In the end, Hikigaya hesitated but finally dragged himself to the door.
"Hey! What took you so long? You didn't even pick up your phone!"
The moment the door opened, Kamuro was already unloading her frustrations on him. Well, her feelings were understandable—he had kept her waiting.
Just as Hikigaya was about to apologize, Kamuro cut in again. "I almost thought something happened to you in there! I was about to kick the door down!"
"No way. If that were the case, you could just go downstairs and ask the manager for a spare key."
"Idiot! What if something happened in the time it took to do that?"
"... Sorry."
Kamuro was definitely overreacting a little, but she had a point. So he silently accepted her concern.
"Ugh, forget it. Just let me in. These bags are heavy."
"Oh, right."
Only then did Hikigaya notice the two large bags Kamuro was carrying, which were likely get-well gifts. That was way too much, though.
"Let me use your fridge. It's hot, and I don't want the stuff to spoil."
As soon as she entered, Kamuro made a beeline for the fridge, unpacking the drinks and convenience store meals she had brought.
Are you planning to give convenience store food as get-well gifts?
Most people would bring fruit or flowers, right? But this was just so... Kamuro. He recalled their first meeting, when she brought several boxes of fried chicken as a thank-you. Practical, if not flashy.
Honestly, Hikigaya appreciated it. Had she brought flowers, he would have had to dispose of them once they wilted.
After organizing the food, Kamuro glanced around the room and spotted two cups of tea and some leftover lunch on the table.
For a split second, she seemed to frown, but the expression quickly vanished.
"How's your hand?" She inquired, glancing at the cast on Hikigaya's wrist.
"Does it affect your daily life?"
"A bit, but it's nothing serious. I just need to be careful," Hikigaya replied honestly.
"Good." Kamuro nodded slightly. "If you need anything, let me know. I'll come as fast as I can."
"Uh, sure..."
It felt like she was being overly dramatic, but knowing Kamuro, it wasn't just a polite offer. She was the type to keep her word.
Even so, Hikigaya didn't like troubling others. He definitely didn't want people to think—
"You should stop trying to act tough at times like this," Kamuro said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.
"By the way, isn't it class time right now?" Hikigaya deflected, unsure how to respond.
"Did Sakayanagi send you to check on me?"
"This has nothing to do with her." Kamuro huffed. "I just find gym class boring and wanted to return to the dorm to rest. I thought I might as well check on you."
This month's gym classes were mostly self-directed practice, so skipping didn't cost any points.
"Besides, don't divert our conversation. We're talking about you. Actually, in some ways, you and Sakayanagi are alike."
"No way, we're nothing alike!" Hikigaya quickly denied it.
While both Sakayanagi and Hikigaya faced limited mobility, Sakayanagi had several underlings, whereas Hikigaya would never rely on others in such a way.
Kamuro sighed as if she could read his mind. "I think you're misunderstanding something. Sure, Sakayanagi uses me for tasks like stalking people—things her body can't handle. But she's never asked me to do something like cooking or laundry."
"That's because you can't cook, right?"
"Ugh…"
"Sorry, go on."
Kamuro glared at him in silence, and Hikigaya quickly surrendered.
He probably shouldn't have said that. But then again, it wasn't that big of a deal—lots of guys couldn't cook.
"Anyway, you should understand what I'm getting at." Kamuro's tone softened with a hint of exasperation. "Sakayanagi exhibits recklessness, and her pride is immense." When I heard about what happened this morning, I wasn't surprised at all. That's just the kind of person she is."
Indeed, no other class leader would personally engage in such activities. For example, during the Sudo fight, Ryuuen sent his underlings to take the hits, while Ayanokoji preferred to stay behind the scenes.
But Sakayanagi was different. Even with her fragile health, she craved attention more than anyone.
It might seem not very smart to others, but that's how she operated. Instead of using her father's influence to easily remove the troublesome store clerk, which would've been the logical route, she handled things herself. After all, her father was the director—no partner company would risk offending him over a minor employee.
