Chapter 061 Kushida Kikyo: Come and Leave a Handprint
Hikigaya glanced at the time: 9:35 PM.
"I hope I can still make it..."
Hikigaya hurriedly left his room and went downstairs. Running all the way, he saw from a distance that the supermarket lights were still on.
"Luckily, I caught it!"
Hikigaya held onto the door, adjusting his breathing slightly. He walked into a clothing store and headed to the swimwear section. There wasn't much to choose from for men's swimwear, so he simply bought a pair of ordinary black square-cut trunks.
"..."
Hikigaya then stopped by a snack shop and bought some fried chicken for a late-night snack. In the past, he didn't have the habit of eating late at night. Now, however, whether it was club activities during the day or tutoring at night, his physical and mental energy consumption was enormous, and his appetite had naturally increased quite a bit.
The beverage section in the supermarket was already closed, but that didn't matter; there were vending machines on campus. However, their locations were somewhat remote, and few people came here at night.
Hikigaya remembered that there was an artificial lake nearby—one of the few places on campus not covered by surveillance. In this school where there was a camera almost every nine steps, the fact that they deliberately left blind spots made it hard not to believe it was intentional on the part of the school. It was practically a venue specifically designed for classes to use underhanded tactics against each other!
If it were the old him, Hikigaya would definitely not have come to such an accident-prone place. But since he started practicing martial arts, his courage had grown significantly; he wasn't afraid of being ambushed.
However, reality proved that one should still avoid remote night roads...
BANG! BANG!
The sound of someone violently kicking the railing echoed.
"So annoying! So annoying! So annoying!
That group of trash in Class D!!
Buzzing around like flies every single day!
All of you just go die!!!"
Under the dim light, a girl was seen screaming and cursing at the artificial lake. Indeed. Hikigaya, passing by, expressed complete understanding. Staying in Class D, a place where "god-tier" eccentrics gathered, any normal person would eventually be driven insane.
Covered by the shadows, her face wasn't clear. Hikigaya originally had no intention of prying into someone else's secrets. However... her "assets" were too recognizable. Without a doubt, she was the "D-cup" of Class D's girls!
"And that Horikita, acting like a cold goddess just because she's cute!
So disgusting! Disgusting! Disgusting!
Go die!
Stinking woman!
Horikita, go die!"
'So this is the real reason you keep pestering Horikita and insisting on 'being friends' with her?'
Hikigaya performed a tactical lean-back, his dead-fish eyes narrowing slightly. Although he was a bit surprised, it was also within expectations.
This woman is super troublesome...!
Hikigaya faintly realized things were bad and was about to leave silently.
Beep beep~
Of all times, a text message arrived on his phone! In the quiet night, the notification sound was exceptionally clear.
"Who's there!"
The girl suddenly turned her head, her cold eyes staring dead at the spot where Hikigaya was standing.
Sigh~ How unfortunate! Hikigaya took a deep breath, steadied himself, and regained his calm expression.
"It's me, Hikigaya Hachiman."
Hikigaya stepped out from the darkness, raising the bag of fried chicken in his hand. "I just happened to be passing by after buying a midnight snack."
"Tch! Of all people, it had to be you..."
The girl walked over with large strides. Under the light, her face was finally clear.
"Eh? Isn't this Kushida-san? Good evening..." Hikigaya greeted her with feigned surprise.
"Did you hear?" Kushida Kikyo lowered her eyes, her voice somewhat dark.
"Hear what? Sorry, I was just on a long phone call with someone." Hikigaya looked blank.
"Do you take me for a fool?" Kushida Kikyo took a step forward, looking up at him with a fierce glare.
At this moment, she had completely transformed from the gentle and lovely "Kushida the Little Angel" into the hideous "Kushida the Little Devil"! The contrast was so strong that an outsider could never imagine this was the same person.
Hikigaya remained expressionless, his heart untroubled. This was because he had seen through Kushida Kikyo's disguise from the very beginning.
On the day of enrollment, on the bus, Kushida Kikyo helped an old lady find a seat just to show her "kind and beautiful" side to outsiders.
During self-introductions, Kushida claimed she wanted to be friends with everyone.
She repeatedly approached Horikita, only to hit a wall every time.
When others didn't have enough points, Kushida took the initiative to lend points to them—the kind that would never be paid back.
During midterms, Kushida actively participated in study groups to tutor others, becoming the "Little Angel" everyone praised.
During the Class D infighting, Kushida suppressed her fury over losing points and endured Yamauchi and the others' betrayal of the class.
How should he put it? As a bystander, Hikigaya was actually a bit worried for her. If she kept bottling it up, she would eventually break! Seeing Kushida Kikyo kicking the railing and cursing tonight, Hikigaya actually felt a sense of relief. It's better to vent it out than to explode on the spot.
"You... aren't you surprised?" Kushida Kikyo seemed a bit stunned by the overly calm Hikigaya. Wouldn't a normal person be terrified seeing her like this?
"Why should I be surprised?" Hikigaya asked back.
"...!" Kushida Kikyo's face changed, and her voice suddenly became sharp. "I know! It must be that bitch Horikita who told you about me, right!!"
"What does this have to do with Horikita-san?" Hikigaya was thoughtful and quickly guessed the general idea. "You and Horikita... were in the same middle school?"
"!!!" Kushida Kikyo realized she had slipped up, and her expression immediately became even uglier.
"Kushida-san, you don't need to be nervous. I have no interest in prying into your past." Hikigaya first stated his position, then further explained, "As for Horikita, I think you should
know that with her personality, besides studying in middle school, she wouldn't have paid attention to external gossip."
However, this explanation did not dispel Kushida Kikyo's worries. Hikigaya understood now... That is to say, what Kushida Kikyo did in middle school far exceeded the level of "gossip," to the point where even Horikita, who was focused only on her studies, would passively receive news about it.
'Just how much trouble did this woman cause?'
Hikigaya felt a sudden headache.
"I can't trust you." Kushida Kikyo's cold eyes stared straight at him.
"Then what should I do for you to believe me?" Hikigaya shrugged helplessly.
"With that ambiguous relationship you have with Horikita, there's no way I can trust you!" Kushida Kikyo gnashed her teeth.
"If I said that Horikita and I are just ordinary deskmates, would you believe me?"
"As if I'd believe it! Unless you break off all contact with Horikita right now!!"
"Heh!"
Looking at the silent Hikigaya, Kushida Kikyo let out a sinister laugh.
"If that's the case, there might be a way." Kushida Kikyo's eyes flickered as if she had thought of a brilliant plan. "I'll just snatch you away from Horikita's side!"
"What kind of plan is that?" Hikigaya looked speechless.
Setting aside the fact that he currently didn't have a relationship with Horikita beyond friendship, he certainly didn't have any thoughts about Kushida Kikyo.
"You have no thoughts about me, right? Ha~ Don't worry, I'll make you have thoughts right now!" Kushida Kikyo confidently grabbed his hand.
'Holding hands, that's it?'
Hikigaya looked calm. By now, this level of physical contact was child's play to him!
"Ngh!?"
Hikigaya's eyes couldn't help but widen. He felt his palm being pressed against an incredibly soft place.
"Well? Having thoughts now? Ha! Men are all pigs!"
Kushida Kikyo grabbed his hand and pressed it firmly against the school uniform on her chest.
"Now, your fingerprints are left on my clothes. The evidence is ironclad! I'm being seri—Aah!"
Before she could finish, Kushida Kikyo suddenly felt a shock through her body, as if a strange switch had been flipped. She recoiled instantly as if she'd been electrocuted!
"..." Hikigaya quickly pulled back his offending right hand with his left, his face filled with embarrassment.
'Damn it! I actually brought a habit from my dreams into reality. That was too reckless!'
"You, you, you, you!!" Kushida Kikyo shielded her chest with both hands, her face flushing so red it looked like it might bleed. She was both shocked and furious! To be able to find her "switch" so accurately through her clothes... Just how many had this wretched dead-fish-eye squeezed!!!
"This... this isn't entirely my fault, is it?" Hikigaya's gaze drifted as he began to argue, "Didn't you say you wanted me to have 'thoughts'?"
"I told you to leave a handprint, not to... AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Halfway through her sentence, Kushida Kikyo's brain CPU overloaded, and she let out a maiden-style war cry.
