Chapter 168: Hikigaya's Confession, Everyone's Loss of Composure
[If everything in this world must have an outcome, then human relationships are no different.]
[Just like the relationship between the three members of the Service Club, this complex yet pure bond will one day be shattered by the interactions between people, leading to a new change.]
[It is precisely for this reason that people cherish the time when the relationship had no impurities before it fundamentally changed, that was a wonderful time.]
[Hikigaya, Yuigahama, and Yukinoshita are the complex individuals caught within this relationship. If any one of them didn't value this bond, they could simply place it at the edge of their heart, and then, no matter how the other two treated the relationship, it would ultimately be irrelevant.]
[However, it is precisely because all three have reasons they cannot easily abandon that this relationship reached this point. It is precisely because the hearts of all three equally value this bound relationship that this dilemma was created.]
[Hikigaya knows very well that the day for this decision will always come. No matter what day it is, one day he will have to destroy this immensely important relationship. The same goes for Yuigahama and Yukinoshita.]
[It would be wonderful if he could make a good decision like his video counterpart, but he is only himself, possessing nothing worth praising except for the selfishness in his heart.]
[So, he must make a choice. Perhaps it is a way to account for himself, or perhaps it is a way to account for Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. But no matter what, this change, brought about by his video counterpart's transformation, perhaps... the answer had been determined long ago, and only at this moment did he finally utter that answer.]
[Hikigaya slowly released Yuigahama's tightly held hand. The girl's heart immediately trembled violently. She knew that she had forced him to make a choice, and she also knew that in the end, he did not choose her...]
[If, if the final result was this...]
[The little hand of the bun-haired girl couldn't stop shaking. She looked lost, her eyes becoming vacant.]
[Hikigaya: "Yuigahama..."]
[Yuigahama immediately sniffled, then wiped her eyes and said very bravely: "Hikki, it's okay... it's okay, I know. Hikki, Yukinon, you two must become better. Our relationship will definitely be the same as before..."]
[Faced with the bun-haired girl's determined composure, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita were momentarily speechless. Neither Yukinoshita nor Hikigaya felt happy because of the choice, because this choice was not worth being happy about.]
[Yuigahama quickly adjusted her state, and the gentle smile immediately returned to her face. She tried hard to smile as she said to the two of them: "Hikki, Yukinon, thank you...."]
[Having said this, the girl gently stood up and ran out the front door. The tears in her eyes could no longer be controlled as they poured out. In her frantic dash, she couldn't even clearly see the road ahead.]
[Hikigaya and Yukinoshita exchanged a glance, a mutual understanding to chase after her, but were stopped at the front door by Hayama.]
[Hayama sighed, looking at their tightly held hands, and offered a relieved smile: "It seems you finally made a choice."]
[Hikigaya: "This isn't the time for that..."]
[A look of noticeable anxiety also crossed Yukinoshita's face. To her, Yuigahama could now be considered a 'friend,' and she didn't want her friend to be so sad because of this matter.]
[However, she quickly denied the thought in her heart. She had underestimated the impact this had on Yuigahama. If Hikigaya-kun had chosen Yuigahama instead of herself, she would probably have acted the same way.]
[Hayama watched Iroha, Miura, and Ebina, who were already chasing after Yuigahama, and once again reached out to stop Hikigaya.]
["Stay here for now. Leave her to us. If you show up, you might cause secondary damage. Don't worry, I'll bring her back. Consider it me repaying my favor to you."]
[Hikigaya began to scrutinize the Hayama in front of him. After calming down and thinking it over, he finally lowered his head and said: "Perhaps you are right, Hayama."]
[Hayama showed a wry smile: "You're the last person I wanted to hear that from..."]
[Hikigaya: "Regardless, I've never asked anyone for help, but this time... I hope you can bring her back safely. Just as Yuigahama herself said, no matter what, we... are friends."]
[Yukinoshita also nodded, continuing to speak to Hayama: "Hayama-kun, I don't blame you for not saving me back then, but now, please save Yuigahama-san."]
[A hint of shock appeared in Hayama's eyes, followed by a second wry smile: "It seems this video really changed a lot about you. Hikigaya, I thought the word 'friend' would never leave your mouth."]
