Chapter 111: Hikigaya: Why Must She Endure Such Pain?
Hikigaya desperately wanted to know why he always stumbled upon these situations. Was there really so much hidden bullying in this school?
If so, why had he never been targeted? Was his presence so low that even bullies overlooked him? If that was the case, being invisible didn't seem so bad.
Holding his phone, Hikigaya stepped out from the corner, blocking the four girls trying to leave.
Manabe: "Hikigaya, don't meddle… You're not that close to her, right? Stick your nose in, and you might just get her ingratitude. That's the kind of person Karuizawa is."
Hikigaya: "You're not wrong…"
Manabe: "Then why are you still on her side?"
Hikigaya: "Wrong, completely wrong. I recorded your actions not to take her side, but for the sake of my own sense of justice."
Manabe: "Justice? How noble. Since when did you, Hikigaya, start spouting that? I don't think you're some justice-driven guy. If you were, Class C wouldn't have only reached this point now."
Hikigaya considered her words. Maybe he'd misspoken. Maybe Manabe was right, he wasn't a champion of justice. He was just chasing the truth.
Yamashita Saki: "No matter what, you're helping her? I bet she won't thank you. Seeing her like this, she might even hate you more for witnessing her shameful side."
Karuizawa, collapsed on the ground, heard their conversation, but her eyes had lost all light. Whether someone saved her or not, it didn't matter anymore.
She no longer hoped for rescue. She'd shed all her facades. Once the ship returned to school, she'd submit her withdrawal application.
Hikigaya lowered his head, hesitating.
In the past, he could've walked away as a stranger who saw nothing. But now, he couldn't accept what he once easily ignored.
What happened in front of him was his business, that was the principle he'd always upheld.
He didn't want to betray that principle, even if it meant drawing trouble or earning harsher scorn.
Hikigaya raised his head, his gaze filled with resolute determination.
Manabe hadn't expected him to intervene. If this evidence got out, not only would Class D lose massive points, but the four of them faced expulsion.
Hikigaya admitted Karuizawa was at fault initially. Her haughty attitude after knocking someone over, without apologizing, led to this. But now, it was beyond right or wrong, it was a direct challenge to the school's rules.
The three girls exchanged glances. Rika reacted a bit slower. After confirming their intent, they didn't hesitate, rushing toward Hikigaya to snatch his phone.
Unfortunately for them, Hikigaya knew he had no backup. Losing his phone meant defeat. He'd kept a safe distance from the start, and when he saw them move, he bolted backward.
He didn't need to escape entirely, just reach the corridor, where cameras would record everything.
With Sakura Airi's student council status, victory would be his.
Manabe: "Don't let him get away!"
Yamashita led the charge, her speed terrifying, likely from training. To Hikigaya, it wasn't a normal person's pace.
Facing one or two girls, Hikigaya, untrained in martial arts, wouldn't be scared. But four girls determined to overpower him? He had no chance.
Running was the best option.
As Yamashita closed in, Hikigaya gritted his teeth. He could only curse his lack of exercise.
Though not great at long-distance running, he was decent compared to most, thanks to biking to school. But sprinting? That wasn't his thing.
First, he lacked the fiery passion for it. Second, he had no interest or drive to try. And most importantly, sprinting was exhausting.
But with adrenaline pumping, he didn't care about fatigue. Endless running was his only goal.
This was probably his entire year's worth of exercise.
…
His body had just recovered, and even with adrenaline, after a prolonged chase, Hikigaya felt his focus slipping.
"I'm done. I can't keep going."
He couldn't understand why this dead-end alley was so hard to escape or why the cameras were so far away. Thinking about it now was useless.
Yamashita: "Still running?!"
"Obviously! You think I'll wait for you to catch me?"
Just as Hikigaya was about to give up, a robust yet elegant figure appeared ahead, shirtless and dripping wet.
Hikigaya: "Koenji, your fans are here!"
Koenji Rokusuke turned, watching the chase, and teased, "Hikigaya-boy, what trouble have you stirred up now?"
Hikigaya stopped running. He didn't know if Koenji would help, but if he could intimidate them, it'd be a win. Standing in front of Koenji, he said, "This isn't trouble, it's life or death."
Koenji leaned close to his ear. "Women, you know, always have something extraordinary about them."
Hikigaya looked at the overly serious Koenji, feeling he was getting less serious by the day.
Manabe and Komiya caught up, with Rika trailing behind, all panting. Though the distance was only about 200 meters, the speed was brutal.
Yamashita: "Hand over your phone. We won't bother you, and this ends here. We won't trouble Karuizawa again. Deal?"
Hikigaya: "My phone's got too many secrets. If you saw them, I'd lose big."
