After enduring Haruno's antics, he desperately needed a can of MAX Coffee to soothe his wounded soul. The sugary drink was perfect for replenishing his drained brain—two birds with one stone.
However—
"No?! Why not?!"
Hikigaya searched the vending machine repeatedly but couldn't find MAX Coffee among the selections. He was at a loss.
MAX Coffee was, admittedly, a regional specialty from Chiba, not widely available across Japan. But this was Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced High School! Tokyo! Right next to Chiba! How could they not have it?
"…I want to die."
For Hikigaya, life's meaning was divided between his sister Komachi and MAX Coffee. Without the latter, he felt no motivation to survive in this school.
In desperation, Hikigaya decided to make his own MAX Coffee. It wouldn't be the same, but it was better than nothing. Plus, he could pick up some daily necessities and dinner while he was at it.
There were several convenience stores on campus. The one closest to the special teaching building was less crowded, likely due to its remote location.
As Hikigaya browsed the store, he noticed that it wasn't much different from any other convenience store. The goods and prices were similar to what you'd find outside.
There was one notable difference.
"Free…?"
All the items in the store were labeled with a price of "0 points."
Points were a digital currency used on this campus. Students received an allowance in the form of points, which could be used for purchases both on and off campus.
Everything from food to electronics could be bought with points, which were valued the same as yen. So, "0 points" essentially meant the items were free.
Hikigaya was perplexed. Why would the school give away free items?
Was this another test?
If he filled his cart with these free items, would he get into trouble later? But if they were offering it…
"Well, I'll take a look around first," Hikigaya muttered, trying to keep his options open.
Hikigaya suspected that the 100,000 points they received weren't guaranteed to be given out every month. After all, Chabashira-sensei never explicitly said they would. The school would likely find reasons to deduct them over time.
"Since you don't have to worry about points, you can spend them as you wish. There's no need to save up."
There were definitely plenty of new students with such naïve ideas. In Hikigaya's Class D, there were many simple-minded fools with no self-control. Perhaps the school intended to give these students a harsh lesson by being deliberately vague, providing only subtle hints.
"Just to be safe, let's stick with the free stuff first."
Hikigaya had never been one to spend money recklessly. His allowance had always been limited, so thriftiness was second nature to him. Besides, the free items didn't seem bad at all.
Of course, he wasn't really concerned with the details. As a young man, he didn't care much about the brand of shower gel or shampoo. At home, he simply used whatever his mom gave him. As long as it got the job done, that was enough. And if it was free? Even better.
Afterwards, Hikigaya bought some spare underwear and, most importantly, the ingredients necessary to make his favorite MAX coffee. A large can of instant coffee, milk, sugar, and condensed milk—all to make it as sweet as possible.
For dinner, he decided on a fried chicken bento. He didn't enjoy crowded places like the cafeteria. Eating at home was much more comfortable. Although he could cook for himself—his cooking skills weren't bad, thanks to his parents often working overtime—he never felt motivated when he was alone. Cooking required not just ingredients but also seasonings, utensils, and the effort to clean up afterwards. It was too much trouble.
Maybe in the future, when he had a reason to.
"That should be everything. Time to check out."
As Hikigaya approached the cashier, he noticed a student nearby, behaving suspiciously. It was a girl with purple hair tied in a side ponytail, who looked quite capable.
...Wait, is she about to steal something?
Hikigaya wasn't a policeman or a shop owner, so it wasn't his responsibility to stop someone from stealing.
And this wasn't the first time he'd witnessed such an act. Reflecting on his previous experience, he cringed with embarrassment. He had mustered the courage to intervene, only to be completely ignored and later mistaken as a suspicious person by the bystanders—a memory he wished he could erase.
But if he did nothing and the girl got caught...
In a closed environment like this school, if a student got expelled for stealing, the news would inevitably reach Hikigaya's ears, even if he had no friends. The thought made him uneasy.
So, this wasn't about helping others. It was purely for his own peace of mind.
Just as the purple-haired girl was about to slip a can of beer into her bag, Hikigaya quickly grabbed a bottle of shower gel and approached her.
"Ah, wait a second!"
"Whoa?!"
Startled by the sudden noise, the girl quickly put the beer back on the shelf.
This was a close call. Hikigaya almost didn't make it in time.
"Sorry, I accidentally dropped this."
Pretending not to notice anything, Hikigaya apologized and bent down to pick up the bottle. To his surprise, the purple-haired girl handed it to him, her expression a mix of irritation and indifference.
"Be more careful next time."
Wait, is she helping me?
Hikigaya recalled a time when he'd dropped something near a girl by accident. She had glanced at him, tutted loudly, and rolled her eyes in disdain.
"Uh... thanks," Hikigaya muttered as he took the bottle, his eyes flicking to the upper corner of the room. "You should be careful too... there's a camera watching you."
"…Huh?!"
The girl's eyes widened as she instinctively looked in the direction he indicated. A small camera was hidden in a corner, hard to notice unless you knew where to look.
While she was distracted, Hikigaya quickly headed to the cashier, paid for his items, and left the store.
"Phew, I haven't talked to a stranger in ages. That was nerve-wracking."
As he stepped out of the store, Hikigaya finally exhaled in relief. He was glad he hadn't been misunderstood. Another embarrassing incident would've been too much.
"Hey, wait up."
A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Hikigaya didn't bother turning around. He didn't know anyone here, so it couldn't be him they were calling.
Better get home qui—huh?!
Just as he was about to walk away, someone grabbed his collar from behind, causing him to choke out a strange sound.
"I told you to wait, didn't I?"
He turned to find the purple-haired girl standing there, one hand on her hip, clearly annoyed.
Great... is she here to pick a fight because I interrupted her?
"Uh, what do you want?" Hikigaya asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"I called you, why did you ignore me?"
"I didn't realize you were talking to me..."
She seemed taken aback by his feeble excuse but shook her head after a moment.
"Forget it. My name's Kamuro Masumi. What's yours?"