Chapter 342 Violent Confrontation
"Hirata-kun!"
Everyone was startled to see Hirata Yousuke flipped onto the ground. However, an even more shocking scene followed.
"Koenji!!"
The moment Hirata Yousuke hit the ground, he showed no signs of clumsiness. With one hand bracing himself, his body spun violently, and a sharp sweep kick—whistling through the air—slammed hard into Koenji Rokusuke's lower back!
Caught off guard, Koenji staggered, his body lunging forward uncontrollably as he nearly face-planted. Fortunately, his reactions were lightning-fast; he quickly braced his arms against the desks on either side to narrowly stabilize himself.
"I've put up with you for long enough, you arrogant brat of a young master!!!"
Hirata Yousuke's eyes were wide with fury, welling with a long-suppressed rage. He ripped off his hindering school blazer and tossed it aside. His fitted shirt tightened, clearly outlining his bulging pectorals and firm abdominals, exuding a fierce aura.
"Truly unpleasant.
However, for having the guts to challenge me, I shall praise your bravery for the time being."
Koenji Rokusuke's tone shifted from its initial flippancy to a bone-chilling cold. Clearly, he was genuinely angry!
Seeing the two at each other's throats, the smell of gunpowder in the air was so thick it felt like it could explode at any moment. The members of Class D were full of worry, yet no one dared to step forward to intervene.
"Hachiman, don't you plan to step in?"
Horikita Suzune turned her gaze toward Hikigaya, who was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
'Step in for what?'
Hikigaya sneered inwardly. He wished these two guys—who both annoyed him in their own way—would have a proper fight. Ideally, they'd beat each other bloody so they'd stop bothering him in the future!
Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to voice these schadenfreude thoughts aloud.
Hikigaya paused, putting on a serious face before slowly speaking: "At this level, the conflict is just a squabble between classmates. It hasn't reached the point of a disciplinary violation, so there's no need to intervene."
"Shut up! You damn bastard who won't listen to reason!"
Hirata Yousuke lunged forward, his hands death-gripping Koenji Rokusuke's collar. Unfortunately, he was half a head shorter than Koenji; even with his intense aura, it was difficult to exert effective pressure, making him look somewhat strained.
A flash of impatience crossed Koenji Rokusuke's eyes. He accurately caught Hirata's wrist joint and yanked upward with a bit of force, firmly locking down Hirata's left arm. His voice was cold and devoid of warmth: "I have never shown mercy to those who lay hands on me."
"Who asked you for mercy?"
Hirata Yousuke endured the throbbing pain in his left arm. Gritting his teeth, he balled his right hand into a fist and hammered it into Koenji Rokusuke's chest.
"Hmph!"
Koenji Rokusuke gave a cold snort. His frame paused slightly before he drove his knee forward, slamming it into Hirata's stomach with enough force to turn the latter's face instantly pale.
In their struggle, Hirata Yousuke was undoubtedly falling behind. But it had to be said, Hirata was a ruthless man to the core!
Even though he was beaten bruised and swollen, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes remained sharp. He refused to admit defeat, continuing to launch attacks at Koenji Rokusuke purely through sheer tenacity.
The members of Class D stood dumbfounded.
Only then did they remember that back when Hirata had "blackened," he had boasted about beating the entire grade level into submission during middle school. Looking at him now, it wasn't an exaggeration at all!
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stood quietly to the side, watching the fight with a calm gaze while thinking to himself: 'If this continues, Hirata will definitely lose. It's not just the gap in martial skill; their physiques are also worlds apart. He's only holding on now through sheer stubbornness.'
He decided to personally step in and subdue Koenji Rokusuke!
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka moved silently, circling behind Koenji. Taking advantage of a gap in the struggle, he launched a sudden surprise attack, accurately seizing Koenji's arms and locking them down so he couldn't move.
"Hm?!"
Koenji Rokusuke was startled and instinctively struggled to break free. However, he soon realized the strength of the person holding him was staggering. No matter how much force he applied, he couldn't break free in the slightest.
