Hiding my left hand, which had been stabbed with a knife, I headed to the hospital for treatnt.
I could have treated the wound myself, but doing so would an the school wouldn't officially recognize the injury. It was necessary to go through proper dical channels to ensure the incident was docunted.
"Are you sure it's okay for you to stay with this whole ti?"
On the way back, I asked Arisu, who had been walking beside .
"Yes. It's no trouble at all."
Ever since the incident with Takahashi, Arisu had stayed by my side from the hospital until now.
"Having you here helped. You were the only one I could ask to do this."
Stabbing myself with a knife to intimidate soone—
The only witness I could trust with sothing like this, as far as I knew, was Arisu.
"I'm glad I t your expectations. But this ti, you really went too far."
She glanced briefly at my left hand, now wrapped in bandages.
"Not really. I can handle the exam with just my left hand. I consider it a necessary cost. Besides, it's not my dominant hand."
Thanks to Takahashi's good-natured personality, the damage was minimized. If it had been a more suspicious first-year, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"Wasn't there a way to avoid getting hurt? Surely, soone like you could have co up with a better plan without sacrificing your left hand."
"There were other options, sure. But this was the fastest thod. That's all."
Simple and straightforward.
Rather than overcomplicating things, stabbing my left hand with a knife solved everything neatly.
"Did you choose Takahashi as your partner because you thought he'd be easier to intimidate?"
"That's part of it. But the main reason is different."
"Then what was the main reason?"
She smiled knowingly.
Arisu had already figured it out. Yet, she was asking anyway—perhaps because she wanted to hear the answer from directly.
"The biggest reason I chose Takahashi... is that he's an excellent pawn among the first-years."
I had always planned to secure a first-year pawn when the ti ca.
Takahashi was ideal—well-connected, sociable, and easy to get along with.
"But your trust with Takahashi is completely shattered now, isn't it?"
"Sothing like that can be fixed later. What matters is the result."
"..."
It would take ti, but if I could win Takahashi back over, maneuvering would beco much easier.
"Hey, why are you in such a bad mood?"
After the conversation lapsed into silence, I asked Arisu.
She had been in a foul mood since karaoke—no, even before that.
Was she displeased... or outright angry?
"I find it baffling that you can tell from my expression that I'm in a bad mood, yet you can't understand the reason for it..."
She sighed deeply, giving a look of exasperation.
"Does your left hand hurt?"
"Of course it does."
A knife went straight through it. Even after treatnt, the pain doesn't just vanish.
"So even you feel pain, after all?"
"I'm still human. Obviously."
Arisu gently cradled my left hand between both of hers, lightly stroking it.
...Strangely, the pain faded. Why was that?
"I'm angry about that. The fact that you treat your own body as nothing more than a tool for gaining an advantage."
Her grip tightened slightly, sending a faint throb of pain through my hand.
"Given what I know about your circumstances, I won't criticize your thods. But please refrain from taking reckless risks like this in the future."
To , sacrificing my left hand wasn't a reckless risk.
She should know that better than anyone.
"This isn't just cold calculation. I simply don't want to see you get hurt."
"...Got it. I'll be more careful from now on."
As if reacting to my words, Arisu smiled.
A natural smile—one she only ever showed to .
"Arisu, you..."
Why did she look at with such a relieved expression?
"Did you say sothing?"
"...No. Never mind."
I swallowed back the question I had pondered so many tis before.
.......
"By the way, there's another reason I'm angry, you know?"
"You an there's more...?"
Her previously gentle smile vanished, replaced by an expression as cold as the Arctic.
Just monts ago, the atmosphere had been calm—now, it felt like I'd been dropped straight into Antarctica...
"Even if you say that, I don't rember doing anything to make you angry."
If it wasn't about Takahashi, then I genuinely had no idea what she was referring to.
At my words, a vein visibly throbbed on Arisu's forehead. The air around her turned terrifying, but if I didn't know, I didn't know.
"Then, can you still say the sa after seeing this?"
Arisu tapped on her phone and turned the screen toward .
This was... a record of ssages with Hashimoto... but...
"..."
"Fufufu~. Hashimoto-kun sent these to yesterday. 'A boy and girl engaging in improper behavior in the library after school.' Since when did you beco so greedy with won, Hachiman-kun?"
The photos on her phone clearly showed and Hiyori in the library yesterday—specifically, the mont Hiyori was sitting on my lap, clinging to .
"I thought you and Shiina-san were just friends, but this level of closeness is far beyond friendship, isn't it? Has sothing changed between you two?"
"............No."
"Pausing that long makes it sound like a yes, you know?"
I reflexively averted my eyes, my agitation obvious.
...Well, one thing was certain—the next ti I saw Hashimoto, I was going to use every technique drilled into in the White Room to kick his ass. That was non-negotiable.
"Getting all lovey-dovey with Shiina-san behind my back... Did you have fun?"
Her voice dripped with resentnt, and the sheer intensity of her glare made it impossible to et her eyes.
"For now, why don't you explain exactly what happened with Shiina-san? Don't worry—I'm very good at keeping secrets."
"...We're just friends."
"Incidentally, I'd appreciate an answer that actually satisfies ."