"Actually, there's not much of a difference, is there?" Hikigaya whistled guiltily, forcing a change of subject. "Since things have come to this, why don't we have a midnight snack first?"
"Eat your big head!!" Kushida Kikyo pounced on him with claws out, scratching and flailing at Hikigaya!
Her actions were fierce, but the actual output only left a few painless scratches on his body. On the contrary, because of her excessive movements, she unwittingly gave Hikigaya wave after wave of "fan service."
"So, Kushida-san. Can you calm down now?" Hikigaya held his hands up to show his innocence. Kushida Kikyo, meanwhile, was clinging to him like a koala with both hands and feet.
Kushida Kikyo silently slid down, squatted on the ground, hugged her knees, and went into "self-isolation" mode. Hikigaya moved a short distance away and slowly sat on the ground. He opened the box of fried chicken, and the aroma filled the air.
Chew, chew, chew~
'Are you seriously eating right now?!'
Kushida Kikyo looked over in disbelief, stunned.
Chapter 062 Hikigaya's Art of the Bluff
Kushida Kikyo gnawed on the fried chicken with force, snapping the bones between her teeth. Her gaze remained sharp as she glared at Hikigaya!
"Here."
Hikigaya produced a bottle of Ginger Ale and a bottle of Matcha Soda from the vending machine. Kushida Kikyo didn't stand on ceremony; she took them and began chugging. Her brow furrowed instantly, and she criticized him bluntly: "What kind of weird-tasting Matcha Soda is this?
Dead-fish-eyes, did you do this on purpose?" Kushida glared at him.
"Yes. I heard that drinking flavors you don't usually drink can change your mood." Hikigaya spouted nonsense with a straight face.
"Thank you so much! My mood is even more fired up now!" Kushida Kikyo snatched the Ginger Ale from his hand and forcibly swapped them. "You change your mood too!"
"You've already drunk from it. Indirect kiss... that's not very good, is it?" Hikigaya looked troubled.
"Huh? A guy who just squeezed my 'peanuts' is telling me this now?" Kushida Kikyo mocked him with cold cynicism.
"..."
"That... that was just a moment of carelessness!" Hikigaya couldn't help but cover his face, truly feeling ashamed.
"You dead-fish-eyes, you're clearly a huge closet pervert... Why are you acting so innocent in front of me?" Kushida Kikyo gave him a strange look and delivered a sharp critique.
"..."
"I say, Kushida-san, aren't you going to continue playing the little angel?" Facing the sharp-tongued Kushida, Hikigaya was still a bit unaccustomed.
"I am an angel~" Kushida Kikyo gave a kind smile, restoring her perfect smiling face.
"A fallen angel, right?" Hikigaya rolled his eyes, feeling powerless to argue.
.
.
.
They finished their food and drink.
"Regarding tonight, if you dare say a single word, you're dead!" Kushida Kikyo transformed into her hideous face once again.
Although Hikigaya wouldn't tell, being threatened felt unpleasant. "What if I did say something?"
"Then I'll tell everyone you tried to rape me!"
"Wow! What a terrifying false accusation."
"The fingerprints on my clothes are evidence! And what you did to me was clearly..." Kushida Kikyo flared up in embarrassment and anger.
"Kushida, have you thought about the consequences of that?" Hikigaya didn't argue about right or wrong; he went straight to analyzing the result.
"You'll definitely be expelled!"
"And then?"
"And then what...?"
"Do you think that as the victim, you'll get everyone's sympathy?"
"Isn't that the case?"
"Think about it carefully."
Kushida Kikyo frowned. Her brain seriously simulated the outcome of the incident. Her pupils contracted slightly as if she had foreseen a terrifying possibility.
"Yes, it's exactly what you're imagining." Hikigaya keenly perceived her thoughts. "They won't pity you. They might even laugh at you, smear you, and say you deliberately seduced a man to bring a 'rape' upon yourself."
"Shut up!" Kushida Kikyo's face turned ashen as she tried to stop him from continuing.
"Haven't you seen enough of this in middle school?" Hikigaya asked a question that struck her soul.
In Japan, data surveys clearly show that the proportion of bullying and persecution of girls by other girls is quite high!
"AAAAAAHHH! Those bitches!! Bitches!!!" Kushida Kikyo broke down on the spot. She couldn't help but jump up and continue kicking the railing violently.
Hikigaya didn't interrupt, letting her fully vent her emotions.
Half an hour later, Kushida Kikyo sat slumped on the ground, panting. She looked at him with an unwilling expression. "You mean to say the evidence I left behind can't threaten you at all?"
"That's not it. Actually, even if you didn't have any evidence, as long as you opened your mouth and said I touched you, everyone would unconditionally choose to believe you. In the end, the school's handling would most likely still be to expel me." Hikigaya stated a terrifying reality matter-of-factly.
Kushida Kikyo was momentarily stunned. There's actually such a tactic? Although she was a "bad woman," her mind still went to collecting evidence first and following the normal process to accuse him.
"Kushida-san, this precisely proves one thing..." Hikigaya extended his hand toward her as she sat dazed on the ground.
The latter, in a daze, subconsciously handed him her hand.
"You actually aren't as bad as you think you are." Hikigaya pulled her up.
"Are you saying I'm actually a super good woman?" Kushida Kikyo pointed at herself.
'... Super good? I don't know about that. But super easy to fool? Definitely!'
"Kushida, you should be a bit more confident in yourself." Hikigaya patted her shoulder earnestly.
"I have a feeling... you're bluffing me." Kushida Kikyo looked suspicious.
'Don't 'have a feeling'—I am bluffing you.'
"I swear, every word I said is true!" Hikigaya said righteously.
'If I'm lying, let my punishment be to marry a crazy woman like you in the future.'
"Hmph~ I'll believe you for now..." Kushida Kikyo's eyes flickered, then she changed the subject. "But what about the debt for you squeezing my chest? How are we going to settle that?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Watch your sensitive words! This is a school!!" Hikigaya's face paled with horror. He scanned his surroundings nervously as if something invisible was watching them.
"Tch~ Look at your lack of courage. It's the middle of the night, who else is here?" Kushida Kikyo let out a cold laugh.
"There are gods three feet above your head. I suggest you be careful." Hikigaya acted mysterious.
"Bullshit! Don't try to change the subject!!" Kushida Kikyo glared at him.
Damn! I can't dodge this? Hikigaya was out of options and chose to give up. "Then what do you want? How about I compensate you with some points?"
Hikigaya proactively suggested a compensation plan, only to be met with a terrifying look!
"What kind of person do you take me for?"
Hikigaya understood instantly and apologized: "Sorry! It was a slip of the tongue!" He had planned to pay her one or two million as "hush money."
"My secret has been discovered by you now. I'm very uneasy!" Kushida Kikyo looked irritable.
Hikigaya was a smart man and understood her meaning. "You mean I have to hand over a secret of my own so we have mutual leverage?"
"You're quite smart for a guy with dead-fish-eyes." Kushida Kikyo nodded.
"I see. Fine then." Hikigaya thought seriously for a moment, trying to find a "secret that isn't really a secret" to tell. "Then I'll tell you the biggest secret about me..."
Seeing Hikigaya's serious expression, Kushida Kikyo's interest was piqued. She leaned in to listen.
"Actually... I dream every night. I dream of different future wives."
Chapter 063 Leaving Handprints Every Day
"Huh?"
"You dream of different wives every single night?"
Kushida Kikyo's mouth twitched violently. "What kind of bullshit secret is that!"
"..."
"What I'm saying is a real experience." Hikigaya looked serious, continuing to share the deepest secret of his heart. "Don't you think this is very unusual? Maybe it's some kind of superpower! Besides that, I also learn skills in my dreams."
"Ugh..." Kushida Kikyo waved her hand impatiently. "Yeah, I know. It's 'Chunibyo', right?"
Hikigaya retorted solemnly: "It's not Chunibyo!"
"Let me ask just one thing..." Kushida Kikyo paused. "Among the wives you dream of, is there... me?"
This was the only part Kushida Kikyo had a tiny bit of interest in.
"No." Hikigaya shook his head decisively.
