Before Hikigaya could even respond, Matsushita spoke up first. "Kushida-san, it's unfortunate, but Hikigaya-kun and I just attended the briefing together, so it's impossible for him to be in your group."
"…Hehe, what a shame."
Kushida maintained her usual smile, her face betraying no sign of the slight challenge in Matsushita's words. To anyone else, she appeared the same as always. But Hikigaya could sense it—Kushida's mood had shifted.
Seriously, what was there to be regretful about?
"Actually, several people have already approached me about this exam," Kushida continued. "It seems that each class will have groups of three or four, and I did a bit of digging myself. It turns out that Hirata-kun and Horikita-san will be in my group, so I was wondering if you might be too, Hikigaya-kun."
Based on the timeline, the people from the 6:00 AM briefing must have been the first group. If they were spacing the briefings every twenty minutes, that would mean Hikigaya was in the third batch.
Given Kushida's popularity in the class, it wasn't surprising that people, both boys and girls, were eager to consult with her.
But… Hirata and Horikita, huh?
Hikigaya's curiosity piqued at this lineup. Was it really just a coincidence that these three ended up together? And who else from the other classes would be in this group?
Hikigaya made a mental note to investigate further later. While he had his suspicions about the groupings, he'd need more concrete evidence to confirm them.
After all, there's a saying: "Bold assumptions, careful verification."
Just then, Kushida suddenly turned to Matsushita, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "Matsushita-san, you've been replying to messages nonstop since earlier. Is something urgent going on?"
"Not really, just Kei complaining," Matsushita replied with a hint of annoyance. "She's venting in the group chat about how her team is full of useless guys. She's upset it's not someone like Hirata-kun… Ugh, I wish she'd stop bringing up his name all the time."
Kushida chuckled softly. "Haha, well, those two are quite close, after all."
The insincerity in her voice was detectable. She'd privately bad-mouthed Kei to Hikigaya more than once, calling her a clingy girl who was bound to be dumped eventually.
But Hikigaya's thoughts were elsewhere, focused on more significant matters.
"Kei's already been to the briefing?" he asked Matsushita. "Did she say which group she's in? Was it the 6:00 or the 6:20 slot?"
"She's in the 6:00 AM Rabbit Group," Matsushita answered immediately.
Wait—so she's in the same group as Ayanokoji?
"Who else is in her group?"
"It's Yukimura, Sotomura, and Ayanokoji-kun, I think."
"…Oh."
Aside from Ayanokoji, there wasn't anyone particularly noteworthy in that group. Yukimura had good grades but wasn't likely to contribute much in an exam like this. Sotomura was a chubby otaku who didn't seem all that bright.
And as for Kei... Well, it was hard to imagine those four working together effectively.
"Ah, that reminds me," Kushida chimed in as if she'd just remembered something. "Yukimura-kun mentioned that they've also got Ichinose-san from Class A in their group. He seemed a bit nervous about it… which makes sense. Ichinose-san is quite the star right now."
More than just a star, she was the talk of the entire grade.
In just one special exam, she'd propelled her class to Class A—a rare feat in the school's history.
But Ichinose, of all people, in the Rabbit Group?
"Who else is in the Rabbit Group?" Hikigaya pressed.
Unfortunately, neither Matsushita nor Kushida knew. Kei had only remembered the names of her classmates, while Yukimura seemed to think Ichinose was the only person worth paying attention to, ignoring the others entirely.
Didn't they understand why the school forbade them from taking notes or snapping pictures? It was to make them forget, which was precisely why they needed to remember!
Hikigaya shook his head. He could ask Ayanokoji directly, but he preferred not to interact with that guy unless necessary.
He'd have to wait until after tomorrow's first meeting to gather a complete list of group members.
In the meantime, he decided he'd check out the 8:40 group first.
---
After dinner, the three of them went their separate ways.
The second floor had been selected as one of the exam venues, destroying any chance of finding a quiet spot there. Hikigaya had planned to search for a new hideaway, but before he could get far, his phone buzzed with a message from Kushida.
She wanted to meet him at a café.
What now? They'd just seen each other; if she had something to say, why hadn't she said it during dinner?
Whatever. Might as well go.
Hikigaya knew that Kushida had plenty of things she wouldn't want to discuss in front of Matsushita.
But still, couldn't she have just called him out in the first place? Why bother with dinner and then schedule another meeting?
The inefficiency was infuriating.
Muttering complaints under his breath, Hikigaya took the elevator down to the café on the third basement level. It was a quieter spot, likely the reason Kushida had chosen it.
"Ah, Hikigaya-kun, sorry for asking you out again."
When he arrived, Kushida was already sitting at the bar, waiting for him. She'd even ordered a coffee for him in advance.
"Sorry, I took the liberty of ordering for you." She smiled sweetly. "But go on, give it a try. I think you'll like it."
"…I'll dig in, then."
Hikigaya hesitated for a moment but didn't refuse. He took a small sip from the cup.
"Well? Isn't it good?" Kushida asked, her big eyes expectant.
"Yeah."
Hikigaya usually preferred MAX coffee, but he had to admit, this freshly brewed cup was on a whole different level from the canned stuff—and probably much more expensive, too.
"Hehe, I knew you'd like it."
For some reason, Kushida flashed a sly grin, as if she'd pulled off some kind of secret scheme.
"By the way, this coffee is quite special. It's elephant dung coffee, with a limited supply on the ship. I had to get a reservation through a classmate."
"Is that so…? Thanks for going to the trouble."
To Kushida's disappointment, Hikigaya didn't give her the reaction she was expecting. Instead, he expressed sincere thanks. He'd had cat dung coffee before, but this was his first time tasting elephant dung coffee, which was said to be even more expensive.
