Chapter 244 070: She is not the heroine; is she actually his future?

Hachiman walked on the pedestrian path alone.

Streetlights swept over him one by one, casting his shadow onto the ground, flickering between long and short. The night breeze brushed against his face, carrying the chill of early autumn. He wasn't walking particularly fast, but every step was steady. In his hand, he still held the paper bag Ibuki had handed him; inside was a small paper box—he didn't know what it was. He didn't open it, just carried it.

'Cherry blossom tree.'

He recited these three words in his heart.

Hachiman's mood was somewhat complicated.

He thought of Hiyori's face. The long silver hair, the clear eyes, the way she sat quietly in the corner of the library. She didn't seem like the type of person to ask someone to meet under a cherry blossom tree. She was more like the type who would lend you a book and say, "Discuss it with me after you've finished reading." But Ibuki relayed a message for her, asking to meet at 8:30 PM under the cherry blossom tree. Putting these pieces of information together, he couldn't help but think beyond the idea of "just friends."

As for Horikita's recent behavior, he had also been observing it, so perhaps, if the person he dreamed of this time was the future Shiina Hiyori, then the Shiina Hiyori of this timeline could also be having the same dream.

"..."

Thinking this, he hesitated slightly.

But he wasn't the type to retreat, so he took a deep breath and quickened his pace.

What he didn't know was that not far behind him, two girls were sneakingly following him. Karuizawa Kei was in the lead, her golden ponytail swaying gently in the night breeze, the red hair tie particularly conspicuous under the streetlights. Her pace was fast, but every step was light, as if she were afraid of being discovered by the person in front. Ibuki Mio walked beside her, still carrying that pot of succulents, her short blue hair slightly messy, her brows furrowed.

Discovering that Hachiman had already arrived under the cherry blossom tree, the two of them hid in a nearby flower bed.

The evening breeze blew.

Kei poked half of her head out from the flower bed, looking at the figure leaning against the trunk under the cherry blossom tree. Her expression was focused, her brows slightly furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. Ibuki crouched next to her.

"Who exactly asked him out?" Kei lowered her voice, her tone carrying an inexplicable tension. "It couldn't possibly be Ryuen."

"It's Shiina," Ibuki said.

Kei turned her head and looked at her. "Shiina-san?"

"Yeah. Before, Hachiman gave her flowers, which caused her trouble, so she decided to return the gesture," Ibuki's voice lowered. "We went to the shopping street this evening to buy flowers. She picked for a long time. She stood in front of the florist for nearly twenty minutes, looking and looking, choosing and choosing, before finally settling on it."

Kei's brows furrowed. Hachiman gave flowers to Shiina Hiyori?

Huh?

You have to know, clearly, he and she were in a dating relationship. But he had never given her flowers. He said he didn't understand the language of flowers, didn't know how to choose them, and didn't know what girls liked. So she had never expected it. She thought he was just bad at these things, that all boys were bad at these things. But now she knew—it wasn't that he couldn't, it was just that he hadn't done it for her. He had given flowers to another girl. And that girl was the one he had told her about—the one he was to marry in his future dreams.

Even though she had known their relationship could last until high school graduation and her mood had become lighter because of it, at this instant, Kei felt it wasn't "sweet" anymore.

"He said he didn't have any other feelings for Shiina-san," Kei's voice was very soft, as if talking to herself, or perhaps trying to convince herself.

"I think it was probably just a coincidence running into Shiina, and seeing that she liked flowers, he bought them as a courtesy." At this moment, a voice came from behind.

Kei and Ibuki turned around at the same time.

And they saw a familiar, cute face.

It was Kushida.Kikyo

She didn't know when, but Kushida had appeared behind them, her face wearing that standard smile, though her eyes seemed to carry a hint of curiosity.

"Why are you here?" Kei asked.

"I saw the two of you sneaking behind Hikigaya-kun, and I was curious, so I came over," Kushida said matter-of-factly. She moved forward, crouched next to Kei, and poked her head out to look under the cherry blossom tree. "What does Horikita-san think?"

