Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

Afternoon, Library.

Within the study group, Hachiman and the others were diligently working on their assigned test papers.

On the surface, Hachiman appeared calm and composed.

But deep down, his mind was in utter chaos.

The video Kasumigaoka had sent him earlier?

It was nothing short of an earth-shattering shock!

It had nearly caused his worldview to crumble entirely.

He stole a glance at Kasumigaoka, only to see her immersed in her work as though nothing had happened.

The serene normality of her demeanor was unsettling, making Hachiman's hairs stand on end.

He had to get to the bottom of this.

No matter what, he needed to confront Kasumigaoka and figure out the truth behind that video she'd sent on the rooftop.

After about thirty minutes, Kasumigaoka suddenly stood up.

"I'm going to the restroom."

The group paid little attention; no one showed any inclination to follow her.

"I'll be back shortly. If you have any questions about the material, save them for when I return."

With that, she turned to leave, but not before glancing at Hachiman.

Her gaze was ambiguous, almost as if it carried a hidden message.

Hachiman felt a chill.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he abruptly stood up.

"I'll go to the restroom too."

"Oh? What a coincidence," Kasumigaoka remarked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Hachiman replied with a calm nod.

As the two left, Eriri squinted suspiciously.

"Why does it feel like their restroom breaks aren't a coincidence?"

Kato, ever composed, remarked, "Maybe they're planning to flirt in the bathroom."

"What?! Flirt in the bathroom?!" Eriri exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Kato chuckled softly. "I was joking."

Eriri groaned in frustration. "Kato-san, that's not funny!"

---

Elsewhere.

Hachiman followed Kasumigaoka to the restroom.

Taking a deep breath, he confronted her with a serious look.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai, about that video you sent earlier on the rooftop—"

"Hold on." Kasumigaoka cut him off, her tone calm but commanding.

"This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."

Without giving him a chance to refuse, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into the women's restroom.

"What?! Wait—"

What the hell? Again with the women's restroom?

Hachiman was reluctant, but his determination to uncover the truth left him with little choice.

Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be pulled in.

Sigh. Another addition to his growing list of black marks.

Fortunately, luck seemed to be on his side this time—there were no other girls in the restroom.

Kasumigaoka casually picked a stall, pulled Hachiman inside, and closed the door behind them.

Sitting on the toilet lid, she crossed her legs elegantly, smiling as she looked up at him.

"So, Air-kun, what do you want to talk about?"

Hachiman hesitated, his mind briefly derailed by the sight of her crossed legs encased in black stockings.

The way she folded her arms accentuated her ample curves, the dark fabric pressing tightly against her skin in a way that was... difficult to ignore.

This is bad.

Normally, he wouldn't even entertain such thoughts.

But now...

For some reason, he couldn't stop his gaze from wandering.

His mind even began conjuring bold, improper ideas.

No! Calm down!

He clenched his fists, mentally berating himself.

How could he let a mere video shake his resolve like this?

After taking a steadying breath, he broke the silence.

"To think that Kasumigaoka-senpai is skilled in AI technology... The video you sent earlier was really well-made."

Kasumigaoka's expression didn't falter; instead, she chuckled softly.

"AI? Oh, Air-kun, you're funny. AI face-swapping is decent these days, sure, but it hasn't reached the level of perfectly mimicking voices. Come now—whether the video is real or not, I think you're smart enough to know the answer deep down."

Hachiman's brow furrowed, his silence betraying his unease.

Her words struck a nerve.

The video was too realistic.

But the problem was...

He clearly remembered that night—he was with Yukinoshita.

So why... did the girl in the video turn out to be Kasumigaoka?

"Honestly, Air-kun, there's no need to overthink it," Kasumigaoka continued, her tone casual.

"Deep down, you already have the answer. Still, I can't help but wonder... Were you sleepwalking when you came to my room that night?"

Sleepwalking?

The suggestion made Hachiman's blood run cold.

Was that really possible?

His memory of that night was foggy, muddled as if he were half-asleep.

He remembered being pulled into an embrace, and though there had been some resistance at first, he had assumed it was Yukinoshita being coy.

But now that he thought about it, Yukinoshita wouldn't have resisted him like that.

She would've responded warmly, perhaps even eagerly.

The growing realization hit him like a freight train.

Could he really have mistaken Kasumigaoka for Yukinoshita in his dazed state?

A torrent of emotions—panic, fear, denial—threatened to overwhelm him.

For the first time, he felt a sense of crisis so acute that it dwarfed even the existential dread of his search for the "real thing" back in high school.

"Don't be so tense, Air-kun."

Kasumigaoka's voice pulled him back to the present.

Her expression softened into a teasing smile as she continued,

"What's done is done. Mistakes happen. And honestly, I don't mind. I'm okay with the fact that my first time was with you."

She rose from her seat, stepping closer to Hachiman.

This time, she reached out and gently cupped his face.

"You're adorable, Air-kun."

Before he could react, she pulled his head into her chest, enveloping him in a soft yet suffocating embrace.

"Stop! Don't—!"

Panicking, Hachiman pushed her away, gasping for air.

His rejection only seemed to amuse her further.

"So stubborn," she murmured, licking her lips mischievously.

"But I like that about you, Hachiman."

"What are you trying to do, Senpai?!" Hachiman demanded, his voice trembling.

"Even if something happened between us by mistake, I'll never—"

"Oh?" Kasumigaoka interrupted with a sly grin.

She tilted her head and added slowly,

"Air-kun, you wouldn't want our little video to end up in Yukinoshita's hands, would you?"

"???"

Hachiman froze, his mind racing.

Was she serious? Would she really send that video to Yukinoshita?

Yukinoshita was his girlfriend—the girl he loved most in the world.

If she saw the video...

No, Yukinoshita wasn't as strong as she appeared.

Beneath her icy exterior, she was deeply vulnerable.

The mere thought of her breaking down...

Cold sweat dripped down Hachiman's back as he instinctively blurted,

"Kasumigaoka-senpai, please—don't..."

*******************************************

Support me on Patreon and read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else.

patreon(.)com/GodDragcell