But if she'd done that, she wouldn't be Sakayanagi anymore. She'd be some arrogant rich kid straight out of a wicked novel.
"Nothing serious happened this time, and your injury was just an accident, but I feel like she'll get herself into trouble sooner or later."
Kamuro's expression showed genuine concern.
It reminded me of how some elderly people turn down offers of help to avoid feeling useless. Given Sakayanagi's pride, it's likely that she detested the notion of depending on others even more. She wanted to prove herself, no matter the cost.
"Kamuro, you—"
"What's with that look?" Kamuro shot him an irritated glance.
"No, I'm just surprised. I didn't realize you cared so much about Sakayanagi."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kamuro glared harder. "That woman holds something over me and constantly forces me to do her bidding. I wish she'd just drop dead!"
"Uh-huh."
Hikigaya didn't buy it for a second, though he pretended to nod along.
If she didn't care, she wouldn't be talking about it like this. Classic tsundere.
"Idiot... I'm worried about you!" After a moment of hesitation, Kamuro burst out.
Hikigaya blinked in confusion and pointed at himself. "Wait, me?"
"Who else?" Kamuro turned her head slightly, but he could see her ears turning red. "Knowing your personality, you won't just stand by if Sakayanagi pulls something crazy again. You'll get dragged into it."
"No, this time was just an accident," Hikigaya hurriedly explained.
Even if Yamauchi had been in trouble, he would have likely offered assistance. Probably.
Fortunately, Sakayanagi knew that, so there was no misunderstanding between them. That made Hikigaya feel much more at ease.
"Maybe this time was an accident, but what about next time?" Kamuro pressed.
"I don't have any reason to get involved in Sakayanagi's problems."
"So, you're implying that you would become involved if you had a valid reason?"
"Uh..."
Hikigaya found himself speechless as if Kamuro had fully exposed him.
"Ugh, you need to be more aware of yourself," Kamuro sighed, crossing her arms. "Remember the first time we met? You stated that you were unable to remain idly by, as it caused you immense discomfort to witness me in danger. That was a pretty flimsy excuse, wasn't it?"
"No, that was the truth."
"And a pretty weak truth at that."
Kamuro sighed again.
"Sakayanagi won't stop anytime soon. If anything, she'll push harder to reclaim Class A. I'm even worried she'll start a fight with another class someday. Since neither of you backs down, things will spiral out of control."
"Uh..." Hikigaya wanted to say Kamuro was overthinking things, but the words wouldn't come out.
She was right, though. Sakayanagi wouldn't sit back and only rely on exams to beat her rivals. Similar to her battle with Katsuragi, she found that targeting political rivals proved to be more successful than making contributions to the class.
Hikigaya had been wrestling with a thought since lying in the hospital bed yesterday, and now he could no longer keep it to himself.
"Hey, Kamuro."
"What?"
"I've got something I want to say to you."
"Then spit it out."
Kamuro didn't think much of it at first, but when she saw Hikigaya hesitating, her expression changed. She quickly called for a pause.
"Hold on a second. What exactly are you planning to say?"
"I'm not sure how to put it... It might sound a bit gross and self-centered."
"Gross? Self-centered?"
For some reason, Kamuro's face started turning red. Then she shook her head vigorously as if to clear her thoughts.
After taking several deep breaths, she finally gave him the go-ahead. "Alright, say it."
"Your reaction is making me a little nervous."
"Stop wasting time and just say it!"
Kamuro was the one who disturbed everyone's tranquility. What an unreasonable person.
But there was nothing Hikigaya could do about it. He had been holding this inside for so long that he desperately needed to let it out.
"If your concerns materialize, I will ensure Sakayanagi's expulsion."
He made up his mind and finally said it aloud.
However, Kamuro's reaction was somewhat unusual.
"That's it?"
"Yeah, I'm serious..."
Hikigaya had expected at least a little surprise from Kamuro, but she just sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.
"I thought you were going to say something serious... I am an idiot for expecting more from you."
Kamuro clicked her tongue, her tone dripping with irritation as if she were annoyed with him.
