Chapter 10: The Burden of Great Power, the Solitude of Wisdom
While Shiki was still contemplating whether or not to move a table, Hachiman had already started arguing with Yukinoshita.
Hachiman: "Yukinoshita, you're not normal. It's a huge misunderstanding; hurry up and get that frontal lobe lobotomy."
Yukinoshita let out a playful "hehehe~" as she stared at him.
Yukinoshita: "For your own good, you'd better phrase your words more carefully."
Hachiman: "Well, for someone like me, who's at the bottom of the social ladder, I might not seem normal, but this way of thinking is very normal for me. It's based on empirical reasoning."
Yukinoshita puffed up her chest smugly.
Meanwhile, Shiki, who had just dismissed the idea of moving a table, overheard their exchange.
His lips twitched slightly. Why did it feel like her confident movements seemed so fitting for her, even though they were full of arrogance?
"...Your school life must be very pleasant," Hachiman said after a moment of silence.
Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita's body suddenly stiffened.
Yukinoshita: "Well, yes. To be honest, my school life has been quite peaceful and stable."
She said that, but for some reason, her eyes drifted away from him.
Shiki couldn't hold back and finally muttered: "You're opening wounds that shouldn't be opened."
At this point, Hachiman realized his mistake.
Hachiman: "Right, a girl like you, high and mighty, who looks down on everyone, could never build normal relationships. There's no way you'd have a smooth school life."
Shiki could almost see dark energy rising from behind Yukinoshita, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Shiki: "Hachiman, shut up already!!"
Yukinoshita: "Oh? So, you have normal relationships then?"
Hachiman realized his slip of the tongue, awkwardly laughing as he weakly responded: "I... I guess I have some friends..."
Yukinoshita raised an "evil" smile and quickly turned her attention to Shiki.
Yukinoshita: "So, the 'friend' he's talking about is you, right?"
Shiki's face froze.
What the heck! Hachiman, this is your fault!
Yukinoshita: "But I'm still curious. Why do you always wear a mask?"
Her voice was soft, but Shiki felt a crushing pressure.
Should I just say it's because of social anxiety?
"..."
Shiki quickly gave Hachiman a meaningful look.
Hachiman immediately understood and interjected: "Wait, Yukinoshita, do you have friends?"
Yukinoshita quickly shifted her gaze.
Yukinoshita: "Well... can you define what constitutes a friend?"
Hachiman: "Ah, never mind. Anyone who asks that kind of question obviously has no friends."
"Anyway, I can imagine you have no friends," Hachiman added with a shrug, suddenly feeling superior.
Shiki couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Hachiman, I just realized how low your emotional intelligence is."
Yukinoshita: "That's not what being 'popular' means... I never want to be liked by anyone. However, if people truly like me, I guess that's not so bad either."
Yukinoshita nonchalantly continued: "I've always been cute, and all the boys around me have had feelings for me."
I surrender! How does she say these arrogant things with such confidence?
Shiki was internally groaning, baffled by where Yukinoshita's confidence came from.
Then Yukinoshita looked directly at Hachiman, her expression serious.
Yukinoshita: "If you had friends, and they were popular with girls, how would you feel?"
Hachiman: "What a stupid question. Shiki wouldn't be popular with girls, so there's nothing to worry about."
Yukinoshita gave a slight nod, as if satisfied with his response.
Yukinoshita: "See? You'd want them to disappear too."
Shiki suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sank into deep thought.
Hachiman noticed his contemplation and immediately asked: "What's wrong?"
Shiki: "I'm wondering if I could use the chair to smash you as an emergency precaution."
Hachiman, though knowing it was a joke, still shrank back a little.
Hachiman: "Well, you won't be popular with girls anyway..."
Yukinoshita sighed: "It all started in the latter half of elementary school. Ever since then, it's been like this."
Yukinoshita: "In elementary school, my indoor shoes were hidden almost sixty times. Fifty of those times were by the girls in my class."
Hachiman, intrigued, asked: "And the other ten?"
Yukinoshita: "The boys hid them three times, the teacher bought them twice, and the dog hid them five times."
Hachiman: "The dog hid them? Can dogs really open shoe lockers?"
Shiki couldn't hold back: "What the hell? Why are there more times the dog hid them than the boys? Also, the teacher bought them? What's the deal with that? What does he want with them?"
Yukinoshita: "I just deliberately chose not to ask about it! Because of that, I had to bring both my indoor shoes and recorder with me every day."
Shiki couldn't help but sympathize: "That sounds really tough."
Yukinoshita responded with a mixture of self-mockery and pride: "Yeah, it's tough, but what can I do? I'm just so cute."
Yukinoshita's expression shifted to one of seriousness: "But there's no helping it. No one is perfect. The human heart is both fragile and ugly, easily driven by jealousy to push others aside. The more excellent someone is, the more they suffer. Isn't it ironic? So, I want to change humanity and this world."
Her eyes were filled with cold determination, like dry ice.
Shiki: "???"
Shiki could only think of one thing: "But that's just how the world is, right? 'Those with great achievements must bear the burdens of ancient customs; those with exceptional wisdom must endure the resentment of the common people.'"
[Note: This quote is from Records of the Grand Historian, the words of King Wuling of Zhao. During the Warring States period, Zhao faced threats from nomadic tribes. King Wuling believed that to strengthen Zhao's military, they needed to adopt the practices of the nomads, including wearing their clothes and learning to ride horses and shoot arrows. His idea was met with strong opposition from conservative ministers, and he used this quote to express his resolve to reform. Ultimately, he succeeded in fully implementing the "Hu clothing and cavalry archery" reforms.]