Chapter 171: The Most Important Main Character (Long Chapter)
The school afternoon had drawn to a close. The physics teacher had already left the podium, marking the end of the day's academic activities. Hachiman stretched his body, began tidying the items on his desk, and tucked them into his school satchel.
"Hachiman, hehe, hurry, hurry! Didn't you say Chishima-sensei was looking for us for something? Let's get over there right away~"
Yui packed her bag with even greater speed. She couldn't wait to say goodbye to Miura Yumiko and the others before skipping over to Hachiman's side, her face beaming with a radiant smile.
Miura Yumiko shot a sharp glare at Hachiman from a few desks away. He was the one who had taken Yui away. Damn, lucky guy—if it weren't for Chishima-sensei...
Several other girls in Yumiko's circle also cast unfriendly glances toward Hachiman, though a large part of it was fueled by envy—did they want to destroy what they couldn't have?
Hachiman felt those gazes, glancing that way for a split second, but he paid them no mind. It wasn't the first time, after all.
Instead, he looked at Yui and found himself momentarily captivated by her incredibly cheerful smile. He picked up his school bag and said with a slightly awkward expression, "Alright, let's go."
He stepped away from his seat and led the way out.
"Yeah, yeah! I already contacted Yukinon, too. She's already heading toward the club, hehe~"
Yui happily slung her pink school bag over her shoulder and followed close behind Hachiman.
Under the watchful eyes of most of the students, the two of them walked out of the classroom together.
Yui asked curiously, "Hachiman, what do you think Chishima-sensei wants with us?"
"It's probably just about the School Anniversary. There shouldn't be anything else."
"Then what about the School Anniversary? Is he giving us new work to do~"
"I don't know either. We'll find out once we get there."
"Oh! I found Yukinon!!"
Yui suddenly cheered, spotting Yukinoshita Yukino at the base of the Service Club building, and ran over joyfully.
"Yukinon, over here, over here!"
Yui immediately linked arms with Yukino, clinging to her with a wide grin. Yukino looked uncomfortable, gently trying to push Yui away, but unfortunately, Yui didn't register the push as a rejection at all.
Seeing Hachiman arrive, Yukino let out a sigh of relief and quickly spoke up. "Alright, let's head up. Chishima-sensei and Hiratsuka-sensei have been waiting for a long time." She smoothed her hair, taking the opportunity to untangle herself from Yui and hurried forward.
Yui chased after her, though this time she didn't try to hug her again.
"Yukinon, do you know why Sensei is looking for us?"
"It's unclear. He only said it was a very important matter."
"Important matter? That really makes me curious~"
In the empty corridor, Yui and Yukino walked together, while Hachiman followed at a leisurely pace from behind, his eyes half-lidded and his bag slung over his shoulder.
The scene felt peaceful and beautiful.
The three of them had grown accustomed to each other's presence, becoming members that no one wanted to let go of.
When they reached the door of the Service Club, the three exchanged glances. The weight of the "important matter" Akishin had emphasized still hung over them.
The red glow of the late afternoon sunset reflected off the large windows and into the corridor, casting a unique silhouette on the three of them, making them appear hazy yet profound.
Hachiman couldn't help but recall the mischievous, ill-intentioned smile Akishin had given him earlier that day. He took a deep breath, his gaze steadying. He stood in front of the two girls, reached out, and opened the door to the Service Club.
"Chishima-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei, good evening." As the three entered, the first thing that greeted them was the fresh aroma of tea.
"Good evening. Come in, quickly. We have cake and tea here."
Akishin waved them over, lifting his teacup for a sip before picking up a tea snack and popping it into his mouth. With the sunset as his backdrop, his face was full of comfort, as if he had entered an early retirement.
On the other side, Shizuka's expression was much the same.
At a glance, they looked like a harmonious old married couple enjoying their golden years.
On the side of the table where Hachiman, Yui, and Yukino usually sat, a beautiful earthenware teapot released a slow, steady steam of fragrant tea.
A plate of three-colored tea cakes was stacked like a small mountain in the center, alongside several bags of food that looked like snacks—and were, in fact, snacks—scattered across the table.
The curtains near the window swayed gently in the evening breeze, looking lively and inviting.
...
"About my car accident? And to resolve our conflict!!?"
Hearing this, Hachiman instantly bolted upright from his chair, frowning deeply, his pupils trembling along with a heavy heartbeat—he hadn't been this nervous even when facing a formidable foe like Kitahara Shuji at the Gyokuryu-ki.
However, after standing up, Hachiman realized he had lost his composure and hurried to sit back down. But his state of mind was already in shambles; under Akishin's piercing gaze, he didn't even know where to put his hands.
