40 - Hikigaya Hachiman Is Not a Bug
"I'm sorry, Mibuomi Aoi, but I have no interest in the gambling game you mentioned."
"Wh...?"
"Because if I were to gamble with scum like you, I would try my best to win. And in that case, there would be no fun in gambling at all."
Mibuomi Aoi's pupils dilated slightly as he looked at Jabami Yumeko in disbelief. For the first time, he questioned whether his ears were malfunctioning.
"Mibuomi Aoi, do you ever feel guilty for the things you've done in the past? No, you probably don't. Not for a single moment, right?"
Jabami Yumeko's crimson pupils were filled with satisfaction and disgust. This was the first time she had received a gambling invitation but didn't feel excitement; all she felt was the anger she had for Hikigaya-kun.
Her contemptuous gaze seemed to want to reduce Mibuomi Aoi to dust, as if looking at the most vile bug, causing even the gambling snake, Jabami Yumeko, to lose her desire to hunt.
Jabami Yumeko stepped behind Hikigaya Hachiman, placing her hands gently on her stomach and assuming the role of his companion.
She forced Mibuomi Aoi's gaze to focus on Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Idiot! What are you saying?! Apologize to Mibuomi-sama right now!"
"Slut! We won't let you get away with this! Once Mibuomi-sama leaves, you'll be sorry, you stray cat!"
Behind Mibuomi Aoi, the bullying girls' shrill voices echoed.
'As expected, the worst-case scenario has occurred. Because of this person named Hikigaya Hachiman, the crazy gambler I was interested in has inexplicably developed a strong aversion to me,' Mibuomi Aoi thought, frowning. Though he had great self-control, he still didn't show any signs of anger.
No matter what, his goal here was only Jabami Yumeko.
As long as he could achieve his goal, enduring a bit of insignificant humiliation didn't matter.
He smiled at Hikigaya Hachiman. "Hikigaya-kun, I believe there's been some misunderstanding between us. You seem to have some hostility towards me~ If there's something from the past that caused this, I apologize here and now."
"Mibuomi Aoi..." Hikigaya looked up. His hair, which symbolized laziness and rebellion, had been swept aside by Hikigaya Hachiman at some point. His eyes now glowed with bloodlust and madness, making anyone who saw them shudder.
"Do you remember me?"
"Hm... No, I don't remember. But I think we must have been good friends in the past, and maybe we had some misunderstandings that caused some friction," Mibuomi Aoi smiled awkwardly but politely.
Using his power to intimidate others was his favorite method.
Much like his gambling, rather than relying on intricate plans or clever tricks, he preferred to use money to crush his opponents.
His surface politeness was flawless, without a single crack. A smile here, a nod there, and everything was forgiven. As the student council's treasurer and the heir to the Mibuomi family, offering a little respect to an insignificant student like Hikigaya was already a huge favor.
He could be said to be humble and courteous, and in fact, it was this attitude that had helped him gather many talented individuals for his "Full-Bloom Society."
'I, the noble one, have apologized to the lowly you. If you still don't appreciate it, that's your fault.' This was Mibuomi Aoi's open strategy.
What he had done in the past, Mibuomi Aoi no longer cared about. Perhaps there were a few insignificant characters who might seek revenge on him, but what they was really after was just a surface-level apology and some trivial compensation money.
Fools, they should know their place.
"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman," Hikigaya suddenly said.
Mibuomi Aoi was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Ah, I know, Hikigaya-kun, the new special student at our school, excellent grades, superb gambling skills..."
"Are you ready? Mibuomi Aoi."
"Huh? What?"
"The bug that was trampled underfoot a few years ago... it's become stronger."
"Haha, Hikigaya-kun, you're joking. How could you compare yourself to a bug..."
"You are the bug."
Hikigaya Hachiman said faintly.
The air suddenly fell silent. Mibuomi Aoi looked at the two people before him, whose eyes were glowing red, and finally withdrew his hand, rubbing it outside his pocket.
With an air of nonchalance, he said, "I see..."
"It's fine, since Hikigaya-kun holds such a deep misunderstanding of me, I'll prove with my actions that we can be good friends."
"I look forward to our next meeting."
Mibuomi Aoi turned and politely waved goodbye to every student in the first-year class, once again garnering a wave of popularity and prestige.
After he left the classroom, an almost tangible chill and disdain swept toward Hikigaya Hachiman.
They knew that the damned Hikigaya Hachiman had upset Mibuomi-sama. Even though Mibuomi-sama showed no outward signs of displeasure, they, as loyal supporters of Mibuomi-sama, could not just stand by and watch.
What if performing well in maintaining Mibuomi-sama's reputation led to Mibuomi-sama noticing them?
This terrifying atmosphere nearly separated Hikigaya Hachiman and Jabami Yumeko from this world. The suffocating feeling made even Suzuki Ryouta, who was closest to them, involuntarily take a few steps back.
The first to act was Aiura Kokoro. She, who had previously been somewhat wary of Hikigaya Hachiman, now walked toward him like a dog with its master's backing, displaying arrogance as she glanced at Jabami Yumeko beside him.
"Hehe, Hikigaya, you're just a lowly special student like Saionji. How dare you speak to Mibuomi-sama like that?"
"You gamble desperately to make money, trying to climb up to the ranks of ordinary students at our prestigious Hakuou Academy... really..."
"So, pathetic~"
Aiura Kokoro's face twisted again, her facial muscles seemed to form the word "contempt" as her hands cupped around her mouth, whispering devilishly into Hikigaya Hachiman's ear.
"Let me show you, you care so much about Jabami Yumeko, right?"
Aiura Kokoro, unwilling to meet Hikigaya's cold, unsettling gaze, quickly looked at Jabami Yumeko and arrogantly shouted, "You stray cat, come here and lick my shoes in front of Hikigaya-kun! Let me see whose taste he'll think of when he kisses you later~"
Aiura Kokoro sat down on Jabami Yumeko's seat, crossing her long legs. She extended her right leg high, nearly bringing it to Yumeko's face.
"Aiura Kokoro..."
Hikigaya finally spoke: "Are you ignorant and stupid, or simply evil?"
"I should remind you that Yumeko is a stray cat, with the right to challenge any student at Hakuou Academy to a gamble."
"Are you sure you want to try?"
"To stand opposite me and Yumeko."
Hikigaya's madness, now erupting like Mount Fuji, nearly overwhelmed Aiura Kokoro. The vast pressure, like a deep abyss, forced Aipu Shin to retreat.
'What are these two planning...?'
She was already feeling fearful, gritting her teeth and struggling to resist the pressure Hikigaya exuded.
The arrow is on the string and must be released; if she backs down now, she will become the laughingstock of the first-year class. After all, she had worked hard to climb to this position.
She had to suppress Hikigaya Hachiman's madness. In the upcoming exam gambling match, in the first-year class, she would destroy Hikigaya Hachiman!
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