NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23
Chapter 23: School Caste
“Hey, Hikigaya, hurry up and place your bet!”
Yamauchi and Ike were both excited, with a number of boys gathered around them, eyes fixed on the tablet in their hands, fiercely discussing it. They even took it upon themselves to pull Hikigaya, the ‘loner’, into their group, with the expressionless Ayanokouji also joining in.
Hikigaya rolled his eyes and completely ignored the two monkeys, straightforwardly rejecting them. Of course, this act of non-conformity was met with fierce criticism and mockery from the two, calling him a hypocritical, quiet pervert or a disgusting “dead fish-eye” type. These insults, however, no longer had any effect on Hikigaya.
He’d be in a lot of trouble if he got hurt by such words. If that were the case, the boy named Hikigaya Hachiman would already have been torn apart and long gone!
But in a casual glance, Hikigaya happened to spot the ranking on the “Girls’ Boob Ranking” list. He… assuredly, it was just an accident!
The girl at number one was a student named Hasebe. Hikigaya vaguely remembered her as one of the girls who was also a bit of a loner in the class. Another name on the list surprised Hikigaya— the “Ice Queen” was ranked pretty high, too?
Is this some kind of joke?
In stark contrast to some certain “superhuman demons,” it was clearly his own stereotyped view!
One couldn’t deny that the “Girls’ Boob Ranking” created by Ike and Yamauchi was indeed captivating to the boys, and Hikigaya was no exception.
He didn’t consider himself too high and mighty to admit that he was curious, though he certainly wasn’t obsessed with it. As they say, a gentleman enjoys the beauty of a woman without indulging in lewdness. Hikigaya was well aware that some things had limits, and it was important to know when to stop.
As for Ike, Yamauchi, and the others, Hikigaya couldn’t help but feel a mixture of disdain and an odd sense of sorrow. This was just a small reflection of the “entertainment-driven” society we lived in, where in Japanese society, there were even more bizarre and perverted ranking lists.
These so-called rankings, while providing entertainment, how many people could sense the malicious intent behind them? How many people were hurt and bullied because of them? In the end, it was all brushed aside with an excuse like, “It’s just entertainment, so why take it seriously?”
Haha, it’s so carefree, as if saying “sorry” is enough to be forgiven. How simple-minded! And the cycle continues…
As someone who had been a victim in the past, Hikigaya was acutely aware of this. The “Most Disgusting Eyes Ranking,” “Fewest Friends Ranking,” “Most Annoying Ranking” – he had been a “champion” on these kinds of lists!
But to be honest, Hikigaya couldn’t stand on some high moral ground to condemn Ike, Yamauchi, or the others, because… the girls did it too!
The girls in Class D, led by Karuizawa, had long made their own rankings for the boys behind the scenes. Rankings like “Most Awful Hair” or “Most Perverted Boy” or “Most Gassy Boy.”
In fact, compared to the boys, the girls were just as into these things. In some ways, they might even be worse. Where did Hikigaya’s strange experiences with these rankings come from?
If you think these things only target the opposite gender, you’re terribly wrong. The truth is, it’s most dangerous when it’s among peers!
The nature of these rankings was to use others as a means to elevate one’s own social status, subtly creating a “school caste” and sowing the seeds of maliciousness for various school problems.
This was one of the things Hikigaya loathed most!
No one was purer or more deserving of sympathy than anyone else. It was just a matter of… who was more despicable.
When lunchtime was over, no matter how much the girls might have dreaded it, the afternoon swimming lesson came as scheduled, amid the cheers of Ike and Yamauchi.
In the boys’ locker room, Yamauchi, just finished changing, suddenly said with an air of mystery, “I’ve got a secret to tell you guys. A girl confessed to me.”
The boys around him froze for a moment, clearly shocked by the news. Ike was the first to react, quickly refuting, “Huh? How could any girl…”
Including Ike, Yamauchi, and the others who knew Yamauchi well, all immediately expressed doubt.
“Tsk, tsk, I didn’t want to tell you guys, but since you all are so sincerely asking, I’ll have to be kind and share,” Yamauchi said, looking smug, as though he couldn’t help himself.
“Just to let you know, this is a secret you all have to keep! Remember the Boob Ranking? The girl named Sakura, the one who wears glasses? She’s one of the bigger-chested girls, haha, and I accidentally found out about it!” Yamauchi made a grabbing motion in front of his chest, accompanied by a crude laugh.
Sakura? The Ostrich Girl?
Hikigaya’s brows furrowed. He had originally thought this was just some joke, but it turned out to involve his other desk mate.
Speaking of which, Hikigaya’s two desk mates, the Ice Queen Horikita and the Ostrich Girl Sakura, were completely different in personality and demeanor. Compared to the assertive and independent Ice Queen, Sakura was socially anxious to the point of being almost unbelievable.
She wore thick glasses and bangs, constantly looking down. Not only did she avoid talking to others, but she even dared not make eye contact, practically burying her head in her chest. She was almost the literal definition of an ostrich.
But there was one thing they both had in common: they were both loners in the class. Horikita didn’t need to worry, but Sakura’s personality and social status meant she was much more likely to be bullied. In fact, her nature and behavior might have been a result of previous bullying.
“Really… really big?” Ike widened his eyes and swallowed a gulp.
“But, I already rejected her.”
“Eh? Why? She has a huge Rack!”
Ike’s mouth dropped open, completely confused. It was a girl chasing after him, and he didn’t even want to go for it?
“You ever seen the sun fall in love with weeds on the ground? A plain, gloomy girl like that is definitely not my type.”
“Damn it!”
Ike glared at Yamauchi with frustration. “Of course, you should just go for the big boobs! If I got that offer, I’d take it in a heartbeat!”
“Ugh, that’s too vulgar! Only someone like Kushida or Hasebe or that girl I met in the gym, Sakanagi, I’d consider them. Just barely though!” Yamauchi seemed to enjoy the envious expressions from his friends.
Hikigaya shook his head upon seeing this. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself for worrying earlier. With Yamauchi’s behavior, there was a 99% chance this “confession” was just bragging. There was no credibility to it, but no one would actually bother verifying with the person involved.
Sigh, girls like to stomp on boys to elevate their own position in the girls’ group. On the other hand, the boys’ group isn’t any better.
This is why Hikigaya hated cliques so much. In order to rise in the school caste, students used methods like this all the time. These things were common, but they were also deeply repulsive.