Chapter 94: Hachiman, We Really Did It!
After a brief parting, Kushida Kikyo ran back to her tent without looking back. Her retreating figure blurred in Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes.
Tears?
Impossible.
Hikigaya Hachiman only felt his body sending warning signals. The moment he returned to camp, he could barely muster any strength. It made sense, he hadn't rested all night. If he could still be energetic, he wouldn't be human.
Exhaustion surged over him. He yawned, too tired to think further, and quietly returned to the tent, lying down on an empty spot.
Perhaps due to his sheer fatigue, he lost consciousness within seconds. His sleepless night was miraculously cured.
[In Class 1-D, as Hikigaya Hachiman fell into a deep sleep, the class erupted into discussion once more.]
[Hirata Yosuke: "Class C is really giving up? When we took the special exam, Ryuen planned to lie low until the end, then flip the table by identifying the leaders."]
[It wasn't that Hirata Yosuke couldn't understand, but the events unfolding now were so different from what he experienced that even someone like him struggled to accept it.]
[In contrast, Yukimura Keisei analyzed the situation rationally. "They have no choice but to withdraw from this exam. Though Ryuen says he wants to beat Hikigaya, winning against him in this exam is impossible."]
[Karuizawa Kei: "Yeah, Ryuen's at a dead end now. But it's Hikigaya we're talking about, it's not surprising he'd push them to this point."]
[Horikita Suzune shook her head, saying calmly, "No, this was just pure luck. Even he has his shortcomings. If he hadn't been sleepless last night, Kushida would likely have become Class C's mole."]
[The inherently contentious topic was brought up again by Horikita Suzune, perhaps because she was one of the few not close to Kushida Kikyo.]
[The class fell silent again, everyone lingering on Horikita Suzune's hypothetical.]
[Yes, if Hikigaya Hachiman hadn't been there, would Kushida Kikyo have become Class C's pawn? No one could say for sure, as they had seen her wavering in the video.]
[Just as the silence deepened, Koenji Rokusuke, who rarely cared about class matters, spoke up casually. "If the Kushida in the video didn't join Class C because of Hikigaya, doesn't that mean, in our reality without him, you're already Class C's mole?"]
[Koenji Rokusuke spoke while looking in a mirror, never glancing at Kushida Kikyo, but his words were unmistakably aimed at the short-haired girl.]
[Once again, the class fell into an even deeper silence, so quiet you could hear the ticking of a clock.]
[They were too immersed in the video, forgetting it was rooted in reality. Perhaps Koenji was right. His words sparked a flicker of doubt in everyone's minds.]
[Who was Kushida Kikyo, really? Was she a good classmate of Class D, or a traitor from Class C? No one could say for sure.]
[After a long pause, Ike Kanji couldn't bear the silence any longer. He stood up angrily and said, "How can we not trust our classmate?! Don't we know what kind of person Kikyo is from spending time with her? How could someone so pure betray the class?!"]
[Ike Kanji's words jolted everyone awake. Perhaps their past interactions had created a preconceived image of Kushida Kikyo. They didn't truly believe she was like that, or at least, they wouldn't show it.]
[Ike Kanji continued, "Koenji, are you doing this on purpose?! Trying to sow discord among us?"]
[Koenji Rokusuke maintained his carefree demeanor, waving a hand casually. "Think what you want, it's none of my business. I just raised a possibility. Whether you believe it or not has nothing to do with me."]
[As expected, Koenji Rokusuke's attitude was unchanged. The class's fate, who was a traitor, none of it mattered to him. As long as he had points to spend, he was fine.]
[With Hirata Yosuke's mediation, Ike Kanji and Koenji Rokusuke didn't escalate into a fight, or rather, Koenji had no intention of arguing with him.]
[Though everyone agreed with Ike Kanji's words, doubts about Kushida Kikyo had already taken root in their hearts. It wouldn't be long before the truth came to light.]
[In Class 1-C, Ryuen Kakeru looked at the outcome, his usual smile nowhere to be seen.]
[Hiyori Shiina, seemingly unaffected by the video's victory or defeat, said calmly, "We lost."]
[Ibuki Mio looked at Ryuen Kakeru with a mocking tone. "Lost completely, huh, Ryuen? Good thing he doesn't exist in our world, or our class would've dropped to Class D in just one semester."]
[Ishizaki Daichi nodded. In the video, he was one of the first three to drop out, something he could never let go of. And it was all because of Hikigaya Hachiman's existence.]
[His presence caused Class C to suffer defeat after defeat since the start of school. They knew Ryuen Kakeru's strength, mere violence wouldn't make him a king. Only with matching ability could he become the unmatched tyrant.]
[But even such a tyrant had lost utterly. In all their confrontations, he had never gained the upper hand, not even once.]
[Most of Class C agreed with Ibuki Mio's words, thankfully, that guy didn't exist in their world, or the gap in strength would be far too vast.]
[However, unexpectedly, Ryuen Kakeru shook his head. He wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat. On the contrary, he knew no one could win forever. But the restlessness in his heart was uncontrollable. How he longed to face the boy from the video in a real showdown, not in a video, but a true confrontation.]
