Chapter 61 This Guys Is Infuriating!

"Listen." Ike Kanji turned back to his friends, his expression unusually serious. "I'll treat you all to a big dinner later, but you must not disturb me. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Of course!" Sudou, Yamauchi Haruki, and the others nodded vigorously, like chickens pecking at rice.

"Hmph." Ike Kanji adjusted his collar with pride, but a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face as he muttered, "Oh no, what if I suddenly get too nervous?"

"Are you going or not? If not, I'll do it instead," one of his friends teased.

"Shut up," He snapped, though his confidence wavered.

The thought of drinking coffee with Kushida Kikyo made his stomach churn with anxiety. Suppressing his nerves, he turned around and took a deep breath.

Just then, a flash of short yellow hair darted past him. A pair of teary, red eyes caught his attention, the sight tugging painfully at his heart.

"Kushida-chan!" Ike Kanji called out instinctively, but the girl of his dreams brushed past him, her hands covering the corners of her eyes as she cried.

"Kushida-chan…" Yamauchi Haruki blinked in confusion. "Was she… crying? What could've happened?"

"This isn't the time to ask questions!" Ike Kanji's voice was sharp and urgent. "Kushida-chan is upset! You guys go check what's going on over there. I'll follow her!"

Without waiting for a reply, he dashed off after her, his only thought to comfort his goddess.

"Uh… okay." Yamauchi Haruki hesitated for a moment before gathering himself. "Let's go!" he urged the others as they hurried toward the top-floor café.

Ayanokouji, who had been silently observing, cast a glance behind him. Something didn't add up.

Kushida Kikyo wasn't someone who'd break into tears so easily. No, this felt like an act—one aimed at manipulating Ike Kanji and the others.

Meanwhile, at the café on the top floor, Hikigaya stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the phone resting on the table.

He had no intention of dealing with Kushida Kikyo. Girls like her, always wearing a mask, were out of his depth. Not to mention, he was terrible at handling girls his age altogether.

He considered leaving. If Kushida realized her phone was missing, she'd eventually come back for it. Worst case, she could get a replacement from the school.

Better to avoid an awkward encounter.

Just as Hikigaya decided to leave, a group entered the café: Ayanokouji, Yamauchi, Sudou, and a few others. Their eyes locked on him immediately.

"There he is!" Yamauchi exclaimed, pointing.

"Yeah, it's him!" Sudou growled, veins popping on his forehead. "What did you do to Kushida, you jerk?"

"Excuse me?" Hikigaya blinked, baffled. "I didn't do anything."

"Don't give me that!" Sudou snarled. "How could Kushida cry if you didn't do something?!"

"That's right!" Yamauchi chimed in. "Making a girl cry? Seriously, man, that's low!"

Hikigaya sighed inwardly. These guys were quick to jump to conclusions, the kind of people who blindly sided with girls no matter the situation.

"I didn't 'do' anything," he said calmly. "I just turned down her request. If you don't believe me, why not ask her yourself?"

"Do you think we're idiots?" Sudou snapped. "Kushida isn't the type to cry over something like that!"

Idiots? Hikigaya thought to himself. Well, now that you mention it...

He scratched his head, feeling the beginnings of a headache. He could see why they were skeptical—Kushida Kikyo was adored in Class D, and her public persona didn't align with this image of a crying girl.

Still, he had no obligation to explain himself further.

"Believe what you want," Hikigaya spoke indifferently.

"You bastard!" Sudou's fists clenched, his face red with anger. "You better confess what you did, or don't blame me for getting rough!"

"Then go ahead and try," Hikigaya retorted, rolling his eyes.

These little idiots, he thought. Always resorting to violence, as if the surveillance cameras above their heads were mere decorations. It was almost endearing how naive they were.

"Calm down, Sudou." Ayanokouji stepped in, grabbing Sudou's arm. His expression was calm, almost detached. "Sorry, Hikigaya-san. We saw Kushida running out crying, and Sudou got a bit impatient. Could you tell us what happened here?"

"Hmm."This approach was much better.

Hikigaya explained what had transpired, his tone nonchalant.

"What?!" Yamauchi Haruki's face contorted with anger. "Kushida-chan just wanted to get to know you, and you treated her like that? Who do you think you are? You should go apologize to her!"

The hard-earned contact they'd gotten for Kushida, was dismissed so casually by this guy. It made them look like fools, which only added fuel to Yamauchi's fury.

Hikigaya's expression darkened. This was exactly why he avoided people like them. In a school like this, a lone wolf like him stood no chance against the mob mentality of the more socially adept. People would always side with Kushida Kikyo, no matter what. To them, she was flawless. To him, the world was simply unreasonable.

"Well," Hikigaya sighed, too tired to argue further. "Not everyone is interested in chasing girls or licking their boots like you guys. I'm not a simp. If that's all, I'm leaving."

"You bastard!" Sudou snarled, his temper flaring again.

Even Ayanokouji seemed disinterested now. He'd seen enough to realize they'd been played by Kushida.

At that moment, a sharp voice interrupted them.

"Stop it!" Kushida Kikyo appeared from behind the group, rushing forward to stand between Hikigaya and Sudou. She spread her arms protectively in front of him.

"Kushida?!" Yamauchi's anger surged again. "Kushida-chan, why are you defending him? You were being nice, and he treated you like trash! He doesn't deserve it!"

Hikigaya sighed inwardly. He could already predict where this was headed. To these guys, Kushida's mere willingness to interact with him was an act of grace. Their blind devotion was almost amusing.

