Chapter 125: Please, Yukinoshita, It's Really a Misunderstanding
Hikigaya couldn't explain it himself, but the device said so. It's not like it could be fooled.
Whatever, let it pass.
He wanted to move on, but others didn't.
So…
"Koenji, why not show off your strength?"
His words shifted the focus, and everyone turned to Koenji Rokusuke.
Koenji, as usual, lounged with hands behind his head, saying smugly, "Hikigaya-boy, this grip tester might not handle my strength. Besides, I'm not joining your sports festival. It's a bit pointless."
Yukimura Teruhiko: "You're opting out?!"
Sudo: "This tester's max is 200 kg. No way!"
Hikigaya, expecting this, pressed on. "They're saying that. Don't you want to prove yourself?"
Koenji knew what he was up to. "No need. Worldly rules don't bind me."
Hikigaya: "Then just for fun. Just a game."
Koenji opened his eyes, glanced at him, and stood without hesitation, walking to Sudo.
"I'm helping you again. Remember that."
"Of course."
With that, Koenji placed three fingers on the grip tester.
Yukimura: "What's he doing?"
Sudo: "He's holding back."
Sakura, recalling something, whispered, "Hachiman… what do you think he'll score?"
Kushida: "I bet not less than 100."
Shinohara Satsuki: "100? With three fingers? 60 would be impressive."
Ike: "Yeah, three fingers aren't proportional to five. A full hand uses palm strength, but three fingers rely only on them. If he hits 60, a full grip could be 150-plus."
Yamauchi Haruki: "He's probably just bluffing. No way he's that strong."
Karuizawa glanced at Hikigaya. "You're not saying anything?"
Hikigaya: "Nothing to say. Just watch."
Horikita: "Looks like… this grip tester's done for."
Hikigaya, Horikita, and Sakura, who saw Koenji swing through the island's forest like a Tarzan, balancing on one finger, agreed the tester couldn't contain him. Sakura's question was unanswerable.
No grip tester in the world was built for a monster like Koenji.
There was no upper limit for him, so Hikigaya couldn't guess.
Under everyone's gaze, Koenji held the tester, showing no effort. The number shot past 50.
Miyake: "This guy…"
Sotomura: "A monster. Truly a monster."
Hirata frowned, silent.
The number soared past Sudo's 80, nearing 100.
Sudo: "No… no way…"
Sudo wasn't arrogant, but he thought he was untouchable in class. Now, he learned there were others beyond him.
Koenji's muscles weren't just for show.
The number kept climbing, yet he smiled beautifully, as if effortless.
Finally, perhaps annoyed at the tester's slow rise, he applied slight pressure, and instantly…
Bang!
The grip strength tester's handle shattered instantly. Due to excessive force, it clamped onto Koenji Rokusuke's fingers, and blood began dripping.
Drip, drip, drip…
"I told you this grip tester wouldn't hold up."
The room fell silent.
Sudo Ken: "Bro, did you know this guy was that insane?"
Hikigaya Hachiman, stunned and forgetting to check on Koenji's injury: "Uh, I didn't know he could crush a grip tester with three fingers."
Hirata Yosuke smiled wryly and handed Koenji a tissue. "The thing is, he did it so effortlessly. I'm sure if Koenji-kun joined the sports festival, we'd secure a great rank."
Koenji, without arrogance, wrapped the tissue around his hand. "It depends if there's anyone worth my effort. Otherwise, it's too dull."
Yeah, too dull. He'd win any event, whether for fun or serious. With no opponent to challenge him, losing was impossible. Over time, boredom was natural.
Hikigaya: "No need to force him, Hirata-kun. If he's interested, he'll join without us asking."
Koenji flashed his beautiful smile. "As expected, Hikigaya-boy gets me."
Under everyone's gazes, Koenji leisurely left.
The class remained dazed, fixated on how he'd destroyed the grip tester.
Horikita Suzune: "There's really no dealing with him."
Hikigaya: "I'm just glad he's not defecting to another class."
Everyone sighed helplessly. "Yeah, true."
Witnessing Koenji's freakish strength reshaped their views.
Some thought it was wrong for someone so powerful to not help the class. Others pitied him, a near-superhuman in both academics and athletics, stuck in Class D.
Unbeknownst to them, Koenji didn't care. His display was just to make Hikigaya owe him a favor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered.