Kei and Ibuki turned their heads at the same time to look behind them. Only then did they realize that not only had Kushida come, but she had also brought along another little tail: Horikita Suzune.

Horikita Suzune wasn't standing, but was also crouched down, her expression quite calm.

"I saw Kushida coming, so I followed," Horikita's voice was very calm, devoid of any emotion.

Ibuki looked back to confirm no one else was following, then let out a sigh of relief. "Just us, right? No one else?"

"Shouldn't be," Kushida said.

The four of them fell silent again. Under the cherry blossom tree, Hachiman was still leaning against the trunk, looking down at his phone. The light from the screen reflected on his face, making his profile look slightly pale. He was looking at it very seriously, his brows slightly furrowed, as if reading an important message.

But in reality, he was just checking the time.

"Since it's Shiina-san," Kei spoke up, her voice even lower than before, "then why choose this location to return the flowers? Under the cherry blossom tree, at 8:30 at night. This isn't returning flowers; it's clearly a confession."

As soon as these words were out, Ibuki noticed that Horikita's expression seemed to freeze.

She seemed to suddenly have an extra bit of bewilderment.

Probably not expecting that Kei would interpret this as a confession scene.

"That shouldn't be possible," Kushida immediately denied, her tone faster than usual. "Shiina-san shouldn't do that to Hikigaya. Because, Hikigaya is currently dating Kei; Shiina should have guessed that."

"Eh?" Kei was stunned. "You guys know too?"

"I..." Ibuki opened her mouth. "I just speculated. I felt that your atmosphere was a bit strange. And you often eat together after student council work."

"Fine." Kei sighed. "That's true. But I told Horikita-san."

"Hikigaya mentioned this," Horikita indicated her agreement.

"..."

But Ibuki looked at them, suddenly feeling that the atmosphere was a bit strange. It wasn't the kind of relaxed "let's gossip together" feeling; it was a heaviness where everyone was hiding something, but no one was saying it out loud.

However, for Ibuki, what mattered more right now was Hiyori's situation.

After all, Hiyori was the strategist of Class B, and in these kinds of exams, a strategist couldn't drop the ball.

"She's here," Kushida's voice lowered.

Everyone's eyes turned toward the cherry blossom tree.

Under the moonlight, a silver-haired girl was walking from the other end of the path. She was wearing a light-colored knit cardigan, her long silver hair drifting gently in the night breeze. The moonlight fell on her, making her silhouette look exceptionally soft.

Her pace was measured, each step steady, as if she were walking a very long road.

In her hand, she held a flower—not a bouquet, but a single, specially wrapped stem. The blue petals shimmered slightly under the moonlight; the wrapping paper was pale blue, tied with a white ribbon.

She walked to Hachiman and stopped. The moonlight fell on her, making her silver hair shine. Her skin was very white, almost transparent under the moonlight. Her eyes were bright, reflecting the streetlights and Hachiman's shadow.

"Hikigaya-kun." Hiyori's voice was very soft, but exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Hachiman straightened up from the trunk and looked at her. "Shiina."

"Surprised? To see me here." Hiyori's lips curved slightly. "I asked Ibuki-san for help. You gave me poppies before, and I'm very grateful, so this flower is a return gift."

She held the flower out. Hachiman took it and looked down. Blue petals, small, clustered together. Indeed, it was a forget-me-not.

At the same time, behind the flower bed, Ibuki watched the scene, her brows furrowed, and she said to the others, "When we went to buy it this evening, it was a big bouquet, the wrapping paper was blue, and it was tied with several flowers. Why is there only one now?"

And for such a delicate question, Horikita certainly wouldn't know.

But.

Kushida thought for a moment and speculated, "Probably because giving a huge bouquet is too ambiguous. A huge bouquet of forget-me-nots, the flower language is 'please don't forget me, true love,' which is no different from a confession. One flower keeps the meaning, but it isn't so excessive. Shiina-san has a good sense of propriety. She wants to express something, but doesn't want to make Hikigaya-kun feel awkward."

