The tumultuous Paper Shuffle exam had finally come to an end.
Though such a dramatic description might seem exaggerated, this exam—both in scale and impact—was nowhere near as significant as the deserted island test. On the surface, it had been an ordinary assessment.
But anyone who thought about it for even a moment would realize that something unusual had played out behind the scenes.
It wasn't just the first-year students—Ayanokoji was now famous across the entire school. And with his previous sprinting match against the former student council president, his reputation had reached its peak.
Unfortunately, Hikigaya had also been dragged into trouble because of this.
That morning, as he prepared to head to school, he stepped out of his door only to run into the last person he wanted to see.
"Good morning, Hikigaya."
Facing Ayanokoji's usual deadpan expression, Hikigaya felt like his entire day's mood had been ruined.
Still, social etiquette dictated he return the greeting.
"Morning... So, are you waiting here just to block my way?"
"No, this was just a coincidence. Besides, we're neighbors, aren't we?"
"Oh, right."
Now that Ayanokoji mentioned it, Hikigaya almost forgot.
Not because he had a bad memory, but simply because both of them were reclusive types. Their school schedules rarely aligned, and as far as he could recall, they had never run into each other before.
In other words... this guy was definitely waiting here on purpose.
"Since we happened to meet, why don't we walk together?" Ayanokoji suggested.
"...If we don't leave now, we'll be late."
If possible, Hikigaya really wanted to find an excuse to retreat back into his room and stall for time. The last thing he wanted was to go to school with Ayanokoji.
But reality didn't allow for such luxuries.
His entire morning routine was precisely calculated so he could arrive at class just in time—there was no extra room to dawdle.
Back in Sobu High, Hikigaya had followed the philosophy that "a hero always arrives last," managing to rack up an impressive record of two hundred tardies in three years. Hiratsuka-sensei had punched him more times than he could count for it.
However, after transferring to ANHS, things were different.
Thanks to the cursed S-System, being late wasn't just a personal matter—it affected the entire class.
Even Class D students would glare at latecomers with disdain. Thanks to this, Hikigaya had reluctantly changed his ways. Arriving at the very last second was his final act of defiance.
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji was always perfectly punctual—never early, never late.
There was no reason for him to be here at this hour!
"Yeah, let's pick up the pace a little," Ayanokoji said, nodding as if he hadn't noticed the implications in Hikigaya's words.
Of course, even if he did notice, he would just feign ignorance to the end.
Sure enough, the moment they stepped into the elevator, Ayanokoji spoke.
"By the way, how's your grandfather? Don't you need to go back home to take care of your sister?"
"My grandfather passed away," Hikigaya answered bluntly.
"I see. My condolences."
"Thanks."
"Now that I think about it, you found out about it on the day of the exam, didn't you? Quite the coincidence."
There was something off about Ayanokoji's tone. Was it just his imagination, or was there a subtle hint of sarcasm?
Hikigaya decided to play along.
"It was quite the coincidence. If it had happened a day later, I would've gotten a zero on the test. Maybe it was my grandfather's blessing from beyond, just like how you scored a perfect hundred."
"Perhaps. I should thank your grandfather, then."
"No need to be so polite. You can go thank him in person if you want."
"...Ugh."
The two of them exchanged glances and fell into silence.
Eventually, Ayanokoji sighed in defeat.
"Let's not waste time on pointless probing."
"Probing? Weren't we just insulting each other?" Hikigaya asked, feigning innocence.
"…I just want to confirm something. This whole situation—was it your doing?" Ayanokoji finally asked.
He deliberately used the word "confirm," implying he already knew the answer.
"Are you trying to say I'm X?" Hikigaya teased. "If that's the case, you should be thanking me, right? After all, if I hadn't passed you that little note, you wouldn't have scored a hundred."
Thanks to that ridiculous lie, quite a few idiots in class were now looking at Hikigaya strangely.
They had believed Ayanokoji's words, and after some discussion, had unanimously concluded that X was none other than Hikigaya.
Ridiculous. Hopefully, Ryuuen wasn't dumb enough to believe it too.
"I don't know why you did it, and I don't intend to dig into your motives," Ayanokoji continued, brushing aside the joke.
