Ever since his last conversation with Ryuuen, Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone awry.
Initially, Hikigaya was skeptical. Why would someone as beautiful and lively as Shiina go out of her way to approach someone as inconspicuous and gloomy as him? Coupled with Ryuuen's subsequent actions, he was convinced that Shiina was acting under someone's instructions.
But now, Ryuuen had suggested that Hikigaya had misunderstood the situation from the very beginning.
…It was just like the student council election back at Sobu High.
Did I mess up again?
No, that can't be right!
Hikigaya immediately pushed the thought aside. He realized he had underestimated Shiina's genuine love for books. Her passion for reading was so strong that she didn't hesitate to approach someone who seemed as dangerous as him, with his dead fish eyes.
This girl is naive.
It makes me worry about her future.
At that moment, Hikigaya felt a wave of clarity wash over him. He understood everything. And as he thought about it more, he realized he probably wouldn't see Shiina much in the future anyway, so there wasn't anything to be concerned about.
"Hey, Hikigaya, I know you have a lot of teenage troubles, but we're still having a class meeting."
Chabashira-sensei's sudden callout from the podium snapped Hikigaya back to reality, drawing the attention of the entire class.
Hikigaya was speechless. What was this homeroom teacher's deal?
"Tsk, it's always about women with him."
"A two-timing bastard."
"Hey, share some of that luck with me."
The whispers from his classmates started up immediately. Although their words sounded plausible, the situation was far from what they imagined. If circumstances allowed, Hikigaya would've gladly dragged them out for a beating.
"Even if you want me to listen carefully, Chabashira-sensei, what you're saying is nothing but nonsense. It's not worth paying attention to at all," Hikigaya grumbled.
To be honest, he didn't see the point of this class meeting. They had meetings before class, after class, and seemingly whenever the teacher felt like it. What could warrant so many meetings?
"You're right," Chabashira-sensei conceded, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"But speaking of something valuable, I just remembered that the scope of the midterm exam has been changed. Does that have any importance for you?"
"…Ahhhhhh?!"
After a moment of stunned silence, the entire class erupted in panic.
"Sensei, this is ridiculous!" Hirata, the class's resident hero, was the first to voice his protest.
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you," Chabashira-sensei said, unfazed.
"This isn't something you can just apologize for! We're way too close to the exam for this!"
"It's not that bad. You still have a day left," Chabashira-sensei said dismissively, before turning to the blackboard and writing out the new exam content.
For reference, the midterm was tomorrow, leaving less than a day to prepare.
"Besides, there's no point in complaining. The exam will cover what's been taught in class. I'm under no obligation to give you a specific scope."
"But…!"
Hirata gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated, but unable to find a suitable retort.
Just then, the bell signaling the end of class rang, and Chabashira-sensei left without a backward glance.
No one in the class moved. The students, especially those who were already struggling, looked like headless chickens, completely lost.
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun," Matsushita whispered, leaning closer.
"Don't you think Chabashira-sensei did this on purpose? What's she trying to achieve?"
"…Who knows?"
Hikigaya felt a twinge of guilt. He'd meant to mention the change earlier, but after the idiots in the class egged him on, he got annoyed and decided not to bother. Then, with everything going on with Ryuuen, he'd completely forgotten.
Luckily, Horikita was always prepared.
"Excuse me, everyone, could I have your attention for a moment?"
To Hikigaya's surprise, it wasn't Horikita who took the stage, but Kushida Kikyo. She was holding a thick stack of papers.
…No way.
"I know everyone's panicking right now, but please don't worry too much. I have something that might help," Kushida said with a smile as she started handing out the papers.
"This is last year's exam paper. I got it from a third-year senior last night," Kushida explained.
"I also heard that the midterm exam content from the year before last was nearly identical to last year's. So, I think studying this should be useful for tomorrow's exam."
"Are you serious? Thank you, Kushida-chan!"
"As expected of our Class D's angel!"
Ike and Yamauchi were practically hugging their papers in gratitude, and the rest of the class eagerly expressed their thanks to Kushida.
Only Hikigaya felt uneasy. He glanced over at Horikita, who showed no sign of surprise.
She knew all along, didn't she?
Could it be…
A thought struck Hikigaya. Perhaps Horikita didn't want to owe anyone a favor, so she didn't solve the mystery herself. Instead, she passed the responsibility to Ayanokouji, who was also present at the time. Ayanokouji, not wanting to draw attention, must have then handed it over to Kushida.
After thinking it through, this seemed the most likely scenario.
Horikita, you claim you'll lead Class D to the top, but are you serious about it? A prime opportunity to build your reputation, and you just let it go.
If it were Ryuuen, he would've capitalized on this to solidify his control.
She has a long way to go.
Hikigaya sighed inwardly. At this rate, he didn't know when he'd be able to repay the favor he owed the student council president. Although Horikita Manabu hadn't said anything directly, he'd taken the time to train Hikigaya because he wanted him to keep an eye on his sister.
Of course, if the goal was just to control Class D, Hikigaya could've easily helped Horikita step by step.
Despite appearing disorganized, this class could be managed with the right strategy.
Even the stubborn Koenji would likely contribute to the class during exams if pushed.
But doing so would only hinder Horikita's growth.
"Oh, this is troublesome…"
In the end, the hardest debt to repay is a favor.
Friday morning marked the start of the midterm exam for Class D.
Chabashira-sensei walked into the classroom with the test papers in hand, wearing an inexplicable smile as she looked around the room.
"Judging by how calm you all are, it seems like you're feeling pretty confident about this exam, huh?"
"Everyone's been studying hard. I don't think anyone in this class will fail!" Hirata declared, brimming with confidence.
Chabashira-sensei seemed to know more than she let on, and she began handing out the test papers with a neutral expression.
"By the way, if no one fails this exam or the final exam in July, School will take everyone on a vacation during summer break."
"Vacation?"
"Yes, I'll let you all experience a dream vacation on an island surrounded by the sea."
As soon as those words left her mouth, the boys in the class started letting their imaginations run wild.
But Hikigaya wasn't fooled. Given Chabashira-sensei's usual demeanor, this was too good to be true. There had to be a catch.
"Let's do something big!" Ike shouted.
"Oooh!"
the other boys joined in, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.
Even Ayanokouji joined in on the yelling, only to receive a withering glare from Horikita.
Hikigaya was almost speechless. Ayanokouji, usually so emotionless, suddenly jumped on the bandwagon with this typical high school boy behavior. It didn't match his persona at all.
What kind of secret organization trained you to act like this?