"How about we set the deadline for the first day of next month, May 1st?" Sakayanagi proposed with a sly smile.
"...Try not to be too unreasonable with your demands," Hikigaya responded, his tone a mixture of resignation and caution.
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Are you already giving up before we've even started?"
She couldn't help but find Hikigaya's demeanor odd. Was it guilt that caused his hesitation? Or was he simply lacking motivation? Either way, it felt disappointingly anticlimactic.
For Sakayanagi, a girl driven by both pride and a love for challenges, this would be no fun at all.
While part of her wanted to seek revenge for being deceived, a larger part of her relished the thought of Hikigaya as an opponent who could truly entertain her. She had no desire to win easily.
After a brief moment of consideration, Sakayanagi pulled out her phone, opened the points interface, and held it out to Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, there's no need to worry. I currently have only 50,000 points, while you have the 200,000 I gave you. Your chances of winning are actually quite high."
"...Is that so?" Hikigaya replied, his voice devoid of enthusiasm.
He wasn't fooled by her words. Anyone who could casually hand over 200,000 points was either an idiot or someone with the confidence to easily make much more. And Sakayanagi was certainly not an idiot.
Despite her attempts to downplay the challenge, Hikigaya knew that his chances of winning weren't as high as she suggested.
But still, he wasn't entirely without hope. After all, using club activities to gamble on earning points had a significant, often overlooked, drawback.
...
As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Hikigaya had unexpectedly come into a windfall yesterday, but it was clear Sakayanagi had ulterior motives, pushing him into a seemingly rigged gambling game.
…Why didn't he have the courage to refuse?
Feeling dejected, Hikigaya walked into Class D's classroom, only to find the atmosphere unusually charged.
Ike and Yamauchi, who typically arrived at school on time, were here extremely early today, their faces lit up with overly enthusiastic smiles.
"Hahaha, Yamauchi, we're really early today!" Ike exclaimed.
"No kidding! I'm so excited for today, I couldn't wait!" Yamauchi agreed.
While their conversation might have seemed trivial, the students around them, especially the girls, regarded them with clear disdain. It was apparent their topic was far from serious.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun," Matsushita greeted him from the next table.
"Good morning. Do you know what those two are up to?" Hikigaya asked.
"It's just that the swimming class is about to start," Matsushita replied with annoyance. "Those two have been obnoxiously lively since early this morning. They're really classless."
"...I see."
It was typical for high school boys to be intrigued by the sight of girls in swimsuits. Hikigaya himself wasn't immune to the anticipation, though he tried not to get carried away.
But nothing should be overdone.
Ike and Yamauchi had no shame in their explicit discussions about the opposite sex, which irked most of the girls in the class.
Yet, it seemed they were either oblivious to or indifferent about the girls' reactions and continued unabated.
Soon, the two began rallying the boys again. One of the chubbier boys was holding a tablet, seemingly recording something of dubious value.
Judging by the atmosphere, it was unlikely to be anything respectable.
Hikigaya, who had always kept to himself, was not concerned about being dragged into such activities. Most of his classmates didn't even know his name, so he was unlikely to be involved.
...How irritating. Just thinking about it made him feel down.
"Hey, Ayanokouji."
A name was suddenly called out, which Hikigaya vaguely remembered hearing before.
Turning around, he saw that the speaker was referring to that enigmatic student known for his blank expression.
Ayanokouji had left a strong impression on Hikigaya from the first day of school. He attended classes diligently and was handsome, yet his presence seemed unusually weak. Hikigaya had never been able to discern his thoughts.
Overall, he didn't seem particularly friendly, so it was best to avoid getting too close.
Ayanokouji walked over at the call and was greeted by Ike's enthusiastic voice: "We're betting on the size of the girls' breasts! You can place a bet too!"
"There's even a payout table!" added the chubby boy, showing the tablet to Ayanokouji.
Although Ayanokouji showed some hesitation, he eventually succumbed to the same disdain from the girls around him.
Other boys gathered around noisily, discussing their fantasies in an explicit and heated manner. Most of the girls looked on with disgust, clearly appalled by the display.
Hikigaya observed the scene with boredom, thinking these guys were even more idiotic than he had imagined.
"Hey, Hiki-gay? Come on, join us!"
Ike's called him. Yes, it was definitely his name. This reminded him of when he was called by the wrong name in junior high—a minor annoyance from simple idiots.
Except, this situation was more deliberate.
"I'll pass," Hikigaya said, turning his back to them and facing the wall, ignoring their calls.
His antisocial behavior drew dissatisfaction from the boys, but he had no desire to fit in with their group. Being alone was preferable to associating with them.
"Great, it seems Hikigaya-kun isn't as vulgar as the others," Matsushita commented, initially cold but now with a hint of relief.
"Otherwise, I'd have to question Yukinoshita-san's taste," he added.
"What does this have to do with her?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled.
Matsushita often brought up Yukinoshita in conversation, and if she was so intriguing, he should just ask her directly. They were at the same school and saw each other often.
"At least it shows Hikigaya-kun isn't as crude as the typical boys," Matsushita said with a smile.
"It's not just the boys who are like this," Hikigaya retorted. "Girls do it too—commenting on boys' appearances and making rankings without permission. You're no different from Ike and his crowd."
Indeed, Matsushita had informed him that the first-year girls privately created various rankings online, including those for handsome boys, popular boys, and even the least liked ones. Hikigaya himself ranked high in a couple of these categories.
Which ones, he preferred not to elaborate.
"I did vote for you in the handsome guys ranking!" Matsushita quickly clarified.
"...Haha, thanks," Hikigaya said, his tone dry. This kind of sympathy only deepened his discontent.
Hikigaya wasn't unattractive; his sister Komachi even said he was quite handsome. It was just his dull eyes that spoiled his appearance.
Ike and Yamauchi were geniuses in their own right, though. They were trying to make a profit from betting, but they wasted their efforts on such trivial matters.
Yet, it was hard to expect them to use their points for anything meaningful. Not everyone was as capable as Sakayanagi. To beat the regulars in club activities required a certain level of skill.
Hikigaya had been pondering this since last night. While his physical abilities were above average and his body was somewhat trained, his lack of interest in sports had led him to forgo the sports club for now.
So, his options were down to chess and card games. Hikigaya was skilled in games like shogi, chess, mahjong, and even Yu-Gi-Oh, or at least forced to be by his Haruno.
Though he often lost to her, his skill had improved significantly over time. He should be able to handle most casual players with ease.