At precisely nine in the morning, Hachiman Hikigaya met up with Shiina at the Keyaki Mall.
"Hehe, I'm really looking forward to this."
It was clear from Shiina's eager expression that she didn't often hang out with friends like this. Though she was more inclined towards books, even she couldn't resist the occasional outing.
They rode the elevator to the fifth floor, where the fortune teller's booth was rumored to be located. It wasn't hard to find. In fact, they had already noticed it while still in the elevator. Nearly ten students had crowded inside with them, all seemingly headed for the same destination.
"Wow, look at all these people!" Shiina exclaimed softly, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and excitement. Hikigaya, however, felt a headache brewing.
So many people... How long would they have to wait?
Even though the fortune teller wasn't scheduled to officially start until ten, it wasn't even 9:45 yet, and already a line had formed. From what Hikigaya could see, nearly everyone was paired off—a clear sign that this was primarily a hangout for couples.
If an explosion went off in the crowd, it'd be tough to say everyone deserved it—but surely the couples were asking for it.
Then again, there were a few groups of just boys or girls scattered in the line. Ah well, he supposed this was the age of freedom in romance.
Lost in thought, Hikigaya followed Shiina as they quietly joined the back of the line.
"Hikigaya-kun," Shiina smiled. "I bet that fortune teller must be really accurate. Otherwise, why would so many people be lining up?"
"…No, I think it's just all about reputation," Hikigaya muttered, unimpressed. Fortune telling, after all, was little more than suggestive hints.
They'd clearly set up this two-person minimum as bait, targeting hormone-charged couples looking for validation. There was even a notice posted that read: "Only groups of two allowed. We appreciate your understanding."
If people were really in a relationship, they'd naturally want to test the compatibility, the future of their love—it was a feeling Hikigaya could understand.
But that's exactly why it was a trap.
Oh well... he figured he might as well go along with it, if only to kill time.
Most of the guys in line probably shared his sentiment—knowing full well the whole thing was a mix of cold reading and the Barnum effect. But since their female companions insisted on coming, they had no choice but to wait it out.
"Ah, isn't that Ibuki?" Shiina suddenly pointed toward a nearby group.
Following her gaze, Hikigaya spotted the sharp-eyed girl at the end of the adjacent line, fiercely arguing with a staff member.
"Looks like she came alone," Shiina commented. Indeed, Ibuki didn't seem to have her usual companions—Ryuuen, Ishizaki, or Albert—with her.
Not that it was surprising. Ibuki was known for being a lone wolf. She only ever teamed up with others during exams, so seeing her here solo was no shock.
However, her solo status was clearly the reason she was being denied entry. This place, after all, preferred to make double the money with each pair.
Ibuki was visibly frustrated by the situation, but no amount of arguing could change the store's policy.
Hikigaya watched with a mixture of pity and amusement. But no, he wasn't pitying Ibuki—he was pitying himself.
Ibuki didn't have to stand in line. She'd saved herself time and money. Talk about lucky.
Speaking of which, how's that thing I asked her to look into going? Still no word yet...
Not that Hikigaya was banking on it. He'd just been testing his luck, like buying a lottery ticket and expecting no payout.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, his eyes met Ibuki's.
In that moment, Hikigaya knew he should pretend he hadn't seen her. Any sort of greeting would only lead to awkwardness—a situation he had no intention of getting involved in.
However, Shiina seemed to have other ideas.
"Ibuki-san, good morning!" she called out cheerfully.
"Uh…" Hikigaya stifled a groan. Leave it to Shiina, who was standing in line herself, to happily greet a classmate being turned away.
To his surprise, Ibuki hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.
Wait... don't tell me we're going to have to talk now?
"Hey, you two are here for the fortune telling too?" Ibuki started with an obvious question. "Isn't fortune telling usually a one-on-one thing? I wasn't expecting this. Don't you think it's strange?"
"Not really. I looked it up before coming," Shiina replied with a light shrug.
"Oh, I see…"
It was rare to see Ibuki this subdued. Usually, she was full of sharp retorts, but Shiina seemed to throw her off balance.
Well, it wasn't hard to understand why. Even Hikigaya often found himself cornered by Shiina's disarming words, forced into reluctant compromise. It made sense that someone like Ibuki would struggle.
