Chapter 173: Yukinoshita's Rightful Queen Declaration
After the conspiracy of Ichinose and Ryūen ended, Hikigaya hurriedly ran out of the bathhouse.
It is said that the way of heaven is cyclical. After Hikigaya had schemed against Ryūen so many times, he was finally schemed against once by Ryūen.
When Ryūen saw Hikigaya running back to their room in a rush of anger, a triumphant smile of victory appeared on his face.
It turned out that victory had been so close to him all along. Honestly, this feeling was great.
Hikigaya didn't say much to Ryūen. The more he talked at a time like this, the more it would show his foolishness and highlight the other person's brilliance. Understanding this, Hikigaya decided not to let this guy taste the sweetness of victory.
Hirata: "Hachiman, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?"
Hikigaya covered his head with his blanket, and a very calm voice came from inside: "I'm fine..."
Ryūen finally couldn't hold back. Since this guy chose such a tactic, Ryūen could only take the initiative, so...
He continued to smile smugly, constantly raising his eyebrows with a lively look.
"Yo yo, did you perhaps encounter some romance? Spring has sprung, and there's no stopping it, Hikigaya..."
The Class B students were baffled, as were Kitō and Yahiko. They clearly hadn't figured out what had happened yet, having just returned from the bathroom battle... and they hadn't seen any girls, let alone romance, for days. They looked somewhat dazed.
However, Kitō immediately put on a meaningful, grinning smile and approached Hikigaya: "Tell your big brother about it. Did someone bully you? Could it be our princess? Hahahaha, that girl is just like that... a pure monster. Nothing to be afraid of, aw."
Yahiko: "Are you listening to yourself, Kitō..."
Ryūen continued to smile but said nothing.
Everyone else in the other classes thought this guy had gone crazy. Even though they knew from a year of interaction that he was a maniac... this was already beyond the scope of a maniac.
Hirata's expression finally became serious: "I say, Hachiman... you don't have a girlfriend, do you?"
Instantly, the entire room suddenly fell silent. Even Ryūen, who had been laughing maniacally, seemed to have heard something incredible.
Hikigaya: "That's... hard to say."
Hirata's expression turned somewhat unsightly: "If that is your choice, Hachiman... then I choose to respect you."
Looking at Hirata's expression, Hikigaya felt a shudder in his heart. If he had a girlfriend, would this guy do something excessive...
Albert also quietly leaned over and asked in an extremely deep voice: "BOSS, he is a gay?"
.....
[In the chat group...]
[Kushida covered her face with one hand, sighing helplessly: "I feel like both my ears and eyes have been corrupted."]
[The class members, at the same time, seemed to agree, collectively sighing.]
[Necessary scenes were processed with some detail-blurring (censorship) by Satō Asahi, but even so... the sound still reached everyone's ears.]
[Karuizawa: "I still can't accept it... Hikigaya-kun, actually... already did that... No, why?"]
[Shinohara, Satō, Hasebe, Matsushita, and a crowd of other girls instantly turned their gossiping eyes towards Karuizawa, then glanced at Sakura and Kushida, and finally shook their heads sympathetically.]
[If it weren't for these guys pressuring him like this, this scene might not have developed... However, some things, once done, are done, and there's no turning back. Hikigaya actually placed every relationship in a very good position, neither casually crossing the line nor easily letting it fade. But even so... they were still too aggressive.]
[Who cares, this is love. The softest part of a person is the reluctance, reluctance to let go, reluctance to give up, and even more reluctance to let their beloved be taken away by others. Therefore... this kind of thing happens repeatedly.]
[The faces of Sakura, Kushida, Kamuro, Karuizawa, and even Ichinose showed difficulty. If asked about their mood at this moment, that complex yet excited, thrilled yet joyful feeling was truly difficult to describe.]
[Fear that it wasn't them who had the relationship, yet fear that it was only them who had the relationship. Perhaps such a thought would appear in the mind of every girl who is in love.]
[Who it was... was unclear, but combining all the previous anomalies, even with the video cuts, no fact could be hidden. Paper cannot wrap fire.]
[So, once again, they called out to Hikigaya.]
[Sakura: "Hachiman, please take full responsibility."]
