My classmate Yukinoshita is definitely crushing on me

Classmate Nishimiya spoke unclearly with red eyes, explaining with sign language only she understood.

A portion of the class watched with condescending suspicion, while others casually observed the spectacle as if it were an amusing joke.

"But I think Classmate Nishimiya isn't that kind of person," Iroha Isshiki said.

After asking the two seniors for a favor, she left, leaving Miura and Hachiman alone in the club room.

"I thought you would have asked directly," Hachiman said, propping his chin and glancing at Miura. "About why Classmate Isshiki didn't step up to help speak."

Miura shot him a look.

She wasn't an idiot.

This kind of situation, where an entire class used consensus to bully one person, was something Classmate Isshiki couldn't stand by and watch, but she wouldn't openly challenge the consensus.

In this regard, Classmate Isshiki reminded Miura of Hayama.

And then, inevitably, she thought of Yukino.

In the past, had Yukino also experienced these "consensus" situations? Had she also been unable to explain herself, her eyes red with the desire to clarify?

She had told herself this morning before leaving home that she should avoid Yukino and calm down for a while.

But now, she desperately wanted to rush to Yukino's side and hug her.

Even just a gentle hug would be good.

Yukino, that social reject, had heard about what happened in the first year.

Yesterday, when she saw Miura leave with a troubled expression, she casually asked Miura's good friend, Classmate Junko Kamizawa.

And today, during lunch break, when Yukino carried test papers to the office, she found Teacher Hiratsuka troubled by this matter.

"Teacher Hiratsuka, if you keep frowning, you'll get older faster."

Teacher Hiratsuka didn't even have time to punish her this time.

"Go on, go on, I'm busy."

Yukino didn't leave. She tapped Teacher Hiratsuka's desk, and when the teacher looked up, speechless, she let out a light cough.

"Actually, Teacher Hiratsuka, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Miura had just returned from the Service Club and originally wanted to find Yukino first, but unexpectedly, Yukino found her first.

Teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka was also beside Yukino.

Teacher Hiratsuka smiled and patted Miura's head, "That's right. I've given you and Yukino permission to take leave today to investigate or resolve Classmate Nishimiya's situation."

She stretched and turned to leave, waving goodbye over her shoulder, "If you have any difficulties, remember to ask me."

Hey, hey, hey, this is the most difficult time right now!

Yukino, also holding her notebook, had a calm expression, "Teacher's involvement won't solve the problem; it will only trigger defiance from everyone in the class and make the situation worse."

Miura scratched her hair, "But why was Yukino suddenly brought in to cover?"

"Because I know sign language."

"Eh?" Miura was astonished, "...When did you learn?"

She knew Yukino was talented in all aspects, a true prodigy, but this was too exaggerated!

Did wealthy young ladies have to learn this too???

Yukino walked ahead with her notebook, her gaze straight ahead, "A long time ago, so I only remember a little bit now."

---This is a lie.

In reality, she had stayed up late last night, cramming and learning some simple, common phrases from videos.

Yukino had always had a good mind, grasping things quickly and understanding them thoroughly. However, mastering everything had become too easy for her, and surpassing Haruno was impossible, so she had never had much perseverance in anything she did.

But with her abilities fully unleashed after multiple upgrades, even Yukino didn't know how strong her memory was now.

Yukino had barely slept last night. She wouldn't claim to have mastered sign language overnight, but she felt capable of handling simple phrases and basic communication.

Miura let out a soft sigh, "Teacher Hiratsuka really just asked Yukino to come without a word. Isn't this disrupting your study time?"

She knew better than anyone how determined Yukino was to secure first place in the upcoming mock exam.

More importantly, she didn't actually want Yukino to get involved in this matter. She was afraid Yukino would be reminded of those terrible memories from the past.

Yukino nodded with a stern face, "Yes, Teacher Hiratsuka's unilateral decision is really troublesome."

---To reiterate, this is a lie.

What Yukino had asked Teacher Hiratsuka in her office today was to let her and Miura work together on this.

Yesterday, when Yukino saw Miura frowning all day, she had this idea.

Between friends, mutual help should be like this, right?

But being so stubborn, she would never say it directly to Miura.

In fact, her reason for going to Teacher Hiratsuka's office today was righteous: because she had been a victim of school bullying, she could not tolerate such things happening in school again.

Teacher Hiratsuka almost shed tears on the spot at such righteous and noble words.

Yukino pondered for a moment, "Regarding the wallet, are there no clues at all?"

"None, after all, there isn't much surveillance."

Yukino, an experienced anti-bullying master, calmly stated, "The most important thing right now is to prevent suspicion and rumors from continuing to spread in Class 1-D. Otherwise, even if the truth is revealed later, this malice will continue to roll on with inertia."

Miura nodded, "Because someone also commissioned the Service Club regarding this matter, Hikigaya also has his suggestions about it, but..."

Yukino turned to look at her, "Is Hikigaya going to self-destruct again?"

Miura nodded with a difficult expression, "...Sort of."

Hikigaya's motto must be: If someone in the world has to get hurt, why can't it be me?

He considered himself someone who could easily receive and bear pain. This was certainly not because he was kind. Well, in a way, Hikigaya was indeed a good person who said the opposite of what he meant.

But more importantly, he thought, isn't it good that he suffers while others are happy?

