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People aren't born bad; it's society that turns them bad.
…Unless they're assholes, then screw them. It doesn't matter if they were born bad or not, screw those guys. In fact, they are the reason why society is bad to begin with! If everyone just minded their own damn business, if only people could be a little more loner-like, then society would be a paradise where everyone respected one another. And, as any pedantic teachers will remind you, respect is the first step for world peace.
That is, until people are given the slightest reason to fight one another.
"Sudou-kun, please stop!" A couple of the girls fro class D took it upon themselves to add to the fire of two guys fighting at the cafeteria. Given that things were already bad, a few girls yelling only added to the confusion and heightened emotions. Making everyone a lot more inclined to let loose as group mentality did its thing.
Idiots, the lots of them. Getting involved in petty disputes like they weren't dancing to the school's tune. Falling in line and slowly being corrupted into the mold that the school wanted them to fill.
Funny, really. But not unexpected. After all, the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School preached to be the be-all and end-all academy for the next generation of brilliant leaders of Japan's future. Boasting enough pedigree and self-congratulatory nonsense that listing all the positives of enrolling would look like describing a high school straight out of a political shonen manga serialized in the Shonen Leap, that would be switched over to another, monthly, magazine after the plot became too convoluted for the average shonen fan to follow.
Point being, if a teenager managed to enroll and graduate, their future was all but assured. And, conversely, the three years of high school inside these facilities would become hell. As one would expect of Japan's definition of success and discipline.
Not like that stopped these hormonal teenagers from messing around, even here. And even after the brutal real purpose of the point system was revealed not even a full day prior.
"Guess I should just eat outside…" And, thrusted in the middle of all that dogmatic school program and teenage drama nonsense, a certain loner with eyes that would make him pass as a distant relative to the strongest being in a certain dice-shaped world, smartly decided not to get involved with the incoming boot about to land on top of all these idiots making a mess in the cafeteria.
Truth be told, the loner hadn't actually cared for the prestige or curriculum at all. In his mind, there were only two real options for high schools to choose from: Those in Chiba, and thus with a chance to have any of his previous classmates in it, and those outside of Chiba. With the opposite effect. That he even attempted to pass the entrance exam of the Advanced Nurturing High wasn't really a testament to his confidence in himself. But, rather, one to his confidence in that none of his classmates would even come close to getting a spot in this prestigious high school. Thought that, after seeing his classmates, had all but evaporated.
Truly, if people like the guy fighting someone from class C at the moment could land in this high school, then the average idiot from Hachiman's middle school could certainly leap all the way to class A. This was the level of confidence-crushing that he had gone through for the last month.
Good thing that, for Hikigaya Hachiman, disappointment had become the closest of friends.
The surest of confidants, the closest of friends. The surest of…
"Hikigaya-kun!" Another one of his classmates interrupted his thoughts. Yes, someone his age was talking to him out of their free volition. It didn't make him happy, however. Because, instead of being proof of greener pastures being ahead in Hachiman's life, it was a testament of how backwards this school really was. Doubly so given that the voice belonged to Kushida Kikyo. The most popular girl of class D. "We have to do something or Sudou-kun will be in trouble!"
What do you want me to do? Get in the middle of those brutes and get sent to the infirmary? Was Hachiman's first thought while Kushida grabbed the hem of his sleeve and pulled at it in the direction of the fight.
For one, although she said "we", it felt like she wanted him to get involved. Staying put and trying shove him into it, no matter how cute her method, was pretty telling. Doubly so after having that talk with the class about how they should resolve the 0 points matter. With Sudou being one of the first to flat out reject the idea of, well, behaving like high school students and putting in the minimum effort possible.
Really, in what world was not eating in class, dressing properly, and being quiet such a novel concept? Sure, even Hachiman had slept through a few of the lessons. But it wasn't like it was a permanent thing, and he had never played video games in the classroom either! Really, what the two self-appointed leaders of the class said was reasonable. But, as usual, the people that did the absolute least were the ones to jump against positive change. Never mind that they probably had zero points for their daily life during this month and that their daily comfort was on the line.
"Hikigaya-kun!" Kushida snapped him out of his thoughts, willing him to go in while other students steered out of the fight or were throwing fuel by shouting from a safe distance from them. Really, it seemed like this would end up becoming a problem with teachers involved. And the class didn't need this sort of heat.
That is, the rejects didn't. Because Hachiman still had points to spare, and he was pretty sure that people like Kushida had too. Those were theirs; they couldn't be taken away. So there was no point in getting involved.
It might even be better if people like Sudou just got expelled, really. It'd make things so much easier for everyone in the long run.
