Chapter 113: I, Karuizawa, Am Wriggling Like a Maggot in Bed
After a long while, Karuizawa tried to calm herself, lying on the bed. Though her cheeks remained flushed and her heart kept pounding, compared to her earlier frenzy, she was now just wrapped in her blanket.
The scene kept replaying in her mind. Thinking of how she'd initiated the kiss, she couldn't ignore it.
Her face showed a mix of daze, anger, and worry…
"I just kissed him like that. What will Hikigaya think of me? Will he think I'm some easy girl?"
"No, no, I'm done for. He definitely thinks I'm easy now. I even asked him to stay… It's over, completely over…"
"It's his fault too! He saw almost all of me, yet he stayed so calm. So annoying…"
"Or is my figure not good enough? Am I not… full enough? Or… no way! Has he seen Sakura and the others like this too?"
"Even if I can't compare to them, I still have my strengths, right?"
As Karuizawa comforted herself, she caught sight of the scar on her abdomen, and a wave of dejection hit her.
"Does he think I'm dirty…?"
"No, he won't. Hikigaya said he'd take a beating with me. He wouldn't see me that way. He's not that kind of person. I may not have their advantages, but… I'd do anything for him…"
"If only I'd met you sooner."
"But meeting you now isn't too late…"
Amid this emotional tug-of-war, Karuizawa finally drifted into sleep.
Only when exhaustion hit did she realize Hikigaya was right. If he'd stayed, neither would've slept.
She'd probably have tossed and turned all night.
Before sleeping, she thought about how to face him tomorrow, what expression to wear.
With this hopeful anticipation of redemption, a faint smile curved Karuizawa's lips.
This might be her last act of bravery, her last hope for life after such experiences.
Hikigaya wasn't idle either. The VIP student exam was far from over, and to climb to a higher class, he couldn't stop.
Now that he and Karuizawa had reconciled, their original plan could resume.
He contacted Ichinose Honami, discussing via phone to hold a talk before tomorrow's discussion.
Ichinose replied quickly. Since it was mutually beneficial, even without an alliance, it was feasible.
Though Classes B and C were competitors, the gap was so wide there wasn't much conflict. Class B's priority was surpassing Class A, while Class C aimed to leave Class D behind. Rising to Class B was still a long journey.
Before bed, Hikigaya habitually went to the deck's vending machine.
Of course, neither the school nor the cruise had MAX Coffee, a flaw in Hikigaya's eyes. He'd love for the school to stock it, but as a mere student, he had no such influence.
Perhaps by chance, as he bought a drink and prepared to leave, he noticed familiar figures at the open-air bar on the deck.
As expected, it was the Homeroom Sensei of Classes A, B, C, and D, seemingly unaware of him. The night sea was too dark, and no students should be out at this hour. Or perhaps their conversation wasn't secretive, so they spoke freely.
Their chat, like parents discussing their children, reached Hikigaya's ears.
Hoshinomiya Chie: "I think Ichinose needs to learn, so I put her outside the Dragon Group. Also… about the deserted island exam, do you really think what Hikigaya did was a coincidence?"
Mashima Tomonari: "I don't know his deal, but I didn't expect our class to fracture this much. I'd anticipated it, but not this fast. Besides Sakayanagi Arisu's manipulation, someone else must be pushing it."
"And, Hoshinomiya, that Hikigaya you mentioned was brought back by our Class A's Kamuro, though she thinks we don't know."
Sakagami Kazuma, downing a drink, perhaps tipsy, said angrily, "I don't get it. How does a Class D guy have such influence? It doesn't fit the school's rules. Why couldn't he be in B or C?"
Chabashira Sae, unfazed, said calmly, "If you're just annoyed at him, there's no need. Our class has plenty of outstanding students."
Sakagami, even more irritated, teased, "I don't see you defending your students like this usually. What's with the change? Trying to climb the ranks and become a phoenix?"
Hoshinomiya: "Sakagami, you're drunk."
Sakagami: "I'm not! Am I wrong? Chabashira, you know what level your Class D is at, don't you?"
Chabashira didn't drink further, standing calmly and leaving.
Mashima: "Sakagami, you're acting up again."
Sakagami, watching Chabashira leave, sighed. "In all these years, it's the first time I've seen her this serious."
Hoshinomiya: "You're not drunk?"
Sakagami: "Kidding. You think I'm still that teenage kid, drunk after a few sips?"
