Chapter 158: The Unshaken Ichinose
[Karuizawa took a deep breath: "As expected, beating Class A in this area really isn't easy."]
[Sakura said with relief, "Being able to beat Class A at all was already beyond expectations. Trying to win against Sakayanagi in the field she excels at… that's practically impossible. Only a professional chess player could pull that off."]
[Hiyori also began to relax at Sakura's words and finally sighed in relief: "That's true…"]
[Kushida: "In any case, the fact that we defeated Class A in the end is already an incredible achievement. Just looking at the current situation, our class's potential is still being unearthed by Hikigaya. It's unbelievable, honestly."]
[Hirata: "I also have to admire him. I used to think the only way to ease my guilt was to stand openly in the light and lead everyone. But if one can do what Hikigaya does… that's truly the best."]
[Horikita: "Maybe it's only now that the class realizes his real abilities. It's ridiculous that it took us nearly a full year to understand. He really did hide his merit and fame the whole time."]
[Ichinose: "Hikigaya really is incredible… No matter where the opponent launches their attack, he always finds the most efficient way to block it, and even secures unexpected victories."]
[Kanzaki: "I didn't expect Horikita's class to improve this quickly, and all of it because of one person. It's astonishing."]
[Ryūen: "Don't get jealous, Kanzaki. From the start we were never going to recruit that guy. Even if his own class rejected him, he'd just silently endure it. Then when the class needed him, he'd help anyway, and afterward still give some twisted excuse about not doing it for the class."]
[Kanzaki: "…When you put it like that, it does make sense."]
[Ryūen: "And here's the key, Hikigaya can change a person, change a class, and even change us indirectly. But for him to actually display that ability, the only place it could've happened from the beginning was Horikita's class."]
[Ichinose looked confused: "Ryūen-kun, what do you mean by that?"]
[Surprisingly, Ryūen didn't mock her. His sharp gaze fell on the boy in the video as he spoke: "Only in a defective class like theirs would he have the reason and the excuse to act. Their class lacked a leader. If he had been placed in A, B, or C at the beginning, under the control of any of us, I don't think even Sakayanagi would have noticed his talent. He'd have completely hidden himself and lived out three quiet years."]
[Sakayanagi smiled faintly: "Dragon boy, are you admitting I'm amazing?"]
[Ryūen's face twisted viciously: "Go die."]
[Sakayanagi stopped teasing him and continued, "He's right. As Ryūen said, if Hikigaya had been under the leadership of any of us from the very beginning, he would've simply acted like an ordinary student for three years. I remember when I first met him in the library, I was fooled as well."]
[Onodera: "…That doesn't sound right, Sakayanagi-sama. In a merit-based school like this, even if someone wasn't noticed at first, it's impossible to quietly live three years. What about expulsion exams? Or moments where you must show your abilities?"]
[Kamuro seemed to have the same concern, looking at Sakayanagi. In fact, all four classes, A, B, C, and D, were waiting for her answer.]
[Sakayanagi shook her head, her smile unchanged.]
["This school has never been able to restrain him. If he only cared about himself, his strength would naturally keep him safely at mid-tier. And if you think I can read him like in the video, that's ridiculous."]
["The reason I can read little Hiki's thoughts isn't because I'm actually capable of reading minds. It's not that I'm amazing. First, it's because our natures are the same. Second, it's because what I manage to 'read' is only what he allows me to read. Don't forget, this boy has been a weakling from beginning to end. In terms of every objective metric, he really is not pretending."]
["Someone like that cannot be seen through. Even if you somehow peel off one of his masks, it's merely one layer out of thousands he built to hide himself."]
[After hearing Sakayanagi's words, everyone realized how shallow their thoughts had been. How laughable their assumptions were.]
[They assumed Sakayanagi could easily read him, but that was never the case. They thought she lost the match so cleanly because she held back; but actually, it was simply that she had no angle to work from.]
[Ryūen: "That's the terrifying part… He's a weakling, a guy you could knock out with one punch. Yet you still can't control him through force. And at that point, you're already in his trap. You don't even know how much he's seen through you or how far his supposed 'plan' has progressed."]
[To people who don't understand, it looks like Hikigaya did nothing. They think it was all luck. But luck like that only comes from accumulation. That is why, despite never hiding deliberately, he still feels like a background character in the class.]
[Just like in this Commander match, everyone focused on Kōenji, the one who scored the victory. Hikigaya, the actual commander, simply had all suspicion erased.]
[Nothing more.]
[Haruno looked at the chat messages, feeling something indescribable.]
[She had been seen through many times before, that was why she developed that smile. Hikigaya was undeniably the same kind of person. She pierced his weakness so easily precisely because they were alike… but at the same time, they were entirely different.]
[Haruno: "If you all understood this, if you stopped letting your curiosity control you, if you stopped wanting to know what he's really like behind the mask, you wouldn't fall into this whirlpool."]