"Ibuki-san, why don't you invite Ishizaki-kun and the others?" Shiina suggested. "You seem to get along with them. I'm sure they'd agree to come."
"Hah? No way."
"Why not? I always see you hanging out with them."
"That's only because of the exams!"
Every time Ibuki spoke, it felt like a jab, creating an invisible wall between her and others. It wasn't surprising that, despite being classmates, most people preferred to keep their distance.
Shiina, however, was the exception. Her carefree attitude was as soft and harmless as cotton.
Perhaps that's why Ibuki found her so difficult to deal with.
"If you can work with them during exams, why not hang out normally? I don't see much of a difference between the two," Shiina mused.
"Hmph, easy for you to say…" Ibuki shot her a sharp look. "And what about you? Isn't it inappropriate for you to casually hang out with guys from another class?"
"I don't see any issue with it. Or are you the type to get caught up in such trivial matters?" Shiina replied, her tone light but piercing.
"Ugh…"
Ibuki had clearly been trying to score a cheap verbal victory, but Shiina's effortless retort left her stunned.
Hikigaya had to admit, watching Ibuki lose to Shiina was more entertaining than the fortune telling itself. Shiina was her natural counter.
However, Ibuki suddenly turned to Hikigaya with an icy glare.
Wait, what? What did I do? I was just standing here watching—I'm innocent!
"So, how's Horikita doing?" she asked out of nowhere.
"…Huh? How would I know?" Hikigaya replied, genuinely confused.
Ibuki crossed her arms, her expression serious. "You're always competing with Horikita, right? You two must talk in private."
"…Are you sure you're not suffering from heatstroke?"
"Yeah, yeah! That's what I was thinking too!" Shiina suddenly chimed in enthusiastically, clapping her hands.
At first, Hikigaya thought she was agreeing that Ibuki might be delirious, but her next words proved otherwise. "From what I've observed, Horikita-san's feelings toward Hikigaya-kun are similar to yours toward Ryuuen-kun, Ibuki-san. You both act like you don't care, but deep down, you respect their abilities… Ah, could it be that you're both a little tsundere?"
No, no, just 'tsun,' please!
"Wha—! Don't say such nonsense!" Ibuki exclaimed, visibly flustered. "There's no way I'd ever respect someone like Ryuuen! I can't even stand to look at him!"
"But you two are often together, aren't you?" Shiina asked, feigning curiosity.
"That was just on the uninhabited island… It was my responsibility for messing up."
Ibuki's expression clouded over as she spoke. Although Ryuuen had planned measures against Hikigaya, he hadn't anticipated that someone from Class D would think similarly, costing them points during the exam. Not to mention, Ibuki had gotten caught stealing Horikita's keycard, further leading to Ryuuen's downfall.
Yeah, her screw-ups really were quite serious.
Hikigaya mused, feeling no sympathy. It was Ibuki's fault for playing spy, after all—she brought it on herself.
"Hey, I want to ask you something," Ibuki suddenly turned to Hikigaya, her gaze sharp. "If Horikita wasn't Class D's leader on the island, then who was?"
"Wait, Ibuki-san, isn't that kind of a sensitive question?" Shiina gently interjected.
"No, it's fine," Hikigaya said. He truly didn't mind. "But even if you knew, there's always the chance that name was just a smokescreen, meant to mislead everyone."
"…Fair point."
Ibuki gave a resigned shrug but quickly fixed him with an intense stare. "I've thought you were strange from the beginning."
"Is that so? You're not the first to think that."
"Don't dodge the question." She huffed impatiently. "Sometimes I can't even tell what class you belong to. It's almost like… you're giving us advice, even now."
"Does that matter? Class means nothing to me."
"You're saying you don't care about rising to Class A?"
"Well, it would be a lie to say I have no interest in Class A," he admitted.
Rising to Class A would indeed make it easier for Hikigaya to choose his future path, whether it be employment or further education. He certainly wanted to make his life a bit more comfortable.
"But more than that, there are other things I care about, so I won't go all out just to achieve it."
While reaching Class A would be nice, it wasn't his ultimate life goal. It was something he could easily give up on.
