章 79: Ichinose: Hikigaya, Congratulations on Joining the Student Council
Hikigaya himself was unsure of the exact reasons why the student council president, Horikita Manabu, had arranged for him to join the student council. After all, his competitors at the time included Ichinose Honami from Class B and Katsuragi Kōhei from Class A.
Compared to these two, Hikigaya felt like a complete nobody.
Horikita Manabu's choice seemed as unlikely as selecting an ordinary Earthling over Super Saiyans or Trisolarans.
It was almost unimaginably strange.
So, when Horikita Suzune assumed that Horikita Manabu wouldn't choose someone like Hikigaya for the student council, Hikigaya was tempted to ask:
"Why do you think that?"
"Is Horikita Manabu really the person you imagined?"
On the other hand, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, realizing he couldn't rely solely on Hikigaya, quickly spoke up:
"Horikita-san, although it might be difficult for you to change your opinion of me, there's only one thing I can say: I have no interest in joining the student council and will not do so."
"Hmph, I'll take that as your opinion."
Horikita Suzune's cold response indicated that her suspicion of Ayanokouji would remain unchanged.
Ayanokouji could only respond with a helpless laugh.
Just as the conversation was winding down and the three were about to enter the student dormitory, a figure emerged slowly from the building.
"Hey, Hikigaya-san?"
Everyone turned instinctively toward the voice, revealing a girl with long pink hair. Her striking features and figure made a strong impression.
While Horikita and Ayanokouji were still trying to process this, Hikigaya immediately recognized her as Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class B.
What was she doing here?
Ichinose, whom Hikigaya had helped and sent to the infirmary during the interview, had always remembered this favor but had not had the chance to repay it.
She had considered going directly to Class D to find Hikigaya but was concerned it might negatively impact him.
Instead, she shared her thoughts with her homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie. After learning about the situation, Hoshinomiya promised to inform Ichinose about Hikigaya's whereabouts. Thus, when Hikigaya was summoned to the counseling room by Chabashi Sae, Hoshinomiya immediately relayed the information to Ichinose.
Ichinose had gone to find Hikigaya, but upon arriving at the counseling room and finding no trace of him, she had no choice but to leave.
When she returned to the dormitory, she suddenly remembered she had left something in the classroom and was on her way back when she unexpectedly encountered Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-san, I'm so glad to see you at last. I never had the chance to thank you for what happened last time!" Ichinose said excitedly as she approached him.
The sight of such a beautiful girl seeking out Hikigaya left Horikita and Ayanokouji puzzled, especially Horikita, whose expression was notably off.
This reaction didn't mean Horikita Suzune was jealous; she didn't have any special feelings for Hikigaya. However, now that the class rivalry had intensified, her instinctive wariness of Hikigaya's connections with students from other classes had been triggered.
"Ichinose?" Hikigaya was momentarily taken aback by her appearance. "There's no need to thank me. I just did what I wanted to do. I don't deserve any thanks."
"How could that be?" Ichinose's eyes widened. "Hikigaya-san, you saved my life! You are my most important benefactor! I must repay you!"
"No, no, I just took you to the infirmary. How can that be considered saving your life?"
Hikigaya was stunned. He hadn't expected Ichinose to take the matter so seriously and remember it so clearly even after all this time.
If he had known it would cause so much trouble, he might have chosen not to get involved...
Hikigaya felt a familiar sense of exasperation at his tendency to invite trouble.
"All right."
On the other side, Ichinose realized what Hikigaya was thinking and decided to take a step back. "In that case, I'll personally thank you, Hikigaya-san."
"Well, a verbal thank you will be enough."
"I see…"
Ichinose hadn't expected that Hikigaya wouldn't even require a tangible token of appreciation. She was at a loss for how to express her gratitude.
"That's right."
Just as Hikigaya thought things were winding down, Ichinose suddenly remembered something and said quickly, "Congratulations on joining the student council, Hikigaya-san! I heard you're the only first-year student who made it. That's really impressive!"
"Eh? What?"
Upon hearing Ichinose's words, Hikigaya suddenly felt two piercing stares fixated on him.
He never expected the hidden bomb to go off at this moment!
This is too outrageous…
At the same time, Ichinose Honami, unaware of the impact of her words, continued excitedly, "Many people in our class were skeptical about your joining the student council, but I convinced them one by one and made them see your strengths! I really admire you and am determined to make you my role model!!"
"Ah, well…"
At this moment, Hikigaya was nearly in tears. He finally understood the old saying: like a fool eating coptis chinensis—unable to express his pain.
It hurts, it hurts so much!!!
The brighter Ichinose's smile, the more his heart ached!
"Okay, now that I've said what I've been holding back, I feel a lot better!" Ichinose Honami smiled. "Even though we'll be rivals in the future, I'll always remember your kindness and what you've taught me. I won't forget it. Well, I'll be going now."
"Oh, okay."
Hikigaya watched Ichinose's slender, free-spirited figure as she left. It felt as though he had been stripped bare and thrown into a freezing wind.
The gazes of the two people beside him were so intense they almost blinded him!
"Hikigaya, are you joining the student council?" Ayanokouji asked, his face showing surprise.
Compared to Horikita Suzune, who was completely stunned and frozen, Ayanokouji's reaction seemed more like pure confusion or surprise.
"It's just a misunderstanding," Hikigaya replied bitterly. He wanted to come up with a perfect explanation, but when he saw Horikita Suzune's gaze, all his reasons got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say anything.
Because her eyes were filled with so many emotions, complex enough to almost overflow, making anyone who looked at them feel inexplicable sympathy...
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