Chapter 77 Her True Feelings

"Sit down." Ichinose sat on the lawn, curling her legs up, and lightly patted the empty spot beside her.

"No, I'll just stand," Hikigaya replied, shaking his head. Sitting beside Ichinose? That sounded like a death sentence. The burning glares from others would probably leave him scorched. He wasn't eager to take that risk.

"But one of us standing and the other sitting… isn't that odd?" Ichinose tilted her head with a slight smile.

"...True." Hikigaya hesitated, but Ichinose kept patting the spot beside her, clearly insistent. Not wanting to make her worry unnecessarily, he relented and sat—though he made sure to leave a noticeable distance between them.

"Hikigaya-kun you wanted to ask about what event you joining, right?" Ichinose said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "In addition to the individual events, you're only participating in one of the recommended competitions: the mixed-gender three-legged race."

"...Why me?" Hikigaya's lips twitched at the corners. With so many athletic students in Class B, why did they pick someone like him? He had nothing against being overlooked for events that required skill or coordination—he preferred it, actually.

"Two people, three legs," he muttered, grimacing. "It doesn't demand much physical strength, sure, but it's all about cooperation. And it's a mixed-gender event. Couldn't I do the 1,200-meter relay and save myself the embarrassment?"

"Well…" Ichinose sighed lightly. "It seems not many people were willing to sign up for the mixed three-legged race. Maybe they felt shy about it."

"Shy, huh…" Hikigaya nodded. He could picture it now: students hesitating, worried their intentions might look too obvious if they volunteered. After all, signing up meant wanting to pair up with someone from the opposite gender.

"It's not like there were no volunteers," he said, glancing at her. "So why me? And who are my teammates?"

Ichinose chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with warmth. "Your teammate is me!"

Hikigaya froze. Being assigned a task no one wanted was par for the course. He might grumble, but he would always grit his teeth and get it done in the end, no matter the circumstances. But this… Ichinose as his partner? Even a loner like him could see it. Ichinose wasn't just beautiful; her bright personality and charm made her one of the school's most beloved figures. If she announced she was participating, there'd be no shortage of guys eagerly stepping up to partner with her. So why him?

Hikigaya clenched his fists and met her gaze directly. "Ichinose… if this is out of sympathy, don't. Please don't do this How many times I would say this to you? I don`t need your kindness." He couldn't tolerate that. He wasn't so pitiful that he needed someone's pity. Being mocked, scorned, or ignored—those he could endure. But misplaced sympathy? That crossed a line.

Ichinose looked at him, her expression soft but steady. "If I said it was because our athletic abilities are similar, would that make it easier for you to accept?"

Hikigaya blinked, caught off guard.

"But I won't say that," she continued, her voice quieter. She folded her arms around her legs and gazed at the sky. "The truth is, I've been thinking about how to help you feel more at ease in the class. Maybe you don't need it, but that's how I've always felt."

"Why?" Hikigaya's voice was firm, but inside, he was baffled. He had made it clear that he didn't need her help, so why was she still so insistent?

"Because… there's no other way," Ichinose replied with a helpless shake of her head. "I thought about respecting your wishes, so I've always tried not to approach you intentionally."

That much was true. In their usual interactions, Ichinose would offer a friendly greeting but wouldn't press further unless there was a reason.

"But that doesn't seem to be working," she continued, crossing her arms around her knees as her body swayed slightly. Her gaze drifted upward, as though she were looking far into the future, and a faint smile graced her lips. "I really can't leave can't just leave you alone Hikigaya-kun." Her words made him flinch. "I want you to feel like you belong in the class. I want to see you make close friends. I want to see you smile, not just politely, but from the bottom of your heart. And finally, I want us all to graduate together, united as Class B."

"Enough." Hikigaya clenched his fists. This endless wave of sympathy—churned his stomach.

"I understand," Ichinose said softly, turning to face him. A serene smile lingered on her face, but there was no mockery, no pity—only sincerity. "Yes, I'm taking care of you. And yes, there's a part of me that feels sympathetic. I won't deny that." She leaned slightly forward, her tone resolute. "It's my decision, and I accept that it might make you uncomfortable. If you don't like it, you can refuse. If you're upset, you can avoid me. If it disgusts you, yell at me. But until you find your place, until you make friends who care about you, I'll keep reaching out. That's just who I am."

Ichinose stood up gracefully and walked closer to him. Her delicate figure leaned slightly forward as she extended a hand, her radiant smile unwavering. "Now that your participation is settled, are you willing not to cause trouble for the class, Hikigaya-kun?"

Hikigaya stared at her outstretched hand, frozen. Her kind, angelic smile seemed almost unreal. "How is this even possible…" he muttered. No matter what he said or how harshly he acted, Ichinose remained steadfast, adapting and persisting. She was…A saint? No, something more. A true angel. Yet, something about it still felt off to him. If his personality leaned toward the twisted and withdrawn, then Ichinose's boundless kindness had to hide its own flaws.

"That's my decision," Ichinose said, her hand still outstretched. "So, what's yours, Hikigaya-kun?"

After a long pause, Hikigaya exhaled, brushed off his pants, and stood without taking her hand. He didn't want her charity, not even in the form of a gesture. "When's the three-legged race training?" he asked, his tone resigned.

Ichinose withdrew her hand, unfazed. "Right now." Her smile remained steady as if to say nothing he did could deter her.

"Got it." Hikigaya turned, his shoulders slumped. This whole situation was troublesome. He'd been backed into a corner, unable to refuse without causing a scene. As he walked away, a thought struck him. So that's what Shibata meant. The guy liked Ichinose. But Ichinose? She just saw Hikigaya as a wet, abandoned dog—a pitiable creature in need of saving.

Most people would retreat after his blunt refusal, but Ichinose wasn't most people. She couldn't leave anyone behind, no matter the cost. Is this what true kindness looks like? Hikigaya wondered. Still, her unwavering resolve was concerning. This kind of personality—one that refused to let go of anyone—Her pure soul, did it really belong in a school like this?

Hikigaya stood on the rubber track, tilting his body outward as if trying to create as much distance as possible between him and his partner.

Meanwhile, Ichinose crouched slightly, preparing for the start, her smile bright and undeterred. The red ribbon tied Hikigaya's right foot to her left, binding them together in a way that felt far too intimate for his comfort. Even through the fabric of his sweatpants, he could feel the faint warmth of her body—a sensation that left him distinctly uneasy.

"Um… this really isn't going to work," Hikigaya said, his voice betraying his nervousness. "I'm not good with this kind of thing. How about we switch partners? I'll even pay for it!"

Individual events couldn't be substituted without penalty but recommended competitions like this one could be replaced if someone used their personal points.

"It's fine." Ichinose brushed off his protests and stood up with a bright, determined smile. "We'll just practice more. That's all."

"Wait a minute," Hikigaya interjected, flustered. "I'm sweating a lot. It's probably gross. You don't have to deal with this."

Ichinose tilted her head in confusion, then glanced at his raised hand. "I'm not even sweating," she said matter-of-factly. "Why does Hikigaya-kun always make excuses like this? Do I make you that uncomfortable?"

"No, that's not it," Hikigaya replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "It's just… in junior high, the girls used to spray antiperspirant on me, so you don't have to, uh, pretend it's okay."

Ichinose's cheerful expression faltered slightly. The idea of someone spraying antiperspirant directly on him was more than just unkind—it was cruel. While she had guessed Hikigaya's past wasn't the rosiest, hearing even a small piece of it filled her with a quiet sadness.

"Look," she said, taking his hand and holding it open, "there's nothing wrong with a little sweat. It's a natural part of being human. If anything, it's proof that you're healthy."

"That's… reasonable," Hikigaya admitted reluctantly, glancing at his damp palm. Maybe, he thought, not all girls were repelled by something so trivial.

"Good! Let's start practicing."

"Wait, what are you—?" Hikigaya froze as Ichinose gently wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer.

"You need to put your arm around my shoulders," she explained, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How else are we supposed to do this?"

He hesitated, his face turning crimson. Cooperation had never been his strong suit, and this level of physical closeness was almost unbearable "Can't we just switch partners?" he mumbled, looking away in embarrassment.

"No more stalling," Ichinose said with a teasing smile. She took his hand and placed it firmly on her shoulder. "Alright," she announced cheerfully. "3, 2, 1—run!"

Hikigaya had no choice but to keep up as their feet moved in unison. The key to this ridiculous activity, he realized, was maintaining a steady rhythm with his partner. Fortunately, observation came naturally to him, and adjusting to her pace wasn't as difficult as he had feared.

Even so, he couldn't ignore the fact that Ichinose was right there, her presence impossible to overlook. Her delicate figure moved fluidly next to him, and the sensation of their proximity made his heart pound uncomfortably in his chest.

"Wow!" Ichinose exclaimed after they completed a lap.

"Hikigaya-kun, we're pretty in sync, aren't we?" She beamed at him, seemingly unfazed by the awkwardness of their situation. For her, running tied to another person was no different from running on her own.

Hikigaya, on the other hand, was exhausted. "Can we untie this now?" he asked, glancing down at the red ribbon around their ankles.

Ichinose crouched to undo the ribbon. "You look a little tired, so we'll stop here for today," she said kindly. "But we'll need to train more tomorrow!"

"Do we have to?" Hikigaya muttered under his breath, his heart still racing. This kind of close contact was bad for his mental health and heart.

"Don't slack off," Ichinose chided with a wink. "Other classes won't be taking it easy, so we have to give it our best."

She stood, dusting off her hands. "I'm going to practice pitching for now. You can train with Kanzaki and the others for a while, okay?" With that, she turned and headed back toward the girls' area, her usual bright energy radiating from every step.

Hikigaya watched her retreating figure, a mix of admiration and exasperation tugging at him. Honestly, he thought with a sigh, being around someone like Ichinose is exhausting.

In the end, he realized once again that people like him—a loner—had little say in these matters. Loner, huh? We really don't get to choose anything.

Notes:

For anyone asking me where`s the full fanfic here's the link Practical teaching: the strength of Biqi Valley is the supremacy classroom! _Night Solo Novel_Full Novel Download_Feilu Novel Network.