And Hikigaya's method this time was similar. He asked Miura to spread rumors at school that Hikigaya was extorting protection fees. Anyway, he already had a terrible delinquent image.

And the wallet that had mysteriously disappeared was precisely because someone in Class 1-D, after being coerced and tempted by him, had no choice but to cry and steal the wallet to pay the protection fee.

At this moment, the ultimate villain Hikigaya appeared, using his first-class ability to attract hatred, transforming the malice directed at Classmate Nishimiya by Class 1-D into malice directed at Hikigaya by the entire class.

"As long as there is a common enemy, humans are very easily able to abandon old grudges and unite," Hachiman Hikigaya said then. "They will even unite against Shoko Nishimiya."

Hooray, a world where everyone except Hikigaya gets hurt has been achieved!

The reason Hikigaya approached Miura was because she was not only the center of influence in this school but also the administrator of the Sobu High School Campus Forum, making it convenient to manipulate public opinion.

"I refused this proposal."

Miura said, "I will never accept peace that can only be achieved by sacrificing someone."

Yukino stared at Miura for a moment, making her a little shy.

She turned her head away a little embarrassed, "Why are you looking at me like that..."

At this moment, Yukino pointed her finger at Miura, bringing her left hand's four fingers together and extending them straight, with her thumb pointing to her temple, while her other hand was clenched into a fist at her temple.

Miura was stunned, "...What does that mean?"

Yukino walked ahead with a serious expression, "It means, you're an idiot."

She walked ahead, not letting Miura see the faint smile on her lips, "I already have a way, so stop looking so glum."

Yukino's unfamiliar sign language gestures, her unconcealable tiredness throughout the day, and the faint dark circles under her eyelids.

These fragmented images formed the correct answer before Miura.

She rubbed her slightly sore eyes.

What the heck.

Yukino was the biggest idiot.

"Eh? Where did Yukino Yukinoshita go?"

When Yui Yuigahama returned to the classroom after lunch break today, she saw that Yukino's seat was empty.

This was a rare occurrence for Yukino these days, as she hadn't missed a single class for nearly two months.

Did she suddenly fall ill?

Yukino did look rather frail, and she never seemed to have much stamina.

"Yui doesn't know?" Onozawa Kaho, who was tearing open a bag of cookies, looked up. "Yukino Yukinoshita received a request from Teacher Hiratsuka and went with Yumiko to the first-year classrooms to handle some matters."

Kaho chewed with her cheeks puffed out adorably like a hamster, then handed the cookies to Yui. "I don't know the specifics. Yumiko was in a hurry when she left and didn't explain clearly."

Yui's expression paused for a moment. Then, Smiling, she reached out and ruffled Kaho's head before taking the cookies.

Yes, she really didn't know.

Kaho didn't get angry. She pounced into Yui's arms, purring and acting spoiled.

Onozawa Kaho was petite, and her Twin Tails made her look even more childish and cute. Although they were in the same grade, everyone in the class doted on her like a little sister.

Junko especially.

But even with Junko and Kaho's close relationship, Junko wouldn't try to understand everything about the other person or occupy all of their time like Yui did.

Junko watched her from behind with a smile, feigning annoyance. "Some people are so heartless. Are you only giving cookies to Yui and no one else?"

Kaho wrinkled her nose, not falling for it at all.

She immediately covered her cookies protectively with both hands. "Junko gave me these cookies, and now you want to snatch them? Junko is the mean one!"

Kaho ate the cookies with her mouth covered, whispering gossip to Junko. Her cute face still held a touch of childish, innocent worry.

"Yumiko's attitude towards Yukino was a bit strange a couple of days ago. Today, Teacher Hiratsuka forced the two of them together. Will they argue?"

Junko rolled her eyes. "Do you think Teacher Hiratsuka and Kaho have always been idiots?"

"Hey!!!"

"Quite the opposite. Yumiko won't argue with Yukino?"

"Why has Yumiko been acting strange these past few days?"

Junko thought for a moment, then chuckled and whispered into Kaho's ear, "It's probably because the slow-witted Yumiko is finally starting to wake up."

"Huh?"

Even though they tried to be discreet, their intimacy was still apparent.

Junko and Kaho were childhood friends and next-door neighbors who could visit each other anytime. They occasionally bickered, but they would always be back to being sweet and clingy within a few minutes.

Undoubtedly, they were each other's best friends in the world.

Even Miura would probably take a backseat to this friendship.

Concepts like "best" and "only" were very alluring when everyone was still full of innocence.

The only one, Yukino.

With the retake exam coming up this Friday, after much deliberation and editing on Line last night, she awkwardly sent Yukino a message: "This is so stressful. If I fail my math retake exam again, I'll be in danger of being held back QAQ."

Yes, as expected, Yui's math score on this mock exam was a failure, and she needed a retake.

If she failed the retake exam, she might very well have to repeat the grade.

Although Miura had given her many important points and tutored her extensively on many topics, math was not something that could be passed by simply memorizing key points.

Yukino's reply was slow; she probably wasn't the type to check her phone often, but her response was very reassuring.

[Which problems don't you understand? Send them over.]

Yui and Yukino chatted about math problems all night. She had never realized before that those confusing, complex, and headache-inducing math problems could be so simple, clear, and understandable.