Uneasy daily life

This question looks familiar, and I think I can do it... No, it's a bit difficult.

I know how to do this one!

As Hachiman Hikigaya breathed a sigh of relief, he found himself back on the first page.

...The minister is truly terrifying.

Being understood so simply by others gives me a subtle, unsettling feeling.

With mixed feelings, Hachiman Hikigaya looked up and watched the battle between the two powerful figures.

Yukino Yukinoshita, who usually only reads extracurricular books during club activities, making people wonder if she secretly locks in her time to work hard and maintain her top grade level, is unusually showing up today with a bunch of reference books and test papers. Her writing is full of murderous intent, and you can tell from a distance that the titles are not for this grade.

The other party was actually trying to understand the mysteries of a higher realm, and thus, in turn, he made light of his current knowledge, following the path of a genius student who skipped grades.

The minister, meanwhile, was buried in a sea of ​​exam papers, preparing to prove his path with a sword, engaging in fierce battles with each enemy, following the traditional monster-slaying and leveling-up route.

Being caught and brought here by that violent teacher that day was the biggest mistake of my life...

Hikigaya Hachiman was heartbroken and picked up his pen to start working on this special edition exam paper.

There's no way around it; the minister has even produced the exam papers. If you don't want to become a problem that needs to be solved, you'd better put in a little effort.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Hachiman Hikigaya began to feel uneasy.

He wasn't stuck on the questions on the exam, nor was he intimidated by the intense, hard-working aura emanating from the two of them. He secretly glanced at the time—almost half an hour had passed. Usually, after class, when it was time for club activities, that guy would immediately look for Yukino and they would come to the activity room together...

The minister and Yukinoshita were engrossed in their study of knowledge, so quiet that only the scratching of pens on paper could be heard. Usually at this time, there would be some noise from Yui Yuigahama trying to start a conversation.

The conversation this morning?

As for?

Not to the point.

Yukino Yukinoshita seemed to sense something was wrong and reached for her phone, which was lying on the corner of the table.

"June 19th, sunny, slightly warm. At 3 pm, the teacher finished his tireless teaching and went home. I ran like a wild horse, leaving the wind behind me. No one could catch up with my freedom. I arrived at the activity room first and took out my key to open the door. As expected, Yukinoshita, whose classroom was closer to the room, was a step late and became the sad latecomer. The rabbit in the tortoise and the hare race, the Fang Zhongyong who has disappeared from the world."

Bai Ying twirled her pen, temporarily shifting her gaze from the enemy, her voice, so formal it sounded almost bookish and odd, echoing in the activity room.

"You rushed to the activity room after class just to open the door for me? Thank you for your trouble, Bai Jun."

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't hesitate to flash a smile to amplify the irony, and then tapped her phone's screen saver.

Hachiman Hikigaya's gaze wandered as he pondered how to escape the impending world line... But was it really my fault? Yuihama might simply be late, or something might be going on in Miura's inner circle, making her think it was her fault and appear quite self-righteous.

Do they really think their every move can cause others any concern or distress? Laughable.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt relieved and continued to face the numerous difficulties with his head down.

"The atmosphere in the activity room was different from usual. Hachiman, overestimating his abilities, peeked at the later questions and awkwardly flipped back to the first page. Yukinoshita, on the other hand, was engrossed in the higher-grade material, her mind as focused as a nail embedded in the book. I conquered one difficult question after another from previous years, feeling invincible in the exam hall. Amidst my感慨 (feelings of mixed emotions), I gazed at the light green, warm, youthful campus and gradually felt a little lost. Why were there no words of criticism about Hachiman's overestimation of his abilities? Why were there no frivolous words to disturb Yukinoshita's peace of mind? Why were there no songs of praise for my great achievement?"

"One minute, ten minutes, twenty minutes. Yuihama is probably really late."

The white figure sighed.

"Please don't have an attack right now, Haku-kun." Yukino Yukinoshita said, holding her phone. "I was just about to ask..."

Bai Ying sighed, "What has tainted her passion? As I effortlessly tackled the difficult problem, I couldn't help but ponder. Was it the distress she was experiencing in dealing with different interpersonal relationships? Was it simply a matter of forgetting to contact her due to an emergency? Was it a weariness with club activities? A thought popped into my head, and I suddenly stopped writing. Could it be because of Hachiman-kun?"

Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously glanced at Hachiman Hikigaya on the other side, accurately capturing the suspect's suspicious behavior of freezing in mid-air.

"Hikigaya-kun, is there anything you need to say?" Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze sharpened.

Hachiman Hikigaya calmly replied, "I am innocent; this is a false accusation."

"In the morning, melancholy and sadness led me into the campus. At the bicycle parking area, I saw Hachiman and Yui talking in the distance. Before I could even set up my lights and go on stage, Hachiman left first, while Yui stood there dumbfounded for at least three minutes."

The plaintiff presented evidence.

The defendant was somewhat taken aback.

The judge, righteous and stern, scrutinized her like a knife, and asked, "So, Hachiman, what do you have to say in your defense?"

How impartial! The seemingly cold-blooded judge was not swayed by personal feelings and ensured the suspect's right to appeal!