[Hikigaya: "Even I won't be a chuunibyō boy forever, you idiot."]
[Yukinoshita: "Hayama-kun, please stop wasting time. Once again, Yuigahama is entrusted to you."]
[Hayama, solemn and resolute: "Understood."]
[Watching Hayama's figure gradually move away, finally disappearing, Hikigaya suddenly realized that he was still tightly gripping Yukinoshita's hand.]
[Hikigaya subconsciously wanted to let go, but he wondered if letting go would make their situation less awkward. It was only because of Hayama's presence that the awkwardness had disappeared, but now...]
[Looking at the girl's profile, Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh that such a perfect person existed in this world. The more he looked... the redder Hikigaya's cheeks became.]
["Yuki... Yukinoshita..."]
["Hmm?"]
["We're... holding... hands..."]
[Only when Hikigaya mentioned it did Yukinoshita instantly snap out of her gaze fixed on the direction Yuigahama had fled. Indeed, their hands were tightly clasped. At this moment, when their relationship hadn't been confirmed... it seemed somewhat overstepping.]
[The girl's cheeks flushed rapidly. In just an instant, the two were equally flustered, lowering their heads and neither raising them again.]
[Hikigaya had given up. Sure enough, being alone with Yukinoshita made things strange. And his confession just now was also strange, wasn't it? He wasn't even sure if he was being regarded as a pervert, and the problem was... why was he being so presumptuous when the other party hadn't even responded to him yet...]
[If there was a bed in front of Hikigaya right now, he would surely writhe like a maggot, constantly rolling around, and finally cover his head with a blanket, never wanting to come out for the rest of his life.]
[Of course... Yukinoshita also knew this side of his personality.]
["Yuki, Yukinoshita, why don't we sit down first..."]
[Hikigaya had a sudden inspiration. Since the video was currently playing, watching the video would at least ease some of the awkwardness. However...]
["Still calling me Yukinoshita?"]
[This single sentence instantly caused Hikigaya's brain to stop working, entering a crash moment.]
["?"]
[Seeing Hikigaya's face full of confusion, Yukinoshita didn't intend to let go of his tightly held hand. Instead, she gripped it tighter, and her left hand pulled the boy's ear. Although there was a slight height difference, it was precisely because of this subtle height difference that the pulling force was just right, at least not to the point of death.]
["I said, what did you just say? Say it again."]
[Hikigaya's mind was completely rebooting, and with the added pain, he had no idea what to do.]
[Yukinoshita: "You forgot so quickly. I really don't know what you have left to be proud of when you've lost your mind. I want to hear it: you like me."]
[Hikigaya certainly hadn't forgotten, but at a time like this, he definitely had to pretend to have forgotten, because he didn't want to be presumptuous, and besides... being alone together now was even more awkward...]
[Seeing Hikigaya hesitate, the girl puffed out her cheeks, continued to pull Hikigaya's ear, and said in a coercive tone: "Hurry, say it."]
[Who knew Yukinoshita had changed so much? The previous her would never have been so proactive. It must be said that the stimulation from this video was not ordinary. She had probably endured it for a long time. In that case...]
[Hikigaya blushed, his eyes constantly darting away, stammering: "I... I, like... like, you."]
[Yukinoshita: "Say it properly."]
[Hikigaya, with a do-or-die attitude: "I like you."]
[Yukinoshita: "You said it too fast. I can't tell if there's any feeling."]
[Hikigaya: "I, like, you."]
[Yukinoshita: "Don't pause."]
[Hikigaya: "I like you!"]
[Yukinoshita: "Too excited. Quiet down."]
[Hikigaya: "I like you..."]
[Yukinoshita: "Mhm, say it again."]
[Hikigaya: "I like...."]
[Without waiting for Hikigaya to continue, the girl suddenly released Hikigaya's hand. Both her hands at this moment tightly embraced the back of Hikigaya's head, and at the instant Hikigaya's eyes widened in shock, she fiercely kissed him.]
[Yukinoshita tightly closed her eyes, but tears couldn't stop streaming down her cheeks, falling. The Service Club was silent most of the time, just like now. The two of them clearly heard the sound of tears dropping onto the floor, and the sound of each other's rapid breathing.]
