"kaka, Kikyo-chan."
Sakura Airi said hurriedly in a panic: "You two calm down. Kikyo-chan, actually, kaka and I always treated you as a friend. After that exam, we even discussed how to communicate with you, it's just..."
However.
Several people still did not speak.
Although the words were said, Kushida Kikyo also knew that it was she who unilaterally rejected Hasebe Haruka's enthusiasm.
After a long time.
It was still Hasebe Haruka who looked up and gazed at Kushida Kikyo.
With some complexity, she said:
"Is being with me that disgusting to you?"
Kushida Kikyo immediately looked away.
To deal with Wang Meiyu and Shinohara and the others, she directly exposed their secrets. To deal with Hasebe Haruka, it was a threat.
Although she said calling nicknames without distance was disgusting, in reality, Kushida Kikyo also cherished this friendship.
It was just a bit naive.
Maintaining a fake side for a long time made her disdain expressing her true thoughts.
She was just being stubborn.
But things always had to be solved.
"Ordinary..."
Kushida Kikyo spoke in as cold a voice as possible: "I was talking about people like Ike and Yamauchi. If you want to take it personally, there's nothing I can do."
"I see..."
Hasebe Haruka clenched her pink fist.
To be honest.
Hasebe Haruka placed too much importance on feelings and was truly angry at feeling betrayed by Kushida Kikyo.
But thinking carefully.
She actually never truly understood Kushida Kikyo; she just unilaterally vented her emotions onto Kushida Kikyo, treating the other as an emotional trash can.
Although that wasn't the intent in her heart.
In action, there was no difference; in Kushida Kikyo's eyes, it was the same.
Thinking of this.
Hasebe Haruka sat back in her seat; Kushida Kikyo still looked at the wall, unwilling to apologize for her life.
"Perhaps..."
Hasebe Haruka murmured somewhat bitterly:
"We were all just considering ourselves..."
Whether it was Kushida Kikyo or Sakura Airi, Hasebe Haruka only now discovered.
Perhaps.
It was all to satisfy one's own sense of accomplishment.
"Maybe..."
Kushida Kikyo's voice was faint, but everyone could hear it.
Changing perspective is a simple thing; as long as one calms down, anyone can do it.
However.
Empathy is almost an impossible thing.
Neither could understand the other's pain.
"That's not the case at all."
At this moment.
Sakura Airi clutched her chest and became a bit anxious.
"Although what was said might be right, if it weren't for kaka, I probably wouldn't have made friends. If it weren't for Kikyo-chan, I might not have had the courage to get close to hikki back then."
"Regardless of the reason, I received a lot of help because of everyone. I've always been grateful to you for that."
"Airi..."
Hasebe Haruka and Kushida Kikyo.
The two looked simultaneously at the worried-looking Sakura Airi.
Regardless of the initial intention.
Their actions indeed brought huge help to the people around them.
Though some didn't remember, some always did.
"As expected... Airi is really amazing..."
A smile couldn't help but appear on Hasebe Haruka's lips.
Although everyone thought Sakura Airi was timid, in her eyes, Sakura had always been the most courageous person.
She could always do the things she feared at critical moments.
What was this if not courage?
Then she couldn't let herself be left far behind by Sakura Airi anymore.
Thinking of this.
Hasebe Haruka turned to look at Kushida; this person had never expressed her own desires.
"Then Kikyo, since that's what you think in your heart, why didn't you say so before?"
"If I said it, would you have thought it was okay?"
"Yes... that's true..."
Hasebe Haruka murmured to herself.
If her past self had learned of Kushida's true face, she probably would have chosen to break off the friendship.
After all.
Becoming friends with someone who could explode at any time.
It was simply too dangerous.
Just.
Perhaps Kushida Kikyo had already done her best.
Even when it came to the point of no return, she only posted the secrets she held online to vent stress.
She only chose to expose everything after being completely unmasked.
Thinking this way.
Hasebe Haruka suddenly discovered Kushida Kikyo's gentle and difficult side.
Horikita Suzune didn't know.
But perhaps Hikigaya had already noticed this.
That's why he could accept her dark side.
Kushida Kikyo had already done her best, always single-handedly acting as the class's emotional trash can and lubricant.
She was just like Sakura Airi, a little girl who needed someone to take care of her.
"Kikyo..."
Hasebe Haruka's gaze softened:
"Sorry, I never noticed your thoughts before. Can we still get along as friends in the future?"
"It's not impossible."
Kushida Kikyo looked at the wall, saying in an indifferent tone:
"However, think clearly for yourself. Know that I might post your secrets online in the future for people to mock."
"That truly is scary."
Hasebe Haruka laughed: "But if you can't hold on, I hope you can discuss it with me in advance. How about it?"
"..."
Kushida Kikyo gave a soft hum of agreement.
She would absolutely not apologize.
Only by being able to tolerate the other's shortcomings can people become friends; if you can't, then move on to the next one, no one is a must-have existence.
Fortunately.
The two could tolerate each other's deficiencies.
Only Karuizawa gave a cold snort and turned her head to the side.
What was this.
Suddenly it was like they made up.
It made her look like the bad person.
It wasn't that Karuizawa was petty and unwilling to accept her, but past experiences made Karuizawa's heart more sensitive.
Evil words hurt like the winter cold.
A small matter could be remembered by Karuizawa for a long time.
A bit of bad talk could also make Karuizawa sad and resentful for a long time.
Fortunately.
Kushida Kikyo wasn't completely unreasonable.
On the aspect of her disguise, she would absolutely not apologize, because Kushida Kikyo felt she had sacrificed too much.
These sacrifices.
Were entirely sufficient for the reward she should receive.
But on other matters.
Kushida Kikyo also knew her own problems; she was just not frank enough.
"That... this... how should I say it."
Kushida Kikyo didn't look at Karuizawa, saying with some apology:
"I'm sorry. During the last Unanimous Special Exam, what I said was too much."
"???"
Karuizawa suddenly turned her head, full of question marks.
She was even more speechless.
The topic shifted so fast; she should be apologizing to her, right?
"What? Who are you apologizing to? If you're going to apologize, then apologize properly. If you say it, it's not like I can't accept it."
"Hmm? Karuizawa, don't get too ahead of yourself."
Kushida Kikyo immediately met her with cold eyes.
"Don't think that by acting strong, I'll be afraid of you. Who cares if you accept it or not? When I have Hikigaya head over heels for me, I'll have him dump you!"
"What did you say? I'll have hikki dump you right now, immediately, this instant. See who he listens to."
Karuizawa's face flushed red as she glared back.
Her defense was a bit broken.
She indeed had the thought that by showing a strong front, she wouldn't be bullied.
The two truly didn't get along.
It was just that the atmosphere was indeed much better.
Sakura Airi hurriedly called Hikigaya over.
Watching the scene before him, Hikigaya breathed a slight sigh of relief.
As long as things were talked out.
Being able to accept each other—after a little bit of adjustment, the problem shouldn't be large.
"You two calm down."
"Who isn't calm... it's this person..."
"..."
Seeing this.
Hikigaya took one on the left and one on the right, grabbing Karuizawa and kushida's slender waists and tossing them onto the bed.
Meeting with sincerity.
It was truly the best way to solve things.
"What are you doing..."
"Calm down. How about you two change to a different kind of competition?"
Hearing this.
The two immediately understood.
Karuizawa reacted instantly, crawling to Hikigaya like a kitten with a provocative look in her eyes.
Little one.
Let's see who Hikigaya chooses.