After hearing those words, Hikigaya remained silent, showing no immediate reaction.
Just as Ayanokoji began to wonder if he was being ignored, Hikigaya finally spoke. "Why are you telling me this? I don't care about class rankings, nor am I interested in Class A. You should be discussing this with Chabashira-sensei or Horikita instead."
"I just want you to know that from now on, I won't be doing anything unnecessary."
Ayanokoji's tone was sincere, compelling one to believe him.
"Back on the deserted island, I did go overboard with Horikita, but that was for the sake of my class's victory. Of course, I don't expect you to accept that reasoning, nor do I seek your understanding. However, I want to take this opportunity to tell you that I no longer have a reason to act that way. You don't need to keep targeting me."
"...Rather than worrying about me, shouldn't you be more concerned about someone else?" Hikigaya hinted.
"Yeah, Ryuuen is definitely a problem," Ayanokoji admitted immediately. "But even if my identity is exposed, it doesn't matter. As long as I don't interfere with Class D anymore, Ryuuen won't have a reason to keep pestering me. That will put an end to everything."
"Is that so…?"
Hikigaya pondered for a moment before asking, "So I can take this to mean that no matter what Ryuuen does next, you won't respond?"
"That's right. Now is the best time to step back. I'm going to withdraw completely."
Ayanokoji didn't seem to be lying—perhaps this was truly what he intended.
Then, as if reinforcing his point, he added, "That said, Ryuuen might still resort to extreme measures. If that happens, I hope you'll fulfill your duty as a student council member."
"...Are you asking me to stop Ryuuen?"
Seeing Ayanokoji nod, Hikigaya scoffed.
"You sure think highly of me. What makes you think I could do something like that?"
"But you can, can't you?" Ayanokoji countered. "Just like when Ryuuen confronted Kouenji—you drove away the students from Class B and C with just a few words. And let's not forget the sports festival. You were the one coaching Sudo on how to counter their dirty tricks, weren't you?"
"Weird. How do you seem to know everything?"
Despite his words, Hikigaya wasn't particularly surprised. If even Ryuuen had figured it out, it was no wonder Ayanokoji had as well.
"That's all I wanted to say. From now on, I'll be keeping a low profile. We no longer have any reason to be adversaries."
Ayanokoji had clearly gone to great lengths to convey this.
"And honestly, I think you're right. Class rivalries are boring. It's much more fun just hanging out with friends."
"Friends, huh…? Heh, I see."
Hikigaya suddenly chuckled for some unknown reason.
Ayanokoji was momentarily reminded of another man he had encountered earlier—it was odd, considering they were completely different types.
"I understand your point," Hikigaya said coolly. "If things go as you claim, then I really have no reason to keep watching you. That would be the ideal outcome for me as well. As for Ryuuen, I can only promise to keep him somewhat in check."
"Thanks, that helps a lot."
Ayanokoji exhaled as if relieved. But whether his words were genuine or not…
"So… do we have a deal?"
"Yeah, it's a deal."
At the very least, Hikigaya hoped it was.
Their conversation ended, and the two silently walked back toward their dorms.
As they passed the school gate and onto the tree-lined avenue, they happened upon a female student on the phone, seemingly enjoying a lively conversation.
"Ever since you became student council president, you've been so hard to deal with, Nagumo— Ahaha, I'm joking! I'm not mad, but you'd better treat me next time. Be ready for it!"
Student council president?
Ya?
These words caught Hikigaya's attention. He didn't recognize the girl, but very few people addressed Nagumo by his first name so casually.
"Student council? Sorry, count me out. I have zero interest in that stuff. Besides, Nagumo, your match with the former student council president hasn't been decided yet, has it? Huh? What's with the sudden confession? I know you flirt with girls all the time!"
Either she was oblivious or simply didn't care about the people around her—she said all this out loud for anyone to hear.
Thanks to that, Hikigaya was able to piece together her identity.
If he wasn't mistaken, this girl was Nazuna Asahina, a classmate of Nagumo's and his childhood friend—someone Nagumo had always been interested in.
She was, in a sense, quite famous herself.
But what was this about a match? What was Nagumo up to this time?
"But… if you manage to beat Horikita-senpai, then maybe I'll consider it. Alright, talk later."
It seemed Asahina had some level of affection for Nagumo as well.
Depending on the situation, this could be a useful weakness against Nagumo—
Wait!