[Kushida: "If one day the seed in your heart for me sprouts, please remember to flower and bear fruit."]
[Ichinose: "Just as it says in the book, if you desire authenticity, please embrace me fully."]
[Kamuro: "If there's ever a day I can touch you, I definitely won't let you off easy, you deadbeat."]
[Karuizawa: "No matter what, you are the one who uncovered my scars. I don't regret it."]
[In the Service Club, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita looked at the messages coming from the chat group, feeling a moment of daze.]
[Knowing he had done something wrong, Hikigaya didn't dare to speak.]
[Yukinoshita was as usual, but this feeling made Hikigaya feel afraid.]
[She gently moved her seat, approaching Hikigaya closely once more.]
[A meaningful smile appeared on her face, and then she gently reached out her hand and suddenly pinched Hikigaya's cheek: "It seems, Hikigaya-kun, you've done quite a few 'good deeds'."]
[Hikigaya: "Uh... I... how should I put it..."]
[Yukinoshita suddenly clenched her left hand. In Hikigaya's view, this girl seemed genuinely angry and was about to hit him with a strong punch. Hikigaya instinctively closed his eyes.]
[However... there was no pain at all, but instead, a feeling of immediate suffocation.]
[The sensation of lips made Hikigaya's pupils widen instantly. Clearly, everything was happening too unbelievably. The girl's eyelashes fluttered right before his eyes. Her black long hair looked beautiful no matter when. Just like her name, Yukinoshita (under the snow), although her exterior looked so proud, her inner self, once opened, was as hot as fire.]
[After a long time, Yukinoshita and Hikigaya finally separated after their intimate moment.]
["I don't blame you. I am a woman of my word. I cannot control the you in the video. Even if you did something against me, it holds no meaning now. Therefore, the you I control is only the present you, only the you I am kissing now. Although I am very unhappy, very annoyed, and really want to punch you, but... more than all that, I want to firmly grasp the you right in front of me."]
["Life is not a video. Some people, once missed, are missed."]
[Hikigaya: "I..."]
[Yukinoshita smiled and shook her head, then placed a finger on his lips: "You don't have to say anything..."]
[Then...]
["My name is Yukinoshita Yukino, and my beloved is Hikigaya. Everyone in this chat group, listen up. No matter what happened to him in the video, or how many mistakes he made, I will forgive him, because the real him is by my side. I love him, and I believe he loves me..."]
["I am confident that I can be with him properly, and you all cannot. If you cannot even hold his hand, then please stop making things difficult for the current him. Even if there is a day when all of you appear before him, I believe he will choose me. He definitely will."]
[All the worlds... instantly fell silent. In the chat group, not another word came through.]
[This declaration was completely unexpected, even for Hikigaya, whose mind had been in a state of chaos.]
[If there was anything that could shock him more than this, it would probably be if those people actually crossed over. At that point... Hikigaya's brain would probably genuinely explode.]
[After a long silence...]
[Sakayanagi: "I don't think you can keep him all to yourself."]
[Yukinoshita smiled and said confidently: "You're welcome to try. Even facing a genius, I won't lose."]
[Karuizawa: "Me too! I won't lose!"]
[Kushida showed a cold expression: "I hope you are right. Of course... I mean the latter part. If I can touch him one day, I suppose you'll no longer be relevant."]
[Hikigaya: 'I think I'll be the one to 'no longer be relevant' first...']
[Kamuro looked impatient: "I really want to go over there and slap that bastard twice..."]
[Sakura: "Kamuro-san... that's too violent..."]
[Horikita: "Although it's a bit unrealistic, I'll tentatively look forward to it."]
[Ichinose, facing Yukinoshita's declaration, showed a rare smile: "I actually hope everyone can get along well."]
[Hikigaya: "I second that!"]
The humorous yet realistic daily routine came to an end, and the time finally returned to the midday meal at the cafeteria. Although Hikigaya didn't have a fixed seat, it obviously allowed him to choose his target more easily. Today, when choosing a seat, Hikigaya was surprised to find that six girls were incredibly sitting together, but soon, Hikigaya sensed that something was wrong... If they were sitting together, did it mean something had happened on the girls' side?