Hoshinomiya: "Then why say that? You know she's had it rough."
Sakagami: "Do you think she's qualified to rise to a higher class? Don't forget that incident. If not for her, we wouldn't be stuck here as Sensei."
Hoshinomiya's face darkened. That incident, she'd never forget it. It changed her life's trajectory.
She believed Chabashira didn't deserve a higher class, a contradictory feeling. She acknowledged Chabashira's hardships but wouldn't allow her to rise, that was her line.
Mashima, after a sip, stood to leave. "Don't bring up the past. Rising to a higher class has little to do with us. Never forget, we're just Sensei now."
"But I'll warn you: to reach Class A, you'll have to face Sakayanagi."
With that, Mashima left without looking back.
Hikigaya didn't listen further, returning to his room.
From their talk, he learned much. Their Sensei were once students here, even in the same class, and stayed due to an incident.
There seemed to be competition among Sensei too.
But the most critical information was Hoshinomiya's mention of Ichinose.
She was deliberately placed in the Rabbit Group, partly to learn and partly to get close to him.
The Sensei were starting to see through the truth of that exam, but whether they did or not, it didn't change the facts.
Because… Yahiko did punch Hikigaya.
This confirmed Hikigaya's plan. Since Class B's Sensei wanted to understand him and use Ichinose to approach him, they wouldn't reject his plan.
With this, he had leverage to negotiate.
Too much had happened today, leaving him exhausted. Shedding his facade, he returned to his room, washed up, and collapsed onto the bed.
Lying there, he couldn't help but recall being forcibly kissed by Kei, his cheeks reddening without warning.
"That girl… what was she doing…?"
He touched his lips lightly, then helplessly rolled around in bed.
In Yukinoshita's words, "Don't wriggle in bed like a maggot."
But he didn't toss for long. Perhaps due to exhaustion, he soon drifted into a gentle sleep.
…
The next morning, before Hikigaya could wake, loud knocking jolted him.
"Hikigaya, get up!"
"Who's disturbing my sleep this early? Don't they know not to interrupt someone's rest?"
Dragging his tired body, he trudged to the door and opened it to find a black-haired girl, Horikita Suzune, arms crossed, glaring at him irritably.
Hikigaya: "I said, don't disturb people's rest this early."
Horikita, still fuming, pulled out her phone, showing a photo. "What's this about?"
Hikigaya, still groggy, focused on the photo and realized it was him leaving Karuizawa's room yesterday.
Now he was fully awake.
The photo captured him exiting her room, his cheeks slightly flushed, likely from the kiss. No, under the lighting, it wasn't just slight; even a blind person could see the stark difference from his usual self.
Hikigaya froze, then asked, puzzled, "Where'd you get this photo?"
Horikita: "From the school's social platform, naturally. It's probably gone viral by now."
Hikigaya could understand. Though the school didn't regulate such things much, a boy entering a girl's room was unheard of, while girls entering boys' rooms, like Horikita now, was seen as normal.
Hikigaya: "It's definitely not what you think. I don't know how to explain, but you'll understand when the time comes."
Horikita rolled her eyes. "Whether I understand doesn't matter, but the outside world doesn't see it that way."
Hikigaya didn't care how others saw him and ignored her, asking directly, "By the way, you're kind of a girl, right? I need to ask about something."
Horikita's face instantly darkened, and Hikigaya quickly noticed.
Hikigaya: "Not like that! I meant about girls' stuff."
His explanation seemed useless, making Horikita angrier. She pouted, her expression as if saying, "What, that's how you see me?"
Hikigaya gave up beating around the bush. "What do you know about Karuizawa?"
Horikita looked puzzled but answered quickly, "Poor academics, slow reactions, spoiled and willful. No merits, only flaws."
"Hey, isn't that a bit biased?"
Horikita sensed something and immediately pressed, "What, you're defending her?!"
"No, no, no, just asking. Whatever you like."
Horikita crossed her arms, looking triumphant.
Hikigaya: "So, you came just for this?"
Horikita: "Do you know how much this affects you?"
Realizing her phrasing, she corrected herself. "I mean, how much this affects our class. I have the right to warn you."
"Yes, yes, you're right!"
"What kind of attitude is that…? Anyway, that's all. Watch yourself."
Hikigaya nodded again. As Horikita turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and instinctively grabbed her arm.