Kushida Kikyo's face darkened, and she immediately cursed: "You idiot, can't you even dream properly? Or are you saying I'm not worthy of being in your dreams? Look into my eyes! Is 'Kushida the Little Angel' not beautiful? Answer me! Why???"
Facing Kushida Kikyo's frantic interrogation, Hikigaya was momentarily speechless.
"..."
"I'll work hard tonight and see if I can dream of Kushida-san?" Hikigaya suggested weakly.
"Get lost!!!" Kushida Kikyo couldn't help but kick him. "I don't want to stay here and listen to your bluffing!"
'No. You listened to all the bluffs earlier. Now I'm actually telling the truth!'
"Since you won't exchange a secret, you have to agree to one condition!" Kushida Kikyo realized she couldn't dig any valuable secrets out of Hikigaya and decided on the next best thing.
"What condition?" Hikigaya asked curiously.
"Be my tool for venting." Kushida Kikyo looked dead serious.
"Pfft~" Hikigaya almost lost it. "That way of phrasing it is a bit too strange." He quickly realized what she meant. "You don't mean you want to use me as a 'human hollow tree' (a listener for secrets), do you?"
"Exactly!" Kushida Kikyo nodded in admission. Wearing a mask for a long time had caused a massive buildup of psychological pressure; she desperately needed an outlet.
"I'd rather not..." Hikigaya felt it was too much trouble. "Can't you just go to a remote place without cameras in the middle of the night and scream a few times?"
"No, there's a risk of exposure doing that. Just like today... didn't I run into you!" Kushida Kikyo showed she had learned a profound lesson.
"But for this kind of thing, why don't you talk to someone else? Like Hirata... I'm sure he'd be more than happy to listen to your troubles." Hikigaya tried to shift the burden.
"Hirata? Forget it, that guy has major problems of his own!" Kushida Kikyo's eyes flickered. Her intuition told her that the hidden landmines in Hirata Yosuke were no smaller than her own!
Hearing this, Hikigaya gave up on persuading her. If these two hidden landmines exploded at the same time, Class D would definitely be annihilated!!
Under Kushida Kikyo's combination of soft and hard tactics, Hikigaya eventually reluctantly agreed. They settled on 2 to 3 times a week, where Hikigaya would act as a private listener for Kushida Kikyo's trash talk.
.
.
.
"Phew~"
Returning to the dorm, Hikigaya felt exhausted both mentally and physically. He soon fell into a deep sleep and entered the world of dreams.
"Hey~ Hachiman, look at this outfit. What do you think?"
This time, he dreamed of a brand-new wife!
She had long brownish-gold hair tied in a a side ponytail draped over the shoulder. With pretty features and a gentle smile, she looked like a holy archangel.
'Talk about timing... I really did dream of her' Hikigaya looked at the significantly more mature Kushida Kikyo before him in shock. At this moment, she was wearing a vibrant reddish-pink yukata, and her dressed-up appearance was stunning!
"Hey! Why are you dazing out? You're not thinking about another woman, are you!" Kikyo instantly changed to her fierce face, glaring at Hikigaya.
'Yeah, that's the right flavor.'
Compared to the "Little Angel" who wore a fake mask all day, he preferred facing the real "Little Devil."
"Um, Ki-Kikyo... are we going somewhere today?" Hikigaya chose his words carefully to gather information.
"Huh? Have you gone stupid from working overtime? We're going to the Chiba Fireworks Festival tonight." Kikyo explained crossly.
Chiba? So his profession in this dream was a "corporate slave"? Hikigaya was immediately disappointed.
"I heard that bitch Horikita also returned to Chiba recently... I really want to see her haggard and resentful face sooner, kye-kye-kye~" Kikyo let out a sinister laugh without any disguise.
'She really doesn't sound like a heroic female lead.'
Hikigaya critiqued internally: How many years have passed, and the relationship between these two is still that bad?
"By the way! You're not allowed to wear glasses tonight." While dressing him, Kikyo gave a firm instruction.
What glasses? His eyesight was 20/20 (5.0), okay? Hikigaya blinked. Even his future self had perfect vision and no need for glasses. He glanced at the dressing table and saw several different styles of glasses. He felt a strange sense of curiosity.
"For your hair, just leave a bit of a natural flick. Don't be too handsome, I don't want you attracting young girls." Kikyo handled his entire grooming process.
'This part gets a high rating!'
After all, Hikigaya's dream was to live a life where he was waited on hand and foot!
"Okay, all done~ Hachiman, you're perfectly, ordinarily handsome!" Kikyo clapped her hands, her face instantly turning back into that of a tender and considerate beautiful wife. "Since we're ready, let's head out."
Hikigaya also wanted to see what was different between this dream world and reality.
"..."
"Hachiman, did you forget the most important thing to do before leaving the house?" Kikyo's eyes were sharp as she stared at him.
"Uh, what thing?" Hikigaya really didn't remember—or rather, he had no idea there was such a thing!
"Of course it's... leaving a handprint! This was the crucial moment we fell in love at first sight; I won't forget it for the rest of my life!" As she spoke, she took his hand and skillfully pressed it against her ample chest.
The familiar sensation, the familiar softness... From the volume that one hand could no longer completely cover, it was clear that the post-marriage Kikyo had grown quite a bit. She had upgraded from the original Class D to Class F!!
'Wait, does he leave a handprint every single day? This is too good of a dream!'
Chapter 064 Revenge from Class A
Early morning, elevator.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun~"
"Uh, morning... Kushida-san, Horikita-san."
Looking at Kushida Kikyo's usual angel-like smile, Hikigaya began to wonder if the Kushida Kikyo he saw last night—kicking railings and cursing—was just a hallucination.
"This person has been waiting at my door since early this morning," Horikita Suzune said, her voice not at all lowered.
"Maybe she just wanted to go to school with you?" Hikigaya replied casually.
He was immediately met with a sudden elbow strike from Horikita Suzune! Fortunately, Hikigaya was quick and managed to block it with his forearm in time.
"Heehee~ You two really do get along well~" Kushida Kikyo said, smiling.
"Where exactly do you see 'getting along well'?" Hikigaya asked speechlessly.
They headed to the playground for their daily morning exercise. With his persistent daily training, Hikigaya felt his physical fitness had improved significantly.
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Class D Classroom
The noise from inside the classroom could be heard from far away. Hikigaya was already immune to it; he had to admit that habit is a terrifying thing. For example, he had already grown accustomed to dreaming every day...
"Ohh!"
"Impressive!"
"As expected of the Professor, your appraisal level is high!"
"This afternoon's PE is swimming. All the girls will be in swimsuits then... ga-ga-ga-ga!" Yamauchi and the others were gathered around Sotomura Hideo, huddling in front of a laptop and letting out lewd shouts from time to time.
"What a bunch of idiots!" Karuizawa Kei looked on with irritation and was about to go over to scold them.
"Well~ It's just male hormones at work, it's nothing much," Shinohara Satsuki said dismissively, wavering the attitude of the girls' group.
"Shinohara, do you really think that?" Karuizawa Kei's brow furrowed. The other girl's status in the group was second only to her; if Shinohara didn't agree with criticizing the boys, it would be hard for her to take a stand alone.
"I don't care either way..."
'You get offerings from Ike Kanji every day, of course you'd speak up for them!'
The divided girls' group naturally couldn't stop the boys' behavior.
One inconspicuous girl quietly took out her phone, composed a text message, and sent it out...
"Ayanokouji, come join the bet too."
"Uh, bet on what?"
"We're betting on the breast size rankings of the girls in class."
"Um, I'll pass..."
"Don't be so wishy-washy, just vote!"
Under the prodding of his "friends," Ayanokouji Kiyotaka helplessly participated in the voting. At the same time, he noticed the extremely disgusted looks the girls in class were shooting them. This caused a bit of confusion for Ayanokouji, who was currently imitating and learning "socializing."
'Why is it that Yamauchi and his gang clearly want the girls' favor, yet they insist on doing things that make girls hate them?'
It seemed he still had much to learn...
"Sudo, you coming?"
"Count me out."
"What's up? Why has Sudo been so cold lately?"
"Playing ball is tiring lately, and I have to do homework when I get back. Don't mention it, I'm going to catch some sleep..."
"What did you say? You dare to secretly do homework, you traitor!!!"