"Aren't you even going to ask me why?" Hikigaya couldn't help but question.
"What's there to ask?" Kamuro responded impatiently. "Who knows what she's been up to behind the scenes? If people hate her, it's likely due to her actions. Furthermore, this school operates on the principle that expulsion results from a lack of strength."
"Uh…"
Hikigaya knew Kamuro had a carefree attitude, but this seemed a bit too much.
"But if Sakayanagi does get expelled, won't it be hard for your class to make it back to Class A?"
"Stop worrying about things that don't concern you."
Kamuro didn't seem bothered at all.
"If losing one person means we can't win, then it means the other thirty-nine of us didn't deserve it, to begin with. And if we have what it takes to reach Class A, losing Sakayanagi wouldn't make a difference."
"Kamuro…"
Hikigaya couldn't help but look at her with admiration.
At this moment, Kamuro looked incredibly cool. If he had just a fraction of her laid-back attitude, maybe he wouldn't have so many worries weighing him down.
"But why this sudden thought? Could it be attributed to the recent events?"
"…Yeah."
After a brief silence, Hikigaya nodded.
"I think Sakayanagi would be better off outside this school. With her intelligence, she could easily rise to the top anywhere. She doesn't need to fight for anything here."
"Oh... So that's what you're thinking." Kamuro rubbed her chin, seemingly understanding now.
The structure of ANHS didn't allow grades to determine social standing—someone like Yukimura, who ranked second in the grade, barely made an impact, even in Class D.
Of course, grades didn't mean everything outside of school either. Social skills were also crucial.
But Sakayanagi had both. She could easily prove herself elsewhere, without the pressure of this school's competitive atmosphere or rivals like Ryuuen. She could just go to school peacefully, without any drama.
Yes, Hikigaya realized that this was the kind of self-righteous thinking he had always despised—doing things "for someone's good."
Who had the authority to determine Sakayanagi's future?
Even so, he couldn't stop himself from thinking this way.
This recent incident merely served as a catalyst. He didn't want to see something like it happen again.
"Well, I get where you're coming from... But honestly, just don't overthink it. Regardless of whether it's disgusting or not, this school is home to a diverse range of individuals. Do whatever you think is right."
Kamuro paused for a moment.
"Still, I'm in the same class as her, and she does have some dirt on me. Therefore, if necessary, I will likely comply with her instructions."
"Yeah, I figure."
Hikigaya never intended to turn Kamuro against Sakayanagi. Even if she went and warned Sakayanagi ahead of time, it didn't matter to him.
He just wanted to say what was on his mind.
In all honesty, Kamuro was the only one he could discuss this matter with.
Sigh... Maybe this is what people mean by "brotherhood."
Hikigaya didn't have many male friends during his childhood, and he struggled to find someone to confide in when a situation arose. After all, Komachi was a girl, and his younger sister at that, so discussing many things with her wasn't convenient.
As for Zaimokuza... Yeah, better not.
Talking to Horikita Manabu felt too formal—he was a senior, and it was different from interacting with someone his age. Hikigaya always ended up feeling awkward and restrained.
Yet here he was, finding comfort in confiding in Kamuro, of all people. Although it felt a bit disrespectful toward her, Hikigaya was genuinely grateful.
It had been a wise decision to help her back then.
Just then, Kamuro broke the silence.
"Hikigaya, you've said everything you wanted to, right?"
"Yeah, thanks for listening."
"No need to thank me... I have a question for you."
"Huh?"
For some reason, Hikigaya suddenly felt a sense of unease.
Kamuro pointed at the bento on the table, her expression unreadable.
"That bento... it's homemade, right? And the box is pink. You didn't make that with your own two hands, did you?"
"Pink doesn't mean it's necessarily from a girl."
"Did I say it was from a girl?"
Kamuro took a step closer.
"Skipping class, huh? You're quite something. But why haven't you eaten a single bite? Not tasty?"
"Do you want to try it?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Hikigaya felt beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Strange… Wasn't Kamuro supposed to be... Wait, are we going down this road again?