Horikita Suzune flinched at first, then turned to give Hikigaya Hachiman a glare. "What?"
Hikigaya quickly withdrew his hand. "There's a meeting with Class B at noon. Before that, you should come."
Horikita: "Got it…"
After being woken by Horikita, Hikigaya couldn't fall back asleep. Before his discussion with Ichinose Honami, he needed to share his plan with Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei, the VIP students in their group, who had to know the full strategy.
Without hesitation, he sent messages to both. Soon, his phone pinged with replies.
Surprisingly, at this hour, besides himself and Horikita, others were awake too, a rare occurrence.
Hikigaya opened his phone to see a message from Kei.
"Can you come to my place first?"
Hikigaya found it hard to believe. Karuizawa didn't seem like the early-rising type.
Thinking of yesterday, he still felt awkward, but since she'd invited him so earnestly, he couldn't refuse. Besides, if he backed out now, the plan would fall apart.
He replied with a quick "ok," tidied himself up, and headed to her room with a mix of apprehension.
Hikigaya suddenly remembered the photo of him leaving Karuizawa's room. He didn't care much about himself, but it could negatively affect her.
He should avoid such situations in the future.
How had someone caught him leaving her room? He wasn't usually so careless. Was it because of yesterday's events that he'd lost his caution, letting another class take advantage?
Regardless, he'd be more careful next time to avoid causing her unnecessary trouble.
With this in mind, Hikigaya circled her room a few times, ensuring no one was around, before lightly knocking.
Karuizawa, as if waiting, flung the door open the moment he knocked.
They locked eyes, leaving Hikigaya at a loss. Karuizawa felt the same, she wished she'd dressed up more, been more composed.
Hikigaya: "M-Morning."
Karuizawa: "Morning, Hikigaya. Come in."
Though she said "morning," Hikigaya noticed her heavy dark circles. She hadn't slept well.
'She must've had nightmares. I shouldn't have left her alone last night.' he thought, blaming himself.
In truth, Karuizawa hadn't woken up in the middle of the night due to nightmares.
She had woken multiple times, unable to sleep in the latter half of the night, which let her reply to Hikigaya so early.
She'd been frustrated, knowing sleeplessness would harm her skin. But the moment she replied to him, she felt it was worth it.
Her sleeplessness came from one unforgettable person. His presence kept her heart racing, waking her repeatedly, always thinking of the dead-fish-eyed boy first.
Hikigaya: "How are your injuries?"
The moment he asked, he regretted it. Wasn't that like saying, "Take off your clothes and let me see"?
Karuizawa, unsure if she misunderstood, paused for a second before unhesitatingly removing her clothes.
Hikigaya glanced, confirming the swelling was subsiding, then hurriedly said, "They're much better. Put your clothes back on."
Seeing him avert his gaze, a teasing impulse rose in Karuizawa. Instead of complying, she deliberately leaned closer until their skin brushed.
With a mischievous smile, she said, "Hikigaya-kun, you've seen all of me, twice now. Shouldn't you take responsibility?"
Hikigaya, flustered, backed away. "I-I'll try…"
Karuizawa dropped the teasing smile. "Alright, alright, I won't mess with you."
She worried overdoing it might make him think she was easy, and he might not like that.
So, she kept it light.
Then, following his suggestion, she put her clothes back on, easing the awkward atmosphere. Hikigaya let out a huge sigh of relief.
Taking out his phone, with time to spare, he decided to apologize for his recklessness.
"You saw this photo, right? I wasn't careful yesterday, and it's caused trouble for you. I'm really sorry."
The photo on his phone was the one now viral on the school's social platform.
Karuizawa's eyes dodged, clearly embarrassed, mumbling, "Oh, it's fine… It's no big deal…" and similar words.
Hikigaya noticed this was a different Karuizawa from usual but didn't dwell on it. In his mind, he was at fault, regardless of the details.
It couldn't possibly be that she'd deliberately taken and posted the photo anonymously to provoke the girls who liked him, right?
To Hikigaya, a staunch rationalist, such a scenario sounded like fiction, and he dismissed its likelihood.
In the end, the matter concluded with his apology, despite her embarrassment. As for its impact on others, they'd only know when someone confronted them.
Karuizawa: "Enough about that. You came here for something important, right?"
Hikigaya nodded calmly. "It's about how to win this VIP student exam, and you're a key part of it."
(End of this chapter)