In his heart, he accused the other person of being unlovable, but as a proud loner, and a senior on the same path, he certainly needed to maintain his own status.
"They and I are not on the same page. If we force ourselves to get close, it will only embarrass both of us."
He tried to keep his voice as low as possible, and at the same time raised his head at a 45-degree angle, with a faint smile on the corners of his mouth and a look as if he was sighing about something.
"It's just because no one else wants to play with you, Hachiman..."
The words in the girl's voice turned into a sharp steel knife and stabbed straight into Hikigaya Hachiman's heart. It hurt so much!
"Besides, can you change your look? You look really disgusting like this. This kind of handsome line doesn't match your image at all, Hachiman."
[Puff～Puff～Puff…]
Only Hikigaya Hachiman could hear it, the special effects sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh kept ringing in his mind.
His body was trembling slightly, it was because of the pain in his heart!
"Hey~ Hachiman..."
The girl's voice suddenly became low, and even just hearing it made Hikigaya Hachiman's heart shrouded in a faint haze.
"Have you still kept in touch with your friends from elementary school?"
With a glimmer of hope that she herself hadn't even noticed, Tsurumi Rumi raised her head slightly and looked at the young man. The faint light in her eyes made people feel loving and sympathetic.
He knew very well what kind of answer she expected.
So, he quickly gave his answer.
"No one. To be exact, I don't even have any friends."
"Because you don't fit in?"
"No, I don't want to be friends with them."
"real..."
"How could you say that?"
Before Tsurumi Rumi could finish her words, a cold voice interrupted her conversation with Hikigaya Hachiman. Strangely, there was no abruptness at all, as if the owner of the voice was someone from their circle.
"Wasn't what I said right? Isn't it troublesome to communicate with people who are not suitable for you?"
Hikigaya Hachiman raised his head and said to the girl Yukinoshita Yukino who was walking towards him in a cool swimsuit and with a different beauty than usual: "Please forgive me for suppressing the surging emotions in my heart, racking my brains to think of topics that match the other person's interests, doing my best to cater to other people's interests, pretending to be very happy chatting with the other person, and abandoning my true self!"
"I get goosebumps just imagining it. It would be easier for me to do it alone. Isn't it the same for you?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was stunned for a moment, holding her chin with her right hand, as if she was imagining such a scene based on his words. Then, she couldn't help but rubbed her hands back and forth on her arms, trying to soothe the goose bumps that were rising up.
"Okay, I admit you're right this time."
Agreeing with the correctness of Hikigaya Hachiman's words seemed to be a very embarrassing thing for Yukinoshita Yukino. A blush appeared on her cheeks. She turned her head and said to Tsurumi Rumi, who was looking at her interaction with him in shock: "What do you feel after listening to what this person said?"
Hearing this, Tsurumi Rumi shook her head and said, "I don't know..."
She lowered her head, her bangs hiding the window to her soul that could reflect its owner's true feelings.
"These words are a little hard to understand."
"…"
The atmosphere suddenly became a little heavy, because Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Yukino, who were also lonely people, understood that this sentence had another deeper meaning. They did not choose to expose it and gave this strong girl the due understanding.
However, as for how to break this situation, the two people, who had almost no social skills, had no idea at all and could only passively use silence.
"Huh? Rumi-chan, do you want to play with us?"
Fortunately, at this time, Yuigahama Yui, one of the top students in the class and also the most beautiful girl in the class, made a brilliant appearance.
The familiar yet non-offensive tone, combined with the friendly aura that comes with his stupid nature, destroyed the heavy atmosphere and he easily joined the discussion among the three of them.
Perhaps because she was not used to facing her type, Tsurumi Rumi turned her head away slightly and said, "No, I didn't bring a swimsuit."
"That's really a pity."
Yuigahama Yui, who is good at observing other people's expressions and acting accordingly, discovered that the girl was not being sincere, but she did not expose it. She knew that it takes time to get into the heart of a lonely person and she should not rush into things.
