"That's not what I meant. I just didn't expect your relationship with my brother to be so... well."
Horikita paused for a moment, and then her tone shifted. "I didn't expect you to be so casual, even rude when talking to him. And, surprisingly, my brother tolerates it."
"What? Are you jealous?" Hikigaya shot back, deliberately trying to provoke her.
In truth, Hikigaya and Horikita Manabu often spoke to each other in this manner. Despite Horikita Manabu's cold and aloof demeanor, he was surprisingly easy to get along with. He didn't fuss over trivialities, allowing Hikigaya to tease him without fear of reprisal.
Honestly, if it weren't for the current setting, Hikigaya would've loved to reenact that iconic scene from Kamen Rider—I just love seeing that jealous look on your face!
However, Horikita didn't react as expected. Instead of anger or embarrassment, she simply lowered her head, her expression complicated.
...Oh no, this girl seems to be more insecure than I thought.
But it's not surprising. Horikita Manabu, the student council president with absolute authority, was admired by many, while his sister was relegated to Class D. It's only natural that she'd feel a sense of inferiority.
Although this had little to do with Hikigaya, he could empathize with her. It was a sentiment he understood well, especially when he thought about his relationship with Komachi.
Hikigaya had always been a solitary figure, while Komachi was his polar opposite—well-liked, outgoing, and a sister who stood out in every way. Yet, despite all that, Hikigaya already had something Horikita desperately sought: the care and companionship of a sibling.
"Horikita, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
Perhaps it was none of his business, but Hikigaya decided to go ahead anyway.
"Do you feel like you're a burden to your brother?"
"...That's a ridiculous thing to say."
"Yeah, it is. But you and the president are siblings." Hikigaya nodded. "So why do you act so timid around him? You're his sister—shouldn't you be more at ease?"
Horikita let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I'm different from you. I just can't be that way."
"Why not?"
Horikita didn't respond, but Hikigaya wasn't ready to drop the subject.
"Do you see your brother as some kind of unapproachable figure, someone who looks down on others? You're his sister, yet it seems like you don't understand him at all."
"You—are you done yet? What do you know?!"
Horikita finally snapped, her patience worn thin.
"You've only been around my brother for a short time, so don't act like you know him better than I do!"
"No, I'm pretty sure I do," Hikigaya replied without hesitation.
"At least from what I've seen, the president doesn't hate you. It's just that you've built up this wall in your heart, and you've never really tried to understand him. The brother you're chasing is just a version you've created in your mind."
—Just like Yukinoshita.
Horikita's eyes widened as she stared at him.
"Of course, I know taking that first step is hard, but you can say something as crazy as 'promoting Class D to Class A.' I don't see how getting along with your brother is any harder than that."
With that, Hikigaya decided he'd said enough and walked away without another word.
Saying any more would probably have the opposite effect, so it was up to Horikita to figure out the rest.
The president is something. If he had just been a little more straightforward, things wouldn't have ended up like this.
This tsundere sister-con with those weird glasses is a handful!
...
"Ugh, what was I thinking..."
Reflecting on last night's events, Hikigaya felt his face heat up.
In an attempt to ease the tension between the Horikita siblings, he'd gotten carried away and said things that were completely out of character for him.
At first, it didn't seem like a big deal, but as Hikigaya lay in bed later, the shame of his words began to sink in.
He rolled around for what felt like an eternity, wishing the ground would swallow him up.
"No, now's not the time to dwell on that."
Hikigaya shook his head, trying to dispel the embarrassing memories.
The most pressing issue right now was letting the class know that the scope of the history exam was wrong.
But... how should he go about it?
The logical approach would be to stand at the front of the class, announce his discovery, and then rally everyone to confront Mr. Chabashira together. That would guarantee there'd be no problem.
But for Hikigaya, that was out of the question.
If he were capable of doing something like that, he wouldn't have spent his entire childhood friendless.
So, what should he do?
After some thought, Hikigaya realized the only person he could rely on was Matsushita-san, who sat next to him.
She was the only one in class he could talk to.
Hikigaya felt a twinge of embarrassment. He'd gone out of his way to keep Matsushita at arm's length, yet here he was, needing her help. When he entered the classroom, he saw that Matsushita had already arrived and was chatting with her friends.
But there was no rush. Hikigaya decided to head to his seat first.
To his surprise, Matsushita waved at him as soon as she saw him. "Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
"...Good morning."
