Chapter 122: Whispers Should Be Quiet
[Chat Room…]
[Nagumo Miyabi, amused yet exasperated: If the video's Nagumo saw Hikigaya's significant actions, he'd take him seriously. But…]
[By sheer coincidence, Nagumo chose the sports festival, Hikigaya's weakness, to observe him. No way he'd find anything, right?]
[Luck matters, but Nagumo still believed the video's him wouldn't lose. With absolute control over the second years, how could one person like Hikigaya shake that?]
[Nagumo: "Luck runs out eventually. One person alone will only end in defeat."]
[Hikigaya saw Nagumo's arrogant words but didn't engage. Words now would only burden the future showdown. Results would reveal themselves later, boasting now was meaningless.]
After Nagumo left, Hikigaya bid farewell to Horikita Manabu…
Kushida flashed her sweet, angelic smile, as if reverting to her old self. Seeing Hikigaya part from Horikita Manabu, she approached coyly.
"Hikigaya-kun, you know two school celebrities?"
Hikigaya glanced at her, "I barely know Horikita Manabu. As for Nagumo Miyabi, I don't know him at all."
Kushida placed a finger by her lips, feigning confusion in a way that radiated cuteness to onlookers. "If I recall, Horikita Manabu is Horikita's brother, third-year Class A, right? And Nagumo Miyabi rose from Class B to Class A in second year."
As expected of Kushida, she knows all this. She is truly Class C's info master.
Hikigaya nodded, acknowledging her accuracy.
Sensing something off, Kushida leaned closer, whispering at an intimate distance only they could hear. "What, don't like this side of me?"
"Uh… it feels weird. Actually, why did you used to show this face to everyone?"
Kushida took a deep breath, glanced around, and said, "I used to love being admired, noticed, trusted with secrets, being everyone's closest confidant."
"That was my sense of worth. Feeling something others lacked gave me an intense rush. I craved attention, wanted people to look at me with awe, admiration, or adoration."
"I was more dependent on it than others, craving recognition and praise. It was addictive, uncontrollable. Achieving it felt like reaching new heights, like that was my purpose. But…"
"Everyone has limits. Like you can't excel in sports, I knew I'd never be first in academics or athletics. Even if I briefly was, someone would surpass me."
"So I thought, if I can't do that, I'll do what others can't."
"I put on this cute, gentle mask and lived in it."
"I felt trusted, recognized. Those feelings trapped me. But… that was what I wanted, not what I meant to do."
"What happened next was as Ryuen said."
Hikigaya listened quietly to her story. During the island exam, he'd made her drop her facade. He'd sensed she was hiding her true self earlier, but only now, as she bared her past, did he truly understand her.
For Kushida Kikyo to make such a resolve, she must have a new goal.
"Don't you feel bad, not chasing that anymore?"
"Sometimes, but mostly, watching that guy far ahead makes it worth it."
Kushida paused, turning away to hide her expression. "I want to see the true thing he's chasing."
Hikigaya wasn't dense. When she said "true thing," he knew she meant him.
Still, he played dumb. "It's good to have a new goal. Your mask isn't a burden anymore, it's a weapon. The person you're chasing probably thinks so too."
That was Hikigaya. He could comfort a girl casually but couldn't admit he was the one. Though changing, his past had scarred him.
He didn't want to be arrogant. Until someone clearly chose him, he'd deceive himself it wasn't him. Even if they did, he'd doubt their motives.
Perhaps his lingering inferiority complex was to blame.
Kushida didn't press. If he wouldn't admit it, she'd nod and let it go.
She turned back, a faint blush on her cheeks betraying her racing heart.
[Chat Room…]
[After Kushida's words, the group fell silent.]
[The classroom became quiet, all attention was on her.]
[Unable to bear the suspicious stares, Kushida decided to admit it openly rather than endure the odd looks.]
[Kushida: "Everything in the video is true. I did many things I'm sorry for. My kindness and gentleness were just a deception."]
[Silence enveloped the class again.]
[Shinohara Satsuki broke the quiet. "It's not a big deal. Let the past go. We're classmates, and you haven't done anything against us."]
