"Listen."
Ike Kanji turned to his friends with a serious expression. "I'll treat you all to a big dinner later, but you must not disturb me. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Of course!"
Sudou, Yamauchi, and the others nodded eagerly, like chickens pecking at rice.
Ike Kanji smirked as he adjusted his collar but then suddenly hesitated, his expression shifting. "Damn, why am I getting nervous all of a sudden?"
"Are you going or not? If not, I'll do it instead," someone teased.
"Shut up!" Ike snapped, feeling even more uneasy at the thought of having coffee with Kushida Kikyo.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around, ready to make his move.
At that moment, a flash of short yellow hair passed by him, and he caught sight of tear-filled red eyes that tugged at his heartstrings.
"Kushida-chan!" Ike called out instinctively.
But his dream girl walked past him, her arms covering the corners of her eyes as if hiding her sorrow.
"Kushida-chan..."
Yamauchi blinked in confusion. "She looks like she's crying. What happened?"
"Now's not the time to discuss that!" Ike suddenly panicked. "Kushida-chan is upset. You guys check out what's going on over there, and I'll go after her!"
Without waiting for a response, he ran after her without hesitation, determined to comfort her.
"Ah? Oh—okay!" Yamauchi nodded, still a bit stunned. "Let's go check it out!"
With that, the group hurried toward the top-floor café.
Ayanokouji, who had been watching silently, glanced back thoughtfully.
Something wasn't right.
Kushida Kikyo was not the type to cry so easily. This had to be an act.
And from the way Ike Kanji and the others fell for it, she was clearly taking advantage of their emotions.
Top-Floor Café
Hikigaya leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the phone resting on the table.
Honestly, he had zero interest in dealing with Kushida Kikyo.
She was the kind of person who constantly wore a mask, and he had no patience for that.
Besides, he was bad at dealing with girls his age.
Maybe it was best to just leave.
If Kushida realized her phone was missing, she'd come back to look for it.
And if she couldn't find it, she could always apply for a new one from the school.
Yeah, he should just go.
But just as he stood up to leave, the door swung open.
"I saw him! It's him!" Yamauchi's sharp voice rang out.
Hikigaya turned around, confused.
"Figures." Sudou stepped forward, veins popping on his forehead. "It's you again. What did you do to Kushida, you bastard?"
"Uh?" Hikigaya blinked, utterly baffled. "I didn't do anything."
Or rather, he didn't even consider himself the type to cause trouble.
Not many people came to this café—mostly girls taking pictures when they first got on the cruise. But as time passed, they found other spots to hang out.
So why were there suddenly so many people here?
"Don't joke around!" Sudou growled. "Why else would Kushida be crying?"
"Yeah!" Yamauchi chimed in. "Making a girl cry is just low, man!"
Hikigaya sighed.
These guys didn't even bother to hear his side of the story before jumping to conclusions.
There were always guys like this—unconditionally siding with girls, assuming they were always the victims.
It was the same in junior high.
He understood why Sudou and the others wanted to defend Kushida. She was popular in Class D, and they clearly had a soft spot for her.
But licking boots wouldn't get them anywhere.
"If you insist..." Hikigaya muttered, unfazed. "I just rejected her request. That's all. If you don't believe me, go ask Kushida yourself."
"You think we're idiots?" Sudou's anger flared. "Just a rejection? Do you think Kushida-chan is that weak?"
Hikigaya sighed, rubbing his temples.
Of course, they wouldn't believe him.
Kushida had them wrapped around her little finger.
But honestly, he didn't owe these guys an explanation.
"If you don't believe me, that's fine," he said indifferently.
"You bastard!" Sudou clenched his fists. "Confess, or I'll beat the truth out of you!"
"Oh?" Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. "Then go ahead and try."
These guys always resorted to violence. Did they think the cameras above them were just decorations?
"Calm down, Sudou," Ayanokouji suddenly intervened, grabbing his arm. His voice was as calm as ever.
"Sorry, Hikigaya-san. We just saw Kushida crying, and Sudou got a little too emotional. Can you tell us what happened here?"
Now, this was a reasonable approach.
Hikigaya sighed and explained the situation.
"Ha?" Yamauchi scoffed. "Kushida-chan just wanted to be friends, and you turned her down? Who do you think you are? Apologize to her!"
Oh, so now he was the bad guy?
These guys were hopeless.
Hikigaya scratched his head.
This was why he avoided people.
As a loner, he was always the easy target for group bias.
No matter what he said, he'd always be the one in the wrong.
This world was unfair like that.
"Well..." Hikigaya exhaled. "Not everyone enjoys chasing girls and licking their boots like you guys. If we're done here, I'm leaving."
"You bastard—!"
"Stop!"
A gentle yet firm voice cut through the tension.
Kushida Kikyo suddenly appeared, stepping between Hikigaya and the others, arms outstretched as if shielding him.
"Kushida?" Yamauchi looked shocked. "Why are you protecting him? He was rude to you!"
Kushida shook her head, her expression pained. "Hikigaya has the right to refuse. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have pressured him."
Hikigaya watched silently, his headache worsening.
Now she was playing the victim.
Typical.
"But—" Ike Kanji hesitated. "Kushida-chan, this guy made you cry."
"No." Kushida wiped away a tear. "I'm just too sensitive. Hikigaya didn't do anything wrong. Please, don't bother him anymore."
"But... Kushida-chan..."
"I'm begging you," she pleaded softly.
Her voice cracked, and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
Ike Kanji and the others winced in pain.
"Okay, okay!" Ike surrendered, raising his hands. "We'll leave. But if anything happens, call us, alright?"
"Thank you, Ike-kun. You're such a good person."
Ike Kanji's face lit up with joy, shooting Hikigaya a glare before leading the others away.
Silence fell over the café again, save for Kushida's occasional sobs.
Hikigaya sighed.
He wasn't heartless.
Seeing a girl cry—even if she was fake—was still awkward.
"Your phone." He gestured toward the table. "You forgot it."
Kushida glanced at him before picking it up and holding it close.
"Um... I'm really sorry," she murmured. "It's my fault that Ike-kun and the others misunderstood you."
"...It's fine," Hikigaya muttered.
He didn't care enough to be mad.
But then Kushida suddenly asked, "Hikigaya... can we exchange contact information?"
Ah.
So this was her real goal.
Hikigaya exhaled.
Fine. If it meant she'd stop bothering him—
"Alright. If it's just contact info."
Kushida smiled sweetly, wiping away her tears.
"Actually... I already memorized your number."
Hikigaya blinked.
What?
His heart skipped a beat.
Wait.
What the hell was this girl playing at?
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