"The heat coming from these hands... I see."
Koenji slowly turned his head, staring at Ayanokouji at close range with interest, a flash of inquiry in his eyes. "It seems this is the reason Chairman Tsukishiro has his eye on you."
Ayanokouji did not respond to the probe. He simply tightened his grip slightly and requested a negotiation in a calm tone: "Koenji, can we talk now?"
"No." Koenji Rokusuke refused without a second thought. Even while restrained, his tone remained defiant: "Just because you took the upper hand through a surprise attack doesn't mean I will choose to submit."
Ayanokouji said nothing more, merely increasing the pressure of his grip to further suppress Koenji's body. At the same time, he wordlessly shot a glance toward Hirata Yousuke.
"I don't want to use violence.
But some people just won't listen to reason!"
Hirata Yousuke clenched his fist and swung it toward Koenji Rokusuke's face. If this punch landed, the physical damage aside, the insult would be absolute!
However, at the critical moment, a hand-knife struck from the side, accurately hitting Hirata's wrist.
"Hikigaya...
You're going to interfere in our fight too?"
Hirata clutched his numbing wrist, glaring at him through gritted teeth.
"You think I want to deal with this?"
Hikigaya looked at them with a face full of disgust. "Knowing full well I'm on the Disciplinary Committee and still starting a brawl right in front of me—you guys are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
He paused and added with a hint of mockery: "If you really want to get serious, why not find a place without cameras? Why do you have to be such attention-seekers here?"
With Hikigaya's forceful intervention, the members of Class D—who had previously been too scared to speak—finally dared to chime in.
"Stop fighting!"
"What if we lose points?"
"Exactly... losing points before the exam even starts, who does that..."
The operation was a failure.
Facing the rising indignation of Class D, if Ayanokouji continued to use force, it would only invite more resentment, which would be detrimental to future plans. After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Ayanokouji slowly released his hold on Koenji.
To his surprise, Koenji reacted instantly. Taking advantage of the release, he grabbed Ayanokouji's arm and executed a clean, sharp shoulder throw, slamming him heavily onto the floor!
Thud!
A dull, heavy sound echoed through the classroom. Just by the noise alone, one could tell Ayanokouji had taken a hard fall!
"Ayanokouji! Are you okay?"
Seeing this, Hirata Yousuke forgot his anger and rushed forward anxiously to help his friend up.
Hikigaya's brow twitched as a flash of realization crossed his mind. He grumbled inwardly: 'This guy is quite the actor!'
Ayanokouji had intentionally let go and allowed Koenji to counterattack just to settle the score for the surprise attack. It saved Koenji's face and ensured Ayanokouji wouldn't be left with a bad reputation.
Koenji Rokusuke clearly saw through Ayanokouji's intent as well, but he had no intention of compromising. "Hypocrite-boy, don't try to fool me with your hypocritical tricks!"
Ayanokouji slowly climbed up and brushed the dust off his clothes. His expression remained calm, though his tone grew slightly heavier as he questioned: "Koenji, during the 'Class Poll' exam, didn't you say yourself that you would contribute to the class?"
"I will participate in the exam normally."
Koenji Rokusuke shifted the conversation and retorted with pure disdain: "As for how much effort I put in, that depends on who my opponent is. Hypocrite-boy, I think you are the least qualified person to question me on that, aren't you?"
The onlookers thought about it and realized he had a point.
Ayanokouji hid his strength by controlling his test scores; wasn't it a double standard to criticize others now?
The negotiation failed. Koenji Rokusuke turned and left the classroom, leaving behind a room full of Class D students with complicated expressions.
With things reaching this point, it was clear that today's homeroom wouldn't yield any results. Everyone dispersed, filled with anxiety about the upcoming special exam.
"Hey~ Hachiman-kun, we're planning to go shopping later. Do you want to come along?"
Kushida Kikyo approached him with a gentle smile, taking the initiative to invite him.
"No thanks, I have club training today."
Hikigaya shook his head and politely declined her invitation.
"..."
