Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

Inside the women's restroom of a public park, Hikigaya and Kawasaki found themselves squeezed into one cramped stall. Their eyes met briefly, and both turned red.

A Few Minutes Ago

The two had regained their senses, only to be struck by the memory of the scene before. Neither Kawasaki nor the typically composed Hikigaya could hide their unprecedented shock.

This is a total disaster!

After a moment of stunned silence, their frazzled minds began to reboot.

Hikigaya swallowed hard and, his voice trembling, started, "Ka-Kawasaki, just now I—"

"Shh!" Kawasaki, her cheeks flushed crimson, fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, avoiding his gaze. "Hikigaya, you just… you were a bit…"

The quiet murmur of her words was like a mosquito buzzing, but it hit Hikigaya like a ton of bricks. He felt the weight of guilt wash over him, his entire being consumed by remorse.

"I'm so sorry, Kawasaki!" he blurted, dropping to his knees with a loud *thud* in the tight confines of the stall.

"Eh?!" Kawasaki's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, what are you—"

"I'm deeply, deeply sorry!" Hikigaya bowed his head low, his voice heavy with regret. "What I did to you was unforgivable! I mistook you for Yukinoshita and ended up… doing something terrible to you. I'm a criminal! You should turn me in right now!"

"Turn you in?!" Kawasaki gasped, startled.

"Or better yet," he continued, fumbling for his phone, "I should go and turn myself in!"

"Wait a second!" Kawasaki quickly grabbed his arm, her face growing redder by the second. "You don't need to do that!"

"Kawasaki?"

"Hikigaya…" she muttered, still holding his arm tightly. Her voice quivered, but she managed to say, "It's… it's fine."

"But what I did was a crime! I—"

"A crime implies someone resisted and was forced into it," she stammered, her face now completely flushed. "And I didn't resist… not really…"

In fact, as Kawasaki tried to recall the events, she realized with mortification that she had been far from passive. She remembered whispering repeatedly into his ear, "Hikigaya, I love you, I love you, I love you…"

Her face burned with shame. What the hell was I doing?!

Hikigaya fell silent at her words, his whole body trembling slightly.

"Anyway," Kawasaki coughed, trying to shake off the awkwardness, "you need to stand up now. A guy kneeling in front of me is just… weird!"

"But I owe you an apology for—"

"Enough!" Kawasaki's tone was firm as she reached down to pull him to his feet. "Stop kneeling! If you don't stand up, I'm going to get angry!"

"Alright…"

With her help, Hikigaya slowly stood, and for a fleeting moment, their eyes locked. Both immediately looked away, their faces glowing red.

Still avoiding his gaze, Kawasaki murmured, "Don't beat yourself up over this. Honestly, if anything, it's more my fault. I'm the one who… who kind of… seduced you. The blame is on me."

"No," Hikigaya said with conviction. "That doesn't sound like the Kawasaki I know."

"What?" Kawasaki glared at him, her embarrassment morphing into indignation. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean," he said seriously, "you're not the kind of person who would intentionally seduce someone. You might act outgoing and give off a 'tough girl' vibe, but that's just a mask you wear. Deep down, you're reserved and wouldn't do something like that."

"You…!" Kawasaki's face turned beet red, and she clenched her fists.

"That said," Hikigaya added thoughtfully, "something about this situation feels off. Why did we both lose our senses all of a sudden? And why did you—"

"I-I don't know! Maybe it's because I ran too much and got dizzy!" Kawasaki blurted, grasping at straws.

Hikigaya twitched. What kind of excuse is that?!

Kawasaki, clearly flustered, quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, let's not dwell on what happened. The real question is… what now?"

"Uh…" Hikigaya froze, his mind drawing a blank. "I'm… not sure…"

"Idiot!" Kawasaki snapped, her voice tinged with frustration. "You're usually so calm and composed. Why are you clueless now?"

"I…"

Hikigaya sighed, unsure of what to say. Matters of romance were never his strong suit.

"What about you?" he asked tentatively. "What do you think we should do?"

Her heart thudded at his earnest gaze. Kawasaki knew she could push him to take responsibility, and he'd undoubtedly agree. But…

After a moment of hesitation, she forced a smile and said, "It was just an accident. Let's treat it as one and move on. Don't forget—you already have Yukinoshita. She's your girlfriend, right?"

"Yukinoshita…?" Hikigaya blinked, a pang of guilt striking him.

"Exactly." Kawasaki's smile was bittersweet. "Don't worry. I won't tell her about this. Let's just act like nothing happened, okay?"

Seeing her pained yet resolute expression, Hikigaya's heart tightened. He hesitated, then sighed deeply. "Kawasaki… you're too kind."

"You have no right to call me that!" she shot back, her cheeks puffing slightly in indignation. "You're way kinder than I am!"

"Uh, well…"

Hikigaya scratched his head awkwardly. After a brief silence, he muttered, "If Yukinoshita weren't in the picture… I might've fallen for you."

"You…!" Kawasaki gasped, her heart racing. She bit her lip, then stammered, "I… I might've too…"

"Eh?"

"Nothing!" she quickly snapped, averting her eyes.

The tension in the air was palpable as the two stood in silence, both acutely aware of the other's presence. The confines of the stall only made things more intense, and their earlier unresolved feelings threatened to boil over.

"Uh, Kawasaki…"

"Hikigaya…"

"Um…"

---

Meanwhile, in the stall next door, Yukinoshita quietly stood with her hand over her mouth, eyes wide in shock.

Well, well… After all that back and forth, they're still going through with it?

With a resigned sigh, she pulled out her trusty observation glasses, ready to spectate the rest of the scene.

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