"W-Why?"
Sakura muttered under her breath.
"Yes. More than the incident itself, I'm curious about what you think, Sakura."
Hikigaya sighed, looking at her hesitant expression. "Even if you witnessed what happened, there's no rule saying you have to testify. The choice is entirely yours. I respect that. But I don't want you to be pressured by outside forces and end up going against your true feelings."
Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed. It wasn't the first time she had looked into his eyes, but this time, she felt something different—a strange but undeniable strength.
Just like that night, when he had told her, "It's okay. You can run away."
"Actually, when Chabashira-sensei brought up the fight, I thought about secretly telling her the truth… but…"
Sakura clenched her fists. Her eyes, partly hidden by her bangs, locked onto Hikigaya's, filled with frustration and pain. Her voice trembled with anger.
"But then I remembered how they always insult you, mock you, bully you… and I just… I just couldn't stand it!"
Hikigaya froze.
He had assumed she was afraid of being judged by others, or maybe it was just her introverted nature. But it had never crossed his mind that she was speaking up—because of him.
Thinking about this, Hikigaya felt a sharp pain in his heart. The girl's expression and tone were so similar to theirs from that time—those buried memories deep in his mind. It was during the school trip when he confessed to Ebina...
Their expressions back then... were exactly the same as Sakura's now.
Hikigaya shut his eyes in pain.
Had he unknowingly made the same mistake again?!
"H-Hikigaya-kun, are you okay?"
Sakura's concerned voice pulled him back.
Hikigaya shook his head lightly and said with guilt, "Sorry it's just my own issues."
"Then why did you change your mind later and tell me the truth—that you were the witness?"
Sakura lowered her head at his question. Compared to her earlier tone, she suddenly seemed much weaker, as if trapped in deep conflict. "I... I didn't want my selfishness to cause anyone in class to get hurt. B-But they were bullying you, Hikigaya-kun... so I… I kept hesitating."
Now Hikigaya understood why she was struggling so much. She was simply too kind, and that kindness was making her suffer.
But thinking about guys like Yamauchi and Sudou in their class, Hikigaya found it ironic.
Sakura wasn't wrong for being kind. The real issue was that people like her always got taken for granted by others.
"So… Sakura, what do you really want?"
Hikigaya looked into her eyes seriously. "Don't lie to yourself just because of me. That would only make me feel even more guilty. I want to hear what you truly think. No matter what, I'll respect your decision."
Sakura slowly sat up straighter. It was as if she had gained some kind of strength. After taking a deep breath, she said, "I wish for a world where no one gets hurt, but... even more than that, I don't want you to be the only one who suffers, Hikigaya-kun."
As she spoke, tears welled up and started falling. Her voice trembled. "I'm really sorry… I'm so, so sorry…"
Hikigaya knew she was blaming herself for the fact that he had to hurt others. And unfortunately, people like her were often labeled as "naïve saints" by those with bad intentions—giving them the perfect excuse to attack.
He reached out and gently patted her head. When Sakura looked up, he reassured her, "There's nothing to cry about. You don't need to blame yourself like you did something wrong. Sakura, remember this—you've never done anything to hurt anyone."
"But…"
"Come on, Sakura, did you forget what I did to Ryuen?"
Realizing he might have gone too far just now, Hikigaya quickly pulled his hand back and said, "Do you really think Yamauchi and Sudou are scarier than Ryuen?"
Sakura shook her head. Just the thought of Class C's tyrant sent a shiver down her spine.
"Exactly. You're giving them way too much credit. If you see dog crap on the road, you avoid it. Who in their right mind would step on it on purpose?"
Sakura remembered how Yamauchi and Ike were left speechless today, completely humiliated by Hikigaya's sharp words. The memory made her laugh.
"And if you have to clean up dog crap, you don't get your own hands dirty."
A cold glint flashed in Hikigaya's eyes as he said this.
"I… I understand now. Compared to me, you're really strong, Hikigaya-kun."
If it were her, Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to handle the cold treatment, the whispers, the bullying from the class. But the boy in front of her faced all of it head-on, like an unshakable shield.
Even more admirable was his kindness—like calm, flowing water.
He had suffered more than anyone, yet his heart remained softer than anyone's. That strength and gentleness were what she respected most about Hikigaya. It was what she admired in him.
Sakura seemed to finally let go of her doubts. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she picked up her camera and handed it to Hikigaya.
"That day, I actually took a picture. It might be useful."
Hikigaya looked at the camera and realized—it was the high-end model he had given her as a gift.
Seeing this, Sakura quickly explained, "I-I was just trying to get used to its features. I—"
But when she saw Hikigaya's amused smirk, her face turned red. She awkwardly lowered her head and mumbled, "I-It's just… this camera is really good. And it's precious to me, so I just got used to carrying it around…"
"Haha, don't worry. I was just feeling a little sentimental."
Hikigaya chuckled. "Looks like giving you this camera was the right decision after all."
Sakura felt a little happy for some reason when she heard that.
Hikigaya then checked the photos Sakura had taken at the special teaching building. As expected, Sudou, Ishizaki, and the others appeared in them, and the dates and times matched.
"So... so do these photos help?"
Sakura couldn't help but ask.
Hikigaya gently shook his head and repeated what he had told Horikita earlier, then added, "Even though we have photos as evidence, the same problem remains. These pictures still don't prove who started the fight. In the end, the best we can hope for is a compromise from both sides."
"I see..."
Sakura looked a little disappointed.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Hikigaya let out a puzzled sound while looking at the photos. Without thinking, he glanced up at the girl sitting across from him.
Sakura was startled at first, but the next second, as if realizing something, her eyes widened, and her face turned bright red. She let out a small yelp and quickly reached out to cover the camera screen. But in her haste to get up, combined with her slightly top-heavy posture, she lost her balance and ended up falling forward—right onto Hikigaya!
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