After all, there were plenty of alternatives, the simplest being just to study well.
"…You're really strange," Ibuki shook her head. "Most people who enroll in this school do so for the privileges that come with graduating. No one expected the school to make us compete like this, but most have accepted it."
"Unfortunately, I'm just not interested in playing by the school's rules."
"Ha…"
Ibuki sighed in disbelief, while Shiina seemed pleased.
"Hehe, there really are people like Hikigaya-kun in this world. It's almost like you're the protagonist of a novel."
"No, what are you talking about…"
Now it was Hikigaya's turn to be bewildered. He had always thought Shiina's ideas were a bit strange as if she harbored some sort of misconception about him.
Just as he was about to say more, his phone suddenly chimed.
He glanced at the screen, and to his dismay, it was a message from Horikita's older brother.
No way… more work?
The message was long, likely detailing another troublesome task.
With a feeling of impending doom, Hikigaya skimmed through the message, his expression turning serious.
Shiina, noticing the change in his demeanor, couldn't help but ask, "Hikigaya-kun, is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing… well, I suppose I can tell you."
It was supposed to be confidential, but the girls would find out eventually. Besides, Hikigaya didn't want Shiina to worry.
"If nothing goes wrong, someone in our grade is about to drop out."
"Is that so… huh?"
"Ah?"
Shiina and Ibuki both responded simultaneously, shocked by the sudden news.
"No, no, even if you say someone's dropping out," Ibuki seemed confused, "it's summer break, not exam season. How could anyone suddenly drop out?"
"No one ever said you could only be expelled through exams…"
That kind of thinking was likely influenced by the school's system. But outside of here, there was usually only one reason a student would be expelled.
Hikigaya lowered his voice, saying, "A few guys were caught trying to secretly take photos in the girls' changing room. They've already been identified."
"What?!"
Ibuki couldn't help but exclaim, prompting Hikigaya to quickly cover her mouth.
"Wait, keep it down. It's still under review."
"But who would do something so stupid!"
For a girl, encountering such an incident would be hard to accept. Even the usually gentle Shiina looked disgusted.
"Well, it is Class D…"
"It was your class?"
"…Do you think any other class would be that dumb?"
"Ah, true."
"Uh…" While Hikigaya couldn't disagree, he wished Ibuki would at least argue back a little, rather than agreeing so quickly.
"Hikigaya-kun," Shiina looked worried, "is this what was bothering you yesterday?"
"Yeah."
Hikigaya didn't deny it. There was no need to.
However, Shiina's next words surprised him.
"Although this is just my guess, could it be that you were the one who discovered the culprit? Or that you're somehow connected to this?"
"…Why do you think that?"
"Because you were so troubled by it, Hikigaya-kun," Shiina smiled wryly. "Even if they are guilty, if they're expelled because you caught them, you'd still feel guilty, wouldn't you?"
At this, Ibuki couldn't help but interject.
"What? Why would you think like that? Those guys deserve to die."
"There's no helping it; Hikigaya-kun is just a kind person."
"Hmph… he's just an idiot."
…Can you two not discuss me like this right in front of me?
Sighing, Hikigaya interrupted, "Anyway, sorry, Shiina, but I need to head to the student council."
The message he received detailed how Ayanokoji, Yamauchi, and Sotomura had gone to the student council office to confess about the incident, with all of them unanimously pointing to Ike as the mastermind.
He never expected Ike to be the sacrificial lamb in the end… but so be it.
Why was Sotomura involved, though?
He'd only find out the details once he got there, and the final decision hadn't been made yet, but Ike's expulsion was likely sealed.
The incident was serious, but the school probably didn't want to expel too many students at once. Moreover, to protect the victims, the exact location of the photoshoot wouldn't be made public.
With no victim stepping forward to complain, expelling one main culprit would suffice.
After all, the sooner this was dealt with, the better, to prevent the situation from escalating.
"Huh? But… we're almost next in line," Shiina said reluctantly. "We've waited so long; can't you stay just a bit longer?"
"It's fine, I'll give my spot to Ibuki."
"This…"
Shiina looked slightly disappointed. Did she dislike going with another girl?
It didn't seem like a big deal. After all, it was just for fun.
