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Chapter 179 - 179: The Stubborn Little Donkey
The incident of the stolen underwear caused a huge uproar, far more serious than expected. It completely split Class D into two opposing sides—boys and girls.
Karuizawa and the other girls, in particular, stood on the moral high ground because of this incident. As for the victim, Shinohara, she lashed out at the boys after learning the culprit hadn't been found. Her earlier "tearful and pitiful" act now seemed more like a way to gain sympathy.
With Karuizawa and the others having the upper hand morally, the boys didn't dare to fight back. That's the power of moral superiority. You could call it useless, or you could call it unstoppable.
At the very least, these 15- and 16-year-old high school boys didn't want to be labeled "panty thieves." They didn't even want to be associated with the case. After all, there had been similar incidents in society, and the accused had faced harsh judgment from the public. Even if they were later proven innocent, all they got in return was a weak apology.
"Hey, do you know who did it?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Hikigaya. It was Ibuki, who had been watching the situation unfold with a cold expression. At some point, she had walked up beside him, looking annoyed as she spoke.
"You boys are really disgusting."
"So, Ibuki, you think the culprit must be a boy?"
"Who else would steal underwear? It has to be a guy."
Ibuki clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed with Hikigaya's response.
"There are plenty of other possibilities," he said. "Maybe someone has a weird fetish, maybe it was an act of revenge, or maybe the thief just wanted to create chaos in Class D."
As he spoke, he stared directly at Ibuki. But she didn't look away. She met his gaze without any sign of panic or unease. Instead, she spoke calmly.
"Classic you. Always spinning conspiracy theories. A crime committed by a boy suddenly turns into some kind of girl-on-girl conflict in your version. Twisting the truth like this is disgusting. But I guess it takes a guy like you to take down someone as nasty as Ryuen."
"Sounds like you have a lot of resentment toward me, Ibuki."
Instead of getting angry, Hikigaya chuckled.
"Ryuen is already back on the cruise ship. So why are you still here, suffering with us? And on top of that, doing free labor?"
Ibuki shot him a glare.
"My business is none of your concern. I always repay my debts, whether good or bad. I can't stand you, but Class D took me in when I was stranded in the forest. This is how I return the favor."
"I see."
If anyone else had said that, Hikigaya might have thought better of them. But this only made him more certain that Ibuki was the one behind the incident. She was good at acting, but her mental discipline was still lacking.
She shouldn't have come to talk to him.
By approaching him out of nowhere, she was practically showing off her handiwork, eager to see his reaction—just to mess with someone she "hates."
Not long after Ibuki left, Horikita appeared next to Hikigaya, watching Ibuki walk away.
"Looks like the culprit is starting to lose patience."
"I thought you'd call her out in front of everyone."
"I wanted to, but I don't have any proof."
After all the chaos, Horikita's first thought was that someone was taking advantage of the situation. And the first person who came to mind was Ibuki. But suspicion alone wasn't enough.
"Still, this confirms one thing—Class C is finally getting restless."
By evening, since the culprit still hadn't been found, a strange tension filled Class D. Even Hirata, who was usually good at calming people down, had no solution this time.
This just proved that Hirata's "peacemaker" approach only worked for minor everyday conflicts. When faced with a serious crisis, his efforts could only soften the situation, not resolve it. In fact, all the pent-up resentment that had built up under his "let's all get along" attitude was now bursting out at once.
The fifth day on the deserted island passed under a heavy atmosphere.
The next day—the sixth day of the exam—was essentially the final day, since the special test would end on the morning of the seventh day.
For the past five days, the weather had been sunny and bright. But today, the sky was overcast, a dull gray, as if reflecting Class D's mood from the day before.
Even after a night's rest, the tension hadn't eased. The morning still felt suffocating.
Hikigaya glanced at Ibuki, impressed by how calm she was. Then, as he looked around at the others, his expression suddenly darkened.
"Are you feeling sick?"
Horikita's face looked pale. Was she getting worse from overexertion?
"I-I'm just a little cold, that's all."
Horikita's response sounded a little off, but Hikigaya didn't notice. Just as he was about to say something else, Horikita cut him off first.
"Also, I'm not a kid anymore! Today is the last day. Even if I'm not feeling well, I just have to grit my teeth and push through!"
Horikita didn't even know why she was so annoyed by Hikigaya's concern, but it just irritated her. The way he showed concern for her felt like an older brother worrying about his little sister, and she wasn't comfortable with that at all.
"Hey, Horikita, time to go."
As one of the students assigned to the task, Ayanokouji, Yamauchi, and the others called out to her. Horikita glanced back at Hikigaya before quickly walking away.
"Stubborn little donkey."
Hikigaya let out a helpless sigh. That stubbornness really reminded him of his past self—treating rejection as a way to prove his independence.
But Hikigaya had his own task to take care of. This time, he arrived early at the meeting spot he had arranged with Kamuro yesterday.
"Hikigaya, a few students in class did feel unwell, but after taking some medicine and getting enough rest, they're all fine now."
Kamuro got straight to the point, reporting the results of the investigation Hikigaya had asked her to do.
Then she looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What's the point of looking into this?"
Hikigaya smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out soon enough. Just be ready to adapt when the time comes."
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