"Hehehe, today has been so much fun—"
It was nearly 4 a.m. by the time Hikigaya and Haruno finally left the izakaya. Hikigaya hadn't anticipated the night stretching out this long.
Haruno, with a playful grin that suggested a mix of genuine intoxication and feigned drunkenness, leaned heavily against him. Her soft body and the faint scent of her perfume were impossible to ignore.
"Uh, Miss Haruno?" Hikigaya attempted to gently push her away.
"It's hard to walk like this, and people might not appreciate your... drunken antics."
"I'm not drunk," she insisted, her words slurred and her steps unsteady.
Hikigaya sighed inwardly. Like all drunks, she vehemently denied her condition, yet her unsteady pace and refusal to let go confirmed she was more aware than she let on.
She's doing this on purpose...
Well, it was her birthday after all.
Hikigaya let out a quiet sigh. Though having Haruno hanging off him might draw attention, the area was deserted at this hour, so at least there was no one around to notice.
If I've stayed with her this long, I might as well see it through to the end.
Fortunately, Hikigaya had anticipated the possibility of an all-nighter and had taken a nap in the afternoon, so he wasn't feeling too tired.
As they walked, they approached the street leading to the employee housing area. The student dorms were quite a distance away, at least a half-hour walk.
"Okay, you can drop me off here," Haruno said, suddenly stopping and cheerfully patting Hikigaya on the shoulder. "I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman—I thought you'd head home on your own."
"I'm not being a gentleman. I just figured a walk would be nice after dinner."
Even though the school was supposed to be safe, Hikigaya couldn't leave a girl to walk home alone in the middle of the night.
"Yeah, that's exactly the kind of kindness..." Haruno leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper near his ear, "That attracts troublesome girls, doesn't it?"
"Well, it's troublesome, but not in the way you think," Hikigaya replied, shaking his head with a resigned smile.
"Is that so? Well then, I'll leave the rest to you." Haruno covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes subtly flicking to the side.
So she noticed after all...
Someone had been following them since the izakaya, trying to snap a few covert photos. But with Haruno's confident demeanor, she probably hadn't allowed a clear shot of her face.
Well, if that's the case, there shouldn't be a problem.
"Well then—I'll be going," Haruno said, waving as she turned to leave.
Hikigaya nodded in response, watching her walk away until she disappeared.
Afterward, he headed to a nearby convenience store to use the restroom. Inside, he took off his glasses and fixed his hair back to its usual style. Staring at the familiar face in the mirror, Hikigaya felt a strange sense of relief.
This is better.
Stepping out of the restroom, he figured it would be rude to leave without buying anything. After a glance around, he decided on a can of Key coffee and grabbed a bottle of cocoa as well.
After paying, he left the store and called out to the dark corner nearby, "Hey, Kamuro, you've been following me all night. Aren't you tired? Come on out, I got you a little something."
"How do you always know?" Kamuro muttered, stepping out with a frustrated expression.
"Because I'm a lone wolf—I'm sensitive to other people's gazes," Hikigaya replied, tossing her the cocoa and taking a sip of his coffee.
He preferred MAX coffee, but it wasn't available on campus, so this would have to do.
"'Lone wolf'—how do you even say that with a straight face?" Kamuro scoffed.
"If it were just an ordinary girl, that'd be one thing, but you went on a date with a teacher—the most popular intern teacher in the entire grade... You better not sleep too soundly tonight."
Curious, she added, "How did you know I like cocoa?"
"It was on sale."
"...Oh."
They walked in silence for a while before Kamuro couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hey, aren't you going to ask me about it?"
"There's nothing to ask. Sakayanagi sent you, didn't she?"
Hikigaya responded nonchalantly.
It was easy enough to guess. Kamuro probably let slip about the date, and Sakayanagi, figuring out that the date was likely with Haruno, sent Kamuro to keep an eye on them.
Given that Sakayanagi and Haruno likely knew each other well, it wasn't surprising that she knew Haruno's birthday too. As for Sakayanagi herself, she was probably fast asleep in her dorm by now.
Come to think of it, Kamuro's situation seems a bit pitiful...
"You know, you should stand up to Sakayanagi every once in a while," Hikigaya suggested with a hint of sympathy.
"You're the last person who should be saying that."
Kamuro shot back immediately. She felt they were evenly matched when it came to dealing with Sakayanagi, though she might even be a bit tougher than Hikigaya.
Hikigaya didn't argue the point, instead remarking with a touch of exasperation, "Even if she's got something on you, that doesn't mean you have to go along with every unreasonable demand she makes... Or maybe, deep down, you don't want to refuse?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kamuro snapped, clearly annoyed.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't obey her at all!"
But Hikigaya saw through her denial.
"You might not want to obey Sakayanagi, but you enjoy the tasks she gives you, don't you?"
The truth was, that Kamuro craved excitement. Her habit of stealing things since the first day of school was proof enough. That's why she didn't mind staying up all night to follow and photograph people, even if it left her with dark circles under her eyes.
Despite her rebellious streak, Kamuro wouldn't go as far as betraying her class.
Humans are fascinating creatures.
Kamuro glared at Hikigaya, clearly unhappy with his observation, but eventually, she gave in.
"...Whatever, say what you want." She muttered stubbornly, unwilling to admit defeat.
"Anyway, you don't need to worry this time. I didn't get a clear shot of the teacher's face, so even if Sakayanagi gets the photos, they won't be of any use."
That much was obvious. If Haruno had been caught on camera, she would have taken steps to handle it.
—Wait, hold on.
A sudden realization struck Hikigaya, and he quickly asked, "Kamuro, does that mean you got a shot of my face?"
"Well... I have to report something, don't I?" Kamuro admitted, somewhat sheepishly.
"...I see."
Since Hikigaya had already been photographed, he decided not to dwell on it. After all, it wasn't likely anyone would recognize him from those pictures.
Or at least, even if I am recognized, it probably won't be a big deal...
"You'd better be careful," Kamuro couldn't help but caution him. "You know Sakayanagi's bad taste, right? She usually doesn't take anyone seriously, but once she gets interested, she'll use them as a plaything just to pass the time."
While this might be a bit of an exaggeration, it was undeniably true. Fortunately, Hikigaya had anticipated this possibility and was prepared to handle it if it came to that.
Before long, they had arrived at the student dormitory area.
Just as Hikigaya was about to enter the building, a blond man in sportswear approached him.
Hikigaya didn't recognize him immediately, but he seemed to be a senior.
It's only five o'clock, and this guy is already out for a morning run. He's dedicated.
Unexpectedly, as they passed each other, the man suddenly stopped and called out.
"Oh? If I'm not mistaken, you're Hikigaya Hachiman, right?"
"…Who are you?"
Hikigaya halted in his tracks, and Kamuro beside him stopped as well, clearly impatient and eager to get back to her dorm and get some rest.
The blond man smiled and introduced himself. "I'm Nagumo Miyabi, the vice president of the student council. We're both in the student council, but this is the first time we've met."
"It's Nagumo-senpai," Hikigaya said, bowing his head. "I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to greet you before. It's just that the timing is a bit unfortunate."
He hadn't expected to run into him at this hour, and it seemed like more trouble was on the way.