Chapter 77: Could Sincerity Really Be the Ultimate Weapon?
Hikigaya: "Something like this needs to be discussed with…"
Ichinose: "No, I'm asking you right now. Just you, Hikigaya."
Hikigaya: "From a benefits perspective, there's no issue, since we have common enemies."
Ichinose: "And from other perspectives?"
Hikigaya: "Like…?"
Ichinose: "Like… like… no 'like'!"
Hikigaya: "Idiot, speak clearly."
Ichinose: "Ugh, I mean, besides benefits, can't Class B and Class D just form an alliance?"
Hikigaya: "Of course, I guess…"
Ichinose: "Hikigaya, you're such a blockhead."
Hikigaya: "I'm saying…"
Ichinose: "Not listening, not listening, not listening! I'll ask again next time. Right now, I have another question."
Hikigaya: "Go ahead…"
Ichinose: "Whose swimsuit looks better, mine or Sakura's?"
"…"
In an instant, Sakura's eyes locked onto Hikigaya's face, as if afraid to miss even the slightest expression.
This question was completely unsolvable for Hikigaya. No matter which side he picked, he'd offend the other. Besides, in his view, both were unique in their own way…
Hikigaya took a deep breath: "You want me to be honest?"
Ichinose and Sakura said in unison: "Obviously!"
Taking another deep breath, Hikigaya closed his eyes.
"The pink halter top with a bow accentuates Sakura-san's already stunning figure, making it even more striking. It balances sexiness with cuteness, perfectly matching your style. It instantly conveys your personality. In summary, when it comes to coordination, Sakura Airi did an excellent job."
"As for the blue swimsuit, it's fairly standard, but Ichinose added lace details. While it feels open and approachable, it also creates a slight sense of distance, striking a perfect balance that elevates your elegance."
Hikigaya was still panting, having now said everything he could.
Kushida, standing nearby, was completely frozen.
Professional. Too professional.
Sakura Airi and Ichinose Honami exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
It seemed this guy had been paying close attention after all… As for the result, it didn't matter anymore.
The effort they'd put in had been acknowledged, and that was enough.
Sudō: "As expected, sincerity is the ultimate weapon…"
Kushida: "How about you critique my swimsuit too, Hikigaya-kun? I noticed you glancing over a lot. You must've looked plenty, right?"
All of a sudden, the atmosphere turned tense.
The friendly smiles on Sakura and Ichinose's faces vanished.
Hikigaya: "No, no, no, it's just that red is really eye-catching…"
Sakura gave a terrifying smile: "Hachiman, I'll wear red next time too."
Ichinose also smiled calmly: "Oh, I don't think I've tried a red swimsuit yet. Maybe next time I'll have Hikigaya-kun take a look and see which one's better."
As expected, pools are just too scary…
…
[Service Club…]
[Yukinoshita: "So this is the kind of person Hikigaya-kun is? If I remember correctly, during that summer camp, you looked so indifferent, but you were thinking about this… How filthy!"]
[Yukinoshita clearly hadn't realized her own lapse, condemning Hikigaya with a straight face.]
[However, in Miura's view, since they were all wearing swimsuits, it'd be odd if the boys didn't have any reaction. If that happened, it could only mean the girl's charm was somewhat lacking.]
[If she could really meet a boy who spoke such sincere words, Miura Yumiko would probably still feel happy about it.]
[This time, Isshiki and Yuihama seemed to side with Miura, thinking along the same lines.]
[If a boy didn't react at all, then what was the point of wearing a swimsuit…?]
[So, this kind of honest evaluation without impure thoughts was probably quite appreciated by girls.]
[Of course, Yukinoshita hadn't realized this yet.]
[Perhaps her sharp attitude wasn't because of this, but rather due to physical factors she absolutely couldn't voice.]
[Isshiki Iroha decided to stand up for her senpai: "Senpai, I've got your back this time. Next time, I'll let you appreciate my swimsuit too, so make sure to give me proper feedback, okay!"]
[Though Yuihama sided with Miura, she couldn't stand by and watch Yukinoshita lose herself like this. She quickly stood up, started massaging Yukinoshita's shoulders, and said: "Look, we all wore our swimsuits during the summer camp. Hikki, what did you think back then?"]