...Seems like Arisu wasn't planning to let off the hook.
Fine. I feel bad for Hiyori, but considering the future, Arisu would've found out eventually anyway. It was just a matter of ti.
"A while back, Hiyori confessed to ."
"...I see. And what was your response?"
Her smile was plastered on, but was it my imagination, or were her hands trembling slightly?
"I asked her to put it on hold."
"...Hah."
The small hand gripping her white cane loosened, and Arisu exhaled as if releasing tension.
"I see. So that's why Shiina-san is desperately trying to get closer to you now."
"...Who knows?"
Hearing it laid out like that made feel oddly restless...
"I let my guard down. I never expected Shiina-san to go that far... I'll have to make my move too. First, I'll need so aphrodisiacs—"
"What are you muttering about?"
"Nothing at all."
I thought I heard the word "aphrodisiac," but it must've been my imagination.
......
After parting ways with Arisu at the dormitory entrance, I was walking down the path toward the boys' dorm when I unexpectedly ran into Ayanokouji.
Shifting my gaze, I noticed Ayanokouji also had his left hand wrapped in bandages. Seems like he had pulled the sa move.
"...That left hand of yours—looks like you used the sa thod."
The mont Ayanokouji saw my hand, he imdiately ca to that conclusion.
"Yeah, it's the quickest way. Who was your target?"
"Housen. There was a discussion between D-Class students today. I turned his own sche against him and locked him into being my partner."
Given Housen's brutish personality, the likelihood of him being a White Room student was low. And since Ayanokouji had used the sa strategy as , he probably wasn't going to get expelled.
"Hikigaya, can you co to my room tomorrow after school? There's sothing I need to tell you."
"I don't mind, but can't you say it now?"
"I could, but I'd rather share all the intel on the first-years at the sa ti."
Fair enough—it'd be easier to go over everything in one go.
"...Got it. I'll keep tomorrow after school free."
I had no idea what Ayanokouji ant by "sothing I need to tell you," but one thing was certain—it definitely wasn't going to be good news.
...
The next day, as I entered the classroom and took my seat, I found myself surrounded.
"Hey, hey. You okay with that left hand? It's rare to see you injured."
"Did you do sothing stupid again?"
"A-Are you alright, Hachiman-kun?"
Ishizaki looked puzzled, Ibuki suspicious, and Hiyori worried as they all stared at my bandaged left hand.
The wound was deep enough that the bandaging was thick and noticeable—there was no hiding it, and standing out was unavoidable.
"That looks like a pretty serious injury. Will it heal properly?"
"Since I went to the hospital right away, apparently it'll recover faster than expected."
"I see. Hmph."
Ibuki turned away, pretending disinterest, but I could hear her let out a small sigh. She was probably worried too.
"At least it was my left hand. If it were my dominant one, even taking notes would've been tough."
"But a hand injury still sounds inconvenient. If you need anything, just ask the three of us."
"That's right, Hachiman-kun! I'll do anything for you!"
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind if sothing cos up."
Just as I gratefully acknowledged their words, a figure appeared behind Ishizaki.
"What's this, Hikigaya? Did you hurt yourself playing around with girls too much?"
Okabe, who had just arrived, smirked mockingly as he looked at my bandaged hand.
His taunting tone imdiately made Ishizaki bristle, standing up with a glare.
"Shut your damn mouth, Okabe! That's disrespectful as hell!"
"Why you getting so worked up, Ishizaki? If Hikigaya got hurt, it's 'cause he's clumsy, right?"
"Anyone can get hurt, dumbass! Apologize to Hikigaya right now!"
The situation was on the verge of exploding, so I quickly pulled Hiyori behind and stopped Ishizaki.
"Drop it, Ishizaki. I don't care."
"But...!"
Glancing between and Okabe, Ishizaki reluctantly lowered his fist, though he clearly wasn't satisfied.
"What's wrong, Hikigaya? Did I hit a nerve? That injury's gotta be from so girl trouble, right?"
"You bastard—!"
"It's not about girls. I just ssed up while cooking."
I cut in before Ishizaki could react again.
"Yeah, right. Doubt it. You guys think so too, don't you?"
As he said that, he moved to pat Hiyori and Ibuki on the shoulder.
Hiyori was safely behind , but Ibuki was another story.
Just before Okabe's hand could land, Ibuki's arm lashed out, slapping his hand away with a sharp *crack*.
"Ow, damn it!"
Okabe stumbled back, startled.
Ibuki stared at him like he was garbage, her voice dripping with disgust.
"You really think picking on Hikigaya makes you look like a man? Pathetic. And don't touch —it's disgusting when bottom-feeders like you try to act familiar. Do the world a favor and disappear, would you?"
Silence.
The entire classroom froze, everyone having witnessed the exchange.
"—Tch!"
Sensing the mood, Okabe's face turned beet red as he shot one last glare before slinking back to his seat.
"W-Woah... Ibuki, when you go off, you really go off."
"That was so cool, Ibuki-san!"
"Shut up."
Hiyori looked at her with pure admiration, while Ishizaki, having forgotten his earlier anger, seed slightly intimidated.
...As for ? I quietly vowed to never, ever get on Ibuki's bad side.
=================================
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