After all, the two people she wanted to conquer were obviously much more difficult than this little guy, plus the loner who hadn't grown up yet!
"By the way, can you tell your sister what you were talking about just now? I don't know if I can help, but more people means more help, right?"
Facing that infectious smile, Tsurumi Rumi lowered her head and looked at Hikigaya Hachiman with a pleading look, obviously hoping that he could help her deal with Yuigahama Yui, a type she was not good at dealing with.
But she was disappointed. Hikigaya Hachiman shrugged and said he was helpless to help. After all, Yuigahama Yui was also the type he was not good at dealing with.
"Hehehe~"
Tsurumi Rumi raised her head and looked at the smiling face in front of her. She could only sigh and repeat the question she had just asked to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"As for friends, I still have one or two now, right?"
After thinking carefully, Yuigahama Yui gave her answer. Her natural attitude did not cause too much abruptness to the other three people present. It was as if this was a discussion started by the four of them.
"Look, even Yuigahama from Happo Bijin only has three people she can contact now, proving that relationships like elementary school friends are not reliable. There's no need to dwell on them. If you're too obsessed with finding friends, it will only make others see through you, and you may even fall into a misconception without realizing it."
"Misconception of thinking?"
Facing Tsurumi Rumi's question, Yuigahama Yui's inquiring gaze, and Yukinoshita Yukino's thoughtful look, Hikigaya Hachiman continued: "That's right, a misconception of thinking."
"To put it simply, if a person is too obsessed with maintaining superficial relationships and has tasted the happiness of having a companion, he or she will not want to lose the happiness that has been hard to obtain, and a seed of humility will be planted in their hearts."
"You will do your best to meet your friends' requests, so that others will think that you are the right friend. The other party will subconsciously think that you are someone who will respond to their requests or help them."
"Gradually he will develop the habit of asking you for help when he has something to do, and when you are stumped by something, he will say something like you have changed, thus stimulating the humble seed in you and giving it fertile feed so that it can thrive."
When he said this, Yuigahama Yui looked as if she didn't understand what he said, but it felt really cool. Tsurumi Rumi looked as if she understood but didn't quite. Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to be about to interrupt him, as he was saying something that sounded right but also seemed a little off.
"You don't want to lose your friends and return to your original loneliness. You are even afraid of your past situation..."
Hikigaya Hachiman looked directly at Tsurumi Rumi and said, "Since you have been asked to do something for a long time, you will subconsciously put yourself behind and prioritize the other person's affairs. So just imagine what you will become over time? And what will happen to your so-called friend?"
"If you feel that you really can't understand, you can put yourself in the shoes of a mother who can't lose her temper with her child, and your friend can put herself in the shoes of a child who doesn't understand the mother's difficulties. Isn't it easier to understand this way?"
He noticed that Tsurumi Rumi looked like she understood something, so he continued, "Let's assume that you firmly rejected that friend and found that it was actually no big deal. You and her remained the same as before, but when you discovered the same thing again, whether you made the same choice or not, your relationship would change slightly, and it might even get worse in the days ahead, until you both went your separate ways and became strangers."
Looking directly at Tsurumi Rumi, whose expression changed slightly, he said slowly, word by word: "This is [Those who cannot get what they want are always in turmoil, while those who are favored are fearless]."
"A friendship starts with you being the passive party. The so-called friendship you perceive is just a fake thing that is used to satisfy the emptiness in your heart and needs your careful care without any mistakes."
Tsurumi Rumi's face turned pale, Yuigahama Yui also became depressed due to her own experience, and Yukinoshita Yukino, for her own reasons, could not find the problem and how to refute this statement which sounded reasonable but always felt like something was wrong.
"Can't understand?"
Hikigaya Hachiman was not too surprised when the girl shook her head to indicate that she could not understand. It would be more surprising if she understood. He smiled and stretched out his hand to touch the girl's head, and Tsurumi Rumi did not resist at all.
