COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 180: Each is on the move

"Acting all secretive."

Kamuro frowned, but deep down, she was really curious about what this guy was planning. After all, today was the last chance.

"Kamuro, if what I do ends up causing you trouble, what would you do?"

Hikigaya suddenly asked.

"What else? I'd just accept the consequences, of course."

Hikigaya was surprised by her answer. Kamuro spoke as if it was only natural. "Sakayanagi asked for this herself, so whatever happens in the end, everyone has to take responsibility."

"Didn't expect you to see things so clearly."

Hikigaya looked at the purple-haired girl in a new light. He had imagined many different reactions from Kamuro, but he hadn't expected her to so willingly accept the consequences, whether good or bad.

Hearing his praise, Kamuro felt a slight sense of satisfaction, but she still kept an impatient look on her face.

"Hopefully, Sakayanagi can be as open-minded as you when the time comes."

"Heh."

Kamuro scoffed. "I don't know what your plan is, so I won't judge the outcome, but if you're talking about Sakayanagi, I can tell you right now—it's impossible!"

"She's super petty!"

"And she holds grudges forever!"

Hikigaya and Kamuro exchanged a glance, and the next second, they both burst into laughter.

Neither of them had expected to see eye to eye when it came to Sakayanagi.

After that, Hikigaya headed back to Class D's camp. But halfway there, he noticed thick smoke rising from that direction. By the time he arrived, the camp was already in complete chaos.

The guidebook had mysteriously caught fire. Although they barely managed to put it out, it led to an argument between the boys and girls. They started blaming each other, shouting, and shifting responsibility. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control.

Hikigaya spotted Kushida moving around, trying to mediate, but it was clear she couldn't handle the crisis alone. Normally, in times like this, Hirata would step in. But to Hikigaya's surprise, the usual "nice guy" Hirata wasn't trying to break up the fight. Instead, he stood at the edge of the camp, alone and silent, watching everything unfold as if it had nothing to do with him.

Hikigaya let out a quiet sigh.

After carrying all that pressure for so long, has Hirata finally reached his limit?

His eyes, usually warm and full of energy, were now dull and lifeless. It was hard to believe that this was the same guy who was always known for being kind and dependable.

Hikigaya walked up to Hirata and could feel the cold, distant air around him.

"Hirata, what's wrong? How long has he been like this?"

Hikigaya turned to a girl standing nearby. He had noticed her from the start—her name was Wang Meiyu.

"I-It started when the fire broke out... so about ten minutes ago."

She looked worriedly at Hirata, the boy who had given everything for his class but was now left alone, unnoticed.

"I see."

Hikigaya called Hirata's name a few times, but he didn't respond. It was as if his mind had sunk into a deep, endless void.

"So, he really is breaking down."

Muttering to himself, Hikigaya took a deep breath and whispered an apology in his heart.

Then, without warning, he punched Hirata in the stomach.

Wang Meiyu gasped in shock, while Hirata doubled over, clutching his abdomen in pain.

"That woke you up, didn't it, Hirata?"

Hikigaya looked down at him, his face emotionless.

"Are... are you okay, Hirata?"

Wang Meiyu quickly rushed to help him up. Hirata stood up with a wry smile, looking at Hikigaya.

"That punch... really hurt, Hikigaya."

"And... thank you, Wang Meiyu."

He didn't forget to thank the girl next to him.

"I think you've finally seen what a mess this class really is. To be honest, you've already done more than enough. You don't have to keep forcing yourself."

Hikigaya glanced at the Class D students still arguing in the distance.

"You can either drown alongside these idiots, stuck in your ideals, or you can step away and let go. It's your choice. As long as you don't regret your decisions, that's all that matters. I have other things to do, so I'm leaving."

Without looking back, Hikigaya walked away from the camp, leaving Hirata and Wang Meiyu staring after him.

"H-Hikigaya is such a strange guy."

Now that it was just the two of them, Wang Meiyu suddenly felt awkward and embarrassed, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Maybe."

Hirata watched Hikigaya's back as he disappeared into the distance, smiling bitterly.

"Though, from his perspective, I might be the strange one."

"You're not strange at all, Hirata!"

Wang Meiyu blurted out, then immediately regretted it. Luckily, Hirata didn't seem to notice.

"Hikigaya actually sees things more clearly than anyone else. He understands more than anyone else. But in the end, he's also the most stubborn of us all."

Hirata let out a sigh, then took a deep breath and walked toward the ongoing fight.

"But just like he said—I won't regret the choices I make."

"So it really started raining after all."

Not long after leaving Class D's camp, the gray sky finally let down raindrops. Luckily, it wasn't a heavy downpour, but the rain still made visibility worse and lowered the temperature noticeably.

When Hikigaya returned to camp, aside from noticing something off about Hirata, the first thing he did was look for Ibuki. As expected, she was nowhere to be found.

Without wasting any time, he rushed to the spot where she had hidden the walkie-talkie. But when he got there, he realized he was already too late.

"This is a bit troublesome."

Because of the rain, tracking Ibuki's movements was going to be much harder. On top of that, the rain was only getting heavier.

Left with no other choice, Hikigaya decided to look for a place to take cover. He happened to know a nearby shelter—though it was a base occupied by Class A. He had learned about Class A's base locations from Kamuro, Hashimoto, and others. He hadn't expected that information to come in handy here.

Not long after, Hikigaya arrived at the Class A base. Just as he was about to move forward, he suddenly stopped.

He could hear voices up ahead.

Carefully, he crouched down and moved forward while keeping his presence hidden. The rain, which had been a hindrance before, now worked in his favor. It not only made the people ahead drop their guard but also helped mask his movements.

"Hey, Katsuragi, this is proof of the Class B and Class D leaders' identities!"

The hoarse but unmistakably smug voice of Ryuen echoed through the rain.

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