Horikita Suzune, flipping through a book, said casually: "It seems that forcing Sudo to kneel that day changed him in a sense."
"People only see their true selves when they are driven to a dead end," Hikigaya said indifferently. He had no intention of "saving" Sudo; his actions were purely based on his own consciousness.
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Afternoon
The highly anticipated PE class! However, as they gathered at the swimming pool, Class D was missing nearly half its members.
"Eh?"
"What's going on?"
"The boys' side... is almost completely wiped out?"
Yamauchi and the others, who had been excitedly making breast rankings that morning, were all absent!
"So, the revenge has finally arrived?" Hikigaya narrowed his dead-fish eyes, instantly guessing the reason behind it.
"What do you mean?" Horikita Suzune, wearing a plain deep-blue swimsuit, sat down beside Hikigaya without any hesitation.
"Class D's harassment already angered Class A and Class B. Retaliation was inevitable. And for the strike to be this precise, they clearly received a tip-off from within the class," Hikigaya analyzed seriously.
"Sigh~ I just received some unfortunate news."
"Based on a report from Class A, some people in Class D were creating a ranking that suspects infringing on the girls' dignity. The school has ordered them to be suspended—"
Hirata Yosuke looked gloomy, seemingly extremely displeased that the class had suddenly lost so many people.
"How is that 'unfortunate' news? It's clearly great news!" Karuizawa Kei and the others were overjoyed.
"Suspended for a week? Isn't that punishment a bit too severe?" Only Shinohara Satsuki was very dissatisfied with the school's handling.
"By the way, how did the people in Class A know about this?" Shinohara Satsuki's gaze swept sharply over the girls.
Finally, her gaze landed on a girl who was usually quiet: "Inogashira-san, I remember seeing you having milk tea with Satonaka-kun from Class A after school yesterday, right?"
Satonaka Satoshi from Class A was rated by the girls as one of the most handsome boys in the grade. It was hard to imagine such a handsome guy hanging out with the plain Inogashira Kokoro.
"I... I just chatted with Satonaka-kun for a bit..." Inogashira Kokoro hid her phone behind her back with a guilty look.
"Then take out your phone and let me see your chat records," Shinohara Satsuki continued to press.
"Shinohara! Don't go too far!" Karuizawa Kei stood up to protect her follower.
"Who exactly is going too far? This person is a spy; she caused... so many people to be suspended." Shinohara Satsuki argued righteously.
"Shinohara, you're wrong to say that," Matsushita Chiaki stood firmly on Karuizawa's side. "If those boys hadn't been making that weird ranking, how could they have been punished by the school?"
"Exactly, it's those guys' own fault!" Sato Maya chimed in.
"..."
Perhaps because she was closely associated with Ike Kanji, Shinohara Satsuki's reputation had plummeted lately, and she was gradually losing influence in the girls' group.
"Is something wrong with you, Class D?" The PE teacher was very dissatisfied and issued a sharp criticism. "Today's swimming class is very important! All of you must learn how to swim before the end of this month!!"
The PE teacher's overly serious attitude caused a flicker of doubt in Hikigaya. Normally, when this teacher supervised running, he would turn a blind eye to the lazy behavior of some students in Class D. Why was he being so serious today?
And he emphasized that they must learn to swim before the end of the month.
'Does that mean next month... there is a special exam involving swimming?'
Hikigaya silently made a note of this.
Chapter 065 Kushida Kikyo: I'm Here to Join You
PE class. With Yamauchi's large group of cronies missing, Class D was unusually quiet.
"Hikigaya-kun... please don't look over here. I must look terrible in this, right?"
Sakura Airi was wearing a plain black one-piece swimsuit, similar to the old-fashioned school "sukumizu." While it looked plain, it possessed a mysterious charm—perhaps due to the massive "Devil Fruits" hidden on her chest that simply couldn't be concealed.
"No, not at all... I'm actually a bit of a nostalgic person." Hikigaya held himself back.
"I told you so~ Whether clothes look plain or not depends on the person wearing them!"
Hasabe Haruka was wearing the same style of pure black swimsuit. She possessed "Devil Fruits" of a similar scale to Sakura's, but her frame was more slender and elegant.
She raised a hand to her lips and whispered to Hikigaya in a low voice: "If Hachi asks us out privately, I can change into a bikini specifically for you~~"
"!" Hikigaya forcibly cut off his brain's fantasies. "Let's... let's practice swimming first."
"Sorry, I don't know how to swim..." Sakura Airi lowered her head in shame.
"I'm a little better than Airi; I can dive," Hasabe added.
'So you can't swim either, can you?'
Hikigaya first looked toward the PE teacher, who was focused on special training for Hirata Yosuke, Koenji Rokusuke, Sudo Ken, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"You four are very talented! Interested in joining the swimming club?" The PE teacher, acting as the advisor for the swimming club, naturally wanted to recruit excellent prospects.
"Correct yourself, sensei. Beautiful me is indisputably number one."
"Hey! Koenji, I can't let that slide! Want to race and find out?"
"My swimming level is just average. Actually, Ayanokouji, do you usually train your body for something?"
"Well~ My hobbies are usually piano and calligraphy..." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka spouted nonsense with a straight face.
'Do you practice calligraphy while carrying a piano?'
Hikigaya really wanted to roast him. Sometimes he even wondered if this guy was a homunculus escaped from some biochemical lab.
Seeing the PE teacher was busy, Hikigaya decided to take over: "I can guide you on the basics, but I can't guarantee you'll learn."
"Really?" Sakura Airi's eyes lit up, and she nodded like a chick pecking grain. "I will definitely study hard!"
"Then I'll leave it to Hachi~" Hasabe Haruka wasn't shy either.
Hikigaya had the two of them do a set of warm-up exercises before slowly entering the water.
"First, you need to learn how to hold your breath and exhale." Hikigaya took a deep breath and submerged his head into the water, demonstrating for them. The two girls followed suit obediently.
"Uh, what's wrong?" Hikigaya noticed the two under the water blowing bubbles and thought something was wrong, so he quickly scooped them up, one in each hand.
"Mmph~ For some reason, my body keeps floating up..." Sakura Airi looked confused.
"Me too. Is diving really this difficult?" Hasabe Haruka agreed.
Hikigaya kept his eyes straight. He didn't want to explain the physics of buoyancy calculations. He simply instructed: "You two... just overcome it."
"Yes~" The two girls, not understanding the cause, simply obeyed.
"Next step is practicing stroking and kicking. Stroking is simpler, so we can learn that later. For now, hold onto the edge of the pool and practice your kicking movements."
Hikigaya guided them seriously, occasionally using his hands to correct their leg positions.
Sakura Airi's thighs were perfectly proportioned—not a bit too much, not a bit too little. If she put on high fashion, she could go straight to a model runway. Hasabe Haruka's legs were slender and straight, her skin was very fair, making it hard to look away... Not good!
Hikigaya realized his hand had lingered on Hasabe's calf a bit too long!
Hasabe Haruka turned her head. She looked calm, but the tips of her ears hidden under her wet hair were turning red. Her pale gold eyes stared right at him: "Hachi, is it fun to touch?"
"Sorry." Hikigaya couldn't argue.
The few lone boys nearby cast looks of absolute envy. Then, a scene occurred that shattered their hearts even further.
"Hikigaya-kun~ You guys look like you're having fun. Can I join you?"
Kushida Kikyo proactively approached. Her blue-and-white strap swimsuit showcased her perfect figure to the fullest. Her gaze swept over the chests of Sakura Airi and Hasabe Haruka again and again.
Fine! She had to admit, the "strength" of these two was above her own! There were no signs of padding or artificial enhancement; they were pure "stat monsters"!
'Dammit! No wonder those dead-fish-eyes could resist my 'handprint' temptation last night. Turns out he's pressed even larger handprints before!!'
"Kushida-san, don't you already know how to swim?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled.
"Ano~ Even if I can swim, can't I study with Hikigaya-kun?" Kushida Kikyo leaned forward, making a cute, pitiful expression.
"..."
Sakura Airi and Hasabe Haruka's eyes flashed with a hint of wariness. They glanced at each other.
'Good besties, join hands to unite against the outsider first!!'
"I guess it's fine, do as you like." Hikigaya couldn't quite figure out Kushida's goal.