After the grip strength test, Hirata brought more equipment. Hikigaya, wiser now, aimed for average scores and stopped, sometimes falling below. This kept attention off him.
But Sakura Airi, Karuizawa Kei, and Kushida Kikyo, unable to read his expression, felt he was hiding something. No matter how he explained, they didn't buy it, so he gave up explaining.
[Chat Room…]
[Hayama Hayato, with a wry smile: "200, with three fingers? That's beyond human limits."]
[Yukinoshita Yukino, exasperated, pressed her fingers to her temple. "I don't get how Koenji ended up in Class D. Even without team spirit, he could outmatch a whole class."]
[Hikigaya: "I've said it before, he's a reincarnated Tarzan. No normal human has that strength…"]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi was stunned. Completely stunned.]
["How about we spend 20 million points to buy Koenji? He's too terrifying."]
[Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head. "Useless. No one can control him. Even in our class, he'd likely just be trouble."]
[Hashimoto: "But Princess, he helped Hikigaya's class before, right? One move from him is absolute domination."]
[Sakayanagi, smiling faintly like a devil's whisper: "Are you Hikigaya? If you were, maybe he'd help you once or twice."]
[Hashimoto had no comeback. Kito Hayato was puzzled.]
["Why does he help Hikigaya? I still don't get it."]
[Hashimoto, frustrated: "How should I know? That guy's brain isn't something normal people can understand."]
[Kamuro Masumi shared the same question, looking at Sakayanagi. "Princess, what do you think?"]
[Sakayanagi, still smiling, surprised them by shaking her head. "Who knows? Even I can't figure him out or what he's thinking."]
[This was the first time they heard Sakayanagi admit this. To them, she was omniscient, reading thoughts through expressions, actions, or micro-movements. But not with Koenji.]
[It made them realize how terrifying he was.]
[Ryuen Kakeru, laughing self-deprecatingly: "Horikita's class has this Buddha. What a pain. One punch from him, and even I'd probably pass out, no matter how tough I am."]
[Ishizaki Daichi: "But it's fine. He's a ticking time bomb. In a way, Horikita's class has a bigger problem dealing with him than we do."]
[Ishizaki's words weren't baseless. Koenji was a double-edged sword, a headache for his class and others.]
[Yukimura Teruhiko: "I never imagined Koenji could crush a grip tester with three fingers. That's too exaggerated."]
[Ike Kanji felt sweat trickle down. Hearing it was unbelievable; seeing it was unimaginable. No wonder everyone was stunned.]
Gym class ended quickly, and soon it was after school. Normally, Hikigaya would rush to his room for precious alone time.
But… not today.
He hoped Sakura could bail him out, but she was busier than him. With the sports festival nearing, student council duties were overwhelming. She gave a rushed greeting and vanished.
Karuizawa, oddly, disappeared after school too. Normally, her possessiveness would keep her glued to Hikigaya until sunset.
Horikita was busy with class affairs, and Sudo was training others. Everyone had tasks, leaving Hikigaya feeling like the world was pranking him.
Soon, Kamuro Masumi caught the escaping Hikigaya, using her pickpocketing skills to nab him.
In Class B, Kito Hayato was drilling their weaker students. His horror-movie-like face made Hikigaya shudder.
But, urged by Kamuro, he reluctantly joined.
Kamuro didn't leave, perhaps worried he'd be bullied alone, and joined the training. From a distance, Sakayanagi watched Kito's drills, nodding in approval.
Kito: "Alright, start with ten laps around the track for a warm-up."
Being underperformers, complaints arose, but Kito's stern face silenced them.
Hikigaya, an outsider, dared not speak.
'I have to find a way to escape.'
The thought sprouted in his mind.
Sakayanagi had anticipated this, instructing Kamuro to watch him.
Sure enough, on the fifth lap, Hikigaya planned a fake fall to get sent to the infirmary. A real fall would earn his classmates' scorn.
But… Kamuro, quick as lightning, caught him mid-fall, leaving them in an awkward position, neither falling nor standing.
Kamuro, blushing and looking away: "Don't even think about escaping today. Your acting's awful."
Hikigaya: "Come on, I was forced here. Training someone from another class is weird."
Kamuro, back to her serious face: "It's Princess's idea. No one in our class dares object, and they won't bully you."
Hikigaya was speechless, unable to fathom why they were tormenting him.