Hachiman Hikigaya was a little touched. He decided to move Yukinoshita down one place from the list of people he would never forgive!

"If there's nothing more to say, then let's proceed with the execution."

A judge's menacing remark instantly set the rule of law back by hundreds of years.

The plaintiff, filled with grief and rage, slammed his fist on the table, vividly portraying the accuser's burning hatred: "I request to be torn apart by chariots!"

“That’s too cruel. Countless predecessors fought, appealed, and argued, striving to make the concept of justice clearer and more concrete, and to make the light of humanity shine brighter. How can you make such a cruel demand?” The judge shook his head and said, “At most, you can be excommunicated.”

Hey! Expelling someone from the human race seems even more terrifying!

Hachiman Hikigaya's eye twitched. His life was truly unfortunate. Why did he have to be associated with such calamity factors as the club president and Yukinoshita? You two can stay in the 0 and 1 positions that I will never forgive! Damn it!

"Where should I begin..."

Hachiman Hikigaya scratched his head and said simply, "On the day I enrolled, I was hit by a car while trying to save Yuihama's dog. I didn't know it was Yuihama's dog before, but I found out recently. That's all."

Quiet.

Hey! What do you guys want to say?

Didn't you guys force me to reveal my dark past? Why are you all so silent?!

Yukinoshita-san! Why aren't you saying anything?!

Minister! Quickly use your ever-changing voice to roast me!

silence.

This makes the already awkward situation even more awkward.

To make the dark history even darker.

Hachiman Hikigaya sensed his resolve wavering. Had he, after enduring countless hardships, still not reached the state of enlightenment free from sorrow and joy?

"Hmm...that's a bit unexpected," the white-clad figure asked slowly. "Isn't this your friend's story?"

Hachiman Hikigaya smirked awkwardly and said, "Ha, ha... Oh right, it's a story from one of my friends."

"So, you and Yuigahama are both victims, right?" Yukino Yukinoshita spoke, her voice ethereal and hoarse. "As victims, it's strange to blame each other. The blame shouldn't fall on the perpetrators..."

Bai Ying pressed further, "And then what?"

"After that?" Hachiman Hikigaya asked curiously. "After that, my friend... he was hospitalized for a month before returning to school. What happened?"

Bai Ying exclaimed in shock, "Your friend didn't manage to extort even a house?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita, interrupted and about to return to the topic, was taken aback: "...Excuse me?"

"Hmph! If I were the one who got hit, and instead of lying in a hospital bed claiming I was mentally disoriented and suffered emotional damage, and then using that as leverage to extort a house for the rest of my life, would I let go?"

Bai Ying openly and righteously made insidious remarks, just like a villain in a play, calmly and evilly saying: "Modern medicine also has its limitations. Simple physical injuries are easy to detect, but mental damage is difficult to verify. As long as you firmly claim that your brain has been damaged and you feel dizzy, nauseous and want to vomit, doctors will not be able to find out!"

Hachiman Hikigaya was shocked by the unprecedented and profound darkness of human nature, and said in horror, "This...this is too much..."

Bai Ying shook her head and sighed, "It's such a pity that your friend missed out on this shortcut in life, when you finally got to stand on the high ground of the victim and point fingers."

"White fungus is really good at unorthodox methods, isn't it? It really is a poisonous fungus," Yukino Yukinoshita remarked coldly, then asked, "What if the white fungus is the perpetrator?"

"Am I the driver?" the white-haired figure asked, turning his head. "Hachiman, your friend ran onto the road to save a dog and was then hit by me?"

Hachiman Hikigaya: "Uh, yes, that's how my friend is..."

Bai Ying stroked his chin, a shadow rising over his face. His smile revealed an evil aura, as if some kind of filthy black mud was churning and rolling, revealing a human face: "So, according to traffic laws, if I'm driving honestly and suddenly some idiot rushes out to save a dog and I hit him—there are two ways to handle this, the evil way and the good way, and it depends on the situation to decide how to use it."

Hachiman Hikigaya tentatively asked, "Then, what are these unorthodox methods?"

"If there are no cameras or similar devices nearby, pretend you didn't notice them, run them over, and then brake quickly! As long as there are no direct victims, you won't be responsible for any potential disputes or unpredictable medical expenses. Considering the other party's reaction, the majority of the responsibility will lie with them for violating traffic laws. Afterward, you only need to deal with indirect victims like their family members to resolve your own liability for the accident! Let the responsibility and consequences be settled directly, rather than being artificially amplified!"

The deepest darkness of human nature utters a chaotic lament.

Hachiman Hikigaya broke out in a cold sweat, while Yukino Yukinoshita gave him a disdainful look, as if he were looking at non-combustible garbage.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Not Painful at All

"What if it's the right path?"

Hachiman Hikigaya wiped the sweat from his brow, hoping for some comfort, though given the minister's style, it didn't seem like much comfort at all.

"The right thing to do, of course, is to stop immediately, report to the police, and call an ambulance."

