Chapter 93: Behind Human Nature Lies the Fleeting Clouds
Ryuen Kakeru's expression was briefly suppressed by Hikigaya Hachiman's response, but then, as if understanding something, he gave a self-mocking smile.
If even he could uncover her past, there was no reason Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't.
Hikigaya Hachiman said softly, "I've known for a while that Kushida isn't what she seems. Learning she has this side doesn't surprise me."
Kushida Kikyo kept her cold expression, remaining silent.
Ryuen Kakeru said, "Then you didn't come here just to share your thoughts, did you?"
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded, turning his gaze to Kushida Kikyo.
Finally, Kushida Kikyo spoke, though her head remained lowered. "I told you, you shouldn't want to know my true self. It does you no good, and I'll become your enemy, until both you and Horikita are forced to drop out."
Kushida Kikyo didn't lift her head, never meeting the boy's eyes for even a second.
But her icy words still reached Hikigaya Hachiman's ears without fail.
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded and stepped closer to her.
"You once said no one would like this side of you, but I'm different. I prefer the you I see now."
The "like" in Hikigaya Hachiman's words wasn't romantic, it was an acceptance of the real Kushida Kikyo after seeing both sides of her.
Kushida Kikyo remained silent.
"You don't have to be enemies with me or Horikita. No one has to be your enemy."
"What do you even understand?!"
His self-righteous tone pushed Kushida Kikyo past her breaking point, and she roared at the boy before her.
Her eyes quivered, her hands clenched into fists.
She didn't want to show this ugly side to anyone. She had once hoped to start anew at this school, leaving behind her junior high years.
She had dreamed of a fresh start, but Horikita Suzune was an insurmountable obstacle in her heart.
She was terrified that one day, Horikita Suzune would recall her past and effortlessly destroy everything she had now.
Even if it was fake, even if it was a carefully crafted facade, she didn't want anyone to ruin it.
If possible, she wanted those memories to vanish from her mind entirely, to live carefree.
But those were just Kushida Kikyo's fantasies.
Such things were impossible.
Hikigaya Hachiman placed his hands on Kushida Kikyo's shoulders, trying to comfort her wounded heart.
"You said I wouldn't accept your true self, but now, I have."
"And in the future, more and more people will accept you."
"You don't have to keep wearing a mask that even you can't stand. You can have a new life in this high school."
Kushida Kikyo, almost choking with emotion, said, "Lies, it's all lies. I've heard these words too many times. But human hearts are ugly. They'll talk behind each other's backs, then smile to their faces, just like I do now."
Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't deny her words. Perhaps human hearts were that complex, that helpless.
As they say, behind human nature lies the fleeting clouds.
"You're saying people could accept the real me? I'd probably be criticized and hated. I'm not that perfect, and I don't want to deal with boring people. It makes me uncomfortable."
Hikigaya Hachiman said jokingly, "Being disliked is normal. I mean, I'm often disliked."
"Since you can't be liked by everyone, it stands to reason you can't be hated by everyone either."
Kushida Kikyo said, "What kind of twisted logic is that…"
Hikigaya Hachiman replied, "At least I don't dislike you, and I don't reject this side of you. Interacting with others this way, you won't have to do things against your heart anymore. That's what living freely feels like."
Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly thought of Miura Yumiko from Sobu High, a straightforward blonde girl who spoke her mind. Though some disliked her, most saw her as the backbone of the class.
Interacting with someone like her carried no burden and made forming bonds easier.
Though Miura often spoke harshly to him and didn't think much of him, it didn't stop Hikigaya Hachiman from appreciating such people, at least she was authentic.
And Hikigaya Hachiman never disliked authentic people.
As his words settled, the three fell into an endless silence.
After a long pause, Kushida Kikyo finally calmed down.
"Hikigaya, does the 'real thing' you're talking about really exist?"
Hikigaya Hachiman gave a self-mocking laugh, then sighed helplessly. "I don't know, but I believe it does."