Oh!

Ibuki realized now.

Although Shiina might have wanted to tease Hachiman, wanting him to experience the feeling of being given flowers and being left uneasy, she still had boundaries. She wouldn't make things awkward, nor would she put Hachiman on the spot.

One flower was just right.

This was indeed something she hadn't anticipated.

Under the cherry blossom tree, Hachiman held the forget-me-not and looked at Hiyori. She stood before him, the moonlight falling on her, her long silver hair glowing with a soft luster. Her expression was calm, with that faint smile still at the corner of her lips. It was exactly the same as when she was in the library. But Hachiman knew, if it were just a return gift, she wouldn't have asked to meet here. She wouldn't have let Ibuki pass the message, wouldn't have chosen 8:30 PM, and wouldn't have chosen this specific cherry blossom tree.

"Why so sudden?" Hachiman asked.

Hiyori's eyelashes trembled slightly.

"Or is it," Hachiman's voice dropped, "that you also dreamed of something?"

Almost as soon as he said those words, Hiyori's complexion changed instantly.

Not anger, not panic, but shock.

The kind of shock that only comes when one's most hidden secret is exposed, causing the whole body to stiffen.

Her eyes widened slightly, her lips parted slightly, then closed, then parted again.

"Could it be—" Hiyori's voice was a bit strained, "that it wasn't a dream?"

Hachiman looked at her and already understood. He nodded. "It seems so. I dreamed of the future Horikita-san before, and later I discovered that it was real."

Hiyori stood in place, motionless.

Because at this moment, her mind was racing—if that wasn't a dream, if those things really were going to happen, then what the "her" in the dream said: the White Room, superpowers, overlapping worlds, and—she married Hikigaya-kun three months after graduating high school. That wasn't a dream. It was the future. It was a future she hadn't experienced yet, but it would definitely happen. She remembered that version of herself in the dream. The long silver hair was longer than it was now, flowing casually over her shoulders. Wearing light-colored loungewear, she sat by the edge of Hachiman's dorm bed, tilting her head to look at him. She called him "Hachiman," her tone as natural as if she had been calling him that for years.

And that version of herself was more composed, calmer, and gentler than the current her. She had always thought it was just a dream, that her subconscious was at play, that it was only because of puberty that she had dreamed of such things. But now, Hachiman was telling her—it wasn't a dream. It was real.

It was her future self trying to contact her present self.

Hiyori's breath hitched slightly.

Her cheeks turned from pale to bright red, from her earlobes all the way to the tips of her ears, which was particularly obvious under the moonlight. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her words stuck in her throat.

She wanted to say "impossible," wanted to say "you're lying to me," wanted to say "this is too ridiculous."

But she couldn't say it. Because she knew what he said was the truth.

The details in her dream, the information she couldn't possibly know—those things about the White Room, about superpowers, about overlapping worlds—she had never heard of them, but the "her" in the dream spoke of them with such authority.

That wasn't something her brain could just fabricate out of thin air.

"So," Hiyori's voice was very faint, so faint it was almost inaudible, "three months after we graduate high school, we will really get married?"

Hachiman looked at her, silent for a second. "That's the information received so far. Even though it feels incredible, it—it should be true."

The two looked at each other, then turned their eyes away simultaneously.

Under the cherry blossom tree, it was so quiet they could hear each other's breathing.

The moonlight fell on the two, casting their shadows on the ground, standing side-by-side in silence. As the night breeze blew, the branches and leaves of the cherry blossom tree rustled, as if whispering to each other.

But, at this very moment.

Behind the flower bed, the four girls crouched there, watching this scene.

Or rather, apart from Kei, the other three were hearing this news for the first time.

Or rather.

No.

What were these two actually talking about? Or rather, what was Hikigaya saying?

Would he choose to marry Shiina Hiyori three months after high school graduation?

Eh?!

It could be said that this information was a bit too shocking; Ibuki almost thought she had misheard.

