Chapter 090: Isn't It Just Cursing? Kushida Was Stunned!
Considering that Kushida was a partner in advancing to a higher class…
Although she was more of a supporting role in that effort, finding reliable allies in this class was difficult.
Especially since the class was a scattered mess—both Hirata and Kushida acted as the glue holding things together.
Because of that, Hachiman tended to look out for Kushida.
And now…
It was already late at night, yet she was still outside, and in such a secluded place too. If something happened, it wouldn't be good.
Thinking this, Hachiman made his way to the lakeside railing, a place he had met Chabashira-sensei a few times before.
That spot was known among a select few for being hidden, lacking both foot traffic and security cameras.
However…
That also meant that if something did happen, it would be troublesome.
With no one around, even calling for help would be difficult.
Wait a minute.
Was Hachiman being overly paranoid?
Then again, Kushida was undeniably cute. Hachiman figured she probably had plenty of admirers.
And since she always put on a friendly, approachable front, even people with reclusive personalities would be drawn to her.
Didn't that mean she was actually in danger?
With that thought, Hikigaya sprang into action.
After all…
Kushida was a useful asset. If something happened to her, it would be a problem.
Moreover, she was a classmate. Hachiman couldn't just ignore the situation.
…
Inside Advanced Nurturing High School, most areas were under surveillance.
The few places without cameras were mostly small, open alleyways.
But there were exceptions.
For example, in the dormitory: the hallways on the girls' dormitory floors had surveillance cameras, while the boys' dormitory floors did not.
Beyond the dormitories, past a stretch of greenery and woods, was the school's boundary—
The sea.
Advanced Nurturing High School was built on a man-made island. The island's edges were neatly constructed, surrounded entirely by railings to prevent accidental falls.
Often, students would walk up to the railings, lean against them, and stare out at the ocean.
Or they would look across the water at the city just a few thousand meters away.
Hachiman had always thought that distance wasn't much.
Officially, the only connections between Advanced Nurturing High School and Tokyo were two bridges spanning several kilometers.
But in reality, students could theoretically just jump into the sea and swim back.
Of course, no one had ever actually done that.
The roads were lined with neatly trimmed trees, and street lamps stood every ten meters. The pathways were paved with intricately patterned stone tiles, and there were wooden benches with metal armrests spaced intermittently for resting.
Further ahead, the stone pathway transitioned into a two-meter-wide wooden deck.
The school really put a lot of effort into these details.
And spent a ton of money.
They were ridiculously wealthy.
"Clank—Clang—Clank—"
As Hachiman walked along the coastal railing toward the dorms, he suddenly heard a series of sharp metallic noises ahead.
It sounded like something was deliberately striking the railing.
Was there a struggle? A fight?
Hachiman quickened his pace toward the source of the noise.
But soon, he came to a stop.
Because…
Under the glow of a nearby streetlamp, he clearly saw Kushida standing by the railing.
However, it wasn't that she was in trouble.
She was alone.
And—
She was… venting her frustration at the railing.
Kushida had short, ear-length hair and a stunningly pretty face.
But what she was doing right now was anything but pretty.
Because…
At this very moment, she was lifting her right leg and furiously kicking the railing like a raging lunatic.
From just her appearance, no one would have imagined she had this kind of strength.
She was kicking it hard, over and over again.
And, of course, she was completely unaware that she was flashing anyone who happened to be watching.
…Black lace.
Hachiman hadn't expected her to be this mature.
Kushida continued kicking the railing while venting her emotions.
"That bitch Horikita!"
"Just because she's pretty and has good grades, she thinks she can act all high and mighty? Does she think everyone likes her?"
"After all the effort I put in, she finally became my friend, but does she even appreciate it?"
"Just because she wants to be friends with me, does that mean I have to obey her?"
"Like she's doing me a huge favor or something!"
"Why doesn't Horikita just go die?! Die, die, die!"
