Just like that

Under the rain, the sound of thunder rumbled, but even so, Hikigaya listened to Shishio's hypothesis quietly.

Before Shishio started his explanation, they began to talk about the chronology of Hikigaya's incident.

Hikigaya's incident started on the first day of high school. He was excited about his high school life, thinking he could change his lonely life in middle school. However, when he hummed the popular song, he suddenly saw a dog that was about to be hit by a car. His body moved subconsciously, and he saved the dog.

However, as a consequence, Hikigaya was hit by the car, and his leg was broken.

Still, Hikigaya saved the dog, and the owner of that dog was Yui.

While Yui had thanked and apologized to the hospital right after the incident, she didn't meet Hikigaya and only met his little sister, Komachi. However, she still couldn't apologize and felt even more guilty toward Hikigaya, especially when he became a loner when he came back to the high school after he recovered.

On the other hand, Hikigaya didn't blame Yui since he also realized even without this incident, he knew with his character, he would still become a loner. He didn't blame anyone, but the grateful words and the apology made him feel relief since he knew the reason why she talked and became closer to him wasn't because of how guilty she was.

Instead, Yui became closer and wanted to know Hikigaya because she wanted to know him as one individual.

Or Yui might be interested in Shishio.

Whichever the reason was, whether it was Hikigaya or Yui, there was no awkwardness between them since the matter of the incident last year was clear, and neither of them mentioned this matter anymore.

Frankly, if Shishio didn't take the initiative to mention who had hit him in this car incident, Hikigaya didn't care much, and he would just ignore everything, keeping everything in his heart.

However, since Shishio had mentioned this matter, Hikigaya wanted to hear it until the end. After all, he would be lying if he didn't feel curious. He also seldom saw the car that had hit him. It might be once or twice, but he knew that person studied in the same school as him.

If so, why didn't that person mention anything?

Was it so hard to say something to him?

Suddenly, Hikigaya's mind ran so fast that he started to think a lot of things, wondering who the person who had hit him was, but he quickly calmed down when he heard Shishio's voice.

"Senpai, do you know why the person who hit you with the car didn't say anything to you after the incident?" Shishio asked.

"...No." Hikigaya shook his head.

"Hikigaya-senpai, the car that hit you was a luxury car, right?" Shishio asked.

"That's right." Hikigaya nodded and said, "It's the car that is used for important people in the movie."

"Then, this person should have a driver who drove the car, so shouldn't that driver come and apologize to you in the past?" Shishio asked.

"Well, yeah, that driver has apologized to me." Hikigaya nodded since the driver and the lawyer who introduced himself as the person trusted by the family who had employed the driver also apologized to him and his family, taking care of everything from the hospital and hush money was given to his parents.

Still, Hikigaya might not know about the matter of the hush money and a contract to tell him to shut his mouth about this incident. However, his parents were a different matter, and they knew the person who had hit their son had power and wealth, so it was better to settle this matter as quietly as possible.

Unlike Hikigaya, who hadn't been beaten by society, money, and the class gap.

Well, Hikigaya might have been beaten by society, but his parents had a lot of things that they had thought of and were afraid of, such as being fired from their jobs.

If one was fired off from their job when they were in middle age, it would be extremely hard to get a new job. It might be strange, but in their minds, their life was already over, considering serving the company where they worked as part of their lives.

Facing such a family, Hikigaya's parents might only be able to obey the lawyer of the family. However, it wasn't a bad deal since everything was taken care of, and the money also could help with the installment of their house, so everything was okay, right?

"Well, it's all good, right? After all, the one who had hit you was the driver," Shishio said.

Hikigaya looked at Shishio with a sigh and asked, "But you know this isn't what I mean, right?" The accident last year, he might not have thought too much about it, but since Shishio had mentioned it, he wanted to see it through to see the person who was riding in that car. It might be part of the reckless youth who wanted to seek the truth that one never thought of.

Even if the truth was cruel, Hikigaya still wanted to see it.

"If someone has a driver to drive this person to the school, then don't you know this person should be rich, right?" Shishio said.

"...." Hikigaya knew Shishio was right. In this country, unless someone was rich, it was impossible for them to have a driver. Still, he wondered why Shishio mentioned this to him. After all, what was the connection between this information and his incident?

"It's not a matter of whether this person wants to apologize or not. Instead, this person just doesn't know that the driver has hit you," Shishio said.

"...What?" Hikigaya was dumbfounded and asked, "So you mean... this person doesn't know at all?"

"Yes." Shishio nodded and said, "Say, if you're this person's driver and you hit someone, will you let the children of your employer go out and help you to take care of this problem?"