Because she and he are of the same kind, and even though they haven't met or communicated very often, she just likes being with him.
Not only because they were of the same kind, but more importantly, she felt at ease with him!
Hikigaya Hachiman rubbed her head, feeling the different touch between his palm and his sister, and said softly: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, you just need to do it the way you like."
"After all, people live for themselves, don't they?"
Rumi Tsurumi seemed to understand something when hearing these words. She nodded, "I think I understand, Hachiman!"
"Haha~ I'm glad you understand!"
Hikigaya Hachiman withdrew his hand and was about to say something to make the painting style that did not belong to him continue for a while longer. He also thought that he could use this as an opportunity to change his disgusting image in the eyes of others, when a rapid ringtone came from his pocket.
"Ding-ling-ling~Ding-ling-ling~"
"Sorry, I have to answer a call first. I don't know if I ate something wrong. I'm going to the bathroom. Bye~"
After saying that, he left the shady tree at the drop of a hat without caring what they thought.
"Really? What is Xiaoqi doing? The atmosphere was so good just now!"
Yuigahama Yui puffed up her cheeks angrily.
"Hachiman, maybe you really have a stomachache."
Tsurumi Rumi's voice seemed to be trying to excuse Hikigaya Hachiman, which surprised Yukinoshita Yukino. "Maybe he's really not feeling well. Didn't he faint from heatstroke yesterday? And he ate a lot after that. Overeating after a serious illness is really not good for the stomach."
The three of them didn't have too many doubts. After all, they all saw that someone ate multiple servings of curry and rice last night, so they understood that he would have a stomachache.
Shizuka Hiratsuka, who was killing people in the stream with her ultimate weapon - a water gun, naturally saw this scene, but she did not chase after them. After all, she was the one who told Hachiman Hikigaya, who had just recovered from a serious illness, to be careful of diarrhea if he overate, so she began to immerse herself in playing with the young people.
As for why I am immersed in it?
Then you must feel that you can get along well with young people and you are also one of the young people, right?
"Okay, I got it. I'll go there right now."
Hikigaya Hachiman hung up the call with Sakami and began to use his mind to summon his motorcycle - the Hunter.
Chapter 33: Kill the Wasp Gurongi
Sato Hitoshi was driving a police car on the road. The siren on the roof was flashing wildly and sounding rapid alarms, reminding pedestrians and vehicles on the road to avoid it.
"Attention everyone, Unconfirmed Lifeform No. 8 is flying northwest. According to Gamisan's previous inference, it should reach the previously predicted location in ten minutes. Please tell the people at that location not to go out, close the doors and windows, and draw the curtains."
Sato Jin picked up the intercom in the car and talked to his colleagues. He looked at the side with a serious expression and asked a genius who did not want to reveal his name to make a device.
There was a small blood-red dot on the screen, slowly approaching a dark blue light dot on the map.
"Gamisan's reasoning is not wrong, but how to fight against the flying No. 8 will be a problem. Its mobility is difficult to kill even if fighters are deployed. But we can only give it a try."
Even though he had deduced the location where Mei·Bakis·Ba appeared, Sato Jin was very clear that they still lacked the ability to kill him. Not to mention the timing and procedure of deploying the fighter planes, the opponent's mobility alone made many functions of the fighter planes useless.
Their understanding of Mei Bakis Ba all came from reasoning based on existing intelligence, and it was still unclear whether the other party had anything to hide, not to mention that as soon as it found something wrong, it would land on the ground and fly. Relying on the speed of the helicopter, it would be impossible to catch up, and even a pursuit battle would put them at a disadvantage.
So, Sato Jin sighed, "Now we can only hope that No. 4 can make it in time, but he doesn't seem to have any anti-air ability, and that blue form can only jump higher."
