I, the mastermind behind the scenes at Soubu High, refuse to be caught in a bloodbath.

Chapter 253 is correct; [Himekoji Haruto] likes to take candid photos.

However, things did not go according to Yukinoshita's wishes. Yuihama and Hikigaya waved their hands in unison and said, "No need, no need, it's fine for you to sit together, we'll sit in the back."

"Huh—? But that's how it is..."

"Alright, please welcome the next group of guests to board the bus."

The instructor extended another invitation, so Himekoji got on the bus first, while Yukinoshita glared at Yuihama and the others with a bit of a huff before sitting down next to Himekoji.

Ever since the staff member in charge of moving the control lever said, "Please enjoy the fun of the bamboo spear battle," Yukinoshita was like a completely different person. All her previous embarrassment and reluctance disappeared. Her eyes were fixed on the front, and she gripped the handrail with her small black gloves, as if she were treating Himekoji as if he were invisible.

The sled began to move slowly, and as Yuihama and Hikigaya watched them go, Himekoji and Yukinoshita gradually disappeared into the distance.

The scooter continued forward and arrived in front of the giant screen.

On the screen, Mr. Pan was running around freely. Meanwhile, the puppet Mr. Pan was also causing a ruckus inside the facility, still with that classic cocky look. Each of them had a small bamboo stick in their mouth and was throwing bamboo sticks and bottles and jars back and forth. With the help of the panoramic screen, it looked as if those things were really floating above their heads.

Knowing Yukinoshita's deep affection for pandas, Himekoji didn't bother her. In fact, Himekoji's mother was also a huge panda enthusiast; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to Sichuan during Golden Week to have her panda ears pinched. So, the same thing happened when Himekoji and her mother came here before: the panda bamboo spear battle was an absolute must-see. However, unlike Yukinoshita, her mother would constantly shake Himekoji's shoulders, pointing at the fighting pandas and saying, "Haruto, look! Look! This one's so cute! That one's so cute too!"

Her performance was the complete opposite of Yukino's.

As the toboggan ride approaches the middle of the journey, it shakes violently as the panda battle intensifies, giving the feeling of watching a 4D movie. However, since Himekoji and Yukinoshita are only sitting together, the shaking doesn't actually pull them together or cause any physical contact.

However, almost at the very end of the trip, Yukinoshita noticed Himekoji, who had been staring at her and taking pictures with his phone. She was immediately embarrassed and reached out to grab his phone, but she moved too far and instead of getting the phone, she ended up falling into his arms.

Yukinoshita cautiously raised her head, her slightly flushed face almost touching hers. Her lips moved slightly, as if she were muttering something, and her moist and crystal-clear black eyes were fixed on Himekoji, looking extremely nervous.

The atmosphere was so perfect that Himekoji almost wanted to lean down and kiss her, but just then the scooter moved out of the last section and approached the waiting area. Yukinoshita immediately looked up and quickly grabbed the handrail to sit down, but she pouted and whispered, "You have to delete the photos later."

Speaking of which, Japanese cell phones are required to make a shutter sound when taking pictures. Himekoji just took several photos and didn't even notice. Just how focused is she?!

After waiting a while at the exit, Yui and Hikigaya got off the toboggan and came over. It seemed that the awkwardness between them had basically dissipated. Yukinoshita was complaining to Himekoji about the photos, her eyes constantly glancing at Himekoji's phone. She still seemed determined to snatch his phone and delete the photos.

Even the embarrassing photos of her in armor taken at the sports festival and the photos of her sleeping face secretly taken at her house during the cultural festival should be deleted! At least that's what Yukinoshita thinks.

But how could Himekoji let her succeed? Even if she really deleted it, it had already been synced to the ○ Nebula. Without the password, Yukinoshita wouldn't be able to enter the cloud space.

"Yo..."

Hikigaya walked over expressionlessly, with Yui playing with her hair behind him. When Yukinoshita saw them coming, she finally stopped complaining and started snuggling up with Yui, chattering away. The two of them went first, followed by Himekoji and Hikigaya.

Their eyes met occasionally, but they didn't say anything more.

What Hachiman pursues may actually be obtained, but what Himekoji truly desires is unattainable. As Hachiman said, "Wouldn't that be even more foolish?" Freedom is always relative. It is precisely because of the constraints of the ground that humans can walk on it.