"When did you become such a foolish idealist?"
Kushida Kikyo's words left him speechless, but as she looked at the silent boy, she showed a genuine smile.
She didn't know when she'd show her true self, but perhaps soon, she could say goodbye to her current facade.
Having made this resolve, having decided to accept her past and no longer fear others' threats, Kushida Kikyo had no reason to accept Ryuen Kakeru's proposal or cooperate with him.
Kushida Kikyo said, "Don't forget what you said, Hikigaya-kun."
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded.
[Inside Class 1-D…]
[Ike Kanji was completely stunned. The Kushida he saw was worlds apart from the one he knew.]
[For a moment, the entire class fell silent, eerily quiet.]
[Kushida Kikyo didn't know whether to thank or hate the Hikigaya Hachiman in the video.]
[In a way, he had saved her, but he had also destroyed her current life.]
[In a world without Hikigaya Hachiman, without her redemption, her true self was exposed without warning through the video.]
[Kushida Kikyo sat calmly in her seat, showing no agitation, no rebuttal, no denial, letting them discuss as they pleased.]
[In this situation, Yamauchi Haruki, oblivious to the mood, broke the silence.]
["Is that really Kushida? How could Kushida-san be so cold?"]
[Karuizawa Kei quickly smoothed things over, laughing as she said, "Yeah, no way that's Kushida-san. You're so cheerful, Kushida-san. It's just a video."]
[Karuizawa Kei's words prompted nods of agreement. In this class, both boys and girls got along well with Kushida Kikyo, which is why they refused to believe the video or Ryuen Kakeru's claims about her past.]
[Ike Kanji: "Someone must be framing Kikyo, that's why Ryuen said those things."]
[Yamauchi Haruki: "Exactly, this video has to be fake. The gentle Kikyo could never have such an expression, could never be so fierce."]
[The discussion about Kushida Kikyo continued, but no one brought up that incident.]
[Everyone acted as if they knew nothing, echoing each other's words, while only Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo kept their heads down.]
[Seeing Kushida Kikyo silent with her head lowered, her expression unreadable, the class grew worried.]
[Suddenly, Sotomura Hideo, as if struck by a realization, turned sharply to Horikita Suzune, focusing all his attention on her.]
["Horikita-san, Ryuen said you know the truth. You must know. What Ryuen said is false, right? That person can't be her, right? She's being framed, isn't she?"]
[Sotomura Hideo's words drew the entire class's attention to Horikita Suzune. Even Kushida Kikyo lifted her head abruptly, her face a mix of fear and shock.]
[Horikita Suzune wouldn't deliberately frame Kushida Kikyo. According to the school's submitted records, they did attend the same junior high, and she had heard of the incident that shook the school. But she couldn't recall who was responsible.]
[After complex deliberation, Horikita Suzune didn't answer immediately, saying calmly, "We did go to the same junior high, and our school did experience what Ryuen described. But I don't know who that person was."]
[Everyone's gazes lingered on Horikita Suzune's face. Her words aligned with what Ryuen said in the video, and after watching it for so long, they knew the video wasn't fake.]
[They nodded calmly, pretending ignorance and saying nothing more.]
[Kushida Kikyo's gaze fell on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the only one in the class who knew her secret. As long as he kept quiet, the matter wouldn't be exposed for now.]
[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka naturally wouldn't do something to bring trouble upon himself. Kushida Kikyo's true face would inevitably be fully exposed by the video one day, and that day wasn't far off. Although, as seen in the video, this exposure was benign under Hikigaya Hachiman's guidance, there was no Hikigaya Hachiman in their reality.]
[Yamauchi Haruki, still oblivious to the class's atmosphere, let out a sigh of relief and said, "Good, good. There's no reason to assume Kushida-san is that culprit. As her classmates, we should give her our utmost trust."]
