"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun… my classmates caused you trouble. I'm really sorry."
After Ishizaki and the others left, Hiyori lowered her head, looking uneasy as she apologized to Hikigaya. Compared to her strong attitude earlier, she seemed like a completely different person.
"This has nothing to do with you, Shiina."
Hikigaya shook his head. The one responsible for all this was Ryuen—it had nothing to do with Hiyori at all. He sighed with a complicated expression. "If anything, I should be thanking you for showing up when you did. How could I blame you?"
Saying that, Hikigaya couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
Of course, he wasn't some kind of masochist. He had already planned everything before deliberately walking into the situation.
If Hiyori hadn't shown up tonight, he definitely would have ended up getting beaten up, suffering a few bruises and scrapes. But as long as he played his cards right afterward, there was at least a 70% chance that he could make Ishizaki and the others pay a heavy price—maybe even get them expelled.
So in a way… Hiyori's sudden appearance actually ended up saving Ishizaki and his group.
Her kindness, without her even realizing it, had rescued them.
At the same time, she also saved Hikigaya from taking a beating.
"Honestly, Ishizaki-kun and the others aren't bad people deep down. They only did this because they were following Ryuen-kun's orders!"
As she spoke, Hiyori puffed up her cheeks again, clearly upset. Seeing this, Hikigaya found her reaction both interesting and a little cute.
"I understand."
Hikigaya didn't really hold any deep resentment toward Ishizaki and the others. He knew that their different positions and interests made today's events inevitable.
Just like how they wanted to teach him a lesson this time, he had also lured and outmaneuvered them. Neither side was any better than the other. Many things in society weren't about right or wrong—just conflicts of interest and perspective.
But this matter wasn't over yet. In fact, Ishizaki and the others showing up had been completely unexpected.
As Hikigaya looked at Hiyori, who was feeling guilty and worried, a sense of regret suddenly crept into his heart. She had gone against Ryuen's orders to protect him, yet he had still schemed against Class C.
Worse than that, he was trying to get someone from Class C expelled. But… Hiyori had said she wanted to protect her classmates, that she didn't want anyone to be expelled. And here he was, trying to destroy what she wanted to protect.
Hikigaya… you really are a bastard.
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"
Noticing his sudden silence, Hiyori asked with concern.
Hikigaya hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Shiina, what if… what if I decided to take revenge on your class? What would you do?"
By the time he asked, he had already prepared himself for the answer.
Hiyori lowered her head and stayed silent for a while before slowly looking up at him. "Hmm… I wouldn't blame you, Hikigaya-kun. Because in the end… it was Ryuen and the others who were in the wrong. I understand how you feel, so I can't say something like, 'Don't take revenge, let's just be friends.'"
Her expression darkened a little as she spoke, but then her gaze became firm. "That being said, no matter what kind of person Ryuen is, he's still a member of our class and has always worked hard for us, even if his methods are extreme and not always right."
"I can't ignore the resolve of a classmate like that. So, I will share the consequences together with Class C."
Hikigaya opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. After a moment, he sighed. "I see."
"If you decide to change your mind and give up on revenge because of me, I would be really moved and happy."
Hiyori suddenly took Hikigaya's hand in hers, looking at him seriously with her clear eyes. "But at the same time, I would also feel really uneasy. The competition between classes is unavoidable. Someday, we might have to stand on opposite sides. But when that time comes, I hope we can face it with everything we've got, without regrets."
"So… please, Hikigaya-kun, don't force yourself to change just because of me. If you do, I'm afraid we'll end up losing this rare and precious friendship someday."
Hiyori's thoughts were simple. She wouldn't stop Hikigaya from seeking revenge, but she would stand with her classmates and face the consequences of Ryuen's actions. And she wouldn't blame Hikigaya for it.
At the same time, she had keenly sensed the change in his heart. She realized that, because of her, he was stuck in a difficult dilemma. If either of them gave in to the other, their friendship—once pure and untainted—would carry a crack that could eventually break it apart. And that was the last thing Hiyori wanted.