[Sakayanagi listened to her words, and in an instant, it was as though she understood something. Perhaps due to the resonance of two similar souls, she withdrew her usual smile and replaced it with something brighter and simpler. "If that were the case… then I wouldn't be Sakayanagi Arisu anymore."]
[The quest to understand what is real is no longer Hikigaya's alone.]
[Sakayanagi Arisu had found her own goal.]
---
After defeating Class A, Class C completely erupted in excitement. It was their first emotional outburst since Yamauchi's expulsion. Against the powerful Class A, they had improved step by step, from initial despair, to learning cooperation, to Hirata's return, to new strategies, to player placements, to Kōenji's decisive final strike. Everything seemed ordinary on the surface, yet unknown efforts had been continuously woven through it all.
They embraced one another, unable to contain their pounding hearts. The moment the exam ended, with confusion and exhilaration mixing together, Hikigaya was immediately buried under a pile of classmates. Everyone laughed and played around, everything that had weighed on them until now melted away completely in that instant.
Class A watched the scene, unable to speak. Their hearts felt a faint sting.
Winners and losers crossed paths, but the emotions they carried were entirely different.
For Class A, this loss was devastating, striking directly at their pride.
If the uninhabited island exam was an accident, and the VIP exam was Katsuragi's incompetence, then this time… this was Class A's complete defeat. It wasn't the fault of any single individual, this was a class problem. Their arrogance from the beginning made such a result inevitable.
Perhaps that was why Sakayanagi designed the plan, to restrict Commander interference as much as possible, leaving the fight to the class. After experiencing this blow, Class A would grow.
Next time, when they faced each other again, Class A would be even stronger.
The winning side would steal 100 class points, and each match victory added 30 more.
The final score between Class C and Class A was 4–3, meaning Class C earned 130 points from Class A.
The gap between the two classes shrank significantly.
Meanwhile, the battle between Classes B and D had also just concluded. Since both had seven matches, the timing wasn't far apart. Ichinose had been waiting anxiously for the results.
What arrived was only disaster.
Kanzaki, who received the most praise votes in the previous expulsion exam, naturally became Class B's Commander. But Class D's commander wasn't Ryūen, it was a girl with white hair. Her eyes looked empty, giving off no sense of aggression. She usually sat quietly reading a book.
But it was precisely this "underestimation" that caused Class B to suffer horribly.
Unlike AC class match, BD class match allowed maximum Commander interference. From the start of the battle, Hiyori acted like a completely different person, she instantly entered full battle mode. Not only did she reveal Class B's entire plan, she devised counter-tactics in an unbelievably short time, stunning Class B.
What was even more terrifying was that Ryūen had not interfered at all. He didn't gather intel from Class B like usual. Hiyori deduced all of this herself on the spot.
(It wasn't too surprising, after all, Hiyori was the same type of person as Hikigaya. Hikigaya could do this too.)
The final result was a crushing 5–2 win for Class D.
Class B's defeat was devastating.
For Ichinose, it was a nightmare, after all, that had been her class. No matter what, her precious friends and classmates were there.
Hikigaya: "You don't need to blame yourself. This isn't your fault."
Ichinose stood there blankly, as though unable to accept the result.
Hikigaya: "If you think this happened because you left… you're completely mistaken."
Ichinose's body trembled.
Because that was exactly what she had been thinking, and she couldn't shake the guilt.
"Hi–Hikigaya-kun… what should I… what should I do?"
Ichinose didn't want her classmates in Class C to see her like this. In such a celebratory atmosphere, her sadness might dampen everyone's mood and cause unnecessary worry. So before the results arrived, she had slipped away.
She didn't expect Hikigaya to follow her. Whether it was coincidence or inevitability, no one could say.
Hikigaya spoke calmly: "Class B's defeat was inevitable. Even with you there, the defeat was inevitable."
Ichinose: "But… if we just stayed united… if we all held together, we definitely could've beaten Class D! Right? Because without me… that's why…"
Hikigaya: "No, Ichinose. If you keep thinking like that, you're truly being foolish."
Ichinose wiped her tears, forcing herself to look strong.
Hikigaya sighed deeply.
Since he had brought her into Class C, he had to bear some responsibility. Not to make her like him, but to make her understand sooner:
"Unity isn't wrong. But against Hiyori, you had zero chance. The more united you were, the more aligned your thoughts were, and the easier it was for her to read you."
Ichinose lowered her head, confused, "What do you mean? I don't understand…"
Hikigaya: "I don't believe Class B lost because they lacked unity. In fact, because you left, everyone clung to the image of you even harder. They were too united. Even students who had their own thoughts were influenced by that sentiment. That's why you were shattered so easily, why Hiyori controlled everything."
Ichinose's eyes widened.
It was exactly as Hikigaya said.
Before the match, Class B had no disagreements, no debates, everything went unnaturally smoothly.
And they lost.
Ichinose finally calmed herself. As the former leader of the class, she had that responsibility, "Hikigaya-kun… please teach me. How can Class B move forward from here?"
