My elite romantic comedy is wrong, as I expected.

VOL 2 Chapter 18 Scum

Kushida POV

Kikyo: *sigh* I had too much in store.

I slumped on the table, unnoticed the stress had gotten bigger, it's quite comforting to do this.

Hachiman: Ha, you sound like a thirty year old lady who couldn't get married.

And there goes killing my relief in one sentence.

Kikyo: I wouldn't sound so bitter if it weren't for some bastard who decided to suddenly take a vacation.

Insensitive bastard who has given me too much trouble, first with that stupid confession, gossip flies, making me even more annoyed. But he didn't get off that easy, he had a good slice of specialized insults just for himself.

Plus this guy has been acting weird lately. At this point he makes a reflective face and then turns to me.

Hachiman: You're right, I'm really sorry I caused you trouble.

He says it without any sarcasm, which surprises me a lot, it really seems that what made his attitude change was something strong.

Kikyo: What the hell is wrong with you lately?

Hachiman: Huh? It's weird that you show interest in me.

Kikyo: Hmph, who would be interested in you? Stop being so narcissistic, I'm just curious that you've changed overnight.

Hachiman: ......It shows a lot?

Kikyo: You'd have to be blind or an idiot not to notice.

They are subtle changes that in normal cases you wouldn't notice, but this guy has been avoiding talking to Horikita, Ayanokouji, his group of friends and also me.

Several of our classmates, mostly girls, have wanted to get close to him. If it weren't for the aura he emits lately, I think he does it subconsciously. So no one has approached him.

His sardonic comments have diminished considerably. When he talks to other people he seems to wear a mask as if to indicate that he is fine. I know because I have used it a lot myself.

Right now something tells me he wants to isolate himself from everyone and everything, he is forcing himself right now because he knows the stress was building up on me. That he cares about me touches my heart a little bit.

Kikyo: Aren't you going to tell what's going on with you?

Hachiman: It's something about my past, so no, I'm not going to tell you.

Kikyo: Haaaaaaaaaa, how annoying you are.

Hachiman: Besides, I don't want you to use it against me.

And there's his cynical tone is back. I'm annoyed by what he said though. I'll try to correct his line of thinking.

Kikyo: I won't use it against you, you are the only person for better or worse who has seen the worst side of my life. So I don't want to lose the only place that can accept me.

I say my true feelings, it's what I feel, I thought that when my past was discovered I would not be able to see anyone to the face, I know I am a self-centered person and maybe I can't change it.

"I will accept the human being named Kushida Kikyo" those were the words he said to me. They are cliché words that you would find anywhere but what makes them different are the circumstances.

No one can accept my hypocrisy, it would be a fate that I would have to face alone.
I truly thought so, until he decided to look past the hypocrisy and see the person called Kikyo.

Being kind to everyone is my true self but at the same time this side of me is too. All people will accept my kind self and no one will accept my cruel self.
Is it something that bothered me? Not really, I knew that no one would accept a double face like I am. Still, that didn't stop the facts from making me sad, maybe it's because I wanted something real that I began to sink into the ecstasy of attention. A drug that consumed me until I could no longer turn back.
I've wandered enough in my thoughts that I didn't pay attention to his reaction. She opens her eyes wide enough as if I've grown a second head. I don't need to be too smart to tell that he's sure thinking something too rude.

Then he regains his composure.

Hachiman: I see, thanks anyway, I don't have as many problems with my past as you do, so when the time comes everyone will find out. I can assure you it's not as dramatic as yours.

Kikyo: Idiot.

He's a fool, a complete fool, however I want to spend more time with him, it's a one sided desire that can be undone, I'd like to see more sides of him. It's the first time I want to learn from someone else for that person's benefit and not just for myself.

I want to become friends with him.

Kikyo: By the way, now you are going to tell me all the details of the magnificent plan, you left me in the dark for quite some time.

Hachiman: I guess it's time to tell you.

Kikyo: Did you know from the beginning that Yamauchi and Ike would be the targets?

Hachiman: It was a big gamble, that's why I told you to spread rumors about them.

This bastard told me to spread that those two were in need of a girlfriend, I didn't think it had any meaning.

Kikyo: You directed the attack on them, why?

Hachiman: There are many reasons, but I think the main one is because they are being the main hindrance to the class.

Kikyo: That's really evil.

Hachiman: It is, and I don't regret it, would you rather other classmates be caught in Ryuuen's vicious traps?

Kikyo: You're right.

It's bad what he did, I won't deny it, however those two are the most annoying among all, so seeing them suffer doesn't give me such a bad taste in my mouth than with other people.

