Returning to school, Hachiman Hikigaya seemed to have stuffed himself into a transparent protective shell.
He spent most of his time slumped over his desk, using sleep and a deliberately lowered presence to build a defense. But those dead-fish eyes behind his glasses, in the moments they were occasionally raised, always sharply and accurately captured the unsettling undercurrents in the classroom.
His gaze uncontrollably followed Kanjuro.
Seeing Miura Yumiko hanging off Kanjuro like a tamed pet, the obsession and possessiveness in her eyes burning hot; seeing Yui Yuigahama, the girl he had once unintentionally saved, looking at Kanjuro with an expression so complex it was heartbreaking—there was fear, rejection, and struggle, yet deep down, there was also a lingering, almost morbid attraction that could not be severed. It was far more than just ordinary romantic feelings; it was more like... a dependency and descent twisted by a more powerful, darker force.
This bond of emotion, which transcended common sense, sent shivers down Hachiman Hikigaya's spine. He instinctively sensed that Kanjuro himself was a dangerous vortex, silently swallowing the sanity and normal emotions of those around him. He only wanted to stay far away and preserve his own pitiable peace.
However, the tree craves stillness, but the wind does not cease.
One day during a break between classes, Kanjuro seemed to notice this new student who always huddled in the corner trying to remain invisible. He proactively walked over, wearing that signature gentle smile capable of making any young girl's heart flutter.
"Classmate Hikigaya, how is your recovery going?" His voice was gentle and polite, with no hint of anything unusual.
Hachiman jolted, sitting up straight almost as a reflex. A stiff, slightly fawning smile squeezed onto his face: "Ah, thanks to you, I'm... I'm much better! Kanjuro-kun, you really care about your classmates. You're so handsome, practically everyone's idol! Haha..." He gave a dry laugh, using exaggerated flattery to try and create distance, hoping the other would find him boring and leave.
Upon hearing this, instead of finding him hypocritical, Kanjuro seemed amused. He let out a laugh and reached out to pat Hachiman on the shoulder, a gesture that was natural yet carried an undeniable intimacy.
"Hikigaya-kun, you're quite funny when you talk." He leaned down slightly, his deep eyes looking at Hachiman with a smile, his tone relaxed. "Since we get along so well, why don't we become friends? I see you're always alone; it must be quite lonely."
These words exploded in Hachiman's ears like a thunderclap. Become friends? With this dangerous source of trouble he wished he could hide from on the other side of the planet? You've got to be kidding!
He was so startled he nearly bounced out of his chair, waving his hands frantically and shaking his head like a rattle: "No, no, no! No need! Really! Kanjuro-kun, you're too kind! I'm fine on my own, I'm very used to it! Really! I won't disturb you, you're busy, you're busy!" He was incoherent, wanting only to end this dangerous conversation as quickly as possible.
His behavior—avoiding the interaction as if it were a plague and appearing almost terrified—was caught by Miura Yumiko as she walked over. Her brow furrowed immediately, her face showing displeasure at someone 'offending' the deity in her heart.
"Hey, Hikigaya!" Her voice carried clear dissatisfaction and condescension. "What kind of attitude is that? My husband is proactively offering to be friends with you; it's a huge honor, okay? Do you know how many people in this school would kill for a chance to get close to my husband? You actually dare to refuse?"
Her words were like a whip, lashing against Hachiman's already taut nerves. His face turned pale as he realized his instinctive reaction might have invited even greater trouble. He immediately adopted an even more humble and terrified expression, bowing repeatedly to Kanjuro and Miura Yumiko to apologize:
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Miura-san, Kanjuro-kun! It's my fault for being ungrateful! I don't know how to speak! Kanjuro-kun is a heartthrob, everyone's idol—I'm not worthy of being your friend! Please, don't mind me at all!" He bent his waist nearly ninety degrees, lowering his posture to the extreme, just seeking to quell the other's 'wrath,' even if that wrath might just be an overreaction of his sensitive nerves.
His pathetic and comical appearance indeed amused the surrounding students watching the spectacle, including Miura Yumiko. Looking at Hachiman's submissive and cowardly state, she gave a disdainful snort and hooked her arm through Kanjuro's, as if flaunting her ownership.
"Forget it, Hubby, don't pay attention to this tactless guy," she said coquettishly.
Kanjuro also smiled, seemingly unbothered. He just patted Hachiman on the shoulder again, his tone still gentle: "It's alright, Hikigaya-kun, just relax." Having said that, he allowed Yumiko to pull him away.
A round of low laughter erupted from the surroundings. The students all felt Hachiman Hikigaya's reaction was overly dramatic and ridiculous, like a clown.
Hachiman slowly straightened up. Amidst the laughter of the crowd, he silently sat back in his corner, burying his head even lower. No one saw that beneath his lowered eyelids, those dead-fish eyes held not a shred of the humiliation of being mocked, but only a deep, unshakeable vigilance and coldness.
(As expected... too dangerous...)
(Behind that seemingly easygoing exterior is an absolute desire for control.)
