Chapter 9: Yukinoshita's Overwhelming Guilt
"Why are there so many people?"
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned. She genuinely disliked crowded environments; she felt extremely uncomfortable in public settings.
Yukinoshita Yukino's face was pale right now, and her mental state looked severely off, but this minor discomfort was nothing compared to the overwhelming guilt in her heart.
Yukinoshita Yukino was aware of the campus forum issue because the teachers had said any questions could be posted or searched there, and answers could usually be found.
So Yukinoshita Yukino also saw the post that had nearly topped the charts today.
The difference was that others were watching for entertainment, but she was genuinely devastated.
Yukinoshita Yukino saw the damaged front of the car in the post. Zooming in, she recognized it distinctly as the car her sister had assigned to take her to and from school.
From being a spectator to becoming a person involved, Yukinoshita Yukino's head was spinning.
Yukinoshita Yukino had only asked the driver to come early to take her to school because she wanted to give the cookies to Hikigaya Hachiman sooner.
But the driver, whom she urged to come early, ended up hitting Hikigaya Hachiman, the very person she wanted to give cookies to?
The photos of the ambulance, police cars, and the mangled bicycle silently attested to the severity of the accident.
"I caused this to him..."
If she hadn't asked the driver to come early to pick her up, would Hikigaya Hachiman have avoided this accident?
Realizing this, Yukinoshita Yukino felt her vision darken and the world spin. Her whole body felt cold, from head to toe, with an indescribable sensation.
Her heart was instantly overwhelmed by enormous guilt. Her mental state was terrible, and she was so distraught she didn't even remember how she arrived at school.
That's why when Yukinoshita Yukino heard that Hikigaya Hachiman was fine and attending school as usual, she felt an immense sense of relief.
Being able to attend school meant the injury wasn't severe.
"Thank goodness, he's fine."
But Yukinoshita Yukino always believed in seeing things for herself and wanted to come over to see Hikigaya Hachiman's actual condition.
She hadn't expected that Hikigaya Hachiman's return would pique the interest of so many students, all flocking to the scene.
This made it very difficult for Yukinoshita Yukino to push her way to the front. Even the typically good-natured her couldn't help but inwardly grumble, "Are these people really so bored?"
Little did she know, Shuchiin students were all drama-lovers, and since the "unprovokable force," Hikigaya Hachiman, was involved, everyone was extremely curious.
Yukinoshita Yukino finally managed to reach the front and saw Hikigaya Hachiman completely unharmed.
The high-hanging burden in her heart finally dropped. The fact that he was standing meant no broken bones; the injury wasn't serious.
However, any superficial injuries would be concealed by his clothing, so Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't see them.
Amidst the surrounding crowd, Yukinoshita Yukino noticed a particularly eye-catching girl with brown hair styled in twin tails.
Her exquisite face and those purple pupils exuded immense spirit and arrogance, as if the world was under her complete control.
It was hard to imagine such a powerful aura coming from a girl of such a petite stature.
The girl's information popped into Yukinoshita Yukino's mind: Shijo Maki, ranked second on the list of Shuchiin VIPs provided by her sister, the Young Lady of the famous overseas Shijo family.
But why would such a top-tier young lady be confronting Hikigaya Hachiman?
Shijo Maki lightly shook her twin tails, every movement filled with confidence and flamboyance.
Her purple eyes settled on Hikigaya Hachiman, her gaze becoming sharper, seemingly assessing his appearance.
When she heard Hikigaya Hachiman ask what she needed, Shijo Maki let out a soft laugh.
"Hmph, it's nothing major.
I merely wanted to see the protagonist of today's big news.
But it looks like only those fools would believe such stories."
Hikigaya Hachiman naturally knew what she was referring to—the morning incident.
"Actually, it's not entirely wrong. After all, that was indeed my bicycle."
"Ah?"
Shijo Maki's tone suddenly faltered. The intimidating aura she had moments ago completely vanished. She had assumed the whole thing was fabricated by others.
But upon learning from the person involved that it actually happened, Shijo Maki's tone instantly became anxious.
"Hachiman, are you hurt then?"
At the same time, Yukinoshita Yukino's heart, which had just settled, leaped up again.
Shijo Maki expressed concern, "If you feel unwell, I can call my family doctor for you."
Super-elite families like the Shijo have an entire private medical team stationed at the school.
"I'm fine, Maki."
Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head.
Although Shijo Maki seemed particularly difficult to deal with, she was actually very good to her friends. She just liked to be stubborn and wasn't straightforward.
Otherwise, Hikigaya Hachiman wouldn't call Shijo Maki by her first name; they were very familiar friends.
Shijo Maki knew he wasn't the type to swallow his pride and feign toughness. Since he said he was fine, he probably was.
But she didn't forget to remind him.
"If you feel any discomfort, you can still have my doctor check you out."
After saying that, Shijo Maki raised her left hand to her mouth and coughed slightly, trying to recapture her previous demeanor.
After a brief pause for composure, she returned to the confident and arrogant look she had at the beginning of their encounter.
Shijo Maki placed her hands on her hips and said earnestly, "Hachiman, I will definitely defeat you in the next exam!"
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Although Hikigaya Hachiman had heard this from Shijo Maki countless times, he still offered encouragement.
Shuchiin holds five major exams every year, with all grades competing regardless of specialization, and ranks are set for the entire grade level.
Hikigaya Hachiman, thanks to his formidable learning ability, demonstrated absolute dominance upon entering the school.
He consistently ranked first in the grade, followed by Shinomiya Kaguya, and then Shijo Maki in third place.
These two were proud and ambitious young ladies; how could they allow someone else to constantly overshadow them? Naturally, they resisted with every means possible.
But no matter how hard they tried, Hikigaya Hachiman always managed to stay one step ahead of them.
This was because his brain was highly developed, having acquired a considerable amount of knowledge during his long existence.
Understanding and learning the knowledge currently possessed by humanity, with a 30K level of cognitive ability, was merely child's play for him.
Shinomiya Kaguya and Shijo Maki's efforts eventually resulted in them being overtaken by a latecomer.
In the second semester of the first year of high school, Shirogane Miyuki rapidly caught up from the middle of the grade, surpassing both Shinomiya Kaguya and Shijo Maki.
If Shirogane Miyuki scored a perfect score, he would catch up to Hikigaya Hachiman's score and could tie him for first place.
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't dislike these hard-working individuals. Watching their reluctant expressions was also quite amusing.
"I'm waiting."
Just as Shijo Maki issued her declaration of war, an incredibly cold voice came from the other end of the hallway.
"How truly pathetic.
Are the children educated by the Shijo family all so fond of making grand boasts?
You haven't even surpassed me once, yet you aspire to surpass him.
Laughable."