A trace of determination appeared in his eyes, "Just wait a little longer. If we wait for two or three days, we humans will no longer need the help of outsiders, but can rely on our own strength!"
"Boom boom boom… boom boom boom…"
The roar of an engine like a wild beast came from behind Sato Jin, interrupting his thoughts. He was not dissatisfied with this, but instead felt relieved.
Although he does not want humanity to need help from unknown races to overcome the crisis, it is a good thing for humans who are currently unable to fight the crisis to get a helping hand.
After all, human life is the most important, isn't it?
The sound came from far away and got closer. I turned my head and looked out the window, just in time to see Hikigaya Hachiman, who had transformed into his almighty form, driving a Hunter passing by.
Maybe it was some mysterious connection or something else, but the two of them couldn't help but look at each other.
"No. 8 will probably kill someone on the beach not far from here. There are still three minutes before its poison needle finishes growing."
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded, increased his speed again, and disappeared from Sato Jin's sight in the blink of an eye.
"Please, No. 4!"
————
[Mei·Bajisi·Ba can fly, and is as annoying as a mosquito. I heard that he kills people with poison needles, but the Pegasus crossbow can kill them with one shot.]
Hikigaya Hachiman sighed deeply.
He knew that he couldn't place high hopes on Rixon. For a big shot like him, the only opponent he could think of was the King of the Gurongi, Daguba. The other Gurongis could be defeated with just one or two moves.
So, once again, he only knew nothing about the enemy this time except that they could fly and had poisonous needles, and Gamisan also told him these over the phone, which was the same as whether he had seen them or not.
[Riku-san, I really want to be as strong as you, so that I don't have to be so passive.]
Hikigaya Hachiman did not let his inner emotions affect the subsequent battle. He stopped the car and jumped out of the ground, pulling out a model gun from the car. After getting down on the ground, he began to concentrate, and through the shielding ability he had developed after more than ten years of solitude, he blocked out all the information that was not related to him from his mind.
The Yamdam spirit stone at the core of Yaguru's belt sensed his thoughts and switched from fiery red to emerald green. The armor on his body also turned dark green, and a shoulder pad was added to his left shoulder. The model gun in his hand was transformed into the exclusive weapon of the Pegasus form under particle manipulation - the Pegasus crossbow.
In this form, all of Hikigaya Hachiman's senses are heightened dozens of times, and he can hear and see things that he could not capture before.
"Buzz buzz buzz~"
A mosquito-like sound suddenly rang in my ears, and a flash of inspiration suddenly passed through my mind.
[As annoying as a mosquito, could this be...]
He suddenly raised his head and looked towards the source of the sound he heard. His field of vision began to zoom in on the vague human figure as he imagined. Soon, a figure that was somewhat similar to a wasp appeared in Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes. He easily caught the poison needle that had not yet fully grown on the other's right wrist.
Judging from his vision, the other party has not noticed his presence yet. As a self-confessed despicable person, he pulled the lever of the Pegasus crossbow without any hesitation, aiming at Mei·Bakis·Ba who was unaware of his own crisis. He pressed the trigger of the Pegasus crossbow with his right index finger, and the bullet made of compressed air flew out like lightning and directly hit Mei·Bakis·Ba who was still dreaming of a bright future.
"Uhh~Kuuga?"
It stared blankly at the extremely familiar golden mark on its chest. The only difference from what it knew was that in its memory it was only used to seal it, but now the mark represented death.
The seal energy began to take effect in its body, destroying its bodily functions from within. Cracks emitting golden light emerged from its body, spreading to the Kidru belt around its waist. The falling body began to transform into a brilliant firework in the sky. With a fleeting flash of splendor, its life also came to an end.It seems that what Rixon said is quite right. As long as you can withstand the super senses of the Pegasus form, no enemy can withstand a Pegasus crossbow. If there is any, just add a few more."
Hikigaya Hachiman gently stroked the barrel of the Pegasus crossbow as if it were a rare treasure.