Kikyo: I noticed that you recorded their entire encounter, how did you do it?

Hachiman: The same method I used with you, hidden recordings.

Kikyo: Tch, do you have a fetish with recording people?

Hachiman: ha, I don't, you're still hurting from what happened.

I can't deny it, a pretty hard defeat to digest , even now, it completely got me that time.

Kikyo: Tell me the details.

Hachiman: I see you're very curious, you're afraid I'll use this method on you again.

Kikyo: You're right.

Hachiman: You don't deny it, okay I'll tell you. Maybe then you'll understand what information warfare is like.

In a way it's true, if I can learn a trick or two from this bastard it would help me a lot.

Hachiman: The plan I formed with Sotomura and Hondo was just a bluff, that way I could make sure the D-class would think that was the trick under the table.

So they were the bait, that way their attention would focus on them and lessen the wariness towards Ike and Yamauchi.

Hachiman: So before they went to the rooftop, I handed a pen recorder to Ike luckily he kept it in his pocket, while to Yamauchi I placed a small recorder under his shirt collar.

I understand, their downfall was in front of them from the first instant, still I have a doubt.

Kikyo: Wait, what was the need to put a tape recorder on each of them?

He looks at me calmly. His expression tells me that he is debating on telling me.

Hachiman: You can say that I am extra cautious, nothing assured me that they had them together, maybe they could separate them, then in that case my chances would be split at 50%, plus I ran the risk that some blow can break the microphones, in my opinion I had to be very careful.

As you said he is someone very cautious, he really is an annoying opponent, I would be tearing my hair out just thinking about facing him.

Kikyo: But I don't understand one thing, you said those two are just holding up the class, so the best option wouldn't have been for them to be expelled.

Hachiman: I had two reasons for not expelling them, the first is that we don't know how much the expulsion of two classmates can affect the class score, it would be catastrophic for them to reduce 200 points in one blow.

Kikyo: hooooo, I understand, and the second reason.

Hachiman: The second reason is that I wanted them to face reality, humans are forced to evolve in adverse situations, if this experience helps them to improve I will say that it will have been worth it.

This guy saw how useless they are, he used this whole case to bring out his talents, or should I say he is gambling, after all the damage he caused can be considered irreversible, like the friendship of those two, the event caused them not to talk to each other again.

Hachiman: I understand that what I did is cruel, I won't deny it, but if you continue at this pace they will become a bigger headache.

Kikyo: What if they don't meet your expectations?

Hachiman: Obviously they will be discarded, if they believe that their attitude is correct after all these problems, they can only be removed from the class.

Kikyo: Earlier you said you didn't know how the expulsion affected our points.

This guy is contradicting himself, first he wants to save them from expulsion now he doesn't care if they get expelled.

Hachiman: That would be if the expulsion is for something extracurricular.

Kikyo:.... huh?

Actually now I know why I lost so pathetically to him, I have a hard time understanding that train of thought.
Somehow I'm glad I threw out the ideas on how to wiggle out of his grip. It could end very badly for me.

Hachiman: That would be it.

Kikyo: You basically told me that we were all dancing in the palm of your hand. You didn't for a second think we were in trouble did you?

We, the D class, the student council, we were all teased. We were going around in circles at the whim of this guy.

Hachiman: You overestimate me, there were a lot of factors I didn't count on.

Kikyo: Ahhh Yes? Like what?

Hachiman: For example, that Seong guy, he was pretty mean to hit Ike so brutally, among other factors that are not worth mentioning now, you can consider them as my concerns, you know, the kind that makes you nervous before the show starts.

Kikyo: Maybe, still everything went as you expected, that's a fact. Somehow I'm glad you're on our side.

Hachiman: Thanks, I guess.

You revealed to me all about the plan you made, consider watering those rumors was a strange order, but basically it was to catch the D-class in the fishing net. I was actually relieved that he is my ally, I already tasted some of the bitterness he provides.

However I don't know if betting on those two is the right one, he is prone to give second chances, I know, because he did it with me , in other cases the best option would have been to discard me instead he saw a very useful ally. That would make me relax more if he would think more coldly about me as an object.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'm so confused, my heart starts beating faster than normal when I start talking to him. It makes me look forward to the moments of our sessions with excitement. I don't know what the hell I'm thinking.

My chest hurts a little at the thought that we might be separated.

Is that what I'm feeling?

Despite being involved in several such situations, I have never felt that way, perhaps because I know the superficiality of myself and other people I never thought that way.

I want him to be the first person I want to trust.

This guy is scum for making me feel that way.