[Yamauchi Haruki chimed in: "Yeah, no biggie. Everyone's got secrets. As long as you don't deceive us anymore, we'll let it slide. If you still see me as a friend, Kushida…."]
[Before he finished, Kushida said flatly, "Thanks for understanding, but let's be clear, I never saw you as a friend. You're kind of annoying."]
[Annoying… Annoying…]
[The word echoed in Yamauchi's mind like a valley's reverberation. He froze, statue-like, speechless.]
[No one expected this transformed Kushida to deliver such a brutal truth right away. She wasn't reverting to her old self.]
[After a moment of you-look-at-me-I-look-at-you silence, the class burst into laughter.]
[Kushida Kikyo was surprised by the sudden laughter, but deep down, she genuinely felt: It's not so bad…]
[Perhaps Hikigaya Hachiman was right. Wearing this facade made things much easier. She no longer had to worry about gossip, vent her frustrations on roadside flowers, vomit frequently, or pull at her hair.]
[Once again, Kushida genuinely thought…]
[If only that guy could see her now, see how she'd changed because of a video, because of one person.]
[If Horikita Suzune's class received good news, for other classes, it was a disaster.]
[Kanzaki Ryuji: "This girl's ruthless internally but an angel externally. Looks like our class and others in the video are in trouble."]
[Ichinose Honami, seeing Kushida's transformation, felt a pang but smiled helplessly. "Yeah, Kushida-san has turned her old mask into a weapon. It's her sharpest blade."]
[Ryuen Kakeru: "I'm impressed by Hikigaya. How does he manage to pull these weirdos from Horikita's class onto a better path and unite them?"]
[Shiina Hiyori, with a pure expression, responded to Ryuen's self-deprecating remark: "Hikigaya helped Horikita, Kushida, Karuizawa, Sakura, and Sudo. Unknowingly, he changed Hirata and Ike. Koenji's a wildcard."]
["Without Hikigaya, even if they were strong, they'd be scattered sand. With him, they're completely different, and more may change in the future."]
[Ryuen was speechless. Hiyori's naive yet keen observation was eerily similar to Hikigaya's.]
[She didn't realize her words hit Ryuen hard. Their class in the video had seven expulsions in one semester.]
[If other classes also lost seven, it'd be fine, but the problem was… the entire first year only had seven expulsions.]
[Hiyori added: "That's just Horikita's class. Haven't you noticed, Ryuen-san, that even you've been changed by Hikigaya?"]
[Ryuen, helpless but unable to argue, pretended not to hear.]
[Hiyori, seeing his silence, stopped talking.]
[Her words, spoken in class, hit everyone hard.]
[Especially since her innocence made even the domineering Ryuen unsure how to handle her.]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi, exasperated, looked at this Kushida. How many in Class A would fall for her charm?]
[Hashimoto: "Princess, their class is getting trickier."]
[Sakayanagi Arisu: "We're allies for now, so no need to panic. Kushida's not a big threat. If we deal with Hikigaya, all the bonds he's built will collapse instantly."]
[Kito Hayato: "As expected of Princess. It's obvious, bonds built around one person vanish when that person's gone."]
[Kamuro Masumi wasn't swayed by Sakayanagi's words. She studied her, searching for a hint in her expression but found nothing.]
[Would those bonds really vanish if he's gone? If so, what's the point of Hikigaya helping them grow? The Princess knows this but says it anyway… Why?]
After revealing her past, Kushida leaned closer to Hikigaya, pressing her ample "assets" against his chest, smiling sweetly. "Now, do you still hate this side of me?"
Hikigaya: "Kushida-san, you're too close…"
"Answer first. You can't keep a girl waiting."
"It's not hate, I guess."
Satisfied with the decent reply, Kushida pulled away like a sated vampire.
In the distance, Sakayanagi Arisu spotted Hikigaya after a long absence and waved, with Kamuro Masumi by her side.
They hadn't seen his moment with Kushida. What are the odds of always getting caught? He's not some cult leader.
[But the chat group saw it clearly, and it was bad for Hikigaya.]
[Now, flanked by Isshiki Iroha and Yukinoshita Yukino, he barely spoke. Since the chat opened fully, he was extra cautious, only tossing out occasional quips, fearing a misstep.]
