Hikigaya found himself in a confusing situation. He had meant to offer Kamuro a bit of lighthearted teasing to lift her spirits, but he hadn't anticipated she'd take him so seriously.
...Wait a minute!
There was a chance Kamuro was just playing along to turn the joke back on him. If Hikigaya fell for it, she might just make a fool of him.
Yeah, that's probably it!
There's no way he'd fall for—
"Hey, don't just stand there."
Kamuro had already settled herself on the ground before Hikigaya could complete his internal debate. She patted the space beside her, inviting him to join her.
…Is she really serious about this?
If he went through with it, could he be accused of… harassment?
Despite his concerns, Hikigaya couldn't bring himself to refuse Kamuro. She had always looked out for him, and turning her down would feel wrong.
Clearing his mind as best as he could, he knelt beside her, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
It was just a lap pillow, after all—something he had done for his sister Komachi and experienced himself countless times. It shouldn't be a big deal… right?
But as soon as Kamuro's head rested on his lap, Hikigaya felt an immediate shift. This was different from the familiar comfort of his sister's lap. He had to be careful not to lose his composure.
"Um, Kamuro?"
"Don't talk. I'm already embarrassed enough as it is."
Her cheeks flushed, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Soon, her expression began to soften, the exhaustion from the deserted island and sleepless nights catching up to her.
So, Kamuro had been the one stealing... Hikigaya had noticed someone lurking around Class D's camp at dusk, always when the girls were occupied. Kamuro must have taken advantage of those moments to find Shinohara's bag and waited until everyone was asleep to take it.
No wonder she was so worn out. Staying up late was clearly taking a toll on her.
Hikigaya sighed to himself and closed his eyes, deciding to stay by her side until she woke up. He was good at zoning out; boredom wasn't a problem for him.
Yet, with his eyes closed, the weight of Kamuro's head on his lap was more pronounced, and it was becoming difficult to stay calm.
—This won't do. He needed a way to relax.
The only solution Hikigaya could think of was counting prime numbers.
2… 3… 5…
Prime numbers, only divisible by 1 and themselves, were ideal for someone as solitary as Hikigaya.
7… 11… 13…
He continued but then stumbled.
17… 19… 22… No, wait! It's 23!
Hikigaya was shocked—how could he miscount such a sacred number?
Wasn't he supposed to be a rational person? At this point, he felt unworthy of the title... not that it was flattering to begin with!
As he mentally chastised himself, his usual calmness began to return. Perhaps he was just getting used to Kamuro's presence.
After all, neither a head nor a knee was particularly sensitive, so why should their contact be such a big deal?
Maybe he should just grab the "greatest work of art's" head and smash it against his knee for some "knee-to-head action."
Heh… if only he could do that.
With these random thoughts swirling in his mind, Hikigaya quietly waited. Even though there was a roll call later, he had no intention of waking Kamuro. Her health was far more important than class points.
Two hours later, Kamuro stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
"Mm… huh? Hikigaya?"
She seemed disoriented, her voice sluggish as she tried to make sense of the situation.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Ah… I fell asleep, didn't I?"
As she began to process his words, Kamuro turned her head away, clearly embarrassed.
"Sorry for making you do something like this."
"It's fine."
Hikigaya shook his head. When Komachi was sick, she'd often cling to him, too. Once you got used to it, the feeling was almost nostalgic.
"I wanted to help, so there's no need to apologize. Besides… I've always been grateful to you, Kamuro."
"…Grateful?" Kamuro blinked in surprise before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I admit it was me who did that. But I was just returning the favor—you helped me out at the start of the school year."
"Huh? Didn't we settle that already?"
If Hikigaya remembered correctly, Kamuro had already repaid that favor by helping him dress up last time.
Had she forgotten?
"There's no way that evened things out. You're way too easygoing," Kamuro said with a wry chuckle. "You should take a lesson from Sakayanagi. When she caught me red-handed, she used me as a tool, making me do whatever she wanted and even messing with me just for fun."
"No, thanks. Why would I want to be like her…"
Hikigaya finally understood Kamuro's perspective. Even though she acted indifferent, she hadn't truly moved on from the beginning of the school year.
She valued loyalty.
"Kamuro, listen to me."
No matter what, Hikigaya felt the need to clarify things.
"I told you back then—I didn't help you because I wanted to. Everything I did was for my peace of mind. You don't need to take risks for someone like me."
"…Huh?"
"Have you thought about the consequences if your actions against Shinohara were discovered? Class A could lose their exam privileges, and you'd lose your place in the class. Even Sakayanagi might—"
"Wait, wait, wait! Stop jumping to conclusions!"
Kamuro abruptly sat up, frustration evident in her voice as she cut him off.
"What do you mean 'someone like you'? What's so bad about you?"
"Huh? No, I mean…"
"Honestly, I don't understand why you even bothered with someone like me in the first place!" Kamuro interrupted again, her tone growing more intense. "You must have realized by now—I've done things like that before. I got into plenty of trouble back in middle school."
"Uh…"
"There's no particular reason. I just wanted some excitement, even if it meant getting expelled. To put it bluntly, that's just the kind of person I am."
Kamuro's tone turned defiant as if she'd resigned herself to the worst. But instead of being shocked, Hikigaya's expression only became a bit more peculiar.
"Well, how should I put this… Do you know what I've been up to since I entered this school?" Before Kamuro could respond, Hikigaya started counting on his fingers.
"Let's see… threats, extortion, incitement, stirring the pot, and I even stole something during this exam."
As he spoke, he stood up and pulled a camera out of his bag.
"See? This is my spoils of war." Hikigaya smiled, completely ignoring Kamuro's dumbfounded stare. "Compared to me, you just swiped a few small things from a convenience store. I don't think that's a big deal at all."
"You…"
"And you know, I'm happy." This time, Hikigaya interrupted her.
"Even though framing someone isn't exactly praiseworthy, that morning was the happiest I'd been all week… So, thank you, Kamuro. You're always looking out for me."
No matter how you looked at it, what Kamuro did was "wrong."
However, Hikigaya had learned this lesson firsthand back in middle school.
He'd done the "right" thing and gotten the worst possible outcome.
So why bother with what was supposedly "right"?
Just to chase after some idealized illusion?
That naïve version of Hikigaya was long gone.
"…Are you an idiot?" Kamuro looked at him, utterly exasperated.
"The one calling someone else an idiot is the real idiot," Hikigaya replied with a grin. "Anyway, let's just say I owe you one for this. I'll find a way to repay you."
"Sigh… what a mess."
Kamuro let out a long sigh, but there was a slight upward curve at the corners of her lips.
"Forget waiting until later. Why don't you repay me right now?"
[T/N: Hehehe! Boi!]
"Sure."
Though surprised by how things were unfolding, Hikigaya wasn't just saying this to be polite. Whatever Kamuro asked for, he wasn't going to refuse.
Then, she said something completely unexpected.
"I don't know what's going on between you and Sakayanagi, but this time, don't lose to her, okay? …I don't want to see you lose to her."