—Hey, don't greet me in front of your friends!
Hikigaya's face stiffened as he felt several pairs of eyes on him, especially from Matsushita's friends, whose mocking stares were anything but subtle.
Ugh, couldn't she be a bit more discreet?
This brought back memories of middle school. Although Yuigahama had always greeted him, she generally avoided talking to him in the classroom, preventing any unnecessary misunderstandings.
If only Matsushita were that considerate.
Maybe she didn't care about those things, but Hikigaya didn't want to cause her any trouble.
But now, should he rely on Matsushita to spread the word about the exam? That would only complicate things further.
As Hikigaya was wrestling with his thoughts, Matsushita noticed his troubled expression.
"Hikigaya-kun, is there something you need to tell me?"
Huh? Can she read minds too?
Hikigaya was taken aback. He hadn't expected Matsushita to have that skill as well.
It seemed like everyone around him could read his thoughts. Maybe he should get himself a Magneto helmet.
"Actually—"
"Hikigaya! Spill the truth!"
Just as he began to speak, he was cut off by two unexpected interruptions.
"...What?"
Ike and Yamauchi came rushing over, surrounding him in no time.
Hikigaya had no idea what these two were up to, but their sudden intrusion had drawn the entire class's attention.
"We saw you having dinner with Shiina-chan yesterday! Spill the details!"
"Go to hell!"
"And you two were sitting together on the same side!"
"Go to hell!"
Ike and Yamauchi wailed in agony, looking like they were about to shed tears of blood.
...So someone did see us?
Then again, it wasn't surprising. Hikigaya and Shiina hadn't been trying to hide, and they were sitting by the window.
But seriously, did these two have to be so dramatic?
Hikigaya could understand their feelings, but their jealousy was still disgusting.
The look on their faces was just plain ugly.
If Hirata had gone out to eat with a girl, they'd probably just curse in private.
But since it was Hikigaya, they couldn't contain their envy, jealousy, and hatred.
The reason was simple.
They couldn't fathom why the lowest-ranking guy in class could hang out with a girl while they, clearly more deserving, couldn't even catch a glance. It made them feel like the world was fundamentally unfair.
So, they tried to reassert their status by verbally putting Hikigaya down and warning him not to get too full of himself.
Hikigaya had seen this kind of behavior countless times in middle school and was no longer surprised by it.
Back then, he was just in the same club as Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, but other boys would constantly approach him, asking questions or indirectly trying to put him in his place.
The funniest part was that most of those guys didn't even dare to confess their feelings in the end.
And the few who did, when rejected, acted as if their world had ended. It made you want to snap a picture and post it online.
"Shiina and I are just study buddies. You should be more concerned about whether you're getting expelled than about my social life."
Hikigaya dismissed them with a few words and returned to his seat, ignoring their protests.
However, the class continued to buzz with chatter.
"That Shiina's from Class C, right? I've seen her before; she's super cute."
"Yeah, yeah. Now that you mention it, I think I saw her with Hikigaya too. I thought I was seeing things."
"Seriously? Shiina-san's taste must be terrible."
"Did you see the way she looked at him? It was kind of soft..."
"Was it? You sure you weren't imagining things?"
The whispers were endless, but Hikigaya paid them no mind. It was a common phenomenon for guys who couldn't score with girls to start gossiping.
"Those fools, they're just making things worse for themselves."
Hikigaya returned to his seat, where Matsushita continued to observe him with a mix of amusement and curiosity.
As Matsushita looked at him, she asked, "By the way, what was it you wanted to tell me just now?"
Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, then forced a sheepish smile.
"…Sorry, I completely forgot. It must not have been important. I'll let you know if it comes back to me."
Internally, though, his thoughts were much less composed. Go to hell, you bunch of idiots! You deserve to be played by Chabashira!
Strangely, the mental tirade helped him feel a bit better.
Just then, the familiar sound of a text message alert snapped him out of his thoughts. Hikigaya quickly checked his phone and saw that it was from Shiina.
Shiina: [Sorry to bother you, Hikigaya-kun. If you're free at noon, could you come over?]
Shiina: [Ryuuen-kun said he wants to see you.]
Shiina: [But if it's inconvenient, we can do it another day. No pressure!]
...Ryuuen?
Hikigaya was momentarily taken aback, but then a subtle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
It looks like he's finally ready to make a move.