"Hey, can you not make decisions for me?"
Ibuki suddenly shot him a sideways glance.
"Who said I agreed? Besides, I'm about to head back."
"Yeah, no need to worry about Ibuki-san," Shiina added. "Once we're done, you can head to the student council. I'll wait with Ibuki-san and queue up again."
"Wait a minute! Can you stop deciding on your own?"
"Huh? Don't you want to?"
"No… I didn't say I didn't want to."
Ibuki gave in once again. Was this what they called the power of natural charm?
"Well," Hikigaya sighed with a smile, "I guess since this is overtime, it won't hurt to be a little late… probably."
"Mm!"
With that, the decision was made. But the line took even longer than expected, and by the time it was their turn, it was almost noon.
Hopefully, Horikita wouldn't be too angry…
As they finally reached the front, Shiina waved to Ibuki before entering.
"Ibuki-san, we're going in now. Be sure to wait for me, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Ibuki, as usual, sounded impatient but didn't seem in a bad mood.
She probably didn't mind spending time with classmates, but her nature made it hard to get along with others.
Inside the room, they found the fortune-teller waiting for them.
The setting was straight out of a movie: dim lighting, a crystal-clear crystal ball, ancient-looking books of unknown origin, and the fortune-teller herself, an old woman with a hood that obscured her face.
The atmosphere was perfect.
Two round chairs were set in front of the fortune-teller. Once they sat down, the old woman smiled and waved her right hand.
"First, please pay the fee."
As she spoke, she pulled out a card reader from under the table and placed it on top.
Hey, hey, hey, isn't the atmosphere completely ruined now?
Hikigaya couldn't help but complain internally. These people were so unprofessional!
The fortune-telling booth had a good vibe, not enough to make you believe wholeheartedly, but it did have a mysterious allure that drew you in.
But suddenly pulling out a piece of modern technology like this shattered the immersion entirely.
If they were going to scam people, they should at least put more effort into it!
At least wait until the end to ask for payment!
"Excuse me, what can we ask you to predict?" Shiina asked, taking out her phone.
"I can predict your academic life, career, love life, or your preferences."
The fortune-teller let out a creepy laugh, clearly trying to play up the mysterious act.
Sigh, while this added to the atmosphere, the price list on the table completely undermined her performance.
She felt more like a money-grubbing old witch than a fortune-teller… really, maintaining immersion was so important!
Why couldn't they just verbally tell us the fees instead of using a price list?
If they wanted to make money, they should have been more thoughtful about it!
Though Hikigaya kept complaining in his mind, he still looked over the price list. The services were divided into several categories.
What the fortune-teller had mentioned seemed to be included in the basic package. There were also other packages with terms Hikigaya couldn't understand.
Since the fortune-telling here was for pairs, many of the services were related to love.
The fortune-teller's job was probably to say some nice things, let the customers leave satisfied, or point out some harmless flaws and offer solutions.
"Hikigaya-kun, have you decided?" Shiina asked, noticing his hesitation. "If not, I can go first while you watch."
"Ah, please."
"Alright, then, I'd like the basic reading."
It seemed that Shīna wanted to start with something simple. She chose the most basic fortune-telling option and held her phone over the card reader. With a beep, the transaction was quickly completed.
Even the cheapest option costs six thousand, huh… This industry really is a rip-off.
"Well then, let's get started." The fortune-teller looked at Shīna. "Miss over there, may I have your name?"
"My name is Shīna Hiyori."
"I must inform you beforehand that my reading will involve examining your facial features, palm lines, and your inner thoughts. I will also see things you might not want others to know."
"Alright, I'm prepared for that."
Through the gap in the fortune-teller's hood, Shīna could catch glimpses of her sharp gaze. But, as she had anticipated, these were all part of the act.
Unfortunately, Shīna was not the type to be easily swayed. On the contrary, she remained composed, almost as if she were eager to see what the fortune-teller would do next.
The fortune-teller then instructed Shīna to extend her hands and began to slowly speak about the results.
"Firstly, regarding your palm lines—your lifeline is very long, indicating that you are likely to live a long life. At present, there are no signs of major illness…"
"...Heh."
Hearing these words, Hikigaya almost couldn't suppress his laughter.
