Sakayanagi's smile widened as Hikigaya's mocking words washed over her. Instead of anger, she felt a surge of excitement.
Perfect. The effect was even better than he anticipated.
For Sakayanagi, the current school life had become tediously dull. Katsuragi, the top student from her class, seemed like her primary rival, but he was just a rule-following model student like Ichinose from Class B—easily outmaneuvered within the confines of the school's system.
Ryuuen from Class C had some interesting qualities, but ultimately, he was still limited in his potential.
But Hikigaya… Sakayanagi believed he was capable of much more than he let on.
If she could provoke him just right, it would certainly make things far more interesting.
"Hikigaya-kun, you underestimate others," Sakayanagi said, her smile barely contained. "In terms of overall strength, Class D may not match Class A, but under specific circumstances, I'm sure Ayanokouji-kun could find a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He has that kind of potential."
"Ayanokouji is not the issue right now."
Hikigaya scoffed at her words.
"I'm talking about you. If you want to defeat Ayanokouji, just challenge him directly. You're not great at running or swimming, so why not use chess, which you're good at? If you lose, you won't have any excuses left."
As Hikigaya spoke, his hands continued to move his chess pieces with precision, matched by Sakayanagi's steady responses.
"If you approach Ayanokouji with the same relentless determination you show here, I'm sure he'll eventually take you seriously," Hikigaya added, his tone half mocking, half genuine.
Even if Ayanokouji wanted to hide his abilities, he would still weigh the pros and cons. Instead of risking exposure in a special exam against Class A, a private chess match with Sakayanagi would be the safer bet.
"True, deciding things with a game of chess wouldn't be a bad idea," Sakayanagi nodded, her smile softening. "But that would be too dull. After all, it's been years since we last crossed paths... And now that we're both here at this school, wouldn't it be far more entertaining to utterly defeat Ayanokouji-kun through a full-blown class confrontation?"
"You're a real piece of work."
Hikigaya couldn't help but admire her tenacity, even if it was troublesome. Sakayanagi's words weren't just an excuse—she genuinely believed that a class confrontation would be more thrilling, and she was already laying the groundwork rather than challenging Ayanokouji outright.
In a way, it seemed almost unfair that Ayanokouji didn't even know he was being targeted by such a formidable opponent...
However, this worked in Hikigaya's favor.
Since Sakayanagi intended to crush Class D, where Ayanokouji resided, the battle wouldn't be decided by a single exam or two. It would be a drawn-out war, lasting until graduation.
In other words, even if Sakayanagi faced setbacks and lost to Ayanokouji a few times, she would never back down easily.
"Haha, you've calmed down enough to play chess properly now."
Though she said this, Sakayanagi knew Hikigaya had been frighteningly calm from the start, only his verbal jabs had grown sharper.
His chess skills certainly hadn't deteriorated.
The conversation between them ceased as they focused on their game.
After several moves, Sakayanagi furrowed her brow slightly.
Hikigaya's last move had successfully blocked her planned attack—a move that would be difficult for most players to anticipate.
Given Hikigaya's previous level of play, this seemed out of character.
To test her suspicion, Sakayanagi made a few tentative moves.
As she expected, Hikigaya countered each one, as if predicting her every intention.
"Are you… trying to read my unconscious patterns?"
Sakayanagi glanced at Hikigaya with growing interest, but he ignored her, his eyes locked on hers with unsettling intensity.
The more she observed, the more certain she became. It was possible to interpret a person's thoughts by observing their eyes, and then predict their next move.
[T/N: Bro has unlocked observation Haki!]
Sakayanagi herself was somewhat skilled in this, but she had suffered at Hikigaya's hands before in this regard, so she was cautious not to overstep.
"Haha, this is truly delightful."
Sakayanagi couldn't suppress her joy any longer and broke into laughter.
Most people have pasts they'd rather not face, and when their scars are exposed, they either lose control in anger or retreat into denial.
