AN: Alright, everyone, I'm back once more for the last update this week.
This chapter marks the halfway point for this Arc.
This will revolves the execution of Hachiman's winning plan.
Which I hope I executed perfectly.
My only worry here is that I might undermine Hachiman.
But I think it turned out to be fine.
So I hope you enjoy this chapter and see you next week!
======================
Deserted Island, Hachiman's Home Planet…
Ryuen Kakeru, the class representative of Class C, is widely known throughout their year as the Tyrant of Class C. He rules his class with an iron‑fist policy—either they follow him willingly, or they get beaten until they submit.
Because of that, Ryuen developed an arrogant personality that refuses to accept anyone's defiance. Just like the situation right now.
"For the last time, Ryuen, I refuse to be your tool!!"
Kushida Kikyo declared firmly as she glared straight at him.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Ryuen burst into loud laughter, a hand resting on his head. "You still don't understand the situation you're in, Kushida Kikyo!"
He looked at her and scoffed. "Do you really think I'll let you go that easily?"
Kikyo's expression turned cold and emotionless.
"You can try," she replied flatly. "But unlike your stupid lackeys, I won't bow or submit to scum like you."
"I do like strong women like you," Ryuen smirked. "It makes breaking you far more interesting."
Kikyo snorted and crossed her arms. "If that's all you wanted to say, then I'm leaving."
Not bothering to wait for his answer, Kikyo turned around to leave—but Ryuen's next words made her blood run cold.
"Sure, maybe you don't give a damn about your stupid class… or your dirty little past spreading around school anymore, but..." Ryuen paused deliberately as he watched her back.
"But let me ask you something. Would you still stay calm if I changed my target to your 'hero' instead?"
Kikyo stopped.
Slowly, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw the smirk on Ryuen's face.
"Don't you even dare," she said in a flat tone. "Or I'll personally end you."
Her voice was ice cold. Even her eyes burned with pure hatred.
"Ahahahahaha! Interesting! Really interesting!" Ryuen laughed loudly. "If the fans of the 'Idol' Kushida Kikyo saw you right now… they might—no, they would absolutely question the reality they're living in!"
Kikyo gave a small, mocking snicker. "Why would I care about those insignificant people?"
"Aww, not only did you break their image of you, but you also broke their hearts!" Ryuen grinned wider.
"But your reaction tells me everything. You care far too much about that Dead‑Fish‑Eyes."
"Don't. You. Dare. Call. Him. That."
Ryuen would never admit it out loud… but at that moment, he actually felt a brief spike of fear.
Fear for his life.
'Looks like the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is absolutely true,' he thought, narrowing his eyes while keeping the same crooked smirk on his face.
"That depends on your attitude. Will you work for me now? Or should I drag that guy's beaten‑up, half‑dead body in front of you to help you decide?"
"You trash!!!" Kikyo gritted her teeth, her fists clenching tightly.
If looks could kill, Ryuen would have died a million times over. The hatred she felt for him now completely overshadowed the irrational anger she once had at Horikita Suzune.
"Enough with your cheap gangster threats, Ryuen. You just sound like a rabid dog barking on the street."
A calm, dry voice suddenly joined the conversation.
Kikyo immediately turned toward the direction of the voice in surprise, while Ryuen's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"H‑Hachiman!!!"
"…Hikigaya."
Slowly, the figure of Hikigaya Hachiman emerged from the forest trail. His hands were casually in his pockets, his expression unreadable as he walked forward with confidence.
"Good evening, Kikyo. I would've preferred meeting you under these beautiful stars under better circumstances… not while you're being threatened by this mad dog." Hachiman said calmly, sparing her a glance.
"…I'm sorry." Kikyo lowered her head, guilt written across her face.
Hachiman looked at her for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"…Kikyo. Come here."
Ignoring Ryuen's presence entirely, Kikyo hurried toward Hachiman's side. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The moment she felt the warmth of his hand, the tension that had been gripping her body finally melted away.
"Heh, so not only do you monopolize the attention of the 'Little Angel,' but you've also taken the affection of the 'Idol' of our grade…"
Ryuen kept his usual smirk, though irritation clearly could be seen in his eyes. Not only had Hachiman interrupted him just when he was about to corner Kikyo. He even had the guts to ignore him and start flirting with her.
"You really are a sinful man."
Hachiman spared him a glance before returning his attention to Kikyo.