[If he could give Yukinoshita a satisfactory answer now, maybe praise her figure, this whole thing might just blow over.]
[After hearing Yuihama's question, Yukinoshita stopped being so aggressive. She sat up straight, quietly waiting. For praise?]
[But Hikigaya couldn't lie to himself.]
[He still remembered clearly what he'd thought at the time: "Given Yukinoshita's genes, there's probably still room for growth, especially with Yukinoshita Haruno as a precedent."]
[But wouldn't that be indirectly admitting her chest was small…? If he said that out loud, he definitely wouldn't see tomorrow's sunrise.]
[So, maybe it was time to break his principles. Sometimes, humans need a few white lies.]
[Hikigaya took a deep breath and said honestly: "It's been half a year, I've pretty much forgotten. Next time there's a chance, I'll take a closer look."]
[Hikigaya felt like his words sounded a bit strange, but once they were out, there was no taking them back.]
[Five seconds of silence passed, and Hikigaya only felt strange gazes directed at him.]
[Miura: "Hikigaya-kun, I was just starting to change my opinion of you. Please don't say stuff like that in public… It's really gross."]
[Yuihama nodded in strong agreement: "Hikki, that's so gross…"]
[Yukinoshita sighed helplessly: "You, don't ever say something like that to other girls. You'll be seen as a pervert, pervert."]
[Hey, hey, you're already treating me like a pervert!]
[Hayama and Ebina didn't say much, just giving a faint smile.]
[In the end, wasn't this just solving the problem by sacrificing himself…? Hikigaya-kun, you really haven't changed.]
[Their gazes seemed to convey those words…]
[But Hikigaya never thought this way of handling things was wrong. At least when it came to solving certain problems, it was indeed the most efficient.]
[Look now—who was still paying attention to whether Hikigaya had properly appreciated the girls' swimsuits? They were all just calling him a pervert.]
Meanwhile, in Class 1-A, Kamuro came running back to Sakayanagi, panting heavily.
Hashimoto: "Your stamina's pretty weak, huh? Did hanging around that guy for too long make you tired from just a short jog?"
Kamuro: "By that logic, wouldn't staying by the princess's side mean I can't even walk…?"
Hashimoto didn't mean it that way at all, but he hadn't expected this girl to be so sharp-tongued now. Flustered, he quickly denied it: "I didn't mean it like that, Princess, absolutely not."
Sakayanagi didn't dwell on it. After all, she was the one who sent Kamuro to tail Hikigaya, and she had her reasons.
She gently waved her hand, her face still bearing that calm smile: "How are things on their side?"
Kamuro frowned, somewhat displeased, and said: "He claims to be a loner who can't even make friends, but he's surrounded by so many people. And if you call him out on it, he'd probably just say something like, 'I was forced to come along.' "
Sakayanagi hadn't even asked that much, but Kamuro was already going on and on.
Kitō: "It feels like you've changed a bit, Kamuro…"
Kamuro placed a finger on her cheek, looking incredulous: "Me? No way, I'm still me, aren't I?"
Kitō wanted to say more, but Sakayanagi raised a hand to stop him.
Sakayanagi: "How about I go meet little Hiki-kun myself?"
Hearing Sakayanagi's words, Kamuro suddenly got excited.
"Great, great! I really want to see what kind of expressions those people will have when Princess shows up."
"Then let's go."
The smile on her face never faded. From start to finish, she always had that air of having everything under control.
Back at Hikigaya's side, Class 1-C's Ryūen had already arrived at their hangout spot.
Despite not managing to pin any blame on Class D during the last incident and even causing his class to lose a ton of points, his face showed no sign of being affected. He still wore that arrogant smile.
Ryūen: "Yo, yo, yo, look who we have here. Isn't this Class B's leader, Ichinose? Looking pretty well-developed, huh? Wanna have some fun with me?"
Sudō, upon seeing this guy, was a bit annoyed but didn't yell.
Class B's students, however, seemed provoked by Ryūen's taunt and shouted back irritably.
Shiranami: "Ryūen, what are you doing here?"
Kanzaki: "Class B isn't something you can mess with."
Ichinose, unfazed by Ryūen's provocation, said expressionlessly: "Ryūen-kun, I'm not interested in you. Not even a little."
Ryūen's smile grew even wider: "Oh? You'll be interested. Sooner or later, after I crush Class D."
