Chapter 105: Four Bentos, Eat Your Hammer
After applying the ointment, Kushida reverted to her cold expression, as if her face held no trace of joy or sorrow, this was her true self.
"How's it going with the classmates?"
"Since that day, I haven't really talked to them much. But that's within my expectations. It'd be surprising if anyone liked this face of mine."
"Sorry…"
Since he'd caused it, Hikigaya felt some responsibility. After all, the old her was a prominent figure, well-known in the grade, completely unlike a class outcast like him.
"No need to apologize. This has nothing to do with you. It's my choice, unrelated to anyone else."
"Even so…"
"Say one more word, and I really will punch you."
Hikigaya's words stopped abruptly. Her expression wasn't joking, she might actually hit him. After taking Yahiko Totsuka's punch, he still had some lingering trauma.
"I think my choice was right because I saw something I'd never seen before."
"Worth it?"
"So far, absolutely worth it."
"Good then. If you run into any trouble, I'll do what I can to help, though I might not be able to do much."
"You've already helped me, especially by standing by my side in that moment."
Hikigaya was taken aback. That kind of thing, anyone could've done it, anyone would've.
He never thought he was special. Whether it was Sakura's situation or Kushida's, he believed anyone would step up in those moments. Yet they saw it as irreplaceable.
That was the one thing Hikigaya could never figure out.
"Alright, I won't disturb your rest anymore."
"Mm… take care of yourself."
"You too."
…
Kamuro Masumi, after asking Sakura Airi, learned the location of Hikigaya's room. She had to see him.
She lingered outside, waiting for everyone inside to leave. After Koenji Rokusuke, Sakura, and Kushida left one by one, she checked her surroundings, confirmed no one was around, and walked in.
Of course, without knocking.
Hikigaya was already lying down. Honestly, after learning the exam results, he'd let out a long sigh of relief. After seven grueling days, he could finally rest.
"How's it going?"
The sudden voice startled Hikigaya awake. He jerked his head up, only to see Kamuro already sitting by his bedside.
"Are you guys ghosts or something? Coming and going without a sound."
"Look at you, you seem to be doing alright. Or rather, your mouth's still sharp."
"Well, it's not like I got punched in the face."
Kamuro covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. Seeing Hikigaya lying there gave her a different feeling.
Then, her expression turned serious as she asked, "Hikigaya, how did you figure out our leader? And how did you record Yahiko hitting you, making Class A lose so badly?"
Though there was no direct evidence pointing to him, Kamuro, who'd followed him closely, knew Class D only had one person capable of this, no, only one person who'd choose to stand by their class. Someone like Koenji couldn't be relied on.
Hikigaya didn't hide it. First, he genuinely trusted Kamuro. She'd helped him in many ways and protected him. Strangely, though she'd been sent by Sakayanagi Arisu to monitor him, she'd become someone he trusted.
Second, the exam was over.
Hikigaya recounted everything: meeting Yahiko and Katsuragi Kohei in the cave on the first day and the events of the next six days, all from his perspective as the mastermind of the plan.
After hearing the whole process, Kamuro's jaw dropped. She knew Hikigaya was smart, with near-perverse observation skills, quick reactions, and terrifying insight into psychology and social dynamics. His intellect and emotional intelligence were top-tier, but…
Compared to what he'd just described, Kamuro felt her understanding of the boy before her had been completely rewritten.
How could someone seem so pure and kind yet be so calculating, so unreadable?
The scariest part was that his entire plan hinged on his opponents acting exactly as he predicted, and they did. Katsuragi and Ryuen both followed his script.
If those two leaders knew their every move was anticipated by Hikigaya, Kamuro couldn't imagine the blow it would deal them.
"What are you? How can you pull this off…?"
"I didn't predict everything. Like you suddenly carrying me off, that caught me off guard."
Kamuro's body jolted. Yes, if she hadn't carried him away, Koenji would've secretly taken him to withdraw, and Class A, thinking he was still unconscious out there, would've lost another 50 points.
"I didn't know my actions would mess with your plan."
Her expression showed guilt, but Hikigaya waved it off casually, telling her not to worry. It was odd, though, she was from Class A.
"This outcome's good enough. You protected Class A's last line and me. I should be thanking you."
Kamuro was at a loss for words, feeling she needed to reassess the boy in front of her.
Now she understood why Sakayanagi cared so much about him. People like them were drawn to each other, their unique qualities sparking excitement.
She thought back to the start of the year, bickering with him at the classroom door. It felt a bit funny now.
"Class A has no place for Katsuragi anymore. His failure was too big. The class won't accept him."
"What'll he do?"
"You're worried about an outsider? From what I know, he'll either transfer to another class or drop out. Class A will gradually abandon him. Even if he stays, no one will care about him. Same goes for Yahiko."
"He's a capable guy. That's a shame…"
"You saying that is pretty ironic."
"I'm serious!"
"Hikigaya, your kindness will be your weakness."