"…Kikyo, can you wait for me at the lighthouse? I just need to take care of some mad dog first."
"Huh? B‑but…"
"Please."
She bit her lip. Worry was clearly written across her face, and tears were already forming in her eyes.
Seeing that expression, Hachiman let out a deep sigh and added gently,
"Sorry… but I don't think I can let this slide anymore."
His eyes briefly went toward Ryuen before returning to her.
"After this dog harassed my class with his low‑life style provocations… and now knowing he threatened you as well… this has to be settled."
He paused for a moment before finishing calmly.
"…Using a man's pride."
"...Hachiman."
Hachiman's expression softened. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"So please… just wait at the lighthouse and let me deal with this guy."
"I… I… I understand."
After a moment of hesitation, Kikyo finally nodded.
"Please be careful. I'll see you in a bit."
"…Yeah."
Kikyo pulled Hachiman into a tight hug before slowly letting go. Reluctance was written all over her face as she finally turned and headed toward the lighthouse, leaving only Hachiman and Ryuen behind.
The moment Kikyo's presence disappeared into the distance, Hachiman's expression changed.
He turned toward Ryuen with a cold stare filled with fury.
"Ryuen. You're dead."
"Heh. Such murderous intent." Ryuen narrowed his eyes, clearly feeling the weight of Hachiman's anger.
"Did you really stop renewing your class spots just to get revenge for a girl?"
"…."
Hachiman didn't answer. He simply remained silent.
Ryuen's grin widened.
"I wonder what your Angel girlfriend—or that crippled princess wife of yours—will say about your idol mistress." Ryuen sneered. "What will Shiina say when she learns that after abandoning her, you replaced her with—"
"Don't you dare include her here."
Hachiman's voice dropped to a freezing level of calm. It was so cold that it could give Horikita Suzune and Yukinoshita Yukino a run for their money.
"You're the one who broke off my connection with her in the first place."
"Heh, maybe." Ryuen snorted. "But you're the one who didn't even fight for her. You just let her go. Was your bond with her really that weak compared to the ones you have now?"
"Aren't you talkative today? This isn't your usual style, dog. This only makes it look like a barking dog with no bite instead of your usual mad dog style." Hachiman countered before a smirk came to his lips. "Are you perhaps buying time for your Class A 'allies' to get a backup?"
He tilted his head with a mocking expression, "After all, you don't have your usual bodyguards with you. Feeling a bit insecure, isn't it?"
"..." Ryuen glared at Hachiman, which of course he returned with his own glare.
"I don't need anyone's help to deal with you, dead-fish eyes!"
"Hah! Try if you can, you mad dog!"
Hachiman stepped forward first, followed by Ryuen, who was cracking his neck, the grin on his face widening.
"So you're really going to do this."
"Didn't you want a fight?" Hachiman replied flatly.
"Ahahahaha! That's the spirit!"
Ryuen jumped first. His fist shot straight toward Hachiman's face. Hachiman tilted his head to the side. The punch missed by a hair's breadth. And before Ryuen could pull back, Hachiman drove his elbow into Ryuen's ribs.
Thud.
"Guh—!"
Ryuen staggered a step back.
"…Hah."
Then he laughed.
"Looks like you've got some bite after all."
Ryuen rushed him again, this time throwing a flurry of punches.
Left jab.
Right straight.
Then a hook rising from below.
Hachiman blocked the first and slipped past the second—but the third landed squarely on his cheek.
Crack.
Pain burst across his jaw. Ryuen's grin widened.
"Ahahahaha! Now that's more like it!"
Hachiman wiped the blood from the corner of his lip and exhaled slowly.
"…Your breath smells like cheap cigarettes."
Ryuen's grin twitched.
"Still running your mouth, huh?!"
He swung again.
Instead of stepping back, Hachiman stepped in. His fist drove straight into Ryuen's stomach.
Thud.
The air blasted out of Ryuen's lungs. But he didn't fall. Instead, his knee shot upward into Hachiman's side.
WHAM.
"—!"
Hachiman coughed as the impact knocked the air out of him. Ryuen grabbed his collar before he could recover.
"Street fights aren't about technique, dead‑fish‑eyes!"
And with a savage grin, Ryuen smashed his forehead into Hachiman's face.
CRACK.
Stars burst across Hachiman's vision. Ryuen shoved him back, but Hachiman forced his feet to stay planted.
"…You really fight like a mad dog."