Yamashita sneered. "What, are you a VIP student? Don't worry, we just want to avoid expulsion. Losing this exam doesn't matter."
Hikigaya: "If you say that, I definitely can't give it up. Words mean nothing without proof. I'm not an idiot."
Manabe: "Let's do it…"
The three closed in. Rika hesitated for a few seconds, wrestling with her thoughts, but decided to act. Her fate was tied to that evidence.
If it wasn't destroyed, she'd be expelled.
How would she explain that to her family?
Hikigaya glanced at Koenji. Honestly, he didn't know what Koenji would think, but if he didn't act, Hikigaya was toast.
Koenji, watching the four girls approach, finally spoke.
"Wait, wait, wait, dear girls. Violence is far too unbeautiful. It doesn't suit your grace."
The group completely ignored Koenji Rokusuke, continuing to close in on Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya backed away, saying, "Koenji, looks like they only want violence."
Koenji, still smiling, replied, "I can see that."
Hikigaya: "So, what do we do?"
Koenji: "Well, obviously… run!"
Koenji wasn't heartless. Though no one knew what went on in his mind daily, at this moment, he suddenly scooped up Hikigaya and, with his exaggerated speed, vanished from sight.
His movements were fluid. The moment he spoke, he'd already lifted Hikigaya. By the time the girls tried to stop him, he was long gone.
Manabe Shiho's brows furrowed, her face grim.
Komiya Kyogo: "What now?!"
Yamashita Saki, watching Hikigaya and Koenji disappear, sighed helplessly. "Our fate is in Hikigaya's hands. There's nothing we can do."
Rika: "He… he wouldn't be that cruel, right? I heard he's kind… he wouldn't get us expelled, would he?"
Manabe: "That guy's just a hypocrite. Ishizaki and the others got expelled like this too. There's no other way, we have to tell Ryuen."
Komiya's expression turned to panic, clearly terrified of facing Ryuen Kakeru.
"T-Tell Ryuen? What we did completely went against his orders. If we do that…"
Manabe cut her off, exasperated. She had no other options.
"Then choose, expulsion or Ryuen's punishment."
Manabe's tone was icy, making the others momentarily regret their actions.
Komiya: "I… we should talk to Ryuen properly."
Yamashita: "At this point, there's no other choice."
Rika: "No, I don't want to be expelled…"
Amid sighs and anxiety, the group reluctantly returned to Ryuen's room.
[Horikita's Class…]
[Horikita Suzune: "That guy's got some luck. But I'd like to see what he'd do if he was truly cornered."]
[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: "Given how calm he was under pressure, even if he's cornered, he won't give up easily."]
[Horikita shot Ayanokoji a glance, thinking he was just parroting rumors. Then she looked at Koenji, the man who never followed the class's lead, yet repeatedly helped Hikigaya Hachiman. It was baffling.]
[Sudo Ken: "No matter what, those three went too far! Bullying our classmate like that and trying to destroy evidence?"]
[Ike Kanji: "Yeah, good thing it's just a video. Otherwise, Karuizawa would've suffered."]
[Everyone inwardly criticized Ike's tactlessness for saying such a thing. Though Karuizawa Kei retained some rationality, her mind nearly shut down after seeing that scene.]
[The thought of facing that in the future filled her with dread.]
[Ryuen's Class…]
[Ryuen Kakeru: "Looks like some people in our class still don't get it."]
[Manabe and the others didn't dare speak. Though it was just a video, based on past patterns, it almost certainly predicted the future.]
[Rika: "She was the one who knocked me over first. She deserves this, it's karma."]
[Ryuen: "Then you getting expelled is your karma."]
[The group fell silent again.]
[Ryuen: "You've left this mess for me to clean up, and it's against that guy. I don't think I can protect you."]
[Manabe: "There's really no way out?"]
[Ryuen's face was grave. "Outside the video, Horikita's class without him is the only solution. And you should learn to be smarter."]
[Manabe sighed helplessly. It seemed her final appearance in the video was about to end.]
[If even Ryuen had no solution, how could they?]
[Ryuen looked at his class in the video, Manabe's four, Ishizaki's three. Seven expelled in one semester, with the class dropping from C to D. All because of that guy. He was terrifying.]
[Service Club…]
[Yukinoshita Yukino sighed in relief. "Good, he's fine…"]
[Yuigahama Yui chimed in, "Yeah, Hikki, that was way too risky. Back on the deserted island, too, gambling like that with a fever. If your classmate hadn't been there, you'd have been done for."]
[Hikigaya didn't feel much about it. The outcome was good, so he casually said, "Well, I gambled and won, didn't I?"]
[Hayama Hayato: "Did you ever consider what would've happened if you hadn't run into Koenji?"]
