Chapter 76: I, Hikigaya, Will Absolutely Not Become a Normie
Deciding to cast aside the earlier unpleasantness, Hikigaya resolved to properly enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Hikigaya lay back down again. Even without sunglasses to shield his view, his dead-fish eyes could still precisely capture everything.
"That bounce… not bad…"
"Is it really that springy?"
"It's just so big… this pool…"
"It's practically the will of the people!"
At some point, Hikigaya no longer regretted giving up a day of rest to come here.
But, speaking of which, who even came up with this so-called swimsuit contest? It's completely impossible to nitpick, okay? It's like everyone has their own unique beauty—there's no way to say one is better than another.
And… where's Sakura?
Snapping back to reality, Hikigaya finally began searching for Sakura Airi's figure.
As expected, Sakura Airi was nowhere to be seen in the pool. Given her shy personality, she probably couldn't join in with everyone so quickly.
Hikigaya turned his head, trying to find her in the pool area, but…
"Hachiman…"
As if she could see through the boy's thoughts, the girl's voice suddenly appeared by his ear.
It turned out Sakura had been standing beside him all along—he just hadn't noticed.
"Why aren't you playing with them? They've started beach volleyball…"
"Because you're not playing, Hachiman."
"No, I'm totally unsuited for that sport."
Beach volleyball—though it's called beach volleyball, for Hikigaya, it was something you needed a ticket to even participate in.
For example, someone like Sakura, who had the kind of figure that captured hearts, was qualified to touch that ball.
Of course, beach volleyball wasn't just fun to play. For Hikigaya, quietly watching from a distance was also a perfectly fine choice.
"Hachiman, you don't exercise much, do you…?"
"Isn't that obvious just by looking at me…?"
"How can you say that? If you don't exercise, you'll be at a huge disadvantage, Hachiman. I'm not good at sports either, but we can improve together!"
"Sports are totally not my thing. Besides, it's not like I've been transported to some isekai world. If I had that much stamina, I'd rather go run a marathon or something…"
Hikigaya casually waved off the suggestion. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the girl in front of him pouting.
"By the way, Sakura, you seem a bit different today."
Sakura Airi, who had just been a little upset, instantly forgot her anger at Hikigaya's words.
To say she was different—well, she was indeed a bit different.
Today, she had gotten up early to tie her hair into twin braids, and her swimsuit had been carefully chosen. Yet, he hadn't given her any feedback so far.
Could it be that his dense brain was finally starting to bloom?
"This swimsuit suits you well…"
"Tch… Thanks."
A pink halter top with a bow on the chest, barely supported by the scant fabric that held up her impressive figure, topped off with her pink twin braids as an accent. If one had to say…
It was indeed so perfect it was beyond criticism. Her already stunning beauty, paired with that delicate and pitiful expression, was truly impossible to resist.
But who was Hikigaya?
Though his former dream was to be a househusband, he absolutely wouldn't become a fool swayed by a skirt.
He suppressed the urge to take another look and gave a very flat response.
Even so, Sakura Airi seemed satisfied.
The fact that her efforts had been acknowledged was enough.
Her cheeks, already flushed from shyness, grew even redder under the sunlight. Sakura Airi timidly clasped her hands between her thighs, fidgeting slightly.
The earlier topic had been successfully deflected by Hikigaya, but now the question was—what should they talk about?
The two stood there—one standing, one lying down—in awkward silence, neither saying a word.
Hikigaya also noticed that the atmosphere was getting a bit off and spoke up: "You really don't want to join them?"
"If I joined, I'd probably ruin their vibe pretty quickly… After all, I'm not good at socializing. So, just like you, Hachiman, quietly watching is fine."
"Hey, Sakura, didn't you just lecture me about exercising…?"
Hikigaya was clearly a bit indignant, bringing the conversation back to the earlier topic.
A generous smile suddenly appeared on Sakura Airi's face, and she shifted her gaze to Hikigaya.
"If Hachiman came with me, maybe it wouldn't be so awkward…"
"Idiot, that would just make the atmosphere heavier."
One socially awkward person joining a group would make things quiet, but two socially awkward people joining a group would instantly ruin it.
