, we don't have anyone else in the class who can lead right now."
Her words silenced the room. Everyone looked at each other.
Indeed, as Hiyori said, neither they nor their classmates seemed capable of leading the class.
Manabe Shiho: "But Hiyori, if he keeps leading, our class will hit a point of no return."
Hiyori: "And it won't if he doesn't?"
Class C student: "At least we could be like Class D now, no absolute leader, everyone contributing ideas. That might not be bad."
Hiyori: "But we don't have a Hikigaya…"
Silence fell again. Everyone began to think: if not for Hikigaya, would Class C have been so thoroughly defeated? They'd seen Ryuen's strength firsthand, and Class D, without a leader and without Hikigaya, would just be a scattered mess.
Could they still beat Ryuen? Beat Class C?
Or rather, it wasn't Class D that beat Ryuen or Class C, it was one person. Just Hikigaya Hachiman.
Class C student: "So what do we do?"
Ibuki: "We can't keep targeting them. In my opinion, Class B is easier to take down and better suited for you, Ryuen."
Ryuen Kakeru hadn't spoken until Ibuki Mio's words prompted a booming laugh from him.
"I, Ryuen, have never given up on tearing apart my prey after a defeat, but… I'm giving up now. Hikigaya, you're truly the first."
Hiyori Shiina: "Ryuen-kun, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Being friends with him is better than being enemies. If possible, I'd like to be his classmate too, though I prefer staying in the library, so I don't get many chances to run into him."
Ryuen stopped his wild laughter. His face no longer carried the pride and absolute confidence of the past, replaced by a calm, composed expression.
"Maybe you're right, Hiyori. But this goal, I won't give it up. He'll always be in my heart until I'm worthy of facing him again."
"I've failed, failed many times, and I don't deserve to lead you all. But…"
"If you want to win, to climb to higher classes, to beat Ichinose, Sakayanagi, or even challenge Hikigaya again… then follow me."
"From now on, I'm no longer the leader or a tyrant. I'm just an ordinary member of this class. But if you still want to win, trust me and follow me!"
He could no longer stand above as a leader, but Ryuen would never abandon the challenge. Countless times in his life, he'd faced dark moments, times of despair, often marked by having no one left to follow him.
Yet Ryuen had climbed from the bottom step by step. The current situation was far from that low point because… he still had Albert Yamada, Ibuki, and classmates who trusted him.
And he had an opponent he had to defeat.
…
Hikigaya Hachiman took a deep breath, deciding to forget the earlier events entirely and lie down for a good sleep.
He pulled up the blanket and settled in, only to see Kushida Kikyo standing before him with a cold expression.
"What, don't want to see me?"
She had waited outside after Sakura Airi left, but since Hikigaya didn't come looking for her, she couldn't hold back and walked in.
"Not really. I'm just tired. A patient needs plenty of rest, you know."
"Tired from hugging the idol girl? If I'd come in later, I might've seen something even better."
Kushida flashed a mischievous grin, a stark contrast to her earlier coldness, leaving Hikigaya momentarily stunned.
"So, can we forget what just happened?"
"Don't worry, I won't spill."
"That's the point?"
"Isn't it? Or do you want me to tell the world you two are meant to be?"
"Fine, as long as you don't say anything."
"Hm, good performance."
After a brief teasing exchange, Kushida didn't say much more. She sat on the edge of his bed and pulled back his blanket.
Then, she slowly placed her hand on Hikigaya's stomach, completely catching him off guard.
"Hey, hey, don't do anything stupid."
"What, your Airi can do it, but I can't?"
"That's not…!"
Before Hikigaya could finish, Kushida lifted his shirt. As expected, no abs.
A heavy fist mark remained on his stomach, the skin discolored, unlike the rest of his body, a dark, blood-red hue.
Kushida took out some ointment, preparing to apply it to help him recover faster.
"If you're applying medicine, just do it. Why make that face? You scared me."
"Your mind's just too dirty."
"Slander, absolute slander."
Hikigaya was just a guy, not an emotionless machine. When a girl lifts your shirt with that expression, it's hard not to feel flustered.
"Alright, shut up, or I'll give you another punch."
"I'm a patient…"
"Don't care."
Girls are really unreasonable creatures. They come up with their own logic, leaving you defenseless, humiliated, and forced to just listen.
Hikigaya gave up talking, lying back and letting her apply the ointment. It felt pretty nice anyway.
(End of this chapter)