[Even if he lost, it wouldn't matter. Ryuen Kakeru was that kind of person. Not being able to have a real duel with him was an immense regret.]
[This video had already caused some in his class to lose faith in Ryuen. Seeing how he looked in the face of despair made it so that Class C no longer fully trusted him. At the very least, doubts had taken root in their hearts.]
[If even the class outside the video felt this way, one could only imagine what Ryuen's class within the video was like now.]
[It was likely that after this exam, Ryuen's position as class leader would change hands.]
[In Class 1-A, Sakayanagi Arisu watched the video with keen interest, flanked by her faction members: Kamuro Masumi, Kito Hayato, and Hashimoto Masayoshi.]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi: "Oh? Ryuen went down this quickly? That's interesting."]
[Kito Hayato: "Does this mean Katsuragi's plan to use Ryuen to uncover the other classes' leaders is now impossible?"]
[Kamuro Masumi nodded. Having participated in that exam, they knew well the deal struck between Classes A and C. But now, the situation had changed.]
[Class C didn't sign that contract with Class A, and Katsuragi couldn't obtain the other classes' leader identities. For someone as cautious as Katsuragi, without seeing the green card, he would never make a hasty decision.]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi, hands behind his head, said boredly, "Ryuen-boy's out, so this exam's gonna be dull."]
[If the three classes avoided conflict and just conserved points bit by bit, the exam would boil down to who could endure the longest, a boring outcome, as Hashimoto said.]
[Kito Hayato, familiar with Katsuragi, nodded in agreement. With Katsuragi's cautious nature, the exam would likely end peacefully.]
[But Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head.]
[Kamuro Masumi: "Princess, do you think Katsuragi will make a move?"]
[Sakayanagi Arisu nodded with her usual calm smile on her face. "You're right, Katsuragi is a very cautious man. His meticulousness makes it hard for anyone to take advantage of him. But you're forgetting: Katsuragi is also a man of his word. Since Class A declared they'd be enemies with Class D, and I'm not participating in this exam, this is the only chance for Katsuragi's faction and those who dislike Hikigaya to act."]
[Sakayanagi's words made sense to the three, though they were still puzzled.]
[Kito Hayato: "So, Katsuragi's group will do something to Class D?"]
[Sakayanagi Arisu: "Barring any surprises, they've been planning all along. The moment they find an opportunity, they'll strike."]
[Kamuro Masumi: "I don't think Katsuragi can handle this Hikigaya. He's already played Ryuen like a fiddle. Katsuragi might drag Class A into a pit."]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi: "Kamuro-chan, whose side are you on? Sounds like you want Class D to win. Though, honestly, I feel the same. I dislike Katsuragi more than Hikigaya."]
[Kito Hayato: "But this could indeed drag Class A into a pit."]
[Sakayanagi Arisu gave a light laugh. "That's exactly what I want. If Class A wins, it'll be worse for my future plans."]
[The three understood: Sakayanagi was letting Katsuragi lose to Class D because of her absolute confidence in her own strength, a strength that could reclaim Class A's position anytime.]
[And in truth, Sakayanagi Arisu had that strength. At least so far, she had never lost, not once.]
A ray of light pierced the sky, signaling dawn on the island. The turmoil of the night gave way to the growth of all things. People emerged from their tents, diving into the new day. Laughter soon filled the camp, and after a night's rest, everyone was brimming with confidence to continue their work.
"Kikyo, you look like you didn't sleep well. Those dark circles are huge."
Kushida Kikyo rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of her tent, finding Ike Kanji waiting for her.
"Oh, maybe. Also, Ike, don't call me by my name anymore, it's kind of gross."
With that, Kushida Kikyo walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving Ike Kanji petrified in place.
Today's Kikyo lacked her usual smile. Ike Kanji racked his brain, wondering if he'd done something to upset her, but he couldn't figure it out. Just yesterday, they'd been happily discussing camping.
Gross, gross, gross.
The word echoed deeply in Ike Kanji's mind. He felt like crying, as if the world had turned dark.
Ike Kanji, on the third day of the special exam, suffered a heartbreak.
He couldn't understand what had happened, what had changed Kushida Kikyo so much overnight. Could it be that time for her?
Better not bother her for a while, she might end up hating him.
Ike Kanji threw himself into work, though his mind was elsewhere. He just couldn't fathom why Kushida had changed so drastically.
Bathed in the warm sunlight, Hikigaya Hachiman finally woke from his slumber. Since girls couldn't enter the boys' tent, and the boys hadn't noticed him, Sudo Ken had gone hunting early in the morning, Hikigaya Hachiman checked his watch upon waking.
As expected, it was already noon.
He stretched, then slipped out of the tent while no one was looking.
But the moment he stepped out, he saw Kushida Kikyo blocking his path.
Thinking back to last night, it was a bit awkward. Perhaps because of the atmosphere, the two locked eyes, neither speaking.
Finally, Kushida Kikyo handed him some fruit, saying calmly, "I know you can sleep, but I didn't expect you to sleep this long. This is your lunch, I saved it for you."