"Hold on." Hachiman spun around and quickly went to one of the vending machines, taking out the smartphone given by the school while the girl that had been with him yelled at him to wait.
He bought a can of whatever seemed like it would explode when shaken, and promptly did so while running back to the fight.
No way he was getting into that and messing his already-dubious good looks.
From there, it was a simple affair. Open the can and let the fighting guys get sprayed like dogs misbehaving. Forced to stop and shield their nose and eyes due to the stickiness of the soda explosion. Pulling away from Hachiman while he aimed it at them.
Was this a good solution? No way. Hachiman doubted that he was fast enough to run away from the two enraged brutes, that now would have a bone to pick with him. And, if that wasn't enough, Hachiman had gotten himself involved in the problem. He was now at fault, as much as these two, in the eyes of any witness imaginable. Because two class D students involved in a fight was funnier than one, and Hachiman had no allies in other classes like Kushida did.
Why did he listen to the girl? Because she was cute? Because she went out of her way to talk to him? The reason to distrust her was that she had roped him in with the other losers of the class… Err, with the losers of the class. And that rubbed him the wrong way. If nothing else, Hachiman would've liked to be thought of as an outsider. An extra with neither guild or affiliation. A mysterious entity (?) that just so happened to be in class D. Not another idiot that everyone thought of as a problem that would drag them down.
Guess that was the privilege of a pretty, mature-looking (?) girl. She could just bat her eyelashes and smile prettily, and idiots like Hachiman would go against their better judgment for her.
Truly, even in this, the world was unfair.
"What hell man?!" Sudou was the first to react, shoving the still-recovering guy from class C away. And seemingly swelling like some sort of green overseas anti-hero powered up by rage, while walking toward Hachiman menacingly. "You too?! Have some problem with me?! I'll wreck your shit in!"
Ah, welp. GG. It was a good run, Hachiman. But the moment that a pretty girl made you move, it was already over. You should've known better by now! Wasn't this the very same situation that made you run away from Chiba?
"…You should go change before lunch is over." Hachiman spouted out, feeling too cold to come up with something intelligent. Something that would avoid the basketball player from smacking his teeth in. For Hachiman knew that he wouldn't be able to even parry the first punch like the other guy had.
"HAH?! And whose fault that my uniform is like this?!" Jeez… Trying to hide under the rug the fact that he started something in plain daylight to this? Why were dumb people so good at re-interpreting things in their favor?!
"Really…?" Hachiman half-choked, half-snarled. He didn't manage to complete his sentence as Sudou advanced and his brain insisted on keeping eye contact and staying put, like that would warn him of any incoming attacks like some sort of game inspired by a british toy and book publishing business with a dedicated parry and dodge mechanic.
"Damn it, Hikigaya. Are you with them? Did you come here just to make a fool out of me in front of the whole school?"
That was the most outrageous claim that Hachiman had heard all day. And that was coming after the whole points debacle! It was looking more and more like that wasn't going to be Hachiman's day. So much so that he didn't even notice Kushida's absence once Hachiman succeeded in getting the troublemaker's attention away from the fight… Only to start a new one with Hachiman himself.
Well, you know what they say. Fights need two people to exist. If one side was reasonable and mature…
Yeah, right. The only thing that would happen was that Hachiman would be pummeled to the ground without even raising his hands. Way to go! Maybe, next time, he would stick to his guns instead of being forcefully introduced to the process of needing and acquiring the school's infirmary services.
"Guh!" Sudou yanked Hachiman by the neck of his uniform shirt, trying to lift him up and forcing Hachiman to tip toe as the troublemaker breathed down on the loner's face like some sort of enraged bull. Which, to be honest? It was almost fine. At least, it seemed, it wouldn't come down to actual blows.
"Know what? I really hate that mug of yours. Always looking down on us, always so self-assured… Just like that Horikita girl!"
Being compared to a girl was a first. Not like Hachiman cared whether someone like Sudou thought that he was cute (?) or if he didn't. This school was still so backwards that Hachiman was more worried about his clothes and being pummeled to the ground than the indirect admission of Hachiman's decent looks.
"Always doing whatever you want… What? Got nothing to say? Will you just keep silently judging me as always?!" Okay, Sudou had an extremely distorted vision of what Hachiman was all about. And, truth be told, this was the worst moment to realize that.
Not that Hachiman should've expected the troublemaker to understand him, but… Damn.
"You're embarrassing yourself in front of the girls." Hachiman babbled the first thing that came to mind. Breathlessly getting out the full sentence before he could choke in his own saliva or start whimpering. He was scared, and it seemed like a good idea to avoid confirming Sudou's expectations of him. Just so the violence wouldn't continue. But Hachiman was actually out of options. No matter what he chose, his answer would be the wrong one.
