Chapter 52 – Kushida, I Hate You.
Hachiman was completely speechless at Yamauchi's ridiculous idea.
Even if things did progress further, there was no way it would ever reach that point. Besides, the other party was clearly just trying to tease him — and Hikigaya knew that better than anyone.
Even if Class D somehow made it to Class A, it would only be because the students worked for it themselves, not because of some romantic miracle.
Still… he had to admit Yamauchi's imagination was impressive — in a profoundly stupid way.
---
Sudo: "Speaking of which, this exam was really close. If it weren't for Horikita and Kushida, we'd have totally flunked. Of course, Hirata was important too."
At those words, both girls in the room flinched slightly — then, almost in sync, glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes.
Ike: "Yeah, without Horikita's patient and gentle teaching, I probably would've given up halfway. But without Kushida's tips, we'd still have failed anyway."
Kushida, unsure of how to respond, turned toward Hachiman and placed both hands gently on her chest.
"N-No… it's all thanks to everyone…"
"Isn't that great?" Hachiman interrupted calmly. "With both Kushida and Horikita, Class D is steadily moving toward a better future."
His tone was flat, but the message was clear: I don't need your act, and I'm not giving you credit you didn't earn.
If this class wanted to grow stronger, the problem wasn't just the exams — it was them.
Kushida and Horikita — two people on opposite ends of the social spectrum — needed to reconcile, or at least coexist. What happened today might be a small step toward that, but it mattered.
Hachiman didn't expect any reward. Their class wasn't doing great, but he figured if helping them a bit could stabilize things, it was fine. Less chaos meant fewer headaches for him.
Kushida understood what his words really meant. She simply gave a soft nod and smiled politely.
It was enough. Kushida wouldn't fade into the background, and Horikita was slowly regaining her drive to lead. That was all he needed.
Hachiman quietly continued eating his snacks, face unreadable.
Sudo noticed the odd tension between them but didn't think too deeply about it.
"What's with you two? Passing secret notes now? That's boring, man!"
He laughed and clapped his hand on Hachiman's shoulder again.
"Anyway, even if you didn't do much, I wouldn't have joined the study group if not for you. So, thanks! I'll never forget that!"
"Yeah, sure… I just didn't want to get expelled," Hachiman replied dryly.
"Hahaha! I knew you'd say that!"
The room's atmosphere stayed light and relaxed — a rare thing in this suffocating school. For the first time since enrolling, Hachiman felt something close to peace.
Ever since the first month's point crisis, then the midterm and the threat of expulsion, everything had been one ordeal after another.
And he knew — this peace wouldn't last long.
This school was full of mysteries, contradictions, and unspoken rules. He tried to figure it all out, but no matter how he turned it over in his mind, the logic escaped him.
Still, even in a class full of flaws and insecurities, Class D had one redeeming quality — its honesty.
He wouldn't call Sudo a friend or a brother, but… Hachiman didn't hate the guy's straightforwardness either.
Time passed quickly. When the celebration finally ended, and after everyone managed to drag a reluctant Horikita into one last toast, they said their goodbyes and left Hachiman's room.
And then he looked at the aftermath.
Empty cans, snack crumbs, plastic bags everywhere.
Hachiman blinked twice.
"…This is why I hate parties."
Luckily, one person stayed behind — Kushida Kikyo.
While the others left, she remained quietly, cleaning up the mess on her own.
Of course, it wasn't really helping; she simply took over the job entirely, as if she wanted him to watch her being the "perfect girl."
'She really lives up to her "angel" reputation,' Hachiman thought. 'Even if it's fake, she's good at it.'
'Isshiki also puts on a façade, but she's just pretending to be cute. Kushida's different — whatever she's hiding runs deeper. I can't tell what it is, but it's… unnerving.'
He hated that kind of thing — people who smiled for everyone yet meant nothing by it.
To him, that wasn't kindness. It was deceit dressed in charm.
Even if Kikyo Kushida could become friends with everyone in this school, she could never be a true friend to him.
Hachiman Hikigaya despised two types of people:
those who were hypocrites — and those who were nice to everyone.
And yet… there was curiosity buried beneath his disgust. What was she really like beneath the mask?
Isshiki didn't hide who she was. Kushida, on the other hand, seemed determined to never let anyone see her true self.
And the more she hid it, the more it bothered him.
---
"Thank you for your help," Hachiman said quietly.
"It's alright," Kushida replied softly. "Everyone passed thanks to you. Without you, we…"
"I just—"
"I knew you'd say that," she interrupted, smiling faintly. "But no matter what you think, you did help everyone. That's undeniable."
Her hands were clasped tightly against her chest, her expression so warm it could melt ice. To anyone else, she'd look like an angel.
But to Hachiman… it was nothing more than performance.
"So… maybe we can… you know, become closer…?" she said hesitantly, eyes flickering with expectation.
"No."
Kushida froze. Her smile faltered, her face twisting with confusion and hurt.
"Why? Do you… like someone else? Maybe someone calm and smart like Horikita?"
Hachiman turned away, refusing to look at her.
"No. I don't have any special feelings for her. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't drag other people into this."
Kushida's voice trembled. "Then… does that mean… you hate me, Hachiman Hikigaya?"
He paused for a moment. Then looked at her — really looked at her — and answered quietly but firmly:
"…Yeah. I hate you."
Kushida's breath caught. Her lips parted, but no words came out.