Chapter Fifty-Five: Yukino Yukinoshita Still Refused to Yield

"Yuihama, as a Japanese person, earthquakes and the like are pretty common, right?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked with a smile as she looked at Yui.

Ah... Yui lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Ah~ Yuihama, would you be interested in becoming the girls' representative?" Shizuka Hiratsuka seemed not to care at all that Yui had been sleeping in her class. Instead, she tried to talk her into it.

"Huh? Me?" Yui stood up and pointed at herself.

"You. What do you think? Would you like to consider it?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked with a beaming smile.

"No... I'm not very good at that sort of thing."

Yui spoke timidly.

"No, Yuihama, you should usually be pretty good at socializing, right?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka said this kindly.

"Yeah, just like Kazamihana."

The red-haired Sagami spoke to several girls beside her.

Yui, who had stood up, looked even more humiliated when she heard that.

"Sorry, Teacher Hiratsuka. I'm really not good at this."

Yui spoke in a soft, feeble voice.

"Is that so... It's fine."

Shizuka Hiratsuka waved for Yui to sit down.

Hachiman glanced back at Yui, who was sitting with her head buried in her arms, her face full of dejection. He was disgusted to the core by what Sagami had done.

"So, does no one really want to give it a try?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked again.

"Um..." Sagami raised her hand at that moment.

"Oh~ Sagami, would you like to try?" Shizuka Hiratsuka relaxed when she finally saw someone step forward.

"I don't know if I can really do it... I've never had any experience with this sort of thing..." The red-haired girl pretended to hesitate, speaking haltingly.

"It's fine. Everyone has a first time. Even if you don't do well, I'm sure no one will blame you."

Shizuka Hiratsuka encouraged Sagami like this.

"Then... perhaps... I'll give it a try?" Sagami asked Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"Good. It's decided, then."

Shizuka Hiratsuka clapped her hands happily.

After writing the two students' names on the blackboard, Shizuka Hiratsuka turned around and said, "The Cultural Festival is one of Sobu High School's more important events. I hope everyone will cooperate with these two representatives and do the necessary work."

After Shizuka Hiratsuka finished speaking, she looked up at the time.

"Hey, I'd originally intended to teach, but you people sure know how to waste time."

With a disappointed sigh, Shizuka Hiratsuka packed up her lesson plans and left the classroom.

"Oh, right. Hachiman, come with me for a moment."

Shizuka Hiratsuka had already walked out the door when she turned back and beckoned Hachiman with a finger.

Hachiman stood up indifferently and followed her out.

"Phew~" As soon as she returned to her desk and sat down, Shizuka Hiratsuka lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

Hachiman disgustedly waved away the smoke blowing into his face, then stepped forward and snatched the cigarette from Shizuka Hiratsuka's mouth.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Shizuka Hiratsuka shouted at Hachiman in displeasure.

"Smoking is bad for your health. Besides, can you really bear to make your student inhale secondhand smoke?" Hachiman calmly stubbed out the cigarette he had only taken one puff from and wiped off the saliva from Shizuka Hiratsuka's cigarette.

"Why did you call me here?"

"Nothing much. I just heard about you and Yukino from Haruno."

Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at Hachiman helplessly.

"I really didn't expect it. In such a short time, you've already won the beauty's heart?"

"What? Are you jealous?" Hachiman deliberately provoked Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"Why are you such an unlikable person?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka clenched her fists angrily, forcibly suppressing the urge to punch him to death.

"Look, you only met Yukino because of me, didn't you?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka said with a smile.

Hachiman nodded indifferently.

"So, you could say I'm the matchmaker who brought you two together."

"What are you trying to do? Have me and Yukino find you a boyfriend?"

"Urgh."

Hachiman let out a pained gasp.

Shizuka Hiratsuka finally lost patience and threw a punch as a warning to the man who kept exposing her shortcomings. Seeing Hachiman's pained expression, she felt a little better.

"You're really the type who feels uncomfortable if he doesn't get beaten."

"I'm sorry..." Hachiman said with a pale face.

"You... Why do you always insist on courting death?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked helplessly.

"Ahem. So what exactly did you want?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted you to treat me to a few bowls of ramen."