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded. While it was true he could sleep a lot, only he knew he hadn't slept at all last night. Otherwise, no matter how much he slept, he wouldn't have slept until noon.
Looking at the lunch Kushida handed him, he wanted to say something, but the girl had already vanished.
'I was going to thank her.'
Kushida must have waited for him a long time, which made him feel a bit guilty.
Without her saving him food, he might've gone hungry.
Food was distributed evenly, and Sakura Airi, who usually looked out for him, had been assigned a task and left camp early. As for Horikita Suzune, it was a miracle if she could take care of herself.
Hikigaya Hachiman thought of his sister, Komachi, or rather, he hadn't thought of her in a while.
Back then, he only knew how to take, relying on Komachi to manage his daily life at home. Now, having not seen her for so long, he missed that mischievous, playful sister.
He wondered how she was doing.
She was probably more worried about him.
After all, compared to him as a brother, she, as the younger sister, had always been the one looking out for him, encouraging him.
If he could see her one day, he'd give her a big bear hug.
As Hikigaya Hachiman walked on, a loud commotion erupted in the camp.
Hirata Yosuke: "What's going on?!"
"How is this possible? Class C really withdrew from the exam, and the entire class!"
Karuizawa Kei, looking skeptical, said heavily, "Those guys must be up to something. There's no way they would just hand over Class C's position to us. It's gotta be fake."
Matsushita Chiaki: "No, it's a school-wide announcement. It can't be fake. Class C really, truly withdrew."
Yamauchi Haruki: "Really? Is it actually real? Does this mean if we just get through this exam, we'll surpass Class C, no, no, we are Class C!"
Their long efforts were validated in this moment.
They had really surpassed Class C. The feeling surged in everyone's hearts, almost unreal.
Everyone was thrilled. Though the exam wasn't over, it felt like it was.
Each person returning to camp was incredulous upon hearing the news.
Sakura Airi, hearing it, excitedly ran to Hikigaya Hachiman, panting, her tearful eyes fixed on him.
"Hachiman, we really did it! We really did it!"
In her excitement, she forgot her usual shyness and hugged him tightly, making Hikigaya Hachiman a bit embarrassed.
From a distance, Horikita Suzune saw this and turned away, pouting, looking elsewhere. Compared to the others, she remained calm. First, her goal was Class A, and this was just a small step. Second, she believed Ryuen must have some scheme to return. Though arrogant, abandoning the exam as a class leader was irresponsible. Until the results were finalized, she remained cautious.
Sakura Airi, still teary, clung to Hikigaya Hachiman, while Kushida Kikyo shot her a fierce, pouting glare.
Feeling the hostile gaze, Sakura Airi looked toward Kushida Kikyo, seeing a completely different Kushida from usual.
Sakura didn't know if she'd done something to provoke such enmity, but this was the first time she'd seen this side of Kushida.
If it was because of hugging Hachiman that she received such a hateful look, Sakura wouldn't let go.
So, Sakura got cheekier, bolder.
She wrapped her arms around Hikigaya Hachiman's neck, gazing at him affectionately, as if she might kiss him any moment.
This made Hikigaya Hachiman even more embarrassed, his face uncontrollably red.
Thankfully, Sudo Ken arrived in time. Sakura, too shy to continue, settled for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Hikigaya Hachiman.
Sudo Ken seemed unfazed by Sakura's behavior, but he had another purpose.
He slung his arm around Hikigaya Hachiman's neck, grinning broadly. "Brother! You've really done it! Class D, no, Class C, has really made it!"
"It's just one rank up. No need to get so excited."
Sudo Ken was taken aback by Hikigaya Hachiman's words but quickly grinned again. "Damn, I didn't expect you to have such big ambitions. But I believe in your strength. One day, we'll rise to Class B, to Class A."
"Isn't graduating from Class A why you came to this school?"
Sudo Ken was stunned again, saying, "True, but we all know how big the gap is. Still, you've changed. Compared to the Hikigaya who first arrived, you've got a fire in you now that won't go out."
This time, it was Hikigaya Hachiman who was stunned by Sudo Ken's words.
But soon, he thought of his past and present.
Perhaps he had changed.
At least now, he didn't need others' excuses to act.
He will do what he wants to do, while he can.
Sudo Ken continued with a smile, "I can feel it, that fire in you is fierce, fierce enough to burn everything, but also warm, warm enough to heal everyone near you."
"Maybe that's your magic, brother."
…
After the excitement, everyone quickly returned to their tasks.
To Hikigaya Hachiman's surprise, the news didn't make the class slack off. Instead, it fueled their enthusiasm, a very positive development.
Unexpectedly, Kushida Kikyo barely interacted with the class today. Though some greeted her, her cold demeanor scared them off. People thought she was facing some difficulty or that staying on the island too long had worn her down.
Discussions about helping Kushida Kikyo or rumors about her never stopped. Only Hikigaya Hachiman knew this was her true self.
Looking at the blue sky, he thought of someone far away.
Koenji Rokusuke, he was probably vacationing in some cave right now, living it up…
(End of this chapter)