The smile on Kushida's face faded slightly. She forced a smile, though disappointment was hard to hide in her eyes. "Well then, maybe next time."
Just then, Horikita Suzune's voice rang out. Her tone was crisp and left no room for questioning—it sounded more like a notification than a request: "Hachiman, at 8:00 PM tonight, I'm going to your room."
Before Hikigaya could respond, Kushida Kikyo exploded!
Her eyes widened, and her facial expression nearly lost its composure. "Hah? What do you want in Hachiman-kun's room so late at night?!"
Horikita Suzune didn't flinch. Her expression remained calm as she explained coolly: "Reviewing Japanese for the upcoming exam. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?
Kushida, I recall your Japanese level is quite poor, isn't it?"
Horikita ruthlessly pointed out her weakness.
"So what! I'll just have Hachiman-kun teach me more!"
Kushida was persistent and refused to back down. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, watching from the side, suddenly felt physically and mentally exhausted.
This group in Class D really was like "rotten wood that cannot be carved." The few students with actual ability either didn't care about the exam, were busy fighting internally, or were entangled in irrelevant romance.
This class really was impossible to carry!
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Facing the upcoming special exam, most people across the four classes were actively preparing. Only Hikigaya Hachiman remained like an outsider, following his routine every day—studying when he should, exercising when he should. He didn't care about Class D's future anyway; he just intended to take the college entrance exams and move on.
One morning.
Having surprisingly not had any erotic dreams the night before, Hikigaya had a surplus of energy with nowhere to release it. He chose to get up early for a morning run.
"Yo~ Hachiman, what a coincidence."
"Hachiman-kun, good morning."
Encountering Ibuki Mio on the track wasn't surprising, given her love for sports. But the other person following Ibuki left Hikigaya completely stunned.
"Hiyori, why are you here too?"
Hikigaya looked at Shiina Hiyori with sheer amazement. He knew very well that her stamina was a weakness; she usually lacked exercise and would get out of breath just from walking quickly. Why would she suddenly come for a morning run?
"To exercise my body, of course."
Shiina Hiyori's expression was incredibly serious.
"To lose because of a lack of physical strength... would be far too frustrating."
'Don't say such improper things with such a serious face!'
Hikigaya didn't know what to say.
"Don't worry, Hiyori.
I'll work hard for your sake as well!"
Ibuki Mio thumped her chest, speaking with a grand air of loyalty. But it didn't sit well with Shiina Hiyori, who retorted poutily: "No! Mine is mine, I don't need anyone to take my place!"
With that, Shiina Hiyori clenched her fists and began running along the track with steps that were somewhat clumsy but exceptionally determined.
"Eh? Why did she suddenly start running..."
Ibuki Mio stood there, confused.
Smack!
Hikigaya casually slapped her rear. "Are you an idiot?"
Ibuki first looked around frantically to make sure no one had noticed, then glared at him in a fit of rage. "You bastard... are you asking for death!"
"I'm looking for Hiyori."
Hikigaya couldn't be bothered to argue with this dummy and quickly caught up with Shiina Hiyori's pace.
"Stop right there! Explain yourself!!"
Ibuki gave chase from behind.
The morning run ended. Shiina Hiyori was panting heavily, her face pale and her legs so weak she was wobbling as she walked.
"Hiyori, don't push yourself too hard."
Hikigaya immediately stepped forward to support her.
"Yeah, physical fitness isn't built in a day."
Ibuki Mio surprisingly said something sensible.
"Whew... whew..."
"I... I just don't want to fall too far behind you guys..."
Shiina Hiyori's tone was full of helplessness. "Why didn't I realize the importance of physical strength before?"
Actually, that sort of thing isn't entirely about stamina. Take Ichinose Honami, for example; her usual fitness level is just that of an average girl, but in certain specific scenarios, she possesses startling combat power!
One could only say it's a personal talent.
But regardless, it was a good thing that Shiina Hiyori was willing to exercise. Hikigaya didn't want to discourage her.
"Mio, go back to class first.
I'll take Hiyori to the infirmary to rest for a bit."
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