But Hikigaya was a rare third type.
Instead of faltering, being provoked seemed to bring out his true abilities.
Though still a bit rough around the edges.
Sakayanagi eagerly intensified her attacks, planning to finish the match decisively.
Ten minutes later…
"Checkmate, Hikigaya-kun."
Sakayanagi declared her victory with a triumphant smile. No matter how sharp Hikigaya's insights were, they couldn't bridge the gap in raw skill. The outcome of this battle had been determined from the start.
"Yeah, I lost," Hikigaya admitted calmly.
"Anything else? If not, I'll take my leave."
"There's one small thing I'd like to confirm."
"...What?"
"When we resumed the game, you were playing with the strategy of 'sacrificing 800 to hurt the enemy's 1,000,' right?" Sakayanagi pointed out bluntly.
"Though it did cost me some pieces, that approach is meaningless. You must understand that in chess, the final result is everything."
Hikigaya nodded. "It doesn't make sense, because chess is just a simple game with only two outcomes: win or lose."
With that, he stood up, his expression unreadable as he stared at Sakayanagi.
"But reality isn't that straightforward. Even if you win repeatedly at this school, it doesn't guarantee victory in the end."
"...Haha, it seems like there's still room for improvement."
Constantly provoked by Hikigaya, Sakayanagi's interest was piqued, and her smile deepened.
The situation was far more complicated than it appeared. In a school like this, even achieving multiple victories didn't guarantee an ultimate win.
"Looks like some discipline is in order."
Sakayanagi's interest was piqued by Hikigaya's unyielding stance. The smile on her lips grew even more pronounced.
"Just provoking you isn't enough. I need to give you some real motivation. Only then will you make the effort to bring down Katsuragi's faction."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully, feigning deep contemplation.
"That won't be necessary. I'll keep my end of the bargain," Hikigaya responded coldly.
"Don't be in such a rush. Let me finish... Besides, whether you win or lose this time, I won't let you suffer. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
Hikigaya was too weary to even mock her twisted definition of friendship, especially since he had seen firsthand what happened to others who crossed her path.
But for now, he chose to listen.
"I won't participate in the next special exam." Sakayanagi's smile widened as she dangled an irresistible offer. "If you can deliver results that truly surprise me, I'll grant you one command, just like in our last bet."
The implication was clear: she planned to place the entire burden on Katsuragi, ensuring his faction's complete downfall.
"And what would surprise you?" Hikigaya asked after a pause.
"Seems you're interested."
"Given that you're leading the unified Class A, having a favor from you could be useful."
Hikigaya nodded, not denying her observation. Future challenges wouldn't just come from class rivalries—Nagumo was also a looming threat. Having an additional safeguard might be worth it.
"How dull..."
Sakayanagi sighed softly, clearly disappointed by his pragmatic approach.
"Let's put that aside for now." She waved her hand dismissively, steering the conversation back on track. "As for what counts as a surprise, I'll be the judge. Don't worry, I don't cheat when it comes to something like this."
Hikigaya believed her. Despite her malevolent nature and reputation as a little devil, Sakayanagi was always true to her word.
You could see it in her eyes—she wasn't lying.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if she tried to go back on the deal, Hikigaya knew he could do the same.
"And if I fail?"
"If you fail..."
Sakayanagi's smile widened as she delivered a surprising proposition.
"Then you'll join Class A and become my loyal subordinate. Naturally, our class will take care of your funding."
"Fine by me."
Hikigaya agreed without hesitation. He had already planned to leave Sakayanagi with a memory from the next special exam that she wouldn't easily forget.
Something that would haunt her until graduation.
Something that would make her regret ever provoking him.
Of course, knowing Sakayanagi's mischievous nature, it wouldn't be easy to truly unsettle her. But there was plenty of time.
As long as Hikigaya held onto this grudge, he was confident he'd find the right moment.
This wasn't going to end easily.
[T/N: Sakayanagi is going to get Ryuen treatment.]