(Even a small thing like refusing a friendship draws such a violent reaction from those around him...)
(I must... be even more careful.)
He tucked his neck in, burying himself deeper into the shadows belonging to the lonely, as if only then could he find a sliver of safety at the edge of the vortex named 'Kanjuro.' Meanwhile, at the other end of the classroom, Kanjuro enjoyed Yumiko's snuggling and the admiring glances—both overt and subtle—from those around him. A smile played at the corners of his mouth, as if the little interlude just now was merely a trivial bit of fun added to his dull school life.
The setting sun dyed the streets a warm orange, and the commercial district after school was bustling. Kanjuro walked in the center, with Miura Yumiko affectionately clutching his left arm, practically hanging off him, and Ebina Hina half a step behind on his right, her eyes carrying a strange sort of submissiveness and awe. The two of them, one on each side like carefully tamed attendants, made Kanjuro in the middle appear all the more composed, handsome, and striking. They were preparing to head to Ebina's house for some 'intensive' evening activities known only to themselves.
Just then, Kanjuro's gaze casually swept past the entrance of a convenience store on the street corner. His footsteps paused slightly, and a playful arc curled at the corner of his mouth.
He saw Hachiman Hikigaya standing there, looking somewhat at a loss, in front of a girl wearing another school's uniform who had a bright and lively smile. The girl was greeting him warmly; she was Kaori Orimoto, one of the few classmates he could actually talk to back in middle school.
"I say, Hikigaya, we were middle school classmates after all, no need to be so stiff, right?" Kaori Orimoto said with a grin, her eyes nimbly sizing up Hachiman. "By the way, I heard that super famous Kanjuro is your classmate now, right?" Her tone carried unmasked curiosity and excitement.
The moment Hachiman Hikigaya heard the name 'Kanjuro,' his body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a highly unnatural smirk squeezed onto his face: "Yeah, that's right..." Alarm bells rang in his heart; he only wanted to end this topic as soon as possible. That man, Kanjuro, was like a walking human disaster source; he instinctively wanted to stay away from anyone or anything related to him.
Kaori Orimoto didn't seem to notice his subtle resistance. Instead, she leaned in closer and lowered her voice, with a young girl's longing and a hint of gossip: "Hey, can you help me find out more about Kanjuro? I heard he's super handsome and good-looking! Is it true? Do you have any photos? What kind of girls does he like?"
A string of questions pelted him, making Hachiman's face turn even paler. He looked at Kaori Orimoto's expectant face, and in his mind flashed Miura Yumiko's obsessed gaze, Yui Yuigahama's pained and struggling expression, and Ebina Hina's total transformation... A chill rose from the bottom of his heart.
(No... I absolutely can't let her get involved...)
(Kanjuro is too dangerous, like a swamp; once you get close, you'll be swallowed up...)
(Even though Kaori sometimes spoke without thinking in middle school, she was one of the few... few girls willing to talk to me normally...)
An instinct akin to protectiveness, mixed with a deep dread of Kanjuro, made him blurt out, his tone carrying a rare, blunt refusal:
"Sorry! I can't!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, not only was Kaori Orimoto stunned, but even Hachiman himself was a bit surprised by his own agitation. He quickly softened his tone, though his eyes remained evasive: "I mean... Kanjuro-kun... um... he's very busy, and besides, it's not good to pry into other people's privacy..."
He clumsily tried to explain, but it only made things look more suspicious.
Not far away, Kanjuro, who had taken in the entire scene, saw his playful smile deepen. He had naturally heard the name 'Kanjuro' and seen Hachiman's state of being as if facing a great enemy, desperately trying to draw a clear line.
(Oh? It seems this Classmate Hikigaya is a bit more interesting than I imagined.)
(Not only did he keenly sense something, but he's also trying to... protect that girl?)
(What a... naive and cute gesture.)
Kanjuro didn't step forward immediately, but simply continued to watch with interest, like watching a hamster in a cage running in vain.
Kaori Orimoto was a bit baffled by Hachiman's intense reaction, but seeing his unwillingness to talk further, she just curled her lip: "Fine, fine, if you won't tell, you won't tell. Why so tense... stingy guy." She waved her hand, seemingly losing interest, and turned to leave.
Hachiman watched Kaori Orimoto's retreating back and let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had just dodged a massive crisis. He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his brow, but as he turned around, he suddenly met Kanjuro's smiling eyes in the distance, along with the inscrutable gazes of Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina beside him.
Hachiman's heart skipped a beat instantly. His face went deathly pale, and he quickly lowered his head, ducking into the nearby convenience store as if escaping for his life, wanting only to disappear from their sight as quickly as possible.
Watching his panicked retreat, Miura Yumiko snorted disdainfully: "That dead-fish eye guy is so mysterious and annoying."
Ebina simply pushed up her glasses without saying a word, her eyes still submissively following Kanjuro.
Kanjuro gave a light chuckle and withdrew his gaze, his tone relaxed and indifferent: "Let's go, don't let irrelevant people spoil the mood." He tightened his hold on Yumiko's hand and continued walking toward Ebina's house.