Just then, a swift shadow zoomed through the water. Splash! Horikita Suzune accelerated past them in a freestyle stroke, splashing water all over Hikigaya's face.
'You did that on purpose, didn't you?'
Hikigaya's face went dark.
Kushida Kikyo's eyes sparkled, and a hidden sneer curled at the corner of her mouth.
'Heh! She's getting anxious!'
"Oh my~ Horikita-san swims so fast~~ Hikigaya-kun, can you teach me?" Kushida Kikyo proactively took his arm, shaking it coyly.
"..." Hikigaya felt goosebumps rising. If he hadn't seen the "blackened" version of Kushida, he might have actually fallen for her act.
"Sorry, my level isn't that high. Kushida-san, why don't you just ask Horikita?" Hikigaya quietly withdrew his arm.
"But Horikita-san won't pay attention to me..." Kushida Kikyo's face looked fragile, but under the water, her hand gripped his wrist with a death grip.
At the same time, she whispered in his ear at a volume only the two of them could hear: "Hikigaya, I want you to help me get close to Horikita!"
Sigh! He knew this woman was super troublesome! Hikigaya didn't want to get involved in the conflict between these two women and was thinking of an excuse to brush her off.
Unexpectedly, after completing a lap, Horikita Suzune actually stopped beside him. Her gaze stared directly at Hikigaya for a moment before she looked away: "Kushida, if you really want to learn, I can teach you."
"Is that really okay? That's wonderful!" Kushida Kikyo immediately let go of Hikigaya's hand.
'As expected, dead-fish-eyes is quite useful!'
Chapter 066 Weekend, A Date with Shiina
Class A's retaliation was quite effective. By utilizing the breast-ranking incident, they successfully got Yamauchi and his gang slapped with a severe punishment of a one-week suspension!
On the surface, this seemed like a heavy blow to Class D.
In reality, without Yamauchi's group of troublemakers, the classroom discipline in Class D improved significantly. Hikigaya felt that Class A's "retaliation" was something he'd like to see more of!
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The Weekend
Hikigaya happily slept in and woke up naturally at 9:30 AM. This was mainly because he had dreamed of "Hikigaya Hiyori" the night before; the two of them had spent the time leaning against each other, reading and drinking tea, feeling cozy and free.
To replicate the experience from his dream, Hikigaya rolled over in bed, bleary-eyed, picked up his phone, and opened his contacts.
[Shiina-san, are you free today? I'd like to invite you to the bookstore...]
Click Send.
3... 2... 1...
Click Unsend!
Hikigaya suddenly sprang up from the bed.
"Wait, wait, wait!?
Isn't that just a straight-up date invitation?
I must be sleep-deprived!"
Hikigaya scratched his head in frustration and hurried to wash his face with cold water.
Once fully awake, he felt his embarrassment levels redlining—it felt like ants were crawling all over his skin! Another entry added to his history of cringe!
But luckily... the message had only been out for three seconds before he retracted it. Shiina-san shouldn't have seen it, right?
However, the reply that came a second later destroyed his wishful thinking.
[Good morning, Hikigaya-kun~]
[If I didn't see it wrong just now, was Hikigaya-kun planning to invite me to the bookstore?]
"..."
Hikigaya stumbled and fell back onto his butt. It was over! The message he sent in a momentary brain-fart had actually been seen by Shiina-san!
Wait.
It was only three seconds.
How could it be such a coincidence that she saw it exactly then?
'This girl... she couldn't possibly be staring at her phone all the time, right?'
Hikigaya felt like crying.
He had met Shiina Hiyori a month ago in the library. They studied together, read together, and exchanged thoughts; they got along very well. Hikigaya felt that he and Shiina Hiyori could be called true friends.
But to say he didn't have a single thought about taking things further would be a lie. Yet, Hikigaya chose restraint. Because he valued his friendship with Shiina Hiyori so much, he didn't want to recklessly inject "special feelings" and cause unpredictable changes.
There are far too many examples of friendships souring once they "turn rotten"!
"You've only known her for a month as an ordinary friend, yet you're fantasizing about dating her. Hikigaya Hachiman, you're too shameless," Hikigaya mocked himself harshly in the mirror.
He glanced at his phone. In the chat box, it kept showing "Shiina Hiyori is typing..."
'See? You've made her uncomfortable.'
Hikigaya wanted to slap himself.
[Sorry, I wasn't fully awake and sent it to the wrong person... Please forget about it, Shiina-san.]
Hikigaya made up a very stupid excuse.
[Then, Hikigaya-kun, who were you planning to go on a date with today?]
What was going on...? He could feel Shiina Hiyori's resentment even through the screen.
[Nobody. Besides, I don't have anyone I can go on a date with!]
Hikigaya told the truth.
[But, Hikigaya-kun clearly came to find me for a date today then.]
Shiina Hiyori replied instantly.
Hikigaya was completely checkmated. With no way to argue, he had to bite the bullet and admit it.
[Yes, Shiina-san. If you are unwilling, please feel free to refuse. Don't force yourself...] Hikigaya explained earnestly.
[Why would I be unwilling? And I don't feel forced at all.]
Between the lines, Shiina Hiyori's tone was as gentle as ever. Hikigaya was speechless.
[I'm very happy that Hikigaya-kun proactively invited me! Although I don't know why you retracted it, I'm sure there must be some unexplainable reason...]
What to do? This girl was too heartwarming! Hikigaya's gaze wavered for a moment.
[Since you aren't coming over, I'll come over to you.]
[Hikigaya-kun, let's go on a date~~~]
'Fine, let's just get married.'
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Campus Shopping Center, Fountain Plaza
"You're here, Hikigaya-kun."
Shiina Hiyori was wearing a pure white maxi dress, her silver-gray hair falling naturally to her waist. Her slender legs ended in a pair of bright yellow sandals; her fair, translucent toes were unpolished, looking purely natural and...
Stop! Realizing he had been staring too long, Hikigaya quickly looked away. "Shiina-san, that outfit suits you very well today."
"Thank you~" Shiina Hiyori smiled slightly. "Hikigaya-kun looks very handsome too."
How is that possible? A white T-shirt and black casual pants—a completely generic outfit. Hikigaya just took it as her being polite.
"It's not just politeness," Shiina Hiyori said, as if reading his mind. "I like boys who are simple and plain."
'Eh? Could it be you like me?'
Suddenly, dead memories began to flood back.
'This is something that happened to a friend of a friend... There was a girl who used to come talk to him whenever something happened. "She definitely likes me," he thought. Then, he summoned the courage to ask: "Tell me who you like. Just the first letter." "H." "H? Could it be me?" Female Class Rep: "Huh? What are you saying? That's disgusting! Can you stop?"'
Thinking of this scene, Hikigaya's eyes became clear once again.
"Shiina-san, let's go to the bookstore."
"..." Shiina Hiyori looked at his back with a somewhat inscrutable expression.
The biggest difference between the bookstore in the shopping center and the library was that it had a dedicated bar for coffee and various teas. It served both real readers and those who used "reading" as an excuse for a popular date spot.
Watching the men and women entering and leaving the bookstore, Hikigaya couldn't help but mutter: "Explode, normies!"
"Normies? What does that mean?" Shiina Hiyori asked curiously.
"'Normie' (Riajuu) refers to people whose real lives are very fulfilling. These people are usually handsome or beautiful, have good grades, are athletic, and are always surrounded by the opposite sex. They are 'winners in life' so enviable they should explode!"
Hikigaya complained expressionlessly.
"In that case, Hikigaya-kun should explode too," Shiina Hiyori said, looking at him very seriously.
"Ah?" Hikigaya didn't understand.
Normies should explode, but what did that have to do with him?
"Well~ I guess that's what they call 'being unable to see the forest for the trees.'" Shiina Hiyori smiled faintly and didn't explain further. She took his hand and stepped into the bookstore.
At that moment, a fat otaku carrying a manga passed by. He spat in Hikigaya's direction: "Normies, all of you just explode!!"
Chapter 067 Please Observe Me Carefully Too, Hikigaya-kun
The bookstore.
Hikigaya picked out a copy of The Mist Files, while Shiina Hiyori chose a book with a rather bizarre cover titled Huineng's Cleaver.