Kamuro's words weren't baseless. To achieve great things, one should cast aside all compassion and act swiftly, decisively, ruthlessly.
Hikigaya shook his head, saying calmly, "Katsuragi's indeed capable, but he shouldn't have fought Sakayanagi for leadership. In another class, he might've shone."
"Is your class planning to take him in?"
"I can't make that call. I'm just a nobody on the class's fringes. Besides, Katsuragi would never join us. If he's a strong person, he'll have to overcome this mental block."
"You're such a devil, giving people psychological scars like that."
Hikigaya gave a helpless, bitter smile. If he could, he'd rather just lie down and do nothing.
"Alright, I'm off to report to Sakayanagi. I'll tell her everything that happened these past few days. That's fine, right?"
Hikigaya nodded. It wasn't a secret worth hiding.
Speaking of which, it had been a while since he'd seen that little gremlin. He wondered how she was doing at school. With the cruise heading back, he'd probably see her once they returned.
Without another word, Kamuro left with a "Rest well, I'll visit again," walking off briskly, as expected of her cool demeanor.
After that, Hikigaya slept deeply. When he woke, Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, Hirata Yosuke, and a group of classmates came to visit.
Hikigaya wasn't used to such occasions, mostly responding with "Mm, yeah, okay" to get through it.
Clearly, though the class didn't know exactly how they'd won, they credited him, likely because of the decisive declaration he'd made in the forest, hard to forget.
Not long after, the group said their goodbyes, which was a relief for Hikigaya. He didn't want to keep smiling and playing along, it was exhausting and not what he sought.
As they left, Sudo patted Hikigaya's shoulder, saying, "Rest up," before departing.
His face still showed regret for not being there that day. Sudo genuinely saw Hikigaya as a brother, and because of that, he felt responsible for Hikigaya's condition, believing he'd failed to protect him.
Hikigaya Hachiman was a smart person, while he himself wasn't particularly clever. On the contrary, he could barely be considered physically capable. After that incident, he wouldn't actively provoke others anymore, but when it came to protecting someone, he'd still step up.
Hikigaya felt Sudo Ken was truly different. Sudo always managed to surprise him. With each exam, his growth was immense. In this exam, he'd even started learning to communicate with his classmates, a skill Hikigaya admitted he wasn't great at himself.
Perhaps that was Sudo's strength.
Even if he wasn't outstanding in anything besides sports, his ability to grow always caught Hikigaya off guard. Maybe one day, he could become the one to carry Class D.
After Sudo left, only Hirata Yosuke and Karuizawa Kei, the couple, remained in the room. Hirata's expression was complex, tinged with a hint of sympathy for himself.
Hirata: "Hikigaya-kun, our class owes you so much."
Hikigaya: "You should say that to yourself. You're the one always cleaning up the messes, right?"
Hirata: "But…"
Hikigaya: "No buts. I just did what I could. It's not about owing anyone. I did it for myself, not for you all."
Hirata sighed helplessly, closing his eyes. He wasn't sure if this path was right or wrong. Could pinning everyone's hopes on one person really lead to consistent victories?
Moreover, it placed too heavy a burden on Hikigaya. This wasn't something he should have to do.
Without saying more, Hirata glanced at Karuizawa and left.
Thud…
The door closed, leaving only Hikigaya and Karuizawa in the room.
"Your boyfriend's gone. You're not leaving?"
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Couples fighting is understandable. Just talk it out, and it'll be fine."
Hikigaya didn't know why he said that, but it's what they always said in TV dramas, and he felt like he was playing the peacemaker.
"He's really not my boyfriend. We're just pretending."
Explosive news. Shocking revelation.
The relationship between the class's male and female pillars was fake? But… why? What was the purpose?
In an instant, the question flooded Hikigaya's mind. Karuizawa wasn't stupid. Seeing his expression, she lowered her head and said, "I asked him to protect me. As long as we're a couple, I can survive in a safe environment."
"The school's environment is harsher than most, but it's not that bad, is it?"
Hikigaya was slightly puzzled. By environment, he meant the relationships between classmates.
Karuizawa shook her head, as if resolving herself, and slowly looked up. "Hikigaya, I want to be friends with you."
Hikigaya: "I don't have friends, and I don't know how to deal with them."
Karuizawa: "Even so, I still want to be your friend."
Hikigaya frowned, looking at the determined girl before him. "Is there something you can't say?"
Karuizawa froze for a second or two, then turned her head aside, nodding dejectedly.
Hikigaya: "I don't know what secrets you're hiding, and I'm not interested in them. You say you want to be friends, but I don't have any, and I don't know how to handle friendships, so…"
Karuizawa stood there, nodding as if she half-understood.
"Even so, I want to be your friend."
Alright, she didn't get it at all.
What kind of drive made this girl so insistent on being his friend, to the point she'd go this far?
Hikigaya sighed helplessly. "Fine, whatever you say. But I can't give you what Hirata does."
