The weather had turned out to be far worse than expected.
The rain showed no sign of letting up, and the howling wind battered everything in its path. Hikigaya was soaked to the bone, a consequence of his inadequate preparation before setting out. He briefly regretted not crafting a makeshift raincoat from a plastic bag but quickly dismissed the thought—such a noisy contraption would likely have caught Katsuragi's attention.
"Who would've thought I'd end up working in weather like this… Damn that Ayanokouji!" Hikigaya muttered under his breath, cursing his circumstances.
His main task was merely to pass along a message to Ryūen, informing him that his identity as the leader was no longer a secret. Knowing Ryūen's nature, Hikigaya doubted that even if he claimed to stay out of it, Ryūen would never believe him.
The man would likely take steps to counteract this revelation.
Honestly, Hikigaya had no desire to get involved. Ayanokouji's tactics were downright repulsive. He had deliberately worsened Horikita's illness, forcing her to withdraw from the competition as the leader and mislead the other classes into submitting incorrect names.
You think you're so clever, huh? As if no one else could figure that out? Hikigaya thought.
The problem wasn't just realizing what Ayanokouji was up to; it was having the nerve to act on it—especially when the target was a classmate. If Ayanokouji had secured Horikita's consent beforehand, it might have been a different story. But that was not the case here.
Despite his disgust with Ayanokouji's methods, Hikigaya wasn't planning to confront him. He wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue himself and didn't have the moral high ground to criticize others.
But Horikita was the student council president's sister, and Hikigaya couldn't stand by and watch her be mistreated. Still… who was he trying to justify this to? Maybe it was the rain making him feel so unmotivated, leaving him too drained to even mock himself.
He wiped the rain from his bangs with one hand and checked his watch. There were still over three hours until the evening roll call.
He sighed. "Might as well find some shelter for a while."
Returning to the main camp would be tough in this downpour. It wasn't impossible, but Hikigaya preferred a moment of solitude. Thanks to Hashimoto's map, he knew the area well, including a small cabin nearby that could serve as temporary shelter.
Technically, it was a base that Class A had claimed. If anyone from another class used it, they'd lose fifty points. But Katsuragi was cautious, and Hikigaya doubted he'd venture out in this weather to check on the base, so it should be safe enough.
With that in mind, Hikigaya made his way toward the cabin. When he arrived, he double-checked the terminal by the door. The screen displayed no class name, confirming that his assumption was correct.
Inside, the cabin was sparsely furnished, with just a small table and a few stools, likely meant for a quick rest.
Hikigaya stripped off his jacket, pants, and sports uniform, leaving only his boxing shorts, which were the only dry piece of clothing he had left. Fortunately, he always carried a bag with him, and inside were a towel and a change of clothes. Say what you will about the school's tendency to mess with students, but they were generous with supplies, including waterproof backpacks that kept everything dry.
As Hikigaya pulled out his towel and prepared to dry off, he suddenly sensed someone approaching. The next moment, the door burst open with a forceful shove.
"Huh… Kamuro?"
Hikigaya was surprised to see Kamuro standing there. What on earth was she doing out here instead of staying at the camp? Was she taking a stroll in the rain?
"...Hikigaya?"
Kamuro was equally shocked to see a familiar face. She stood frozen for a moment before her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"W-what are you doing dressed like that? Put your clothes on!" Kamuro quickly averted her gaze.
"Is it that big of a deal?" Hikigaya asked, baffled. "It's not like you haven't seen guys in swim class before. Besides, my clothes were soaked, so I had no choice."
Hikigaya was wearing boxing shorts, the same ones he used for training. He figured it wasn't a big deal if a girl saw him in them.
"It's not that… Never mind, can I come in?"
Kamuro abruptly dropped the topic, though Hikigaya was slightly curious about what she had been about to say. Still, he wasn't so tactless as to push her for answers. He simply shook his head.
"Nobody's claimed this place, so you don't need permission."
"I see…"
Kamuro mumbled something as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. As they moved closer, Hikigaya's eyes unintentionally flicked to a certain area, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned away, trying to act nonchalant.
"Ah…!"
At the same time, Kamuro noticed his glance and immediately crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning bright red.
She wasn't wearing her sports uniform, just a thin shirt that had become nearly transparent from the rain, revealing the dark fabric beneath.
"...Did you see?"
"See what?"
"...Idiot."
"Sorry, that was my bad."
