According to the plan they had discussed, Ike, Yamauchi, and Ayanokoji rushed into the changing room, aiming to secure the lockers at the very back. Strangely enough, the lockers seemed already in use, even though the room was empty except for the three of them.
But there was no time to dwell on it. Ike quickly opened the second-to-last locker, while Yamauchi and Ayanokoji spread out their towels, pretending to change clothes to shield Ike's actions from view.
"Hurry up, Kanji," Yamauchi whispered urgently.
"Stop rushing me!" Ike snapped back.
Crouched by the ventilation shaft, Ike pulled out the remote-controlled car and tools he had pre-wrapped in a towel. With practiced precision, he unscrewed the vent cover, carefully removed it, and swiftly placed the car inside before reattaching the cover.
His fluid movements suggested he had practiced this countless times. Ayanokoji, keeping watch, shook his head silently.
Why can't these fools put this much effort into something worthwhile?
Fortunately, the other boys who entered the room later were too engrossed in their conversations to notice what was going on.
Hopefully, things are going smoothly on Karuizawa's end as well, Ayanokoji thought.
Just as he felt everything was under control, an unexpected person walked in.
Hikigaya… Why?
If he wasn't mistaken, Hikigaya was supposed to be on patrol duty as a member of the student council today. He was even dressed in the official uniform. Why would he suddenly show up in the changing room? Did he forget something?
There was no time to figure it out. Ayanokoji quickly lowered his voice and warned Ike, "Kanji, put away the remote. If this goes on, we'll get caught."
"Just a little longer, I'm almost there."
"It has a recording function anyway. If we get caught, it's all over."
"You're right," Yamauchi reluctantly agreed. "Kanji, we should change now and check it later."
"Fine…" Ike begrudgingly complied, stashing the remote control and his belongings in the locker before starting to change clothes.
"W-We should wait a few minutes," Ike stammered.
"At least twenty minutes," Yamauchi suggested.
Too short a time, and they wouldn't capture anything. But taking too long to change might raise suspicion. They were already drawing attention.
Hikigaya approached, a puzzled expression on his face. Ike and Yamauchi remained oblivious, anxiously waiting through what felt like the longest twenty minutes of their lives.
This is bad...
Even Ayanokoji felt a twinge of anxiety. If it were anyone else, it might not be so serious, but Hikigaya… Ayanokoji had no confidence in fooling him, especially with two clumsy accomplices in tow.
"What are you guys doing?"
Predictably, Hikigaya was suspicious.
"W-What do you mean what are we doing? We're changing clothes! There's no rule against spreading out a towel, right?"
"Yeah, we just don't like others staring at us!"
Ike and Yamauchi were startled at first but quickly became defensive.
But there was no way Hikigaya would buy that excuse. "During swimming classes, you two aren't shy at all. You change faster than anyone."
Of course, they did—eager to catch a glimpse of the girls in their swimsuits. The school-issued swimwear already drove them wild; today, with so many girls in bikinis outside, they were suddenly taking their time.
Their odd behavior naturally raised Hikigaya's suspicions.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Ayanokoji quickly intervened.
"Actually, to be honest, we were… having a contest."
"A contest?" Hikigaya repeated, bewildered.
"Yes, just a spur-of-the-moment thing," Ayanokoji replied, maintaining a straight face despite the absurdity of his lie.
"I-I see…" Hikigaya seemed momentarily taken aback, but given these guys' usual antics, it wasn't entirely out of character.
"So… who won?" Hikigaya asked.
"Me!" Yamauchi raised his hand, immediately drawing a protest from Ike.
"Wrong, it was me!"
Ayanokoji watched them bicker with a blank expression. At this point, their foolishness only made the story more convincing, so he let them continue.
"Alright, have fun with that," Hikigaya sighed. "But move over, I need to get something."
"Ah! So, it was you who claimed the locker at the back!" Ike exclaimed suddenly.
"…Is that a problem?"
"N-No, nothing."
"Uh…" Hikigaya frowned slightly but didn't press further. He retrieved an armband from the locker and left.
However, Ayanokoji noticed that, as Hikigaya was leaving, his gaze briefly flicked to the vent on the floor.
Though Ike had reattached the cover, someone with sharp eyes like Hikigaya could notice something was amiss. Ayanokoji knew better than to underestimate Hikigaya's unusually keen observation skills. There was a good chance he had already figured something out.
If this gets exposed, they could all get expelled.
Ayanokoji's sense of unease grew. If only Ike and Yamauchi got expelled, that would be one thing, but they would likely drag him down with them as a scapegoat.
Even though on the surface, it looked like he was an accomplice, in reality, he had been trying to stop them. He had even gone as far as asking Karuizawa for help.
…I can't let this slide.
"I'm heading out."
"W-Wait, Ayanokoji!" Ike called out, panicking. "You're going to betray us, aren't you? Don't even think about asking me to let you watch the footage later!"
This idiot… He hasn't even realized that Hikigaya is already suspicious.
Ayanokoji internally sighed, then offered a quick excuse. "It's not that. If we all stay here for twenty minutes and no one leaves, people will get suspicious."
"Y-Yeah, you're right… Alright, but make sure you do a good job!"
"Got it."
With that, Ayanokoji left the room, quickly heading down the hallway in search of Hikigaya.
Fortunately, Hikigaya didn't seem to be taking any action; he was just patrolling as usual. But Ayanokoji couldn't afford to be careless.
