Chapter 24: Singlehandedly Challenging Ryuen

  The temperature in early May wasn’t very high. Most students would put on a light jacket when going out. During this period that was neither too cold nor too hot, the pool at the Keyaki Mall was usually deserted, especially on Saturday mornings.

  “There really aren’t many people here in the morning.”

  Ichinose rarely saw the Keyaki Mall so quiet and empty. She usually came with cssmates during more lively times.

  “You don’t have to hold my wrist, you know. There’s no one watching right now.” Hikigaya shook off the left hand that Ichinose had grabbed. “Besides, I told you there was no need to bring a swimsuit today.”

  Ichinose’s left hand held a small bag containing a swimsuit.

  Advanced Nurturing High School had swimming csses. Hikigaya could swim, but didn’t like it. Today, his purpose for coming here with Ichinose was fishing — not to be tempted by her in a swimsuit.

  Kushida was very useful. With her maxed-out communication skills, she easily passed on the information Hikigaya needed to the traitor Yamauchi, who would then pass it to Ryuen.

  A typical macho guy wouldn’t want his girlfriend wearing a swimsuit in front of others, but still wanted to see it himself. Choosing Saturday morning, a time when there was practically no one around, to do couple-like activities seemed perfectly reasonable, right?

  He absolutely didn’t believe Ryuen wouldn’t take the bait — a men’s locker room with no surveilnce and a lone target.

  “Eh—? Even if Ryuen doesn’t take the bait, can’t we just swim anyway?” Ichinose let go of his hand and pulled out a pair of men’s swim trunks from the small bag. “I even brought swimwear for you, Hikigaya-kun.”

  “No, there’s no need. Ryuen already took the bait.”

  Hikigaya’s phone vibrated, and he quickly took it out to check. A text from a third-year senpai confirmed that Ryuen had taken the bait. After replying, he arrived at the entrance to the men’s locker room.

  “You just wait in the women’s locker room for my message.”

  “Okay.”

  Watching Ichinose walk into the nearby women’s locker room, Hikigaya slowly entered the still fairly spacious men’s locker room. A few shower stalls were on the right after entering, with lockers for personal items on the left. The center was empty.

  After taking off his jacket, he also removed his undershirt. Hikigaya stood shirtless at the far end of the men’s locker room, waiting for Ryuen’s arrival.

  He didn’t prepare any hidden cameras or tools to bckmail Ryuen ter.

  The future where Ichinose would swim with him today would not come true — because today, he was here for an all-out battle.

  .

  .

  .

  When Ryuen pced an "Under Maintenance" sign outside the door and walked into the men’s locker room humming with a smile, that smile quickly froze on his face.

  Seeing Yamada Albert, Ishizaki Daichi, and Ibuki Mio enter with him, Hikigaya stood there like he had expected it all.

  “Not a bad body, Hikigaya,” Ryuen said, ignoring the sudden footsteps behind him. He walked up to Hikigaya with the others. “Didn’t expect you to be the lean type under clothes.”

  Hikigaya, wearing bck athletic pants and shirtless, didn’t have eight-pack abs, but there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. His muscles were tight and well-defined.

  Looking past his body into Hikigaya’s eyes, Ryuen realized something the moment he saw the difference — Hikigaya’s eyes no longer had their usual ziness.

  “I didn’t see this coming… I really didn’t expect this, Hikigaya. You’ve underestimated me, huh?” Ryuen ughed, turning to the new arrivals behind him.

  Third-year A-css student Fujiwara-senpai — tall and built, not losing out even to bck man Yamada Albert. Sudo Ken — even more muscur than Ishizaki, just cking combat experience. Horikita Suzune — had studied martial arts for several years, just like Ibuki Mio.

  “Could you have Yamada and Ishizaki leave with Fujiwara-senpai from 3-A?” Hikigaya asked, spreading his arms and doing some chest-expanding stretches.

  He had only called people here to create the environment for a one-on-one with Ryuen.

  Raising his hand to stop his henchmen from speaking, Ryuen threw his coat to the floor and ughed, “Of course, Hikigaya. I’ll show you what hell really is.”

  “This is the only time you’ll get to talk big,” Hikigaya replied, pulling a red headband from his pocket — a gift Sakura had left with him. He swept his bangs back and tied his hair up.

  Once everyone else had left, Ryuen took his stance two steps away, waiting for Hikigaya to make the first move.

  “I didn’t bring any hidden cameras or anything.”

  “I’ll confirm that myself after I’ve beaten you.”

  “Here I come.” Hikigaya started to smile.

  “Come on!”

  Lowering his center of gravity, Hikigaya threw a right punch at Ryuen’s chest. Ryuen also threw a right punch in return.

  Neither dodged — Hikigaya, cking experience, made the bold choice to trade blows. Both men took each other’s punches directly to the chest.

  The sudden burst of pain made Hikigaya grit his teeth, and even Ryuen — who thought he was used to pain and tried to follow up with another punch — froze for a moment.

  Hikigaya’s punch was heavier than expected.

  The best way to defeat an experienced enemy is to drag them down to your own level. Enduring the pain, Hikigaya closed in and stayed tightly entangled with Ryuen.

  Even if his strikes weren’t clean, Hikigaya kept nding painful hits on Ryuen — his side, back, arms, wherever he could.

  While going all offense, he was also getting hit. The pain accumuted rapidly across his body and was transmitted to his brain.

  “Pain! It hurts so much, Ryuen!”

  The intense pain made Hikigaya feel strongly that he was truly alive. After being reborn, his memory was nearly photographic, and his stamina far exceeded normal.

  This gave him a surreal feeling, which led him to act in uncharacteristic ways — only recently had he started to correct his attitude.

  “Welcome to hell, Hikigaya!”

  Ryuen smmed into him with all his might, and the two rolled on the ground. At this point, neither of them held back, and they began to punch each other in the face without hesitation.

  One hit — still moving.

  Two hits — still moving.

  …

  No movement.

  When Ryuen’s hand dropped to the floor with no resistance, Hikigaya felt his own face go numb. Blood dripped fresh onto the floor beneath his feet.

  Some of it was Ryuen’s. Some of it was his.

  Wiping his face, Hikigaya stood up from Ryuen’s unconscious body and roared:

  “FIGHTING FEELS AWESOME!”

  A surge of unexpinable emotion made his body tremble, his heart thundering in his chest. His thoughts soared into the clear blue sky.

  Breaking his old chains — today, he finally knew who he was!

  “Today, I finally know who I am!”

  “Today, I finally know who I am!”

  Laughing wildly, Hikigaya no longer questioned whether his existence was valid.

  He just needed to do what he wanted, in his own way.