CHAPTER 242: CHAPTER 243: HIRATA’S FLAW

At the Keyaki Mall Shopping Center, inside a café called "Palette," Hikigaya and Hirata sat in silence after ordering their drinks.

Hikigaya had a good idea why Hirata had called him here, but he had no intention of speaking first. He decided to just play dumb.

"Hikigaya, I think you already know why I asked you to meet me."

Hirata spoke slowly, looking a little downcast. "It’s about Ike. I know he made a mistake this time—an undeniable mistake—but even though we’ve all spent a semester together and gone through a special exam, why is it that instead of feeling sad, everyone is acting like this?"

"So, are you angry that Ike got expelled, or are you upset about how the class is reacting? Or is it both?"

Hikigaya stared at Hirata.

Hirata stayed silent.

"I see. So, it’s both."

Hikigaya smirked. "I don’t know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to know. So, I’ll just tell you my own opinion on this matter."

Hirata lifted his head slightly, looking at Hikigaya seriously.

"He brought it on himself."

"That’s my take on this whole situation."

"But Ike, he—"

"Hirata, you’re misunderstanding something."

Hikigaya cut him off bluntly. "I never considered Ike—or that guy Yamauchi—as my friend."

"That—that’s impossible! We’re all in the same class—"

Hirata looked shaken.

"Hirata!"

Hikigaya’s sharp tone made Hirata freeze in place. "Don’t force your own beliefs onto others! If you see Ike as a friend, that’s your decision. But don’t cross the line! It’s exactly this kind of expectation that’s making you suffer."

"Am I... expecting too much?"

Hirata looked dazed.

"I don’t know what your definition of a friend is. Is it just being in the same class? People you barely know? Or anyone who happens to be part of a group? I don’t care."

Hikigaya’s voice was cold. "To me, we’re just a bunch of people who happened to end up in the same class. Sure, you could call that a kind of fate, but if you’re asking me to cherish it, sorry—I can’t. It’s just a way to maintain social order. Besides, truly understanding someone is too difficult."

"You see Ike as an important friend, but how does he see you? You already know the answer, don’t you? In the end, it’s all just one-sided. You know what I hate the most? People like you—who expect too much from others while being overly self-righteous at the same time."

"Hikigaya, I still can’t accept what you’re saying. Are you telling me there’s no one in our class you actually care about? If they got expelled, would you really feel nothing?"

Hirata argued back.

"And that’s exactly my point, Hirata. You keep forcing your own ideas onto others. If I care about someone and they get expelled, does that mean I have to choose between them and the rest of the class? Every person is an individual. No one needs anyone else to survive. It’s just a matter of whether you choose to keep going or not. You think Ike’s expulsion is unacceptable, but that’s only your own perspective."

"No! I don’t believe Ike wanted to be expelled either!"

Hikigaya let out a cold laugh. "Hirata, are you really that naive, or are you just pretending? Fine, I’ll be blunt. About Ike’s peeping and secret filming incident—"

Hikigaya laid out the truth about what happened. The more he explained, the paler Hirata’s face became.

"Ike... did something like that..."

"Exactly. He didn’t realize he was wrong—he just realized he was doomed."

Hikigaya scoffed. "So, do you still think he didn’t want to be expelled? Of course he didn’t—because even now, he doesn’t understand what he did wrong. He’s still clinging to some ridiculous hope!"

"If you think keeping Ike in the class is the right choice, then what about the others? What about the victims? You talk about saving one person, but in doing so, you’d be sacrificing someone else. And yet, you still convince yourself that it’s the right thing to do. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous, Hirata?"

Hikigaya had been holding back his thoughts about Hirata for a long time. There were so many things he wanted to say, and now was the perfect chance to let it all out.

Hirata Yosuke—this guy had a serious flaw, and that was exactly why he was placed in Class D.

Since the beginning of the school year, Hikigaya had already noticed Hirata’s biggest problem. He had pointed it out back on the deserted island and even on the cruise ship, but the current situation was much worse.

Hirata was way too forgiving—almost indulgent—toward his classmates’ actions. Even when things were clearly someone else’s fault, he would always take the blame himself, trying to absorb the conflict and "resolve" it that way.

But after meeting Ichinose, Hikigaya saw the same kind of behavior in her. That made him start to understand Hirata a little more. Just like Ichinose, this had to come from some kind of guilt—probably because of something that happened in the past, making him feel the need to make up for it.

Hikigaya wasn’t the type to dig into other people’s personal lives, but that didn’t stop him from scolding Hirata right now.

After getting chewed out, Hirata didn’t look too good. But surprisingly, he didn’t argue back. Instead, he just lowered his head in silence.

"Hikigaya, can I tell you a story? It’s about..."

"Hey, wait—"

Hirata ignored Hikigaya’s reaction and started talking. It was a story from his middle school days.

Hikigaya listened quietly.

As expected, his guess was right. Something had happened in Hirata’s past that led to this guilt-driven need to make up for it. And honestly, it was a pretty heavy story.

Because he ignored it—or maybe even feared it—his close friend ended up jumping off a building due to school bullying. For a 14 or 15-year-old kid, that was a burden too heavy to carry.

That was why Hirata was trying to atone for his past self.

That was why he would step up to help his classmates with any problem, no matter what.

That was why Ike’s expulsion had hit him so hard.

But... Hikigaya had a feeling Hirata hadn’t told him everything. If this was the only reason, it wouldn’t have been enough to place him in Class D.

Still, Hikigaya had no intention of prying any further.

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