"We've arrived. Everyone, time to get up."
At the sound of Chabashira-sensei's voice, the students of Class D, who had been catching up on sleep, began to stretch and yawn as they exited the bus.
It was now August, and with the end-of-term exams successfully behind them, the first-year students were about to embark on a two-week vacation. However, their day had begun early, leaving campus at 5 a.m. to catch a bus to Tokyo Bay. Complaints of sleeplessness echoed here and there.
But all the fatigue and grumbling vanished the moment they stepped off the bus.
"Whoa!"
A collective gasp of awe filled the air as everyone's eyes widened at the sight before them.
It was a luxury cruise ship—massive, gleaming, and far more extravagant than anything they had ever imagined.
Hikigaya Hachiman, too, found himself speechless. He had only seen something like this in movies. Never in his wildest dreams did he think a simple high schooler like him would ever set foot on such a vessel.
"...If only Komachi were here," he thought wistfully. For Hikigaya, the destination mattered less than the people he was with. Even as his classmates buzzed with excitement, he couldn't help but feel detached.
The trip wasn't just about fun. A week on an uninhabited island, followed by another on this opulent cruise ship? It was an exam in disguise. Hikigaya had little faith that the second week would be pure relaxation. He fully expected another trial of some kind.
"Will it turn into two special exams? Ugh, whatever, I won't dwell on it."
Still, the sheer wealth of this school was staggering. How could they afford to charter an entire luxury liner just for a group of first-years?
Wasn't anyone concerned about the taxpayers?
Lost in his thoughts, Hikigaya followed the group onto the ship.
Tooooooot!
The cruise liner's horn echoed across the bay as it departed the port.
"This is amazing!"
"Woooah! This is unreal!"
"I'm seriously moved!"
"It feels like a dream..."
A bunch of male students had gathered on the deck, arms raised to the sky, shouting with unrestrained excitement. The girls, though more composed, were just as animated, laughing and chatting loudly in groups.
Of course, some were louder than others. Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou were their usual boisterous selves, dragging Ayanokoji into their antics. Normally, their behavior would earn them dirty looks, but today, everyone was too wrapped up in their excitement to care.
Remarkably, all three had managed to pass the end-of-term exams, with Sudou even scoring higher than Yamauchi. It seemed he had finally taken things seriously.
Class D had more reason to celebrate than most. After months of struggling, this all-expenses-paid vacation was a godsend. Everything on the ship—facilities, services, and food—was completely free, a stark contrast to their daily lives of skimping on meals and scraping by.
But to Hikigaya, none of that mattered. He had just received his points for July and August, bringing his total to just under 2.4 million. Combined with the million points he had loaned to Ichinose...
Even if someone saved every point from April onward assuming they get 100,000 points every month, they would only accumulate about 3.6 million points by the time they graduate.
The idea of buying their way into a new class with 20 million points? It seemed nearly impossible.
While most students were still marveling at the view from the deck, Hikigaya decided to avoid the crowds and grab breakfast. He wandered for a bit before settling on a good-looking restaurant.
The moment he stepped inside, he regretted his decision.
I thought everyone was on the deck!
The restaurant was filled with students, most of whom Hikigaya didn't know. The only vaguely familiar face was Kamuro, who immediately turned away the moment their eyes met.
Great. It's all Class A kids.
It made sense, he thought. Class A students probably didn't want to mingle with the rest of them on the deck.
"Good morning. Table for one?"
"Uh… yeah, just me."
As Hikigaya contemplated fleeing, a waiter appeared at his side, leaving him with no choice but to follow him to a table. Unfortunately, the seat was right next to Kamuro's.
Of course, it had to be next to her.
Awkwardly, Hikigaya sat down, pretending not to notice her discomfort.
"Why are you acting like you didn't see me?"
"I wasn't…"
You're the one who ignored me first!
Kamuro's sour expression only confirmed Hikigaya's suspicion: girls were unreasonable creatures.
"Hey, isn't that the guy who hangs out with Sakayanagi?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Tch. Just a Class D loser."
Hikigaya overheard snippets of conversation but chose to ignore them.
Wait—did they just mention Sakayanagi?
An uneasy feeling settled in his gut. He leaned over to Kamuro, lowering his voice.
