Chapter 10: Yukinoshita and Hikigaya and the Pervert
Chapter 10: Yukinoshita and Hikigaya and the Pervert
…
Toyosaki High School’s building looked strange. Viewed from above, it somewhat resembled the Chinese character “口”, perfectly square.
Classrooms lined the roadside path. Opposite stood the Special Building. Corridors connected them on the second floor, forming this quadrilateral shape. The space surrounded by these square school buildings was sacred ground for the normies—the courtyard.
At lunchtime, boys and girls there ate lunch together. Afterwards, they played badminton to help their digestion. After school, they confessed their feelings against the sunset-drenched backdrop, bathing in sea breezes while gazing at the stars.
Ugh, just thinking about it made Himekoji Akito feel sick all over!
Back before this Perverse Choice System surfaced, Akito had been one of them too…
Ah, how nostalgic his brief, forever-gone normie life felt now.
…
Akito Himekoji and Hikigaya Hachiman followed closely behind Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei.
While Akito completely didn’t care about whatever “service activity” the female teacher mentioned, Hachiman looked thoroughly uninterested. Her little face clearly showed annoyed frustration.
“Hey, this service activity stuff… it wouldn’t be like maids serving us or something, right?”
Saying something wildly impossible was obviously just an awkward attempt to talk.
Since Akito never knew when his Perverse Choice System might act up, he rarely started conversations. Today though, he spoke up for once.
Think about it! Hikigaya Hachiman had no friends, and neither did he. Now, walking side by side? This had to be Steins;Gate level fate!
Hearing him, she stayed silent for a moment. Then she coldly glanced at him with eyes strangely brimming with DHA—a weirdly sharp feeling: “Someone like you, obsessed with such thoughts… did you bring enough money?”
Though her voice was feminine, it sounded low and lifeless. Judging from speech and behavior, she really did have a gloomy, unsociable personality.
“Huh?” Akito Himekoji seemed lost by this sudden topic leap.
“Without money, you shouldn’t go fantasizing.” Though a fellow high schooler, her tone felt unbelievably old and weary. “The only thing turning impossible into possible is money. But even if you spend money to make it happen, dreams and hope just won’t be part of it. Anyhow, activities like this never mean anything good.”
“Look, there’s the Special Building ahead. So my guess? Moving pianos from the music room, getting rid of lab trash from biology class, or reorganizing library books… that’s our likely fate.”
She finally stared at Akito Himekoji, lecturing him like an experienced veteran: “You better mentally prepare yourself properly.”
“Huh? Huh!” Akito suddenly seemed shocked, dumbfounded and pointing at her.
“Why that look?” The loner jumped at his overreaction.
“You can actually say such a long paragraph smoothly and logically too!” he blurted.
“Huh?” The girl tilted her head. The next second, though, she immediately realized. “Hey! What do you mean by that!”
…
“We’re here.” Leading the way, Hiratsuka-sensei stopped before a perfectly ordinary classroom door. No sign marked it.
Click clack While Akito still looked around, the female teacher pushed the door open herself.
Chairs and desks lay piled messily in a corner inside. Probably used as storage. Besides that, nothing set it apart from other classrooms—zero decorations.
But what felt incredibly bizarre was this: A girl sat there.
The delicate curtains fluttered lightly. Evening sunlight angled in. The girl quietly read a book bathed in that glow.
Like she’d remain seated there even as the world ended—that kind of painting-like scene made Akito wonder if he might be seeing things.
So, he stood dazed a little.
Noticing visitors, the girl shut her Bunko edition novel and looked up.
“Hiratsuka-sensei, I believe I requested that you knock before entering.” Perfect features. Long dark hair. Even wearing the exact same uniform as other unremarkable classmates, she seemed completely different.
“Even if I knocked, you wouldn’t respond, would you?”
“That’s only because you rush in before I can react!” Slightly displeased eyes answered Hiratsuka-sensei. Yet even with this pouty expression, she stayed effortlessly cute and beautiful.
“Then who are those two idly standing over there?”
Hey! He’d just thought “cute” though! That cold stare pierced Akito before he could prepare himself. He met her eyes. Now he could see her face clearly.
Indeed, it was Yukinoshita Yukino from class 2-J.
Of course, Akito knew her name and face—but he’d never spoken to her. No helping that. Talking to people at school was already an incredibly rare event for Akito Himekoji.
Toyosaki High had nine regular classes and one special “International Education Class”. Average test scores there were two or three points above regular classes. Kids returnees or aiming to study abroad gathered there.
Within such a spotlighted group, Yukinoshita Yukino shone brightest. Year-long top scorer in every quiz and final exam.
Brilliant academics combined with stunning looks ensured constant attention.
In short, among the top school beauties. Like Akito, she was a famous name everyone knew.