Without too much hesitation, Hikigaya sat down behind the six girls, back-to-back with them, although Hikigaya's side was obviously a little lonely.
Karuizawa immediately said with a touch of heartache: "I say, Hikigaya, you should make some male friends. Just sitting there like a lonely soul, it's quite pitiful."
Hikigaya suddenly thought of Hirata and Sudō...
"Actually, I just sent Hirata away."
Kushida and Karuizawa said in unison: "Good riddance!"
Horikita touched her hair: "What she means is for you to make friends with normal people, for example... well..."
'This girl doesn't have many friends herself, does she?'
Ichinose: "Actually, Hikigaya-kun is fine like this too. Sometimes having too many friends isn't a good thing."
'I didn't expect Ichinose, who usually has so many friends, to say something like that. It seems she has changed a little since coming to Class C.'
Thinking this, Hikigaya's face flushed slightly, because Ichinose cast a meaningful smile, which instantly reminded Hikigaya of the awkward incident yesterday.
Fortunately, they were back-to-back now. The glance just now was already too much for Hikigaya to handle.
Hikigaya: "I say, there must be something going on since you are all sitting together..."
Kamuro: "That's right..."
Karuizawa: "Wait, before that, I want to ask why this girl is here... Isn't she from Class A? Are you sure she's not here to steal our information?"
Horikita: "I have the same question..."
Ichinose: "Although I have a good relationship with Kamuro-san, but... the five of us are from Class C."
Kamuro just folded her arms and didn't explain, probably wanting to throw the mess to Hikigaya.
Hikigaya immediately smoothed things over: "She is a very important source of information. Kushida and Airi know that..."
Sakura and Kushida exchanged glances, then nodded in tacit agreement.
Karuizawa felt that something was a little off about them. Although she had seen Kamuro help Hikigaya when they were helping Ichinose, but...
'Are these guys really that close?'
Horikita: "Since you say so... alright."
Ichinose: "The person Hikigaya-kun trusts, I will choose to trust as well!"
Karuizawa: "....It's absolutely not that I admit you... it's... I, I... this is annoying."
...
Sakura: "Hachiman, as far as I know, something seems to have happened to Tachibana-senpai..."
When Sakura said this, she was clearly worried and self-doubting.
After all, Tachibana had treated her as a protégé for a year. Their relationship had long exceeded that of a general superior and subordinate, and when her senior fell into difficulty, it was truly hard for Sakura not to worry.
She wanted to help, but unfortunately, the two of them were not in the same large group, nor were they in the same year. Taking action at a time like this would only cause her own group to split up...
Hikigaya: "I thought it was strange before. Although Nagumo and Horikita Manabu agreed to a confrontation, there has been no news. It seems... he still broke his promise. From the beginning, that agreement was not important. Nagumo was aiming to involve others to force Horikita Manabu."
Horikita: "This guy is so despicable, using such a trick against my brother. No, I can't let him succeed. I must help Tachibana."
Hikigaya shook his head: "It's useless. You can't help her."
Horikita had been anxious just now, but upon hearing Hikigaya's words, she immediately calmed down.
"Can you tell me why?"
Hikigaya: "If I'm not mistaken, with Nagumo's current position, it wouldn't be difficult to bribe the other members of her group. If that's the case, what can you do?"
Horikita instantly drew a sharp breath. Although there was no proof, given Nagumo's methods, almost no one believed he wouldn't use such a tactic.
Horikita: "What about the people from her own class? The Class A students? People from her own class shouldn't betray her, right?"
Karuizawa: "It's a pity... although I don't know why, she's the only one from Class A in her group. The others are all from Class B."
Kushida: "How could this be... how could the allocation be like this? What was she thinking at the time? In the current situation, the three third-year classes and the four second-year classes are all enemies of Class A!"
Karuizawa waved her hand: "I don't know the specifics. I'm in the same large group as her, but ultimately, it's just a large group. Apart from certain areas, I can't give her any major help."
Horikita was clearly a little angry. As his sister, she knew how much her brother valued loyalty.
If Tachibana-senpai were expelled, he would definitely use absolute points to save her. At that time... would the status of third-year Class A be saved?
