Keyaki Mall.
Dessert shop.
The two bought crepes and sat on an outdoor bench; Ichinose took a blissful bite.
"So delicious."
Ichinose covered her small mouth, her eyes narrowing like crescents; she also had a habit of liking sweets.
But after just one bite, Ichinose covered her stomach with some worry.
"I feel like I've eaten a lot of sweets lately. Hikki, do you think I've gotten a bit fat again?"
"No such thing."
Hikigaya pulled Ichinose into his arms and stroked her flat belly with a smile:
"It's soft and feels very comfortable to touch."
"..."
Ichinose's pretty face turned red.
Previously, Hikigaya naturally wouldn't be like this, but after so much training.
Now, Hikigaya's skills were getting stronger, and all sorts of pleasant words were coming out more and more smoothly.
However, it seemed they only liked it more and more.
The palm resting on her belly seemed to have a kind of magic, making Ichinose suddenly feel her body heating up.
"How is it?"
Ichinose handed the crepe to Hikigaya and let him take a bite.
"It feels a bit crispier."
Hikigaya chewed for a moment and gave his evaluation.
Naturally, he was doing market research to see what kind of flavors ordinary people prefer.
Those good kids in Class B.
Naturally put all their energy into improving product quality.
But even if Ichinose and the others had high cooking levels, they were clearly still no match for professionals.
"As expected?"
Ichinose pursed her lips, letting Hikigaya's palm wander on her belly, while she pinched her chin with some concern.
"I feel the cream is also finer than ours, even though the ingredients are the same. Why on earth is that? When will we be able to make such delicious crepes..."
Clearly.
With Hikigaya standing in front to handle things, Ichinose had also begun to be more enthusiastic about enjoying school life.
"They are professionals after all; it can't be helped. Honami, you will eventually be able to..."
"Pah, scumbag."
Just then.
Ike Kanji and the others passed by and spat out a harsh curse.
Actually.
The several of them had deliberately come in front of Hikigaya.
Hikigaya turned his head and gave them a flat look.
It was normal.
Horikita Suzune wasn't an overly kind person like Ichinose; she wouldn't fail to strike back when someone plotted against her.
Since they couldn't be persuaded.
Horikita Suzune and the others would naturally retaliate in kind.
Furthermore.
Being constantly pointed at and cursed.
The negative emotions vented from afar naturally needed an outlet.
The only people in the whole school who could serve as such an outlet.
Were only two.
One was Nagumo Miyabi, and the other was him.
The reason was also very simple.
Nagumo Miyabi changed girlfriends one after another, while Hikigaya was directly dating multiple women at the same time.
But Nagumo Miyabi was simply too strong, and he was also the Student Council President.
They couldn't bring themselves to scold Nagumo Miyabi.
So they came to scold Hikigaya, treating him as an emotional trash can to vent their feelings.
It was a very normal thing.
However.
Horikita Suzune, Ike Kanji, and the others.
Clearly still did not understand where the difference in the problem lay.
The difference lay in.
Whether one had actually harmed others because of their own problems.
Although Hikigaya dated them simultaneously, it was entirely voluntary; he didn't hurt anyone.
Furthermore.
Most people felt a hint of jealousy in their hearts, wondering why that person wasn't themselves, their verbal abuse mixed with a touch of bitterness.
As for Horikita Suzune.
She had tangibly harmed the people around her, harming Sakura Airi.
This kind of thing cannot be explained with words.
Seeing Hikigaya, one might at most curse him as a scumbag without a sense of shame, but such things wouldn't last long.
Such people are not uncommon.
Commonly referred to as "Sea Kings" (players).
But seeing Horikita Suzune and the others, the first reaction was cold-blooded, heartless, and unscrupulous, giving off an extremely disgusting feeling.
This feeling is "Virtue."
A loss of virtue makes one a "rat crossing the street" that everyone shouts at and hits.
It wasn't that hard to solve.
"That's right, I am a scumbag."
Hikigaya held Ichinose, looking at the several people in front of him with a playful expression:
"A few petty people from Class D, do you have some business with me?"
Frankly admitting one's own despicableness and offering a sincere apology—at least mentally one can be more open and relaxed, and the internal torment will be less.
Unfortunately.
Class D was a group of self-centered people.
They simply refused to accept it.
They still felt that what they did was not a problem.
"Who are you calling a petty person?"