"I get it."
Hikigaya felt a mix of emotions. How could he not understand what Hiyori truly meant? And because he understood, he felt even more torn and guilty.
But… sorry, Hiyori. I don't think I can completely ignore the feelings of someone as kind as you.
"By the way, Shiina…"
Just as Hikigaya was about to speak, Hiyori suddenly furrowed her brows and, unexpectedly, reached out to interrupt him. He thought she had something important to say, but she hesitated, struggling to get the words out.
Finally, she took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and seemed to brace herself. "Um… Hikigaya-kun, don't you think there's some kind of distance between us?"
"Huh? Is that so?"
Hikigaya was puzzled.
Hiyori quickly nodded. "Even though we're already friends, it still feels like there's an invisible wall between us. Like we're standing on clouds without anything solid beneath us, unable to truly connect."
Hikigaya was surprised by how seriously she valued friendship. Or rather, he realized that she took the idea of "friends" much more seriously than he had thought.
He understood what she meant—Hiyori wanted a true, heartfelt friendship where both people could open up to each other, not just a superficial relationship.
Like she said, in today's world, people often call each other "friends," but deep down, they all know it's just a polite social gesture.
Fake relationships like that were everywhere. People could be calling each other "best friends" one moment and then act like strangers the next.
In Japan, it was easy to make friends, but truly deepening that friendship was difficult. Social rules, hierarchy, and customs always created a sense of distance between people.
Everyone had to keep up appearances, afraid to show their true thoughts. They had to "read the room," worry about what others thought, and avoid causing trouble for anyone. In the end, this led to a distorted kind of social interaction.
"So, Shiina… what do you plan to do?"
Hikigaya had no idea how to handle such a complicated social situation. If he did, he wouldn't be a loner. But more importantly, he wanted to know what the girl in front of him was really thinking.
"I-I think… we can start with names."
Hiyori said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Names?"
"I've read in books that the main characters always start by calling each other by their first names. So from now on, you can just call me by my name. What do you think?"
Her sparkling eyes were filled with anticipation, eager to see his response.
"..."
Hikigaya stood frozen for a moment before involuntarily taking a sharp breath.
He had never expected the girl in front of him to make such a request. Calling "Haruno" so casually had been easy for him, mostly because of their past interactions, her carefree attitude, and her extremely sharp and cunning personality. But this girl…
Did she not realize that calling each other by first names between a boy and a girl meant… that kind of close relationship?!
But as Hikigaya observed her expression carefully, she genuinely didn't seem to be thinking that way. It felt more like she was just copying what she had read in books—nothing more… right?
After saying that, Hiyori seemed to go all in. "Since Hikigaya-kun isn't saying anything, I'll take that as a yes!"
"B-But…"
Before he could finish, he saw her frown, puffing her cheeks like a child throwing a tantrum. Her face showed clear disappointment and frustration. Hikigaya had no choice but to brace himself and say, "H-Hiyori… p-please take care of me."
The moment he said that, her gloomy expression vanished without a trace, replaced by a radiant smile as bright as the sun.
"Hikigaya-kun, please take care of me too~"
So that was it… She really hadn't thought that deeply about it. She just wanted to become "real friends" with him. Hikigaya kept a straight face, but inside, he was relieved. For a moment there, he had fallen into one of life's biggest delusions—thinking that she might actually like him.
Thank goodness he didn't repeat the disaster from middle school!
Back then, he had mistaken a good friendship for something more and confessed, only to receive the dreaded "You're a good person" rejection. Even thinking about it now made him want to curl up and disappear. It was just too embarrassing!
Looking at the cheerful girl in front of him, Hikigaya sighed. Yeah… there was no way a kind, strong, and independent girl like her would ever fall for a gloomy, antisocial guy like him.
Hahaha… Just because someone is kind to you, doesn't mean they like you. He should have known better. Kind girls are kind to everyone. But he had foolishly thought she was being kind only to him…
Hikigaya, you really are hopelessly delusional.
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