Except her fame came the opposite way. Since enrollment, she’d ranked top five in popularity polls.
Simply put, the absolute opposite extreme from Akito Himekoji, whose name graced the “TOP REFUSE TO SOCIALIZE” list.
…
“So, who’s that idiot standing still over there?”
Akito’s first reaction to Yukinoshita’s words wasn’t bristling at “idiot” nor her careless, superior tone—it was just relief.
Yes, purely relief—
Whew… she doesn’t recognize me! Lucky!
“This is Himekoji—”
“I know. Pervert-kun Himekoji Akito. I meant the other one. The woman beside him, standing idly with that gloomy face?” Yukinoshita bluntly cut off Hiratsuka-sensei’s words.
Instantly, two faces twisted into expressions saying “just bury me now.”
Akito Himekoji’s thoughts:
Crap! I was just celebrating she didn’t know me! Is this legendary instant karma? But damn… my reputation truly is awful. Even Yukinoshita-san, who’s had zero contact with me, recognized me instantly. I wish she didn’t know at all! Plus… “Pervert-kun”? That “kun” has to be mocking, right? Absolutely!
Hikigaya Hachiman’s thoughts:
Well… her not knowing me wouldn’t have hurt anyway. But “idly standing” does sting a little. Gloomy face though? I’m just expressionless!
True to Yukinoshita form—her first words severely wounded both already thick-skinned beings. Granted, the prettier a girl is, the more her words sting you. Same lines, but said by them? That killing power is unique.
“Ah, her? That’s Hikigaya. Wants to join the club. Hey! Introduce yourself!” Hiratsuka-sensei gestured at Hachiman to speak—likely urging a self-intro.
“Hikigaya Hachiman. Class 2-B. Umm… what’s this ‘join’ thing?” she mumbled.
“Agreed! I don’t wanna join either!” Akito hurriedly raised his hand. Alongside Hachiman, they formed the unbreakable “Go Home Club Alliance”.
“Quiet! Stand properly over there. Who said you were joining?! Besides, Yukinoshita could never accept a pervert like you in her club!”
The unbreakable “Go Home Club Alliance” crumbled instantly…
Akito awkwardly lowered his still-raised hand. Admittedly, escaping club joining sounded great. But succeeding through outright rejection? Somehow, that only made his mood heavier.
“Then why must I participate? And… join which club? What even is this place?” Hikigaya mumbled again nearby.
“This is punishment! Objection, refusal, protest, questions, answers—all forbidden! Calm down, reflect on yourself properly!” Unleashing torrential momentum, Hiratsuka-sensei left Hikigaya zero room to protest.
Next, softening her expression, she looked toward Yukinoshita:
“Anyway, you can tell at a glance right? How rotten to their core they are. That’s why they became such pitiful, friendless creatures.”
So… she could tell instantly?
Akito Himekoji and Hikigaya Hachiman unconsciously exchanged a glance simultaneously.
Whoa! This guy’s a creep! Why look at me at a time like this?!
Identical thoughts flashed through both minds. Instantly, both twisted their heads away pointedly.
“Well… since I clearly don’t need to join anything, I’ll get going. Good luck with all this.” Akito got a terrible feeling—lingering meant super troublesome events—so he tried to escape early.
“Stop!” Hiratsuka-sensei grabbed his collar, scolding irritably. “I brought you here specifically for Yukinoshita’s reformation!”
“I refuse! A good beating from you, sensei, should be lesson enough for him.”
…This Yukinoshita woman was terrifying.
“A fine solution. I considered that too. But recently, the higher-ups got stricter. Physical violence is clearly banned.”
…A fine solution?! You seriously think that’s fine?! For the very first time, Akito felt grateful to said “higher-ups”. Good job! That ban came perfectly timed!
“I still can’t accept it! Merely thinking that perverted man over there might be leering with shady, obscene, malicious eyes—it feels dangerous enough!” Yukinoshita clutched her collar (which wasn’t disheveled at all) while glaring harshly at Akito.
Poor, innocent Akito hadn’t looked! Truly hadn’t!
Then again, why did Yukinoshita wear white sports underwear today? It definitely suited her delicate face, adding unique style…
What? You ask how Akito knew it was white?
Shameful! Even readers, who seemed like allies, harbored such malicious assumptions. He hadn’t looked! Absolutely not! Accidentally caught it in his gaze and absentmindedly stared a tiny bit… really teeny-tiny!
“Peace, Yukinoshita. This guy’s already got files at the police station.” Hiratsuka-sensei deadpanned.
“If anything, what the teacher just said makes me more anxious.” Yukinoshita’s words made Akito inexplicably agree inside.
Yeah! Hearing that himself… why didn’t he feel reassured either now?!
Awkward… awkward… awkward…