[Though everyone nodded in agreement, a rift had already formed silently. This feeling was real, and it was exactly what Kushida Kikyo feared.]
[It was still early in their enrollment. She hadn't yet grasped most of her classmates' secrets. If her true self were exposed now, she couldn't replicate the feat from her junior high days.]
[If it came to that, her only option would be to drop out.]
[The video was just a video. In a reality without Hikigaya Hachiman, she couldn't change anything.]
[She sighed inwardly, partly out of helplessness toward reality, and partly in lament that her savior could only exist in the video.]
[If there were truly someone who could accept her as she was, without any pretense, wholly authentic, then even if the entire school shunned her, so what?]
[In this school, Hikigaya Hachiman would be her sole belief.]
[But that was merely what happened in the video, so Kushida Kikyo could only sigh, powerless to do anything else.]
Compared to the Kushida Kikyo outside the video, the one standing with Hikigaya Hachiman now seemed almost relieved.
She didn't doubt that behind human nature lay fleeting clouds, people said one thing to your face and another behind your back. But she also believed in Hikigaya Hachiman's words. He was a contradictory person, yet he craved authenticity above all. That alone was enough for Kushida Kikyo to trust him.
If he betrayed her, she would drop out. This school would hold no meaning for her. From the moment she rejected Ryuen Kakeru's offer, her true face could be exposed at any time. But she didn't care, not one bit.
As long as Hikigaya Hachiman didn't betray her, she could accept anything.
Ryuen Kakeru, watching from the side, took in the entire scene. Even though the situation had reached a dead end, he maintained his unchanging smile.
"Hikigaya, you really are a man with some kind of magic. Even a double-edged sword like Kushida Kikyo is now completely devoted to you."
Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head, calmly denying it. "No, I'm just a powerless nobody. In this school, I'm at the bottom. In this special exam, everyone will remember Hirata Yosuke for leading the class, Sudo Ken for his tireless efforts, and Ike Kanji for his camping experience. But no one will remember someone like me who can't do anything."
Ryuen Kakeru's expression finally darkened. He struggled to suppress his anger, but his tone was like a low growl. "Everything you're saying now, it's all because of you! Because of you, Hikigaya!"
"Class D was nothing to fear. They lacked courage, ability, unity, and a decent leader, a complete mess. But… the moment you joined, everything changed."
"You have no idea how much your presence has transformed Class D. So many people who should've dropped out in the first semester are still here because of you."
"Are you genuinely clueless, or are you just treating me like an ignorant fool?!"
Ryuen Kakeru's voice grew increasingly strained, culminating in a furious outburst, as if he had lost all reason.
Hikigaya Hachiman had never seen Ryuen like this. Listening to his words, he found himself at a loss for a response.
After a long silence, Ryuen Kakeru's voice calmed once more. "You've completely backed me into a corner, completely backed Class C into a corner."
"I didn't want to be your enemy, but now… I have no choice."
"I absolutely cannot stop here. I will defeat you, defeat Ichinose, defeat Sakayanagi."
Ryuen Kakeru roared with near-hysterical intensity. He had never imagined that on the second day of the exam, he would already be so thoroughly defeated.
He thought everything was under his control, yet he hadn't realized that Hikigaya Hachiman had seen through it all.
The vast gap in their abilities left him feeling powerless.
Ibuki Mio he sent out had lost her value, and he couldn't sway Kushida Kikyo to learn Class D's leader.
No matter where he turned, it was a dead end, a despair Ryuen Kakeru had never experienced before.
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't know what to say. He hadn't intended to push Ryuen this far. He was only moderately protecting Class D's interests and inadvertently disrupted Ryuen's recruitment plan.
"You're a leader with real ability. At least to me, your ambition is the key to your success, but sometimes, it's also your fatal flaw."
After holding back for so long, Hikigaya Hachiman finally said something seemingly irrelevant in the quiet moment.
