Karuizawa whipped back the covers. Her pink pajamas and the curves they clung to were perfectly displayed before Hikigaya.
"What are you doing?"
Hikigaya was instantly stunned. He quickly stood up and took a step back to create distance from Karuizawa.
"Actually... there's a place I want you to see."
Karuizawa lifted her pajama top, a blush creeping onto her face.
Her snow-white abdomen and a scar appeared before Hikigaya. Even just looking at it, one could tell that skin definitely wasn't as rough as a boy's.
"You, you, you... what are you doing?"
Hikigaya leaned his body back, quickly covering his eyes. His face was bright red as he said:
"You promiscuous woman! I'm telling you, we have chat logs. You're the one who asked me to buy medicine, and you're the one who let me into your room."
Woman.
"There are cameras outside, and you're the one who opened the door for me. Even if we tell the school, I'm the one in the right."
"This is useless!"
As he spoke.
Hikigaya scanned the surroundings.
Could this be some kind of trap? Were there hidden cameras nearby?
Could this be a trap set to force him to betray his class?
Class D wants to deal with Class B?
That shouldn't be right.
The two classes were still far apart; they had such a good cooperative relationship.
Class D currently had absolutely no reason to target Class B.
Or.
Did Karuizawa really have no courage and was being threatened by Ryuen again?
Is this Ryuen's method of counterattacking?
Or is Ayanokouji plotting in the shadows?
Looking at the scene before her.
Karuizawa was momentarily stunned, then she leaned over, clutching her stomach on the bed, laughing hysterically.
"What is that? You're too hilarious! So you were worried about that kind of thing the whole time?"
"You promiscuous woman."
Hikigaya ground his teeth in frustration.
This person's personality was even worse than Himeno Yuki's; she was truly the ultimate "promiscuous woman."
"What 'promiscuous woman'?"
Karuizawa's face turned red as she said somewhat angrily:
"I'm clearly still a virgin."
By the end, Karuizawa's voice grew fainter and fainter. She then pushed her previous thoughts to the back of her mind.
"As expected, Hachiman, you don't care..."
"Care about what?"
Just as he finished speaking.
Karuizawa lifted the corner of her shirt again. That painful mark appeared before his eyes once more, yet her skin was still like white snow.
"You promiscuous woman, what are you doing again?"
Hikigaya blocked his vision, not daring to look again.
These women with bad personalities were all the same. They would just lift their clothes at a moment's notice to show a man. They were all just a bunch of promiscuous women.
"Honestly."
Karuizawa rolled her eyes beautifully. She stroked the scar on her abdomen, saying with some sadness:
"This scar was left behind from when I was bullied in the past."
Only then did Hikigaya take another look through the gaps between his fingers. Her abdomen was indeed as dazzling as before, but there was a scar about two centimeters long.
It must have been made by someone stabbing her with a sharp blade.
He had thought Karuizawa's abnormal fear was not quite normal; so that was what it was about.
To be honest.
Hikigaya felt it was quite normal for things to turn out this way.
Bullying can't be alleviated by doing nothing. Retreating only makes the perpetrators escalate. That's why one needs to respond before things reach an irreversible point.
Therefore.
Whether it was the jokes Himeno Yuki made.
Or the teasing and mockery of his middle school classmates.
Usually.
Hikigaya wouldn't take them to heart.
But whenever it reached a necessary moment, he would inevitably make an appropriate counterattack.
It wasn't because he wanted to, but because he had to.
Not doing so would only make things worse. This was an emergency situation where laziness was not allowed.
Karuizawa likely failed to make a reasonable response, allowing the situation to evolve to this point.
"You're actually pretty amazing."
Hikigaya nodded with some respect.
Up until now, he hadn't heard of any bullying happening in the school. It was clear that Karuizawa had originally integrated into the school perfectly.
Despite having suffered such severe bullying.
She was still able to stand up again, right until she was called to the rooftop by Ryuen and the others.
That resilient heart was something he didn't possess.
"Eh?"
Hearing his praise, Karuizawa was slightly stunned.
She originally thought that not being disliked was the most ideal outcome; she hadn't expected someone would actually praise her.
And.
Even after knowing her past, he still praised her like that.
For some reason, Karuizawa felt her heart thumping.
"It's, it's, it's nothing."
Karuizawa's face turned red. She averted her gaze and said, "As long as you imitate those people from middle school, it's easy to do."
"That's impossible, right?"
Hikigaya said, somewhat speechlessly, "It's not as simple as you say. At least, I can't do it."
During a period in middle school.
He had also really wanted to become a popular heartthrob. He specifically told jokes trying to fit into the class, but unfortunately, some things aren't that easy to do.
Hikigaya only felt.
It was so shameful he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Moreover, the results weren't very good, so he eventually gave up.
"Is that so..."
Karuizawa stuttered, staring at the water glass on the nightstand, completely daring not to meet Hikigaya's eyes.
"By the way."
Hikigaya's gaze was resentful as he said, "You're faking being sick, aren't you? I'm going back."
"Wait!"
Karuizawa turned her head quickly, her gaze resentful:
"I really do have a cold. It's just not that serious. Why don't you feel it?"
As she spoke.
Karuizawa raised her neck proudly like a white swan and leaned her forehead toward him.
