During the lunch break, Hikigaya followed the address provided by Shiina and made his way to a barbecue restaurant in the Keyaki shopping center.
Barbecue again? Really?
The last time I had dinner with Sakayanagi, we also ended up at this restaurant.
Why is everyone here obsessed with barbecue?
Although the food is undeniably tasty and reasonably priced, Hikigaya would have preferred going to Saizeriya. After all, it's a haven for ordinary students, especially with its self-service beverage bar.
"Hikigaya-kun, you're here..."
Shiina was waiting at the entrance to greet him, but Hikigaya knew better than to read too much into it. So, gentlemen, please stop looking at her with envy and jealousy. He already deals with enough of that in the classroom.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head inside."
Hikigaya sensed that Shiina wanted to say something, but he chose not to pry.
From her earlier text messages, it was clear that Shiina wasn't too keen on him coming over. However, given her position in Class C, she likely couldn't refuse Ryuuen's orders—just as Matsushita couldn't stand up for Hikigaya in class.
Everyone has their struggles.
Hikigaya understood this well and had no intention of blaming anyone. Besides, this time it was Ryuuen who wanted to meet him, so it felt more like Shiina was the one being dragged into this situation.
Upon entering the restaurant, Shiina led him to a private booth where they finally met the infamous leader of Class C, Ryuuen Sho.
Of course, Hikigaya had seen this magenta-haired guy several times before, but Ryuuen had never taken notice of him.
And this guy was already eating? How rude.
But since it was Ryuuen's treat, Hikigaya decided to let it slide.
Despite their meeting, the anticipated tension didn't materialize. Ryuuen casually gestured for them to sit down and then resumed grilling pork belly.
"Hikigaya-kun, is pork belly okay?"
"…Ah, sure."
Seeing Shiina start grilling as well, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled by these two.
Are we just here to eat?
Maybe they planned to discuss business after the meal. With that thought, Hikigaya didn't hesitate and took a bite of the grilled pork belly.
The rich flavor exploded in his mouth instantly.
"Mm, delicious."
"Haha, the food here is pretty good, but it's not exactly cheap," Ryuuen remarked with a laugh.
"People like you, who can't score points, wouldn't be able to afford this place unless someone else is paying."
"Yes, it's your treat."
Hikigaya responded calmly, though his mind was anything but. There was no trace of mockery in Ryuuen's tone, indicating that he didn't harbor any ill intentions—just a condescending attitude, naturally looking down on Hikigaya.
This guy has a bad personality.
Shiina then offered, "How about I pay for half as well?"
"You're a woman. How could I possibly let you pay?" Ryuuen said dismissively.
However, Hikigaya knew that Ryuuen wasn't the type to care about gender, nor did he have any chivalrous spirit. He wouldn't hesitate to exploit a woman if it served his purposes.
The vulnerability of others might make them even more appealing targets to someone like Ryuuen.
But this had nothing to do with Hikigaya.
"Well... I suppose you can tell me now. Why did you call me out here?"
As soon as Hikigaya spoke, all three of them set down their chopsticks simultaneously, and Shiina looked at him with a troubled expression, her fists clenched.
"Why, you can't guess?" Ryuuen smirked.
"Hikigaya, I heard about you from Hiyori, so there's no need to play dumb. Besides, you're the only first-year who got into the student council. You're no fool."
"I can probably guess, but I still want to hear it from you."
Ryuuen shot him an annoyed look.
"You've got some nerve… Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I want you to stop associating with anyone in my class."
"Ah..."
Hikigaya remained unphased, but Shiina, sitting beside him, looked visibly distressed, her fists clenched tighter.
Ryuuen watched her with interest. "This is the first time I've seen Hiyori with such an expression. Hikigaya, your dead eyes seem to be quite popular."
"No, that's just your imagination," Hikigaya sighed. "So, is this about information security? Are you worried that I might leak something if Shiina and I keep in contact?"
Ryuuen nodded, and Hikigaya couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't expect that. It seems you're much more cautious than you appear—a real careful little man."
"Hmph, when aiming for Class A, such precautions are necessary."
Hikigaya was surprised. Ryuuen didn't seem fazed by his taunts at all. This guy was different from his appearance.
"Ryuuen-kun, I won't do that," Shiina suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah, I know you wouldn't," Ryuuen agreed. "Hiyori doesn't care about class conflicts, and neither do you, Hikigaya, right?"
"You seem to know me well."
"I can tell just by looking at you. You have no interest in others. I bet you wouldn't even bat an eye if one of your classmates got expelled."
Wow, that's pretty harsh!
Although somewhat irritated, Hikigaya couldn't find the right words to retort, so he kept silent.
Ryuuen's words reminded him of something that had been bothering him lately. Class D was currently sitting at zero points, while Class A had a hundred and forty. By any reasonable measure, Class D couldn't possibly catch up.
But what if… What if, by some miracle, Class D did manage to close the gap? Then, to fulfill Miss Haruno's request, Hikigaya would have to sabotage Class D, betraying them in the process.
He couldn't care less about what happened to the students in Class D, but betrayal wasn't something he could accept. However, he also didn't want to disappoint Haruno.
Then... do the opposite.
Simply put, he needed to find a way to strengthen the other three classes enough to ensure that Class D wouldn't stand a chance.
Why didn't I think of something so simple before?
At that moment, Hikigaya felt a genuine sense of gratitude toward Ryuuen. Without his suggestion, he might have been stuck in indecision for much longer.
And to show his appreciation...
—Ryuen, let me teach you a lesson.