Chapter 185: Campus Singer Airi
Before experiencing failure, people always carry confidence.
Nagumo Miyabi was exactly that kind of person. Even now, he still believed he would win.
Holding the authority of the student council president in his hands, with supporters standing behind him, his confidence had swelled uncontrollably. That confidence had even reached the point where Nagumo himself had already discarded his rationality.
Time: 2:00 PM
After arranging everything, Hikigaya arrived at the venue ahead of time. Since there were no nighttime activities at the school, everything would end at 6:00 PM, and within the next four hours, they planned to harvest every remaining point.
However, before the event officially began, he encountered a girl quietly crying in a dark corner along an unused path with no foot traffic.
She was crouched there, her head completely buried between her thighs. If one didn't look carefully, it was impossible to tell who she was.
That said, she was wearing the school uniform. Out of simple sympathy for a fellow student, Hikigaya walked over.
The girl didn't seem to notice his presence at all, continuing to cry with her face covered. Interrupting someone mid-cry was rude, so Hikigaya could only stand there and wait, waiting for her emotions to gradually settle.
…
Half an hour passed.
The girl finally seemed to calm down a little. But the moment she lifted her head, her pupils trembled uncontrollably.
"Hi… Hikigaya-kun…"
"Uh… yeah, that's me."
She looked utterly disheveled. Her soft, long hair covered most of her face, so Hikigaya hadn't recognized her at first. But since she knew him…
"W-Why are you here?! No, no, how long have you been here?! You didn't see everything, did you?!"
"Uh… you don't have to get so worked up. Crying over things like this isn't really something to be ashamed of, right?"
"W-What do you mean 'not ashamed'… being seen by a junior…"
Asahina seemed to have forgotten her sadness entirely. She covered her face with both hands, yet the redness spreading across her cheeks was impossible to hide.
'A junior? Black long hair?'
In Hikigaya's memory, the only people that fit were Kiryūin and Asahina. But Kiryūin's dazzling silver hair and arrogant personality ruled her out immediately.
So…
"You're Asahina-senpai, right?"
"I-I'm not! You've got the wrong person!"
Hikigaya sighed helplessly, thinking to himself that 'women really are troublesome creatures', and sat down beside her.
Asahina showed no mercy. The moment he entered her range, she reached out and pinched a chunk of flesh on him.
"What you saw just now, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot be told to anyone!"
"Don't worry, senpai. I've already seen plenty of your embarrassing moments. Maybe luck played a part, but I've never told anyone."
"Y-You… swear it!"
"You're this old and you still believe in that kind of trick?"
"No! If you don't swear today, you're not leaving."
"Fine. I swear."
As if taking revenge, Asahina pinched him again, then gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes.
As though remembering something, she turned back with an apologetic look and asked worriedly: "How long… have you been standing there?"
"About half an hour…"
For someone crying, time loses meaning. But for someone standing there watching another person cry for half an hour, even a stone would be pulled into that sadness.
But more important than that was the fact that Hikigaya had been willing to wait for her that long.
"Th-Thank you."
"Senpai, if you're thanking someone, at least do it properly."
"Thank you!"
"So… what happened? Crying alone in a place like this isn't exactly healthy. Weren't you supposed to be busy playing a female ghost in the haunted house?"
The teasing tone made Asahina laugh helplessly.
"It's all because of you. You stole all our customers. Now the haunted house is practically shutting down, we don't even need a ghost like me anymore."
"That's a shame. Who knows how many customers missed out on senpai's ghost tackle service? That was a special feature."
Asahina rolled her eyes at him, her sadness completely gone.
"You're still making fun of me? That was an accident."
Their relationship had always been subtle.
In private, they could almost be called friends. But in terms of position, as Nagumo's childhood friend, she would inevitably stand on his side. And since Hikigaya was opposing Nagumo, to Asahina, he was ultimately an enemy.
That was why Hikigaya deliberately avoided this topic.
Coming here wasn't driven by any personal desire, he simply wanted to offer a bit of comfort to a girl crying alone. Nothing more.
Hikigaya smiled faintly, then stood up after confirming she was okay, clearly preparing to leave.
For some reason, Asahina's heart suddenly skipped. It wasn't love, but she didn't want him to leave.
"You're going already?"
"Yeah. I've got things to take care of over there…"
"Aren't you… going to ask why I was here?"
"It's probably related to Nagumo, right? As for the rest, it wouldn't be my place to ask, would it?"
Instead, Asahina froze.
In the end, having nothing else to say, she could only repeat: "Thank you… for waiting half an hour."
Hikigaya walked away, speaking as he went: "That doesn't sound like you, Asahina-senpai. If it were you, you'd be more shameless about it."
Her face showed displeasure, but as she watched Hikigaya's back grow more distant, only one voice echoed in her heart, 'Don't go.'
In the end, she still didn't say it.
