Seriously... why is it always like this?
Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh. As much as he appreciated Koenji's willingness to speak up, he sincerely wished the guy wouldn't always add unnecessary commentary. But it couldn't be helped. Koenji was the kind of person who moved at his own pace, disappearing unpredictably. Finding a chance to question him alone was next to impossible, especially since he rarely carried a phone.
Most frustrating of all was Koenji's unpredictable nature—whether he answered a question or not seemed entirely based on his mood at the time.
Hikigaya felt that the chances of getting a straight answer were highest when asked directly. Waiting until later? That was a gamble.
And once again, it's Chihiro… That poor girl just couldn't catch a break.
It was likely Koenji had deduced that Chihiro was the VIP simply through observation. Of course, Koenji probably also realized there was a pattern behind this exam, though he wasn't likely to figure it out entirely. He probably didn't even know who the VIP in his class was at this point.
To ensure no one eavesdropped, Hirata had written Kushida's name on his phone to communicate with Yukimura and Ayanokoji. He'd likely used the same method with others. In short, Koenji, who spent his time off in a corner exercising, had no way of knowing that Kushida was the VIP.
Without knowing the identity of any VIP, it was impossible to decipher the pattern correctly.
Sigh, how I envy him.
The thought of having to sit through four more incredibly dull discussion sessions made Hikigaya grind his teeth in frustration. Once again, he felt a deep-seated conviction that the teachers were out to get him.
—"I just want this exam to end already!"
Unfortunately, as the VIP, he was bound to stick around until the very end.
"Sorry, things seem a bit chaotic right now. I need to take this call for a moment."
Thanks to Koenji's thoughtless actions, Hirata's phone had been ringing off the hook, undoubtedly from classmates seeking answers. No doubt the students from other classes were equally shocked—who could've predicted a betrayal on the very first day?
"Damn it! What the hell is Koenji thinking? Now we can't even have a proper discussion!"
Yukimura was as agitated as ever. But if they couldn't have a discussion, why didn't he just go back to his room?
Then again, the whole day had been relatively uneventful, leaving Hikigaya with no real sense of fatigue, so he didn't mind sticking around.
"Hikigaya, wanna go grab a drink?"
Ayanokoji's sudden invitation caught him off guard.
Huh? Did this guy hit his head?
…No, he probably just wanted to talk about what happened earlier.
While Yukimura and Hirata might not catch on, Ayanokoji surely noticed something in Koenji's words. Hikigaya could've refused, but he was a bit curious about how things were going in Rabbit Group, so he nodded in agreement.
The two of them left the room together, heading toward the café on the deck.
As they walked, the sight before them grew more and more awkward. All around, pairs of students—boys, and girls—held hands, slung arms over each other's shoulders, and gazed up at the star-filled sky, as if the air itself was tinged with romance.
"Ugh… this is disgusting."
Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow, glancing at Hikigaya. "What do you mean by 'disgusting'?"
"What, you don't know? Couples like that are destined to explode. It's common knowledge."
"…I see." Ayanokoji nodded, though it was clear he didn't fully understand. Then he asked, "So, are you and Hirata also destined to explode? I think you're even more likely to than him."
"Excuse me?"
What nonsense is he spouting now?
Hikigaya didn't see how he could compare himself to Hirata—someone who had girls flocking to him within a month of starting school. Hirata was the epitome of the perfect student, the kind that Hikigaya had mentally dubbed a 'super-explosive' couple.
Just as Hikigaya was about to correct Ayanokoji's misguided thinking, he abruptly stopped.
"What's up?" Ayanokoji asked, looking at him curiously.
"…That looks like Kushida," Hikigaya said, pointing ahead.
Following his gaze, Ayanokoji saw a figure, clearly female, standing alone and gazing up at the stars. The dim lighting made it hard to discern her face, but her silhouette was unmistakable.
"I'm surprised you can tell. I wouldn't have recognized her."
"It's not that hard."
Though Hikigaya couldn't see her face either, he was pretty sure it was Kushida. After spending so much time around her, he'd developed a sense for these things.
"Should we go somewhere else?" Hikigaya whispered as he turned away. "It wouldn't be good to disturb her. She might be waiting for someone."
"...Hmm." Ayanokoji hesitated for a moment, then added, "Doesn't that bother you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Kushida, waiting for someone. Maybe it's her secret boyfriend or something... kind of makes your chest tighten, doesn't it?"
"Why would I care?"
Hikigaya's expression grew even more puzzled. He couldn't imagine Ayanokoji actually feeling troubled over something like this. He must be faking it.
"Doesn't it?" Ayanokoji persisted, his tone genuinely curious. "Kushida's the most popular girl in our class. If she had a boyfriend, most of the guys would be heartbroken—maybe even jealous enough to lose their minds. Besides, you seem pretty close to her. Don't you feel anything about it?"