"That bitch… that damn bitch Horikita…"
The girl kept kicking the railing furiously as she spat out vicious words. Her once sweet and adorable face was now twisted with rage, looking completely deranged—like she had succumbed to darkness.
This was completely different from the usual innocent, pure image she portrayed. If anyone saw her like this, Class C—no, the entire school—would probably lose their minds.
After all, the girl whom everyone admired and secretly adored as an angelic, pure-hearted beauty… turned out to be like this.
["My goal is to become friends with everyone here."]
["That's so mean! There's no ulterior motive, I just want to be friends with Horikita."]
["Hikigaya-kun, I want to get along with Horikita. Can you help me?"]
["Good morning, Horikita-san~"]
Thinking about the way she usually spoke so sweetly, with a gentle smile, and then comparing it to how she was acting now—it was undoubtedly an extreme contrast.
But rather than being cute…
It was disgusting.
If anyone saw this, they wouldn't find it shocking in an amusing way—they would feel sickened and repulsed.
Because people always yearn for beauty and goodness. But once something seemingly pure is tainted, people will instantly reject it.
Just like how a good person who has done countless good deeds will be condemned for a single mistake, while a bad person who has done countless evil deeds will be forgiven just because they "turned over a new leaf."
As for Hachiman…
As someone who observed human nature—and had long since realized that Kushida was a ticking time bomb—he had always known she would explode sooner or later.
And now…
Seeing this so-called explosion…
Honestly, it wasn't that surprising.
Yes.
It was shocking to see the sweet, innocent angel revealing such a terrifying side.
But—
People who truly act selflessly for others are rare, or rather, almost nonexistent.
Almost. Hachiman had never met such a person himself.
He didn't deny that such people might exist.
But the reality was, most people acted with some sort of ulterior motive.
So someone like Kushida…
Hachiman didn't see her as completely evil, but since she always pretended to be good, she had likely been bottling up her emotions all along.
Now, she was simply letting them out.
This was… well, a somewhat normal reaction, wasn't it?
However—
"Horikita is really getting blamed for nothing here, huh."
Hachiman shook his head, unsure of what to say.
No one knew Horikita better than he did, so he was fully aware that although she knew about the classroom rebellion back in middle school, she had no idea that Kushida had been the one behind it.
So—
Horikita had always treated Kushida the same way she treated everyone else.
And yet—
She was still being cursed out like this.
It was kind of pathetic.
Just as he was thinking that, the sound of kicking and Kushida's sharp, venomous voice rang out again.
"That bastard Hikigaya."
"All he cares about is advancing to a higher class—treating people like tools. He keeps bothering me! Do you even realize how annoying you are?!"
"And that stupid test! It was useless, and I wasted so much effort for nothing!"
"..."
As she ranted, Kushida kept furiously kicking the railing.
Meanwhile, Hachiman stood there in silence.
Because… in Kushida's mind, this was how she saw him.
She only mattered when he needed her, and when he didn't, she was dismissed.
And unfortunately… there really were a lot of things he needed her for.
He couldn't deny it—but knowing that this was how Kushida truly felt about him…
"Hikigaya, you're such a bastard. So pretentious!"
"Finding true friends? Do you even realize how annoying you are?!"
"I have so many friends to deal with—who has time for you?!"
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!
Kushida continued furiously kicking the railing.
Hachiman didn't know how long she had been cursing out Horikita before he arrived, but now that he was here…
It felt like most of her insults were aimed at him instead.
…Yeah.
"..." Even though Hachiman understood that Kushida was probably just venting the emotions she had bottled up for so long—
Still.
He wasn't feeling great about it.
So—
Normally, if he had stumbled upon someone venting like this, he would've left them alone.
But this time…
Hachiman deliberately walked toward Kushida from a short distance away, making his footsteps loud on purpose.
The sound of his approach echoed.
Even though Kushida was focused on kicking the railing, she wasn't deaf.
She heard the approaching footsteps.
"Eek—!"