Just before Hikigaya completely left, she suddenly called out: "Hikigaya!"
"?"
"Please… keep an eye on Nagumo Miyabi. I know you don't want to drag me into your fight. No matter what Nagumo does, more than ten years of feelings won't disappear just like that. So… I just hope you'll be safe here. You must… be careful of him!"
She emphasized every word, as if entrusting something to him.
Hikigaya understood.
In her heart, the care Nagumo had given her for over a decade couldn't simply vanish. She still hadn't realized that Nagumo had already changed completely. People could change drastically in an instant.
No one was really at fault.
Hikigaya nodded gently, returning her gaze with a soft smile.
If… if all of this had to end somehow, then he hoped Nagumo's expulsion wouldn't drag anyone else down with him.
If Nagumo still had even a shred of conscience, he wouldn't use Asahina.
---
Time: 3:00 PM
Everything was ready.
All foot traffic, consciously or unconsciously, was being drawn here.
With Hikigaya's single word, "Start", the entire sports field erupted into celebration.
After two days out of sight, Sakura Airi slowly stepped out from backstage. On the small, hastily built stage, she wore a pink dress, held a microphone, and approached the audience with visible shyness and nervousness.
The stage wasn't large, but it was a 360-degree, no-blind-spot design, clearly tailored to modern idol trends.
"Did you hear? The popular idol Shizuku is at this school! I've been waiting all day, she's finally coming out!"
"What idol? Never heard of her, but it sounds interesting… where?"
"The small stage behind the sports field! I came just for Shizuku. I'm finally going to see her in person, so excited!"
"It's still hard to believe Shizuku actually attends this school. But if she's a student, slower updates make sense."
"…"
Discussions about Shizuku continued nonstop.
From the beginning, many people had come just for the hype. Despite the maid rental shop's promotion, most people knew nothing about "Shizuku."
But the moment they saw the twin-tailed beauty on stage, the hearts of these teenagers were instantly stolen.
'So people like this really exist…'
There were plenty of pretty girls at this school, but Sakura Airi, after makeup, had completely separated herself from ordinary students. Without realizing it, people felt an unbridgeable gap.
Many felt lucky, lucky to see such a beautiful idol in person.
Others marveled that with a face like that, even if she wasn't an idol yet, with a bit of training in singing and dancing, she would undoubtedly become a top rising star.
As the crowd surged toward the stage, Airi struggled to adjust. Wrapped in overwhelming noise, her legs even began to tremble. Despite all the mental preparation, her confidence still faltered at the critical moment.
Standing beside Hikigaya, Kushida complained: "You really showed up eventually… Still love cutting it close."
Hikigaya scratched his head awkwardly: "I had something to take care of."
Then he gently patted Kushida's head.
"Thanks for your hard work these past few days, Kushida."
Warmth spread through her chest.
As the shop's number-one maid, she'd barely rested these days, constantly greeting customers, grinding through exhaustion. Hearing Hikigaya's words made all that effort feel worth it.
"We're basically an old married couple already. Saying this now is kind of pointless."
"Even so, I can't ignore your effort."
Kushida's face flushed. To hide it, she deliberately turned away and looked toward the stage.
"Still… instead of that, shouldn't you pay more attention to Sakura? She doesn't seem to be in great shape."
Hikigaya watched Sakura with concern.
Every night after closing, he'd helped her, adjusting her mindset, learning how to work a crowd. Honestly, he'd already taught her everything he knew.
"Even so, I've already taught her everything I can."
"Idiot!"
"What?"
"I said you're an idiot!"
Kushida knew perfectly well, this was the moment to throw away rationality.
She grabbed Hikigaya's hand and dragged him through the crowd, pushing past the packed students.
Hikigaya was pulled along, getting closer and closer to the stage, and to the girl's face, until he realized his own heart was racing.
'You really can't understand this without experiencing it firsthand. All that theory is worthless on the spot.'
Perhaps feeling even a fraction of Airi's pressure, Hikigaya finally understood what he needed to do.
Kushida was right, this was the moment to abandon logic.
Whether she noticed the two moving through the crowd, or had been searching for him from the start, Sakura suddenly felt her heart filled.
Her nervousness faded, replaced by excitement.
They stopped at just the right spot.
Hikigaya raised his hand, making a gesture no one else could understand. The noise was too loud for shouting to matter.
At that moment, Sakura's eyes locked onto his hand.
His clenched fist turned into a thumbs-up, his face full of trust.
'Airi, this is your battlefield.'
'Take everything.'
Kushida mirrored his gesture, raising her own thumbs-up to cheer Sakura on.
With her best friend's support and the trust of the person she loved, Sakura visibly relaxed.
She took a deep breath, and with the theory and experience she'd built up, she sang hope into the air.
Under countless gazes, Sakura Airi's performance was nothing short of perfect.
