Chapter 110 Returning to the cruise ship, Horikita's questioning
Under Hirata Yousuke's application, they obtained the digital camera.
"Does anyone want to take a photo as a memento?"
"Me, me, me!"
The moment those words were spoken, they triggered an immediate and enthusiastic response from most of the class.
Hikigaya stood to the side yawning, looking quite disinterested. Since elementary school all the way through middle school, every time there was a school trip and classmates took commemorative photos, he was always forgotten for various reasons—surely it wasn't intentional, right?
Back then, Hikigaya still held onto illusions; if others didn't come to him, he would take the initiative. He had badgered his parents relentlessly until they finally agreed to rent him a digital camera. As it turned out, on the day of the trip, his only companion, Totsuka Saika, actually called in sick. In an instant, Hikigaya found the whole thing dull and flavorless.
"Hirata-kun, can you help us take a picture?"
Karuizawa Kei, Matsushita Chiaki, and Sato Maya huddled close together intimately, striking various poses. Actually, the poses of these three were a bit shy; they didn't have that flamboyant "gal" look at all.
"Shinohara, aren't you going to join them for a photo?
I remember you guys were on pretty good terms before."
Ike Kanji brought up the one subject he shouldn't have.
"Don't say such tone-deaf things!" Shinohara Satsuki glared at him with displeasure.
After snapping several photos, Matsushita and Sato were very satisfied, while Karuizawa seemed a bit hesitant to speak.
Hirata Yousuke noticed this with his keen eye and suddenly had a thought: "Karuizawa-san, how about taking a photo with Hikigaya-kun?"
"Okay!"
Karuizawa Kei responded instantly by reflex. Noticing the teasing gazes of Matsushita and Sato nearby, her cheeks couldn't help but heat up, but she suppressed her bashfulness and strode toward Hikigaya.
"Uh, well..." Hikigaya was somewhat dazed and at a loss.
"Stop with the 'this' and 'that' and take a photo with me!"
Karuizawa Kei put on a forceful act, grabbing his arm with one hand and raising a victory "V" sign.
Sakura Airi: "..."
Hasabe Haruka: "This is a provocation!"
"Wow! As expected of Kei, so bold!" Sato Maya's eyes sparkled; this was the "gal style" she aspired to!
"How about we go over and take one together too?" Matsushita Chiaki's eyes shifted.
"Eh? Is that really okay?"
"It's fine, we're going to support Kei."
"Makes sense!"
Just like that, Sato and Matsushita also took the initiative to join in. Sato Maya stood next to Karuizawa Kei, while Matsushita Chiaki stood on Hikigaya's right side, tilting her head slightly toward him and saying with a giggle: "Hikigaya-kun, you should smile too~"
"If you were being stared at by twenty pairs of burning eyes, would you be able to smile?"
Hikigaya's mouth twitched violently. The boys of Class D were all gritting their teeth; if looks could kill, he would have been killed seventy or eighty times over already!
"Mmm~ It's done! This is a really, really great photo!"
Hirata Yousuke held the camera with a look of supreme happiness on his face.
'What's great about it... and why are you so happy!'
Hikigaya truly couldn't understand the other's thought process.
As if stimulated by Karuizawa and the others, Hasabe Haruka dragged Sakura Airi over, and the two of them tightly hugged his arms from both sides. With a peak on the left and thunder on the right, Hikigaya felt like he was being squeezed so hard he couldn't breathe!
Then there was Kushida—he didn't know what her motivation was, but she actually joined in too, insisting on taking a photo with him.
Hikigaya didn't dare turn his head to look at the boys of Class D, fearing they would lose their sanity and start a group brawl! After all, he wasn't Ip Man; he couldn't take on ten people at once.
"Perfect! This is just wonderful!"
Hirata's eyes shone with excitement as he took several more sets of photos.
'This guy—does he see me as an orphanage for problem children?'
Hikigaya finally understood Hirata's true thoughts.
The bullied, the loner, the person behind a mask... However, Hikigaya felt that Hirata, who was dedicated to incorporating everyone into the class, was the biggest "problem child" of all!
The troublesome photography session finally ended. It was finally Class D's turn to board the transport boat and return to the cruise ship.
Good work on the exam, everyone.
"Haha~ Good work on the exam, everyone~~"
Koenji Rokusuke was shirtless, wearing only swim trunks and holding a cup of sparkling water, greeting everyone jovially. Honestly, this leisurely appearance was enough to make anyone angry just looking at it! If they weren't intimidated by Koenji's sturdy physique, the people of Class D would have beaten him up long ago!
"Hey! Koenji, you bastard! Because you dropped out halfway, we lost 30 points for nothing! Otherwise, our class would have been first in the special exam!"
Yamauchi Haruki was the first to launch a criticism.
"Calm down, Monkey Boy~ My physical condition was poor and I needed rest; I had no choice but to opt out of the exam." Kouenji Rokusuke took a sip of his sparkling water.
"How do you look like your health is poor? Wait? Who are you calling a monkey?" Yamauchi Haruki instantly turned red with rage.
"Don't joke around, Koenji! Give me a proper explanation!!" Ike Kanji joined the condemnation.
"You're too noisy, Teddy Boy."
"Don't go giving people random nicknames, you bastard!!"
It was indeed too noisy. Hikigaya quietly detached himself from the class group; all he wanted now was to go back to his cabin and sleep. He happened to run into Horikita Suzune as she was walking out of the cabin area. Her complexion looked much better than yesterday.
As expected, when you're sick, you really should get some proper rest.
"Hikigaya."
"No need to thank me."
"..."
Horikita Suzune was momentarily stunned. She said with a somber gaze: "Regarding the matter of you bringing me back, I indeed need to say thank you, but before that... I need to confirm the details of the process."
'What details? Like me helping you put on your bra and panties?'
Of course, if he said that out loud, Horikita would probably explode. Hikigaya's gaze flickered guiltily as he said, "You know yourself; what's there to talk about?"
"No, I might have been a bit delirious from the fever at the time... parts of my memory aren't very clear..."
Horikita Suzune looked away, her expression a bit unnatural. She wasn't sure which memories were real and which were dreams.
'She doesn't remember? Then I better start making stuff up!'
"You were quite delirious. You kept hugging me and calling me 'Onii-chan, Onii-chan daisuki.' It was really cute~~"
"No... I would never call my brother that!"
Horikita Suzune denied it with a face full of shame and anger.
"If not that, then what? What else did you think there was?"
Hikigaya calculated correctly that even if she remembered something, she would probably be too embarrassed to say it out loud.
"Ugh, you..."
Horikita Suzune bit her lip hard, a look of grievance surfacing on her face.
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I'm happy to announce a new Fanfiction!
Danmachi - Emiya becomes the protagonist
Shirou Emiya awakens on the 18th floor of the Dungeon and is brought back to Orario by the Loki Familia.
Can Shirou becomes a Hero in this World? (No Bell)
Read ahead (40 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting