Who We Like

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[-Continuation-]

[-Location : Chiba Village-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

After all, the act of handling people could only be described as an endless chain - you fool yourself, you fool the other person, the other person allows you to fool them, and you allow them to fool you. There was nothing to it. In the end, it was putting into practice the same things boys and girls learn at school.

It was a necessary skill for those who belonged to an organization or group, and the only thing that separated adults from students was the difference in scale.

In the end, it only amounted to falsehood and backstabbing.

…

"Hachiman! Took your sweet time freshening up?" Ryota's voice sliced through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

"Gotta make the most of it, since you never know when I will again get an opportunity like this." I replied, openly admitting how much I was enjoying myself, but my gaze wandered elsewhere as I casually rested my hands on my hips.

But Ryota wasn't impressed. "Hayama! Totsuka!" He called out, redirecting his focus to the two boys trailing behind him.

"Look at this ungrateful brat. We should've just gone ahead with the plan Tobe and I came up with." Ryota grumbled, his expression souring.

Then, a low, somber sound cut through the air at such a low frequency that it was barely noticeable. As I turned to its source, it became evident it was coming from Totsuka.

"...sorry about that. It's all because of me." Totsuka's expression turned nervous, and he spoke in an apologetic tone.

Why is he saying sorry?

Umm… it seems like a few 'individuals' were dissatisfied with the results of the 'stick game' they played earlier, and a plan was concocted to rig it.

Alright, that sounds like something that definitely Ryota would do…

However, the two 'pure souls' seemed to have refused to participate in such dishonesty and instead confided in me, expecting nothing in return.

The two pure souls that I mentioned are obviously Hayama and Totsuka.

"...!!" - ".!.!."

The moment Totsuka expressed his sorry, everyone's demeanor shifted. When I say everyone, it also includes Ryota - the cause of it.

So yeah, immediately everyone sprang into action and repeated the same words in unison -

""""It is not your fault, Totsuka!""""

No one could bear to see Totsuka sad and apologetic, their protective instincts kicked in simultaneously.

"Huh..?" Confusion filled Totsuka's eyes as he looked up at them, blinking back tears that threatened to spill over.

A crackling tension filled the room as all eyes turned to Ryota - the culprit behind this unfortunate situation.

Under the weight of everyone's accusing stares, Ryota nervously chuckled. "Haha... Let's call it a night, shall we?"

"…" - "..." But the vengeful stares didn't subside.

Silence hung in the air.

After a moment, Hayama finally broke the tension. "...yeah."

He agreed, reaching for the light switch. "I will turn off the lights."

With a soft ping, the room plunged into darkness, the heavy tension lingered, intensified by the shadows, leaving us all on edge.

Then we all went to bed…

That's it.

…

[-After A Few Minutes-]

After that, the four of us silently lied down.

The night air was cool, and it carried the distant sounds of crickets and rustling leaves in the background.

"Man, Hayato." Said Tobe. "This feels like a night on the school trip, yo."

"Yeah. Something like that." The response was quite noncommittal from Hayama. Well, maybe he was pretty tired as well.

I couldn't relate- I was exhausted too.

"…let's tal-!" Tobe was about to add something, but I cut him off.

"So, Hayama." I interjected. "When are you going to spill the beans?"

Then, soon enough, another voice supported me.

"Beans? What is it?" Ryota asked with genuine interest, while Tobe eagerly followed suit in his tracks, as what I pointed out 'seems' to align with the topic he wanted to speak about. "Yeah…"

All eyes turned towards Hayama, waiting for his response.

Hayama inquired, his expression growing fearful as he realized where this conversation was headed. "What are you talking about, Hikigaya?"

"You want to play it like that, hum? Then be it." I acted in a defensive way, like not wanting to dig any deeper.

"Curse you, Hikigaya! Don't stop in the middle like that. You are causing unnecessary misunderstandings." Hayama, understanding the situation, cursed at me with an irritated tone.

Man, messing with him is the best. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at getting under Hayama's skin so easily.

But I knew it was time to get to the heart of the matter.

"I am speaking about Yukinoshita and Miura Yumiko." I stated pointedly, feigning mild interest in the topic.

Fake because I already know the reason behind the tension that was caused at the dining area when we arrived.

But it would be really odd if I knew it before they told me the actual details of the matter.

Yeah, I just said it was enough playing around, right? But it seems like for a certain individual, it was far from enough.

"Oh! Hayama! Not one, but two birds! I know you had it in you." Ryota exclaimed with such enthusiasm that he shot up from his sleeping posture.

Fucking hell! I understand that his intention is to ridicule Hayama. But why are you dragging Yukinoshita into the middle? You bastard!

I fired a kick to reprimand him, annoyed by his insensitive comment.

"...*ouch! What was that for?" Ryota whined with a hurt tone.

"What was what? Stop making fun of him, and just shut up and let him explain." I snapped back, suddenly assuming the role of a considerate person.

Ryota didn't argue any further and moved back to his previous sleeping position quietly.

"Okay, Hayama, now speak. What happened?" I asked, sighing inwardly at having to deal with this drama.

"Well, there was this girl among the students' how…" Hayama began with a calm and cool voice.

He went on to explain the events that had transpired, taking approximately five minutes to recount every detail.

"...then there was a discussion about how to assist the little girl, whether we should actually help or not, and if she even needed our assistance... then it turned into an argument that went on until you guys arrived and ended up seeing." Hayama's voice held a hint of disappointment as he finished speaking.

Overall, it pretty much happened as I had recalled.

I was slightly concerned about what would happen without me there, but it seems like nothing major occurred on the first day of the camp.

"So yeah, Tobe, what were you speaking about before? I couldn't quite hear it properly." I interjected, changing the subject and trying to act natural.

To which Tobe compiled immediately. "Oh yeah …let's talk about who we like." He suggested.

But much to my surprise, Hayama refused in no uncertain terms. "I am not in the mood." He said firmly.

...welp, might as well use this opportunity to leave.

"Yeah. I think I am gonna go for a walk too." I announced abruptly, rising up from my futon.

My tone made it clear that I didn't want any company, and I didn't want anyone to follow me.

"Enjoy yourself." I said before walking toward the door, guiding myself in the dark.

By the time I reached the door and exited, I could hear a few mummers.

"Ahaha… it's a bit embarrassing." Totsuka laughed quietly, sounding ill at ease.

"How come?! Don't be shy.

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[To be continued….]

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