Seeing that Sakura Airi had no intention of joining the group playing beach volleyball, Hikigaya reminded her: "There's another beach chair next to me, you know. At least lie down. Otherwise, it'll make me look ungentlemanly."
Whether he was gentlemanly or not didn't really matter—Hikigaya didn't care how others saw him. He just didn't want Sakura standing there getting sunburned. As the saying goes, a girl's skin is her second face.
If her skin got damaged, it'd be like ruining her appearance.
Sakura seemed to finally catch on, nodding obediently twice before pulling the beach chair next to Hikigaya and lying down.
One boy, one girl, lying there quietly.
Hikigaya was watching the group play beach volleyball, while Sakura Airi's gaze remained fixed on Hikigaya.
In the distance…
Sudō: "What do you think those two are up to?"
Ike: "Who knows? Haven't they been getting pretty close lately? We just talked about it, and now they're hanging out together again."
Kushida: "And it seems like Sakura Airi calls Hikigaya by his first name. That's kind of weird."
Yamauchi: "You don't think… they're a couple, do you?"
That single sentence struck a critical blow to the little angel Ichinose, slowing her movements.
She gave a simple wave and said with a smile: "No way. Didn't Sakura just deny it in the changing room? Right, Shiranami?"
Shiranami Chihiro: "That's what she said, but it kinda feels like they're secret lovers. Look, they're even lying down together. Sure, they're on different beach chairs, but from a distance, they totally look like a couple…"
Another stab, piercing Ichinose's heart.
Ichinose: "How about I go ask them? If I ask directly, they won't be able to hide it. Even if they try to fool us, they're bound to show some cracks."
Kanzaki, with a serious expression: "No, even if you ask, Ichinose, it probably won't do any good. Besides, let's not bother them right now."
The final blow, a critical hit from a classmate.
Ichinose Honami showed a faint smile.
Even with a thousand pains, she couldn't voice them.
It hurt. It hurt too much!
[Yukinoshita looked at Hikigaya with a highly distorted expression, forcing a faint smile: "It seems Hikigaya-kun has been completely charmed by this Sakura Airi, the great idol. Even everyone else thinks so."]
[Hikigaya raised a hand, immediately stopping her misunderstanding from growing: "No, even if you say that, the truth isn't what they're imagining, right? So there's still room for discussion, Yukinoshita."]
[Isshiki Iroha, seeing their argument going nowhere, began to speak confidently: "Senpai is a guy, after all. Even he can't resist a beauty like that, right, Senpai? So you can't really blame him."]
["Exactly, exactly!"]
[Isshiki Iroha: "And if Senpai goes his whole life without someone looking after him, he might actually end up handicapped."]
["Exactly, exactly! Wait, Iroha, you'd better explain why I'd be handicapped if no one takes care of me."]
[Isshiki Iroha ignored Hikigaya's question and continued: "If you don't have the two senpais and this great angel Isshiki to keep you in check, this is what happens. So I've decided to strictly monitor you from now on. Starting tomorrow until the day you die, don't say a single word to another girl, okay, Sen~pai~?"]
[After hearing Iroha's words, Yukinoshita showed an expression of sudden realization and nodded in strong agreement.]
[Yuihama seemed to have no objections either. If she did, she'd probably have jumped up by now, protesting with that naturally loud voice of hers.]
[Hikigaya, who had been nodding in agreement with Isshiki's words with his eyes closed, finally realized he'd completely fallen into the trap this girl had set for him.]
["Ex… exactly, my foot! What kind of logic is that? Sure, I don't usually talk to girls, but not talking to them at all is way too extreme. People will think I'm mute…"]
[Isshiki showed a slightly embarrassed expression. Hearing Hikigaya's response, she said with difficulty: "If that's the case, then I'll just have to spread all these exploits from the video to the class and the school. Once the video ends, Senpai, you'll become the most normie normie in this school! How's that?"]
[Idiot, threatening me with something like that? Normie? A normie of all things? The worst kind of normie! Damn it!]
[Be it a sworn enemy or a despised scoundrel, Hikigaya could accept either. But to be seen as a normie? That was something he absolutely couldn't tolerate.]