"Then practice hard, and try to get it done with one shot from a distance in the future."
After establishing the next target for his future battle plan, Hikigaya Hachiman got on the Hunter and when he passed by Sato Jin, who was still some distance away from his destination, he gave him a thumbs up with a puzzled look on his face and then walked away.
"Has it been resolved? It seems that No. 4 has become stronger, or is his anti-aircraft ability stronger than the others?"
Due to the lack of battlefield intelligence, Sato Jin was unable to make a reasonable judgment, but he was not overly worried.
Even though he had only met Hikigaya Hachiman a few times, he still trusted him to a certain extent.
Anyone who is not blind or stupid, and has seen the scene of his battle with Gurongi, would not think that he, who silently endured the enemy's attacks, tried his best to bring the enemy to a deserted place, and even had to waste some means when killing the enemy in the end, throwing it into the sky so that the explosion caused by the enemy's death could not hurt other people, or cause secondary damage to the surrounding environment, is the same as the Gurongi who killed humans.
Even though they were afraid of the violent aesthetic exterior, they were not so ignorant that they did not know who was protecting them.
"We humans can't fall behind, otherwise it would be too embarrassing."
——————
Hikigaya Hachiman parked the car not far from Chiba Village. After letting the hunter observe that there was no one around, he got out of the car and said to the hunter: "Okay, you go back first. I have to go back to work too."
"Okay, bye, Hachiman!"
The hunter activated the optical camouflage function and disappeared from Hikigaya Hachiman's sight, then returned to the warehouse where it usually stayed.
"By the way, since the hunter's intelligence is not low now, I don't have to keep it in the warehouse every day. I can just let it follow me. In this way, I don't have to waste time coming here when encountering emergencies."
"Well, let's talk to it later when we get back."
Having found a way to get to the scene faster, Hikigaya Hachiman felt a little happy. With a faint smile on his face, he walked back to Chiba Village to start his unfinished work.
At this time, only twenty minutes had passed since he "went to the toilet", which did not prevent him from facing the "questioning" next.
Chapter 34: Tsurumi Rumi realizes something, Hikigaya Hachiman insists on his own opinion
"Huh? They're all gone?"
When Hikigaya Hachiman returned to the stream, he found that no one was there. He sighed in disappointment, "Ah~ I really hope I can be healed by the smiles of Komachi and Totsuka!"
"What cure?"
A rather cold and childish voice came out of nowhere, which made Hikigaya Hachiman shudder. He turned around and looked at Tsurumi Rumi who was hiding behind a tree, and said with a strange expression.
"You haven't left yet?"
"There's nowhere to go anyway, and it's cooler here, so I don't want to move."
Tsurumi Rumi turned her head away and didn't look at his face. Because she was in the shadows, it was difficult to see her expression.
"Really..."
As Hikigaya Hachiman spoke, he walked over to sit next to her and casually asked, "Do you want to take some photos?"
"…Who are you shooting?"
Tsurumi Rumi tightly grasped the digital camera hanging around her neck.
"There are no living things here except you and me, right? Or can you see dead things? That camera can take pictures of them?"
The inappropriate words lowered Tsurumi Rumi's inner defenses, and she turned around to look at the boy next to her.
He doesn't have the infectious friendliness of his fellow blond handsome guy. Most of the time, his eyes give people a rotten feeling like a corpse, which reduces his good looks by several points. To be honest, the whole person gives people a pretty disgusting feeling.
But she didn't know why, from the first moment she saw him, she felt that he was more attractive than the handsome blond guy. It was not until she got to know him that she realized that she and he were the same type of person.
They are all lonely people.
The difference is that he enjoys loneliness, while she is afraid of loneliness.
So, she had more respect for him.
She admired the boy's calm attitude towards loneliness and even his enjoyment of it, which diluted the bitterness and pain she felt at the moment of isolation.