Rather than trying to shadow him from a distance, it might be better to approach him directly.
Ayanokoji prided himself on his stealth, a skill honed through years of practice. But in his experience, Hikigaya was highly perceptive and skilled at masking his true intentions. Following him carelessly would likely backfire.
With that in mind, Ayanokoji decided to engage him directly, raising his hand slightly as he approached. "Hey, tough day at work?"
"…Done with your contest?" Hikigaya asked, his tone dry.
"If possible, I'd rather not talk about it," Ayanokoji replied, feigning exasperation. "I only went along with their nonsense because Sudo isn't here. Without him, there's no one to keep them in check."
"That must be tough… By the way, why isn't Sudo here this time?" Hikigaya inquired, genuinely curious.
"He said he needed to train with his club."
"The summer break is almost over, and he's skipping the pool?"
"Yeah, we were surprised too. But he said his performance in the last competition wasn't great, so he's pushing himself harder."
"I see…"
They continued chatting idly, the hallway around them buzzing with noise until a sudden hush fell over the crowd.
The nearby boys simultaneously turned their heads toward the same spot.
"Hey, junior, is this your friend?"
A stunning figure stepped into view—Kiryuuin Fuuka, with her tall, striking appearance, naturally drawing all eyes to her. She was dressed boldly in a black bikini, with sunglasses perched on her forehead. She looked more like a mature high school senior than a second-year student, which only added to her allure.
"Kiryuuin-senpai… Just to clarify, he's not my friend, just a classmate," Hikigaya quickly corrected.
"Oh? That's your first reaction?" Kiryuuin's interest seemed piqued by Hikigaya's response, as she began to scrutinize Ayanokoji more closely.
…This doesn't feel right.
"Hehe, not your average person, are you?" Kiryuuin declared with unwarranted confidence. "This guy's muscles are pretty solid, must be the type who's good in a fight. You can tell he's been working out for years… This year's first years are something."
"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean," Ayanokoji tried to play dumb.
"No need to deny it. My judgment is absolute," Kiryuuin said dismissively.
"Ugh…" Ayanokoji felt a headache coming on. This was their first meeting, and he was still wearing a shirt, so she shouldn't have been able to see anything.
But Kiryuuin didn't listen to anyone else's opinion.
No wonder she's acquainted with Hikigaya, they're both equally troublesome.
And why does this feel oddly familiar?
"Yeah, Ayanokoji is pretty good in a fight," Hikigaya chimed in, feigning a friendly tone. "But he likes to play the fool, so don't worry too much about him."
"Hehe, that just makes him more interesting. Junior, you've met a good classmate." Kiryuuin laughed.
Ayanokoji chose not to react and just followed behind the two as they continued chatting.
Ayanokoji felt that staying here any longer would only draw more attention from Kiriyama. It was best to slip away while he still could. Besides, it didn't seem like Hikigaya was planning to take any action, so perhaps he was overthinking things.
"Sorry, I just noticed my friends are all out. I should go join them. I'll take my leave now."
Without waiting for a response, Ayanokoji swiftly exited the scene.
"Heh, did we scare him off?" Kiryuuin chuckled, her hands resting confidently on her hips, clearly pleased with herself.
But just as she was enjoying her small victory, Hikigaya unexpectedly reached out and lightly tugged on her arm.
"Excuse me, Kiryuuin-senpai, could I have a word with you?"
"Whoa, you're quite bold for a junior. Where are you planning to take such a delicate girl like me?" she teased, though she did not attempt to resist, instead following him with an eager curiosity.
Hikigaya paid no mind to her playful remarks. Leading her to a secluded corner, he got straight to the point. "Senpai, do you remember our agreement? I need your help now."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"I need you to check out the first-year girls' locker room. See if there's anything unusual going on."
In truth, Ayanokoji's instincts weren't entirely off, but they weren't entirely correct either. Hikigaya had no idea what Ike and Yamauchi were up to; he only suspected that something was amiss with them. Without sufficient evidence, he couldn't just go to Horikita with his concerns.
If the student council president got involved, it could lead to the entire event being canceled, or worse, it could cause a significant disruption. If this was all just a misunderstanding, it could have negative consequences on multiple fronts.
He originally considered asking Ichinose or Kushida to check it out, but since Kiryuuin was right here, why not ask her to do it?
"Something unusual?" Kiryuuin mused, touching her chin thoughtfully. "So, you don't know exactly what's going on, and you want me to figure it out?"
Hikigaya nodded. "Exactly. If anyone can quickly get to the bottom of this, it's you, Kiryuuin-senpai. After all, you were able to see right through Ayanokoji's terrifying facade."
"Ha, calling your classmate terrifying?" she smirked.
"Weren't you tense for a moment yourself?" Hikigaya countered with a slight smile.
"Uh…" For the first time, Kiryuuin fell silent, caught off guard by his retort.
After a brief pause, she suddenly reached out and gave Hikigaya a light knock on the head.
"Hmph, you insolent junior. I think you're the more terrifying one."
"Please, don't joke around. I'm no good in a fight," Hikigaya replied, raising his hands defensively.
"You know that's not what I meant… Oh, whatever. Since we have an agreement, I'll go check it out for you."
Kiryuuin smiled again, her confidence returning. "As your senpai, I can't ignore a request from such a cute junior."
"…I'm counting on you."
"But next time, you'll have to pay up," she quipped, waving him off as she headed toward the girls' locker room.