Chapter 210: "Noob" but addicted to playing
Cooking, washing dishes, mopping, and cleaning. Kikyo took it all upon herself. It made Hikigaya feel a bit awkward.
"Um, Kikyo, would you like to take a break for a while?"
"I'm not tired! What else needs to be done?" Kikyo looked completely full of energy.
"I'll handle the rest..." Hikigaya got up to go to the balcony to collect the laundry. But Kikyo beat him to it.
"Hachiman, you just sit there. You don't need to do anything!" Kikyo seemed exceptionally diligent.
"No, having you do this actually makes me feel pretty embarrassed." Hikigaya didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for you to work hard later!" Kikyo winked at him, her face full of anticipation.
'Even if it's just a dream, who cares? Eat him first and talk later!'
"Work hard? That's impossible. You alone won't be enough to use up all my energy." Hikigaya spoke the simple truth.
"Huh?! How many other people were you planning on?" Kikyo's expression changed instantly.
"Uh, it was just a metaphor..." Hikigaya broke into a cold sweat.
"Damnable Hachiman! I'm going to squeeze you dry!!"
Filled with passionate resolve, Kikyo pushed Hikigaya into the bedroom.
-
-
-
The next morning. Hikigaya woke up feeling completely refreshed. About last night's dream... How should he put it?
The phrase "noob but addicted to playing" perfectly described Kikyo.
She was clearly exhausted to the point of collapse, yet she stubbornly insisted he continue until she ended up with an ahegao face.
He headed out for school. In the elevator, he happened to meet two people.
"Yo~ Morning, Suzune, Kikyo."
"Morning." Horikita Suzune's brow furrowed; she seemed a bit surprised that he was calling Kikyo by her first name. However, what was more concerning was Kushida Kikyo's state today.
Usually, if Kushida Kikyo ran into her, she would definitely approach to pester her with some boring nonsense. But today, Kushida Kikyo entered the elevator with a vacant stare, not noticing her at all.
"N-no...!" Upon hearing Hikigaya's voice, Kushida Kikyo reacted like a startled little rabbit, frantically shaking her head and waving her hands: "No, no, no, no way...!"
"???" Hikigaya was baffled. Was this girl still half-asleep and confused?
Horikita Suzune's face darkened, and she questioned sternly, "Hachiman, what did you do to Kushida-san?"
"I didn't do anything?" Hikigaya denied it with total conviction. What happened in the dream stayed in the dream; it didn't happen in reality!
"Y-yeah. He didn't do... anything at all..." Kushida Kikyo managed to squeeze out a strained, awkward smile.
"Kikyo, what's wrong with you? Do you have a fever?"
Hikigaya instinctively reached out to touch her forehead.
"It's slightly higher than room temperature..."
"N-no, I don't!" Kushida Kikyo's face turned scalding hot, and she hurriedly swatted his hand away.
'Do you really dislike me that much?'
Hikigaya was instantly struck by a sense of defeat. They were supposed to be friends who called each other by their names.
Did he let his ego get the better of him and misunderstand again?
"..." As a bystander, Horikita Suzune looked at Kushida Kikyo's abnormal state and felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
'That weird dream... but that should be impossible, right?'
"I have something to do, I'll go ahead." Once out of the elevator, Kushida Kikyo quickened her pace and ran off.
"Hachiman, you definitely did something strange to Kushida!" Horikita Suzune stared at him intently.
"I really didn't... Unless it was... last night." Hikigaya suddenly thought of something.
"Last night?!" Horikita's gaze became sharp.
"It's not what you think.
Last night, she came to my dorm to find me. On a whim, she made me wear glasses, and then she started acting abnormal." Hikigaya put it succinctly.
"What does that have to do with you wearing glasses?"
Horikita looked suspicious, staring straight into his dead-fish eyes.
Her imagination failed... she found she couldn't picture what Hikigaya would look like in glasses at all!
"I'm not too sure either." Hikigaya shrugged.
"Tch... fine. Wear them for me to see next time." After dropping that line, Horikita Suzune ignored him.
-
-
Class D Classroom. Today was the routine class meeting. Chabashira-sensei had arrived early.
"In October, the school will hold a Sports Festival."
Upon hearing this, no one looked happy; instead, they began whispering to each other.
"Sports Festival?"
"It's not another exam, is it?"
Even the idiots of Class D had gradually learned to think after being screwed over by the school several times.
"Exactly as you suspect.
This Sports Festival is an important physical education exam."
Chabashira-sensei nodded with some satisfaction and continued explaining: "For the next half month, the curriculum will be adjusted; specifically, the number of PE classes will increase.
In addition, materials regarding the Sports Festival will be distributed.
Kushida-san, you're responsible for handing these out to everyone."
To maintain her "little angel" persona, Kushida Kikyo always volunteered for class chores.
"Hmm? Kushida-san?" Chabashira-sensei called out a few times, only to find Kushida Kikyo dazing at her seat, completely unresponsive.
Everyone around cast surprised glances.
Wang Mei-Yu, sitting next to her, couldn't help but reach out and gently pat her: "Kikyo-chan~ Sensei is calling you." Still no response.
Hikigaya couldn't help but speak up: "Kikyo."
"Huh?!" Kushida Kikyo's soul instantly returned.
"She only reacts when Hikigaya-kun calls her." Matsushita Chiaki leaned her head to the side, looking like she was enjoying the drama.
"!!!" Suddenly, everyone realized. The gazes they cast toward Hikigaya became extremely unfriendly!
"Damnable Hikigaya!" The boys began gnashing their teeth. Other girls were one thing, but Kushida was the "little angel" in their eyes!
"Kushida-san, whatever business you have with Hikigaya can be settled after class." Chabashira Sae looked at the two meaningfully.
"..."
Kushida Kikyo's cheeks burned; she felt incredibly embarrassed.
She was screaming in her heart: It was clearly just a dream, but why does it feel so realistic!
Stare— Horikita Suzune, sitting next to him, locked her gaze onto him once again.
"What are you looking at me for?
I told you, I didn't do anything!"
Hikigaya cried out, feeling wronged.
He couldn't be held responsible in reality for things he did in a dream, right?
"Anyway, it definitely has something to do with you!" Horikita Suzune grit her teeth. As she seemingly thought of herself, her expression became complicated.
"Airi."
"What is it?"
"It feels like we've fallen behind." Hasabe Haruka muttered gloomily.
"Behind in what?" Sakura Airi looked confused.
"I don't know.
I just feel like Horikita and Kushida have made a 'sneak run' while we weren't looking!"
Read ahead (160 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting