Chapter 140 Kushida: Between Me and Horikita, Who Do You Choose?
"Hey, Hikigaya, how much longer are you going to keep touching me?
Ah? Sorry... I forgot for a moment."
Hikigaya gave a sheepish smile and removed his hand from Kamuro Masumi's thigh.
"Um, earlier I did that because..."
"I know, you did it to calm my nerves, right?"
The logic was sound, but her way of phrasing it felt a bit strange.
"How did it feel?"
"Hmm~ Not bad. Silky and smooth; it's a 'leg you could play with for a year.'"
"You want to die?"
"Your legs are very ugly."
'Thump!'
Kamuro Masumi kicked him directly.
"Then what exactly do you want from me?" Hikigaya's face was covered in black lines.
"Hmph! If it were anyone else, I would have kicked them in the crotch already!!" Kamuro Masumi said fiercely.
"Uh... then you're actually quite gentle with me." Hikigaya felt a cold sweat.
"However, seeing as you did it for my sake... I'll let it slide this time." Kamuro Masumi gave a cold snort, letting the matter be settled.
'Well, you're quite reasonable then. Not like those news stories online where a man rescues a drowning woman, only to be sued for sexual harassment because the posture he used to carry her ashore was 'wrong'...'
Without that annoying fellow Ryuen Kakeru around, Hikigaya and Kamuro Masumi happily finished their lunch.
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At 2:30 PM, they gathered again.
Tokito Hiroya of the Tiger Group was absent, and Class C was penalized 10 points. It is worth mentioning that with one less troublemaker, Kobashi Yume organized everyone for self-introductions again, and they finally passed through smoothly.
After everyone took turns performing simple introductions, the atmosphere in Room 304 gradually became more harmonious. Among them, the "cuties" of Class B played a major role. It was they who took the initiative to communicate with students from other classes, allowing everyone to get to know each other quickly.
Hikigaya and Kamuro Masumi remained outsiders to the collective. This was simply their nature. Their "keeping people at a distance" aura made most people hesitate to approach.
Only one person was an exception.
"Hikigaya-kun, is it okay if I sit here?" The one who proactively approached was Himeno Yuki from Class B.
"The seats aren't assigned to anyone specifically," Hikigaya answered.
Himeno Yuki was stunned for a moment, then gave him an annoyed roll of her eyes.
"Next time just say 'yes.' Don't use such a twisted way of speaking."
"I wonder if Himeno-san has some business?" Hikigaya didn't understand her intent.
"Not really. I'm just not used to that atmosphere of everyone being overly polite to each other." Himeno Yuki's personality was similar to the two of them; she preferred to be alone. In the "love-and-peace" Class B, she was considered an outlier.
"I feel more comfortable staying near Hikigaya. Ah, I mean that literally, please don't misunderstand." Himeno Yuki explained with a straight face.
'This explanation is worse than no explanation at all.'
"Rest assured, I haven't misunderstood," Hikigaya replied.
"...When you say it like that, it makes it seem like I have no charm at all." Himeno Yuki put her hands behind her head, adjusting her twin-tails.
"Himeno-san's twin-tails are quite cute. Ah, I mean that literally, please don't misunderstand." Hikigaya looked serious.
"What a mean-hearted man. I really don't know what Ichinose sees in you."
Himeno Yuki dropped a bombshell as if it were a casual remark!
"Ichinose-san is friendly toward everyone, isn't she?" Hikigaya's mind was firm; he didn't waver.
"That's different. While it might not be at the level of romantic love yet, her favorability is definitely much higher than that for a normal friend." Himeno Yuki explained with conviction.
'More than a friend, less than a lover... is it?'
Kamuro Masumi looked at him with a meaningful expression.
"Isn't that nice, Hikigaya? You have another 'genuine thing'!"
Hikigaya retorted: "The 'genuine thing' is not something cheap."
"You two really have a good relationship."
Himeno Yuki couldn't help but worry for Ichinose Honami in her heart.
The afternoon assembly ended amidst friendly exchanges. Next was free time. Hikigaya followed his routine and went back to his sleeping quarters to lie flat. After finishing dinner, he continued to lie flat and play with his phone.
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At 10:00 PM.
There was a knock on the door.
"Who is it? At this hour..." Hikigaya rubbed his eyes, tired from his phone.
"Me! Open the door quickly!!" A slightly impatient, urging voice came from outside.
"Kushida-san, what are you doing here?"
"Didn't we agree? I was coming to your room tonight."
"It's so late, I thought you weren't coming. By the way, can you not use such misleading phrasing?"
"I couldn't help it. That do-gooder Hirata insisted on holding some discussion meeting. We talked for over two hours and didn't decide on a single thing..." Kushida Kikyo sat down heavily on his bed and began to vent.
"Go on." Hikigaya took out the juice and drinks he had prepared.
"Especially Horikita. She keeps saying we absolutely have to find the VIP, yet she doesn't have any information herself. She's just talking big!" Kushida Kikyo targeted Horikita as usual; she simply found everything about the other girl irritating.
"So, Kushida, do you know who the VIP for your Dragon Group is?" Hikigaya asked.
"I know... Why are you suddenly interested in this?" Kushida Kikyo gave him a strange look.
"I'm not interested in who the Dragon Group's VIP is. But I am very interested in whether you are the VIP!" Hikigaya was blunt and direct.
Kushida Kikyo fell into silence instantly. Hikigaya didn't disturb her and silently poured her a glass of juice.
After a while, Kushida Kikyo seemed to make a decision and spoke again: "Yes, I am the VIP of the Dragon Group."
"Have you told anyone else about this?" Hikigaya asked again.
"No... alright, yes, I have." Kushida Kikyo's eyes began to flicker as she tried to cover up the facts.
"Let me take a guess. Is that person someone from Class C?" Hikigaya's words struck the heart of the matter.
"!!!" Kushida Kikyo's eyes widened in shock.
"I don't understand your reason for doing this."
In the afternoon, Ryuen Kakeru had come to confront him with full confidence. From the moment the other pointed out Kamuro Masumi's identity as the VIP, Hikigaya guessed that Ryuen must have obtained the VIP names from other classes; otherwise, he wouldn't have deduced the "rule" for selecting VIPs so quickly.
Unsurprisingly, Kushida Kikyo had told Ryuen Kakeru about her identity as the VIP.
"Hikigaya, answer me one question!
If I take hostile action against Horikita, which side will you stand on?"
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