"Hey, Hikigaya, I'm heading out."
Kamuro's farewell was brief and casual, as he turned and walked away without much acknowledgment of Nagumo's presence. To Hikigaya, Kamuro's departure was a small relief, as it clarified that Nagumo's visit was more than just a friendly chat.
"Hikigaya, you're quite the character—staying out with a girl until morning," Nagumo remarked with a sly smile and a wink. "But with someone like that, you might be in for a rough ride."
"We're not involved like that," Hikigaya replied, though his words lacked conviction. He hoped Nagumo wouldn't delve into such details and chose not to elaborate.
Nagumo waved his hand dismissively.
"No need to explain. I'm not one to meddle in others' personal affairs. But... it seems you've caught President Horikita's attention."
The shift in Nagumo's tone was palpable, and Hikigaya sensed a hint of hostility and jealousy. It was surprising; while he could understand hostility, jealousy was unexpected.
Hikigaya had heard of Nagumo before, mostly through Tachibana-senpai. Nagumo was known to be someone Horikita had personally promoted. He had even run against President Horikita for the student council presidency last year, though he failed. Despite this, Nagumo's courage was notable, given that he was a first-year student at the time, while President Horikita had already been president for a year.
More importantly, Nagumo had strong support within his grade. He had successfully led his class from B to A in under a year, a feat that likely strengthened his confidence in challenging the presidency.
Nagumo did have his strengths.
Hikigaya reviewed what he knew about Nagumo, though it was still limited. He would need to investigate further to uncover more.
"... Caught the president's attention?" Hikigaya feigned surprise.
"Nagumo-senpai, why would you think that? I'm just a student from Class D; it's unlikely I'd attract much attention."
"Modesty is a virtue, but too much of it can be detrimental," Nagumo replied with a trace of disbelief.
"In previous years, the student council selected two or three first-year students, but President Horikita seems disappointed with this year's first-years. So far, only you have been chosen... And I heard he invited you."
Nagumo's tone carried a trace of envy, confirming Hikigaya's suspicion that Nagumo's jealousy was not without basis. It seemed that while Nagumo sought to surpass Horikita Manabu, he also held a certain respect for him, fueling his envy towards those favored by Horikita Manabu.
— Is this guy just a child?
Hikigaya felt a pang of frustration. He had no desire to be the target of someone's misplaced rivalry.
"Nangumo-senpai, you're overthinking it," Hikigaya said with a wry smile.
"I'm not being modest; my performance in academics and sports during the first year is just average. I'm far from exceptional. President Horikita is the top student in the third year; anyone he values would need to be at least on par with him."
Nagumo pondered Hikigaya's words for a moment. They rang true, as he had done some research and knew they were accurate.
"But President Horikita rejected Katsuragi from A-class and Ichinose from B-class. Both were leaders in their classes, yet he chose only you?" Nagumo asked.
"That's simple. It's because I'm from Class D," Hikigaya answered without hesitation.
"What do you mean... Ah, I see."
Nagumo's expression shifted to one of realization.
"It seems President Horikita is trying to prevent me from influencing the first years. Even so, this doesn't explain why he specifically invited you to the student council. You must have some exceptional qualities."
Their conversation revealed that Nagumo's conflict with Horikita likely revolved around the direction of the student council's future policies. Unlike the aloof yet warm Horikita, Nagumo was a typical example of someone who appeared warm on the surface but was cold inside.
If their personalities weren't so opposite, there would be no reason for such rivalry between students from different grades.
Ugh... this is troublesome.
Hikigaya sighed inwardly, realizing that Horikita had placed him in a difficult position. He responded reluctantly, "If I have any advantage, it's that I blend into the background."
"Blend into the background? What do you mean?" Nagumo looked puzzled.
"I mean, I'm quite good at gathering information," Hikigaya began to fabricate.
"The president invited me to join the student council mainly to gather information on first-years, especially those with potential. He's interested in learning about them. Besides, I'm not interested in class rivalries or dealing with upperclassmen."
"Then why did you agree to join President Horikita?" Nagumo asked.
"It was just a transaction. You know how Class D is... cough, I just didn't want to eat the same bland meals every day. Besides, I get to learn a few tricks from the president, given the number of delinquents in our grade."