[Hikigaya shrugged. "Who knows?"]
[Everyone sighed and lowered their heads, quietly relieved at his luck.]
[In truth, while searching for the girls, Hikigaya had noticed this busy route near the spa, where he was likely to run into someone. Even without Koenji, there'd be others.]
[Of course, it was still a gamble. If he'd run into Ryuen's class students, he'd have been finished.]
Koenji carried Hikigaya to a safe, crowded area. People stared oddly at Koenji carrying a boy on his shoulder.
Hikigaya: "Alright, put me down."
Koenji: "Hikigaya-boy, how was the ride?"
Hikigaya: "Not bad. If possible, I'd like someone to carry me like this all the time, but there aren't many in this school with your stamina."
Koenji gave a light laugh and set Hikigaya down. "I'll help you this far."
"That's enough. Thanks."
Koenji struck a "no need to thank me" pose and left with a cool swagger, so dazzling that Hikigaya couldn't help but pause in awe.
Hikigaya didn't linger. After confirming no one was following, he jogged back to the dead-end alley.
Having been there once, it didn't take long. As expected, Karuizawa was still there, collapsed on the ground, her eyes lifeless. Tears and snot seemed frozen on her face, her appearance utterly disheveled.
Hikigaya quickly approached, gently helping her up, but her instinctive reaction was to shove him away.
"It's me…"
Only then did Karuizawa recognize Hikigaya's face, though her expression remained dull, tinged with a hint of complaint. "Why are you here?"
Hikigaya didn't say much. Her mental trauma was too severe; rest was what she needed now.
With Karuizawa in only her undergarments, her slender figure and faint skin tones made Hikigaya blush. He tried not to think about it, gathering her scattered clothes and handing them to her.
But Karuizawa showed no reaction, as if her soul had left her.
Gritting his teeth, Hikigaya dressed her himself.
Even so, she still looked utterly broken.
He couldn't leave her here. Gently taking her hand, he tried to lead her to the infirmary.
Karuizawa, still lifeless, let him guide her, following like a soulless shell.
Hikigaya took a detour, not wanting others to see her like this. Leading her around could cause misunderstandings.
Since most students gathered on the deck or in their rooms at night, avoiding those areas meant they likely wouldn't run into anyone familiar.
He first headed to the infirmary, hoping she could rest there, but it was crowded with students recovering from heatstroke or colds from the deserted island exam.
This wasn't a suitable place for Karuizawa to recover. Hikigaya grabbed some medicinal ointment from the infirmary and decided to head to a room instead.
But here was the problem.
His own room was prone to unexpected visitors, which could lead to misunderstandings. The only option left was clear.
"Let's go to your room. A familiar place is better for you."
"Mm."
Without another word, Karuizawa handed him her key, its number clearly indicating her room.
After navigating carefully to avoid crowds, Hikigaya reached Karuizawa's room.
The cruise ship's rooms were similar, but hers had a unique scent, gentle, fresh, and warmly intoxicating.
Karuizawa, still soulless, methodically turned on the room's lights and lay on the bed, utterly unlike her usual self, silent.
Hikigaya: "Here's the ointment from the infirmary. Your body's all swollen. You'll need to apply it later."
"Try not to shower tonight. Wash tomorrow morning, it'll help the swelling go down faster and hurt less."
"I'll head out. Rest well."
With that, Hikigaya didn't feel right staying longer. It was a girl's room, and they weren't friends.
"Wait…"
Karuizawa's voice was faint, laced with helplessness and fear.
"Can you… help me apply it?"
She removed her shirt, hesitated, then took off her pants, leaving only her undergarments.
Her body was fully exposed for the first time, barely covered.
Hikigaya reacted quickly but still caught a glimpse, his male instincts flaring.
"I can't… do it myself."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Hikigaya took a deep breath and steeled himself.
Her body was covered in swollen, sometimes bloody marks. While she could handle some areas herself, her back was impossible for her to reach.
Hikigaya sat by the bed, Karuizawa facing away, silent.
Her figure was stunning, not as full as Sakura or Ichinose, but every part radiated a unique charm.
For Hikigaya, it was torturous to endure.
Hold it together, just think of it as a swimsuit!
He tried to reassure himself, but seeing the girl before him, utterly soulless, he realized how shallow his thoughts were.
Calming down, those feelings faded. He couldn't harbor such thoughts for someone who'd endured such trauma.
Taking the medicinal ointment, he applied it to her back and other areas. At first, he was embarrassed, but seeing her lack of reaction no matter where he applied it, he adjusted.
Karuizawa Kei, this was the first time he saw the proud girl in such a state.
(End of this chapter)