Yui gripped her skirt with both hands, biting her lip as she looked at Hachiman anxiously. Her issues with Hachiman had been settled since that field trip; what she worried about now was Yukino—she didn't want to lose anyone.
Yukino's face darkened, and she spoke in a heavy voice, "Chishima-sensei, what do you mean by that? We don't have any conflict."
"Whether there is a conflict or not, your tone says it all." Akishin gave a small chuckle, sliding three cups of tea toward the three teenagers. "I only asked you all to explain yourselves. But each of you is being dishonest, waiting for the conflict to explode before admitting anything..."
Akishin looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, pushing the cakes toward her. "This falls mostly on you, Yukinoshita-san. I remember telling you certain principles: a person who dares to face their own mistakes is a true hero. Your older sister raised you too strictly...
Actually, I've already discussed this with your father. He also finds it strange that you still haven't been upfront with Hikigaya about this matter."
Akishin turned toward Hachiman, seeing his face attempting to remain calm but looking stiff instead. He shook his head slightly and said, "Hikigaya, you've known about this at least since the end of that summer camp, yet you never explained it. Are the two of you playing some kind of guessing game?"
Hearing that, Yukinoshita Yukino's lowered eyelids suddenly widened for a moment. She stared at Hachiman, utterly stunned.
So he knew all along! But why...
"Sensei, that... at the time, I wasn't entirely sure. Even now..." Hachiman looked at Yukino, trying to say something.
"The question now is, are you sure or not?"
Akishin cut Hachiman off, lifting his teacup and drinking as a gesture of apology, his eyes narrowing. "I told you, I brought you here to resolve the conflict. I don't want you all feeling uncomfortable later because of this small issue.
I'll tell the story of that day first. Some parts might be unclear, but the general outline should be correct."
Akishin paused, waiting until all four of them were paying close attention. His fingers tapped the table as he continued, "That day, first of all, Yuigahama was walking her dog past that area. The dog accidentally slipped its leash and ran into the road..."
Yui's body flinched.
"...At that moment, a black sedan happened to be driving by, and you, Hikigaya, happened to be passing by on your bicycle. You saved the dog, but you ended up getting hit by the car yourself... Isn't that right?"
He looked at Hachiman and Yui. The two exchanged looks and then nodded. "Correct. What Sensei said is right."
Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze dimmed even further.
Yui added in a low voice, "But at that time, Hachiman passed out immediately. I was terrified and didn't dare visit him in the hospital. I only ever met Komachi..."
"I'm sorry, Hachiman."
After saying that, Yui stood up and gave a deep, sincere bow to Hachiman.
"What are you saying..."
Hachiman was stunned for a moment, shaking his head. "Didn't you apologize a long time ago? On your birthday, I also told you we should stop fussing over that and just get along from now on..."
He picked up the teacup in front of him and took a drink. It tasted very good.
Yui sat back down in her chair, her hands cupping the tea, nodding without daring to look Hachiman in the eye. She explained in a small voice, "This is my formal apology. Last time... last time I ended up making Hachiman apologize to me instead. That... really, thank you so much. Thank you for saving Sable..."
Hachiman didn't speak further; he accepted the apology. The conflict between them had actually been settled for a long time. Yui's apology here was real—a sincere expression of regret and gratitude from the bottom of her heart.
—A person's true character is seen in a crisis. Being able to risk one's life to save a dog meant Hachiman's nature was never in question from the start.
Akishin and Shizuka exchanged glances, smiling with satisfaction. They looked at Yukino and continued the previous topic. "Then we'll move on. The black sedan that hit Hachiman that day was actually the Yukinoshita family car...
At that time, Yukinoshita-san was supposedly inside the car. She knew the car hit someone, but she didn't get out. It was your driver who called the ambulance; he wouldn't let you out. And all you likely knew was a name, wasn't it?"
Under the gaze of Hachiman and Yui, Yukino nodded with a composed face. "Correct. What Sensei said is true. But I..."
"This wasn't your fault. You were just a passenger in the car." Akishin waved her off, his stern face carrying a thin smile. "If we put it that way, if a morning bus hits someone, does that mean everyone on the bus is guilty? That's clearly illogical. If a mistake must be assigned, it belongs to the driver..."
Akishin looked at Hachiman, asking with a smile, "Hikigaya, would you blame Yukinoshita-san for this?"
I'm dead. If I answer wrong, I'm definitely dead!
For some reason, Hachiman felt a clear murderous intent from Akishin's gaze, reading an unmistakable meaning behind it.
"Of... of course not. Ri... right, Yuigahama? Haha."
In truth, he had thought about it for a long time. If that car accident hadn't happened, the three of them wouldn't have gathered in this small club. With his personality, he certainly wouldn't have had a relationship with them—their story had started with that car accident.