Hikigaya sighed deliberately at the end, and Nagumo smiled knowingly. It seemed that Class D's reputation for getting zero scores was indeed well-known.
"Based on what you said, could I buy information from you as well?" Nagumo asked with interest.
"Sure, as long as I know it."
"Then... tell me about someone you find interesting."
Nagumo's request was somewhat surprising, but Hikigaya quickly understood his intention. It seemed Nagumo still had doubts.
"Well, if I had to choose," Hikigaya said, rubbing his chin and pretending to think, "for class leaders, it would be A-class's Sakanagi and C-class's Ryuen."
"Oh? Do you think Katsuragi and Ichinose are not up to par?" Nagumo asked curiously.
"They're capable, but their personalities don't suit this school," Hikigaya replied bluntly.
Nagumo merely smiled, seemingly in agreement.
"You only mentioned class leaders. What about ordinary students? Is there anyone President Horikita finds interesting?"
Finally, Nagumo hit the key point. Hikigaya had been waiting for this moment but wasn't foolish enough to give a straightforward answer.
"By the way, Nagumo-senpai, may I ask you a question?"
Nagumo nodded, prompting Hikigaya to continue. "Last year, before the midterm exams, was there a small test?"
"Yes, that's a yearly tradition."
Although Nagumo didn't quite understand why Hikigaya asked, he answered nonetheless.
"In the final three questions, did you manage to solve the math problem?"
"... Unfortunately, that problem was very difficult."
Nagumo's tone carried a hint of frustration, which surprised Hikigaya.
— This guy couldn't solve it?
However, this development was quite favorable for Hikigaya, almost like a stroke of luck.
"Yes, I didn't even understand it," Hikigaya continued.
"I heard from the president that the correct answer rate for that problem was only three percent. It contained very complex mathematical formulas, far beyond the capability of a first-year student. On the other hand..."
Hikigaya deliberately paused to observe Nagumo's reaction.
"On the other hand, anyone who could solve that problem surely possesses extraordinary abilities," Hikigaya said provocatively.
"... That's not necessarily true."
As expected, Nagumo seemed quite unwilling to accept this.
"But even so, it doesn't matter. That's what the president said, and even if it's true, my skills wouldn't measure up. Otherwise, the president wouldn't have only made me a general affairs member."
Nagumo nodded quietly, finding Hikigaya's point valid. If Horikita intended to develop new forces to counter Nagumo, he would have at least made Hikigaya a secretary, not just a general affairs member.
Thinking this through, Horikita's invitation seemed somewhat deliberate. Perhaps Hikigaya was just a smokescreen.
The true secret weapon prepared by Horikita might be lurking in the shadows, like a venomous snake.
And the answer to this mystery was...
"Ah, thank you for the information. What kind of reward do you want?"
Nagumo asked with a smile, showing that he wasn't planning to dig deeper into the matter.
Hikigaya appreciated the gesture and replied, "No need for that. Consider this as a gift for our first meeting."
"I see. You're quite a considerate junior."
Whether Nagumo's comment was sincere or sarcastic, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
"However, as a senior, I shouldn't be too stingy. It's customary to offer a return gift."
With that, Nagumo leaned closer to Hikigaya and whispered a parting message.
"This summer vacation, your first-year class will be taken to an uninhabited island."
"... Understood. Thank you, Nagumo-senpai."
Hikigaya smiled slightly, understanding the implication. It seemed there was some gain from this encounter after all.
"Glad you understand. I'll be off to my morning exercise now."
"Yes, take care."
Watching Nagumo's retreating figure, Hikigaya let out a quiet sigh of relief. Regardless of how much Nagumo believed him, his suspicious nature meant he would likely investigate the small test.
With a three percent success rate, that means among the 160 first-years, only five managed to solve it.
But among them, only one would stand out, catching everyone's attention.
— Hmph, Ayanokouji, you dared to mess with me last time!
Hikigaya thought bitterly about the incident on Saturday, feeling disgruntled with no way to retaliate.
After all, Ayanokouji had feigned innocence, luring Hikigaya to the scene under the guise of "finding Ishizaki and the others for a discussion."
If Nagumo could be redirected towards Ayanokouji this time, it would not only spare Hikigaya a lot of trouble but might also force Ayanokouji to reveal some of his true abilities.
It would be like killing two birds with one stone!