"Damn right!"
Ryuen lunged again. This time, the two crashed into each other head‑on, fists flying in a rapid exchange.
Thud.
Crack.
Thump.
A punch slammed into Hachiman's ribs. Another clipped Ryuen's chin. They separated for a brief moment, both breathing hard. Ryuen spat blood onto the ground and grinned.
"Hah… not bad."
Hachiman slowly rolled his shoulders.
"…You're louder than I expected."
Ryuen's eyes twitched with irritation.
"You're dead!"
He rushed forward again. Hachiman didn't retreat. Ryuen's fist crashed into his stomach.
WHAM.
Another blow slammed into his jaw. Hachiman staggered back. Ryuen saw it immediately and grinned wider.
"Running out of steam already?!"
Hachiman said nothing. Instead, he stepped forward one last time. His fist shot forward.
THUD.
Ryuen's chest took the full impact.
"Now… my part here… is done."
Hachiman muttered under his breath.
"Khaa..!"
Ryuen gasped as Hachiman's punch slammed into his chest. The impact forced him back until his shoulders hit the tree behind him.
"You dead‑fish‑eyes bastard!!!"
Anger twisted Ryuen's face as he roared and lunged forward.
His fist smashed into Hachiman's cheek.
CRACK.
Hachiman's head snapped to the side. The world spun for a moment, but he forced himself to stay upright.
Ryuen didn't stop.
Another punch drove straight into Hachiman's stomach.
WHAM.
The air burst from Hachiman's mouth in a harsh gasp.
"You talk big for someone who can barely stand!" Ryuen barked.
Hachiman staggered, one knee briefly touching the ground before he forced himself back up. Blood slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Still… a faint smile formed on his lips.
"…You really like to talk too much… just like a barking mad dog."
Ryuen's shoulders twitched in irritation.
"Still running that mouth?!"
He grabbed Hachiman by the collar and slammed his fist into Hachiman's jaw again.
THUD.
Hachiman's vision blurred. His body swayed as the last of his strength began to give out.
"Looks like you're finished, dead-fish-eyes!"
Ryuen shoved him with all his strength.
Hachiman lost his footing. His body tilted backward toward the slope beside the waterfall. For a brief moment, their eyes met.
"Heh…It's my… win… Ryuen." Hachiman muttered, flashing Ryuen a faint grin.
The 'exhausted' Hachiman collapsed and slid down the slope beside the waterfall, rolling all the way to the bottom. Thankfully, the drop wasn't deep, just a few meters down.
Ryuen stood at the top of the slope, breathing heavily. When he saw Hachiman's chest still rising and falling, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Even if he acted like a thug and preferred solving problems with his fists, Ryuen knew one thing clearly—if Hachiman died here or ended up crippled, his own life would be over.
"Tsk. Consider yourself lucky, dead-fish-eye bastard, because I, Ryuen, am letting you go for now."
He clicked his tongue.
"But the next time we meet… I'll finish you."
After throwing one last glare toward Hachiman, Ryuen turned to head back toward his camp. But then he noticed something lying on the ground.
The leader card.
Hachiman's name was clearly written on it.
Ryuen picked it up and smirked.
"Hmph. I'll gladly take this as compensation for that cheap attack."
With that, he headed toward the meeting spot with Katsuragi to finish their side of the deal.
—-----
Kamuro Masumi, together with her classmates Morishita Ai, Yamamura Miki, Shiraishi Asuka, and Nishikawa Ryōko, had just finished washing up at the river and were now walking back toward their camp.
"Wait."
The observant Morishita Ai suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing as she stared into the distance.
"Is something the matter, Morishita‑san?"
"W‑what happened?"
"Did you notice something, Morishita‑san?"
Shiraishi Asuka, Yamamura Miki, and Nishikawa Ryōko asked one after another, but Morishita didn't answer. She simply kept staring ahead.
"Morishita?" Masumi crossed her arms, frowning when Morishita remained silent.
Then suddenly—
Morishita bolted forward.
She ran straight toward the slope near the waterfall.
The other three girls looked at each other in confusion, while Masumi quickly narrowed her eyes and followed right after her.
With both Morishita and Masumi suddenly gone, the remaining three girls stood there stunned.
"Haa… come on. Let's follow them and see what's going on."
Shiraishi Asuka urged.
The other two nodded, and the three quickly ran after them.
"Hikigaya!!"