[After a long time....]
[The two finally released each other from the embrace. Only at this moment did Hikigaya notice that the legendary Ice Queen, Yukinoshita, had lost her usual composure, replaced only by a delicate, pitiful appearance, like a kitten.]
[Her neck and cheeks were completely invaded by red, and her breathing was still rapid. Perhaps she had waited too, too long for this moment. Her heart was truly too excited, too excited.]
[Hikigaya: "Yukinoshita, I..."]
[Yukinoshita: "Still calling me Yukinoshita? If you've lost your brain as well, what pitiful advantage do you have left?"]
[This sharp tongue, truly, would never change.]
[Hikigaya: "....."]
[Yukinoshita revealed a mischievous smile, gently embracing Hikigaya: "Call me Yukino, just like you called the other girls in the video... then I'll call the events in the video a clean slate."]
[Hikigaya: "Are you sure about that?"]
[Yukinoshita: "You're given an opportunity and you still don't cherish it, Hikigaya-kun."]
[Hikigaya: "Understood, Yukino-san!"]
[Yukinoshita was noticeably displeased: "Remove the '-san'."]
[Hikigaya: "Understood, Yukino-chan!"]
[Yukinoshita's displeasure became more pronounced, her fist already clenched: "Remove the '-chan'."]
[Hikigaya: "Understood, Comrade Yukino..."]
[Yukinoshita's clenched fist could no longer be retracted. Presumably, the next moment it would smash into Hikigaya's stomach like a stone.]
[Hikigaya: "Yukino..."]
[A soft smile finally appeared on Yukinoshita's face: "Smart of you. However, the things in the video won't be a clean slate. After all, those girls were too much... Thankfully..."]
[Hikigaya: "Thankfully what?"]
[Yukinoshita seemed to revert to the Ice Queen persona. Even her words became sparse: "Nothing."]
[Meanwhile....]
[Haruno: "I really didn't expect things to progress like this. But... little Yukinon, you actually took the initiative this time. That's too rare."]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Although I'm not her sensei, you're really underestimating your own sister."]
[Haruno shook her head, saying calmly: "No, it's not that I underestimate her; it's that I understand her too well. Because I know she's the kind of person who, like Hikigaya-kun, will silently endure even the most severe pain. Even if she's the only one hurt in the end, she'll just silently lick her wounds and keep moving forward."]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Then you should be grateful that those two can now lick each other's wounds and move forward."]
[Haruno finally showed a relieved smile: "Yes, even as her older sister, I made a mistake in judgment. I really didn't do a good job. But... no matter what, this ending isn't bad."]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "After all, Yukinoshita has genuinely grown, and so have Yuigahama, Hayama, and the others. And of course... that Hikigaya guy, after seeing a video with himself as the protagonist, his state of mind has clearly undergone significant changes. Although they won't say it, he must have changed dramatically compared to his former self."]
[Haruno smiled: "That's good, then."]
[On the other side, the group who also heard Hikigaya's confession were currently experiencing a psychological shock.]
[Karuizawa: "I say, we're all suffering from the drawback of not being in the same world as him... This is too unreasonable. What is this, letting us look but not touch!"]
[Sakura also looked distressed: "I didn't expect Hachiman to already have someone he likes... But... did the things in the video not move him at all?"]
[Sudō: "I know that guy. No, it didn't. He is extremely responsible. He will take responsibility for his actions, even those in the video. So... it's truly because you are not in the same world that things turned out this way."]
[Kushida: "Don't worry, Sakura, Karuizawa, there will be a chance..."]
[Everyone thought Kushida was crazy. After all, even the world was different. Any chance was impossible, but Kushida only wanted to seize that rare opportunity. If that day came, she would hold onto it tightly.]
[Ichinose was in relatively good spirits, perhaps because she had witnessed a girl fall in love with Hikigaya while she herself had made no progress: "That's really a headache, Hikigaya-kun... However, just as Kushida-san said, although we are not in the same world as you right now, the us in the video are in the same world as you. So... everyone is even."]
[Hearing this, everyone felt a little better. After all, the Hikigaya in the video did genuinely fall in love with them.]
