Chapter 29: Kikyo Kushida (Part 2)
My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. High school detective... that's not me! The amusement park... I haven't been there either. A suspicious transaction scene involving men in black, I certainly haven't seen that.
Today is the first Saturday in May, and on the way to dinner, I ran into a blond girl who was venting her emotions on a railing. For some reason, this person forcibly pressed my hand onto her chest!
Th-This wasn't me forcing her; the blond girl in front of me did it herself, okay? I'm not a pervert, and even if I were, I'd be a perverted gentleman.
"W-Wha-Wha-What are you doing?!"
Having been "forced" to touch a girl's chest for the first time in his life, Hikigaya froze, completely motionless as if space had been fixed. The soft sensation and warm body temperature constantly transmitted from his palm assured Hikigaya that everything happening right now was real.
Alarmed by this unexpected action, Hikigaya hastily tried to pull his hand away, but the girl held it down firmly from above.
"Don't move! This way, your fingerprints will be clearly imprinted. If you reveal my secret to anyone, I will report it to the school and hand this uniform over to the police as evidence. In that case, you will be expelled for suspected forced assault. I won't wash this uniform for now; I'll keep it in my room. I'm serious, understood?"
The blond girl's face was icy cold. She held Hikigaya's hand fixed on her chest for the moment, all while glaring fiercely at Hikigaya.
'...She's willing to do something this shameless just to make me keep her secret?'
Hikigaya was somewhat shaken by her resolve, looking at the blond girl in front of him with a complex expression.
"You're making a promise, then."
The blond girl said this as a reminder, then released Hikigaya's hand and stepped back.
"K-Keeping your secret is fine... b-but..."
"But?" The girl gave Hikigaya a questioning look.
"But, a school uniform can't leave a clear fingerprint."
"Ah?" The "blackened" blond girl showed a somewhat dazed expression.
"The fact is, I don't even know you; I don't even know your name. I understand your need to release stress, and I won't say anything. Moreover, I'm not in the same class as you. Leaving aside the fact that I don't even have friends to discuss this kind of thing with, even if this
matter really did spread from me, you could still argue that it was a rumor spread deliberately by someone from another class because of class competition, right? Th-That's why you really didn't need to do th-this kind of thing..."
Hikigaya's face was slightly flushed, and he was stuttering a little. Thanks to her recent actions, he felt the beauty of a woman more deeply than ever before...
The softness of the chest, the roundness of the chest, and the beautiful curve of the chest...
'Wait a minute! I'm not looking at anything other than the chest!'
"This—should I say I was genuinely panicking... This was the only way I could think of to make you keep quiet."
Hearing Hikigaya's words, the blond girl seemed to realize her behavior from moments ago, and her cheeks flushed slightly with shame.
After all, her action had been an impulsive solution she came up with on the spot. Now that she had come to her senses, she realized what an outrageous thing she had just done.
"And..." Her voice suddenly lowered, and she counter-questioned Hikigaya with an expressionless face, "Saying that clothes can't leave fingerprints... Do you think I'd just take your word for it?"
"No, what I said is true. Because of the fabric, clothes have uneven surfaces, making it very difficult for fingerprints to be identified and collected. If you don't believe me, you can check your phone or look up the information at the library." Hikigaya couldn't help but say.
"Enough!"
The blond girl, perhaps somewhat shaken by Hikigaya's words or simply not wanting to bring up that shameful matter, tightened her face and roared, completely flushed. As if having lost the evidence that could restrain Hikigaya, her tone became increasingly agitated, and her eyes grew fiercer: "Do you think I wanted to do this? I absolutely hate gloomy and disgusting guys like you!"
Being called gloomy and disgusting to his face, even Hikigaya, who considered his inner self strong, felt a little hurt.
"Then, why did you go to this length?" Hikigaya couldn't help but ask.
Generally speaking, even if a third party witnesses you cursing a classmate behind their back, it's not a huge deal, is it? If you're worried, you could just make up some excuse to brush it off, right? Besides, the two of them don't even know each other; no one would dig deeper.
"I'm always working hard to make everyone like me; only that makes me feel that my existence has meaning.
Since the start of the school year, I've been trying to show a friendly and approachable side to everyone. I have to talk to those idiots in Class D, exchange contact information, and even
invite them out. To help those guys deal with this midterm exam, I have to run around contacting them one by one, getting them to attend study sessions, and teaching them how to read as if they were kindergarten children... I have to smile at people I hate, mediate trivial arguments, and endure tremendous pressure, but—
Even so, this is the way of life I desire, and I will absolutely not allow anyone to threaten my way of survival!"
The blond girl said all this in a rush, as if venting. Her voice was low and hoarse, but the will contained in her words was exceptionally firm.
'Is she from Class D, then? No, rather, it's precisely because of this that the school assigned her to Class D, isn't it?'
Seeing Hikigaya remain silent, the girl reached out, grabbed his collar, pressed her ample chest against his body, and stared intently at Hikigaya with those red eyes: "Is it wrong to try hard to make everyone like you? Do you know how difficult and hard that is? You probably couldn't possibly understand, right?"
Hikigaya truly didn't understand. Having no friends, he couldn't even imagine how exhausting and difficult it must be to try and make everyone like you.
'...Just having the thought makes me feel so stressed I want to vomit.'
Hikigaya silently sighed.
'This girl is a far more extreme obsessive than I could have imagined.'
Since the girl in front of him wants to gain affirmation from others and share joy with them, she also has to share their worries and anxieties.
After arriving at this school where ability is everything, Class D had all their class average points deducted in the first month of school, and now they face a midterm exam where failing means expulsion. The students' massive stress has nowhere to go but to be channeled to the girl in front of him for catharsis.
However, seeking affirmation by approaching people you dislike, and then having to receive their negative emotions, is itself causing the girl immense stress.
Hikigaya didn't consider himself a psychologist and didn't want to criticize the other person's way of life, but...
'If this continues, this girl is going to break down eventually.'
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee.com/varietl