"Everyone, Yahoo~!"
Being pulled into the classroom by Ichinose, Hikigaya was slightly out of breath and felt quite helpless. But thanks to the running, they arrived several minutes early.
However, the moment he stepped into the classroom, Hikigaya sensed something was off.
Kobashi Yume and the others were staring at them with complex expressions. They opened their mouths but then pursed their lips.
This scene...
The scene immediately made Hikigaya furrow his brows, completely unable to make heads or tails of it.
This was the Ichinose Honami everyone had been longing for, so why was there no reaction? That shouldn't be right.
However, to simply and happily accept Ichinose's return would be equivalent to validating Hikigaya's methods.
That was something Class B absolutely could not do.
Kobashi Yume and the others not only didn't know how to face Hikigaya, but they also didn't know what attitude to take when welcoming Ichinose back.
The two of them just stood there frozen, with Hikigaya standing beside Ichinose, glancing back and forth between the two sides. He really couldn't figure it out.
Just then, the school bell rang.
"Eh."
"Honami-chan and Hikki?"
Hoshinomiya Chie appeared behind the two of them, tilting her small head. "Class has already started. Why are you two just standing here?"
"Oh."
Hikigaya looked at Ichinose and was about to walk to his seat, but Ichinose pressed down on his shoulder.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei."
"I see."
Hoshinomiya looked at Hikigaya with a giggle and gave his head a vigorous rub.
"It's okay~ You can take as long as you need!"
"..."
Before Hikigaya could react, he was pulled away by Ichinose.
"Thank you, Hoshinomiya-sensei."
Ichinose walked to the podium and released his wrist. She took a deep breath and gave a deep, ninety-degree bow:
"I'm sorry, everyone."
"Honami-chan.."
Kobashi Yume and the others murmured, their gazes toward Ichinose filled with distress. Hikigaya also felt uncomfortable standing to the side.
By the way, why was he standing on the podium with Ichinose? Weren't they starting class?
"Phew..."
Ichinose took a deep breath, clutching her chest with a serious expression:
"I'm sorry, everyone. It's all because of me that everyone had to worry about me, and it even caused Hikki to use such a method to help me solve the problem."
"No, I just did it on my own..."
"Hikki, be quiet for a moment."
"Oh..."
Seeing Ichinose's firm attitude, Hikigaya obediently shut up.
Scary. Too scary.
So a serious Ichinose was actually this frightening. As expected of the leader of Class B, she truly had authority.
"But."
Ichinose looked at everyone below, her tone heavy.
"I don't want everyone to have any misunderstandings about Hikki. Some of you might have guessed it, but Hikki and I couldn't possibly have been middle school classmates. Those were just rumors spread by Hikki to save me."
"Hikki is a very gentle, very smart, and more trustworthy companion than I am!"
"We know..."
Kobashi looked at Hikigaya, her eyes reddening as she spoke up. "But, Hikki he..."
"I know..."
Ichinose pursed her lips.
It wasn't just her. Kobashi Yume and the others were also weighed down by a heavy sense of guilt.
Precisely because of everyone's powerlessness, Hikigaya had used such a method to rescue Ichinose.
The fact was right before their eyes—Ichinose had indeed returned today.
But in their hearts, it was so hard to accept.
It felt as though they were stepping over a comrade's corpse to welcome back their leader and best friend.
"No matter what."
Ichinose looked up to meet everyone's gaze, her eyes determined.
"That's not it..."
mako asakura quickly stood up and shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as she said self-reproachfully:
"That's right... this isn't your responsibility alone, honami-chan"
"You don't need to take it all on yourself, Ichinose."
"We understand."
The people of Class B one after another showed bitter smiles and lowered their heads.
Though they couldn't compare to Ichinose, they were also a group of hopeless "do-gooders."
"That may be true, but the greatest responsibility still lies with me."
Ichinose shook her head, her gaze more determined than ever before.
"It's all because of me. As the leader of the class, I chose to escape at the most critical moment, causing the incident to turn out like this."
As she spoke, Ichinose looked at Hikigaya beside her with a look of self-reproach.
If she hadn't run away. If she could have been a bit stronger. If she could have bravely confessed to the class. If she could have handled it more properly.
The incident would never have turned out like this.
"So, I won't run away anymore."
Ichinose took a deep breath. A trace of fear flashed in her eyes, but she still managed a smile:
"I beg you all, please listen to the story of my past."
"Of course, Honami-chan..."
Kobashi Yume and the others wiped the tears from their eyes. Ichinose was finally willing to open her heart to them.
Before, Ichinose had always worked silently for the class all by herself.
Everyone had seen it and felt for her.
Now, they could finally help Ichinose. Thinking of this, mako and the others only felt happier.
"Actually, in the past, I had an experience with shoplifting..."
Ichinose slowly revealed her past. If she continued to run away, it might cause even greater trouble for the class. She had fully realized this point.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm such a pathetic leader..."
"That's not true."
Shibata stood up and laughed. "After hearing what happened, I'm even more certain of one thing: you really are a good person."
"Yeah."
The others also breathed a sigh of relief.
They had thought it was something major, but they didn't expect it to be such a small matter, and in the end, everything had been returned.
...step.
He would blame himself for this.
Perhaps only someone as kind-hearted as Ichinose would feel that way.
"Everyone, are you still willing to accept me as your incompetent leader?"
"Of course."
The people around her couldn't help but nod, one after another wanting to step forward, but seeing Hachiman standing next to Ichinose, they involuntarily stopped in their tracks.
It was true.
Even if the methods were different.
Aside from Ichinose.
There was another person who had been silently contributing to the class, and they still didn't know how to face Hachiman.