"Not at all."
"You answered that pretty quickly."
Hikigaya wasn't sure if Ayanokoji knew Kushida's true nature, but with his sharp observation skills, he must have suspected something. There was no way he'd brought this up just out of curiosity.
As for his own relationship with Kushida...
Hikigaya briefly entertained the thought. If she ever got a boyfriend... he'd probably be overjoyed. Finally, he could stop playing the role of her emotional trash bin.
"You think I'm close with Kushida, but that's just your imagination. She gets along with everyone."
Hikigaya then flipped the conversation. "But let me ask you something—if Horikita got a boyfriend, would you feel anything special?"
"Not at all."
"You're quick with your answers too."
On the surface, both Kushida and Horikita were stunning beauties, but their personalities... well, they were both terrible in their unique ways. Who knew which unfortunate soul would end up being the victim?
"Hey, isn't this Dead-Eyes?"
As they turned to walk back, Ryuen suddenly appeared, approaching them alone.
"What's this? You ditched the girls and decided to hang out with Suzune's sidekick instead? Are you changing your tastes now?"
Hikigaya wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Ryuen's words sounded particularly unpleasant tonight... though he was always like this, so it was best to just ignore it.
"What about you?" Hikigaya shot back. "Out late at night, lurking like a ghost?"
"Heh, just out looking for some fun." Ryuen gave a smirk that could only be described as obnoxious, clapping Hikigaya on the shoulder. "So, Dead-Eyes, wanna join in?"
"I'll pass. Enjoy yourself."
"Tch, still as boring as ever."
Ryuen must have had something urgent to attend to, as he didn't press the matter and walked off, leaving Hikigaya and Ayanokoji alone again. It was rare for Ryuen to let something go so quickly... Was he off to meet someone?
"Seems like Horikita was right. You and Ryuen are quite the pair," Ayanokoji remarked suddenly.
"He's just messing with me for fun."
Hikigaya sighed and glanced at Ayanokoji. "Honestly, I'm a little envious. He completely ignored you."
"Well, it can't be helped. I'm just a nobody."
"Ha."
Hikigaya laughed silently, his thoughts racing. Keep playing dumb, Ayanokoji. One of these days, I'll catch you in the act.
Their plans for the café thwarted, and they found themselves at a nearby vending machine.
"What do you want to drink, Hikigaya?"
"Something sweet—coffee, maybe."
If this vending machine could magically produce a MAX Coffee, that would be great. But, of course, it spat out a plain Key Coffee instead. Figures. No point in wishing for miracles.
"Something wrong?" Ayanokoji asked.
"Nothing," Hikigaya muttered, opening the can and taking a sip. "So, what's up? You didn't just call me out here for a stroll, did you?"
"It's about the VIP situation. Do you think Koenji was just randomly answering questions? I doubt he's that careless."
Ah, so this was what Ayanokoji wanted to discuss. But Koenji was just the opening act; there had to be more to it.
"Yeah, Koenji's pretty sharp, and his opponent was that guy, Chihiro... Do you know her?"
"She's in Ichinose's class, right? I've seen her once but never spoken to her."
That made sense. Ayanokoji had likely seen her when Ichinose was confessed to by Chihiro. He must have been involved somehow back then.
"Anyway, Chihiro's a pretty straightforward girl, so Koenji probably wasn't just guessing. He likely had a plan."
But then again, it was impossible to be sure. Koenji could have just been winging it, and it wouldn't surprise anyone. His nonchalant attitude let him get away with things others wouldn't dare try.
"I see. That's reassuring."
Even as Ayanokoji said this, Hikigaya knew he didn't care about Koenji. His real aim was elsewhere.
"But Hikigaya, you're pretty impressive yourself." Ayanokoji finally got to the point. "While Hirata and Yukimura were flustered by Koenji's actions, you calmly interrogated him. It seems like you're the only one in our class who can talk to Koenji, even more so than Hirata."
"You're giving me too much credit. I don't have that kind of power."
Hikigaya saw right through Ayanokoji's plan. He wanted Hikigaya to handle Koenji, and get him to cooperate for the sake of the class, all while Ayanokoji remained in the shadows.
Clever.
Too bad Hikigaya had no intention of playing along.
"Didn't you already get Koenji to help during the uninhabited island exam?" Ayanokoji pressed. "Even Horikita was surprised. She mentioned to me privately that she thinks you'll lead the Rooster Group to victory."
"Did she now? I'll have to ask her about that tomorrow."
"But if you confront her, she won't admit it. She's a bit shy, you know."
Ayanokoji's talent for spinning nonsense was impressive, but Hikigaya knew Horikita wasn't shy in the slightest.