Ike Kanji pointed at Hikigaya, his cheeks flushing red as he shouted:
"You, a scumbag, still think you're in the right? You're simply shameless, utterly brazen."
"So what."
Hikigaya let out a sneer, saying with some disdain:
"Did you come here intentionally to curse me to find a sense of superiority? Getting flustered from being scolded by others, so you want to find me as a scapegoat? To establish your own position in the school?"
"Then you've found the wrong person. I am a scumbag, a Sea King, a piece of trash without a shred of shame. Is there a problem?"
"Do a bunch of treacherous, profit-seeking, petty people like you who abandon your companions even have the right to scold me?"
Hikigaya did not hide his own despicableness in the slightest.
A person without shame is invincible in the world.
What's more.
He was at least a bit stronger than the likes of Ike Kanji.
Hikigaya understood the thoughts of these bottom-tier people all too well.
Huddling together for warmth.
Or finding someone to kick down.
Yet they still felt how noble they were, liking to use the class collective as an excuse.
"You..."
Ike Kanji and the others pointed at Hikigaya, their cheeks turning beet red.
Having their little internal thoughts exposed, the group was speechless for a long time; they indeed just wanted to find someone to vent their anger on.
Unfortunately.
Facing the completely shameless Hikigaya, they also realized there didn't seem to be anything left to say.
The opponent already admitted "I am just shameless."
What else could they do.
"Petty people, are you sure you still want to stay here?"
By now.
Several people were already looking over here.
The way they looked at Ike Kanji and the others was with some snickering; seeing Ike Kanji and his group suffer a setback made them feel inexplicably happy.
Hikigaya naturally deserved to be scolded too.
But the crowd was just watching like it was a dog-eat-dog show.
But comparing the two sides.
They were surprised to find.
That they involuntarily stood on Hikigaya's side; it was Ike Kanji and the others who deserved to be scolded more.
This is a lack of virtue.
Judgments are made naturally.
As long as the methods are sophisticated enough, a person can be heartless, selfish, profit-oriented, and do bad things.
Even if discovered, there are opportunities to change for the better.
The only thing one cannot be is "unscrupulous" (lacking virtue).
That will be an unbearable weight.
"Let's go..."
Someone pulled on Ike Kanji's hand and said; the group lowered their heads, their faces ugly as they fled in a panic.
They just couldn't understand.
Even if, taking a step back, their actions were wrong.
Since everyone had done wrong things.
Why should they be treated differently? Why did everyone stand on Hikigaya's side to look down on them?
They couldn't bring themselves to scold Nagumo Miyabi, and scolding Hikigaya was useless.
It wasn't fair.
Watching the backs of the departing group, Hikigaya let out a sigh.
To be honest.
This wasn't a big deal during student years; it's hard to grasp this kind of difference and the subtle influences it brings.
If it weren't for the sake of giving Horikita Suzune a beating, Ike Kanji and the others wouldn't have had to face this level of predicament at all.
In fact, they might not have encountered it in their entire lives.
Hikigaya didn't have a shred of interest in them either.
Ike Kanji and the others were just implicated by Horikita Suzune.
Unfortunately.
What did Ike Kanji and the others have to do with him, Hikigaya?
None of my business.
One must bear the cost of one's own actions.
At this stage.
The only ones who could save them were themselves, but given the personalities of Ike Kanji and the others, it was almost impossible.
"Sorry."
Hikigaya held Ichinose's small hand.
Even if he didn't care, Ichinose and the others would have to care.
Hikigaya shook his head bitterly:
"I've made you suffer grievances by following me."
"That's not the case at all."
Ichinose wrapped her arms around Hikigaya's neck, shaking her head dismissively.
"Marry a chicken, follow a chicken; marry a dog, follow a dog."
Furthermore, the fact that things turned out like this included her own responsibility; Ichinose had already decided to face everything calmly.
"Anyway, I'm also a 'loose girl,' let them say what they want, as long as we have a clear conscience. Let's eat the cake."
"Which cake?"
"Really now..."
Ichinose's face flushed red, she pulled Hikigaya's hand and said in a low voice:
"Let's go back."
"Let's go."
Hikigaya stood up, and the two walked side by side toward the dormitory building.
Did Ike Kanji and the others still want to vent their anger like that?
Keep holding it in.
Wait until the matter with Nagumo Miyabi is resolved first, then add some fuel to their fire in a while.