Initially, Hikigaya hesitated when Sakayanagi asked him to target the Katsuragi faction.
It wasn't because Hikigaya had any particular fondness for Katsuragi—he was more or less an elitist, but still somewhat upright in his ways. On the other hand, Sakayanagi wasn't exactly trustworthy, which made Hikigaya wary.
However, as Hikigaya dug deeper, he discovered that Katsuragi was no saint either. This bald guy couldn't even manage his subordinates properly. At least Sakayanagi, with her insufferable attitude, had the guts to confront people directly.
Just then, an announcement played over the ship's intercom.
"We will be docking at the island owned by our school shortly. All students must change into their sportswear and gather on the deck with their designated backpacks and luggage in thirty minutes. Please leave all other personal items in your rooms. Restrooms will be available for a short time, so please take care of your needs now."
Another not-so-subtle hint, Hikigaya mused.
If this was supposed to be a simple vacation, there wouldn't be so many unnecessary rules. He glanced at Yahiko and remarked, "The deck is A-Class territory? Funny, I wasn't aware of that rule. If you guys love flaunting your power so much, why don't you just run for Student Council President? Then you can change the school rules as you please… oh, wait."
Hikigaya feigned surprise and covered his mouth as if he had just let something slip.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Katsuragi-san from your class couldn't even pass the Student Council interview, let alone run for President."
"You bastard! What did you say?"
Yahiko's nerves snapped instantly, and the others in the Katsuragi faction scowled, clearly agitated. This issue seemed to strike a deeper nerve than Hikigaya had anticipated.
Before Yahiko could rush forward to teach Hikigaya a lesson, Katsuragi finally intervened from a short distance away.
"Stop, Yahiko!"
"Katsuragi-san…"
Katsuragi, towering and bald, commanded attention the moment he stepped forward. His severe expression was unwavering as he stared at Hikigaya.
This was, after all, the first time they had officially met.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Katsuragi began, his voice deep and stern. "I'm Katsuragi Kouhei of A-Class. You must be Hikigaya Hachiman from D-Class, correct?"
A mischievous thought crossed Hikigaya's mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Actually, I'm Hayama Hayato."
"Is there any point in making such jokes?"
Katsuragi wasn't one for humor.
"Your reaction is even duller than Sakayanagi's," Hikigaya quipped, unimpressed.
Before Katsuragi could respond, Yahiko jumped in, unable to hold back. "Hey! Don't lump Katsuragi-san together with someone like Sakayanagi! Only a tasteless woman would go after a reject from D-Class like you!"
"Spare me the disgusting comments."
Hikigaya shot Yahiko a look of disdain before turning back to Katsuragi. "You should keep your dog on a leash, Katsuragi."
"Yahiko is my friend, and I won't tolerate you insulting him." Katsuragi's warning was firm, but he turned to address Yahiko as well.
"Yahiko, enough. Regardless of our differences, Sakayanagi is still our classmate. You need to act like an A-Class student."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Yahiko immediately fell silent, proving how much sway Katsuragi held over him.
Hikigaya observed the interaction closely, calculating his next move. Yahiko's arrogance stemmed partly from his personality, but Katsuragi's leniency surely played a role as well.
Katsuragi seemed to be the type who was strict on the surface but uncharacteristically lenient with close friends. It wasn't surprising, really—Katsuragi's intimidating appearance probably scared off most students, making it difficult for him to form friendships. Naturally, he'd go out of his way to accommodate the few friends he did have.
This was a useful weakness.
"Hikigaya, I'm not sure what your relationship with Sakayanagi is," Katsuragi continued, fixing his gaze on him, "but let me be clear. As long as I'm here, I won't allow Sakayanagi to do anything that harms our class."
"Is that so?"
Hikigaya was almost speechless. This was the difference between Katsuragi and Sakayanagi—Sakayanagi would go to any lengths, even courting external forces, to end internal conflicts. Katsuragi, on the other hand, was focused solely on maintaining the status quo, naively thinking Sakayanagi would compromise during class conflicts.
But whether Sakayanagi's approach was smarter was debatable. After all, things rarely go as planned.
"Katsuragi-kun, I'm Hiyori Shiina from C-Class. May I ask you something?"
The previously silent Shiina suddenly spoke up. "Your classmate Yahiko said only A-Class students are allowed on the deck and tried to drive Hikigaya-kun and me away. Is there such a rule?"
"Uh… no, that's not…"
Even Katsuragi seemed at a loss for words, and Shiina wasn't done. She waved over a passing crew member.
"Excuse me, could you come here for a moment?"
"Yes, how may I assist you?"
"It's like this," Shiina explained earnestly. "My friend and I wanted to enjoy the view on the deck, but other guests said we weren't allowed. Is there a rule about that?"
"There is no such rule," the crew member replied.
"Apart from restricted areas, all guests are free to move around the ship."
"Thank you, and sorry for bothering you."
The crew member nodded politely before leaving. Shiina then turned back to Katsuragi, her expression innocent yet inquisitive. "So, it seems there's no such rule. Where did Yahiko-kun hear that? Did you tell him, Katsuragi-kun?"
"N-no, I didn't…"
Katsuragi was visibly embarrassed, and Yahiko's face turned bright red, like a monkey's bottom. The students watching nearby burst into laughter.
Even Hikigaya felt a twinge of pity for the two of them.
Shiina is scarier than I thought… I'd better be careful not to get on her bad side.
"Haha, what a show!"
A playful voice interrupted, and Hikigaya felt a hand clap him on the shoulder. Turning, he saw a blond-haired boy grinning and clapping his hands.
"Sorry about that, Hikigaya. Looks like my classmates caused you some trouble. For the princess's sake, can you forgive them?"
"Hashimoto…"
It was Masayoshi Hashimoto, the guy Hikigaya had grilled meat with the other day. Like Kamuro, he was another of Sakayanagi's subordinates.
He's likely following Sakayanagi's orders to get close to me, Hikigaya thought.
But the timing was too perfect, and his words too provocative.
From the first time they met, Hikigaya had suspected it—Hashimoto was the type to play dumb but was sharp underneath.
"Hashimoto, what class are you even in?"
Yahiko and the rest of the Katsuragi faction immediately shifted their hostility from Hikigaya to Hashimoto, glaring at him with united anger. Their animosity clearly wasn't new.
"No need to get defensive." Hashimoto smirked. "Even though we're classmates, I can't just turn a blind eye to your wrongdoings. Your faction's behavior is embarrassing for A-Class, and I don't want to be mistaken for being part of your group."
"You…"
"Enough, don't fall for his provocation!" Katsuragi cut in, maintaining his calm. He could see Hashimoto's words were designed to fuel the fire and managed to stop his followers in time.
"Let's go change. We need to be ready in half an hour."