Ike: "Hahahahahaha, that's not convincing at all! Our class might've started off slacking, but after one semester, we're almost catching up to you guys. Talking about crushing Class D? That's hilarious, hahahaha!"
Yamauchi: "Exactly, exactly! What's your name again? Ryūen? Your brain's totally waterlogged. Your IQ's so low you're basically babbling like a toddler. Why don't you just go by Dragon Boy from now on? Oh, wait… didn't someone already call you that? Who was it, the leader of Class A? No wonder it's the leader of Class A—she saw through your pig brain so fast, hahahahahaha!"
Their mocking laughter quickly spread to everyone in the pool, and they couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Even Sakura, standing next to Hikigaya, couldn't hold it in and let out a "pfft" of laughter.
Hikigaya, being more polite, ducked underwater to hide his smirk.
This way, no one will see, right? Don't hold a grudge, Dragon Boy…
Originally intending to provoke them, Ryūen hadn't expected to be mocked by two Class D students. For a moment, he lost his cool.
Ryūen: "Hey, you two monkeys done talking? Don't you know your own worth?"
Ike: "That's some weak comeback."
Yamauchi: "Exactly, exactly…"
Ryūen couldn't hold back anymore and was about to jump into the pool to start a fight, but Albert stopped him.
"Albert!"
"Boss, there are cameras here… Starting a fight would be bad for us, especially after we just lost 300 class points and three members…"
Ryūen angrily shook off Albert's hand and said: "I know that!"
He turned to leave, while Yamauchi and Ike continued mocking from behind: "Dragon Boy, weren't you all high and mighty? Why're you running now?"
Ryūen: "One day, you'll kneel before me. Especially you two."
"I'm so scared…"
"Hahahahahahaha…"
The laughter was about to spread across the entire pool.
Today, Ryūen had thoroughly humiliated himself.
But this was just the beginning…
"Dragon Boy, where're you off to? Not gonna stay and chat?"
Sakayanagi approached from another direction, spotting Ryūen as he turned to leave, and directly called out to him.
The pool erupted in laughter once again.
For a moment, Sakayanagi was a bit confused, clearly unaware of what had happened.
But as the leader of Class A, how could she show such an expression? Seeing her side had the upper hand, she spoke again: "What's wrong, Dragon Boy? Did someone bully you? I can teach them a lesson for you."
Ryūen's face turned green with anger. Even though he desperately wanted to lash out, he knew that starting a fight here would doom his class.
So, he suppressed his rage, letting everything settle back to calm.
"I'm looking forward to it. Our high school life has only just begun."
"Hikigaya, I'll let you off this time, but next time, don't count on it."
Without looking back, Ryūen left with Ibuki and Albert.
Sakayanagi wasn't discouraged that her provocation didn't work. At the very least, coming here had already been worth it.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya, who had been snickering underwater, was puzzled when he heard Ryūen call his name.
'The name Dragon Boy wasn't my creation, and I didn't call you that. I'm just a nobody on the edge of the class,why are you fixating on me like this?'
'If you want to beat Class D, why not focus on Horikita and the others…'
Caught in the crossfire for no reason again, Hikigaya couldn't laugh anymore and finally surfaced from the water.
Sakura: "Hachiman, I thought you drowned in there…"
Hikigaya: "Sakura, please don't say something so scary with such a gentle expression…"
Ryūen had disappeared from everyone's sight, but while one troublemaker had just left, this Sakayanagi could also be considered a troublesome figure has appeared.
After all, in all of Hikigaya's interactions with her, she had always firmly held the upper hand, leaving him feeling like a pet with no autonomy.
Ichinose: "Sakayanagi-san, it's been a while."
Sakayanagi, still wearing her calm smile, tilted her head slightly: "Ichinose, my friend, it's been a while."
Kanzaki: "What are you guys doing here?"
Hashimoto: "This isn't your private area, Kanzaki-kun. Class D and Class B are hanging out together, so why can't Class A join in?"
Kanzaki: "That's none of your business, is it?"
Hashimoto gave a meaningful smile, glanced at Ichinose and Kushida, then looked at Hikigaya with disdain before continuing: "You're not planning to form an alliance to take on Classes A and C, are you? That's pretty unfriendly, considering we're on the same side."