Hikigaya was suddenly in a difficult position.
"Then hurry up and sleep. If you don't sleep, I'm really leaving."
"Yes~"
Karuizawa drew out the word. She honestly lay back on the bed and pulled up the covers. Hikigaya helplessly walked back to the bedside and sat down.
"Hachiman, tell me a story. That way I should fall asleep quickly."
"Uh..."
Hikigaya's face was stiff, but what she said did make some sense.
"Once upon a time, there was a mountain. On the mountain, there was a temple..."
"Ah, that story is so boring."
"If you won't listen, forget it."
Karuizawa pouted and murmured:
"So, a parasite like me can only survive by clinging to someone else. What do you think about that?"
Right.
"Oh, isn't that a pretty good way to survive?"
Hikigaya said with full approval, "I also want to be a parasite and find a rich woman to live a wealthy life with."
"Uh..."
Karuizawa looked at him sideways, her face full of shock.
She had thought he would encourage her to pull herself together or scold her for being depraved, but she didn't expect someone would actually be so full of praise.
While she was still a bit stunned, she heard Hikigaya continue:
"However, um, how should I put it? At the very least, you have to keep the financial power in your own hands. You only need to give the other person a little pocket money every month."
"It's that... that thing."
Seeing Karuizawa's confusion, Hikigaya said somewhat embarrassedly:
"At least find someone reliable. Like that Ayanokouji; didn't he not even pick up your call?"
"At least find someone you can handle. If you can't handle him, he'll just go out and attract other women."
"He'll even take your joint assets to support other women—no, support other 'pretty boys.' That won't do. There probably wouldn't even be much left for a breakup fee."
Hikigaya said, nodding repeatedly.
Even if you're looking for a rich woman, you have to find one you can handle.
Someone like Sakayanagi is clearly a rich woman, but she's obviously too formidable. If you can't handle her, it will only backfire.
"I see..."
Karuizawa was deep in thought. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Meaning, I need to find the kind of person who will stand in front of me at any time, right?"
"I suppose so."
Hikigaya nodded.
For Karuizawa, it likely was like that. At the very least, she needed to find someone she could contact at any time.
Like when they were in the hallway yesterday.
Karuizawa had clearly been calling the whole time; one could see how much despair was in her heart.
"Then..."
Karuizawa pursed her lips before finally speaking softly, "In order to survive, it should be fine to use some slightly despicable means, don't you think?"
"If it's to survive, then there's no helping it."
Hikigaya said indifferently, "When you're about to starve to death, even eating a panda is legal. Don't you even know about something as famous as emergency necessity?"
If it's for the sake of survival.
Then using some unsavory methods is also unavoidable.
In any case, he wasn't a good person himself.
"I see..."
Me!"
Karuizawa pursed the corners of her mouth, then slightly rolled over. She faced Hikigaya with a brilliant smile:
"Then Hikigaya, you protect me."
"Ha? On what grounds?"
Karuizawa smiled mischievously: "We are in my room right now. If you dare to refuse, I'll report to the school that you molested..."
"Impossible!"
Hikigaya jumped up abruptly, saying somewhat indignantly:
"I didn't do anything. Besides, there are cameras outside, and you're the one who let me in. The school won't believe your nonsense."
"Who knows?"
Karuizawa pouted and said, "Maybe after you entered the room, you had a temporary change of heart. Do you think the school will believe me or you?"
Hikigaya's face was stiff.
The world itself was just that unfair.
The school would undoubtedly side with a defenseless girl.
Dammit.
When will boys be able to stand up?
"Um..."
Hikigaya's gaze was resentful. "While I don't mean to hold my favors over your head, I did technically save you, right? Don't you think this is very despicable?"
"If it's for survival, it doesn't matter if it's a bit despicable."
Karuizawa's lips curled into a little fox-like smile as she said, "Isn't that what you said?"
Dammit.
Hikigaya's expression became even more unsightly. After a long while, he finally said helplessly:
"Um... I'm really not as outstanding as you imagine. You'd better find someone more reliable."
"Don't worry."
Karuizawa rolled her eyes beautifully and said:
"I won't trouble you often. Just occasionally accompany me on a stroll. You're not allowed to not pick up when I call. And just stand on my side when necessary."
"..."
Hikigaya was still hesitating. Dammit, if he had known, he wouldn't have saved this person.
"If you don't agree, I'll report it to the school."
"Then I'll report it to the school too!"
Hikigaya glared back.
He also held leverage over Karuizawa. He wouldn't be threatened by her; this girl had chosen the wrong target!
"You won't."
Karuizawa glared at him with total confidence. Hikigaya quickly admitted defeat.
Honestly.
What a clever, promiscuous woman.
"Forget it."
Hikigaya was a bit helpless. "If it's just within the scope of my abilities, I suppose it's not impossible. Just don't hold too high of expectations for me. You'd better learn to protect yourself."
"Mm-hmm."
"Honestly, I'm going back now."
"Alright, I'll let you go back for today. Hachiman, bye-bye!"
Bye-bye your head.
Hikigaya left the dormitory, slamming the door shut with a bang.
He knew nothing good would come of this.
Dammit.
He's never entering a girl's dorm again.