The atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned a little strange.
Hikigaya reminded himself not to overthink things as he nodded and said, "Sure. Is there somewhere you want to go?"
Honestly... No, rather, he should feel relieved.
When Kamuro noticed that he was thinking about dropping out, he had assumed she would try to talk him out of it. He had even prepared a response in his head for that scenario.
But in the end, she didn't bring it up at all... Ahhh!
Just imagining it was unbearably awkward!
There had to be a limit to self-indulgent assumptions!
As Hikigaya silently endured the pain of adding another moment to his collection of embarrassing memories, Kamuro scratched the back of her head and said, "Actually, it's not that I have a particular place I want to go."
Her face flushed slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.
So what exactly was she getting at…?
"Are you going shopping?" Hikigaya guessed. "Or maybe a karaoke place? An arcade? Or like last time, do you want to play ping pong?"
The school had no shortage of entertainment facilities, but in the end, there were only so many options.
That was exactly why the fortune-telling booth, which was temporarily set up for summer break, became so popular—everyone just wanted to try something new.
"…Those all sound fine, I guess."
Kamuro looked tempted for a moment, but then hesitated and shook her head.
"But none of them are what I want to do the most right now."
"Then what is it?" Hikigaya really couldn't figure it out.
"It's just... Hey, Hikigaya."
For some reason, Kamuro suddenly called his name.
Before he could react, she continued on her own, "You look kind of tired. Do you want to take a little break?"
"…Huh?"
Under Hikigaya's dazed gaze, Kamuro forced herself to stay calm as she walked over to a long table in the activity room and plopped down onto it.
Then, she looked at him expectantly.
Uh… What?
No, seriously, what's going on here?!
If I'm not mistaken… isn't the next step—?
Hikigaya shuddered at the thought and quickly shook his head. "N-No, there's no need for that, right? I'm not tired at all."
"…It's not a hassle."
"Uh, but this is the activity room. It's not really—"
"Quit babbling and get over here."
Even though Hikigaya had tried to decline as politely as possible, it seemed to have made Masumi a little impatient.
But rather than being upset… she had been avoiding his gaze ever since they stepped into the room.
Even from the side, it was obvious how red her face had gotten…
Seriously, if you're that embarrassed, then don't do it!
"…D-Don't tell me you forgot what you did to me on the deserted island." Kamuro still refused to look at him. "Before you leave, I have to… Just hurry up and get over here."
Huh? She's calling this revenge…?
Something about this revenge feels really off.
"Uh…" It seemed like she was getting impatient because Kamuro finally turned to look at him—or rather, she glared at him.
Hikigaya had no choice but to sigh and reluctantly drag his feet over.
"Don't just stand there. Come on."
Saying that, Kamuro patted her lap.
"And it's not like you haven't done this before."
"…That was different, wasn't it?"
"It was. Before that, I never imagined I'd be in this position… and as the one being, you know… done to."
Her voice carried a strange mix of emotions, but she also seemed a little happy.
So this is what they call a maiden's heart…? Way too hard to understand.
"No, I mean, last time, I only did it because you weren't feeling well—"
"Enough talk. Just lie down."
"…Okay."
Under her urging, Hikigaya stiffly climbed onto the long table, slowly leaned back, and carefully rested his head on Kamuro's lap.
A faint scent immediately filled his nose, sending a slight tremor through his chest.
…Crap.
This is even more embarrassing than I thought!
And last time, at least I was the one doing it. Being on the receiving end feels completely different.
Also, shouldn't this be done on a bench at least? Doing a lap pillow while sitting on a table… No matter how you look at it, this is just weird!
No doubt about it—his face must be completely red right now.
But when he accidentally glanced up… he realized Kamuro's face was even redder than his.
To the point where he was worried she might just faint on the spot.
"Kamuro… You don't have to force yourself, you know?"
"J-Just don't talk! And stop staring at me like that!"
Her face burned bright, but unwilling to back down, she reached out and covered his eyes.
The activity room fell into silence, leaving only their soft breaths lingering in the air.
After who knows how long, once she had finally calmed down, Kamuro suddenly spoke. "Hikigaya, you know… I've always thought about this."
"Hm?"
"If I just cover your eyes, you actually look really handsome."
"…Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Hehe, of course it is."
Saying that, Kamuro let go of his face, then gazed into his eyes without blinking.
"But still… I think I like you better as you are now."
"…Uh… Th-Thanks."
This was the first time Hikigaya had ever been praised so directly. Now he was the one struggling to meet her gaze.
But just as he tried to quietly avert his eyes, a pair of hands gently cupped his cheeks.
"…You always do this."
As if to make sure he wouldn't escape, Kamuro's grip tightened, forcing him to look at her.
"You mess with people's hearts so easily… I won't allow you to just stir someone up and run away."
"Uh… Kamuro, maybe you should calm down a little?"
"Shut up. Just listen."
Despite telling him not to talk, Kamuro slowly leaned in closer.
The two of them gradually drew closer as they spoke.
"Hikigaya, to be honest, you're seriously such a pain."
"…Huh?"
"Not only are you a pain, but you're also ridiculously twisted. You even managed to deal with Sakayanagi, so what's next? Are you planning to take over the entire grade?"
"Uh, that's not my intention at all?"
"That's exactly why you're an idiot!" Kamuro shot back mercilessly. "You went through all that trouble just to teach Sakayanagi a lesson? And now, at the peak of your success, you're choosing to drop out? It's unbelievable!"
"N-No, I wouldn't call it success or anything…"
Hikigaya felt a cold sweat forming. Wait, what was going on here?
Why was he suddenly being roasted like this?!
Shouldn't a situation like this be leading to a confession or something…? Ah, guess that was just his own wishful thinking.
In just a short time, he had somehow accumulated two more embarrassing memories.
Ugh, this school was definitely cursed.
…No, maybe the one cursed was me.
As Hikigaya wallowed in self-deprecation, an unexpected statement suddenly reached his ears.
"But, including all of that… everything—I like all of it."
"…Huh? Ha, hah?"
Before he could even process it, a splash of cold water came crashing down on him.
"Don't get the wrong idea—I don't mean that kind of 'like.'"
"Ugh…" Thank god. It was a misunderstanding after all… Not that it was any better!
Stop casually adding to my list of embarrassing moments!
But what Hikigaya failed to notice was that Kamuro's expression wasn't one of teasing satisfaction. Instead, it was filled with a sense of determination.
"I like you, Hikigaya."
"…Huh?"
Even though the words were the same, this time, they carried an entirely different weight.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden confession, Hikigaya froze on the spot, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.
And then… he collapsed.
"H-Hey! Are you okay?!"
Seeing this, Kamuro rushed to help him up.
But there was no way Hikigaya could let her get any closer. In a flurry of panic, he scrambled back to his feet.
"N-n-n-no, I'm fine! Totally fine!"
Despite his insistence, anyone could see just how shaken he was.
He was desperately trying to stay calm, but… it was impossible.
Nope. No way. This was just impossible!
"K-Kamuro!" His voice unconsciously shot up an octave. "D-Do you even realize what you're saying?! You can't just joke about things like this!"
"…Do I look like I'm joking?"
Even though her face was equally flushed, unlike Hikigaya, Kamuro still had the composure to ask that question.
And that only made things even more confusing.
Of course, it wasn't like he was unhappy about this. But still…
"But… I'm leaving soon."
Hikigaya lowered his head, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hearing that, Kamuro's heart clenched painfully. She instinctively balled her hands into fists.
"I know that. Of course I know that."
"Then why—"
He trailed off, but the meaning behind his words was obvious.
Barring any surprises, Kamuro would still be at this school for over two more years.
This wasn't just a long-distance relationship—it was a situation where they wouldn't even be able to contact each other.
This was a love doomed to go unfulfilled.
"So what?"
Kamuro tried her best to suppress her emotions, but even so, a slight quiver crept into her voice.
"It's because you're leaving… that I have to say it now, while I still have the chance."
"…I'm sorry."
"You idiot, don't apologize!" Kamuro bit her lip hard. "Before calling you out here, I kept thinking over and over about how to convince you to stay. But when I actually saw you… none of that seemed to matter anymore."
She smiled, a bittersweet expression on her face.
"Because I realized… more than my own feelings, I want to respect yours. So I won't say anything to make things harder for you. No matter what you decide to do… as long as it's what you want, that's all that matters to me."
"Kamuro…"
Overwhelmed by a mix of shock, confusion, happiness, embarrassment, and so many other emotions, Hikigaya found himself unable to come up with any kind of proper response.
If he had to put it into words… it was both happiness and sadness.
He was happy to receive a confession from such an amazing girl.
But he was sad because he couldn't be with her.