["Senpai, you'd better think carefully."]
["Idiot, why should I let you threaten me…"]
["Then you'll just have to become the school's normie. Not just a normie, but maybe even a famous celebrity, since everyone here can vouch for what happened."]
[Isshiki cast a glance at the others, who quickly nodded in agreement.]
[Helpless, Hikigaya finally turned a pleading look to the boy.]
[This was the last person he wanted to ask for help, but now, he was completely out of options.]
[He, Hikigaya, did not want to become a normie jerk.]
[Hayama felt the 'kind' gaze and returned a helpless smile. Then…]
["Alright, alright, Iroha, stop teasing him. If you keep going, he's going to cry…"]
[Idiot, who said I was going to cry? But I'll remember this favor, you Hayama jerk.]
[If Hayama knew he was still getting insulted after helping, he'd probably shake his head and sigh helplessly.]
[Hearing Hayama's persuasion, Isshiki Iroha stopped teasing Hikigaya. As if she'd had her fun, she spread her hands and said: "Fine, fine. Since Hayama-senpai says so, I won't tease Senpai anymore…"]
[Yukinoshita: "What a pity. I actually think there was some merit to that approach."]
[Miss Yukinoshita—no, super invincible beautiful, lovely, charming, kind, generous, non-petty, non-tsundere, non-sharp-tongued Miss Yukinoshita, could you please shut your mouth? Just for a second.]
[Yuihama, having had her fun teasing, stood up cheerfully, clapped her hands, and said: "Alright, alright, poor Hikki. Let's keep watching the video…"]
[Oh, (omitting a hundred flattering adjectives) Miss Yuihama, you're practically an angel. You're even more angelic than Ichinose Honami. You're more angelic than an angel. You're the very embodiment of an angel, never compromising with evil. Thank you, (omitting another hundred flattering adjectives) Miss Yuihama!]
[Sensing Hikigaya's tearful expression, Yuihama scratched her head with an embarrassed smile.]
[Yukinoshita finally stopped toying with the boy in front of her, saying only in a very calm tone: "Hikigaya-kun, I hope the you in the video doesn't have any more weird interactions with girls. Otherwise, who knows what strange things might happen."]
[A warning. A blatant warning.]
[If possible, Hikigaya wanted to shut off this video immediately, but he couldn't…]
[After all, the one controlling the video was never him. He was merely the luckiest among countless viewers.]
Time always passed quickly after lying down. Perhaps in the blink of an eye, the sky had already turned a faint red.
When he opened his eyes again, the group that had been playing beach volleyball in the distance was now soaking in the pool.
Hikigaya didn't know how long he'd slept, but the girl beside him clearly hadn't slept at all. The moment he woke up, her gaze shifted away, pretending to be asleep.
Hikigaya wasn't sure whether he should call out her poor acting or not. In any case, since they were here, they should at least get in the water and have some fun, right?
With that thought, Hikigaya slowly sat up from his beach chair and said: "Sakura, wanna go play for a bit?"
"Sure!"
Her instant reply even made her forget she was pretending to sleep. It seemed this girl was truly bored out of her mind. But this was indeed his fault—after bringing her here, he'd just fallen asleep. That was pretty irresponsible of him.
"Then let's go."
Without saying more, Hikigaya walked toward the pool first, while the girl followed behind him timidly.
"Finally here! We're all worn out from playing."
Sudō's face was covered in water droplets, and Hikigaya couldn't tell whether it was sweat or pool water splashed onto him.
"There's an old saying: you can only have fun when you're well-rested."
Just as he finished speaking, Hikigaya felt an inexplicable push from behind, causing him to lose control and fall into the pool.
Splash!
"Pfft!! Hahahahahahaha…"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Hikigaya emerged from the water, shaking his completely soaked hair, and started to complain: "Sakura, pushing someone before they finish talking is against the rules."
"It… it wasn't me…"
Hikigaya looked closely and saw that, standing next to Sakura, was a familiar girl with a side ponytail.
She stuck out her tongue playfully at him and said: "Idiot, that's what you get for always bullying me."
Before the boy could retort, she had already run off.