"No!" Kushida's face twisted in pain, and she shook her head. "Hikigaya-san has every right to refuse. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have forced him."

Hikigaya leaned back slightly, a headache forming. Kushida's words were perfect—gracious, self-effacing, and calculated. How was he supposed to respond to that?

"But…" Ike Kanji, who had just arrived, looked dissatisfied. "Kushida-chan, this guy made you cry!"

"No," Kushida interrupted, holding back tears. "I'm just being too sensitive. Hikigaya did nothing wrong. Please, don't bother him anymore. It'll only make me feel guiltier. Can you all just… leave?"

"But, Kushida-chan—"

"I'm begging you, okay?" Her voice softened into a sweet plea as tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over like a broken dam. Her display was enough to make Ike Kanji and the others wince, their hearts aching.

"Fine… Fine!" Ike stammered. "We'll go. But if you need anything, Kushida-chan, call us anytime. I'll come right away!" He gestured to the others, urging them to back off.

"Thank you, Kanji-kun. You're such a good person," Kushida said weakly, her smile enough to send Ike into a fit of joy.

Before leaving, Ike shot Hikigaya a glare that could pierce steel.

Finally, the café fell silent, save for Kushida's quiet sobs, which echoed softly in the air.

Hikigaya felt awkward. Despite knowing Kushida's true nature, he wasn't heartless. Seeing a beautiful girl cry, even if it was partly an act, stirred some pity in him.

"Your phone." He gestured toward the table. "You forgot it."

Kushida glanced at him, then walked over slowly, cradling the phone in her hands as if it were fragile.

Hikigaya was ready to leave, but before he could, she whispered, "I'm… really sorry. It's all my fault that Ike and the others caused trouble for you."

"It's fine," Hikigaya replied tersely. Compared to some of his darker moments, this was nothing. He'd probably forget about it by tomorrow.

"Actually…"Kushida Kikyo curled her shoulders slightly, her tone laced with embarrassment. "I invited Ike and the others to have coffee today, but I didn't expect to run into you by accident."

Hikigaya raised an eyebrow but didn't bother responding. The whole situation felt a little too coincidental. He'd already sensed something was off.

Why were the three stooges from Class D here, and why did Kushida seem to perfectly time her "heroic rescue" of him? Whether it was a coincidence or carefully planned, Hikigaya didn't care. People could gather where they wanted and play whatever games they liked—as long as they didn't drag him into it.

Kushida's eyes flitted nervously, but her mind churned with frustration. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Shouldn't Hikigaya ask why she wanted to have coffee with Ike? She'd even prepared a plausible excuse! Why wasn't he following the script?

This guy never played by the rules, and for a fleeting moment, Kushida doubted her charm. But then she remembered Ike and the others, who trailed after her like eager puppies. That reassurance allowed her to regain her composure.

She forced a shy, slightly embarrassed laugh. "Hehe… You know, my dream is to be friends with everyone in the school. Maintaining relationships like this is necessary, but it doesn't mean anything special."

Hikigaya's expression remained blank. Whatever your relationship with Ike is, I don't care, he thought, wondering how long she'd keep this charade up.

"Actually…" Kushida suddenly adopted a melancholy expression. "From the moment I saw you give up your seat to that elderly man on the bus, I've always remembered it. I'll never forget that kindness."

"Uh-huh," Hikigaya muttered, sensing where this was headed.

Kushida seemed to summon courage out of thin air, her large, watery eyes locking onto his. "Hikigaya-kun, can we exchange contact information? We can start as just friends—it doesn't have to be anything more!"

Hikigaya mentally groaned. Starting as friends, huh? The implication was clear—she was dangling the possibility of something deeper.

No wonder Ike and the others were so hopelessly drawn to her. She wasn't just manipulative; she was a master at playing with people's emotions.

Still, Hikigaya knew that refusing her outright would only prolong the interaction. She'd keep finding ways to corner him.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "If it's just contact information."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Kushida wiped the corners of her eyes delicately with her fingers, her face lighting up with a sweet smile.

"Sorry for showing you my bad side today, Hikigaya. I'll head back now."

"Wait," Hikigaya said, confused. "Don't you still need my contact info?"

"It's okay because…" Kushida blushed, lowering her gaze to her toes. Her voice softened as if she was too shy to speak.

"I… I've always remembered your contact information."

With that, she quickly turned and ran off, her face hidden behind her hands as if flustered.

Hikigaya stood there, his heart inexplicably pounding.

"She… remembered my contact information?" he muttered, dumbfounded. "Does she mean something?" He dismissed the thought almost immediately. No way. He won`t get fooled by her nice girl act

Pulling out his phone, Hikigaya hesitated before opening his blocklist. Maybe he should remove her number, just in case.

But then he stopped himself. This girl was far too manipulative. She might fool ordinary people, but someone like him, a seasoned loner? He saw right through her act.

Later that night, in the dormitory:

Hikigaya lay on his bed, staring at his phone. A notification from Kushida Kikyo lit up the screen.

This girl was relentless.

"No choice," he mumbled, sitting up. "Time to activate Plan B." He held down the power button, swiped his thumb, and turned off the phone.

"Tomorrow, I'll just say, 'Sorry, my phone died,'" he decided.

It was a classic move—one that junior high girls had often used on him to ghost conversations. If it worked for them, it'd work for him. He didn't know what Kushida Kikyo's endgame was, and frankly, he didn't care.

"Goodbye, Kushida," he said to the darkened screen, rolling over to sleep.