In hidden corners, inside the eerie haunted house, in shops running mini-games nearby, her gentle, beautiful voice echoed everywhere.
It felt as if everyone was captivated.
Everyone except Hikigaya, who stood there in a daze, watching Sakura Airi quietly shine.
Perhaps in that moment, Hikigaya finally realized that the cultural festival wasn't so boring after all.
He had always hidden in the shadows, making excuses to avoid everything. But now, like time rewinding, youth struck him directly.
Memories flooded back: entering this school, meeting Sakura, being followed by Kamuro, being dragged on a date by Sakayanagi…
Autumn memories surged like a tide.
And without realizing it, a clear tear slipped from Hikigaya's eye.
"This is…"
Kushida:"Hikigaya, looks like you're not such a monster after all. I thought you wouldn't cry."
Hikigaya replied half-annoyed, half-teasing: "We're already an old married couple, aren't you a bit late to notice?"
…..
Almost everyone in the school rushed to the sports field at that moment. Since most of the activities hadn't changed, many students didn't want to repeat the same experiences from the first day. This was a significant blow to the amusement facilities, but fortunately, it didn't affect the stationery store as much.
Tachibana put down her notebook and glanced at the few remaining customers in the store.
She spoke casually: "It seems I really shouldn't have underestimated him. This guy has a knack for everything."
Horikita Manabu responded thoughtfully, "Perhaps this development was part of his plan all along. I'm sure the school administration didn't expect this year's cultural festival to turn out like this. There's never been anything like it since the school was founded."
Tachibana nodded in agreement, "Yes, the administration will have to take this seriously. After all, there are many important political figures here, and I'm sure many of them have already memorized the name Hikigaya Hachiman."
Horikita Manabu waved it off, "Let's leave that aside for now. In any case, Nagumo's defeat is inevitable. He had a chance to win, but he focused too much of his energy on me."
Tachibana chuckled: "So, Nagumo also underestimated this junior, just like I did."
Horikita Manabu began cleaning up the store. After serving the last few customers, he seemed ready to close up. Tachibana noticed and asked, "President, what are you...?"
Horikita Manabu extended his hand with a soft smile, "Let's go, Tachibana. It's time for us to enjoy our cultural festival. This is our last year of high school, and we've already given up so much. Thank you."
Tachibana, surprised by the sudden shift, looked momentarily conflicted. However, as a former secretary, she was used to handling unexpected situations. She quickly composed herself and gently took Horikita Manabu's hand. "I understand, President... It seems we really need to thank this junior."
---
Inside the gymnasium, the once-crowded space had emptied, leaving only a few students who seemed to be preparing to leave.
"President, we..." Kiriyama began, but Nagumo's expression was filled with barely-contained anger. He had thought he could turn the tables, but in the end, he lost to Hikigaya once again.
Nagumo knew that lashing out in anger now would make him look incompetent as a leader. It would only damage his reputation in front of his subordinates and accomplish nothing.
He wasn't a fool, and he knew better than to let his emotions take control. But while he could suppress his feelings, his face betrayed him.
All the staff members around him instinctively stepped back. If they accidentally angered Nagumo in this state, they would be the ones to suffer, so they kept their distance.
Before Nagumo could speak, a guest slowly entered the gymnasium. At first, everyone assumed it was just an ordinary visitor, but Nagumo's expression froze completely, and his anger seemed to vanish instantly.
"Sima-sensei... why are you here?" Nagumo asked, surprised.
Sima Zhongda's face was grim, and his tone serious. "Nagumo, I need to talk to you. Come to my office after today's events are over."
Without waiting for a response, Sima turned and left. Most students hadn't seen him in two years. It seemed he wasn't just any sensei, he was a high-ranking official at the school.
Nagumo's face went from anger to shock, then to sheer fear as he muttered, "Hikigaya..."
He walked over to Kiriyama, grabbed his shoulders tightly, and roared, "Get him expelled! Quickly!"
"President, even if you say that..."
"I don't care how you do it! If you can get him expelled, I guarantee you'll graduate from Class A! Anyone who can make it happen will be rewarded!" Nagumo's voice was almost hysterical, his reasoning completely gone.
Meanwhile, Kiriyama's phone was secretly connected to Horikita Manabu's phone, quietly recording everything.
Being outplayed by a junior like this was already a blow to Nagumo's pride. There was no need to complicate things further.
Hearing everything, Horikita Manabu picked up the pace, rushing toward the sports field with Tachibana. He had to ensure Hikigaya's safety and make sure he was always within his line of sight from now on.
This was the final move to eliminate Nagumo. There could be no mistakes.
---
At the same time, Sakayanagi, who had received a message from Kamuro, showed a rare smile. "Sima-sensei... it really is you."
Kouenji sat in the café, enjoying the rare quiet of the cultural festival.
But across from him sat none other than Kiryuuin from the second year.
(End of this chapter)