Hikigaya clearly sensed Horikita's mood: "Although I also want to do something, but... Horikita Manabu told me that this is their battle, and I should just watch carefully. Horikita, if you trust your brother, you should know that no matter the outcome of this exam, he will graduate from Class A."
Hearing this, Horikita's anxious mood calmed down a little once more.
Ichinose: "There's one more thing..."
Karuizawa: "I'm getting a headache just listening to you..."
Hikigaya: "Say it. We only have an hour."
Ichinose: "Asahina-senpai, who is in the same large group as me, has been asking about you recently. It's estimated that she will find you soon for a conversation. As for the content, I'm not sure. Hikigaya-kun, you need to be prepared."
Hikigaya was puzzled: "Asahina? Never heard of her..."
Kamuro started to supplement: "Sakayanagi recorded information about her before. If I remember correctly, she seems to be Nagumo Miyabi's childhood friend, but she's supposedly not difficult to get along with..."
Kushida's face instantly became a little unsightly: "Nagumo's childhood friend..."
Sakura: "Now that you mention it, I think I remember her too. There is such a person, but she seems to rarely interact with Nagumo. As for what she's really like, I'm not very clear."
Kushida: "Why is that girl asking about Hikigaya's information? Could it be that she wants to cuckold Nagumo?"
As soon as these words were out, not only did Hikigaya start coughing violently, but the faces of the other five girls turned dark.
Kushida: "I'm just joking."
Hikigaya: "That's a bit too big of a joke..."
Ichinose: "Since it's a battle between the second and third years, the information we first-years have is far too little. This time, we might just have to be spectators."
'Good. Ichinose is worthy of being a former leader. Her big-picture view is still very strong. Just as she said, rushing into this battle might cause unnecessary trouble for Horikita Manabu... It seems we can only wait for the fish to bite and take it one step at a time. However... Horikita...'
Since the matter involves her own brother, it is hard to say whether Horikita can control herself and not do anything unnecessary.
However, this is also part of her growth.
The discussion ended there. For the remaining time, the group simply updated each other on their respective group situations. The hour quickly passed.
The special exam was still ongoing. After an entirely free-running long-distance run, they went through a series of terrifying physical training and cultural knowledge tests. After so many days, although the team was still lacking in team spirit as usual, they had their own tacit understanding. Hikigaya wouldn't deliberately manage any person or matter. Instead, they seemed to complement each other. Because there weren't many conflicts, their group's ranking was quite high by the fifth day.
Although they hadn't seen girls for so many days, Hikigaya's group seemed to be getting along better and better. But thinking about it, without the presence of girls, the guys' minds were naturally less complicated, so they naturally talked more openly. If anything...
Only the conflict between Kitō and Ryūen continued.
On the sixth day, Hikigaya was finally walking alone down the corridor back to the dormitory when he encountered a long-haired girl with a beautiful hairpin. She was wearing a tracksuit and was very tall, with a sunny complexion.
Hikigaya glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and walked past her as if he had no intention of stopping.
"Hey, stop!"
Hikigaya heard it, but because he didn't want to presume the person was calling him, he didn't stop.
Seeing Hikigaya walk further and further away, the girl finally became anxious. She folded her arms, chased after him, and was very displeased.
"Hikigaya!"
"...."
"I'm calling you! What's your problem?"
"I thought you were calling someone else..."
Asahina looked annoyed: "Is there anyone else here?"
Now that she mentioned it... there wasn't.
Asahina: "Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Asahina, Class A, second year. You might not have an impression if I say that. I'm Nagumo Miyabi's childhood friend. Now you know, right?"
Hikigaya: "Actually, I do know..."
Asahina was first a little surprised: "Am I that famous?"
Then... she inexplicably became angry again.
"Then why were you avoiding me!"
"Well... wasn't I afraid you were looking for trouble with me..."
Asahina was speechless. She was a student of second-year Class A. She had some influence and reputation in the second year. Would she really go looking for trouble with a first-year student?
But... now that she thought about it, she was looking for trouble with this guy right now, so it made sense that he ran away.
Shoot, she was completely led around by this guy...
Asahina felt like her head was spinning.
(End of this chapter)