"So, let's just leave it at that. We were never meant to intersect. Targeting me won't benefit you. I only hide my abilities because I want a peaceful school life."
After a brief pause, he casually added, "Or did someone put you up to this? Now that you know my real strength, are you hoping I'll contribute to my class?"
Despite saying he didn't care about Hikigaya's motives, Ayanokoji was still probing for information.
"You're overthinking things. I'm not interested in your strength," Hikigaya scoffed. "But I am curious about this so-called 'peaceful school life' of yours... Does it include roughing up classmates in private?"
"If you're referring to Horikita, I can apologize. I'll even do a dogeza if necessary," Ayanokoji said without hesitation.
"Forget it. That's up to Horikita to forgive."
At this point, even Ayanokoji should have understood the situation.
"Does this mean you'll continue interfering with me?"
"Interfering? You make it sound like you're some kind of villainous boss." Hikigaya couldn't help but retort. "And honestly, I don't think you even understand why I'm doing this."
"Then tell me."
"Simple—I just don't like you."
Hikigaya's blunt answer left Ayanokoji momentarily speechless.
"I mean, you've noticed it too, right? This isn't the first time I've messed with you. Maybe I went a little too hard this time, but I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"If possible, I'd prefer there be no next time," Ayanokoji sighed.
He was probably already thinking about how to deal with Hikigaya.
If there were a clear reason—some grudge or rivalry—it would be easier to counter. But being disliked for no specific reason? That was much harder to handle.
A single misstep could escalate things unnecessarily.
After some thought, Ayanokoji decided to take a different approach. He pulled out his phone and held it up to Hikigaya.
"How about a deal? This is your friend, right?"
On the screen was a photo of Kamuro—multiple.
"Oh? When did you turn into a stalker?" Hikigaya's gaze grew suspicious. "Don't tell me you were the mastermind behind the pool incident, and Ike and Yamauchi were just your scapegoats?"
"Don't misunderstand. She was following me, so I took these photos," Ayanokoji quickly clarified.
"Hah. Just kidding."
Of course, Hikigaya knew exactly what Kamuro was up to.
Still, her stalking skills were as awful as ever—getting caught without even realizing it.
"Anyway, it was Sakayanagi who instructed her to do that. Who told you to stand out so much in this exam?"
"Who do you think caused that…? But from the way you're talking, it sounds like you've had a similar experience," Ayanokoji remarked pointedly.
"Yeah, well, that Sakayanagi is a real pain."
This wasn't just badmouthing someone behind their back— even with that scheming, silver-haired girl standing right in front of him, Hikigaya had no qualms about saying it outright.
"So? What exactly do you want by showing me this? Are you trying to threaten me?"
"No, like I said, I just want to make a deal," Ayanokoji shook his head. "As long as you and your friends don't tell Ryuuen about me, I'll pretend I never saw anything. How about it?"
"Hmm… Are you really that worried about Ryuuen finding out you're X?"
"Obviously. I'd rather not get beaten up."
Seeing Hikigaya's skeptical expression, Ayanokoji continued, "I know you've seen me fight Horikita's brother before, and I'll admit I have some experience in that area. But Ryuuen has too many subordinates. No matter how skilled I am, I can't take on all of them by myself, right?"
That was true— no matter how strong one person was, it was difficult to fight off multiple opponents at once, unless the other side had no real combat experience.
Of course, that was assuming they intended to gang up from the start.
"If that's all, then sure," Hikigaya agreed without hesitation. "Kamuro doesn't care about your affairs— she's just Sakayanagi's tool. As for me, you don't have to worry either. Ryuuen is way too suspicious by nature. Even if I told him, he wouldn't believe me."
"Then it's settled."
Ayanokoji didn't show the slightest doubt in Hikigaya's words— he had already figured out Ryuuen's personality.
This whole unnecessary negotiation was likely just a ploy to mislead Hikigaya.
Unfortunately for him, Hikigaya had a high opinion of Ayanokoji's abilities.
There was no way someone like him would be afraid of Ryuuen— at least, not right now.
Their conversation reached a temporary pause, and they silently continued walking toward the school.
Just as they were about to reach the gates, a flashy-looking girl suddenly approached them.
