Chapter 24: Pervert, Hero, and Idiot

…

Bang!

The sound of hitting the table overlapped at one moment.

Someone at the other end of the classroom unexpectedly beat Himekoji Akito to it and was the first to stand up in a heroic and dashing way.

“Hey, you over there…”

“Shut up!”

‘Hey, you over there, stop that.’

That was probably what Hikigaya was going to say.

However, before that, Miura had already glared at her like a snake with a ‘swoosh’, blocking all the big and brave words she was about to shout loudly back into her throat.

“Um… Then, go buy a drink over there. But… it’s fine.”

So, instantly losing her spirit, Hikigaya changed what she said abruptly, looking tired like a flower hit by frost.

Completely ignoring Hikigaya, who acted all tough at first but then gave up and drooped, Miura looked down at Yuigahama who seemed to shrink.

“Listen, I’m only saying this because I care about you, Yui. Your wishy-washy attitude is so annoying!”

She said she cared about Yuigahama, but wasn’t the emotional stuff really for herself?

The words themselves were contradictory, but in Miura’s mind, they weren’t. Why? Because she was the Queen of this group. A ruler in a feudal society should obviously decide all the rules.

“…Sorry.”

“Huh? Sorry again?”

Miura mixed surprise and anger and snorted through her nose. Just from that, Yuigahama shrank even smaller in front of Miura.

Wasn’t this bullying?

Enough already! Too frustrating!

Just watching this affected my mood. The tense and heavy atmosphere was unbearable! So, please, could your youth drama not drag innocent bystanders into it?

Himekoji Akito, who earlier held back and kept watching because someone beat him to it, finally decided to step up again.

This time, not just for Yuigahama, but also to get Hikigaya’s part back.

Narrowing his eyes, Himekoji Akito’s gaze turned sharp and like a knife, aimed straight at the flashy-dressed Miura—

Well, you self-important fool woman, do you have any idea how much effort it took for someone like Hikigaya, who has the “Wall of Solitude”, to decide to help others?

Believing that being alone makes you the best, thinking those with no ties and nothing to protect are the strongest—she barely managed to step up this once!

Before that, how many excuses did she have to tell herself to convince herself? You wouldn’t understand, right?

Yet, your “shut up” threw all that away.

How horrible!

…

Hmm? Why was Himekoji Akito so sure about this?

Because, they were the same kind of people…

Lonely people.

Himekoji Akito, who has the “Innate Barrier: King’s Solitude”, and Hikigaya, who has the “Absolute Defense: Wall of Solitude”… Uh, after shifting the topic to such childish stuff, it’s really embarrassing, so let’s stop here…

Back to the point—

When Himekoji Akito suddenly stood up and turned toward them, Yuigahama was also looking at him with wet, shiny eyes. Both things strangely happened at the exact same moment.

Idiot, don’t cry!

It’s annoying and uncomfortable. Himekoji Akito hated a girl’s tears because, when they smiled, it was way prettier than crying.

“Hey, Yui, who are you looking at? And you’ve been apologizing the whole time since earlier, haven’t you? I really don’t get what you’re doing!”

As if aiming perfectly for that moment, Miura spoke up coldly out of nowhere.

Then, Yuigahama didn’t have time to answer because that opening was stolen by a careless voice laughing playfully.

“Ha, compared to that idiot, I’m way easier to understand, right? So, Miura-san, since you don’t know what Yuigahama is up to, why not guess what I—what I want to do right now?”

With a carefree tone, Himekoji Akito was somehow already near Miura, one hand casually resting on her shoulder, grinning with his head tilted.

If anyone didn’t know he was a Pervert from the start, this cool-but-rugged way of flirting, combined with Himekoji Akito’s good looks, might actually have worked?

But that was only an if.

“Get your dirty hands off!”

Probably shocked that Himekoji Akito would dare mess with her. Miura froze only briefly before snapping back, frowning with displeasure, and scolding coldly.