[Yukinoshita: "Hikigaya-kun, have you noticed something?"]
[Hikigaya: "Oh? What?"]
[Yukinoshita, smiling: "The you in this video seems to be on a path of no return."]
[Hikigaya: "It's not that serious. I'm just helping classmates, upholding our Service Club's fine tradition!"]
[Silence fell over the Service Club.]
[If he was truly upholding the club's tradition, fine. But using it to meet new girls? That infuriated Yukinoshita.]
[Her anger carried a murderous edge, she was an expert at this.]
[Of course, Yukinoshita Haruno caught it and teased naturally: "Oh, Yukino, why are you so mad?! Even big sister hasn't seen you this angry. Hayama, have you? When was the last time when Yukino was this mad?"]
[As expected, only someone like Haruno could handle her. Silence returned, but Hayama answered politely: "Since I don't know Yukino well, I'm not sure if she's been this angry before."]
[A perfectly neutral reply, offending no one, this was Hayama's specialty.]
[Haruno's response: "Boring."]
[Haruno aimed to pressure Yukino into speaking. She'd always controlled her this way, which is why Yukino endured, suppressing her emotions from childhood under Haruno's dominance.]
[The Service Club hit another deadlock.]
Seeing Sakayanagi again, Hikigaya felt a sense of déjà vu. He'd only seen her once before the island exam, and now nearly half a month had passed.
Sakayanagi: "Little Hikki, long time no see. You too, Kushida-san."
Kushida nodded silently, knowing Sakayanagi was here for Hikigaya.
"You still call me that when I have a perfectly good name."
Sakayanagi smiled faintly: "What's wrong with it? It's affectionate."
Hikigaya: "As long as you're not treating me like a pet."
Sakayanagi: "You're as funny as ever."
Hikigaya: "And you're still teasing me."
Their banter seemed simple but left Kamuro and Kushida baffled.
Kamuro: "If you keep staring at the Princess like that, people will think you're a creep."
Kushida nodded, unable to deny it.
Hikigaya: "If staring makes me a creep, then someone already decided I was one."
Sakayanagi giggled, covering her mouth. "Alright, let's get to business. This is our first collaboration. I've been looking forward to it since entering this school."
Hikigaya: "Honestly, I'm excited too. This way, I can dump all the trouble on your Class B."
Sakayanagi shook her head, slightly embarrassed. "I'd love to, but not this time."
She gestured to her impaired legs. "Due to my condition, I'll only be a strategist this time."
Hikigaya was joking, he wouldn't really offload his class's responsibilities. And Sakayanagi's mobility was indeed limited.
Normally, a strategist couldn't lead a class. A general who doesn't fight loses the troops' loyalty.
But this time was different.
"How's Katsuragi doing?"
"Thanks to you, I'm in full control of Class B now, including the sports festival. Their comeback is unlikely."
"Congrats on being Class B's sole leader. But I didn't help you, Katsuragi was my enemy then."
Sakayanagi nodded, as if expecting this response.
Then she added, "Since returning from the cruise, he's changed. He seems less interested in leadership, indifferent to being the leader."
"Probably your influence."
Hikigaya shook his head, denying it. How could he shatter someone's resolve?
Sakayanagi smiled, ignoring his denial. "This Katsuragi could be a useful tool for us to reclaim Class A. Quite remarkable."
Hikigaya: "If Katsuragi knew you called him a tool, he'd lose it."
Sakayanagi: "He'd be more scared of facing you again and being completely outmaneuvered."
She didn't hide anything, recounting his actions as if she'd been there.
But… she never even boarded the ship.
"You really are a monster."
"You're not bad yourself."
Kushida leaned toward Kamuro, whispering, "Don't you think these two are similar?"
Kamuro nodded, somehow siding with Kushida. "Yeah, their way of talking is so weird. The Princess isn't like this with us. Is she influenced by him?"
Kushida sighed helplessly. "Who knows? Haven't we been influenced by him too?"
Kamuro: "Now that you mention it…"
Hikigaya: "Hey, if you're whispering, keep it down. We can hear everything."
Sakayanagi just smiled, unbothered by their words.
(End of this chapter)