Definitely not something a poor student like him could normally afford.
"Tch, you're no fun."
Kushida pouted, an expression she only ever showed around Hikigaya.
"So, what did you call me here for?" Hikigaya cut to the chase. "And weren't you worried about being seen with me earlier at dinner? Wouldn't that hurt your image?"
"It's fine. I'll just say we were discussing the exam."
"Do you really think anyone's going to buy that? No one would believe it."
Kushida was silent for a moment before she chuckled.
"Hehe, it seems Hikigaya-kun still refuses to accept reality… Not just other classes, even the idiots in our class are starting to realize you're not just some reclusive dead-eyed loner."
"…No, I am a reclusive dead-eyed loner."
If he could, Hikigaya would much rather keep that image. He had no desire to stand out. But, as Kushida pointed out, reality had been working against him. Throughout the semester, circumstances had forced Hikigaya to get involved in one thing after another, making it impossible for him to remain unnoticed.
"Don't be like that. You know, I have friends in other classes, and some of the girls have asked me to introduce you to them," Kushida said, throwing out an unexpected bombshell. "But I figured you wouldn't be interested in that, so I declined. You're not mad, are you? Of course, if you want, I can set something up right now."
"No, please spare me."
Hikigaya quickly shook his head, wondering if Kushida was messing with him. But she didn't seem to be lying.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to ask something important."
Thankfully, Kushida switched gears, likely realizing that continuing the conversation was pointless.
"I wanted to ask what you thought of Horikita-san's performance during the uninhabited island exam."
"…Huh?"
That was a curveball Hikigaya hadn't expected. He'd considered the possibility that Kushida's meeting with him might be about Horikita, given they were in the same group for this exam, but he hadn't thought she'd bring up the island.
How was Horikita's performance?
She hadn't done much of anything!
In truth, her only significant action had been stepping in during a fight between boys and girls, preventing the situation from escalating. But even then, it had no real impact on the overall course of events.
In contrast, Ichinose's leadership had steered her class through various challenges on the island, playing a pivotal role in Class A's victory.
That was the difference between them.
"Compared to Ichinose-san, Horikita-san was pretty much a non-factor."
"I see…"
Kushida was still smiling, but Hikigaya could tell his words had affected her. She'd always held a subtle grudge against Horikita for getting in the way of her dominance in Class D, and any criticism of Horikita seemed to amuse her.
"One more thing, Hikigaya-kun."
Kushida leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.
"Between Horikita-san and me, which one do you think would be a better class leader?"
That was a dangerous question.
Kushida's eyes sparkled with mischief, yet the weight of her words could not be ignored.
If Hikigaya answered poorly, it could have serious consequences for his standing in the class.
But that was precisely why he needed to choose his words carefully.
He took a deep breath.
"Honestly? Neither."
"Neither?"
Kushida blinked, surprised. That wasn't the answer she'd been expecting.
"Neither of you would be an effective class leader. You both have your strengths, but your personalities clash too much with the group. To be a true leader, you need to bring the class together, not just manipulate things from the shadows."
Hikigaya's blunt response left Kushida momentarily speechless.
She laughed lightly, masking her surprise. "You're as straightforward as ever, Hikigaya-kun. But… I guess that's why I like you."
Hikigaya didn't respond, taking another sip of his coffee instead.
As the atmosphere between them grew a little awkward, Kushida suddenly smiled, as if nothing had happened.
"Isn't there a saying? People should focus more on the present... So, Hikigaya-kun, I wanted to ask—are we still on the same side?"
This question wasn't random. Hikigaya couldn't afford to answer carelessly.
"That depends on what kind of cooperation you're talking about."
"Like... this exam, for example."
As she spoke, Kushida extended her hand, gently holding Hikigaya's wrist.
"Suppose, and this is purely hypothetical... if I were to become Horikita's enemy, would you choose her side or mine?"
"I don't really have a reason to choose her, do I?"
It was clear that this answer didn't satisfy Kushida. She probably wanted to hear Hikigaya outright declare he was on her side.
"And what if—"
"Well, well, aren't you two getting cozy."
A voice interrupted them, dripping with sarcasm.
They turned to see Ryuen approaching. His face looked almost fully healed—he really was the type to forget the pain once the wounds were gone.
"Good evening, Ryuen-kun," Kushida greeted him, her expression calm as she withdrew her hand with a smile.
Ryuen, however, ignored her completely. His eyes landed on Hikigaya's cup of coffee.
"Hey, dead eyes. What's that you're drinking?"
"...Coffee."
"No kidding, I know it's coffee."
Ryuen scoffed, annoyed, then turned to the barista. "Oi, give me the same thing he's having."
"Sorry, that was a limited offer. We're all out," the server replied.
"Huh? What a joke."
Without warning, Ryuen snatched Hikigaya's cup and downed the rest in one gulp, not even bothering to ask.
"Bleh, what the hell is this?" Ryuen grimaced. "Dead eyes, what kind of crap did you order? Tastes weird as hell."
"It's civet coffee," Hikigaya answered, a bit regretful over the loss.
Ryuen downing coffee like soda—he really didn't care about anything, not even the heat.
"...Civet?"
Ryuen's eyes widened as he examined the cup, disbelief written across his face.
"What's the problem? Haven't you heard of it before?" Hikigaya sighed, shaking his head. "This is why I keep telling you to read more."
"Read? That's pointless. Books are useless."
Looking at Ryuen's dismissive attitude, Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh again.
"You're not dumb, but your way of thinking is really unfortunate... You don't seriously think reading is just about getting a job in the future, do you?"
Hikigaya felt the need to correct this flawed outlook.
"Reading's main value is that it keeps you from getting easily scammed."