"Ayanokoji-kun, good morning! Oh, and Hikigaya-kun too."
…Did she just say 'too'?
Hikigaya recognized her—it was Satou Maya, the same girl who had once tried to chat him up.
After the relay race, he had worried she might remember him, but since she never brought it up, she had probably forgotten all about it.
Not only that, according to Matsushita, Satou had developed a crush on Ayanokoji and had recently been making efforts to get closer to him.
This meeting at the school gates wasn't just a coincidence.
It wasn't surprising, though. Sometimes, falling for someone was as simple as admiring their speed, intelligence, or—most importantly—good looks.
Yeah… normies really should just explode.
"Good morning, Satou," Ayanokoji responded, as composed as ever, making it impossible to tell whether he was pleased or troubled by her attention.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen you two walking to school together. Did you plan this? That's an unusual combination." Satou asked curiously.
"No, we just happened to run into each other."
"I see… Oh, right, Hikigaya-kun!"
For some reason, Satou suddenly turned her attention to him.
"I heard you've been getting along well with Matsushita lately. I know all about it—she's started calling you by your first name, hasn't she?"
…Was this the infamous girl gossip network in action?
Faced with Satou's teasing tone and knowing look, Hikigaya had no desire to humor her.
But staying silent would only make him seem guilty… Might as well just brush it off.
"Isn't that normal? Normies always like calling people by their names."
"What's with that indifferent attitude?" Sato pouted. "You better not let Matsushita hear that—it'd make her sad. Besides, you have to take responsibility and protect her properly."
"Protect?"
Hikigaya frowned at the word.
"What happened to Matsushita? Is someone targeting her?"
"That's not it. It's just that Class C keeps causing trouble."
After Sato's explanation, Hikigaya finally understood the situation.
Apparently, as early as November, some members of Class C had been spying on Class D. It was only a small group, and they just watched from a distance, making it hard to call it a violation of school rules.
Back then, everyone was focused on study sessions, so no one paid much attention. They assumed Class C was just trying to mess with their exam preparations.
But ever since Paper Shuffle ended, things had escalated.
Students walking alone were suddenly stopped and harassed over trivial matters. Even in groups, they were being followed and monitored from afar—it was unnerving.
This was the first time Hikigaya had heard about it. Then again, he never had anyone to hang out with after school…
…Wait.
Why did that sound so depressing when he said it himself?
"Now that you mention it, Akito—Miyake also complained about it. He said people from Class C kept bothering him during kyudo practice," Ayanokoji suddenly added.
"Yeah, they've been getting pretty bold lately," Sato agreed, then turned to Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, can't you think of something?"
"Even if you ask me to come up with a plan… Wait a minute. Are you misunderstanding something?"
Hikigaya suddenly had a bad feeling. Was she also mistaking him for X?!
"No, no, I was just casually asking."
Even as Sato said that his face had a knowing look that screamed, You know what I mean.
…This idiot.
Hikigaya glanced at Ayanokoji, who remained expressionless as usual. That alone spoke volumes.
Great. So now they were trying to use him as a shield?
Just as Haruno-san had said, he really should find a chance to punch Ayanokoji at least once.
But how, exactly? Hikigaya hadn't figured that part out yet. In any case, there was no way he was doing it himself—not in this lifetime.
While he was thinking, they had already arrived at the classroom.
The moment they stepped in, Sudou's loud voice rang out.
"Horikita, listen to me! Those Class C guys are seriously pissing me off—especially Ryuuen! He picked a fight with me first thing in the morning and even blocked my way!"
"And did you follow my instructions to ignore them?"
"Of course! I didn't say a single word. I acted like they didn't even exist!"
…What kind of grade-schooler conversation was this?
Hikigaya was speechless. But still, for Sudou, this was probably the best approach.
Otherwise, with his temper, it wouldn't take much for a shouting match to turn into a full-on fight.
That aside, Ryuuen was getting more and more desperate. It seemed like his recent losses had him backed into a corner. Hopefully, he'd calm down a bit.
…Wait.
Ryuuen?
A sudden realization struck Hikigaya.
If they needed someone to deal with the so-called Masterpiece, wasn't the best candidate already right there?