"But if I take pictures of Hachiman, my mother will be scared. She might think I met some bad guy."
"Tsk~ You are such an unlovable kid. I am so generous so rarely. Others don't even have the chance to take photos of me!"
"Isn't that because you don't have any friends, Hachiman?"
"Shut up~ Do you want to take pictures?"
Tsurumi Rumi picked up the camera and turned her head away from the boy who was quite dazzling to her. Two cute blushes appeared on her cute face and she said softly: "Since Hachiman has said this, I will take a few photos reluctantly!"
"Let me make it clear first, I took this photo because you are so pitiful."
"Yes, yes, thank you so much, Miss Tsurumi."
[Really, the tsundere kid isn't cute at all!]
Complaining inwardly, Hikigaya Hachiman stood up and brushed off the dirt on his clothes.
"Stay in the United States..."
"ha?"
Because the voice was too soft and he didn't listen carefully, Hikigaya Hachiman felt like he might have heard it wrong.
"Just call me Liumei."
As if she was too shy, Tsurumi Rumiko's ears turned red and she turned her head away to avoid looking at Hikigaya Hachiman.
[Oh my god, why do I suddenly feel that this child has become cute? Can it be true that girls become more cute when they become tsundere? Doesn't this only exist in the second dimension?]
The girl's sudden cuteness made him blush slightly.
"Okay, let's go over there and shoot!"
He smiled and extended his hand to Tsurumi Rumi, who hesitated for a moment before turning her head and placing her hand in his palm.
The two of them took steps and walked slowly in the mountains and forests, occasionally taking photos together when they saw a happy scene. The pleasant atmosphere of getting along together made the gloom on Tsurumi Rumi's face dissipate a lot.
"That's all for today. I hope you have fun at the Test of Courage."
"Hey~ Hachiman, you don't have to do anything."
"…"
Hikigaya Hachiman, who wanted to leave at this point, stopped walking, a flash of surprise flashed across his face, and the moment he turned around, he became his usual decadent look again, "Ha~ What should I do?"
"Although I don't know, I think this is good. Meeting Hachiman is the greatest significance of my event this time."
It seemed that these words were too embarrassing, and in some sense even easy to be misunderstood. This time, not only did the girl's ears turn red, but her neck was also red.
"So, Hachiman, you and Yukinoshita-san don't need to do anything. I think the current state is fine."
Hearing this, Hikigaya Hachiman was stunned for a moment, then smiled softly, "Okay, I won't do anything, but I don't know about those nice guys."
After saying this, without waiting for Tsurumi Rumi to reply, he turned around, waved his hand, and disappeared from her sight.
"It turns out that lonely people are smarter, and the proof is me."
The scene just now appeared in his mind, and Hikigaya Hachiman smiled, "But..."
A hint of bitterness tinted the smile, changing its meaning.
"Something needs to be done. Being isolated is more than just what you are going through now. There are many things that are more terrible than violence."
"Mental violence is more terrifying than physical violence."
He raised his head and looked at the gradually darkening sky. "So, you must destroy the current atmosphere, otherwise the consequences will be very serious."
"Innocence and purity are sometimes a wonderful thing, but sometimes they are also a terrible thing."
"Because it represents both beauty and disaster!"
"My loneliness is caused by ignorance and my own choices, while your loneliness is forced by external circumstances. It would be very dangerous if one of them is not good."
Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes gradually became sharper. "So, even if you will hate me, I must destroy that atmosphere completely. Otherwise, we won't be able to solve the danger caused by humans right in front of us, let alone stop the brutal Gurongi clan."
The road is not long!
He quickly walked to the cabin where the volunteers were. He opened the door and the first people who came into view were the gloomy-faced Yukino Yukinoshita and the guilty-looking Hayato Hayama who was standing opposite her.
The moment he opened the door, everyone turned their eyes to him. He ignored the gazes from people around him. Unlike his usual rotten eyes, his pupils, which revealed a firm will, fell on Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Where did the discussion go?"