As they drew closer, Masumi's anguished cry reached their ears.
The three girls exchanged alarmed looks and ran faster.
Whatever Morishita had noticed… it was clearly something serious.
When they finally reached Masumi and Morishita, they found the two of them kneeling beside a fallen boy on the ground.
"...Is that Hikigaya‑kun from Class B?" Shiraishi Asuka's eyes widened in surprise.
It wasn't strange that they recognized him.
Sakayanagi Arisu from their class never even tried to hide how close she was to Hachiman. On top of that, everyone had seen how she constantly clashed with Ichinose Honami whenever they met. The two girls competed for Hachiman's attention almost daily, making it impossible for people not to hear about him.
Because of that, nearly everyone in their year knew who he was. Plus, with him as the class representative of their rival Class B, their class paid even more attention to him.
And with the way Class B had been closing the gap in class points under his leadership, it was difficult for Class A to relax around his name.
Still, what truly made Hachiman famous among their year wasn't just his leadership.
It was the number of girls around him.
Arisu and Masumi from their class were obvious examples. Ichinose Honami from Class B was another. But there were also several girls from Class D as well— including the little sister of the current Student Council President and the "Idol" of their year, Kushida Kikyo.
While most of the boys cursed Hachiman behind his back for his ridiculous luck with girls, the girls of their year felt something different.
Curiosity.
They all wondered the same thing.
Just what was it about Hikigaya Hachiman that attracted those girls to him, despite the rumors that he was already involved with multiple people… and that he was a two‑timing scumbag who was playing both Arisu and Honami?
There was even an ongoing rumor that the Student Council President himself was trying to recruit Hachiman into the student council, grooming him as a possible successor instead of the current Vice President.
"Hikigaya! Hey, Hikigaya, wake up!"
Shiraishi Asuka's thoughts were cut short by Masumi's panicked shout.
"...These injuries… they definitely weren't just caused by a fall from this slope," Morishita Ai said after quickly checking Hachiman's condition.
"Are you saying Hikigaya‑kun was attacked?" Shiraishi Asuka asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Morishita.
"Hmm."
The moment Morishita nodded, Yamamura Miki and Nishikawa Ryōko gasped in shock.
"...Who would even do something like this here?" Yamamura muttered uneasily.
"It's no secret that many boys from our class—and Class C as well—hate Hikigaya‑kun," Morishita explained calmly. "Especially after the past few days, when he kept taking the class spots during the exam."
She paused before continuing.
"And considering how Ryuen‑kun from Class C likes to hold grudges… he certainly has the motive."
"B‑but… I don't think the boys from our class would actually attack someone, right?" Yamamura asked hesitantly.
"Yamamura‑san, you're giving the boys of our class far too much credit," Shiraishi replied with a wry smile. "Most of them may not have much backbone… but if an opportunity presents itself, some of them would definitely try something."
"Shiraishi‑san is right, you know," Morishita added.
"Eh?"
"We've all seen how Yahiko‑kun complains and curses Hikigaya‑kun every day. And then there's Hashimoto‑kun, who likes removing anything he considers a threat."
"Tsk! I don't care about those idiots right now!" Masumi snapped impatiently. "Just help me carry him to the teachers' camp!"
The four girls exchanged glances before letting out helpless sighs.
Then they carefully helped Masumi lift Hachiman and began carrying him toward the teachers' camp.
—----
At the deep corner of the forest, Kanzaki watched as Masumi and the rest of the Class A girls finally picked up Hachiman. Only then did he let out a long breath of relief.
"…Thank god. Hikigaya really does have ridiculous luck."
His grip tightened around the pink camera as he clenched his teeth. Watching and recording Hachiman getting beaten by Ryuen had been unbearable. Not because he was afraid—but because he was forced to stand there and do nothing.
He had already lost count of how many times he had almost jumped out of hiding and abandoned the plan to help Hachiman.
But he stopped himself.
Hachiman entrusted this task to him. That meant he believed Kanzaki could carry it through.
If Shibata had been the one holding the camera instead, the moment Ryuen threw the first punch, he would have rushed in without hesitation to save Hachiman.
"Seriously, Hikigaya… you really gave me the most frustrating job ever," Kanzaki muttered with a dry smile.
After letting out another sigh, he finally turned and slipped silently out of the forest.
All he needed to do now was deliver the camera to Kushida Kikyo, who was waiting near the lighthouse—and let her handle the rest.
======