Ryuen Kakeru's expression gradually calmed. He gave a self-mocking laugh and said, "What, consoling a loser? That's hilarious. You should ignore me, let me hate you completely, and then I'll work tirelessly to crush you, to trample you underfoot."
"Doing this won't earn you my favor."
Ryuen Kakeru's words were laced with self-mockery as he spoke to Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head again, saying calmly, "You're not a loser. No one can define you as one."
"No one wins forever, I know that well. This time, I just got lucky. And the exam isn't over yet. Ryuen, you should remember what you said: as long as the exam isn't over, you'll never give up, tracking your prey until it's completely dead."
Ryuen Kakeru naturally remembered his bold declarations, though they now seemed somewhat laughable.
"I'll beat you. If not this time, then the next."
"I believe you will."
Ryuen Kakeru didn't continue speaking with Hikigaya Hachiman. The night sky was gradually giving way to the dawn's first light. Soon, sunlight would bathe the island, marking the official start of the third day of the exam.
Ryuen Kakeru turned and left, carrying his promise with him.
Perhaps at the start of the school year, Hikigaya Hachiman had wanted to avoid dealing with a man like this. But now, his thoughts were quietly shifting.
He looked forward to the day he and Ryuen would face off as rivals again.
He believed Ryuen would one day defeat him head-on in an exam.
He respected this tyrant who, no matter how many times he failed, would return with a brazen smile.
This time, Ryuen Kakeru had lost all ability to resist, but that didn't mean he would bow out entirely.
He might lose his class's trust, but like before, he would rise from the bottom and face Hikigaya Hachiman as an enemy again.
Watching the tyrant's retreating figure, Hikigaya Hachiman said no more and turned to leave.
Kushida Kikyo asked, "Ryuen, he's going to withdraw, isn't he?"
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded. "If he still cares about Class C, withdrawing is his only option."
With the spy plan exposed and most of Class C withdrawing from the island, their leader's identity would be easily uncovered by other classes. Knowing other classes' leaders would be meaningless if their own was exposed.
Their points would end up at zero.
Now, all he could do was burn through the 300 points and have the entire class withdraw.
This might not advance the class, but it wouldn't give other classes a chance to widen the gap significantly.
As the saying goes, as long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood.
Ryuen Kakeru would rise again one day.
With this exam, Class C had thoroughly lost due to their plan's exposure. By tomorrow morning, everyone would likely hear that Class C had withdrawn.
Though Ryuen Kakeru's declaration had just taken place, it didn't seem to affect Kushida Kikyo.
She put her hands behind her back, hopping lightly to stand in front of Hikigaya Hachiman.
No longer wearing a false expression, she was still adorable. Her words were somewhat cold but carried a hint of care.
"Hey, do you even know how to get back?"
"Uh… I don't think so."
"I knew it. If you hadn't followed me, you'd be stuck here waiting for rescue, then leave the school under everyone's scorn, full of regret."
"No way…"
Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly felt that this Kushida Kikyo resembled Isshiki Iroha, cute in speech yet merciless.
Women are so unpredictable.
Perhaps this was Kushida Kikyo's true face.
Or maybe, she only showed this side to Hikigaya Hachiman.
The two walked one behind the other, not exchanging another word.
From start to finish, Kushida Kikyo never turned back, and Hikigaya Hachiman never saw her expression.
Under Kushida Kikyo's guidance, they quickly followed a path back to the camp. Everyone was still asleep, so slipping back into the tent now would likely go unnoticed.
At that moment, Kushida Kikyo suddenly turned around, flashing a smile that was both cold and undeniably genuine, catching Hikigaya Hachiman off guard. He froze in place.
"It's not just Hirata, Sudo, and Ike, I've seen your efforts too."
Her words, free of her usual affected tone, tugged at Hikigaya Hachiman's heart with each beat, making his face flush red. The feeling of being teased made it clear to him.
No matter how Kushida Kikyo changed, she was a woman he could never handle.
(End of this chapter)