"Then..."
Ichinose turned to look at Hachiman, a brilliant smile appearing at the corners of her mouth:
"Everyone, can I selfishly use my status as a leader to make a request?"
"Eh? You can, but..."
Now wasn't exactly the time for that.
"Then everyone."
Ichinose raised her small pink fist and said: "I propose that we all give Hachiman a hug, how about it?"
"Eh?"
The people in the class were suddenly stunned, and Hachiman was also somewhat dumbfounded.
Hadn't Ichinose just been explaining her past? How did it suddenly turn into this?
"Um, what does this mean? Why do you want to hug me?"
Hachiman quickly waved his hands and said: "No, please don't do this, don't you think it's embarrassing?"
"The teacher approves too~"
Before Hachiman could react, Hoshinomiya directly took him into her arms, rubbing her cheek against Hachiman's.
"Oh, stop it, Hachiman is just too cute. Even though you have dead fish eyes, why are you so adorable?"
Hachiman's whole body went stiff.
The moment you mentioned dead fish eyes, it stopped having anything to do with being cute.
Watching the scene before them, Kobashi Yume and the others couldn't help but smile; it turned out that just doing this was enough.
"What has happened cannot be undone, but we can slowly make up for it."
Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Everyone, I will definitely work hard to clear the school's misunderstanding of Hachiman. For now, let us properly thank Hachiman for his hard work."
As she spoke.
Ichinose turned to look at Hoshinomiya-sensei with a bit of helplessness.
"Sensei, can we switch to the next person?"
"Fine, fine~"
Hoshinomiya Chie let go reluctantly, giving Hachiman a gentle push toward Ichinose.
"Thank you."
Ichinose took Hachiman into her arms, her voice gentle: "No matter what, thanks to Hachiman, I was able to walk away from my past. Truly, thank you."
"It's not..."
Feeling a pleasant scent of mandarin orange, Hachiman's entire body went rigid, his open hands feeling like they had nowhere to go.
"Now, does anyone else want to hug him?"
As she spoke.
Ichinose moved out of the way.
Himeno Yuki, her eyes red, walked up to Hachiman and pulled him into an embrace.
"Sss..."
Feeling a sudden pain in the soft flesh of his waist, Hachiman gasped; this woman with the bad personality.
...really.
If you don't want to hug, then don't hug; what's with pinching him?
"Idiot..."
As she spoke.
Himeno Yuki wiped her tears and stepped aside, and asakura mako followed immediately, taking Hachiman into her arms and saying softly:
"Hachiman, thank you. Thanks to you, my best friend was saved, and... I'm sorry..."
As she spoke.
asakura mako's face turned slightly red and she ran away.
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Hachiman's face was stiff.
First it's "thank you," then it's "sorry."
What exactly is going on?
Can the riddle-makers please get out of Advanced Nurturing?
Immediately after, Hachiman felt himself being held tightly by a soft body, to the point where it was almost hard to breathe.
Had he done something wrong? Was this revenge?
It wasn't until he heard the voice.
That Hachiman realized it was Kobashi Yume.
"Idiot."
"Don't ever do that again, do you hear me?"
"Isn't everything resolved now?"
Hachiman's hands had nowhere to go, so he looked up at the ceiling and spoke.
"Sigh."
Ichinose let out a faint sigh beside them, smiling as she patted Kobashi Yume's small head before turning to look at Hachiman:
"In the future, even if Hachiman wants to do something, you must discuss it with us, okay?"
"That depends on the situation..."
Hachiman couldn't help but nod.
The reason he didn't tell Class B this time was mainly because it wasn't appropriate for the news to spread from Class B; if it were anything else, he would certainly report it properly.
"Mhm."
Kobashi Yume let go, wiping her tears and nodding.
If there was any guilt, then everyone should carry it together; how could they let Hachiman bear it all alone?
Following that.
Hachiman was hugged by everyone.
Though he couldn't figure out the reason, it was honestly becoming a bit unbearable.
Was he some kind of popular idol now? Did every single person have to give him a hug?
"Um, isn't that enough?"
It was one thing for Kobashi Yume and the others to hug him, but Hachiman couldn't even name half of these people. Why are you all hugging me?
"No!"
"Next are the boys."
"Or is it that you only want to hug girls, Hachiman?"
A boy joked and laughed.
"No..."
Hachiman's face was stiff as he was hugged by the next guy he didn't recognize. Then came Kanzaki, who simply raised his fist.
Oh.
As expected of the hero Kanzaki, his brain actually works.
"In any case, thank you."
The two lightly bumped fists. Kanzaki nodded and bitterly made way for the next person; if only everyone could be as considerate as Kanzaki.
Sure enough.
...the boys who followed also began to follow suit and bump fists.
Hachiman finally breathed a sigh of relief. Girls aside, hugging boys back and forth was indeed a bit embarrassing.
Finally, it was Shibata.
"I lost. I am utterly convinced of my defeat."
Shibata gave Hachiman a firm hug before lowering his voice to say:
"But until things are settled, I won't give up. That should be my right as well."
Good heavens.
Hachiman could finally understand this sentence. If only everyone were as easy to understand as Shibata.
However.
"You've got the wrong person."
Hachiman was somewhat speechless.
Why did this guy always keep his eyes on him? He felt that Shibata should pay more attention to that guy named Ayanokouji instead.
Hachiman finally returned to his seat.
Though he didn't know what use a hug actually was, Kobashi Yume and the others finally regained their smiles.
That was fine then.
At the same time.
Hachiman felt that Class B would be more united than ever before.
But.
What was the use of unity?
Hachiman, who had never been united with others, didn't know either.
But it didn't feel bad.