Chapter 47: Do you want to see what this world really looks like?
Hikigaya's walking pace wasn't fast; he appeared to be ambling along slowly.
But in reality, he was quite fast. He had now completely integrated martial arts footwork into his movements. If he wished to speed up, he could move at the pace of a car even while appearing to walk normally.
To be honest, if it weren't for the whole "God Slayer" business, he wasn't a particularly gifted martial artist. Though he wasn't so inept as to be embarrassing.
If he had one advantage, it would probably be his persistence.
This was probably a common trait among transmigrators: a stubborn adherence to what they believed to be the correct way to survive. One could even call it a belief.
His dislike of the Committee wasn't about moral coercion or anything like that. He simply couldn't tolerate others invading his life so casually. That was something he absolutely couldn't accept.
Anything else could be negotiated — but not that.
Yomi handled this point well. They never interfered recklessly. Or rather, their methods of interference were acceptable to Hikigaya.
Respect is a very important thing. Every transmigrator has the potential to become a total lunatic at any moment. If they're not having a breakdown, it's fine, but when they do, even they're afraid of themselves.
Hikigaya looked up at the sky. The moon was no longer visible.
The air was freezing, as if it had turned to ice, but it was also very clear.
There was no longer the unpleasant stench of a sorcerer in the air.
The only source of light came from the path through the bamboo grove not far away, where a pale, cold light glowed.
Tobe… should've been shaken off by now.
Although he was a frivolous guy, Hikigaya still hoped he wouldn't suffer some kind of psychological trauma or something weird like that.
Just like him in middle school.
Frivolous as he was, that wasn't really a fault. No one is born wanting to act frivolous.
In the world Hikigaya had lived in before transmigrating, everyone worked hard to play the role that suited them in life. But what suited you didn't necessarily mean you liked it.
Everyone wished for fewer unhappy things in life, and wealth and power seemed like they could eliminate those miseries.
But that's impossible. Not even a god could do that.
Even after becoming gods, they still had their own desires — so much so that they left mythology behind.
Hikigaya hated the Committee, but he wasn't going to just rush over and kill them all.
Even Voban, feared by the world, seemed to have his own rules of conduct that he adhered to. He didn't just use violence on everyone he met.
In the end, whether human, God Slayer, or god, everyone had things they disliked but were powerless to change.
To Hikigaya, this world was so unfamiliar that he never knew when he might not live to see the next day. The unease in his heart never faded. And yet, there were still things in this world that could bring him temporary peace.
Protecting that peace was more important than acquiring authority or power.
With this feeling in his heart, Hikigaya stepped into the path through the bamboo grove.
All the lanterns along the bamboo path had been lit. Every few steps, a faint white light shone on the green bamboo stalks.
This wasn't the section Tobe and the others had chosen. No one should have been here — or rather, that was how it was supposed to be.
But standing there was a girl.
It was obvious that she was surprised Hikigaya had suddenly appeared from the side.
"As expected, Hikigaya-kun is mysterious."
She was the girl Tobe had planned to confess to tonight — Ebina. Though in Hikigaya's mind, he always just referred to her as "the big fujoshi."
From her appearance, it was hard to tell she had that kind of interest.
Ebina was a petite girl with shoulder-length black hair. She always wore red-framed glasses. Her features were delicate, and when she sat quietly, she had a literary girl vibe.
At this moment, her eyes were clear — very different from usual.
"Actually, during the school festival, I saw it by accident," Ebina brushed back her hair blown by the night wind and spoke calmly. "Monsters aren't as harmless as Hikigaya-kun said, right?"
Hikigaya responded with silence.
Or rather, he wanted to hear what this girl had to say.
"I've known since then that Hikigaya-kun isn't like everyone else. Of course, maybe I'm not either. I can't interact normally with people right now, so I ran away. Yui-chan probably knew I was lying. But that way, the worst-case scenario could be avoided."
"So Tobe's confession failed," Hikigaya smiled. "But you could've given it a try. People who seem frivolous on the outside aren't always truly like that."
"I know that. But no, I've already rotted inside. No one can understand me, and I don't want anyone to. So it's impossible for me to get along with people."
Such an edgy line…
Hikigaya's eye twitched.
As expected, youth without chuunibyou isn't real youth. If you don't come down with some kind of "XX disease" during your one and only youth, it's practically a crime against humanity.
"Understanding, huh…" He shrugged. "Maybe it's not as hard as you think."
He reached out a hand toward Ebina.
"Do you want to see the true form of this world?"
"Can I?" Ebina's eyes lit up.
Her heart was moved. In truth, she had indeed seen that moment during the school festival. But that was all.
She didn't understand what it really was, but it was enough to tell her that Hikigaya wasn't ordinary. And it explained all the strange things that had happened around him.
That's why, during the Suikyu Hall incident, she hadn't been afraid — because Hikigaya was right behind her.
Now, as she looked at the hand Hikigaya extended, her heart pounded.
She knew that if she reached out her hand, she would see a glimpse of that world.
Everything she had taken for granted since childhood would likely be shattered.
But she didn't know if she was ready for that yet.
Her heart pounded violently, as if it were about to burst from her chest.
Ebina slowly raised her delicate hand, smooth and pale like jade, and reached cautiously toward Hikigaya's hand. Very slowly, very carefully.
Hikigaya said nothing, just waited.
Their hands drew closer and closer — only a hair's breadth apart.
But then Ebina's hand stopped.
And she pulled it back.
"As I thought, I can't…" she lowered her head and sighed gently.
Was it regret? She didn't know. But at this moment, she felt a sense of peace.
"Have you made up your mind?" Hikigaya still didn't withdraw his hand. He asked her.
Ebina looked up and met his gaze.
After a while, she gently adjusted her glasses. The lenses reflected the light from the lanterns, becoming hazy.
When her clear eyes became visible again through the thin lenses, her face had regained its usual cheerful smile.
"I really like where I am now, and the people I'm with," she said with a smile. "But if I accepted Hikigaya-kun's invitation, I'd probably lose them. Wouldn't that be too much of a pity?"
Hikigaya withdrew his hand. But there was no disappointment on his face — only a genuine smile.
"Well done, Ebina-san. That was the right choice," he praised. "You're a wise girl."
In that moment, he truly saw the precious qualities in this girl he'd always labeled "the big fujoshi."
Honestly speaking, if it had been him, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist.
"Tobe's really unlucky," Hikigaya now genuinely sympathized with him.
The guy had good taste in women — but unfortunately, good taste alone wasn't enough.
"You shouldn't say things like that so casually, Hikigaya-kun. A girl might fall for you."
A faint blush appeared on Ebina's cheeks.
"But it's too late to say that now, right?"
"Uh…" Hikigaya's smile froze. "What do you mean by that…"
He was a little flustered. What did she mean by that?
"Oh, if Hikigaya-kun doesn't know, I'm not going to explain more."
Ebina wore a mischievous look.
In the end, she even covered her mouth and giggled.
It was obvious she was quite pleased.
But that only made him more curious…
Still, forget it. Curiosity is a devil. If it was something that could make a hardcore fujoshi laugh like that, it was definitely better not to know.
"Ahh, I feel so much better now." Ebina stretched lazily, looking completely relaxed.
"I won't walk you back," Hikigaya said with a wry smile.
This girl was definitely dangerous — if he got too close to her, he'd be out of sorts the whole night.
Damn that Committee… tch, his mood soured again.