Hikigaya had expected this question. He answered plainly: "Though it may sound cruel, you need to know, your departure is Class B's greatest growth. They united only because of you. After this defeat, they'll regain their own thoughts. Class B will reshuffle itself, maybe even become a completely different class from the one you led. But that's okay. A class reborn from the ashes will be stronger."
"In this school, ability is everything."
Ichinose froze for a moment.
"My leaving… is growth? For Class B?"
Hikigaya: "Not just for Class B. For you as well."
"Neither you nor Kanzaki are suited to be leaders. I'm not denying your ability. But from my perspective, you two are better as guides, not as the ones at the top. In year one, you stood high. But viewed over three years, if you stay in leadership positions, while other classes improve and evolve, your class will remain still, and eventually you'd fall to Class D. So… accept it, Ichinose. Once you do, Class B will only grow stronger."
Ichinose couldn't say a word.
This boy wasn't even from her class, yet he had pinpointed their deepest flaw, something no one from Class B had ever articulated.
Ichinose didn't fully understand, but she felt moved. Her voice trembled as she looked at him.
"Hikigaya-kun… why do you help me like this? Why help Class B? It doesn't benefit you or Class C at all."
Hikigaya scratched his head, turning away to avoid her eyes.
"Any class improving is good. Even if they're our rivals, if they don't grow, then we'll stagnate too. We'll all fall into a swamp with no escape."
Ichinose's mood stabilized, and a mischievous smile appeared.
"Is that really the reason? You're the laziest person I know. Even if you told the truth, I wouldn't laugh at you… Like, maybe you're trying to pursue me or something."
She tapped her finger lightly against her lips, looking innocent as she glanced up at the sky. But in Hikigaya's eyes, she looked nothing like an angel, she was a total little devil.
And wasn't she crying just moments ago? How did she recover so fast…?
To avoid more trouble, Hikigaya made an excuse and escaped.
Ichinose froze, then let out a helpless laugh as she watched him leave.
In Hikigaya's view, she was just messing with him, like Iroha had done before.
Back in class, everyone had calmed down. Class A had already left the exam venue, and Class C decided to return to the classroom to regroup later.
The victory brought tremendous morale and wrapped up the second semester perfectly. Everyone was excited for the upcoming break.
Hikigaya, however, had no such plans.
…
After returning to class and listening to a brief announcement from Chabashira, school ended. Spring break hadn't officially started yet, there was still tomorrow's ceremony, the handover event for the second- and third-years. This meant that starting the third semester, Horikita Manabu would officially step down, and Nagumo Miyabi would take over.
Sakura had responsibilities related to the ceremony, so after giving Hikigaya a quick goodbye, she left.
Hikigaya thought he could finally go back to his room to rest,
But Kushida stuck to him completely.
Her expression was heavy. Even walking side by side, Hikigaya could feel that something was off.
She often carried a cold face, but this… this was different.
Of course, the reason she wasn't speaking now was simply because Sudō, Hirata, and Karuizawa were also beside Hikigaya.
Along the way, Sudō had been talking non-stop about how nervous he was today, while Karuizawa, true to her nature, kept chattering on about how Hikigaya treated her like a discarded pawn.
After a while, Sudō finally let out a long sigh and said, "Finally, I can go relax. I'm going to play some ball. See you tomorrow, bro!"
"Oh, okay!"
With that, under the gaze of the three of them, Sudō, with unbelievable speed, charged straight into the gym.
With the noisy chatter gone, Karuizawa calmed down considerably. On the other hand, Hirata took this moment to start asking Hikigaya how exactly one should be a good class leader.
Hikigaya, having no clue about such things, immediately passed the responsibility to Ichinose and Horikita, indicating that Hirata should learn from them. Maybe he'd gain a new perspective.
Though he didn't get the answer he wanted, Hirata didn't seem displeased. Instead, he looked a bit awkward and said, "Hikigaya… by the way… do you have any experience with dating?"
"Huh? I don't look like someone with that kind of experience, do I? Are you mocking me?"
Hirata glanced at Karuizawa and Kushida, then quickly waved his hand, unsure how to phrase his words. His face instantly flushed red.
"Although I pretended to be in a relationship with Karuizawa before, it was just pretending. In reality, I've never dated anyone, so I know very little about love."
Karuizawa folded her arms, excitement written all over her face as she said to Hirata, "Wha-what? Do you have a girl you like?!"
Hirata and Hikigaya both shifted slightly in her direction.
Hirata awkwardly scratched his head: "Well, you see, Mei-Yu treated my self-destructive side nicely before, so I thought I should properly repay her."
Karuizawa immediately caught on: "Ohhh! I get it! You like her, right?!"
Hirata shook his head again: "No, no, I don't like her. That's why I'm troubled. I know Mei-Yu is someone who never gives up, and I don't want her to keep pushing herself endlessly… Although I know this is cruel of me, I already have someone I like, Hachiman."
"Huh?"
"Huh?!"
"What did you say? What?!"
(End of this chapter)