"HAH?!" See? The guy got even angrier! "And whose fault is it?!"
"Your own, right?" An actual girl intercepted Sudou's question. Meant for Hachiman to rile him up even more; the troublemaker was stunned when Hachiman's words became true. And a gorgeous girl with long platinum blonde hair showed up with Kushida in tow. "I mean, your classmates went out of his way to get you out of trouble. And this is how you repay him?"
"W-Well…" Truth be told, Sudou losing all composure and hint of self-assuredness in front of this girl was expected. For all his bad boy vibes, he was obviously out of his depth when it came to women. Otherwise, he wouldn't surround himself with the guys that he hung out with. So, in this aspect, Hachiman couldn't fault him. He, too, was rendered speechless when this girl placed her hands on her hips and scolded Sudou like Hachiman himself had done something wrong. "He did ruin my uniform and…"
"And." The girl caught the guy's sentence on the fly, looking a little angrier as she did. "That wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't let the other guy get under your skin! What? Should your classmate have gently patted you on the shoulder to inform you that fighting in the cafeteria is bad? Should all of us chuckle at the silliness and go back to eating? I think you hit someone that didn't get out of the way in time too!"
"I don't think so! I saw no one when—"
"Well, because you were fighting! Tunnel vision is a thing, you know?" The girl crossed her arms under her chest, making her uniform look a little tighter around the area. But her expression did not change. "Release him. And be grateful that the teachers were also taking lunch."
"See?" Hachiman interjected as soon as he could, taking the opportunity to glare at Sudou and slapping the hand holding him lightly.
Was that underhanded? Yeah. Would he have had the courage to do this if this girl hadn't arrived to save him? Hell no! Hachiman wasn't built for fighting. Hell, it was a miracle that he could even lock eyes with someone under normal circumstances! But, as someone born weak, he knew better than most when opportunities to get back at assholes presented themselves.
…Not that he made a point of taking them. Again, this backwards school was making even Hachiman act up. So he'd forgive himself for threatening to snap the spell that the platinum blonde girl had so kindly casted on the bigger class D guy.
"Tsk." Sudou did that thing where the bully shoves the bullied one to the side without releasing them, damaging their shirt a little while pocketing his hands and walking away. Pretending not to be walking away from a confrontation that he started. Hachiman had no choice but to fix his clothes in annoyance without saying a thing.
Not because he was still scared, of course not! Not in a million years! It was just that, as someone savvy with tropes and cliches, he had a duty to perform them perfectly! Yup. Hachiman was, indeed, a master of his own craft. Whatever that was.
"Jeez… That was scary." Kushida acted cutely enough, but Hachiman couldn't help glaring at her for dipping when he needed her the most. He hadn't even gone out of his way to talk to her, and she managed to drag him into an even bigger problem than dealing with a cute girl! Hell, the cafeteria hadn't calmed down. Students still looked at him and the girls dubiously. Like they expected something else to happen. "Hikigaya-kun! Are you alright?"
What a terrifying thought…
"Hikigaya… is it?" The platinum blonde girl's bad mood all but vanished as she studied Hachiman from head to toe with some worry in her eyes. "Sorry for not intervening sooner. I should've seen it coming, but I was too slow and—"
"It's fine." Hachiman scoffed. Even he wouldn't be so much of an asshole as to blame a girl that came out of nowhere about two testosterone-filled idiots finding their hate-soulmates. "You did more than anyone here. Even if the other guy is from your class…"
"No. No, he isn't." The girl shook her head slowly. Placing a hand over her heart while worry still bled into her voice and expression. "Still, your rash actions snapped me out of my stupor. It… Wasn't… Precisely the way I'd have dealt with things but…"
Ah… So she didn't approve of Hachiman's methods? Well, even if she had helped him, it was still Hachiman the one that dealt with it. He wouldn't let anyone, much less a cute girl, tell him how he should do things.
"Well, next time someone else can figure out a way to stop a fight without throwing a punch. I'd be glad to make myself scarce, don't worry." Hachiman growled and looked away. His feelings toward people acting like they were better and had the moral high ground were fresh. Not only because of his middle school classmates; but because now he had to share a class with people like Sudou himself, the small clique of popular girls that Kushida didn't quite fit in for some reason, and that blond asshole with a Jojo's haircut.
The more time he spent in this damned school, the more his desire to drop out and go back home grew.
"That's… Fair. Sorry." Hmm? A pretty girl admitting that she was in the wrong? Now that was something that Hachiman hadn't seen before. It felt… Wrong, for some reason. Even though he was 100% in the right.