"Yeah, yeah!" Yui answered cautiously.
"Very good. Then what about Yukinoshita-san?"
Akishin also looked at Yukino with a smile, though his murderous intent was now hidden.
Yukino took a deep breath and stood up abruptly, nearly tripping over her chair. Her serious expression shifted slightly due to nerves.
Once she was steady, she tightened her expression again, though a flush was still visible on her face.
Then...
The proud Yukino bowed, offering a very serious apology. "I am sorry, Hikigaya-kun. Regarding the matter of the car accident, I am truly sorry. I want to offer compensation, but for the time being, I don't know how to compensate you. Please give me more time.
I... I don't want to lose this friendship now."
Then she stood tall and looked at Yui seriously. "The same goes for you, Yuigahama-san. I'm sorry. Please give me time. I don't want to lose you as a friend..."
...
With only three weeks left until the School Anniversary, the residents of Sobu High School became incredibly busy.
Starting today, students were allowed to stay in their classrooms after school to prepare for the Anniversary activities.
Some students brought in cardboard, others prepared painting tools, and some couldn't wait to set out snacks and drinks, saying they wanted to reward everyone's hard work before throwing a lively party...
Hey, did you guys really come here to work?
Class 2-F also entered the preparation phase with great enthusiasm. During the afternoon homeroom period, Hayama stood at the podium and announced to everyone:
"Now we will determine the specific cast and staff list. The scriptwriting will be handled by Hina, while the others..."
Hayama Hayato wrote several important roles on the blackboard:
Director: Ebina Hina.
Stage Manager: Ebina Hina.
Playwright: Ebina Hina.
The sight of these three identical names made the eyes of most students in the class twitch abnormally. There were many complaints stuck in their throats that they couldn't voice—there was no other choice, as no one else was capable of doing the job. In reality, Ebina's skills were formidable, which was the main reason everyone chose her.
Ebina Hina was holding three major titles at once. Should she be called the Chief Production Officer or the Super Producer?
Aside from the creative roles, there were other jobs:
Assistant Producer: Kawasaki Saki.
Media Promotion: Miura Yumiko.
The core staff began to take shape. Since the female students didn't have roles in the play this time, the behind-the-scenes work was naturally handled by them.
Next came the most nerve-wracking part. Aside from Hachiman and Totsuka Saika, all the other boys became tense.
When it came to a play, the most important thing was the cast—moreover, this cast was dominated by boys. No, it was purely all-male.
This felt extremely weird. (Gripe)
Therefore! Why did they choose this story in the first place!!!
The previous list was just a private one Ebina had made and wasn't considered official, but Hachiman was willing to bet that Ebina would definitely stick to it.
For the sake of class peace, a voluntary sign-up system for the cast was initially implemented, but not a single person signed up—after all, after seeing a story outline like that, anyone willing to sign up to be a performer was either a strong individual or someone with very specific tastes!
"Um... everyone doesn't need to worry too much about the character descriptions. During the official performance, it won't be that vulgar."
Hayama Hayato tried to calm the boys in the class, but even his own words lacked conviction. Naturally, the result was quite moving—once such an image was burned into the mind, it was hard to erase, especially for high school students living in the big data era.
The boys fell into a strange silence.
"Is there no other choice..."
The corners of Ebina Hina's lips curled up, the lenses of her glasses flashing with an eerie light. Under the terrified gazes of the class, she stood on the podium. Now, the fate of every boy's life or death rested under the authority of her terrible decision.
She ignored the wave of anxiety below the podium and began writing the cast list on the board.
It looks like she's already figured out how to use her Chief Production Officer authority freely, the thought crossed Hachiman's mind, and he couldn't help but let a smirk tug at his lips.
Hahaha, fortunately, I was removed from the list.
At that moment, Hachiman and Ebina's expressions were remarkably similar.
First were the supporting roles.
Ebina wrote quickly with the chalk, filling names one by one under the roles of the Rose, the King, and the Narcissist.
"Nooo, please~~"
"Help! I don't want to play the Narcissist."
"I just want to be on the logistics staff!!!"
As names appeared under the respective roles, roars of despair echoed from various corners of the classroom. The situation was so tragic it looked like a living hell depicted in art.
Next was the most important main character.
The Little Prince: Hayama.
Seeing his own name, Hayama let out a sigh. As expected, he couldn't escape; this was a name that had been decided from the start.
However, the girls screamed with delight upon seeing the name—for a main character, finding the person most capable of drawing an audience was the right decision.
Hachiman gave a mental nod of praise.
As for the other main character...
Hachiman stared intently at the chalk in Ebina's hand. The white lines slowly formed words he knew all too well.
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