As if seeing through their intentions, Hashimoto bluntly laid out all their secrets.
At that moment, Hikigaya shifted his gaze to Kamuro, starting a silent conversation with their eyes.
The following exchange was entirely through eye contact.
Hikigaya: What are you guys up to?
Kamuro: Idiot, how would I know? The princess just said she wanted to check on you guys. She probably didn't expect you to get into that mess with Class C. If you're asking about Hashimoto, that guy's an idiot—don't bother with him.
Hikigaya: I feel like he's trying to stir things up, and he gave me a dirty look. What do I do?
Kamuro: Since you're getting so much attention from the princess, it's normal for him to dislike you. Honestly, most of Class A doesn't like you. They think you're just an outsider, especially a Class D outsider, not worth the princess's attention.
Hikigaya: So, I'm getting caught in the crossfire for no reason again.
Kamuro: I said most people, but that doesn't include me. I don't like you one tiny, tiny, tiny bit, but I don't hate you either.
Hikigaya: Is that the point here?
Kamuro shook her head helplessly: I can't help you…
Hikigaya took a deep breath and stopped looking at Kamuro.
Hashimoto was still talking: "If you're forming an alliance, doesn't that mean Classes B and D are declaring war on Class A?"
Sakayanagi, who usually protected Hikigaya, surprisingly let Hashimoto continue speaking this time.
Ichinose was somewhat at a loss. If she denied it now, cooperating with Class D would become very troublesome. But if she admitted it, it would mean Classes B and D were openly opposing Class A, dragging Class D into the conflict as well.
The kind little angel always considered others, but this was also the absolute obstacle preventing her from growing further.
Kushida didn't seem to have any intention of speaking up either. On the boys' side, Sudō, Yamauchi, and Ike were just looking at each other.
Hashimoto: "What's wrong? Is that a silent agreement? Even so, it's not a big deal. After all, even if two classes team up, they wouldn't dare face our Class A. I suggest you disband early."
Sakura: "No… that's not how it is…"
An unexpected voice echoed through the pool for a long moment.
Hashimoto gave a faint smile: "So you're not mute after all. I was wondering when someone would finally speak up."
"So, you're saying you're not allied, right? Then, why are you hanging out with Class B? If you're not allied, you'll end up as enemies someday, won't you? I wouldn't recommend that."
Feeling Hashimoto's strange gaze and realizing she might have messed things up, Sakura's body began to tremble in panic, and she instinctively hid behind the boy.
"Alright, you guessed right. We are indeed allied."
Hikigaya's words stunned the students from all three classes.
Sakayanagi smiled slightly: "Oh?"
Ichinose: "Hikigaya-kun…"
Kushida: "…"
Sudō: "Bro…ther…"
Ike: "Huh? Allied? How come I didn't know?"
Yamauchi: "I didn't know either…"
Shinohara: "Idiots."
Kanzaki: "So that's how it is, huh? Ichinose…"
Shiranami: "He's that guy."
…
Hashimoto chuckled: "Allied? So that means Class A is your target, right? Princess, I think your protection of him should end here."
Kamuro was visibly anxious, looking at Sakayanagi, who still had an expression like she was watching a play.
Hikigaya: "No, you've misunderstood something."
Hashimoto: "Oh?"
Hikigaya: "I've never expected any help. For me, being alone has always been the right way. This so-called alliance has nothing to do with me, or even with you all."
Hashimoto: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hikigaya: "Class D has never targeted a specific class or a specific person. Class B is the same in that regard. It's exactly because of this shared understanding that our so-called alliance is just about helping each other out, lending a hand when the other class is in trouble."
Hashimoto clapped his hands, his smile fading.
"What a righteous speech… Not targeting a specific class, huh? You dare say you've never thought about rising to a higher class?"
"If it were Horikita, she'd probably shake her head without hesitation and admit it. But standing here is me, and my answer is the same."
"From start to finish, I've never thought about rising to a higher class. That holds no meaning for me."
Hikigaya's words left Hashimoto momentarily stunned, but he quickly continued: "You say stuff like that, and you really think there are idiots who'd believe you?"
Sakayanagi waved her hand, signaling him to stop.
"Princess!!"
"I believe him. Does that make me an idiot?"
( End of this chapter)