Could it be that Ayanokouji is targeting me?
Hikigaya pondered this unsettling thought. He had gone to great lengths to avoid Ayanokouji, ensuring he had little to no interaction with anyone in the class except Matsushita.
Yet, somehow, he had become entangled in this web.
What had he done to draw Ayanokouji's attention?
Perhaps it wasn't about him specifically. Maybe Ayanokouji had sent Ichinose to him for a different reason altogether. But what could that reason be?
After a moment of reflection, Hikigaya could only think of one possibility: the three idiots.
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Ayanokouji was the kind of person who, last time, had secretly bought points for Sudo, even spending his own. It wouldn't be surprising if he was planning to act for his "friends" again—though whether Ayanokouji actually considered those three people friends or what his definition of "friend" was remained a mystery.
Regardless, Hikigaya decided it was best to stay out of it. The last thing he wanted was to make a rash move and end up getting caught in something he didn't fully understand. His knowledge of Ayanokouji was minimal, save for the fact that the boy had a background that could be described as nothing short of exaggerated.
Don't listen, don't believe, don't engage.
That was Hikigaya's strategy for dealing with Ayanokouji.
"It's about time to head back," he muttered, checking his phone.
There was still some time before the next class, but his peaceful spot had been invaded by Ichinose, and now he had no desire to linger.
It was troubling enough that Ayanokouji knew he was here, even though Matsushita, Shiina, and even Haruno hadn't figured it out yet. But Ayanokouji hadn't kept it to himself—he had gone and told Ichinose too.
What an annoyance.
Hikigaya briefly considered finding a new hideout but quickly discarded the idea. It had taken him several days to find this one, and he wasn't in the mood to start another search.
As he pondered his next move, three figures suddenly caught his attention.
It was Ishizaki Daichi, Komiya Yego, and Kondo Reine—the three "victims" of the recent fight. Their faces were bruised, their eyes swollen, and their bodies were wrapped in bandages, some even seeping with blood.
They looked utterly miserable.
...Blood?
Something wasn't right.
Hikigaya distinctly remembered reading the medical report from that day. It had only mentioned minor injuries and a few abrasions. Nothing severe enough to warrant blood-soaked bandages.
Upon closer inspection, the bandages were haphazardly wrapped, clearly not the work of a professional.
Could it be that... Ryuen had done this?
Given the nature of their original injuries, Sudo and the others would only need to be suspended for three weeks at most, which still gave them time to catch up before the final exams at the end of the month.
But if Ryuen had beaten Ishizaki and the others again, to make their wounds appear more severe, it was a cunning move—cruel, but cunning.
Poor guys, being Ryuen's subordinates must be hell...
Wait a minute.
Wasn't this something I taught him?
Hikigaya suddenly felt a pang of responsibility. While he believed Sudo and his friends deserved some form of punishment, he didn't want it to be severe enough to get them expelled.
And the thought of letting Ryuen have the last laugh left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Determined to interfere just a little, Hikigaya stepped forward and blocked the path of the three battered boys.
"Hey, you guys," he called out.
"W-what is it, Fukume...Hikigaya? Do you need something from us?"
Ishizaki stammered, instinctively taking a few steps back. The other two weren't as fearful, but they still looked nervous.
It was no wonder. Hikigaya had caused Class C significant losses, and the whole class had grown wary of him. Ishizaki, in particular, had seen Hikigaya force Ryuen to his knees during the last confrontation.
Of course, that hadn't been Hikigaya's intention, but he hadn't expected Ryuen to be such a man of principle either. Even when teaching his subordinates a lesson, he wouldn't do so under someone else's threat.
In some ways, Ryuen was ruthless—both to others and to himself.
But that's not my problem right now.
"Stop wasting time and come with me," Hikigaya said bluntly.
"What? Why? We're not going!"
Ishizaki protested, clearly thinking Hikigaya was planning to meddle in their fight. Despite Hikigaya's claims of disinterest in class confrontations, who knew what was going on in his head?
And Ryuen had explicitly warned them to avoid Hikigaya at all costs.
But Hikigaya wasn't about to let them off so easily.
"If you don't come, I'll call Ryuen and tell him you violated the contract," Hikigaya threatened, adding after a moment's thought, "and that you threatened me."
"That's ridiculous! How could we threaten you?" Ishizaki shouted, agitated.
"Your evil eyes are scaring me," Hikigaya replied flatly.
"...Huh?"
Ishizaki nearly fainted from the absurdity of it all. Normally, if someone accused him of having a fierce look, he might take it as a compliment, a badge of honor for a bad boy.
But coming from Hikigaya, with his dead fish eyes, it was downright insulting.
The more he looked at Hikigaya's lifeless eyes, the more unnerved he became. Ever since the last incident, Ishizaki had grown increasingly wary of those eyes, always feeling like he was one step away from being tricked.
Why Shiina continued to associate with this guy was beyond him.
"Enough. Just follow me. It won't take more than a few minutes," Hikigaya said, exasperation creeping into his voice.
The three of them exchanged glances, resigned to their fate. Whether Hikigaya succeeded or not, they were going to be in trouble with Ryuen either way. If things went south, they could always try to make a run for it.
They didn't expect Hikigaya to lead them to the health room.
"Excuse me, sensei," Hikigaya called as they entered.
"Ah, isn't this Hikigaya-kun? What brings you here?" greeted the teacher, who turned out to be Hoshinomiya.
Hikigaya found this teacher troublesome, but there was no way around it now.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, could you re-bandage them? Their wounds are bleeding," Hikigaya explained, pointing to Ishizaki and the others.
"Huh?"
The three boys were stunned. They had expected some kind of trap, but Hikigaya had brought them here out of concern for their injuries.
"Okay, everyone, line up over here," Hoshinomiya-sensei said with a sweet smile, though she gave Hikigaya a strange look as she did so.
Hikigaya noticed, but it didn't bother him. He had anticipated this. Hoshinomiya-sensei was no ordinary teacher, and certainly more challenging to deal with than Chabashira-sensei.
But that was irrelevant to his plans.
"Teacher, let me help," Hikigaya offered.
"I've learned a bit about first aid, so I won't be a bother."
"Haha, sure. Hikigaya-kun is quite knowledgeable," Hoshinomiya-sensei replied, amused.
"It's nothing. I'm just used to it," Hikigaya muttered as he carefully began removing Ishizaki's bandages.
"Hikigaya, I didn't expect you to..."
Ishizaki began, his voice tinged with emotion. He had always been under Ryuen's thumb, never receiving this kind of treatment. He was willing to follow orders, but sometimes, he wished someone would be a little kinder to him.
"I misunderstood you... I thought you wanted to..."
"It's nothing. I'm on the student council, after all. This is just part of my job," Hikigaya cut him off, his tone calm and detached.
"Hehe, what a strange guy," Ishizaki chuckled, feeling oddly lighthearted.
Hikigaya glanced at him and thought: Laugh now if you want to, but you'll be crying later.