Chapter 71: Hikigaya's Reverse Scale

  After Ryuen and his group left, Hikigaya, who had just been acting "cold and heartless," suddenly colpsed. The smell of coffee and the sticky sensation were truly unpleasant, and the stains in his hair made him feel mentally crushed. He had also finally witnessed why the leader of Css C was called the "Tyrant."

  "Is this guy watching too many hot-blooded high school dramas? Or did his ‘Ryuen-ism’ kick in? Does he really think he can rise to the top of this school just by using his fists and violence? He’s better off in a vocational school brawl!”

  Hikigaya couldn’t help but compin about Ryuen's way of doing things. It felt like dealing with a severe case of "chuunibyou" (a delusionary syndrome).

  Why do these people always think fighting is a cool thing? It’s just too hard to take seriously.

  "Heh, the reason, of course, comes from a kind of rebellion against their own incompetence," Haruno interjected, picking up on Hikigaya’s thoughts with disdain. "Because at this age, boys finally realize they’re not ‘all-powerful, special beings.’ When faced with the pressures of reality, they’re completely useless, and they finally become aware of their own ‘weakness.’ So, they resort to violence with their fists to tell others ‘I’m strong.’ It’s just a childish, stupid, and pathetic behavior."

  Hikigaya agreed with Haruno’s analysis because there was someone just like that in their Css D — Sudo. He always tried to solve problems with violence whenever things didn’t go his way, but from the perspective of mature individuals, that kind of behavior was simply a proof of incompetence.

  “Waa, but Hikigaya was so cool just now~”

  Haruno didn’t seem bothered by the sticky mess on Hikigaya’s clothes and pyfully clung to his arm.

  “Stop, stop!”

  Hikigaya quickly pushed Haruno away and said in an annoyed tone, “I look like this, so stop messing with me. I got covered in coffee for no reason today; what bad luck.”

  "Hehe, it’s just because Hikigaya is too cool~”

  Haruno went back to her cheerful self and added, "I didn’t expect Hikigaya to be so manly in the critical moment~"

  The next moment, Haruno leaned closer to Hikigaya’s ear and whispered with a ugh, “Were you angry because of me just now?”

  “...Don’t overthink it. Anyone would be pissed if they got coffee spilled on them.”

  Hikigaya expined.

  “But why was there that mysterious pause? And you didn’t deny it either~”

  “How would I know? I feel uncomfortable all over right now, so let’s just leave already.”

  Hikigaya hurriedly stood up, and Haruno, smiling, followed him without pressing further.

  Under the quiet night sky, the boy and girl walked side by side down the school path. The boy looked disheveled and tense, while the girl seemed to have something fun on her mind as she happily looked at him.

  Not long after, the boy suddenly stopped.

  “Haruno, you should head back to the dorm and rest early. This jacket of mine needs to be sent to the undry, and it’s going to take a while.”

  “Eh, I still wanted to talk to you a bit longer, Hikigaya.”

  The girl kicked a small stone on the ground and said dissatisfied, "Don't, please spare me today."

  The boy forced a wry smile and replied, "Please, not today."

  The girl grunted in dissatisfaction.

  "But thank you for what happened today!"

  Regarding what had happened in the café that evening, Haruno was naturally not afraid of Ryuen, but she couldn’t help but feel irritated by his sudden use of underhanded and vulgar tactics.

  If it hadn’t been for Hikigaya, Haruno might have lost face in front of everyone, and that would have been a humiliation that could have damaged her image.

  But now, this humiliation had been taken by the boy, who bore it without any compints.

  Hikigaya didn’t answer, only nodding and turning to leave.

  "Did you get angry about what I did today?"

  Suddenly, Haruno’s voice came from behind, and Hikigaya froze. "If it’s about teasing me..."

  "It’s not about that. It’s about something else."

  Haruno seemed to be implying something else.

  "Why are you asking that?"

  A faint wry smile appeared on Hikigaya’s face.

  "Didn't you already notice? I deliberately asked you out and then used you to attract Ryuen's attention. I treated you as a shield."

  Haruno spoke candidly, looking at the boy’s back and revealing the motive behind her actions that night.

  Hikigaya was silent for a few seconds, then sighed, "When did you figure it out? And speaking of this doesn’t benefit you at all. Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn on you immediately?"

  After the events in the café, Hikigaya had indeed found it a little suspicious, but he didn’t expect Haruno to suddenly "reveal" it at this moment.

  "Hehe, because I knew Hikigaya-kun would definitely find out. So, I had to apologize quickly to get a lighter punishment, hehe. Do you think this ‘knowing my mistake and correcting it’ would get me Hikigaya-kun’s forgiveness?"

  Since Hikigaya had his back to her, he couldn’t see Haruno’s expression, but he could imagine what her carefree face must look like.

  "No, you won’t! And right now, I’m really mad."

  Hikigaya waved his hand as if not falling for Haruno's tricks, but still added, "And it’s getting te, so you should go back to the dorm."

  After saying that, Hikigaya took a step, but just as he did, a soft body suddenly wrapped around him, and he could feel the warmth of the girl's breath near his ear.

  "Well, if I do this, Hikigaya-kun, would you forgive me?"

  It felt as if time froze for a moment. The boy's face flushed red, and the next second, he suddenly jumped away as if he had been electrocuted.

  The girl was stunned for a moment before letting out a clear, ringing ugh.

  After a while, the girl’s ughter stopped, and the smile on her face gradually turned cold.

  "I’ll give you a satisfactory expnation for what happened tonight."

  Hikigaya frowned. He naturally understood what Haruno meant and shook his head. "I’m the one who was wronged, so I should handle it myself."

  After thinking for a moment, Hikigaya added, "I’ll make sure he personally apologizes to you."

  At this point, a chilling light fshed in Hikigaya’s eyes.

  To be honest, Hikigaya didn’t really care too much about being spshed with coffee or being insulted by Ryuen. Or rather, he had never really been concerned about his own affairs.

  Since he "transferred" into this world line, everything and everyone around him had changed, and he had been in a state of "self-abandonment," to the point where he had no interest or desire for this world.

  It was only after he met two "familiar people" by chance that he reluctantly convinced himself that "maybe I should try to keep living."

  If there was one thing that could be considered Hikigaya’s weakness, or something that must not be touched—his reverse scale—it was what happened tonight… Ryuen had truly angered Hikigaya.

  What truly made Hikigaya care, or even enraged him, was the fact that "the other party harmed Haruno"!

  That was something Hikigaya couldn’t tolerate or forgive!

  Haruno and Shizuka-sensei were the two people Hikigaya valued the most at this school!

  Especially after learning about Shizuka-sensei’s situation, Hikigaya had secretly sworn that he would never allow anyone he cared about to be hurt. Even if it meant going against his principles and becoming a demon, he would drag those who tried to harm them down to hell!

  For some reason, just for a brief moment earlier, Haruno had felt a trace of fear coming from the boy in front of her?

  "Hikigaya..."

  Haruno slowly approached Hikigaya, but the boy’s face changed drastically. Before Haruno could react, the boy had already fled in panic, and from a distance, her clear, bell-like ughter echoed behind him.