Longevity was something that couldn't be judged in a short session like this. Whether someone was healthy or not could easily be observed through their complexion, and most of the students coming here were teenagers, hardly anyone with serious health issues.
She must say this to every customer, right? It's no different from the sweet but hollow compliments of a typical playboy. It never gets old.
The fortune-teller went on, discussing academics, wealth, romance—recycling the same tired lines as always.
Throughout the entire session, she only spoke of positive things, highlighting a bright future. Occasionally, she threw in a few warnings, but they were so minor they could hardly be considered real concerns. It was as if she was intentionally avoiding anything negative, offering a comforting illusion instead.
Just as Hikigaya expected, fortune-telling was nothing more than feeding customers lines they wanted to hear.
How easy it must be to make money like this...
"Thank you so much," Shiina said, bowing respectfully after her reading. Even though Hikigaya felt duped by the whole affair, Shiina's politeness shone through. She was a good-natured girl, after all.
"Hikigaya-kun, have you decided?" she asked.
"…I think I'll pass," he replied, not wanting to sit through another set of the same predictable lines. Even though he wasn't short on cash, spending it on something like this felt like a loss.
"Hehe, it's just for fun," Shiina said, seeing through his reluctance but not ready to give up. "If you really don't want to, you can just pick the same option as me, and I'll pay for it."
"No, I'll pay for myself!" Hikigaya quickly interjected, unwilling to accept her generosity.
But still, listening to the same script again would be tiresome.
Glancing over the list of services again, Hikigaya decided to pick the option that focused on academics. Even though it was a bit more expensive, the thought of the fortune-teller earning easy money with a recycled script irked him… At least, with this new option, he might hear something different, right?
Despite picking a different package, the process seemed eerily similar. The fortune-teller examined Hikigaya's palm, making small talk about good fortune and minor cautions along the way, leaving him wondering when his life had become so ideal.
But then, when they reached the topic of his studies, the fortune-teller suddenly stopped.
The old woman fell silent, staring deeply into Hikigaya's eyes.
After a long pause, she collapsed against the table as if completely exhausted.
Huh… what's going on now?
"Um, are you alright?" Shiina asked, concerned.
The fortune-teller weakly waved her hand, as if struggling to regain her composure. After a moment, she seemed to recover.
Who knew this new package would come with its own dramatic performance? At least it's living up to its price.
"I see now… Your eyes are deep and dark. In the future, your actions will likely cause harm to many around you."
"You could've just called them dead-fish eyes and saved us some time," Hikigaya muttered.
Even though the words sounded ominous, Hikigaya wasn't fazed. Plenty of girls had already been spooked by his dead-fish eyes throughout his life—wasn't that a form of harm too? In that sense, she wasn't entirely wrong.
The fortune-teller, undeterred by his remark, continued. "Although your actions may bring misfortune to others, if you push forward, discarding your weaknesses, the goal you pursue will eventually be within reach."
"…My goal?"
"It is a person of great importance to you. You will fight for this goal with all your strength, but you may fall before reaching it."
"Uh…" For a brief moment, Hikigaya almost found himself believing in this fortune-telling nonsense, even if it was purely psychological.
Misfortune, huh?
Suddenly, Hikigaya recalled Ayanokoji's words from the previous day: the right thing to do doesn't always bring good results.
Had he made a different choice, could he have prevented someone from dropping out? Even though he knew it wasn't his responsibility, it wasn't something he could easily brush off… He wasn't that indifferent.
And somehow, he had a sinking feeling. Situations like this wouldn't be few and far between in the future. Perhaps this fortune-teller wasn't so off the mark after all.
Even if it was for his sister's sake, whatever he did wasn't born of some noble sense of justice. It was driven purely by selfish desires.
Was he really going to…
"Hikigaya-kun!"
Suddenly, Shiina's voice rang out, a bit louder than usual.
At the same time, warmth enveloped his palm.
"It's going to be alright, Hikigaya-kun."
Shiina held his right hand tightly, cradling it against her chest with care.
"No matter what happens in the future, it's okay. I'll always be on your side. Please, remember that."
"Uh…" Hikigaya was left speechless in the face of her sincerity.
He really shouldn't have come for this fortune-telling…