Chapter 135: A Thief Can Only Have One Fate!
After Hirata left, Sakura's gaze was clearly dazed.
"Hachiman, Hirata-kun's lying. I've never seen him like that. He must…"
Hikigaya's gesture cut her off, and he said calmly, "I know…"
Sakura grew anxious. "Then why not press him? If we push, he'll spill everything."
Hikigaya shook his head helplessly. Sakura had been fooled. The frail Hirata from before was unyielding on certain things. It's why Hikigaya always felt Hirata hid a ferocious demon inside.
When it came to class unity, he had an almost obsessive drive. No one could let his Class C fracture even slightly.
"If it were that simple, it'd be nice. But now… we have no evidence."
Sakura looked confused, clearly not grasping the class's state.
"What evidence?"
"Evidence to catch the traitor…"
"There's a traitor in our class? Who?!"
The moment she said it, Sakura recalled Yamauchi's odd behavior. Combined with the class's anomalies, she abruptly concluded Yamauchi was the traitor.
After joining the student council, her growth over the past half-year wasn't just talk. Her thinking had sharpened, she was no longer the naïve girl from before.
"It's Yamauchi!"
"Yeah…"
But at the same time, Sakura remembered Hikigaya's question.
Right, there was no clear evidence pointing to him. The class might've expected to lose to Class A anyway, so no one would dig deeper. Hirata's behavior clearly showed he was protecting Yamauchi.
"Why would he become a traitor? You've done so much for him, Hachiman, but…"
Perhaps Sakura couldn't fathom why Yamauchi would betray them. She didn't like him, might even dislike him, but she'd never hate a classmate.
But now, it was different. He'd harmed Hachiman.
Hikigaya sighed, as if lamenting human nature's distortion. "Airi, there are too many people in this world you haven't seen. If you judge everything with your old perspective, one day you'll suffer and realize how cruel this world can be."
Sakura listened earnestly, then smiled and nodded. "Okay, okay, I get it! Are you worried about me, Hachiman? But don't worry about yourself, I've got you."
"Even if the whole world changes, you won't, Hachiman!"
Her eyes shone with determination and expectation, piercing into his.
Truthfully, even he didn't have such confidence in himself, yet this girl believed in him so fiercely. He couldn't help asking, "Airi, why trust me so much?"
Sakura's cheeks flushed, and she shook her head, mumbling, "Maybe intuition."
"Such a vague answer…"
"It's your fault for teaching me that!"
Sakura pouted, looking at his helpless expression, secretly cheering as if she'd finally won.
She'd agonized over his vague words many times before.
Now, he could taste that feeling himself.
But how could the gentle Sakura Airi bear to see him stuck in this state? She stepped forward softly, wrapping the boy in her warm, kind spirit.
"Hachiman, you asked me why, but you already know, don't you? You just won't admit it."
"Hikigaya Hachiman, you're the kindest person in the world, not because you were born that way, but because, even after seeing all the darkness in this world, you still treat others warmly. That's why I believe you'll never change."
Hikigaya's body trembled slightly.
Me, kind?
Me, gentle?
The question needed no answer, the girl before him had answered it.
After a long pause, he finally managed a smile. "Airi-kun, praising me like that will make me shy."
"How's that praise? It's just who you are."
"Isn't that still calling me gentle?"
"Well, and those dead fish eyes too."
Sakura covered her beaming face, leaving under Hikigaya's stunned gaze.
…
After the day's classes, Hirata Yosuke was clearly distracted. Since the day the scores were announced, his heart had been wrestling with an intense, complex conflict.
If he hadn't shown Yamauchi Haruki the questions, none of this would've happened. Yamauchi wouldn't have become like this, and Hikigaya wouldn't have seen his deceitful side.
He was a sinner… Hirata Yosuke believed he was an unforgivable sinner.
But…
Given another chance, he'd still do it. He couldn't refuse Yamauchi or expose him, so he chose to bury it all, hoping everyone would forget.
All the pain, all the schemes, he'd protect it all. To keep the Class C he'd worked so hard for from collapsing, he had to. He must.
But could someone in this state still wear a gentle smile? Clearly not.
At that moment, Hirata Yosuke was no longer his former self.
He grabbed his bag, citing feeling unwell to escape quickly. As long as he left his classmates and the classroom, it would all sink into oblivion.
Under everyone's concern, he forced a strained smile and left.
Once sure no one followed, he buried his head like a mad dog, running recklessly to his destination.
He didn't know how many students he bumped into or how many times he stumbled, but as long as he wasn't bleeding, he wouldn't look back. To others, he was a crazed beast, prompting everyone to steer clear.
Finally, he reached his room. The moment he shut the door, his breathing grew frantic, and he collapsed against it, ignoring the blood on his fists and knees.
If this were all, it might've been a relief for Hirata. But mental torment cut deeper.
Without experiencing a shattered personality or the silent scream of collapse, no one could understand him.
To others, it might seem trivial. In this school, profit often brought out the darkest humanity. But Hirata couldn't accept it.
He pressed a pillow over his face, gripping it tightly until he couldn't breathe, nearly losing consciousness, before letting go to gasp for air.
He repeated this torment, trapped in it, unable to break free.
If he could seek help, who would it be?
If someone could free him from this…
If this were just a dream, a nightmare that ended upon waking…
Knock knock knock…
Urgent knocking snapped his eyes from darkness to light.
Without hesitation, he stood, tossed the pillow on the bed, and opened the door.
"Yosuke…"
It was Yamauchi. Seeing Hirata's gentle smile, he noticed nothing amiss, but his words trailed off.
After a pause, he grinned, as if he'd gained something. "Your room's so messy, Yosuke. I thought you'd be neater."
Hirata's gentle smile formed instinctively. "Yeah, I'm just a guy, not as perfect as you think, Yamauchi."
"True…"
Yamauchi took a deep breath, as if resolving something, and dropped to his knees.
Thud…
"Yamauchi-kun, what are you doing? Get up…"
Flustered by Yamauchi's sudden act, Hirata knelt too.
[The chat room groaned, joking if they were bowing like a married couple.]
Yamauchi, heedless of dignity, since staying in the class mattered more, pressed on.
He kowtowed before Hirata, ignoring his attempts to lift him. "Listen to me, Hirata!"
"Get up and talk…"
"If I do, will you promise to agree?"
Hirata was helpless. His classmates were his weakness; such pleading was impossible to refuse.
"I promise! I'll agree to anything!"
"Really?!"
"Absolutely!"
Yamauchi's resolve softened, and with Hirata's help, he stood.
Even up close, he didn't notice Hirata's wounded hands.
"Yosuke, I know I was wrong. I deceived you and the class. I betrayed Class C."
"…"
"But! I've cut all ties with Class A. I was tricked by those bastards. You might not believe me, but it's true. So… please, don't tell anyone. I'll contribute to the class from now on!"
Yamauchi moved to kneel again, but Hirata, quick-handed, grabbed him.
"I promise. I'll forget it all. Class C never had a traitor. Yamauchi, let's unite and make Class C better!"
Hirata's words were frantic, almost pleading in the eyes of onlookers.
Yamauchi forced out tears, hugging Hirata. "Thank you, Yosuke-kun! You're my savior! Really… thank you!"
"No need… let's let this go, okay? Never mention it again."
"Okay… okay, okay, okay!"
A tear fell onto Hirata's shirt, easing his heart slightly.
But he didn't see the sinister, triumphant smirk on Yamauchi's face as he hugged him.
[Chat Room…]
[Sudo Ken, furious: "Yamauchi! You never learn!"]
[Yamauchi: "Hey, don't just spout off! I admitted I was wrong, but I didn't betray the class again!"]
[Hasebe Haruka, usually on the sidelines, sneered twice, glaring at Yamauchi. "If you really admitted it, you'd confess everything. Why resort to these tactics?!"]
[Matsushita Chiaki echoed with a cold laugh, eyeing Yamauchi. "Someone who betrays once doesn't deserve trust."]
[Shinohara Satsuki: "Yeah, targeting kind Hirata with such slimy moves, aren't you ashamed?"]
[As the class's condemnation grew, Yamauchi faced an increasingly bad situation. Everyone despised his actions.]
[But… Hirata stayed silent. If anyone noticed him now, they'd see his expression had collapsed, his eyes wide, muttering, "Enough… enough… enough…"]
[Karuizawa Kei, next to him, noticed his state. "Hirata?"]
["I said, enough!"]
[The class fell silent again.]
[But soon, it erupted.]
[Hasebe: "You're protecting this trash?"]
[Shinohara: "Hirata, don't be too kind!"]
[Sudo: "He doesn't deserve to be in our class!"]
[Akito Miyake: "Using our kindness, disgusting!"]
[Yukimura Teruhiko: "Bad at sports, bad at academics, and a traitor. I can't see your worth. People like you should be expelled sooner."]
[Hirata's breakdown wasn't ignored this time. That disregard became the final straw crushing him.]
[Lost and silent, he stared blankly at the video.]
[He never imagined his class would fracture over a video. If he could, he'd smash it now.]
[Kanzaki Ryuji: "Something's off with Horikita's Hirata."]
[Ichinose Honami, frowning at the video, nodded. "He seems… obsessively attached to his class."]
[She gave a self-deprecating smile, adding softly, "Like me…"]
[Ryuen Kakeru grinned coldly, not cruelly. "This is getting fun. Horikita's class is full of lunatics who need their heads checked!"]
[Ibuki Mio: "Protecting a classmate like that as a class leader? Looks like he'd rather drop back to Class D than let this guy get expelled."]
[Shiina Hiyori, innocently stating the truth: "This person's sick…"]
[Kaneda Satoru: "Shiina, saying that might upset people."]
[Shiina, puzzled, scratched her head, looking at Kaneda. "He is sick. Did I say something wrong?"]
[The trio didn't know how to explain it to her.]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi clutched his stomach, laughing. "Hahaha, Horikita's class is so fragile! A simple trick, and they're like this. Hilarious!"]
[Kamuro rolled her eyes, trying to temper his glee. "A guy like that would be a headache in any class. Even in Class A, with a leader like that…"]
[She trailed off, and Sakayanagi showed no change in expression.]
[Kito Hayato shook his head. As a neutral observer of the video, he'd formed his opinion.]
["In Princess's class, this guy wouldn't survive. In Ryuen's, he'd be exposed instantly. In Ichinose's, disunity like this wouldn't exist. So… this could only happen in Horikita's class. That's why they reached Class C but never felt threatened. All their exam wins rely on one person."]
[No one disputed or interrupted him. Kito continued, "One person fighting, one person winning isn't an issue. The problem is this class is a bunch of troubled kids, so weak it's a joke. This outcome was inevitable."]
[Without overanalyzing, praising, or disparaging, Kito stated it neutrally, earning nods from Sakayanagi and Kamuro.]
[Sakayanagi's expression shifted slightly, but she quickly resumed her timeless smile. "Now, let's see how our Hikigaya-kun handles this."]
Since the exam, some time had passed. Hikigaya went about his routine, visiting the library to see Shiina Hiyori, being tailed by Kamuro, or stuck with Karuizawa Kei for various reasons. But mostly, he slept in his room.
This was his daily life.
Meanwhile, Sakura, knowing Yamauchi was the traitor, used her student council authority to hunt for his slip-ups.
But since confessing to Hirata, Yamauchi acted as promised, never mentioning it again. He seemed changed, speaking only occasionally.
Everyone seemed to return to normal, but Hikigaya was waiting for the right moment to catch everything.
Half the second semester had passed, and the fleeting time felt surreal to Hikigaya. The weather grew colder, and with thicker clothing, he felt more sensitive to temperature.
No more early-morning gals in light outfits, everyone wore heavy coats. Though not yet scarf season, it highlighted how fast time flew.
He'd been at this school for nearly half a year.
If only life were just first impressions. In that half-year, Hikigaya occasionally recalled his days at Sobu High, some troubles, but fulfilling.
Of course, while he could miss anyone, he could never miss his sister, Komachi.
In nearly half a year, he hadn't eaten her breakfast, heard her call, sipped MAX coffee, or tasted her tea.
Everything passed so quickly.
Yet so slowly…
…
Occasional nostalgia ended there. Though he missed the past, Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't deny he'd grown attached to this place and its people.
Returning to his room as usual, he received an anonymous text.
At that moment, the message flooded the entire school, reaching almost everyone across all three years.
"Class 1-B's Ichinose Honami is a thief."
Simultaneously, memories of the past exam question surged back into Ichinose's mind.
As an honor student, she knew the answer to that final question.
Yes… what fate awaits a thief? All thieves in the world share the same…
The answer was clear.
"Under everyone's scorn, a thief will receive due punishment and live with lifelong regret."
(End of this chapter)