Becoming friends?
Even though she had stuttered, Hikigaya could still piece together what Sakura meant.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stayed silent for a moment before sighing.
"As long as you don't mind being friends with someone the whole class rejects. But are you sure you want to be friends with someone gloomy and annoying like me, Sakura? You might get isolated by the others, too. People will start gossiping, saying mean things about you."
"Are you really okay with that? I think you should think it through carefully."
His words were directed at Sakura, but at the same time, they also felt like self-mockery.
Hikigaya wasn't joking—he was genuinely considering what was best for Sakura. In Class D, he was already at the bottom of the social ladder. If she became close to him, she'd likely face the same treatment. He, personally, didn't care—he was used to it.
But Sakura was different. She was a shy girl, someone who probably couldn't handle this kind of rejection. In fact, her extreme social anxiety made it seem like she had already experienced similar mistreatment before.
No matter what the reason was, Hikigaya didn't want to drag her into this deep, endless pit.
Yet, no one noticed that Hiyori, standing beside them, had a slightly strange expression on her face.
Sakura slowly lifted her head, her eyes filled with confusion.
"B-But I never planned on talking to you in class, Hikigaya-kun..."
The moment she imagined having a conversation with him in the classroom, she could practically feel all the curious, judgmental, and even hostile stares from their classmates. Just thinking about it made her tremble in fear.
"?"
Hikigaya immediately realized—he had completely misunderstood.
When Sakura said she wanted to be friends, she had only meant it in the most basic sense, like simply getting to know each other, nothing more.
It wasn't the kind of understanding he had with Hiyori.
Oh crap. This is so embarrassing.
Hadn't he just told himself he wouldn't repeat the humiliating mistakes of middle school? And yet, here he was, getting hit by reality like a boomerang.
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to sprint back to his dorm, dive under his blankets, and never show his face again.
"Haha... so that's what you meant!"
He scratched his head, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
Seriously, he just wanted to disappear into his bed and never come out.
"Eh? Hikigaya-kun, why is there so much sweat on your back?"
Hiyori looked confused.
"N-no, it's nothing! It's just a little hot. Yeah, it's already May, so of course, it's getting warmer. Sweating a little more is totally normal, right? I mean, summer is almost here."
Hikigaya fanned himself awkwardly while trying to explain. There was no way he could just say, "I'm sweating because I was too embarrassed, and a girl noticed it."
Another embarrassing moment added to his history.
Another social death counted.
"Hikigaya-kun..."
Sakura spoke in a small, cautious voice, like a nervous kitten afraid of drawing attention.
"I-I don't really have any friends. I don't know how to talk to people, and I always feel out of place. Someone like me... is it really okay?"
Even now, she found it hard to believe that she had actually made friends. Or maybe it was just her deep-seated insecurity and low self-esteem making her doubt everything.
She avoided people, shut herself off from others, and even questioned whether her own existence mattered.
"It's totally fine!"
Hiyori turned around and gently held Sakura's hands, looking straight into her uneasy eyes with a warm smile.
"Sakura, if you're okay with it, can I be your friend?"
"Eh?!"
Sakura's face showed a mix of surprise, self-doubt, confusion, and a bit of hesitation. She didn't know how to respond to Hiyori's kindness.
She wanted to nod and say yes.
But... would someone like her really be accepted?
What if this was just a joke?
She had experienced something like this before. Since then, she never dared to hope for real friendships again.
She was afraid of interacting with people, afraid of making eye contact, afraid of being in crowded places.
This was the real Sakura Airi.
Would anyone truly accept her without the fake mask she wore?
Hikigaya saw all the doubt and fear written on her face. It reminded him of something—
Ah... how familiar.
Just like his past self, rejecting the world entirely.
But unlike him, she still had a choice.
He had once taken a step forward, only to get hurt so badly that he locked himself away and became a loner.
And now, Sakura stood at that same crossroads.
Should she step forward and risk getting hurt?
Or should she stay where she was, in the comfort of solitude?
If it were the old him, he would have chosen the latter.
But now...
"Sakura."
Hikigaya walked up to her and looked into her uneasy eyes.
"There's no rule that says you have to fit in. If you feel out of place, then so what? It's not a big deal. I don't fit in either, but look, I still have a friend like Hiyori, don't I? So don't put too much pressure on yourself. Running away isn't a bad thing—it can actually be pretty useful."
He just wanted to tell her that it was okay.
So what if she didn't fit in?
So what if she was different?
It wasn't the end of the world.
Hadn't he made it this far? Hadn't Zaimokuza done the same?
"I..."
Something in Sakura's heart felt stuck.
For as long as she could remember, everyone—her parents, her teachers—told her she had to make friends, had to socialize.
No one had ever told her, "Airi, if you don't want to, you can just avoid it."
So she ran away.
She chose this school, where no one knew her, where she could stay hidden for three years.
Because no one ever cared about how she really felt.
Her eyes started to blur with tears.
She wanted to cry—not out of sadness, but because, for the first time, she felt understood.
"Did... did I say something wrong?!"
Sakura suddenly started crying, and Hikigaya panicked, looking helplessly at Hiyori.
He had no idea why she was crying.
Hiyori quickly comforted Sakura, though for some reason, she also felt a little... annoyed?
Like someone had taken a bite of a cake that only she was supposed to have.
"Th-thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
Sakura wiped her tears and bowed deeply.
Hikigaya was startled and instinctively bowed back.
For a moment, they just stood there, awkwardly bowing at each other.
Until Hiyori finally stepped in and put an end to the weird and pointless exchange.
Hiyori, still feeling a little emotional, said,
"Hikigaya-kun, you really need to be more careful about what you say from now on."
With that, she led Sakura back to the dorms.
Hikigaya stood there, completely confused.
What did I do wrong?
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