The next day, Hikigaya woke up early, having set two alarms.
It was his first day at a new school, living alone for the first time, and he didn't want to risk being late.
The school provided such a stellar environment for teaching and living that students were expected to work hard. Even if academic performance was variable, at the very least, they should have a positive attitude towards studying.
Since it was the first day, most teachers merely outlined the learning guidelines, with nothing requiring special attention.
This relaxed atmosphere surprised many students.
After all, this was a prestigious school, boasting a nearly 100% admission rate and job placement rate, and covering all expenses for three years. One would expect Spartan-level discipline to ensure the school produced top-tier talent for the country.
Yet, the atmosphere here was relaxed, and the teachers were so cheerful and approachable that it didn't feel like a top-tier institution.
Soon, some students began to slack off.
Heads lowered to check phones.
Notes were passed.
One student even dozed off at his desk.
Chabashira-sensei, the homeroom teacher, turned a blind eye to these breaches of discipline, showing no intention of reprimanding anyone, continuing her lesson without interruption.
As a result, there were hardly any students left who took the class seriously.
"This is beyond my expectations..."
Hikigaya was stunned as he observed the class.
While he had expected Class D to be the worst, he never imagined his classmates would drop their facades so quickly. Barely half a day had passed, and their true colors were already on display.
Couldn't they have kept up appearances for at least a week?
Hikigaya began to feel uneasy about the future. It was clear the teachers didn't care about classroom discipline, likely due to the school's educational policy.
In the real world, no one would remind you of basic workplace etiquette—don't be late, don't slack off. You could do as you pleased, but the consequences would show in your paycheck.
Here, students' wages were points, and every violation of discipline would likely result in a deduction. Otherwise, the school wouldn't need to provide free meals and daily necessities.
What wasn't clear was whether these deductions were on an individual basis or if they affected the entire class.
Given the reality that there would be no class divisions for three years, it was likely based on class performance.
Originally, Hikigaya thought that no matter how many points were deducted, there would always be some left. As long as he saved where he could, he shouldn't have any problems.
But given the current trend, it might be wise to prepare for the worst.
"Oh, this is bad."
Although he recognized the severity of the problem, Hikigaya had neither the means nor the motivation to fix it.
If the teachers didn't care, what right did he have to interfere with others' freedom?
Besides, without evidence, even if he spoke up, who would believe him?
Most importantly, he didn't know anyone in the class well enough to even approach them.
"Um, you're Hikigaya-kun, right?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the girl at the next table spoke to him. It seemed like she knew him.
Hikigaya didn't recognize the pretty girl with long brown hair. He couldn't recall introducing himself in class either.
As he pondered this, the girl smiled and said, "I'm Matsushita Chiaki. I went to Sobu High, just like you."
"Is that so…?"
Hikigaya was shocked. Meeting someone from his old school here, and being assigned to the same class—Japan really was small.
"How do you know my name?" Hikigaya asked hesitantly.
"Were we in the same class in junior high?"
Though he had no memory of her, he couldn't rule out the possibility.
Just as most of his junior high classmates didn't remember him, Hikigaya only remembered a few faces and names from those days.
Matsushita shook her head.
"No, I was in Class J, the same as Yukinoshita-san."
"Oh, then how do you know me? I don't remember doing anything particularly noteworthy," Hikigaya said, even more confused.
In Hikigaya's self-perception, he was a nobody in junior high. His classmates often got his name wrong, so it seemed unlikely someone from another class would know him.
As for Yukinoshita, that was even more improbable. She wasn't the type to gossip, and she didn't have many friends in class. She mostly only spoke with Yuigahama Yui, another member of the Service Club.
"That's not true!"
Matsushita's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Hikigaya-kun was famous at Sobu, at least in our class. You were in the same club as the school idol Yukinoshita-san, and you stood out at events like the cultural festival and the school trip."
"Ah…I see."
So that's how she knew him.
Hikigaya understood now.
He was basically infamous.
In junior high, Hikigaya had done plenty of foolish things, like making the student council president cry at the cultural festival and staging a fake confession during the school trip.
Though there were reasons behind his actions, to outsiders, they seemed outrageous. Hikigaya didn't care about others' opinions, so he never bothered to explain.
But one thing still bothered him.
The cultural festival incident was well-known, but the school trip was another matter. Only a small group from Hikigaya's circle knew about what really happened. Logically, it shouldn't have spread, especially to someone like Matsushita, who was in another class. So how did she know about it?
"And that's not all!"
Matsushita continued, oblivious to Hikigaya's doubts. She seemed genuinely excited as she said, "During the student council election, you manipulated everything, letting a first-year girl become the president so you could secretly control the entire student council, right?"
"Yeah, that Isshiki girl is always… wait, what?!"
Hikigaya was almost certain he had misheard.
Secretly controlling the student council?
What on earth was she talking about?
Or did she think there was some grand scheme to all of this? The reality was far less glamorous. All Hikigaya had done was follow orders, doing menial tasks that hardly showcased any sort of manipulative genius.
There were no benefits, just chores that made him question his life choices.
"Matsushita-san, I don't know what you're talking about. I was just being ordered around by Isshiki, like a slave. I have no recollection of being the mastermind behind anything," Hikigaya said, a mix of disbelief and exasperation creeping into his voice.
"But you were the one who pushed Isshiki-san to become the student council president, right?"
"…I suppose so."
Hikigaya didn't know how to respond. Yes, he had helped Isshiki in her bid for the student council presidency, but only because she had been cornered by her classmates.
The girls in her class didn't like how she acted, so they all ganged up to nominate her for the position, hoping she'd make a fool of herself.
The memory still made Hikigaya cringe.