Chapter 85: Goddamn Hikigaya!

After “Quest Completed,” Himekoji Akito fled the broadcast room, tail tucked and face covered in his hands…

Damn, how freaking embarrassing?!

Now, the whole school knew he was a lolicon!

No, wait—”knew” should be replaced with “mistakenly believed.”

He wasn’t a lolicon at all!

Well… probably not?

…

Walking down the hall, Akito vaguely noticed something weird about the way students looked at him.

Different from before!

Previously, ten people glancing his way meant eleven looks of scorn.

But now? That ratio had changed!

…

Hey, hey! What’s with that chubby guy over there, staring at me with sparkly eyes?

And that creepy glasses-wearing otaku—quit looking at me like you wanna say something but can’t!

Suddenly Akito realized something terrifying—now, out of ten people who glanced his way, about four had swapped their usual scorn for… admiration and respect?

Huh? Admiration?

Eh? Respect?

Hold up, this had to be wrong!

You guys weren’t like this before!

…

“Anyone who loves lolis can’t be bad!”

“That declaration was awesome—I totally see Himekoji differently now…”

“So it’s Cult Leader Himekoji who we Loli Cultists have been waiting for!”

“I’m unworthy to call myself a lolicon! I even insulted our Cult Leader before… I’m scum! I’m inhuman!”

“The Loli Crusade… revival is within reach!”

“Offering our Recommendation Votes for our Cult Leader’s rise!”

“He’s not a pervert—he’s a hero!”

“Bizarrely inspiring! Himekoji fucking moved me! And now, I wanna say it too—

Gentlemen, I love lolis!”

…

Seriously? Is my hearing broken or are those people insane?

What nonsense are they spouting?

Loli Cult? Cult Leader? Me?

So freaking cringe! So freaking shameful! Walking along, Akito suddenly wanted to slam his head into a pillar.

…

“Year One of the New Era, May 2nd: Cult Leader Himekoji raised the call, answered by countless souls. Thus, the Loli Cult was formally established.

—Guardian of Darkness, Jet Black Wings.”

Finishing the last words, the man in the shadows set down his pen. He softly closed the notebook…

No—he slammed the chronicle shut with a snap!

Bolting upright, right hand covering his left eye, left hand dramatically flicking open his school jacket cape, he laughed wildly at the sky—

“Ha! Hahaha—cough…”

…

Friendly Reminder—

Chuunibyou trouble-makers are everywhere lately.

Be cautious.

…

Akito scrambled back to the classroom, finally escaping those bizarre stares.

Whew—thank goodness there weren’t any lolicons in his class here…

His classmates, the ones who used to avoid him, still avoided him. Zero change.

Good. Just like it should be.

Akito sighed in relief.

…

The last class that afternoon was Home Economics: Cooking, requiring partners.

Whenever teamwork got forced on him, Akito suffered badly.

Everyone knew Himekoji Akito valued solo performance far above group efforts.

1 + 1 = 0.1? Bet none of us are strangers to that equation, right?

Exactly. Pairing up just makes people trip over and slow each other down—no benefit except dodging blame.

Only the weak need partners!

Quietly, Akito retreated to a counter in the farthest corner.

He needed no partner. Solo was best.

…

But even as he thought this…

The next moment, he spotted her—

Amidst the noisy crowd, someone quiet and entirely out of place.

Someone cute as a little angel.

Someone completely different from those annoying, useless guys.

Saika, up on tiptoes, scanning everywhere like she was searching for someone.

Sunlight through the window touched her face, lovely as always.

For just a second, their eyes met like it was planned.

Then, a brilliant smile burst across Saika’s small, pale-pink face.

Radiant as a rainbow.

…

“Akito—”

The lovely boy waved to him from far away.

“Hee hee hee…Totsuka…”

Himekoji Akito couldn’t help but smile along and answered softly, a bit shyly.

“Well, because there were quite a few people around…”

Talking to someone is so embarrassing!

Totsuka Saika walked quickly over to him, totally relaxed.

…

“Well…if it’s Saika, I wouldn’t mind teaming up or something.”

Because Saika only needs to stand next to me and smile.

I’d get super motivated then, like 200% effort!

Exactly! I want to team up! Team up!

Himekoji Akito, who wasn’t firm at all, quickly threw out his earlier stupid idea that “1+1=0.1”.

…

“Akito, let’s be partners!”

“If, if you must team up with me, I…I’ll agree reluctantly once, i-it’s not impossible after all.”

Almost at the same time, two different female voices rang in his ears.

“Okay, sure…”

Himekoji Akito stared blankly at the cute sight of Saika jogging over and answered without thinking.

As soon as he spoke, Himekoji Akito suddenly woke up and realized something was wrong.

“That…that wasn’t Saika’s voice just now!”

He quickly looked to the side.

Yuigahama and Miura, messing with her hair and seeming lost.

Wait, where did these two suddenly come from?

No, hey! Move aside! You’re blocking my view of Saika!

…

“Yu-Yui, why did you come too…”

“Too? Eh, Yumiko, do you also want to team up with Akito?”

Yuigahama tilted her head and asked oddly.

“What? Not at all!”

Miura, who had accidentally let it slip, corrected herself quickly.

“I-I was here to find you, Yui! Yeah yeah, that’s why! Exactly!”

…

He couldn’t see Saika at all, totally blocked by that annoying Miura!

The earlier smile faded bit by bit from Himekoji Akito’s face.

He started feeling down instead.

…

His look toward Totsuka was misunderstood by someone in a split second.

“Hey, why are you staring at me? Huh? You can’t think I was really here to team up with you? No way! What are you imagining? Gross! Pervert! Disgusting!”

While Miura yelled frantically at Himekoji Akito, her face turned red uncontrollably.

“We-well, since you and him are a team now, Yui, th-then I’ll leave first.”

Saying that, Miura waved her hand, turned slowly, took two steps, but seemed unhappy, glancing back every few steps.

…

“Ah…has Akito found a partner already?”

Saika, who happened to be walking past the cooking station, heard what Miura said and his expression dimmed a little. But it lasted just a moment; the next second, he shone again with a warm, bright smile.

“Hmm, I was a bit late. So I’ll join someone else then. Akito, Yui, do your best~”

“Wait! Totsuka, this isn’t how it is…”

“Alright alright, let’s hurry and get started! Woo!”

Himekoji Akito was about to run after to explain, but Yuigahama grabbed him back.

At the end, the girl added a really strange, meaningless sound.

But forget about the sound—who cares? Whatever about a girl like Yuigahama, it doesn’t matter…

Before that, give me back my Saika!

Himekoji Akito watched longingly as that super cute back walked off and joined another person’s cooking station.

Dang, it’s Hikigaya!

Suddenly, Himekoji Akito picked up a knife…

Hmm, chopping vegetables!

Wait a second, this cooking class is for making cakes…so why cut any dumb vegetables!