It didn't even feel good, which bothered Hachiman even more.
"It… It was a bit of an emergency. I think retrospective tricks people a lot in these cases…" Hachiman scratched the back of his head awkwardly, instinctively trying to make the girl feel better. In spite of that, once again, Hachiman was on the right. No one had intervened, so they didn't have the right to criticize his methods. Yet here he was, spineless as ever.
He'd probably scream in his pillow when he got back to his room that evening. Telling himself that he actually showed this girl what she gets for criticizing him.
Pathetic.
"Y-Yeah! You're right." The girl chuckled awkwardly, but quickly got her composure back. As if she had only faked being embarrassed about herself. "I suppose we can't expect things to end perfectly when emotions run high."
"It'd have been better if others tried to intervene too." Kushida pointed out, taking the opening to get into the conversation. "I hope that this helps Sudou-kun too. At this rate, he might end up expelled or something."
"Wouldn't surprise me." Hachiman scoffed, placing a hand over his collarbone. Feeling cold sweat ran down his nape as he remembered how close he had been to being sent to the infirmary. "Maybe that's for the best."
"Don't be like that! He probably just has problems he can't deal with on his own." The platinum blonde frowned at Hachiman. But, this time, it was an expression of faux annoyance. Cute, rather than scary. "We should try to be nice and understanding to one another."
"Honami-chan is right! Comments like these are what get you segregated from the class, y'know?" Oh, how rich of Kushida to say that! But Hachiman couldn't speak up since the other girl seemed to be her friend.
Hachiman scoffed instead.
"Not like I'd want to be around those people. Better alone than in bad company, as they say."
"But what if 'those people' are just misunderstood? Shouldn't we strive to get to know them better? Isn't this school all about helping us grow into proper adults?" The girl's words irked Hachiman to no end. So much so that, for a moment, he forgot that he was 1vs2 in this small 'debate' if he did choose to take it.
"Why should I be the one that is understanding? Where were those good guys when I needed them?" He muttered, voice filled with venom. He had never received such genuinely good intentions. Even good guys, good girls, and all those 'nice' teachers had all been out for themselves. Creating a facade of friendliness to get what they wanted and throwing people away when they got on their nerves.
Kushida, for example, only had skin-deep good intentions in Hachiman's eyes. He didn't know what she got out of being seen as this paragon image of virtue, attention if he had to guess, but it still irked him that the gaps in her mask only ever felt obvious when she dealt with him.
Like, ignoring the losers of the class until her points depended on getting them to behave? Where had her intentions of being friends with everyone during the past month? Had she ever even asked them how they were doing in their studies? Encouraged them beyond superficial words? And now, when there was no choice but to carry those assholes into being functioning members of society, Kushida had approached Hachiman like he was part of the problem?
Jokes are supposed to be funny.
"Well, you clearly have it in you. Anyone worse off would've stayed out of this situation." The platinum blonde looked so sure of herself, that it almost made Hachiman flustered. Almost. Kushida's presence helped center him, reminding him that he was on his own in this damn school.
As in life.
"Sorry, I don't think I heard your name…?" Hachiman gave her an ugly faux smile. The best he could muster, but still not a particularly good one.
"Ah! My bad, I am Ichinose Honami." The girl placed a hand over her heart again, starting to walk away from the center of the cafeteria. Perhaps thinking that this whole thing was over. "And Kikyo-chan said you're Hikigaya?"
"Hikigaya Hachiman." The guy nodded, looking away.
"I see. Then, Hikigaya-kun, I'm sure you can understand what I'm saying. Doing our part is the first step to have change happen."
"But you're mistaken, Ichinose." Hachiman looked away. Following the girl out of an instinctual male imperative of showing their good side when girls were around.
"Eh? In what way?"
"This school clearly has no intention of helping us grow." Hachiman scoffed. "If nothing else, they clearly have gone too far in the 'realism' of mimicking adulthood. Look at class D. The only reason why Sudou was being picked on, is because we have nothing to show for the past month."
"While I agree it's a little too much right off the bat," Ichinose's confusion became serious as she replied. Not even missing a beat to contemplate Hachiman's words. Like they didn't matter, or she had thought about his point before. "The truth is that the school still has our backs, and no one in the staff has the intention of leaving us without guidance."
"Ha?" Hachiman copied Sudou's expression when he'd wanted to pick a fight. For Hachiman noticed that he was hearing nonsense. Even if it was coming from a pretty girl.
