Time flew by, and before Hikigaya knew it, Saturday had arrived.
"What should I do? Is she coming over...?"
Hikigaya's nerves were frayed as he thought about Shiina visiting his room.
He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, and ended up cleaning his room multiple times. This was the first time a girl, other than his sister or mother, would be stepping into his sanctuary.
Damn it, why couldn't it be scheduled for Sunday?
If it were Sunday, Hikigaya could have declined with a legitimate excuse like, "I have to watch Pretty Cure and Kamen Rider in the morning," and he was sure the considerate Shiina would understand.
As for the afternoon... well, that was reserved for catching up on sleep!
Ding Dong——!
Just as Hikigaya was fretting, the doorbell rang.
Is she already here?
There was no turning back now. Hikigaya took a deep breath, doing his best to appear calm and collected as he walked to the door.
Standing in front of him was a beautiful girl with a radiant smile.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
"K-Kushida?"
Why is it you?
Hikigaya was still processing the unexpected visitor when Kushida slipped past him into the room without waiting for an invitation.
"Hey, hey..."
"Excuse me for disturbing you."
"If you knew you were disturbing me, you shouldn't have come in."
But no matter what Hikigaya said, it was useless. Kushida was already seated at the table, smiling at him.
"Hikigaya-kun, what are you doing just standing there? Close the door, please."
"...Alright."
Hikigaya had no choice but to comply. The moment the door clicked shut, Kushida's expression changed, turning cold and stern.
"How dare you lie to me about being busy on the weekend?" Kushida's voice was icy.
"You're free, so explain to me why you're pretending to be occupied."
"No, I do have a guest coming over soon."
Hikigaya could only laugh helplessly. He had indeed turned down Kushida's request the night before, but the truth was, he hadn't lied. His weekends were for doing nothing, which in his mind meant he had no free time. This was basic common sense, wasn't it?
"Stop spouting nonsense and make me some tea."
"...How troublesome."
Despite his grumbling, Hikigaya went ahead and made her a cup of herbal tea. Kushida took it, downed it in one gulp, and slammed the cup onto the table.
"You said you wanted to watch Kamen Rider and Pretty Cure? You're not a child anymore! Do you take me for a fool?"
"No, I wasn't lying to you!"
Hikigaya shook his head vehemently. This woman was incredibly rude! She should apologize to all the Kamen Rider and Pretty Cure fans nationwide!
"Those shows only air on Sundays! Did you think I wouldn't know that?"
Kushida snapped.
Huh? She went out of her way to check.
Hikigaya was taken aback. A popular girl like Kushida normally wouldn't care about such things. Just how badly did she want to corner him?
She's a terrifying woman.
"Kushida, listen," Hikigaya said, trying to be gentle.
"I do have a guest coming today. I promise I'll hear your complaints in a few days, so could you leave for now?"
"...Fine."
Surprisingly, Kushida relented with little resistance. Hikigaya had expected a much longer argument.
Ding Dong——!
But before he could feel relieved, the doorbell rang again.
Oh no, is it Shiina this time?
No, think positively—maybe it's just another misunderstanding. Maybe it's someone else—
"Hikigaya-kun, are you in there?"
Shiina's voice shattered Hikigaya's self-deception. He glanced at Kushida, who now wore a mischievous smile as if this had nothing to do with her.
This girl...!
But it's fine. Nothing is going on between me and either of them, so I have no reason to feel guilty!
"Just a moment, I'll be right there."
After mentally psyching himself up, Hikigaya finally mustered the courage to open the door.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's alright," Shiina said with a smile. "Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
She was dressed in a simple white dress that suited her delicate demeanor, making her look like a literary character come to life.
"Ah, good morning."
Hikigaya averted his gaze, feeling a bit awkward. It was the first time he'd seen Shiina in casual clothes, and the sight made him a little uncomfortable.
"Um, can I come in?"
"...Of course!"
Shiina's voice brought Hikigaya back to reality, reminding him of the precarious situation he was in.
No, maybe it's not that bad—
"Huh? Isn't that Shiina-san? Are you here to see Hikigaya-kun too?"
In front of outsiders, Kushida had reverted to her role as the sweet, angelic girl. But no one would have expected her to know the introverted Shiina. Her social skills were truly unparalleled.
"Kushida-san? Why are you in Hikigaya-kun's room?"
Shiina looked at her in surprise before turning back to Hikigaya.
"Could it be that you're..."
"No, no," Kushida quickly interrupted with a wave of her hand.
"I'm heading to the library with some friends to study. I just had a few questions and thought I'd stop by to ask Hikigaya-kun for help."
"I see."
Shiina seemed to relax, noticing that Kushida was indeed dressed in her school uniform.
"But enough about me—what brings you here?"
Kushida leaned close to Shiina, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"There's been a rumor going around that you and Hikigaya-kun are... well, is it true?"
"Huh?! What rumor?"
Shiina's face flushed with panic.
"Haha, just kidding," Kushida said, satisfied with Shiina's reaction. She winked at her before turning toward the door.
"I'll leave you two to your date. Bye."
"No, that's not it!"
Kushida chuckled, ignoring Shiina's flustered protests as she headed for the exit. As she passed Hikigaya, she dropped a barely audible remark.
"Looks like you've hooked up with the girl from Class C too."
"...Excuse me?"
What a way with words! "Hooked up"? Really?
Unfortunately, Hikigaya couldn't muster a comeback, so he pretended not to hear her.
Speaking of Class C, Ike and Yamauchi had been bragging in class lately about getting girlfriends, and from the way they talked, it seemed true. They'd even stopped hanging out with Ayanokouji during lunch breaks, leaving him to eat alone and often drawing snide remarks from Horikita.
Honestly, it was kind of amusing.
"Hikigaya-kun, Kushida-san's gone."
Shiina's voice broke through his thoughts. Was it just his imagination, or was there a slight edge to her words?
"No, I'm not... thinking about Kushida."
Hikigaya turned to explain, but the words caught in his throat as he was startled by Shiina's expression.
Though she wore a smile, her eyes were devoid of warmth, making her look unnervingly intimidating.
—Damn it, I want to get out of here.
The thought of escaping crossed Hikigaya's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
This was his dorm room, after all.
"Hikigaya-kun, Kushida-san mentioned you were helping her with some questions," Shiina said sweetly, though her tone did little to ease his discomfort.
"Could you tell me what those questions were? Maybe I can assist you."
"…Thanks for offering. But no need!"
At that moment, Hikigaya's eyes seemed even more lifeless, his usually dull gaze growing even dimmer.
Is this some kind of test from God?