Himekoji Akito didn’t budge. No, maybe he was… even bolder?

The “Normie” group’s base was always at the back of the classroom, meaning close to the wall. With a push, Himekoji Akito backed Miura into the corner, his other hand smoothly landing on the wall.

Yes, it was a Kabedon.

He’d rehearsed this pose countless times in his head, so he pulled it off smoothly and coolly.

Well, “cool” was probably only in Himekoji Akito’s eyes. Lonely people had to learn to admire themselves alone. Because “bias” is like tinted glasses that hide and cover all of someone’s good points and charm.

Trapped in the corner, Miura turned her head away in anger and shame, as if not wanting to look at the Pervert eye to eye.

“What do you want?”

But finally, she said the line Himekoji Akito had created just for her.

“You.”

Himekoji Akito lowered his head slightly, looking down at the girl with a teasing glance. He spoke lightly, barely saying a word.

“What?”

Miura’s voice was cold, tense, and full of impatience.

“Oh? I thought I made it clear. What do I want? It’s you, of course. I want to do you.”

A sly smile played on his lips, but his eyes were icy cold.

It was his usual style—undeniably Pervert words and undeniably Pervert actions.

Himekoji Akito was a Pervert. This kind of Pervert toyed with others and hurt himself, so he deserved no friends. That was right, wasn’t it?

But even as a Pervert, he lived openly. He never denied his wrong self or ran from it. On top of that, he stubbornly and idiotically stuck to some minor justice.

Like this time—

Standing up fearlessly, stealing all the stares and pressure off Yuigahama.

‘The spot for taking attacks belongs to me. How could I let someone else have it?’

Inside, he was happily telling himself these cool thoughts.

What do you think? In a way, he was a hero stepping up. Would Yuigahama think that?

Probably not…

In her eyes, I’m probably just a Pervert. Only a Pervert, just a Pervert.

Because no hero would pull this villain-like act. Because no hero would say this villain-like line.

But anyway, idiot Yuigahama, wipe your tears first, okay?

A girl crying wasn’t ugly, but for some reason, it was annoying and uncomfortable. Himekoji Akito hated tears—he could keep repeating that.

…

“You… are an idiot…”

Through sniffles, Yuigahama squeezed out that phrase softly and haltingly.

And the next instant, her eyes got even wetter…

Hey, I don’t want to be called an idiot by an idiot like you!

Bad luck. Himekoji Akito heard Yuigahama’s faint whisper, which was so quiet without careful listening.

He wished he hadn’t heard it.

And those teary eyes—he also wished he’d never seen them.

…

The classroom had fallen silent earlier from the Miura Queen’s anger. Now, suddenly, it became noisy again because of Himekoji Akito’s mess—

“Is he acting up again?”

“It’s starting, it’s starting—the Perverted Prince’s pervert time.”

“Gross! Creepy!”

…

Criticism flooded in from all sides like a tide, drowning Himekoji Akito in no time.

In exchange, by bearing the usual insults and cold stares, what Himekoji Akito got was—

Yuigahama escaping from where she was being attacked earlier.

Yep, that was enough.

As Himekoji Akito believed, in this world, everything followed the “equal exchange” rule.

Others’ kindness and favors were all burdens, and you could only be free after paying them back.

By helping this way on his own, no matter if Yuigahama accepted it or not, or how she felt, at least Himekoji Akito could finally feel calm and light.

Equal exchange emphasized “equal” because after the trade, it meant everything was settled.

Whether it was guilt over bothering her a year ago, the cookies he got today, or the extra kindness and gentleness she sometimes showed him unneeded, after this, it could all be canceled out.

…

“Id… idiot…”

Even mixed in with the loud criticisms around, Yuigahama’s faint, teary voice stood out clearly.

That’s cheating! The emotion in her tone was too strong—it pierced right through Himekoji Akito’s defenses.

Hey, I don’t want to be called an idiot by an idiot like you!

In a panic, Himekoji Akito could only tease.