"Shiina, what would you like to drink?"
"Pure tea... it seems they don't have any."
"Why not try the tea-coffee fusion here?"
"Okay, I'll follow Hikigaya-kun's lead."
Hikigaya ordered a Mountain Grape Cold Brew for himself and a Uji Latte that seemed suitable for Shiina Hiyori.
"Thank you. How many points was that?" Shiina Hiyori pulled out her phone.
"Let me think..." Hikigaya feigned deep thought before answering solemnly, "Probably about the cost of explaining one physics problem."
Are you joking? When Shiina tutored him, she never charged him points; what was a mere cup of coffee in comparison?
"Pfft~ Hikigaya-kun really keeps track of favors." Shiina Hiyori smiled serenely and didn't insist further.
Hikigaya added another sentence: "I also hold grudges very well."
"Then I must advise Ryuen-kun never to offend Hikigaya-kun." Shiina Hiyori nodded with an earnest expression.
"There's no need for that. That man isn't someone who can be persuaded just by talking." Unless someone could completely crush him... Based on his previous encounter with Ryuen Kakeru blocking his path, Hikigaya performed a logical analysis of the latter's personality traits.
In his view, with that guy's dictatorial and tyrannical personality, he might be a school bully in any other school. But here, he was bound to suffer a major setback sooner or later!
"I see. Hikigaya-kun is truly good at observing others." Shiina Hiyori rested her chin on her hand, staring at him intently, her voice light with a hint of playfulness: "I wonder if Hikigaya-kun would observe me that seriously too?"
'More than just seriously.'
From head to toe, including the tiny mole on her right buttock, Hikigaya had observed everything crystal clear!
Albeit, only in his dreams...
After their pleasant conversation ended, the two returned to silence, quietly reading their books and taking occasional sips from their cups. This feeling was cozy and natural.
Two hours later, the two stepped out of the bookstore one after the other.
"Ngh~" Shiina Hiyori performed a small stretch, her long dress perfectly accentuating her slender waist.
"Sitting for long periods easily causes back pain." Hikigaya saw the issue with a single glance.
"Yes." A look of slight distress appeared on Shiina Hiyori's face. Clearly, as someone who loved long reading sessions, she frequently encountered this problem.
"It would be best for Shiina-san to get a massage," Hikigaya suggested.
"But it's hard to reach one's own back." Shiina Hiyori looked troubled.
"Then find someone to help... Uh, why are you looking at me like that?" Hikigaya froze.
"Well~" Shiina Hiyori hesitated, her cheeks showing a hint of shyness, just about to speak.
Hikigaya proposed: "You could ask Ibuki to help massage it for you."
Hearing this, Shiina Hiyori had no choice but to swallow the words she was about to say.
"Her massage technique is actually quite good." Hikigaya nodded in approval.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Ibuki-san... has massaged Hikigaya-kun before?"
"Uh... that was after club training, members massage and stretch each other to... soothe the muscles." Hikigaya gave a detailed, serious explanation: "In short, it is a very proper activity!"
"I didn't say it wasn't proper." Shiina Hiyori looked at him with a smile.
"..." Hikigaya muttered to himself, wondering if this girl was truly innocent or a "white-cut-black" (seemingly pure but actually calculating).
The topic of massages was turned over. After all, their relationship hadn't reached that point yet; they maintained a certain distance with a tacit understanding.
After lunch, Shiina Hiyori proactively suggested leaving, as she had been entrusted by her homeroom teacher to help organize the class grade sheets. As one of the few academic powerhouses in Class C, it was quite hard work.
"Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun~ I really liked today's date." Shiina Hiyori waved goodbye.
Hikigaya watched her leave with a calm face.
'A 'date,' by literal definition, is a scheduled meeting; it doesn't necessarily mean a couple, it can also refer to ordinary classmates and friends. So, don't get the wrong idea!'
Hikigaya constantly cautioned himself.
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.
In the afternoon, Hikigaya purchased a batch of supplies at the supermarket and prepared to head back to his dorm to lie flat. On the way, he encountered a large group of laughing boys and girls—it was Ichinose Honami and her classmates from Class B.
"Hikigaya-kun? What a coincidence!" Ichinose Honami's eyes lit up, and she proactively jogged over to greet him.
The bounce and sway of her movement were dizzying... Hikigaya used sheer willpower to force his gaze upward, focusing on the area above her forehead.
"Ichinose-san, good afternoon."
Their greeting immediately piqued the curiosity of the other Class B students. Shiranami Chihiro took responsibility for introducing Hikigaya to the others, explaining that he was a Class D student who had once helped her drive away someone harassing her...
Suddenly, the gazes from Class B toward Hikigaya all became friendly.
Eh? Are the people in Class B this friendly? The expected disdain and hostility toward Class D... actually didn't exist?
"Is Hikigaya-kun out shopping alone today?" Ichinose Honami blinked, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.
"No, I was at the bookstore with a friend this morning, and only bought things this afternoon." Hikigaya told the truth; he had nothing to hide.
"It was Shiina-san from Class C, right? Someone from our class saw you two in the bookstore; it looked like you were getting along very happily~" Ichinose Honami beamed.
'Wait? If you knew, why did you ask? Could it be she was testing to see if I would lie?' Hikigaya was speechless.
"We're planning to go to Karaoke. Would Hikigaya-kun like to join us?" Ichinose Honami enthusiastically extended an invitation.
'How could I possibly go to a Class B gathering!' Hikigaya declined: "Um, I'm a bit tired and want to go back to rest."
"Is that so? Sorry~ I was being inconsiderate." A look of regret appeared on Ichinose Honami's face.
'What is there to be regretful about...'
After a few brief pleasantries, Hikigaya parted ways with Ichinose and the others. It's worth noting that among Class B, there was a girl with black hair in twin-tails and a lollipop in her mouth who used the excuse of feeling unwell to leave the group alone.
'At least change the excuse...' Hikigaya complained inwardly. However, as if sensing his gaze, the twin-tailed girl purposefully turned back to glare at him before she left.
Chapter 068 Class C Accusation of Intentional Injury
Monday at school.
"Aha! Yamauchi-sama has been resurrected!!
Surely everyone missed us, right?
Class D is incomplete without us."
After a quiet week, Class D returned to its original noisy state. Facing the return of Yamauchi's gang, most people showed great distaste, including Hikigaya.
"Wow~ That's great." Kushida Kikyo clapped in welcome, her face full of joy.
However, Hikigaya knew that while she was smiling on the outside, she was probably spraying mental "trash talk" on the inside. The only person in all of Class D who was sincerely happy was likely Hirata Yosuke.
With his eyes slightly moist, he excitedly grabbed the hands of Yamauchi and Ike, literally weeping with joy: "Welcome back, everyone!!!"
'No, seriously, man? Is it that deep?'
Hirata's excessive enthusiasm even made Yamauchi and the others feel a bit nauseous! If it were a beauty like "Little Angel Kushida" welcoming them, they would be dancing with joy, but the problem was that Hirata was a man—and a very handsome one at that—which made it... hard to describe.
Ike Kanji felt his "chrysanthemum" (anus) tighten, as if he were terrified that Hirata Yosuke harbored improper intentions toward him. Aside from Hirata's genuine emotion and Kushida's feigned kindness, everyone else in Class D was very cold toward Yamauchi's gang, even ignoring them.
"Speaking of which, I heard some explosive news this morning."
"What is it?"
The small group of girls led by Karuizawa Kei was discussing gossip.
"The girls from Class B and Class C got into a fight!"
"I heard it happened over the weekend."
"Himeno Yuki from Class B and several girls from Class C had a conflict while queuing at a vending machine. In a fit of rage, Himeno Yuki pushed Manabe Shiho to the ground, and she even scraped her leg..."
Sato Maya smelled the scent of gossip and her eyes lit up: "Wow! That's a huge incident!!"
"Is it real?"
"I heard people in Class B are quite friendly, why would they suddenly use violence?" Matsushita Chiaki's eyes were filled with doubt.
"Hmph, what's so strange about that? I heard from a friend that Himeno Yuki is a loner weirdo with very fierce eyes..." As she spoke, Shinohara Satsuki looked pointedly at Hikigaya, "Anyway, she looks like a woman who's hard to get along with!"