Bai Ying said with little interest, "While you're at it, observe the victim's condition and behavior. It's best to clarify the responsibility as soon as possible, prove that you are not the main party responsible for the whole incident, and take the initiative to bear the accident costs. In car accidents, pedestrians, as the vulnerable party, receive certain preferential treatment—that is, they will cover your medical expenses. If you're not short of money, you can be sensible and avoid trouble and future problems. Of course, you should also be prepared to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit, and pay attention to whether there are any security cameras recording physical evidence."

Yukino Yukinoshita said subtly, "...Haku-kun is quite skilled."

This process is the same as how a family handles a car accident: taking full responsibility, covering all medical expenses for Hachiman Hikigaya, arranging for the driver of the person primarily responsible to visit her, and removing her from the whole incident so that she is absolutely not allowed to appear in the incident and be used by those with ulterior motives.

According to my sister, the combination of such provocative words as "ordinary people rescuing dogs," "luxury cars," and "car accident" could turn into a huge problem if not handled carefully... Is that the reason?

Yukino Yukinoshita even felt that the other person's image overlapped with her sister's at that moment.

"One should not put oneself in or be pushed into the position of the perpetrator. Even if one has the attitude to take responsibility, one should be prepared to avoid being forced to take or even fabricate more responsibility."

The white figure murmured, "Even a real stone can be speculated, distorted, derived, and reduced by countless people for countless reasons, just to carve it into the shape they want. This is the dark side of the world of consciousness."

Hachiman Hikigaya muttered to himself, "But a stone is still a stone, isn't it?"

"How dare you!" Bai Ying suddenly rebuked, "How dare you call a work of art like the David nude a stone! It is a brilliant portrayal of humanistic brilliance! It is a star that the artist has painstakingly refined from countless inspirations, a flame that is a collision of time and thought, a portrayal of miracles, a copy of life—what kind of fourth-rate evaluation do you, a third-rate vulgar person, have to make here!"

Thinking this guy resembled her older sister was clearly just an illusion. Yukino Yukinoshita sighed inwardly. Wait—what was I going to say before being interrupted by the white figure…?

Hachiman Hikigaya pondered, "A stone is still a stone, but through the hands of its creator, the eyes and words of others, it acquires different meanings for people..."

"You've figured it out. You've learned to set aside personal feelings and biases and see the essence of things. This is a very rare attitude." Bai Ying instantly revealed a kind smile, like a spring breeze passing over a stream, creating ripples that blow to places far away. "Let your sister learn to cook with me. Your sister is very talented."

Hachiman Hikigaya calmly replied, "I regret to decline."

“Truth is truth. No matter how much it's distorted or embellished, it still retains its original form.” Yukino Yukinoshita rubbed her temples, trying to steer the conversation back on track after it had veered off course into a discussion of humanity. “So, speaking of which… what about Yui? She was walking her dog, the collar broke, and the dog ran onto the road… and the car was the one that caused the direct damage…”

"Cough-cough-"

Bai Ying suddenly cleared his throat, and the other two couldn't help but look at him.

The white figure then began to sing.

"Transferring one person's burden to another's shoulders. Letting past suffering blossom into desire. Everyone is like this, experiencing heat and cold before refusing to be the scapegoat—"

With its intonation and clear pronunciation, the singer's voice carries a sense of vicissitude, demonstrating excellent singing skills.

Hikigaya Hachiman: “?”

"What terrible lyrics. Is this Haku-kun's attitude towards life?" Yukino Yukinoshita said coldly.

"The responsibility for the broken collar lies with the merchant, the merchant can shift the responsibility to the manufacturing factory, the factory can transfer the responsibility to the workers and machines, the workers can shift the responsibility to the raw material producers, and the raw material producers can shift the responsibility to weather and soil issues." Bai Ying snapped her fingers, her words resolute. "There's only one truth—it's all the world's fault!"

“These kinds of things are usually called force majeure or accidents.” Yukino Yukinoshita didn’t even bother to give this guy a sharp review. “Instead of spending time and energy endlessly pursuing accountability for accidents, it’s more important to solve the problems that happened. In fact, the main problems have already been solved… it’s just that the things left behind still exist.”

Hikigaya Hachiman remained silent.

Yukino Yukinoshita crossed her arms and lowered her eyes slightly, saying, "As two sides that were both dragged into this, you have no reason to let things turn out like this. Even if you have some complaints, you should..."

Bai Ying said with certainty, "Hachiman should be sentenced to death."

"Hey! Hold on!" Hachiman Hikigaya emphasized, "Why does everyone think Yuihama is here because I didn't come to the activity room? That's just the club president's guess!"

"Hmph, the suspect's pathetic struggle."

Bai Ying took out her phone, dialed Yui Yuigahama's number and put it on speakerphone. After a few rings, the call was answered.

"Hey? Xiaobai, is there something wrong? I have something to do, so I won't be in the activity room today, but I'll still pay attention to my studies..."

Bai Ying said kindly, "You've been thinking about this draft for a long time, haven't you?"

"Cough cough cough—! I-I didn't..." Yui Yuigahama broke down instantly, looking utterly disheveled.

"In short, I'll give you one day to be scared and overthink things. Be in the activity room on time tomorrow."

"Huh? Um, haha, I have something to do tomorrow..."

"The day after tomorrow."