Chapter 186: Sobu High, Setting Out!
"I just remembered I have something to do; I'm leaving first!"
Kushida Kikyo's face suddenly turned beet-red, and she fled in a frantic hurry.
"What's up with her? Could she be... needing to go number two?" Hikigaya could only scratch his head in confusion.
"You bastard, you didn't actually peep at her and then use a dream as an excuse, did you?" Horikita Suzune glared at him fiercely.
"No way! How could I do something so classless!" Hikigaya denied it flatly.
"Hmph! Who knows what kind of strange things you do in your dreams?"
As Horikita spoke, she couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead.
"Seriously, discussing what happens in dreams with you is just too stupid!
Since you're busy with club matters and don't want to come, then forget it." Horikita rose to leave. As she turned her back to him, she whispered a small remark: "I don't want to rely on you every single time anyway."
"As long as I'm not involved, that's for the best."
From start to finish, Hikigaya had no desire to meddle in class affairs.
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After school, he went to the Martial Arts Club as usual. Since the off-campus trip was scheduled for next week, Captain Mutou had ramped up the training intensity. He wanted to ensure a 100% guaranteed victory at this club exchange!
In truth, Hikigaya felt he was being a bit overly cautious. In a normal school, very few people place such a high importance on cultivating a student's martial prowess. At the very least, he had never heard of Sobu High having any formidable martial arts clubs.
By comparison, the "dual cultivation of the literary and martial arts" education promoted by Advanced Nurturing High School was simply bizarre!
During training, Ibuki Mio—whether out of a whim or some sudden mental lapse—kept making a scene, demanding to participate in this club exchange as well.
Unsurprisingly, she was rejected by Captain Mutou. According to the original rules, off-campus exchange meetings were generally attended by second- and third-year veterans. Letting Hikigaya go was already a rare exception.
How could they open the back door for Ibuki Mio too?
"Hikigaya can go, so why can't I?" Ibuki Mio still hadn't given up, continuing to pester Captain Mutou.
"It's no use telling me that; this is the result approved by the Student Council." Captain Mutou was so annoyed that he had no choice but to shift the trouble onto Hikigaya. "If you're not convinced, go ask Hikigaya for a 'lesson'!"
"Whoa! Captain Mutou, you can't be like this, right?" Hikigaya looked exasperated.
Sure enough, upon hearing the Captain's words, Ibuki Mio's eyes locked onto him with a piercing gaze.
"Hikigaya! Let's settle this!!"
"Wait, why are you suddenly being so serious? Your hometown isn't even in Chiba. Don't tell me you're actually interested in a club exchange with Sobu High; their club level definitely won't be as good as ours."
Hikigaya truly didn't understand what she was thinking.
"It doesn't matter if I'm interested in Sobu High. What matters is that you are far too excited about it!" Ibuki Mio's expression was incredibly serious.
"What kind of reason is that? Are you doing this just to spite me?" Hikigaya raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat annoyed.
"Less talk, more fighting!" Ibuki Mio attacked without another word.
"Just a stubborn blue-haired girl—do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Hikigaya didn't hold back either, striking back firmly.
After a bout of intense brawling, Hikigaya eventually used his superior stamina to successfully pin Ibuki Mio to the ground.
The next day, it continued. The third day, it continued. Three days in a row, he ground Ibuki Mio into the dirt!
On the fourth day, Ibuki Mio's body hadn't fully recovered. In a moment of daze, she was knocked down by a single punch from Hikigaya! Hikigaya had no choice but to personally carry her to the infirmary.
"Hikigaya, don't leave..." Ibuki Mio opened her eyes in a daze and instinctively grabbed his hand.
"What do you mean? When was I leaving?" Hikigaya found it baffling.
"You damn siscon... plus meeting that Totsuka from Sobu High... will you just stay at Sobu High and never come back?"
Ibuki Mio pursed her lips and stared at him.
"..." Hikigaya was stunned.
"After all these days of making a fuss, this is what you're actually worried about?"
He felt caught between laughter and tears.
"Now tell me..." Ibuki Mio tightened her grip on his hand.
"Hmm~ To be honest, dropping out of Advanced Nurturing and transferring to Sobu High does seem pretty nice." Hikigaya had actually considered this question.
"Hikigaya, you!!" Ibuki Mio looked panicked.
"If I did that, I could see my cute little sister and Totsuka every day." As Hikigaya spoke, a happy smile appeared on his face.
"..." Looking at his happy smile, Ibuki Mio found herself unable to say anything to make him stay.
"The ideal is beautiful, but reality is harsh. As everyone knows, the economic environment has been sluggish in recent years.
My family has a mortgage to pay, and my sister needs cram school for her high school entrance exams—those are all significant expenses.
My family isn't so poor that they couldn't afford to put two people through school, but from a risk-management perspective, I really should stay at Advanced Nurturing.
At least here, I don't have to spend a dime for three years of school—in fact, I can even make money!"
Hikigaya weighed the pros and cons with extreme rationality.
"Hikigaya, you're a real man!!" Hearing this, Ibuki Mio was visibly moved, and the look in her eyes as she watched him changed.
"Ahem... Actually, I'm not an absolutely rational man either." Hikigaya scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
"Truth be told, I hate this school. But in this school, there are indeed... friends that I care about."
Ibuki Mio's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"Hikigaya! You—you're talking about me, right?"
'Ugh, while Ibuki counts as one, there are others too. Forget it, better not explain it too clearly.'
"Even though I wouldn't put it past myself to abandon friends for the sake of my sister... if Komachi found out, she'd definitely be very angry, right?" Hikigaya could already imagine it.
Komachi would cry with a sad face: 'Onii-chan, you need to consider other people's feelings more! Idiot! Baka! Hachiman!'
"What's with that?!" Ibuki Mio curled her lip in dissatisfaction.
"After all that talk, your sister still comes first!"
"Duh! Isn't that just common sense?" Hikigaya said righteously.
"Tch~ If there's a chance in the future, I really want to meet this Hikigaya Komachi. I want to see what kind of cute creature could enchant you to this degree," Ibuki Mio grumbled.
"Maybe after graduation, if there's a chance." Hikigaya waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Fine, it's a promise then!" Ibuki Mio nodded with a serious face.
"Then, Hikigaya... I wish you great martial success on your trip to Sobu High!"
Hikigaya rolled his eyes. "'Great martial success'? It's not like I'm going to war!" He then added a joking remark: "Who knows, maybe I'm going there to fall in love?"
"Drop dead!!" Ibuki Mio laughed and cursed at him.
"What kind of insect would ever like a stinky man like you?"
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