"It might not be obvious, but look around you." Ichinose motioned to the rest of the cafeteria. They had arrived at the table that she had probably been eating on, with students looking with curiosity at her while she regarded Hachiman completely. "Look at the stores, the cafeteria itself. There's free food for people without points, there are personal items that won't be denied to you no matter how often you require them, and the library is open for all students no matter the class."
"Isn't that, like the bare minimum though?" Hachiman's frown grew in intensity, seeing how Kushida was studying the two of them. Like she felt like the conversation had gone on for far too long for her liking. "We weren't even explained the rules! How were we expected to work under them without a clue?"
"Not knowing the rules does not exempt anyone from having to follow them." Ichinose frowned a little, worried. "The teachers wouldn't have said it, but you know that taking notes and studying is important. Just like being respectful to the staff, your fellow students, and the class itself. It's just common sense, Hikigaya-kun. In what world would you expect the best school in the whole country not to be strict? Why would anyone come here without even trying to familiarize themselves with the things that they'd encounter?"
"To be fair, there isn't much info about the school available." Kushida intervened, placing a finger on her chin to appear cute. "It's only after we enrolled that we even realized how the students keep themselves entertained without being able to leave the school grounds!"
"Maybe." Ichinose regarded the short-haired girl for a moment. "But, again, these things aren't special about the school! You should've been taught respect and proper etiquette everywhere else. If you came here unprepared for the school to be strict, well…"
"That's all fine, I guess. But it sounds like you're pushing all the blame to us." Hachiman interrupted. "When the teachers didn't communicate with us. They are the ones that know what's up with the school rules and the more nuanced mechanisms, like the point system. Why would they not tell us about it?"
"Didn't you feel like getting so many points right off the bat was weird?" Ichinose asked, sounding honestly intrigued.
Hachiman thought back at all the points he had remaining.
"Well…"
"It was kind of strange, yes." Kushida answered for him.
"Did you ask about it?" Ichinose followed up, unperturbed.
Asking? To that woman that looked one wrong question from snapping someone's neck? Not a chance! Hachiman had so much to live for! Like playing with his gaming console! Or the next volume of his favorite trash light novel, for example.
"Not really…"
"Well, there you go. If something's unclear, then you have to ask. Being assertive in acquiring knowledge is key to success… This is something that can't just be taught."
"Again, you're pushing all the fault on us." Hachiman changed mental gears, trying to keep himself in the discussion. "People graced with good education obviously have an advantage. Just look at the class distribution. This sort of unfairness is clearly too 'realistic' for people like us to work with!"
"But, again, I don't think the school will let you fail so easily. Think about what happened this month, making plans and figure out what went wrong. Let it be a learning experience." Ichinose shook her head. "Don't get me wrong; it is needlessly cruel. But, given the success rate of the school and how obviously they know what they're doing, I think what you're missing is looking at things in the right way. Think outside the box, Hikigaya-kun. Just like you figured out a way to end a fight without lifting a fist at anyone."
Hachiman found no other argument coming to his mind.
…
Damn cute girls, getting the final say just because they're used to being listened to! If Hachiman had more experience talking to people, surely…
"...I'll go have lunch."
"Oh? Won't you join us?" Ichinose sounded genuinely surprised as Hachiman tried to retreat.
The loner was stunned into silence and stared at the girl dumbly.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Although her friend didn't look as convinced, Ichinose still smiled at him. "Maybe you got the wrong idea, but I don't think a small debate like this should throw a wrench between people. You clearly have things to say, and I'd like you to feel listened to."
Hachiman shifted his weight between his feet, staring at the ground for a moment.
"Why?"
"Again, I just think we should strive to understand others. Be the bigger person, so to speak."
Hah… So that was how it was. Hachiman knew what was hiding behind those kind words.
Pity.
"I'll pass." Hachiman looked away, trying to hide his annoyance for a mysterious reason that he couldn't decipher.
"Really?"
"I have to study to catch up." He growled, feeling vile taint his words as everything that had happened took a toll on his mind. "I'm from class D, after all."
"Well, feel free to ask for help!" Ichinose looked a bit disappointed, insisting on playing the 'bigger person' to the end. "Anyone nice enough to help someone who is awful to them is my friend!"
Hachiman gave the girl his back, face contorting into a hatred-filled one.
"I'm not nice." He muttered, shoving his hands inside his pockets and walking away while pretending to be disengaging from a confrontation that he himself created.
Hopefully, this girl would take the hint and stay in her lane. Even if the school was backwards enough to show Hachiman a hint of actual niceness, he was a veteran in losing, in being disappointed. He knew that this girl would end up the same as every other he had met.
He'd rather save himself the trouble that she'd bring.
Or so he tried to tell himself. Not for the last time, unfortunately.