COTE: The Quiet One Can Be Dangerous

Vol. 11 Chp. 3: Moving On

"I won't leave you alone... not when you're like this, Hirata-kun. I just can't!"

"Then, what will it take for you to back down? Tell me."

"That, uhm, if you return to how you used to be..."

"Go back? Impossible."

Once again, Hirata's coldhearted response mercilessly cut into Mii-chan.

"No, it's not! I... I believe you can still return to how you used to be!"

"And I already told you it's impossible. This faith of yours is misguided."

"Even so, I still believe in you!"

Hirata clenched his fist, which suggested that, depending on the situation, he might start getting violent.

"Then, bring back Yamauchi-kun."

"Eh...?"

"That's how you can make things return to how they used to be."

Now that Yamauchi had been expelled, he would probably never return to Class C.

In the same way, Hirata would never go back to how he used to be.

This was the reality that Hirata was looking to convey to Mii-chan.

"That's..."

"I hope you remember this before you try talking to me again."

Hirata turned his back on her and began to walk away, but Mii-chan couldn't help but reach out to him as he left.

She grabbed onto his right arm, desperate to prevent him from leaving.

After all, if she were to let him retreat to his dorm, she wouldn't be able to do anything more to convince him today.

"Let go of me."

"I-I won't!"

Despite Hirata's rejection, Mii-chan continued to hold her ground.

She believed her feelings would somehow reach him if she didn't give up.

I maintained my distance from them, watching the situation unfold from nearby.

I didn't want to get in Mii-chan's way by getting too close to them.

However, Hirata sighed openly.

Then, he raised his arm and forcefully swung it down to shake free from her grasp.

"Kya!"

It was a crude, uncharacteristic way of handling the situation for Hirata.

The forceful, sudden movement caused Mii-chan to collapse on the spot.

"...Stop bothering me already. If you don't, I... I'll..."

Mii-chan looked up at Hirata from the ground below him.

The anger held within Hirata's gaze hurt Mii-chan's feelings all over again.

"I have nothing left to lose. If you continue following me around like this..."

Nothing Hirata had said so far could be compared to the crushing blow this would leave on Mii-chan.

However, just then, two men walked past me.

A man whose blond, flowing hair fluttered in the wind, sprinkled with cologne, and a young man with a blank expression.

"My my. It seems you're dawdling today as well, hmm? That's quite an unsightly look on your face."

Kōenji provoked Hirata with light, frivolous words.

As a member of the Going Home Club, Kouenji's appearance here wasn't all that surprising either.