For Himekoji, the real thing was something ethereal and unnecessary to seek out. Whether he had it or not would have almost no impact on his future life, nor would it change his consciousness. Politicians and businessmen were not high school students who spent their days talking about love and pursuing life ideals. What they saw were more practical things: power and money.

The exit led directly to Mr. Pan's panda merchandise shop. Although the bamboo spear battle wasn't decorated for Christmas, the shop was full of Christmas-themed decorations and various limited-edition plush toys—a veritable treasure trove for Yukinoshita. If she had the skills, she'd love to live in such a shop, even just as a shop assistant.

Yukinoshita was intently selecting the dolls she wanted, with Himekoji following silently beside her, occasionally helping her with one or two, as Yukinoshita's selection process had left her arms overflowing with toys. Yui, on the other hand, was with Hachiman, playing a puppet show with him using hand puppets. However, because the Isshiki incident hadn't been triggered, neither Yukinoshita nor Yui knew what Hachiman was truly after.

Only Hiratsuka Shizuka and Himekoji knew the answer. Hiratsuka Shizuka could only be a guide, and Himekoji preferred to be an observer. Hikigaya, struggling in the quagmire of confusion, was still struggling alone. He dared not touch either the rope or the branch that Yuihama handed him, as if the branch was covered with thorns and the rope was deliberately smeared with oil.

People who have been hurt too deeply are always unable to accept the kindness of others with a clear conscience.

Chapter 254 says, what does [Hachiman Hikigaya] want?

"What is it that you, the shut-in, truly want?" Yui's puppet show continued. Hachiman paused slightly, then turned his head away and said, "Nothing..." Realizing she had stepped on a landmine but unsure how to salvage the situation, Yui instantly felt a pang of disappointment. She wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin. Seeing this, Hachiman realized his reaction had been excessive and quickly forced a smile, picking up another puppet he could wear on his hand and stammering, "I'm going to become... become the god of the new world!"

Although it was nonsense, at least it made Yui Hama laugh. She waved her hand and complained, "Seriously, what's the big deal?"

Having finally shaken off the awkwardness, the two calmed down a bit. Hachiman gazed at the bustling store and muttered, "It's amazing you guys chose to come at this time... If it were me, I'd never want to come again..."

Yui lowered her head slightly, put down the doll, picked up another plush toy, and said, "But... I still wanted to come."

"Uh... you can come anytime you want, it's not far anyway."

"I did not mean that..."

Yuihama looked at Hachiman with her cheeks flushed. If Hachiman still didn't understand what she was trying to say, then he wouldn't deserve to be a high school student.

Before long, Yukinoshita was holding a whole bunch of Mr. Pan plush toys in her arms. The movements were all different, but her smug look remained the same. She looked up at Himekoji with embarrassment and said, "You...do you think I chose too many?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you bought the whole store; it's nothing."

Himekoji opened the bag and let Yukino put the plush toys that could fit inside first, but Yuihama, who was wearing a pair of ginger-yellow dog ears, secretly crept up to Yukino, seemingly hiding something. She gave Himekoji a wink, and Himekoji understood and told Yukino to turn her head away, while she herself took a few steps back.

Then Yui suddenly put a pair of cat ears on Yukinoshita, hugged her arm tightly, and said to Hikigaya, "Stay home, take a picture!"

There was only one camera, which belonged to Yuihama. She had just handed it to Hikigaya, instructing him to keep an eye on taking pictures.

Yukinoshita was a little annoyed at being photographed again without her consent, but she was helpless. Besides, she actually liked the cat ears quite a bit, so she just said something like "Don't do it again" and let it go.

As night fell, a cold wind began to blow through Disneyland, which is located on the coast.

Although the fireworks display might be canceled if the wind is too strong, since no announcement has been made, it's likely that the fireworks will proceed as planned.

As we walked and stopped repeatedly, fatigue gradually set in. Although we took a few breaks along the way, the crowded park made it difficult to relax, and everyone was more or less tired.

Yuihama seems to want to go and ride one more amusement park before the parade starts, but the pace of their journey has slowed down compared to the daytime. She, who is usually quite outgoing, is also less talkative. In addition, Hachiman doesn't like to speak up on his own initiative, and Yukinoshita is also quite tired, which makes the small group of four a bit dull.