"Anyway, with you around, the Rooster Group's exam should be a breeze."
"That's not a given." Hikigaya shook his head. "I'm not exactly close with the other two... and they've all said they're not the VIP. I don't think there's any need to doubt them. But as for finding the VIP in the other classes, that's going to be tough."
He paused, cutting Ayanokoji off before he could respond. "But forget the Rooster Group for now. You're in the Rabbit Group. That's bound to be tough with Ichinose in there. She's going to thrive in this situation."
"Yeah," Ayanokoji agreed. "Class A is controlling the game right now."
Ichinose had an incredible talent for building connections and a solid reputation in the grade. It was going to be hard for anyone to compete with her. Even if people were cautious at first, as soon as they opened up and started talking, things would inevitably unravel.
"Although it's difficult, I've already figured out a few people who aren't the VIP," Ayanokoji said.
He wasn't just trying to exchange information now—he wanted Hikigaya to reciprocate.
Hikigaya, though, couldn't care less about his class's situation. He already knew what he needed to know.
It was probably time to have a chat with Ichinose.
Based on everything he'd observed so far, Chihiro from the Monkey Group had to be the VIP. That meant Class A had lost fifty class points to Class D. The so-called alliance was as fragile as expected.
But it was getting late. He could talk to Ichinose tomorrow.
As Hikigaya contemplated how to wrap things up for the night, Ayanokoji's gaze drifted toward a nearby bar. Inside, teachers were sitting together—Chabashira, Hoshinomiya, and Mashima.
What an unusual trio.
Ayanokoji motioned to Hikigaya, suggesting they sneak closer to eavesdrop.
Hikigaya despised this kind of behavior, but he was curious. Plus, it was a good opportunity to test his stealth skills. Reluctantly, he followed Ayanokoji.
They crept over to a shadowy corner, just close enough to hear the conversation.
"It's been ages since the three of us sat down like this," Hoshinomiya said, her words slurred from the alcohol.
"This was bound to happen," Mashima replied calmly. "We all ended up taking the teacher route, after all."
"Can you not? Talking like that is pointless," Chabashira interjected, clearly unimpressed.
Hikigaya noted their casual familiarity. Had they all been classmates once?
"It's surprising how quickly Class A caught up this time," Mashima commented. "It's rare for a special exam to cause such a shift."
Despite being on the losing side, Mashima's tone remained even. In contrast, Hoshinomiya could barely contain her excitement.
"Hehe, my class is amazing, especially Ichinose. I can't wait to praise her when we get back."
"Hmph."
Chabashira's reaction wasn't exactly pleasant. Did she hate losing that much?
Or was there more to it?
"Even Class D has been doing well," Mashima observed. "You must be proud, Chabashira."
"Class D?" she scoffed. "They're always at the bottom. It's a miracle they're even keeping up. Though I admit, there are some surprises."
A tense silence followed.
"No, I just thought he resembled someone else who also graduated from Sobu High... Maybe it's just my imagination?"
...Wait, wait.
Hikigaya immediately broke into a cold sweat.
That other Sobu High graduate, they couldn't be talking about...
"No, no, I feel the same way!" Hoshinomiya-sensei chimed in excitedly. "You're talking about Haruno-chan, right? The two of them do share some similarities in certain ways! But don't worry, Hikigaya-kun is a good kid, so we don't have to fear a repeat of what happened back then."
"A good kid? You must be joking."
"I agree with Chabashira on this one."
"Hey now, that's just prejudice!"
—No, no, no, this conversation definitely couldn't go on any further!
Hikigaya felt that if they kept talking, something catastrophic would happen, so he decided to take a risk. Covering his mouth, he let out a loud, exaggerated cough.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
The conversation abruptly halted, and Ayanokoji turned his head to look at him, slightly puzzled. But at this point, Hikigaya couldn't care less. He quickly bolted, sprinting up to the second floor without even glancing back.
However, Ayanokoji soon caught up with him, staring at him with his usual expressionless face.
"Sorry about that, my throat was a bit itchy, and I just couldn't hold it in."
"...No problem."
Although being questioned wouldn't have been the end of the world, it was a relief that Ayanokoji decided to let it slide.
After all, he understood that everyone has secrets they don't want others to know.
Sigh, it feels like I took a huge loss this time.
I'll have to be more cautious in the future... Or maybe it's not even necessary.
As the saying goes, "You can't hide a fire in a paper bag," and Hikigaya knew that his actions would be exposed sooner or later; it was just a matter of time.
With Ayanokoji starting to get involved in the class conflicts, it was likely that his capabilities would soon bring everything to light. It seems I need to find a shield... I should discuss it with the Student Council President when we get back to school.
Especially since I might have to deal with that blonde senpai in the future. Might as well make use of all available resources.
A/N: I am back