Hikigaya knew it wasn't entirely his fault, but an apology seemed like the right move.
Kamuro shot him a glare but didn't say anything more, instead curling up on a chair, clearly uncomfortable.
—This is so awkward!
To break the tension, Hikigaya quickly put on his dry clothes and struck up a conversation. "So, why are you out in this downpour?"
"...I went out looking for food and ended up wandering too far."
"Food?" Hikigaya was taken aback. "Isn't Ryūen supplying you guys with provisions? Why are you out searching for food?"
"How do you… Never mind," Kamuro said with a sigh. "We've run out. We're trying to figure out how to manage on our own for the last day."
"I see… That sounds rough," Hikigaya said sympathetically.
Even with Ryūen's resources, there was only so much food to go around. The food supply had to be supplemented somehow, and with Katsuragi focusing on securing points, the number of people gathering supplies was reduced, leading to shortages.
But it was only one day. Even if there were complaints from Sakayanagi's faction, it wasn't like they could do much about it.
"Oh, right," Hikigaya suddenly remembered the stash in his bag.
"I have a pack of biscuits left. Want some?"
"Biscuits… Hmph, no thanks. I don't need your charity."
For some reason, Kamuro seemed upset.
Is she still mad about me seeing her? Hikigaya wondered.
It couldn't be helped. Any girl would be embarrassed about that. But there was something more—Kamuro had been trembling since she entered.
It was summer, but with the rain soaking her through, it wasn't surprising that she was cold.
Hikigaya hesitated for a moment before pulling a clean shirt from his bag and placing it on the table.
"Uh, if you don't mind, you can use this to dry off… I promise it's clean," he said, glancing out the window as he spoke.
"The rain seems to be letting up. I should probably head back."
As he packed his bag, preparing to leave, Kamuro suddenly grabbed his arm.
"…You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
"Sorry, I shouldn't have interfered," Hikigaya replied with a sigh, realizing he hadn't considered Kamuro's feelings. After all, no girl would want to—
"That's not what I meant," Kamuro cut him off, her cheeks still flushed. "Thank you for the shirt… and, uh, can I borrow your towel too?"
"Wha—?"
Hikigaya froze, his mind struggling to process her words. Did she just ask to use his… Wait, hold on a second!
"Um, Kamuro? I've already used the towel, and I haven't washed it yet…" Hikigaya stammered, unsure of how to respond.
"Of course, I know that!" Kamuro snapped, her frustration seemingly masking her embarrassment. "Just let me borrow it! And the rain outside hasn't let up at all, so just turn around!"
"Uh, right… Got it."
Hikigaya, taken aback by her sudden assertiveness, quickly complied and turned his back to her. It wasn't until he heard the sound of clothes rustling behind him that he realized what was happening.
No way… Is this happening?
The thought of a girl from another class changing clothes right behind him made Hikigaya's heart race.
"It's okay now."
Kamuro's voice broke through his thoughts, and Hikigaya cautiously turned around, only to find her slumped over the table.
"Kamuro… Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm fine," Kamuro replied, though her voice sounded weak. "I haven't slept well these past two days. I just need to rest for a bit."
—Not sleeping well?
Hikigaya found that strange, and a suspicion began to form in his mind.
"Um, I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but… A lot of the guys in our class had their things stuffed into a girl's bag recently… Was that you?"
After a moment of hesitation, Hikigaya decided to ask.
Kamuro remained silent at first, then slowly lifted her head. "Are you an idiot? Why would I do something like that for you… And I want to sleep now, so be quiet."
"…Oh, sorry."
Chastened, Hikigaya dropped the subject. Instead, he began pulling out the spare clothes from his bag.
"Hey, what are you… What are you doing now?" Kamuro asked, opening her eyes with a hint of irritation, only to be caught off guard by the sight before her.
Hikigaya had laid out his extra clothes on the floor, creating a makeshift bed.
"Lying on the table can't be comfortable," Hikigaya said with a small smile. "If you're going to sleep, you might as well lie down properly. This way, you don't have to worry about getting dirty."
"Uh…" Kamuro seemed stunned, so Hikigaya, trying to lighten the mood, teased her, "What, do you want me to give you a lap pillow too?"
"…Sure."
Her response was so quiet, almost lost amidst the rain, but Hikigaya heard it.
Wait, seriously? She wants me to do that?
[T/N: If it gets steamy might as well do the Titanic pose.]