Chapter 011 Hikigaya Suzune
"A-A morning kiss?!
Mm~ That is indeed something a married couple would do.
However, we've only just gotten engaged. Wouldn't it be too soon...?"
The short-haired beauty's eyes wavered for a moment, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip.
'Is the setting this time a newly engaged couple?'
Hikigaya immediately felt a sense of strangeness.
Speaking of which, things in dreams are usually mostly wild and unrestrained. For instance, he had dreamed of the family cat speaking, three suns appearing in the sky, a male classmate from middle school suddenly turning into a girl... in short, they were all surreal and ridiculous things.
Dreams with a strong sense of reality, like having a wife or a fiancée, were very rare. At least for Hikigaya, this was a first.
"Since it is Hachiman's wish, I will give it proper consideration..."
The short-haired beauty still spoke with a serious air, but the rosy flush on her cheeks betrayed her.
'The 'cool on the outside, warm on the inside' type?
Eek!
This girl is also super cute!'
Hikigaya's heart couldn't help but throb.
However, the more he looked at this woman, the more familiar she seemed. He felt like... she overlapped with the figure of a certain cold and aloof female seatmate in his memory.
"You—you're Horikita?!"
Hikigaya's eyes suddenly widened.
Even though her hairstyle had changed and her chest had grown quite a bit, her gaze and temperament were nearly a 100% match!
"What did you just call me?"
The short-haired beauty frowned, staring at him with a cold gaze.
"Uh... you're not Horikita?" Hikigaya asked back, somewhat uncertain.
"What kind of riddle are you playing at?"
The short-haired beauty's eyes shifted, seemingly deep in thought.
"Hachiman, are you worried about the name change after marriage?
Please rest assured on that. The Horikita family has my older brother.
I won't make you marry into our family as a son-in-law."
She took Hikigaya's hand, their fingers interlacing tightly, a softness never seen before appearing on her face: "From now on, I will be called Hikigaya Suzune."
'Vrrr—!!!
My brain is trembling!!!'
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The next morning, the alarm clock woke Hikigaya Hachiman from his beautiful dream.
"..."
Hikigaya shrank back into his covers, his body wriggling around like a maggot.
'Waaaaahhhhh!!!
Idiot!
Moron!
Hachiman!'
It was one thing to fantasize about marrying a "popular idol" in a dream—after all, she wasn't a real-life celebrity. But to fantasize about the female seatmate he just met on the first day of class was practically a perverted act!
'Could it be that I'm a deviant?'
"From now on, I will be called Hikigaya Suzune..."
'Help! You really dared to imagine that, Hikigaya Hachiman!!'
Exploding with shame, Hikigaya rolled all the way from his bed onto the floor. His head even knocked against the corner of the desk, making him grimace in pain.
If there ever came a day when all of Hikigaya's dark history had to be made public... He would rather hand over his "Diary of the God Realm," the "World Government Report," or even the love letters he wrote to the female class rep in middle school...
Only "Hikigaya Suzune" must be sealed away forever!!!
.
.
.
Going to school with a band-aid on his forehead would normally be quite eye-catching. However, in Hikigaya's case, it was miraculous that no one noticed.
'This is truly impressive...'
"Good morning, Yukimura-kun~"
"Good morning, Kinoshita-san~"
"Good morning, Himeno-san~"
"Good morning, Hashimoto-kun~"
Kushida Kikyo greeted familiar classmates all along the way. Not just Class D, but she even interacted with students from the other three classes. In terms of social skills alone, she was definitely one of the top figures in the first year.
But then again, with Kushida Kikyo's personal evaluation, how did she end up in Class D?
Hikigaya stared fixedly at Kushida, trying to discern a hidden side from her words and behavior.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun~"
Kushida Kikyo turned her head and waved at Hikigaya with a smile.
"Morning, Kushida-san."
Hikigaya nodded in response.
'This woman is unexpectedly sharp...'
Moreover, Hikigaya faintly felt that Kushida was also secretly observing him, as if she also wanted to see through something.
The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds. Just then, a figure passed between their lines of sight.
"Horikita-san, what a coincidence~"
Kushida Kikyo's attention was quickly drawn away.
Horikita Suzune was walking while reading a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, showing absolutely no intention of acknowledging Kushida.
Out of a certain sense of guilt, Hikigaya quickly averted his eyes, not daring to look at Horikita's face.
"What? Have you done something to be ashamed of?"
Horikita Suzune tilted her head, glancing at him with a strange look in her eyes.
"..."
The smile on Kushida Kikyo's face stiffened. The fact that the other girl ignored her greeting but took notice of Hikigaya's gaze made her quite annoyed.
"What could I possibly have done to be ashamed of..."
Hikigaya lowered his head, his gaze falling on Horikita's delicate calves clad in black tights.
'Fine, I admit it. I really did do something to be ashamed of.'
"True. You and I didn't have much interaction to begin with."
Horikita didn't seem to care much either. After closing her book, she stepped onto the stairs of the school building.
'Yeah, clearly we're two people with no connection.
Why would I have such a strange dream?'
"Hikigaya-kun.
Are you and Horikita-san on very good terms?"
Kushida Kikyo took a step forward, her eyes fixated on him intently.
"We're not close."
Hikigaya immediately denied it.
"Is that so?
But in the whole class, you're the only one who can actually talk to Horikita-san."
Kushida narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing him.
"It's just a coincidence that we're seatmates. In her words, it's just the bare minimum of communication based on politeness."
Hikigaya told the truth.
"But Horikita-san won't even acknowledge me when I say hello..."
"Oh, I don't mean that Horikita-san is impolite."
Kushida hurriedly corrected herself as if she had accidentally said the wrong thing, while secretly observing Hikigaya's reaction.
'This "green tea" flavor...'
"What do you want me to do?"
Hikigaya pursed his lips, too lazy to play along with her.
"I want you to... eh!
Oh, stop it~ You make it sound like I'm using you, Hikigaya-kun."
Kushida lightly tapped Hikigaya's chest with her small fist, trying to act cute to get past the question.
Aside from being used, Hikigaya couldn't think of any reason why she would approach him.
"Didn't you say so yourself, Kushida-san?
That you want to be friends with everyone. Of course you wouldn't let Horikita-san go."
Hikigaya used her own rhetoric to lead her on.
"Yes, I certainly won't let Horikita go... Oh, I mean I won't give up on becoming friends!!"
Kushida emphasized earnestly.
'Why did she feel the need to emphasize that?'
Hikigaya continued: "I can assist you. But let me say this upfront: you'd better not have high expectations. Horikita and I are just ordinary seatmates."
"Really?
Thank you so much, Hikigaya-kun!"
A sharp glint flashed through Kushida's eyes, and she immediately stepped forward to grab his hand. A very pleasant feminine scent wafted over...
If this were the Hikigaya of two days ago, his IQ would have likely dropped into the negatives by now. However, after experiencing the contact with two "wives" in his dreams, Hikigaya's resistance to the opposite sex had already increased several times over.
"No need to thank me. In exchange...
I hope Kushida-san will also help me with one thing."
Hikigaya calmly withdrew his hand.