In fact, in any country or tourist attraction with a large number of people, besides the overwhelming crowds that make it hard to breathe, there is something even more unfriendly to women: the lines for the toilets are terrifying. Some people rush to queue as soon as they feel the slightest urge to urinate, only to find themselves unable to hold it in the long lines. Disneyland's infrastructure is naturally excellent, but there are always lines for women in front of each toilet, just of varying lengths.

Yukino, who had been drinking water due to exhaustion, was starting to feel the strain and decided to go to the restroom to queue. Just as she was looking at the queue and feeling a headache coming on, Yui suddenly pulled Hikigaya forward, as if the safety barrier was about to be put up.

When they ran back and looked, they saw that Himekoji and Yukinoshita were blocked on this side. They immediately became a little anxious. Himekoji took out his phone and sent a message to Hachiman, telling them to go on their way. Yukinoshita, on the other hand, was in a dilemma. She gently tugged at Himekoji's sleeve and said, "It would be better to hurry up and catch up."

"Don't be silly, you still have things to do, right?"

"I do hope you won't always focus on these very sensitive details..."

Yukinoshita breathed a sigh of relief, shook her head, and moved toward the toilet. While she was standing, her knees had been involuntarily coming together from time to time, making her look like she was holding in her pee.

If the person next to Himekoji were Kasumigaoka instead of Yukinoshita, she would probably be whispering in his ear at this moment and asking him if he wanted to see his black stockings getting wet. Seriously, guys who want to see that kind of scene are all perverts!

The wait in line wasn't too long; Yukinoshita came out in less than ten minutes. Himekoji had just finished taking care of something and was waiting for her outside. The two walked together tacitly, and she said softly, "Let's go."

Although she knew the destination, which was the next roller coaster, it was almost impossible to find a way around it and get there quickly. Yukinoshita dragged her slender and heavy legs as she strolled beside Himekoji. If Yuihama hadn't come today, she probably would have turned back home by now.

Of course, if Yuihama hadn't come, Hikigaya wouldn't have come either, and she wouldn't have come here alone with Himekoji, unless it was another incredible coincidence like the Tokyo International Pet Show.

When they arrived at the roller coaster entrance, Yui and Hikigaya were already inside queuing. The sign outside indicated that the queue would take about thirty minutes, which wasn't too long. Moreover, judging from the speed at which the crowd was moving, it might be even shorter than thirty minutes. Yukinoshita seemed to be sending an email to Yui complaining about why she wasn't waiting for her.

Upon entering the venue, a chilly atmosphere enveloped them. In reality, it wasn't that cold; it was merely an illusion created by the setting. It was like a tunnel carved into a giant iceberg. The queue moved through this tunnel, with people suppressing their voices to avoid the loud echoes. A few steps further, the two arrived at a raised platform, from which they could already see the seating area below. Only about fifteen minutes had passed since they started queuing.

"You seemed to be struggling on the last roller coaster. Do you really want to ride this one? If not, we can go back and go around to the other one."

"It should be... fine, and—"

Chapter 255 Quietly, [these two people] slipped away first.

Yukinoshita looked up at him. Although she didn't say a word, Himekoji could guess what she wanted to say. Then she lowered her head, took out her phone, and dialed Himekoji's number. It read "Strong One Himekoji". She showed Himekoji her phone, shook it gently, and said, "At this close distance, I probably don't need to use a phone call to perform any strong one summoning technique, right?"

"But miracles and magic don't come for free."

“I’ve known about that for a long time,” she said, stroking her hair as if relieved, and “I’ve made the necessary preparations.”

"Yeah..."

As the two chatted casually, the procession moved quickly, and finally it was Himekoji's turn. Yukinoshita got on first, immediately sitting up straight and gripping the handrail tightly, her arm trembling from the force. Himekoji followed, and the sled slowly began to move.

Soon, fantasy-style music began to flow, and Weasel Dong and Ferret Dong chatted idly, laying the groundwork for the facility's backstory. Every time the Weasel robot blinked, it emitted a clicking, mechanical sound; however, Yukinoshita seemed completely oblivious to all of this, simply staring intently ahead.