"These are all just groundless rumors. The matter hasn't been cleared up yet, don't talk nonsense..."
Karuizawa Kei didn't know Himeno Yuki, but she knew Manabe Shiho from Class C. Simply because the other was a genuine "gyaru"—you could tell she was trouble just by looking from afar!
"Himeno Yuki from Class B... huh?" Hikigaya couldn't help but think of the group of Class B students he met over the weekend; that twin-tailed girl had left the group using an excuse.
"What? You know her too?" His neighbor, Horikita Suzune, cast a subtle glance.
"I don't, we've just crossed paths once." Hikigaya shook his head.
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Noon
Class C blew the matter out of proportion and accused Himeno Yuki of Class B of "intentional injury" before the Student Council!
Ichinose Honami, representing Class B, firmly opposed it, claiming Himeno Yuki was framed.
Because the accident occurred in a surveillance blind spot, both sides stuck to their stories. The Student Council decided to suspend the hearing, ordering Class B and Class C to collect evidence and convene again in three days.
Class B immediately posted notices looking for witnesses and relevant evidence. Ichinose Honami, relying on her extensive network, quickly spread the news throughout the school.
"Hikigaya, what do you think of this?" Horikita Suzune asked, recalling their conversation from that morning.
"I don't 'think' anything. I'm not interested in class rivalries." Hikigaya expressionlessly organized his class notes.
"Besides, why are you suddenly caring about other classes... Oh, I see. I get it now."
"What do you get?
Hmph! I'm not worried about my brother's judgment..." Horikita Suzune realized she was exposing herself halfway through her sentence.
Meeting Hikigaya's slightly teasing gaze, she grew flustered and angry, picking up a compass from the desk and threatening: "Are you going to say it or not?"
"Are you sure you want to use physical threats against me?"
Hikigaya raised an eyebrow, his expression arrogant.
What he meant was: today's him was no longer the weakling of the past!
"What physical threat? You don't think I'm going to stab you with this, do you?" Horikita Suzune frowned and said righteously, "How could I do something so classless?"
Hearing this, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in the front row couldn't help but turn his head. Back when he purposely approached Horikita Suzune to gather information, she had warned him with a compass that she'd stab him if he annoyed her again!
Why was her attitude toward Hikigaya completely different?
Horikita Suzune simply used the compass to draw a semicircle on his math notebook. "Do you still want tutoring on your 3D geometry?"
"Sorry, Horikita-sensei." Hikigaya immediately backed down and explained patiently: "This matter is clearly a frame-up by Class C against Class B, and they deliberately chose a place without surveillance."
"Tch! As expected, Class C is behind it. What a bunch of despicable people!" Horikita Suzune cursed.
"A small trick like this naturally won't escape President Horikita's eyes. But as the Student Council President, your brother must maintain a neutral stance. Therefore, the truth of the matter isn't what's important. What matters is which class—B or C—can produce stronger evidence."
Hikigaya's words were like clearing the clouds to see the moon for Horikita. She stared at him with a complex expression, her red lips slightly pursed: "To be able to see through it to this extent... no wonder my brother values you so much..."
Hikigaya shrugged helplessly: "I'd rather he didn't."
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After School
Hirata Yosuke presided over a class meeting.
"Everyone has heard, right? Class B is looking for witnesses. Does anyone know if someone witnessed the cause and effect of the incident?" It had to be said that Hirata Yosuke was truly a good person; he cared not only about his own classmates but also about matters in other classes.
"Eh~ Just for this? Why should we help people from another class?"
"If I had that kind of free time, I'd rather play video games."
Most of Class D showed a lack of interest, having no desire to meddle in others' business.
Unexpectedly, Horikita Suzune suddenly stood up and declared loudly: "I believe it is necessary to cooperate with Class B to find eye-witnesses."
"Huh?"
Hikigaya noticed that Sakura Airi's expression at this moment was very strange. She was holding her camera, her face full of hesitation and anxiety.
Chapter 069 I Will Stay by Your Side Forever, Airi
Horikita Suzune's sudden decision to speak out left many in Class D feeling quite surprised.
In their eyes, the usual Horikita Suzune was always obsessed with studying and never bothered with class affairs. Why was she suddenly so concerned about the business of another class?
Only Hikigaya knew the truth. Horikita Suzune didn't actually care about class politics; she was worried that this incident would affect the Student Council's ability to handle things fairly, thereby tarnishing her brother's reputation as the Student Council President.
As for Hikigaya, he didn't care about the class or the Student Council. His attention was solely focused on Sakura Airi's abnormal behavior.
"That's wonderful!
I also believe we should help Class B find eye-witnesses."
Hirata Yosuke was delighted. He thought his spirit of "universal love" had finally influenced Horikita Suzune.
"Sorry, Hirata-kun. Please allow me to interrupt...
I want to ask Horikita-san: why should we cooperate with Class B?" Shinohara Satsuki took the lead in questioning her.
"!"
"The victim of this incident should be Manabe-san from Class C, right?
We should be helping Class C!"
Yamauchi and his gang had accepted points from Class C, so they naturally stood on the latter's side.
"Class C has a track record of misconduct. Anyone with eyes can see that this incident is undoubtedly a conspiracy of theirs," Horikita Suzune stated with absolute conviction.
"What conspiracy? Do you have any evidence?" Yamauchi and the others expressed their defiance.
Horikita Suzune's cold gaze swept over Yamauchi and his cronies. "The actions of people like you are the best evidence."
"Whoa!" The entire Class D erupted.
The fact that Yamauchi and the others had been bribed was common knowledge. Though many were dissatisfied, few dared to openly point fingers at them. This was because too many people had been bribed—more than a dozen!
Furthermore, the girls' group was unable to unify their stance because of Shinohara Satsuki. Hirata would only preach tolerance and refused to step up and stop them.
The remaining students were too weak on their own and could only seethe in silence.
This was exactly why Yamauchi's gang was so brazen.
Who would have thought Horikita Suzune wouldn't care one bit about the "group atmosphere" and would dare to confront them all single-handedly?
"Horikita! What do you mean by that?" Ike Kanji argued loudly. "Aren't we attacking Class A and Class B for the sake of class competition too?"
"Heh! Is your brain capacity really the size of a walnut shell?" Horikita Suzune mocked them with a cold sneer. "By dragging Class A and Class B down, the only one who truly benefits is Class C. Tell me, what does Class D gain?"
Her words were harsh, but the logic was sound.
"..."
"Ryuen promised us that after they move up, they'll help us reach Class C," Sotomura Hideo said, his eyes shifting guiltily.
"Do you even believe that yourself?" Horikita Suzune continued to rage. "Haven't you ever studied history? Have you never heard of 'befriending the distant and attacking the near'?"
She was literally debating a crowd of fools! Relying solely on her own strength, Horikita Suzune left Yamauchi and his gang speechless. However, it didn't change anything.
"Distant, near, whatever...
Who cares about you?
Anyway, our minds won't change."
"Yeah, exactly!"
Yamauchi and the others simply gave up on logic. No matter how much sense she made, they just wouldn't listen.
"You bunch of idiots!" Horikita Suzune's face turned ashen; for the moment, she was out of options.
"Hirata-kun, you tell us. What should we do?" Karuizawa Kei suddenly spoke up, hoping he would take charge.
"..."
"Horikita-san is right. But we also can't ignore the opinions of Yamauchi-kun and Shinohara-san. I think... everyone should have a good talk again..." Hirata Yosuke said seriously, spouting nonsense that amounted to nothing.
"..."
The hope in Karuizawa Kei's eyes gradually turned into disappointment.
At first glance, she thought Hirata Yosuke—with his academic ability, athleticism, and looks—was a perfect candidate to rely on.
Now it seemed he was completely unreliable!
If she became his girlfriend and had a conflict with someone, and Hirata just said, "Everyone have a good talk," wouldn't she die of anger?
'What should I do? This school is too dangerous! Violence, bribery, framing... If this ever happens to me, what am I supposed to do?'
Karuizawa Kei's trembling fingertips turned white as she gripped them; her heart was in a state of panic.
She suddenly looked toward Hikigaya.
'Maybe that man could...'
However, at that moment, Hikigaya's attention was entirely on Sakura Airi.