Shizuka Hiratsuka chuckled.

"That's it?" Hachiman felt that taking a punch for no reason had hardly been worth it.

"What else would it be?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka waved her hand, indicating that Hachiman could leave.

"Wait." Shizuka Hiratsuka stopped Hachiman as he was about to leave. "You'd better do a proper job this time. Don't even think about slacking off. Got it?"

"Don't worry. I won't slack off this time."

Hachiman turned around so Shizuka Hiratsuka would not see the coldness in his eyes.

"Good. I'm dying to find out what made Haruno praise you to the skies."

After giving a light, mocking laugh, Hachiman turned and left. When he entered the classroom, he glanced at Sagami, who was showing off to the girls beside her.

He silently adjusted his glasses and sat down at his desk.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Yukino Yukinoshita Still Refused to Yield

"So you actually became the boys' representative for Class F?" Yukino twirled the pen in her hand and looked at Hachiman with a smile.

"What? Are you surprised?" Hachiman continued writing and sketching.

"With your personality, where you're unwilling even to turn over in bed, you actually took on this thankless, exhausting job?" Yukino teased Hachiman.

"You said it yourself—it's thankless and exhausting. Why did you accept it, then?" Hachiman countered.

"The capable should naturally lead the incompetent."

Yukino spoke indifferently.

"Letting them enjoy the fruits of your labor with a clear conscience, only for them to turn around and blame you for not working hard enough?" Hachiman frowned, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

"It can't be helped, can it? People who shine too brightly only attract ridicule and envy?"

"Even after making enormous contributions to the world, they're driven into a dead end by the incompetent."

"When people see a goal they can't surpass, their first thought isn't to start working hard and try to narrow the gap between themselves and others. Instead, they do everything they can to slander and mock them, picking out all kinds of excuses to hypnotize themselves into believing that other people's achievements are dishonorable, that they were obtained through despicable means."

Yukino paused, gave a self-mocking smile, and then continued.

"Humanity's basest nature is fully exposed at times like this."

Hearing what Yukino said, Hachiman unconsciously added, "Envy is the easiest way. All it takes is a little thought, and it feels as though you've narrowed the distance between yourself and someone else."

"Eh... What are you two talking about? I don't understand any of it."

Yui stared blankly at the two of them.

"Not understanding is a good thing. Ideally, you won't understand it even when you die."

Yukino sighed as she looked at the airheaded Dango.

"I feel like that wasn't a compliment..." Yui said unhappily.

"No, Yukino was complimenting you."

Hachiman chuckled.

"Really? What was she complimenting me on?" The girl looked at Hachiman excitedly.

"Your youthful state of mind."

"Ehehehehe~" Yui giggled foolishly.

"You think too much sometimes. It'd be great if you were more like Yui."

Hachiman took Yukino's hand and felt the girl's fine palm lines.

"If I were like her, you'd have sold me long ago, and I'd still be counting the money for you."

Yukino rolled her eyes at Hachiman.

"How could I? Even when you're eighty, with your hair white, sitting in a wheelchair because you can't walk anymore, I still won't be able to bear it."

"Ugh..." Yukino imagined what she would look like then and could not help shuddering.

"No... My face would be covered in wrinkles by then. I'd be hideous. I might as well die."

The girl spoke with a look of disgust.

"Don't say that. If you died, I'd have to live for many more years."

Hachiman shrugged as he spoke.

"What does it have to do with you if I die?" Yukino asked in confusion.

"If you died, I'd be devastated. That's why I want to go before you."

Hachiman said this indifferently.

"You two are so gross. You've been talking about dying nonstop. Ugh~ I can't take it."

Yui pretended to look disgusted by the two of them.

"Hahahaha."

Yukino and Hachiman exchanged an unusually tacit glance and laughed at the same time.

"What are you laughing at?" Yui looked at them in bewilderment.

"Nothing."

"I really don't understand you two. Little Snow and Hikki are so weird sometimes."

Just then, Hachiman's phone suddenly rang.

"I'll take this call."

Hachiman apologized to the two of them.

"Ah~ Good afternoon, Hachiman-kun~" Haruno's cheerful tone made it obvious that she was in a very good mood.

"What happened? Why are you in such a good mood?"