COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

Kushida's biggest fear right now was having her past exposed. She had worked so hard to build her 'sweet angel' image—she couldn't let it crumble. 

Back when Hikigaya accidentally discovered her true nature, she had tried to 'deal' with him by forcing him to leave his fingerprints as a threat. Though things had eased up between them since then, it wasn't like they had fully reconciled. 

Like Kushida herself said, their relationship was more about mutual benefit than anything else. 

From her perspective, she might feel 'forced' to follow Hikigaya's orders. Outwardly, she hadn't shown any signs of betrayal, but who knew what she was really thinking deep down? 

Her hostility toward Horikita, however, was something Hikigaya could clearly sense. At first, he didn't think much of it. But when Kushida teamed up with Ryuen to stab Horikita in the back, something about it felt off. 

"I'll be blunt, Kushida. Your obsession with taking down Horikita is a complete waste of time." 

"Hah? And if it were you? Wouldn't you be terrified if people found out about your dark past from middle school?" 

Kushida stared at him, her expression tense. "You don't understand anything. You have no idea what it's like to have all your relationships fall apart in an instant." 

"…Of course I don't want people to know about my past." 

Hikigaya tilted his head slightly and let out a sigh. 

"The social isolation you're talking about... I've been through it too. I've been excluded, bullied. So I understand how you feel. But if you keep letting the past hold you back, can you still see the road ahead?" 

Kushida was visibly shocked by Hikigaya's words. She couldn't imagine someone like him being bullied. But when she thought back to the way he was treated at the start of the school year, it didn't seem that far-fetched. 

Of course, it wasn't just the fact itself that shocked her. It was the way Hikigaya spoke about it so casually. Being bullied was far worse than some embarrassing memory from the past. Especially in a new environment, no one would ever bring up something like that on their own. 

"Kushida, I don't think you lack ability. Maybe you believe that your 'sweet angel' persona is what defines you, but to me, it's just holding you back. In a school where strength is everything, if you don't grow, you'll be left behind sooner or later. Think about it carefully." 

With that, Hikigaya stood up and walked away, leaving Kushida sitting there with a troubled expression. 

— 

He had only taken a few steps when his phone suddenly vibrated. 

[Help me!] 

Hikigaya frowned as he looked at the message. It wasn't just the words that concerned him—it was the sender. 

Karuizawa?! 

Was she actually asking him for help? 

It seemed absurd, but it was real. 

No matter if it was personal or just the right thing to do, he couldn't ignore it. 

"If that's the case, then she should have her location turned on…" 

He quickly opened the phone's tracking feature. The school phones had a strange function that allowed them to locate other phones, but very few people knew about it. Of course, it could also be disabled manually. 

Hikigaya decided to try his luck, and sure enough, Karuizawa's location was visible. 

— 

In a small alley behind the special teaching building, three girls had cornered a blonde-haired girl. 

"Manabe, maybe we should stop here? She already apologized to Rika. If the school finds out, we'll be in serious trouble," Yabu Nanami said nervously. 

Beside her, Yamashita Saki looked just as uneasy. But Manabe suddenly snapped, "Both of you, shut up! If an apology was enough, we wouldn't need the police! Rika may have forgiven her, but I haven't!" 

"But…" 

Yamashita Saki opened her mouth, but when she saw the fierce look in Manabe's eyes, she swallowed her words. 

Manabe smirked at Karuizawa, who was curled up against the wall. 

"Don't blame me. Blame that guy Ryuen instead." 

Originally, this whole thing had already blown over. Even if Manabe wanted to cause trouble, she didn't have an excuse. But not long ago, Ryuen had approached her, asking about the details of Karuizawa's apology on the cruise. When he found out that Karuizawa had a history of being bullied, he told Manabe to take the opportunity to harass her during the sports festival. 

As for how to do it… Ryuen didn't need to explain. Manabe was already experienced in these things. So, using the excuse of a 'proper apology for what happened on the cruise,' she had lured Karuizawa here. 

"I can't believe this idiot from Class D actually fell for it!" 

Manabe laughed and poured a bottle of soda over Karuizawa's head. 

"Hahaha! Hey, do you two want to join in? She's not even fighting back!" 

She shook up another bottle of soda, then popped the cap. With a loud 'pop,' the liquid sprayed all over Karuizawa, soaking her upper body. 

"I-I think I'll pass…" 

Yamashita Saki and Yabu Nanami both shook their heads, looking uneasy. 

"Manabe, maybe that's enough. If someone sees us, we're screwed." 

"You two are such cowards. There aren't any cameras around here! And even if someone finds out, so what? We just 'accidentally' spilled some soda on her." 

Manabe was a little worried too, but she was confident in how to twist the story if the school questioned them. She knew exactly how to avoid getting caught, which was why she hadn't resorted to actual violence. 

But sometimes, mental torment could be far worse than physical pain. 

"Why… why is this happening…"

Karuizawa curled up on the ground, panic written all over her face. Her instincts from the past had trained her to do nothing but "protect" herself. Seeing her in such a helpless state, Manabe seemed to get even more excited, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time rushing back into her. 

Especially because the Karuizawa in front of her was a well-known "gyaru"—strong-willed, bossy, and said to have control over many of the girls in Class D. And yet, this supposedly powerful girl turned out to be nothing more than a "paper tiger." Now, she was cowering in fear, completely at Manabe's mercy. The thrill of dragging someone down from their high horse and crushing them made Manabe's expression twist with excitement. 

Karuizawa's mind had gone blank, but for some reason, she suddenly remembered something someone had told her on the cruise not long ago... 

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a palm-sized rock nearby. 

A moment ago, she had been weak, desperately hoping someone would come to save her. But now, fear was suddenly replaced by a surge of courage from deep within. 

She grabbed the rock— 

And threw it as hard as she could! 

--

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