However, Kamuro's next words interrupted his thoughts.
"Judging by your face, it looks like you misunderstood something."
"…Misunderstood?"
"I'm not confessing to you with the intention of going down in flames." Kamuro smiled confidently. "I don't need your answer now. But two years from now, on the day I graduate, I hope you'll come to the school gate. By then, I'll have become a woman you can fall for, I'll graduate from Class A, and I'll land a great job… So, just be ready for it!"
"Ah…"
"What's with that reaction? I'm warning you, don't underestimate a girl's determination!"
"…Got it."
Hikigaya chuckled and nodded.
He really wasn't worthy of such an amazing girl.
Seeing him agree, Kamuro's expression brightened, but then she spoke in a slightly sorrowful tone. "Also… if you happen to find someone else you like during this time, then… go ahead and date her. But I still hope you'll come that day because… I want to see if you're doing well."
"As if that would happen." Hikigaya couldn't help but laugh. "Who would want to date someone like me with these dead fish eyes?"
"There's one standing right in front of you."
"…That's just dumb luck."
To have someone like her like him—Hikigaya could think of no other reason besides sheer luck.
Maybe he'd used up all his luck for a lifetime.
Wait, so Kamuro also planned to graduate from Class A? No, that should've been obvious from the start.
In that case, his actions had probably caused her a lot of trouble.
"Hey, Kamuro—"
"It's not Kamuro."
Just as he was about to speak, Kamuro cut him off.
Her face was still flushed red, but her gaze never wavered from Hikigaya.
"Hiki—no, Hachiman. Call me by my name."
"Uh… Masumi-san?"
"What the hell? Are you trying to talk like Sakayanagi now?"
Masumi's mood visibly darkened.
Ah, this was… troublesome.
"W-Wait a second."
After taking a moment to compose himself, Hikigaya finally found the courage to say it.
"Thank you… for everything, Masumi."
"…Idiot."
For some reason, she insulted him.
But judging from her still-blushing face, she probably wasn't actually mad.
"A-Anyway!" Feeling a little awkward, Hikigaya changed the subject. "Speaking of Sakayanagi, how is she? Did she come to school today?"
"Yeah, acting like nothing even happened." Masumi replied with a huff.
"I see… That's good, then."
"Tch, you don't need to worry about someone like her. She deserves to get expelled. She should've considered the possibility of this happening before scheming against others."
It was obvious that Masumi was really upset.
But that also meant she cared about Sakayanagi, didn't it? Otherwise, she wouldn't be this angry over something she had no interest in.
"Hey, Masu—Masumi. Are you… reluctant to see Sakayanagi go?"
"Huh?!"
Masumi's eyebrows shot up as she scoffed, "If you said I couldn't bear to part with you, fine. But Sakayanagi? Why the hell would I care about her? Do you expect me to beg her to stay?"
"Ah, I see."
Being told that outright was a bit embarrassing, but also kind of nice.
Still, this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
"In that case, why are you so angry?"
"I…! I'm just pissed off because I can't stand her!"
"Really? Not even a little concern for a fellow classmate?"
"What's there to worry about?!"
Sometimes, Masumi could be so dishonest.
Hikigaya could tell she was just being stubborn—deep down, she did care about Sakayanagi, even if only a little.
More importantly… if it was Masumi's request, he wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Masumi, listen." Hikigaya spoke seriously. "I did use the news of the chairman stepping down to sway the first-year students' opinions, but you know that news itself wasn't fake. Sakayanagi's father is actually under investigation. If he finds out his daughter was expelled at a time like this, don't you think—"
"Whatever. She's rich anyway. She can just hire a few servants to take care of her." Masumi stubbornly refused to budge.
"You have a point… And as a commoner, I don't really need to care about the affairs of some rich girl."
Hikigaya laughed at himself after saying that.
Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the right way to think about it.
Because if that logic held, then his past concern for Yukinoshita and Haruno would've been pointless, too.
Maybe that was the truth.
But even if it was just self-deception, Hikigaya didn't want to accept it.
Besides, even if someone is rich, wouldn't their parents still worry if they heard their child was expelled?
It's not about tuition fees—it's about whether something happened to them at school.
After all… even the emperor's daughter had been bullied before.
But most importantly, it was because of Masumi.
Hikigaya figured she didn't have many friends to begin with. If Sakayanagi left, she might not have anyone to talk to for the next two years.
So, yeah—
Everything he was doing… was for Masumi's sake!