She jerked in shock, instantly staggering backward several steps—putting some distance between herself and the railing she had been mercilessly kicking.
As if distancing herself from the scene of the crime could somehow erase the blackened side of her she had just revealed.
"You…"
Kushida looked at Hachiman nervously, feeling a bit guilty.
This side of her couldn't be seen by anyone. If it were exposed, the Kushida Empire she had built—where everyone trusted her and wanted to be her friend—would crumble in an instant.
But that wasn't the only problem.
It wasn't just about her true nature being exposed.
She had just insulted not only Horikita but also Hachiman.
And she had insulted Horikita first, then Hachiman.
Which meant… he might have heard everything.
What should she do?
Would he be angry?
Or would he use this as leverage to threaten her?
Kushida didn't want either of those outcomes.
No, actually—
She was panicking.
Because exposure, being found out, having people learn the truth about her… this wasn't the first time it had happened.
And now, even in this school, it was happening again?
"Hikigaya-kun—" Kushida quickly put on her usual cute expression.
"Um, when did you get here?" she asked, maintaining her sweet angelic demeanor, trying to probe for information.
She hoped he hadn't heard anything. That he hadn't seen her breakdown.
That way, she would still be safe.
"..." Hachiman.
But Hachiman didn't say a word.
Kushida stepped forward proactively.
"Hikigaya-kun—" she got closer, and there was a faint, pleasant scent from her.
But—
Hachiman simply walked right past her.
…?
Kushida was stunned.
This wasn't the reaction she had expected at all.
No anger. No shock. No threats of blackmail.
Instead—
"BANG—!"
Hachiman walked straight to the seaside railing and kicked it hard, producing a deep, heavy sound. His strength was on a completely different level from hers, and the sudden loud noise startled her.
Sure, she was manipulative, two-faced, completely dark inside—
But in the end, she was just a normal girl. She couldn't physically overpower a guy. If Hachiman wanted to resort to violence here, she wouldn't be able to fight back at all.
Was he about to get physical?
Kushida realized she had made a huge mistake.
She shouldn't have come out today.
And just as she thought that—
"Kushida, you b*tch!"
"Acting all high and mighty just because you're cute and have good grades—do you think everyone has to like you?!"
"Why don't you just go die already! Die, die, die!"
"Bitch, Kushida, you bitch…!"
Hachiman kicked the railing while hurling insults.
Kushida's expression shifted from tense to shocked, then to something close to pain.
Because—these were the exact words she had said earlier when cursing Horikita.
Hachiman was deliberately repeating her words, mimicking her actions right in front of her. He was provoking her, making one thing very clear—"I saw everything."
And if he had been listening when she cursed Horikita, then he had also definitely heard everything she said about him.
This… was the worst possible outcome.
Her secret was exposed.
And now, he was going to use it against her.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
Kushida immediately dropped her fake sweet demeanor and reverted to the dark, twisted version of herself.
Or rather—perhaps this was the real her.
"If you want to get me expelled, that won't work. You're aiming for Class A, aren't you? And like it or not, you need someone in class to keep everyone together."
"In other words, you need me," Kushida said.
…?
But Hachiman blinked.
He looked genuinely surprised by how shameless she was.
Because—
Her secret had been exposed.
And yet, here she was, acting strong, pretending she had the upper hand.
Did she even realize she was the one in deep trouble here?
Then—
Hachiman pulled out his phone.
"I recorded it just now," he said. "I got a recording of you cursing Horikita."
"Now tell me," Hachiman continued, holding up the phone expressionlessly. "What do you think will happen if I send this to Horikita Suzune?"
With those words—
Kushida's eyes widened instantly.
Because—
Oh, sh*t.
She had just come here to vent. She had only started cursing Horikita because of her frustration.
But now, everything was recorded.
And if this recording was sent to Horikita—
Her "friendship" with Horikita would end immediately.
And if Horikita knew about her past… she would definitely expose everything.
This… was the worst possible nightmare.