"What are they saying?" Ibuki whispered, trying to verify.

"Can't hear clearly," however, Kei's voice was also very low. "Too far away."

"Then what should we do?" Ibuki continued to ask.

"Wait," Kushida said.

So, the four of them fell silent again.

But under the cherry blossom tree, Hiyori took a deep breath and looked up. She looked at Hachiman, her clear eyes holding a kind of seriousness he had never seen before.

"Hikigaya-kun."

"Yeah."

"If that wasn't a dream, if those things really happen—" She paused, "What would you do?"

Hachiman looked at her, silent for a few seconds. "I don't know."

Hiyori's lips curved slightly. "Me neither."

The two were silent for a while longer. The night breeze blew, and the cherry blossom tree rustled. Moonlight leaked through the gaps in the leaves, falling onto the two like silver coins scattered across the ground.

"Let's go," Hachiman said. "Time to head back."

Hiyori nodded. "Yeah."

The two turned and walked toward the dormitory. The cherry blossom tree behind them cast a large shadow under the streetlights, standing there quietly.

And behind the flower bed, Kei stood up, patting the grass clippings off her skirt. "Let's scatter."

Ibuki also stood up, still carrying that pot of succulents. "Then I'm going back too." But the direction was a bit different.

"Where are you going back to?" Kei looked at her. "Aren't you going back to the dorm?"

Ibuki was silent for a second. "I'm going to the vending machine to buy a bottle of water."

Oh.

So, she carried the succulent and walked toward the vending machine. The remaining three stood by the flower bed, no one speaking. The night breeze blew, carrying the chill of early autumn. The light of the streetlights cast their shadows on the ground, standing quietly side-by-side.

"Let's go," Kushida said.

The three walked side-by-side toward the dormitory building. No one spoke, their footsteps echoing softly on the quiet path. When they entered the elevator, Kei pressed her floor. The elevator door closed, the numbers jumping from 1 to 2, then to 3.

Kei's floor arrived. She walked out of the elevator without looking back. The door closed slowly behind her, leaving only Kushida and Horikita in the elevator. The numbers continued to jump, from 3 to 4.

"How do you feel?" Kushida asked. "You actually heard it just now, right? Hikigaya knows about the future, even knowing that he will marry Shiina Hiyori in the future."

Horikita was silent for a few seconds, then said, "It's complicated."

Kushida waited for her to continue.

"The information in the dream told me that Hikigaya got married in the future. I also thought, could that person be me?" Horikita's voice was very calm. "Looking at it now, that's an illusion. I don't understand people's hearts."

She paused, her voice dropping lower. "I thought there was some special connection between him and me. Dreaming on the same wavelength, the future me appearing in his dorm, saying those things to him—I thought that was because I was important in his future. But looking at it now, maybe not. Maybe I was just a person delivering information. Unlike Shiina-san."

Kushida looked at her, not knowing what to say.

She had already guessed that Horikita and Hachiman had other connections during the holidays. She even felt that this was why Horikita had changed.

And it was also at that time that Horikita realized her feelings for Hachiman.

But looking at it now, it was indeed quite pathetic.

The elevator stopped on the 6th floor. The door opened. Horikita walked out of the elevator without looking back. Kushida watched her back for a second, then also stepped out of the elevator.

She remembered Horikita's expression just now—calm, but her eyes were more distant than usual. She felt that Horikita was trying hard to appear indifferent, but she actually cared very much.

Thump.

Kushida returned to her dorm and closed the door.

However.

Kushida leaned against the door, closing her eyes. She suddenly felt that, in a way, she and Horikita were in the same boat. They both cared about Hachiman, but neither of them was the person he was going to marry in the future. Kei wasn't either, even though they were currently dating. But Shiina Hiyori was that "future."

Kushida did not turn on the lights after returning to her room. The night sky outside was deep, without stars; only a crescent moon hung in the distance, its light very faint. She stared at the night sky for a while, then got up and walked into the bathroom.

She had showered this morning, but she felt she should shower again tonight.

To calm down.

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