After the conversation with Ichinose ended, the remaining time was almost entirely spent with the members of the small group. Although it was called a forest training camp, most of the time was spent improving their self-cultivation skills, such as Zen meditation, reading, and physical fitness.
And, they had no phones.
It could be said that this period was like a hellish training camp; there was no possibility of leisurely playing as they had dreamed. And Hikigaya spent his first fulfilling day just like that.
At six in the morning, accompanied by cheerful background music from the broadcast, it was clearly the signal to wake up.
Normally, Hikigaya waking up at six would be utterly impossible, but shared lodging was a very strange thing. Even Kōenji, Ryūen, and Kitō, who were normally so unrestrained, and who had all said last night that they would definitely not get up on time, all jumped up at six o'clock.
...
Maybe that's just how men are.
Finally, after everyone enthusiastically got up, Hikigaya could only helplessly rise. At this moment, everyone seemed to notice that Kōenji, who had been loudly proclaiming last night that he 'absolutely didn't care about school rules,' had just returned to the dormitory dripping with sweat from his morning exercise.
Although they didn't know if there would be more physical lessons later, everyone was clearly unhappy. After all, this training camp was group-based, and Kōenji's behavior was undoubtedly a waste of energy. Only Hikigaya and Hirata weren't worried at all.
After all, both of them had seen this guy crush a handgrip with three fingers. And most crucially... Hikigaya also knew that during the uninhabited island arc, Kōenji had spent seven days living alone on the island by performing tricks. If a person like that didn't have enough stamina, then Hikigaya would have already collapsed from exhaustion.
Thus, no troublesome conflict erupted. After all, Hirata, the good-natured person, was there, and... Hikigaya also didn't pursue the matter.
Following the normal routine, the students performed morning Zen meditation before eating breakfast. The first day was supplied by the school, but starting from the second day, breakfast would be prepared by the students themselves. The menu was fixed, and the ingredients would be distributed uniformly by the school. The content was simple: a traditional three-dish, one-soup meal, with unlimited rice.
Of course, this wasn't difficult for Hikigaya, who once wanted to be a househusband. After all, with Komachi's guidance, he could handle simple cooking. But if you asked for something too difficult... Well, sorry, let's just stick to vegetables.
'No, after this exam, I really need to get Horikita to teach me how to cook. I can't let go of my former dream.'
With this determination, Hikigaya dug into his meal.
The rest of the first-year students also started eating in peace after hearing the rules. After all, even if Hikigaya, their leader, wasn't up to the task, wasn't the versatile Hirata there? As for people like Kōenji, Kitō, and Ryūen, they weren't to be counted on. On the other hand, Yahiko of Class A might know a thing or two.
In this environment, the third-year students in the same large group proposed a suggestion, which was the simplest rotation system.
Excluding the first day, the remaining six days could be evenly distributed among the three grades. This way, they wouldn't have to wake up early every day to make breakfast for themselves. It seemed no one had any objections to this proposal.
Since the third years were their seniors, and there was truly nothing wrong with the suggestion, Hikigaya agreed almost without thinking. However, Ryūen and Kitō, who were nearby, yelled in unison: "I'm not doing it! Whoever wants to go, can go!"
'Fine, I never expected these two to cook anyway...'
Hikigaya said indulgently:
"Alright, it's okay..."
Hirata, standing nearby, looked at Hikigaya, who was full of househusband charm, and was momentarily unable to pull himself away. His eyes were completely immersed in the boy's figure, and he said:
"It's alright, Hachiman, I'll cook with you."
'Actually, I didn't want to be lazy, not cook, and then not eat breakfast... Since Hirata-kun said that... fine, I'll just reluctantly get up and do the work.'
The three Class B students also said they would help. Although Yahiko and Hikigaya had past grievances, he didn't bring them up this time. Instead, he walked up to the two and said:
"If you have any problems, you can also come to me."
As for Kōenji...
"I say, Hikigaya-boy! Remember to make my breakfast very rich!"
Hikigaya was speechless, but then he thought about it.
His physical ability was inferior to the few people in front of him. There would definitely be physical fitness tasks in the future, and at that time, he would definitely hold them back. As the leader, making breakfast for the group now could be considered compensation to the group.
(End of this chapter)