Karuizawa crossed her arms, slipping back into her queen-like demeanor, scolding him condescendingly. "Idiot, what are you thinking!"
In the end, under Karuizawa's unilateral decision, they became "friends," though Hikigaya didn't see it that way.
[In the Service Club…]
[Yukinoshita Yukino was still pinching Hikigaya's thigh, her expression as calm as ever, as if it didn't affect her.]
[Isshiki Iroha, smiling: "Senpai, you got another friend, huh!"]
[Hikigaya felt the pain in his thigh intensify and quickly said, "Didn't you see I was just brushing her off? How could I be friends with a social butterfly? That's so not me!"]
[Only after saying this did the pain in his thigh slowly fade.]
[Yuihama Yui: "But Hikki, do you have some kind of girl-magnet quality? Another pretty girl came to you, and in my eyes, you two barely interact."]
[Okay, the pain was back. And Yukinoshita, smiling, chimed in, "Yeah, Hikigaya-kun, you're so popular."]
[Can some people stop saying one thing and meaning another?]
["This girl probably has some secret and just sees me as a tool. There's no way I'd be friends with her. To me, friends have to be genuine."]
[Isshiki: "Ugh, Senpai, what a waste. Such a pretty girl."]
[Hikigaya: "Hey, Isshiki, don't look at me like I'm that kind of guy."]
[Isshiki: "True, Senpai's never short on pretty girls around him."]
[Now the thigh pain hit an unprecedented peak. Hikigaya couldn't help but want to stand up.]
[Isshiki's words weren't wrong. In the video, there were Kamuro Masumi and Sakura Airi; outside it, there were Yuihama-senpai and Yukinoshita-senpai. Who knows what kind of karma this guy racked up in a past life to have endless good fortune.]
Time passed quickly. Two days flew by, and Hikigaya's injuries were mostly healed. The night before, the school announced the latest class points.
Class A: 940 CP
Class B: 800 CP
Class C: 420 CP
Class D: 210 CP
Class D had surpassed Class C, completely flipping their positions.
Moreover, Class C was nearly double Class D's points, a huge gap, meaning Class D couldn't pose an absolute threat to Class C for now.
Class B, meanwhile, had a clear lead over Classes C and D. But Class A and Class B had closed their gap significantly after this exam, potentially giving Class B a shot at overtaking Class A.
Hikigaya glanced at the updated list but said nothing. It was within his expectations.
Class C's students, on the other hand, were like rabid dogs injected with adrenaline, already celebrating wildly.
They never imagined they'd surpass a class in just one semester, rising to Class C. At the start of the year, in their state, it was unthinkable.
The new points were a devastating blow to two classes but the best news for the other two.
Hikigaya, as usual, lay in bed. Today's lunch was, as always, made by Sakura Airi. He was mostly recovered but was enjoying this life of being fed so much that he kept lying down.
Sakura either indulged him or genuinely didn't notice, saying nothing. She spent most of her time taking care of him.
They chatted casually as usual, with Sakura filling him in on everything that happened in class the day before.
Of course, an accident happened. While they were eating, Kushida Kikyo suddenly walked in and announced, "I made you a bento."
The next moment, she saw the bento in Sakura's hands. The two girls locked eyes, and the tension thickened instantly.
Hikigaya rose to the occasion. Two bentos? Why make it so tense? If it came to it…
"I'll eat them! I'll eat them all!"
His attempt to diffuse the situation helped a bit. Honestly, he hadn't expected Kushida to visit, especially since she hadn't come in days.
Sakura: "What brings you here, Kushida-san?"
Kushida: "As comrades who fought together in the special exam, I have every right to visit. Unlike certain vases who only show up when they're not needed."
Sakura, smiling: "Even a vase can hurt when it shatters."
Kushida, also smiling: "But a vase is still just a vase."
The two faced off, making Hikigaya deeply uncomfortable. If he could avoid it, he never wanted to see this scene again.
The girls glared at each other, then, with a light huff, turned their heads away.
Hikigaya let out a slight sigh of relief. Good, good. They could eat lunch quietly, then he'd use the excuse of needing rest to send them both away.
Thankfully, girls' bentos were made for aesthetics, not huge portions. With Hikigaya's near-full recovery and growing appetite, two bentos were no big deal.
Of course, he thought that only because the situation hadn't gotten serious yet.
Until he saw Kamuro Masumi standing before him, holding a bento.
"Uh, so, I made you a bento."
And just like that, three girls sat around his bed, one on each side, silent, staring.
Three bentos. Three whole bentos. He loved being fed, but this was too weird. Were they treating him like a pig?
But… under their fierce glares, Hikigaya felt that if he failed to eat any one of their bentos, he'd face severe retribution.
Being a househusband wasn't easy, he realized deeply in that moment.
Of course, three bentos? He'd grit his teeth and eat them…
But when the fourth bento appeared, he completely broke down.
(End of this chapter)