"Yuigahama didn't come today either."
In the Service Club, as club activity time was about to end, Yukinoshita Yukino softly closed her book. Her cool, gentle voice caught Hachiman's attention, making him freeze for a moment. Then he turned a page, muttering vaguely, "Hmm..."
"Maybe she has something going on. Probably."
With a slight sigh, Yukinoshita Yukino's sharp gaze fixed on Hachiman, who was avoiding eye contact and looked uneasy.
"Did you do something? Did you get into a fight with Yuigahama?"
"No way…"
After denying it, Hachiman responded defensively, "Besides, arguments only happen between close friends, right?"
Exactly, his relationship with Yuigahama wasn't close enough for them to fight. If anything, it was more like two people who, after clearing up a misunderstanding, naturally went their separate ways.
"Your spell energy waves are giving you away."
Yukinoshita Yukino exposed his lie instantly. "It seems you haven't been practicing controlling your spell energy regularly."
"Uh…"
Hachiman froze.
How could he have forgotten about that? Why did Hayashizaki have to teach everything to Yukinoshita too? With her knowing all this, it was impossible to keep secrets from her!
Through that conversation, I thought I had reset my relationship with Yuigahama, that it would calm me down. If I hadn't done that, my unease and frustration would have led to the spell energy fluctuation… Could Yukinoshita be tricking me?
What a sly woman!
Whatever the case, Hachiman decided that he would go home tonight and force himself to remember every embarrassing memory from the past, as a kind of "shock therapy." He'd avoid showing up in front of Yukinoshita again until he could perfectly control his spell energy, preventing it from leaking due to emotional fluctuations.
"You might as well just confess your crime now," Yukinoshita Yukino said calmly. "That way, you might get a lighter punishment."
"No, I was just clearing up a misunderstanding with Yuigahama. Why would that deserve a punishment?"
Hikigaya Hachiman sighed, then explained everything from the beginning: how he saved Yuigahama's dog at the start of the school year, to his conversations with her afterward.
"The kindness that gentle girls show me is the same as what they show others. I tend to forget this little fact. If reality is harsh, then lies must be kind, right? So, kindness is just like a lie, which is why I dislike gentle girls..."
Hikigaya Hachiman looked down, forced to reveal his inner thoughts, his grip tightening slightly around the book in his hand.
"Hey, dead fish eyes."
Hayashizaki's sudden voice interrupted Hachiman's confession. "Don't tell me you're one of those people who lacks love from childhood?"
"Ah..."
Hayashizaki's words pierced him like a sharp sword, making him instinctively clutch his chest.
"Have you ever had a girl who occasionally talks to you, looks out for you in school, and then you start thinking she likes you?"
"Uh!"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked up suddenly, staring at Yukinoshita Yukino with an expression that screamed, "How did you know!?"
"So that's how it is."
Hayashizaki grinned, pointing at Hikigaya Hachiman with Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, mocking him ruthlessly. Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't even get angry; he just wallowed in shame, humiliated by this dive into his embarrassing past.
"That's enough. Don't take it too far."
Yukinoshita Yukino pressed down her left hand over Hayashizaki-controlled right hand, saying, "Hikigaya-kun is already miserable enough. He can't take your harsh teasing."
Hey, stop it! That's not comforting at all—you're just making it worse!
"Wow, it's been a while since I've seen such an idiot."
Hayashizaki laughed so hard he was nearly out of breath. "To think he got hurt from his own delusions and now can't trust anyone's feelings toward him. That's too good."
"…"
Hikigaya Hachiman pursed his lips in silence.
"Keep being that stubborn, it suits you," Hayashizaki encouraged sincerely.
"I kind of agree," Hikigaya Hachiman forced a stiff smile.
"Alright, parasite-kun, stop causing trouble."
Yukinoshita Yukino wouldn't let him keep mocking poor Hikigaya Hachiman. "I think you're just overthinking this whole thing."
"Heh, is that so."
"Just like you said, it was a misunderstanding. You weren't trying to do a favor for Yuigahama, and she wasn't pitying you the way you think. In this misunderstanding, both of you were victims, weren't you? So shouldn't the blame go to the one at fault?"
Yukinoshita Yukino said seriously, "The car that hit you—it's actually my family's car."
"Ah..."
Hikigaya Hachiman was a bit taken aback. Even though he had suspected it, hearing Yukinoshita Yukino admit it still surprised him.
"I was in the car at the time," Yukinoshita Yukino added.
Finally sharing the truth she'd been hiding for so long, Yukinoshita Yukino felt a weight lift from her.
If she hadn't met Hayashizaki and gone through so many harsh and helpless experiences, she definitely wouldn't be able to openly reveal the truth like she is now.
"Oh..."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't know how to respond.
"If you have to blame someone, it should be the driver. After all," Hayashizaki added, "Yukinoshita was just sitting in the car."
"Huh..."
Hikigaya Hachiman looked puzzled. But as Hayashizaki said, Yukinoshita Yukino was merely a passenger. She didn't do anything, so it would be wrong to label her as the perpetrator.
Her role should be that of a bystander.
However, judging from Yukinoshita Yukino's words, it seemed like she was taking the blame upon herself.
Knowing Yukinoshita Yukino's tendency to overthink, Hayashizaki interrupted her before she could go further.
"Still, it might be a good thing that Yuigahama isn't coming anymore," Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly remembered something important. "Previously, Yuigahama almost got attacked by a cursed spirit."
"That's true..."
Yukinoshita Yukino said thoughtfully.
It couldn't be denied that if Yuigahama Yui stayed in the Service Club, there was a risk of her encountering another cursed spirit, and it would also make it harder to discuss matters related to the jujutsu world.
"We'll just have to let things take their course."
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