"Hey, isn't this Yamauchi's profile? He sent a lewd joke to the girls!"
"Hahaha! Check this out—Ike sent ten 'Are you there?' messages in just three minutes! What a desperate bootlicker!"
"Yamauchi even bragged that he has five girlfriends?!"
The atmosphere in the classroom shifted dramatically. Where just moments ago the criticism had been fiercely directed at Sudo, the tide had now turned, and the ridicule was squarely aimed at Ike and Yamauchi.
Amidst the laughter, two faces remained grim.
"That's not me!" Ike protested.
"It's Hikigaya spreading rumors!" Yamauchi added, desperately trying to defend himself.
But no matter how much they denied it, the chat logs were undeniable. The profiles and the content made it clear who the messages were from, and most of the class recognized them instantly. After all, Ike and Yamauchi's Japanese scores were notoriously low, making their writing style rather distinctive.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
Hirata called out, trying to restore order.
Hirata had worked hard to bring the class together, fostering a sense of unity. But with Hikigaya's reveal, that fragile morale crumbled in an instant.
In the end, the class disbanded in a rush. Though Hirata and Kushida urged everyone to reach out to their friends for more information, it was clear that most agreed just to appease them, without any real intent to help.
But while Hirata seemed genuinely concerned for Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo, Kushida's concern felt far more superficial.
As the class emptied, Hikigaya packed his things, ready to head to the library, when he was suddenly stopped by Kushida.
"Hikigaya-kun, could you come here for a moment? I have something I want to ask you."
"…Can't you just ask me here?" Hikigaya replied, not wanting to be dragged into any more of Kushida's schemes.
"Well, sure," she responded, much to his surprise.
"Huh?"
Hikigaya had assumed she wanted him to do some menial task again, like taking out the trash, so he had instinctively tried to brush her off. But Kushida's unexpected agreement caught him off guard.
Before he could make sense of it, Kushida leaned in close and whispered, "Were you involved in this, too?"
"Uh..." Hikigaya stared at her, puzzled.
In response, Kushida simply smiled and walked away.
Did she misunderstand something?
Hikigaya pondered her words, realizing that Kushida might have thought he had orchestrated the incident to get back at Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo. After all, the last time she had caught him at a reading club with Shiina in the dormitory, she had specifically mentioned Class C.
More importantly, Hikigaya's behavior today—bringing up the chat logs—probably seemed like a calculated move to embarrass Ike and Yamauchi.
But the truth was much simpler.
He had found the chat logs amusing and had been annoyed by the way everyone was piling all the blame on Sudo. So, he had shared the information just to lighten the mood.
Oh no, what a mess...
Yet, despite the potential misunderstanding, Hikigaya couldn't bring himself to care.
It was just Kushida being paranoid. She was the one who was always terrified of social destruction. Hikigaya didn't have such fears, and there was no solid evidence against him anyway.
Let her think whatever she wants.
...
Over the next few days, Class D scrambled to gather information, with Kushida and Ayanokouji even dragging Horikita along to help. Despite their efforts, they found nothing.
They even reached out to students from Class B, but Hikigaya paid little attention to these developments.
They didn't concern him.
Besides, he had more important things on his mind than the drama unfolding in class.
"Oh, what should I do?"
It was lunchtime, and for once, the student council had no tasks for him. Hikigaya sat on the steps in his favorite spot, eating bread while scrolling through his phone.
The vastness of the Internet offered no answers to what he was searching for, and none of the people he knew seemed able to help. Whenever he asked them, they'd suddenly become irritable for no apparent reason.
"Is that it? Or am I just missing the timing?"
As Hikigaya muttered to himself, a slightly unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke from beside him.
"What timing?"
Hikigaya's reverie was abruptly interrupted by a sudden exclamation, causing him to nearly topple down the stairs. He turned in surprise to find Ichinose Honami standing before him, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry, sorry," she said quickly, her hands clasped in apology.
"I didn't mean to startle you. Please forgive me?"
Hikigaya blinked, recognizing the strawberry-blonde girl who had confronted him in the library. Ichinose was the leader of Class B and had shown a surprising amount of concern for him then.
"You're... Ichinose?" Hikigaya asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"Yes, I'm Ichinose Honami from Class B. It's nice to see you again, Hikigaya-kun," she responded cheerfully, her voice brimming with warmth.
Hikigaya couldn't help but notice the contrast between her energetic demeanor and his subdued mood. He felt a pang of irritation at the invasion of his usually peaceful spot.
"I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion. If you were enjoying your alone time, I can leave right away."
"...It's fine."
Given Ichinose's considerate offer, Hikigaya felt it would be rude to dismiss her outright.
But what exactly is she here for?
"By the way, I've never seen you in the cafeteria. Do you prefer eating here in this spot?"
Ichinose asked, glancing around and then sitting down on the steps near Hikigaya.
Suppressing his irritation, Hikigaya replied, "If the weather is bad, I can't come here, which is the main problem. But at least here, I don't have to worry about other people's eyes and can eat in peace."
"Why don't you eat with everyone in the classroom?" Ichinose asked with genuine curiosity.
"Uh…"
If it were anyone else, Hikigaya might have thought this was a sarcastic remark.
But Ichinose seemed genuinely interested.
…Why does this make me feel even more depressed?
"Because not everyone has thirty-nine friends in class as you do," Hikigaya said, trying to keep his tone neutral.
"Eh… Eh? No, no! It's not that many, it's not as exaggerated as that!" Ichinose insisted, shaking her hands in denial.
Hikigaya watched her with a blank expression. Is she bragging?
She's bragging!
Under Hikigaya's gaze, Ichinose's demeanor softened, and she said awkwardly, "Hehe, really, it's not that many… But surely you have one or two good friends in your class, right?"
"Hmph, seems like you've underestimated me."
"Oh, sorry, that's not what I meant…"
"Of course, I don't have any."
"That's not something to brag about, is it?!"
Ichinose's face fell into a comical mix of sadness and disbelief, revealing an unexpectedly sharp wit.
So, what exactly is she here for?
Hikigaya wanted to ask directly but felt it wasn't the right time. It's like asking Matsushita about an inappropriate birthday gift—timing is crucial to avoid awkwardness.
…Wait, maybe I should ask Ichinose?