"Look, I'm not the only weak one in my class. How about I find someone else, and you let me go, Kamuro-sama?"
Kamuro, annoyed, dropped him by the trackside, abandoning the awkward pose. "You want to get sick during exams again? Training's not bad, it might come in handy."
She was genuinely worried. The school's bizarre exams were many, and Hikigaya's tendency to fall ill was risky. He needed to get stronger.
Some nights, she feared his plans failing, leaving him sick and in danger.
So, she fully supported Sakayanagi's idea.
Seeing Kamuro's serious look, Hikigaya blushed, recalling her words in the room: "I'm… chasing him."
He knew it was just to prove a point to Karuizawa, but thinking of it now was surreal.
Sighing, he stood.
If everyone was concerned for his health, he shouldn't resist. He hadn't exercised in a while. For a decent class rank without deductions, he'd try.
With that, he convinced himself to join Kito's training.
He extended a hand to Kamuro on the ground.
"Let's go. Five more laps."
Sensing his resolve, she perked up, grabbing his hand firmly.
Hikigaya hadn't expected such a strong grip. Losing balance, he fell onto her, his expression crumbling.
For a moment, their lips met. He closed his eyes, feeling something soft.
Opening them, Kamuro's face was crimson, their body heat soaring under the sun. The kiss shattered her last shred of composure. She wanted to pull away but savored the moment.
Her conflicting emotions clashed, averted eyes, trembling pupils, and undeniable affection laid bare.
Hikigaya froze for seconds. During the kiss, their breathing seemed to stop, time frozen.
Noticing her emotions, his rationality snapped him back. He pulled away, half-kneeling, looking aside.
"Just… an accident."
"Yeah…"
"…"
"…"
Kamuro stood first, offering her hand.
"Five more laps. You've rested enough."
Hikigaya gently took her hand, careful to avoid another incident, relying on his own strength. Still, he felt her hand, burning like fire.
They ran side by side, silent, neither speaking.
Even then, Kamuro stole glances at him, occasionally touching her lips, a faint smile unnoticed by others.
[Chat Room…]
[Yukinoshita: "Hikigaya-kun?"]
[Yuigahama: "Hikki?"]
[Isshiki Iroha: "Nice move, senpai!"]
[Hikigaya: "It was really an accident!"]
[Ebina Hina landed a fatal blow: "I thought Hayama-kun and Hikigaya-kun were the perfect pair, but turns out you're into girls!"]
[Hikigaya, exasperated: "Give me a break on that one."]
[Hayama: "Same…"]
[Miura Yumiko quickly covered Ebina's mouth, embarrassed. "Haha, she's like that sometimes. Carry on, carry on."]
[All eyes turned to Hikigaya.]
["I'm telling you, it was an accident!"]
[Yukinoshita: "One leads to two, two to three…"]
[Yuigahama: "Three strikes, and Hikki's out of shields."]
[Isshiki: "If senpai's the flirtatious type, that's pretty interesting!"]
['Warnings, all warnings.' Hikigaya felt he couldn't reason with them.]
[Yukinoshita smiled like a criminal about to strike, pinching his thigh hard while threatening, "Hope you can keep your last shred of dignity."]
[Scary, So Scary.]
[Kamuro, though it was just in the video, blushed.]
[Seeing herself kiss someone under so many eyes, even she felt shy.]
[It was her first kiss.]
[Hashimoto, relishing it: "Congrats, Masumi, for giving away your first kiss!"]
[Kamuro: "Hashimoto, go die, now!"]
[Hashimoto: "Sorry, can't fulfill your wish yet, but yours is almost granted."]
[Kamuro Masumi looked puzzled, while Hashimoto Masayoshi continued, "You've already snagged a kiss from this guy. Isn't that what you've always dreamed of?"]
[Kamuro couldn't outtalk him, but no matter, she landed a punch to his side, making him collapse with a pained "Agh!"]
[Much better.]
[Kamuro, as if venting a deep grudge, sat happily beside Sakayanagi Arisu, who remained unfazed and ignored Hashimoto.]
[Kito Hayato: "Why'd you provoke her?"]
[Hashimoto: "How was I supposed to know she'd punch me without a word?"]
[Kito, shrugging: "Can't help it. That's the enigma of women. You're lucky you're not dead."]
(End of this chapter)