However, deep within his profound eyes, the girl named Kaori Orimoto who was curious about him, and Hachiman Hikigaya's unusual protective stance, were both quietly noted. Perhaps, at some point in the future, this would become another interesting toy to kill time with when he was bored.
Meanwhile, Hachiman Hikigaya, hiding behind the shelves of the convenience store, still had a racing heart. He only knew that he had once again felt that chill of being stared at by the abyss, and had successfully (temporarily) pushed someone who might have been caught in the vortex away from its edge. This gave him a sliver of trivial, survivor-like relief.
Hachiman Hikigaya had just found a moment to breathe behind the convenience store shelves, thinking the crisis had temporarily passed, when he looked through the glass window and saw with horror that Kaori Orimoto had somehow turned back! Moreover, her gaze fell directly onto Kanjuro not far away, and her footsteps involuntarily stopped.
The afterglow of the setting sun happened to fall on Kanjuro, plating his peerlessly handsome profile with an almost divine halo. That transcendent appearance and elegant, composed aura instantly acted like a magnet, firmly grabbing all of Kaori Orimoto's attention. She opened her mouth, her eyes full of amazement and a momentary loss of focus.
Kanjuro naturally noticed the returning Kaori Orimoto and her unmasked, attracted gaze. The corner of his mouth quirked up almost imperceptibly. He proactively stopped, turned around to face her, and revealed a gentle smile that carried a hint of indiscernible wickedness.
"Hello," his voice was low and pleasant, as heart-stirring as a cello. "I saw you talking to Classmate Hikigaya just now. Do you know each other?" His manner was natural, as if he were just a friendly classmate asking casually.
Kaori Orimoto's heart nearly stopped at his sudden approach. A blush instantly rushed to her cheeks, and she became somewhat incoherent: "Ah, y-yes! We were middle school classmates... Um, may I ask who you are...?" She summoned her courage to ask, her eyes almost unable to move away from Kanjuro's face.
"I'm Hikigaya's classmate," Kanjuro said with a slight smile. That smile appeared even more captivating under the setting sun, carrying a sort of bad-boy yet irresistible charm. "My name is Kanjuro."
"Ye... Kanjuro!" Kaori Orimoto felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. It turned out the real person was a hundred times better looking than the rumors! Especially when he smiled, that aura of being both righteous and evil was simply dizzying and left her at a loss. Almost instinctively, with a young girl's shyness and impulse, she blurted out: "Um... c-can you give me your contact information?"
Before Kanjuro could answer, the faces of Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina beside him instantly darkened.
Miura Yumiko immediately stepped forward, clutching Kanjuro's arm as if declaring her sovereignty. She sized up Kaori Orimoto with an unfriendly gaze, her tone carrying unmasked mockery: "Hey, who are you? Didn't you see Kanjuro-kun is with us? Asking for someone else's boyfriend's contact information just like that—you're being quite disrespectful, aren't you?"
Ebina also pushed up her glasses, her gaze cold. Though she didn't speak, her aura of rejection was just as apparent.
Kaori Orimoto was stunned by this sudden hostility. Her face flushed red and white in turns as she hurriedly apologized in embarrassment, "S-Sorry! I didn't know... I was just..." She was so mortified she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Watching this scene, Kanjuro still wore that composed smile. He gently patted Yumiko's hand, his tone carrying a hint of reassurance. "Yumiko, don't be like that; you'll scare her." He then turned to the flustered Kaori Orimoto, his gaze "gentle," as if he didn't mind her abruptness at all.
"It's alright," he said, taking out his phone and operating it with elegant movements before showing the phone number on the screen to Kaori Orimoto. "This is my number. If... you need help with anything, you can call me."
This move wasn't out of any great interest in Kaori Orimoto; it was more like a whim of charity, or rather... a wicked amusement. He enjoyed the feeling of being pursued and coveted, and he delighted in seeing the stronger sense of possessiveness and dependency it triggered in Yumiko and Ebina. At the same time, he didn't miss the gaze behind the convenience store glass in the distance—a gaze fixed on them, filled with despair and fear: Hachiman Hikigaya's gaze.
Kaori Orimoto could hardly believe her eyes and ears! She hurriedly took out her own phone and tremblingly recorded the number as if she had obtained some rare treasure, thanking him excitedly, "Thank you! Thank you, Kanjuro-kun!"
"You're welcome." Kanjuro withdrew his phone and smiled at her. The smile was as charming as ever, yet it carried an invisible sense of distance. "Well, we have things to do, so we'll be going now."
After saying that, he led Yumiko—whose face was written with displeasure yet dared not defy him—and the silently following Ebina toward their original destination, without sparing Kaori Orimoto another glance.
Kaori Orimoto stood there, clutching her phone with Kanjuro's number saved in it. Her heart was racing, and her face beamed with a dreamlike smile, completely immersed in the joy of her "encounter" with her idol, having long since thrown her earlier embarrassment and Hachiman's warnings to the winds.
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