"Hey, what's everyone in your class saying about me? It's just gossip, right? Just regular trash talk?"
Kamuro, looking entirely disinterested, shrugged.
"Not much. Just that you and Sakayanagi are, you know, a thing. No big deal."
"No big deal?!"
Hikigaya nearly choked.
This was a serious problem. His entire school life was on the line!
"Who's spreading these rumors?" Hikigaya hissed, barely containing his panic. "Why would anyone start such nonsense?"
Kamuro shot him an irritated glance. "Uh, because it's true? You've been seen coming to school with her in the mornings, having lunch together... No one's lying."
"That was over a month ago!" Hikigaya groaned, exasperated.
"Yeah, and that's when people started talking."
Hikigaya froze. How had this been going on for so long without him realizing it? Was this what it felt like to be completely out of the loop?
"What about Sakayanagi? She hasn't tried to stop the rumors?"
Clinging to a last shred of hope, Hikigaya looked to Kamuro for reassurance. Her response was a smirk.
"Why would she? Every time someone asks, she just happily confirms it."
"I want to die."
Hikigaya slumped over the table, his thoughts spiraling in frustration.
Damn you, Sakayanagi!
Normally, a girl would be furious about rumors like these, right? They'd deny it, put an end to the gossip.
But not Sakayanagi.
No, she was probably enjoying this whole mess, acting like an innocent little demon. She wasn't just a high schooler—she was more like a child, a little devil playing games with people's lives.
Sigh... What a way to start the day.
"Don't be so quick to die. It's rare to come across such a delicious breakfast—finish it before you go."
Kamuro couldn't help but suppress a smirk as she observed Hikigaya's pathetic demeanor. The scene was almost amusing to her, though she managed to keep her amusement hidden beneath a composed exterior.
However, the other students from Class A were far less restrained, their disdain for Hikigaya growing more palpable with each passing second. They probably thought of him as nothing more than a useless dead-eyed loser, a scumbag who had somehow tricked a girl into liking him.
Kamuro, however, watched the scene unfold with a cold detachment. She had witnessed firsthand how Hikigaya had manipulated those club members into handing over their points during those two weeks in April. He exploited his position as a member of Class D to reap the maximum benefits, squeezing out every advantage he could before slipping away just in time to avoid any chance of retaliation.
In Kamuro's eyes, Hikigaya was a 'lazy genius'—someone capable of great things if only he had the right motivation. If he ever found a reason to take things seriously, he would be a force no one could ignore.
Despite Class A's elevated status, Kamuro believed that, aside from Sakayanagi, none of them could keep up with Hikigaya. Without Sakayanagi, Class A's fate would likely mirror that of those clubs—completely outplayed.
Particularly the Katsuragi faction, a group of self-proclaimed elites who looked down on other classes, especially Class D.
"By the way, what happened that day when you played chess with Sakayanagi?" Kamuro suddenly asked. "Ever since then, she's been in an unusually good mood. Sometimes, she even breaks into random smiles—it's pretty creepy."
"...Nothing special," Hikigaya replied curtly.
Sensing his reluctance to elaborate, Kamuro decided not to press further, though a vague sense of unease began to gnaw at her. Something seemed off. When Hikigaya mentioned that day, his aura subtly shifted; his typically lazy eyes sharpened, no longer dull and indifferent.
The way he looked at the students of Class A... it was almost as if... as if he saw them the same way Sakayanagi would when she found a new toy to play with.
No, Kamuro thought, shaking her head slightly. It had to be her imagination, just a trick of the mind.
But deep down, Kamuro knew better. Her past, filled with thrills and petty theft, had honed her instincts to a razor's edge. She could sense even the slightest change, and right now, there was no mistaking it—Hikigaya had undergone some kind of transformation.
And that change might just ripple through Class A.
Though Kamuro had no interest in getting involved in the class's internal conflicts and cared little for the Katsuragi faction, she didn't want Class A to suffer a severe loss. If the infighting could be resolved with minimal damage, that would be ideal.
Yet, given her position, Kamuro knew she had no place to speak up. Silence was the safer option.
Still, putting aside her concerns, Kamuro couldn't help but be curious about what Hikigaya would do in the upcoming exam. Perhaps he really could pull off something that would shock Sakayanagi.
And if he failed... well, that would be interesting in its way.