"Hey, do you remember that underground minecart adventure we had when we were checking the preparations for the cultural festival in each class?"

"Well..."

Because it touched on some unpleasant memories, Yukino's face showed some pain. She leaned closer to Himekoji, her hands still gripping the armrests tightly, and only managed to utter a single syllable.

"You're really weak, aren't you?" After casually making this sarcastic remark, Himekoji stretched out her left arm over the back of Yukinoshita's neck and placed her hand on her left shoulder. Yukinoshita tensed up, and Himekoji pulled her a few steps closer to him, saying, "If you're scared, you can have my shoulder."

Although Yukinoshita did not answer, she obediently leaned closer, taking her hands off the armrests, but her face was turned to the side where Himekoji could not see her, as if she was staring intently at the fingers that were gripping her shoulders.

"Actually, I am the way I am now mostly thanks to my sister, but it doesn't matter now."

Yukinoshita murmured to herself.

"Well... I can probably imagine what happened. That's just the kind of person she is."

"That's right, my sister is always like that."

The sled moved along the dimly lit route. The vulture's robot spoke ominously. Following the vulture's prompting, they looked up, and the ceiling suddenly opened up, revealing the sky. The sled gradually rose with a clattering sound. Soon it reached its apex. Snow's body, which had just relaxed, stiffened again.

Just as I was thinking that it would descend rapidly immediately, the trolley came to a sudden stop with a click, and then became horizontal.

Next, the exterior of Disneyland comes into view. Ocean Park's volcano-like landscape glows red and billows smoke, while the buildings are illuminated with dazzling Christmas lights. In the distance, the night view of the new city center can be seen.

Most importantly, countless lights shone like a starry sky, offering a panoramic view of Disneyland's nightscape below.

Finally, Yukinoshita turned her head, her expression calm and serene, as if she had let go of all the burdens she carried. She stretched out her right hand and pressed it against Himekoji's right hand, which was gripping the railing. Compared to Himekoji's, her hand was so small. Yukinoshita blinked gently and said, "It seems like I can't repay the favor I owe you. What should I do?"

"Is that so..."

Without saying anything more, the sled immediately plummeted down, disappearing into the wind along with the casual question.

After riding the roller coaster, the two rested for a while on a bench not far from the exit. Yuihama hadn't sent any messages yet; she was probably talking to Hikigaya about something important. Himekoji didn't want to know.

He leaned back in his chair, looked up at the night sky, and wondered how his sister Yaozi was doing at this hour in France. There seemed to be no news about a match during this time. Well, it makes sense. With 14 billion people in China and so many leukemia patients, it's difficult to find a match. Even if you include Italy and Austria, Japan only has about 200 million leukemia patients. Besides, the Himekoji family isn't a king or emperor; they can't possibly handle such a difficult situation so easily.

What are you pondering?

After what had just happened, Yuki, holding a hot milk tea, naturally leaned against Himekoji. Although their eyes were fixed straight ahead, their shoulders were close together.

“My teacher has a serious health problem, and I’ve been feeling very down lately.”

"I'm sorry... I've been so stubborn in letting you come to save me, but I can't help you at all."

"Ah—, don't take it too seriously. We're supposed to be here to have fun, but I'm bringing up such a spoilsport."

"This is also proof that you value loyalty. You know, at first I just thought you were a heartless and ungrateful person, with only a desire for control and scheming in your mind. Now it seems that I was really wrong?"

"Yes, it's completely wrong."

“In the past, I wanted to be like my sister, to have what she had but I didn’t. This question has always bothered me. I’ve been desperately pursuing some answer I don’t know, even though I don’t know it, I’m still looking for it… Although I can’t say it’s illusory, I’ve also realized that everyone is different, and… I also have things that are clearly within my reach but that I’ve always ignored.”

"Oh..."

Himekoji responded casually, as Yukinoshita poured out her heart. Listening to her, he felt as if he had nothing to say, and even asking questions seemed superfluous.

"Hey, Himekoji, are you tired?"

"I have reasons why I can't say I'm tired."

“As expected…” Yukinoshita smiled with relief and leaned on Himekoji’s shoulder, saying, “So I’ve discovered that being a weakling isn’t so bad. Not everyone in this world can save themselves… My physical strength is poor, and forcing myself won’t yield any good results, right?”