'Fine, he doesn't care about me at all!' Karuizawa Kei's eyes dimmed.
The Class D meeting was destined to end without any result. Everyone went their separate ways.
"Hikigaya-kun! I... I have something I want to discuss with you..." Sakura Airi approached him with a look of urgency.
Hikigaya thought to himself that this was perfect. He originally thought Sakura might have some secret she was reluctant to share, but since she was willing to come to him proactively, that was for the best.
"Eh~ Airi, is there something you can't even tell me?" Hasabe Haruka pouted, looking somewhat hurt.
"S-sorry! Haruka, I... I'm just not ready yet..." Sakura Airi lowered her head, full of apology.
"Alright then." Hasabe Haruka showed understanding. She then patted Hikigaya's shoulder and said with a serious expression, "Then I'm entrusting Airi to you, Hachi."
"Yeah, leave it to me," Hikigaya gave her a reassuring look.
"Sakura, let's go somewhere quiet to talk."
"Mhm." Sakura Airi responded in a low voice.
.
.
.
Girls' Dormitory, Room 805
"..."
Hikigaya sat upright and properly. He never expected that Sakura would lead him directly to her own room.
Although he kept his eyes straight, he couldn't help but steal glances at her room with his peripheral vision. The bed and duvet were all in cute pink tones, and the walls were covered in various fashion posters.
The clothes were a bit messy, scattered everywhere. On a stool, there was even a pair of strawberry-patterned pan—
"Ah!" Sakura Airi hurriedly hid the panties, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
Hikigaya feigned a calm composure. "To be honest, this is only the second time I've ever entered a girl's room."
"What?!" Sakura Airi looked shocked. "Hikigaya-kun, who was the first girl's dorm you entered?"
"Komachi, my younger sister," Hikigaya said with a face full of pride.
"Oh, it was just your sister..." Sakura Airi immediately let out a sigh of relief. Her tension was unconsciously relieved—which was exactly the effect Hikigaya wanted.
"Um, Hikigaya-kun..."
"..."
"Actually, I..." Sakura Airi's eyes filled with tears, and she hesitated several times. She seemed trapped behind a high psychological wall that was difficult to overcome.
Looking at the pained expression on Sakura Airi's face, Hikigaya felt a pang of pity in his heart. He opened his arms and gently pulled the trembling Sakura into his embrace.
"Don't be afraid. I will stay by your side forever... Airi."
Chapter 070 Airi and Hachiman
Half an hour later.
Sakura Airi sat with her head lowered, her fingers constantly fiddling with her hair. Her cheeks, ears, and even her neck were flushed deep red.
"..."
Hikigaya sat upright and proper. His face remained expressionless, but his toes were constantly digging into the gaps of the wooden floorboards.
'Don't be afraid, I will stay by your side forever, Airi...
Hikigaya Hachiman! Do you hear what you're saying? Has my condition become so serious that I can no longer distinguish between reality and dreams?'
After a long silence between the two, Hikigaya couldn't help but speak: "Um, Sakura-san."
"?"
Sakura Airi looked up at him with watery eyes, her lips pouting slightly as she mumbled: "Just now... you clearly called me..."
"Sorry!
I just got caught up in the moment... Uh, I mean, seeing you in pain... made me very sad too... I called your name because I wanted to soothe you by narrowing the distance between us."
Hikigaya scratched his head in extreme embarrassment.
This explanation was a bit far-fetched, but he couldn't exactly say that he had gotten used to calling her that in his dreams and accidentally let it slip, could he?
"I... I don't mind... Hikigaya-kun... calling me by my name."
This time, Sakura Airi did not shrink back. She looked him directly in the eyes and boldly spoke her true inner thoughts.
Hikigaya felt very happy that Sakura Airi was finally able to courageously express her thoughts. He believed that for a girl with social anxiety, this was a major first step!
"Alright, then I'll call you Airi from now on." Hikigaya agreed.
He was surprised by how readily and naturally he agreed, as if all of this was perfectly normal.
"Mhm!"
Sakura Airi nodded vigorously, a brilliant smile blossoming on her face. "Then, can I... Hachiman?"
A young girl's shy face is the most beautiful scenery. This familiar form of address caused Hikigaya's thoughts to drift back to the day before the entrance ceremony.
She was the first "wife" he had dreamed of. The image of the high-energy beauty in his dream overlapped perfectly with the plain-looking, glasses-wearing Sakura Airi before him.
"Hachiman. I want you to see the real me."
Airi placed her hand over her heart and took a deep breath, as if she had made a major decision. She used her left hand to take off the red-framed flat glasses and her right hand to untie the thick twin-tails, letting her long red hair cascade down.
The seal was broken! The gloomy, plain girl instantly transformed into a high-energy beautiful girl!!
"..."
Although Hikigaya had anticipated this in his heart, he was still stunned by the shock of seeing Sakura Airi's true face with his own eyes!
"Hachiman~ Do you like it?" Airi showed a bright smile.
"It's not a question of liking or not, it's..."
'It's a question of wanting to get married.'
Hikigaya tried his best to suppress the throbbing in his heart.
"In short, you're extremely cute!"
"Heehee~" Hearing Hikigaya's blunt praise, the smile on Airi's face grew even brighter.
Hikigaya quickly looked away. If he kept looking, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself and might do something from his dreams.
"So, Airi. Was this what you were conflicted about this morning?" Hikigaya shifted the topic. No, wait—this was the actual topic they were supposed to discuss!
"That was part of the reason..." Airi handed a digital camera to Hikigaya.
"You took a photo of the scene?" Hikigaya understood instantly.
"Yes. Over the weekend, I was taking selfies by myself... and I accidentally captured what happened back then." Airi nodded.
Hikigaya opened the camera and flipped through the photos. What entered his sight were various cute selfies of Airi. Among them were a few bold photos taken inside the dormitory wearing light clothing.
Hikigaya felt a surge of excitement in his heart.
"Ha-Hachiman~" Airi let out a shy, coy protest.
'No, aren't you just increasing the temptation?'
Hikigaya felt the tower of rationality in his heart being violently shaken!
The last photo. It was a selfie of Airi doing a "V" sign near some flowers. In the upper left corner of the frame, it happened to capture several girls pulling at each other in front of the vending machine.
This was the key evidence!
Class C's accusation was that Himeno Yuki from Class B intentionally pushed Manabe Shiho, causing her to scrape her leg. Airi's photo was enough to prove that there was a mutual struggle between both parties, and it wasn't Himeno Yuki's unilateral fault.
"Airi, do you want to come forward as a witness?" Hikigaya asked.
"Yes, I think the girl being framed is so pitiful... But the private photos in this camera..." Airi looked troubled.
This was also why she had been conflicted during the day. If she came forward as a witness, the photos in her camera would be exposed.
"We can go to the electronics section of the shopping center and borrow a computer there to extract the private photos from the camera," Hikigaya suggested.
"I thought about that too, but there's a staff member there... he feels so scary!" As if remembering something, Airi's body couldn't stop trembling, and she instinctively grabbed Hikigaya's hand.
She began to recount the full story... It turned out that since middle school, Sakura Airi had been a popular gravure model on the internet named "Shizuku." One day, she was stalked by a fanatical follower. Stricken with fear, she stopped updating her online presence.
One of the reasons she entered this fully enclosed Advanced Nurturing High School was to escape that stalker.
However, to her absolute shock, she discovered a suspicious man in the school store who looked like that fanatical fan.
"I see. No wonder you've been so uneasy, Airi." Hikigaya cleared up all the information. "Don't be afraid. I'll take you there tomorrow."
After clearing her heart, Airi became much more lively and cheerful. The two chatted until 10 PM, the curfew for the girls' dormitory. Only then did Hikigaya leave under Airi's reluctant gaze.
"Goodnight, Hachiman."
"You should sleep early too, Airi."
Actually, according to the dormitory rules, boys are forbidden from staying in the girls' dormitory after 10 PM, but there is no rule stating that girls cannot stay in the boys' dormitory... However, Hikigaya had no intention of exploiting that loophole.
He walked quietly toward the elevator to avoid making noise. Just then, the door to the neighboring Room 804 opened from the inside, and a girl came out carrying a trash bag.
She and the passing Hikigaya made eye contact, and both froze instantly.