Perhaps it was because she was stared at by those pupils filled with strong will that Yukinoshita Yukino felt surprised, but she quickly recovered and replied: "There is still no way, but..."
With a faint smile on his face, he said, "It looks like you've thought of something, right?"
"Well~ a solution that is not a solution. The only difficulty is that it makes all of you become villains."
"Bad guys? Why do you want us to be bad guys? Xiaoqi, what's your solution?"
Perhaps the word "evil guy" was too weird and didn't fit the good things that she and others were going to do next, which made Yuigahama Yui feel a little uneasy.
"That is to say, what is your plan, Hikidori-kun? Why do you want us to be the villains?"
Tobe Sho said dissatisfiedly.
"That's right. I haven't heard that you have to be a villain to help others. And why should we listen to you?"
Miura Yumiko folded her arms across her chest, narrowed her eyes and stared at him unhappily.
"Also, you didn't tell us what your method was, right?"
"Hayato, can you say something too?"
"Can you tell me your solution?"
"Huh?"
Miura Yumiko, who thought that Hayato Hayama would raise objections, heard these words that seemed to be in agreement, and she opened her eyes wide in disbelief and stared at him blankly.
"Falcon~ you..."
She wanted to say something, but she found that Hayato Hayama had become different. The cheerfulness that made people feel like spring breeze in the past was gone. In her eyes, Hayato Hayama was very unwilling. Even though he suppressed it very well, Miura Yumiko, who had always kept an eye on him, still noticed it.
He showed his unwillingness towards Hikigaya Hachiman who had come up with an unknown solution at this moment. That was the unwillingness of a loser towards the winner!
So, she stopped talking and focused her attention on the figure that she had never noticed before, wanting to see how the other person could make Hayato Hayama feel such emotions.
The atmosphere at the scene became heavy after Hayato Hayama's question. Totsuka Ayaka, who was about to say something to support Hikigaya Hachiman, and Hikigaya Komachi, who wanted to make a joke to ease the atmosphere, both shut their mouths and turned their attention to the boy standing at the door with his hands in his pockets, waiting to hear what he would say about the method of turning them into villains.
Facing the gazes with different emotions lingering on him, Hikigaya Hachiman remained calm, with a cruel arc at the corner of his mouth, "It's very simple. Since we can't solve the problem, we just need to solve the source of the problem."
"The source of the problem? Could it be..."
Yukinoshita Yukino quickly understood the meaning of his words.
"That's right…"
Facing the complicated gazes coming at him, Hikigaya Hachiman said softly: "As long as her current circle of relationships is completely destroyed, and everyone becomes a loner, there will be no more lonely people, only people of the same kind."
"And a relationship that can be destroyed, no matter how hard you try to repair it, the cracks will still exist, which means the chances of them reconciling are infinitely reduced."
"In this way, she won't be the only one who is alone. Wouldn't all the problems be solved?"
"Since they are all loners, they are each other's companions. It doesn't matter if they don't talk to each other normally. When someone bullies her, they will more or less help her."
At this point, he revealed a vicious smile. "As former abusers, they know very well that if they don't do anything, they will be the next one. With my plan, they will feel even more powerless. They don't want to face the fear of being powerless again. They have no choice but to help."
"In this case, whether she can become friends with them or continue this kind of relationship, isn't it a good thing?"
The boy spread his hands and spoke a lot of nonsense, but for high school students who did not have much social experience at the moment, it was indeed a way to solve the current situation.
So, in silence, everyone began to listen to the boy's continued twisted logic.
Chapter 35: Initial Heart-to-Heart Communication
Night falls quietly.
Hikigaya Hachiman silently looked up at the stars that lit up the night sky.
"Your approach still carries great risks."
Even though he didn't look back, he knew very well who was behind him.
"But you have no other solution, and my solution is the best one we can think of right now, isn't it?"
"Alas~"