"....." Hikigaya couldn't say anything since he knew Shishio was right.

The driver was obviously afraid of losing his job, so the driver told the person inside the car not to get out, so this person wouldn't be involved in the incident. This was a smart choice, and it was also the reason why the person who was inside the car had never been involved with Hikigaya.

Only the driver, the lawyer, Hikigaya, and Hikigaya's family were related to this incident.

"As for this person, this person might be in the dark who the driver has hit," Shishio said.

"But... isn't this person curious? Why wouldn't this person ask?" Hikigaya asked with a frown.

"The family situation of each person is different after all."

Shishio only said those words, and Hikigaya understood everything.

The situation of each family in this world was different, and they had their own problems.

Hikigaya somehow wouldn't be surprised if this person wasn't told anything and just stayed there, listening to the words of this person's parents like a doll. Frankly, he must admit his situation wasn't that bad now.

"Well, according to what I know, this person is Yukino-senpai," Shishio said.

"..." Hikigaya opened his mouth and eyes wide.

Shishio also wondered what kind of luck Hikigaya had since whether it was Yui or Yukinoshita, they were all on his side, and they were all close. However, the fact that those two girls were related to his incident last year made him feel conflicted.

"How do you feel?" Shishio asked curiously.

"...I feel complex, but I also understand their difficulty." Hikigaya let out a long sigh.

Yui was afraid, so she could only apologize when someone pushed her back.

On the other hand, even though Yukinoshita's driver was the one who had hit Hikigaya, she didn't know anything and was kept in the dark by her family.

Hikigaya felt his anger in the past was for nothing, but everything was cleared up, so he didn't say much, and he also had forgotten this matter since his day turned 180 changed after he entered the Service Club.

"If you're okay, let's go back," Shishio said and stood up.

"What are you going to say to Yukinoshita?" Hikigaya asked.

"You want to tell her?" Shishio asked.

"...." Hikigaya opened his mouth and closed his mouth. He thought for moments before he shook his head. "Let's keep it like this." His matter had ended, so he just wanted to leave it like that. Even if Yukinoshita knew that fact, what did he want to do it?

Did he want her apology? Responsibility?

Hikigaya shook his head since he had received both from Yukinoshita's parents.

This matter had ended, and there was no need to dig deeper about this fact.

Hikigaya knew the fact, and he was satisfied with it.

However...

"So Yukinoshita's family situation is complicated?" Hikigaya asked.

"I'm not even surprised if she's told to marry someone so their family can grow to prosper, and she'll just nod," Shishio said calmly.

"....." Hikigaya was in silence for a moment and asked, "Is that okay?"

"You don't need to think too much since I am right beside her," Shishio said.

Hikigaya looked at Shishio's back and thought this guy was really manly.

'If I'm a girl, I'm afraid I'll fall for him.'

"Come on. Let's go back," Shishio said.

"Oh." Hikigaya nodded and thought it was time for him to go home. He also had finished his ice cream, and what he needed to do after this was to rest and sleep.

The two walked together before Shishio asked, "Did you bring an umbrella?"

"It's here." Hikigaya showed the vinyl umbrella in his hand. "I always bring it with me since I don't want someone to steal it." He quickly told Shishio the reason why he was afraid this guy might think of him as weird for bringing an umbrella everywhere.

"Don't act weirdly like that. What's so weird about bringing an umbrella?" Shishio asked weirdly and also showed his vinyl umbrella. "I also brought it with me."

"That's good." Hikigaya nodded since he didn't want to go home while sharing an umbrella with Shishio. Still, it was quite disgusting when he thought he could think of such a possibility. His body trembled before he shook his head furiously.

"....." Shishio stared at Hikigaya for a while before he put a slight distance between them. The school had been empty since most of the students had gone home.

The two just walked quietly toward the entrance of the school before they saw a beautiful girl who lowered her head, seemingly in a bad mood.

Hikigaya knew he was the worst for thinking this, but he must admit this girl's bust was so huge!

While Hikigaya's eyes were attracted to the big bust, Shishio glanced at the girl's wet shoes and her expression, which frowned, watching the rainy sky that wouldn't stop so soon.

The figure of the girl was so lonely and forlorn.

Unlike Hikigaya, who was in a daze, Shishio stepped forward without hesitation and said, "Futaba, do you want to go home together?"

Futaba Rio turned and was dumbfounded. She blinked and even took off her glasses to wipe her eyes since she wondered whether she was in a dream.

If so, she hoped she wouldn't wake up.

"..."

Hikigaya was in a daze and somehow understood another reason why this guy could become a scumbag.