"President, I don't know how to fight!" Hikigaya protested, feeling like Horikita Manabu was setting him up for a beating.
"Don't worry, it's not what you think."
"Then, please be gentle."
With Horikita Manabu's serious expression, Hikigaya knew resistance was futile. He braced himself and tried to focus on his opponent's movements.
"Then I'll start."
Horikita Manabu's demeanor was unexpectedly intense. He stepped forward and lunged at Hikigaya's right shoulder with a punch.
Hikigaya instinctively dodged to the side, barely avoiding the blow.
"Oh? You dodged that," Horikita Manabu noted with interest. "Try to retaliate next time."
"Is that even possible?!"
They began moving around the room, with Horikita Manabu delivering a flurry of punches that Hikigaya managed to evade with difficulty.
"President, stop! I can't breathe!"
Hikigaya shouted, but Horikita Manabu paid no attention.
"Focus; I'm going to get serious."
"Huh?!"
Horikita Manabu bent his knees and launched a rapid straight punch. Hikigaya, sensing the punch was too quick to dodge, reacted by moving his body to the right and raising his arms defensively.
Hiss—!
Though Hikigaya managed to block most of the punch, the edge still scraped his cheek, leaving a stinging pain. Before he could recover, Horikita Manabu threw another straight punch, hitting his left shoulder.
Though he wanted to be proactive, his fear and confusion eluded him. Fortunately, Horikita Manabu eventually stopped.
"Okay, I've got a good idea of your abilities," Horikita Manabu said calmly.
"Ah? What do you mean?" Hikigaya inquired, uncertain if he was being evaluated for his weaknesses.
Horikita Manabu continued, "Firstly, you've never fought before."
"I've said that already," Hikigaya replied, exasperated.
"Secondly, you lack professional training."
"I already mentioned that, too!"
"And lastly, your eyes are just as I suspected—remarkably perceptive."
Hikigaya was puzzled. Why was Horikita Manabu suddenly commenting on his "dead-fish eyes"?
But then Horikita Manabu surprised him with, "In summary, you have extraordinary dynamic vision, which contributes to your impressive insight."
"Huh?"
Hikigaya was bewildered. How was he supposed to be aware of that?
Horikita Manabu added, "You also have excellent bodily control. Even though it's subconscious, you manage your breathing and muscle movements well. No wonder I didn't notice you yesterday."
"No. I'm not as impressive as you make it sound. I almost couldn't dodge a few times just now," Hikigaya refuted.
"Based on my observations, it's natural that you struggle to dodge, but your insight helps you barely keep up." Horikita Manabu said.
"Ah, I see."
Hikigaya was at a loss. He wasn't some legendary figure, nor was he in an action-packed world! He sighed inwardly, realizing that neither Horikita Manabu nor his sister were likely to understand the world of anime or its references.
Among the few people Hikigaya knew, he had no fellow otaku to relate to, making him miss Zaimokuza a bit...
But he quickly dismissed that thought.
Zaimokuza was hardly ideal.
"Hikigaya, to excel in this school, being proficient in both academics and martial arts is just the baseline," Horikita Manabu stated abruptly.
—Both civil and military?
Who said one had to excel in both areas?
Hikigaya had never aspired to be on top of anything. It was impressive that the president could say such things with a straight face.
He certainly couldn't live up to that ideal!
"President, really, instead of focusing on me, shouldn't you..."
Horikita Manabu cut him off. "Consider this your reward for your hard work in the student council. From now on, on odd days, I'll coach you for three hours."
[T/N: For those who don't know. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday are the odd days.]
"No, I wasn't planning on that."
"I'm not training you to be a master," Horikita Manabu said matter-of-factly.
"The goal is to improve your physical strength and teach you a few useful techniques. It'll come in handy in upcoming years."
"I hope I never have to use it."
Hikigaya sighed, his tone softening.
Given what he was about to face, it appeared likely that Class C would harbor an intense dislike for him. Although Hikigaya wasn't afraid of playing dirty, he'd prefer not to provoke unnecessary aggression.
Well, I'll just think of it as exercise. At least it'll help me escape faster.
"I understand."
Hikigaya bowed slightly and met Horikita's gaze. "Please guide me, President."
I hope I don't end up sore tomorrow.
…
A week into his training with Horikita Manabu, Hikigaya could only sum up his feelings with two words:
"I want to die..."
Walking to school, every step felt agonizing, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.
The president was a real tsundere, a sis-con with ghostly glasses!
If not for Hikigaya's high tolerance for pain, he would never have endured such grueling sessions. It reminded him of Yukinoshita's infamous line about how they'd push Totsuka to the brink in junior high: Run until you drop, swing until you drop, and practice until you drop.
Horikita Manabu was serious and relentless, while Yukinoshita was sharp-tongued but kind-hearted.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun!"
A familiar voice broke his thoughts. Turning around, he saw Matsushita.
"Good morning. You're a bit late today," Hikigaya responded.
Matsushita was usually early, so it was unusual to meet him along the way.
"No, I'm just on time as usual, huh?"
Matsushita suddenly looked surprised.
"Hikigaya-kun, have you been exercising lately?"
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just that you seem a bit different in how you walk."
Matsushita scrutinized him, but it was only a week, so any changes were minimal. She's probably just making a conversation.
"Oh, it's nothing much," Hikigaya casually replied. "I've just been trying to correct my posture."
As they neared the classroom, Hikigaya said, "By the way, I need to use the restroom. You go ahead."
"See you in class."
Matsushita nodded and walked on, leaving Hikigaya to his thoughts. Hikigaya had hoped to avoid Matsushita in the classroom to prevent any potential misunderstandings. He'd prefer not to engage in conversation if he could help it.
As he worried, an unexpected figure approached: Shiina Hiyori.
Even more awkwardly, Shiina seemed to notice him and quickly looked away with a forlorn expression.
… What should I do? Should I greet her?
No, better not.
Just as Hikigaya was about to ignore her and pass by, Shiina murmured, "Good morning."
Then she hurried away.
"Ah…"
Hikigaya opened his mouth but only managed a sigh.