Chapter 55: I Have a Friend

  After school in the afternoon, when Hachiman was packing up and getting ready to leave, he was suddenly stopped by someone.

  "Hachiman, I need to talk to you."

  It was Horikita, as cold as ever. Even the way she spoke was harsh, leaving no room for refusal.

  It could only be said... this was very much like Horikita. Since Chabashira-sensei revealed the truth, this was the first time they had exchanged words.

  "I'm in a hurry. If you have something to say, say it quickly," Hachiman replied indifferently.

  Horikita didn't seem to mind Hachiman's attitude, and after taking a deep breath, she spoke: "I overheard your conversation with Hirata during lunch break."

  "So what?"

  "Then how did you figure out the truth about this school?" A trace of unwillingness fshed across Horikita's face.

  "Is that important?" Hachiman frowned. "At this point, are you still fixating on that? You're really overthinking it."

  "No, this is very important to me," Horikita said, looking at Hachiman seriously. "Because I really want to move up to Css A, so I want to know what you think."

  "I'm not interested in moving up to Css A," Hachiman said decisively. "That's my real opinion."

  "How could that be..."

  Horikita stared at Hachiman, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words. "You're so... smart. Why would you rather be looked down upon, be insulted by those idiots, than fight for it, strive, and prove your talents?!"

  In Horikita's understanding, outstanding people should aim for better and wider pces, not sink in the muddy swamp and slowly perish.

  ‘Is she speaking up for me?’ Hachiman felt a rather subtle feeling.

  "Horikita, you should understand the rules of this school too, right? Trying to move up to Css A with the effort of just one or two people is useless. Moreover, do you really think that some students in this css have the qualifications for Css A? At least so far, I can't see any possibility."

  "I understand," Horikita took a deep breath and said slowly. "I will make you see that possibility."

  ‘Why is this girl so stubborn?’ Hachiman thought, feeling speechless inside.

  "Well, if there's nothing else..."

  "No... I have one more question," Horikita interrupted Hachiman's attempt to speak. "I have a friend. He scores exactly 50 in every subject. What do you think he's doing that for?"

  "He's pying it coy!"

  Without thinking, Hachiman answered, "Deliberately scoring 50 in every subject? That's just telling everyone 'I'm really good, but I like to hide my skills.' This kind of person must have read too many anime or light novels, suffering from a delusion that he's some kind of 'overpowered character,' pretending to be weak. He wants to hide his true abilities so others won't notice, but at the same time, he wants his hidden talents to be discovered by accident. That's just ridiculous!"

  Horikita's face stiffened. "Uh... is that how it is?"

  It sounded a bit exaggerated, but it seemed to make some sense.

  "Then what do you think about the st three questions of the small test? Is it possible to answer the st three questions correctly, but mess up the simpler ones at the beginning?"

  "Horikita, do you think you're funny?" Hachiman sighed. "And that person you're talking about is Ayanokouji, right?"

  "Y-You know?!"

  "Is it that hard to guess?" Hachiman rubbed his forehead irritably. "Chabashira-sensei posted everyone's scores st time. If I remember correctly, there was only one person who scored exactly 50, right?"

  "..."

  "Also, please, check the logic of your lies before you tell them!"

  "What do you mean?"

  "What I mean is... I don't think you would say 'I have a friend' like that."

  Hachiman added in his mind, just like me.

  Horikita's face clearly showed surprise, then she seemed to want to argue but couldn't find a reason, looking very reluctant.

  "Well, I'm leaving then."

  Hachiman was about to leave, but before he could take a few steps, Horikita quickly grabbed the corner of his clothes, and he saw a hesitant expression on her face. "U-Um, did you... join the student council?"

  Hachiman wondered if it was his imagination, but it seemed that Horikita’s mood had suddenly become unstable, and it seemed like everything she had done up until now was to lead to this one question.

  Hachiman instinctively thought of Horikita's brother and naturally connected their st names. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you asking about the president? Are you two family?"

  "......"

  Horikita fell silent unexpectedly, her face showing clear hesitation, anticipation, and even a bit of fear. Hachiman was seeing such a range of expressions on the face of this usually icy girl for the first time, and it made her seem completely different from the cold, indifferent image he had of her.

  "If he's family, just ask him directly," Hachiman roughly guessed that Horikita might have some conflict with her brother, but he didn't want to get involved. "I think the president just seems a bit indifferent, but if you spend time with him, you'll find that he's actually very approachable and a senior who will patiently listen to you."

  If he had to describe it, it would be 'cold on the outside, warm on the inside.' Horikita's brother seemed even colder and more serious than she did, with a powerful aura that made him seem difficult to approach.

  But over time, Hachiman discovered that this was just people's first impression. In fact, Horikita’s brother treated everything and everyone with fairness and seriousness, without letting your status, position, or age affect his behavior. Hachiman surprisingly liked his style of doing things.

  Also, both of them had a habit of reading books and occasionally had literary debates.

  "You... you actually know my brother..."

  Horikita stared wide-eyed, looking very shocked. A range of complex emotions fshed across her face: envy, jealousy, confusion, and deep unwillingness.

  At that moment, Horikita felt a sense of 'betrayal' and couldn't help but gre at Hachiman.

  Horikita gritted her teeth and said, "I-I have something else to do, I'll leave first." Before Hachiman could react, she turned and walked away, leaving Hachiman completely confused.

  "Did I say something wrong?"

  Hachiman scratched his head, not understanding why Horikita, who had been fine a second ago, suddenly seemed like she was going to pounce on him and eat him alive.

  Women really are terrifying creatures!

  Bckghosts