Let me finish talking…
But it made sense. As someone from Class A, joining Class B and Class D was bound to feel a bit awkward for her. So, after pulling her prank, she quickly left, not giving Hikigaya a chance to argue back.
Hikigaya sighed helplessly and said to Sakura: "Next time something like this happens, at least give me a heads-up…"
"Un… Understood!"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, this conversation felt a bit like he was scolding Sakura. Better not talk like that.
Hikigaya extended his hand to Sakura, who, with his guidance, slowly jumped into the water.
Though her body was now in the water, her impressive figure still floated up gently. Say what you will, but this was the power of the heart—practically a built-in life preserver.
Not long after getting in the water, Sakura splashed some water onto Hikigaya's back.
Hikigaya turned around, looking at her in confusion.
Sakura was already flustered, half-submerged in the water, looking at Hikigaya pitifully.
"I saw that other classmate do it to you and you didn't get mad, so I thought… I'd try it. Do you hate it?"
Hikigaya gently patted Sakura's round head and gave a simple reply: "I may not be popular, but I'm not so petty that I'd hate you for splashing me with water, Sakura."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hikigaya splashed a big handful of water back at her.
A smile, without him realizing it, appeared on his face.
This kind of play, which he'd once thought was meaningless, childish, and immature, felt incredibly simple in this moment.
Yes, with no other concerns, just wanting to create a nice memory with someone else—that was all.
And so, the smile came naturally.
No longer stiff, no longer forced.
Hikigaya, perhaps for the first time in his ten-plus years of life, realized this.
Feeling his enthusiasm, Sakura also let go of her inhibitions. No longer trembling, no longer stammering.
Sudō: "Hey, you two, don't start a war on your own! You're practically hitting innocent bystanders! I'm joining in!"
Ike: "Sudō, your strength is basically cheating! Let me help you, Hikigaya."
Yamauchi: "If Ike's in, then I'm in too."
Kushida: "Hahaha, this is so fun, so fun! Looks like tonight's dinner will be pool water."
Shinohara: "Kushida, you idiot, don't splash so hard! And you, Ike—usually so scrawny, how do you suddenly get so strong at times like this? You're totally using it wrong."
Ichinose: "Since Class D's getting involved, we have to show that Class B isn't easy to mess with."
Kanzaki glanced at his classmates. Though his expression remained serious, he nodded in approval: "Since our leader says so, we have no choice but to fight."
"And I don't want to lose to Class D in a place like this."
Under Hikigaya's spark, this water fight ended perfectly with Ike cramping up his hand.
Aside from Sudō and Kanzaki, who still had decent stamina and took Ike to the infirmary to rest, everyone else was panting heavily.
Sakura: "I… I… I told you, Hachiman, Hachiman, your stamina's… not great, huh…"
Hikigaya: "Sakura, you… you're… in no position… to talk about me…"
Kushida: "Hikigaya, you're pretty impressive… You didn't hold back at all…"
Hikigaya gave a faint smile, his expression practically saying, "Obviously."
"I… I was… the last one standing… in pillow fights… with Komachi. This little bit… of exercise… is nothing."
Kushida laughed in satisfaction, then taught the panting, still-posing Hikigaya a lesson.
While Hikigaya was still catching his breath, Kushida splashed a handful of collected water right into his face.
So… women are really cunning.
Sakura, standing nearby, let out a heartfelt laugh.
This time, had the class truly grown closer? Hikigaya couldn't tell for sure, but…
After this, perhaps their relationships wouldn't be as stiff as before.
At the very least, years later, they could still laugh and say…
"We were comrades/enemies in that water fight!"
Ichinose slowly swam up to the boy. After the water fight, her hair was noticeably messy, but in this state, she actually felt more approachable.
"Hikigaya, our Class B has discussed it, and we want to form an alliance with your Class D to take on Class A and Class C. Is that okay?"
Faced with this sudden shift in topic, seeing the smile on Ichinose's face, Hikigaya was momentarily stunned.
Forget about the alliance—there was nothing wrong with Class B and Class D teaming up, but…
Since when did a class outsider like him get to decide on such major class matters?
No matter what, something like this should be discussed with everyone, right?
( End of this chapter)