"Ugh."
A sudden wave of unease washed over him. Hikigaya smacked his forehead with his palm, the pain snapping him back to his senses.
"What's wrong?" Ayanokoji noticed his reaction.
"Nothing… just a headache."
Hikigaya dismissed it casually, though internally, he felt a sense of dread.
As much as he despised Nagumo, he couldn't afford to drag unrelated people into this.
If he let his emotions dictate his actions, he might just repeat his mistakes on the deserted island.
And worse… he might take things too far.
"Geez, Nagumo is so full of himself."
Having ended her call, Asahina muttered in a low voice while putting her phone away.
"And seriously, isn't Horikita-senpai kind of useless? I was hoping he'd stop Nagumo. In the end, is this just another game that Nagumo will win?"
…Oh?
Hikigaya had assumed they were close, but it seemed their relationship was more complicated than he thought.
Did Asahina disapprove of Nagumo's actions?
Though he had many questions—especially regarding the so-called match—approaching Asahina directly wasn't a good idea.
Nagumo was fixated on her. If that sleazy bastard found out, it would only create unnecessary trouble.
Better to ignore it for now.
Ayanokoji seemed uninterested as well, so they simply walked past her.
Then, an unexpected accident occurred.
"Whoa!"
Asahina tripped and fell spectacularly.
"Ouch, ouch…"
She quickly got up, cheeks flushed as she glanced around, only to spot Hikigaya and Ayanokoji.
With a sheepish smile, she fled the scene, likely too embarrassed to stay.
Hopefully, she wouldn't trip again…
Also, she seemed to have dropped something.
Hikigaya picked it up—it was an amulet.
Then, without hesitation, he naturally placed the object into Ayanokoji's hand.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Ayanokoji, completely unprepared for this action, instinctively took it without thinking.
"You saw what just happened, right? Do me a favor and catch up with that girl to return it."
"Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Because you're faster."
Hikigaya stated the undeniable truth.
"Wait, shouldn't you be the one to return it? She just mentioned Nagumo's name, which means giving it to the student council president through you would be the best choice." Ayanokoji argued logically.
"Where do you get all this unnecessary nonsense from?" Hikigaya sighed impatiently. "I've been dealing with you pestering me non-stop, wasting my time listening to all your reasoning. Now, I'm asking you to run a simple errand, and you're the one complaining?"
"...Fine."
Left with no choice, Ayanokoji let out a small sigh and quickly ran off in Asahina's direction.
Watching his retreating figure, Hikigaya tilted his head slightly upward, gazing at the sky.
It feels like it's going to snow in a few days.
This time of year… I used to spend it with Komachi.… Forget it. There's no point thinking about that now.
Now then, what should I do next?
Time flew by, and tomorrow would be the closing ceremony for the second semester.
Many students had already lost focus in class, eagerly looking forward to winter break. And with Christmas just around the corner, excitement filled the air.
However, there were still those who remained unwavering in their dedication.
"Heh heh heh, Dragon boy, you could stand to use a little more strength, you know?"
"Shut up, Kouenji! I'm going to wipe that smug grin off your face!"
Inside a private training room in the gym, Ishizaki and Albert had already collapsed to the side, completely exhausted. Only Ryuuen was still barely managing to stay on his feet.
The past ten days had been absolute hell for the three of them, relentlessly beaten down by Kouenji. But it wasn't entirely without results.
At first, Kouenji had effortlessly overpowered them with sheer physical strength. Even when all three attacked him together, there was no coordination—just three individuals fighting their own separate battles.
However, Ryuuen quickly recognized the flaw and began devising strategies.
As expected of someone who had been brawling since childhood, it didn't take long for him to evolve from a lone wolf to a true pack leader. And the results were obvious.
By the fifth day, brute force alone was no longer enough to secure victory.
Kouenji was finally forced to use real techniques to keep up, no longer able to treat the fights as mere amusement.
Of course, he still maintained a relaxed demeanor… if you ignored the bruise on his face.
That was the best result the three of them had achieved together.
"Hey, Kouenji, do you remember what I told you on the first day?"
Ryuuen crouched slightly—not rushing in immediately, but instead circling his target with small, deliberate steps.
"The key to victory isn't just about strength!"
"Heh, I've heard that line way too many times."
As he spoke, Ryuuen suddenly took a large step forward and threw a right punch. Kouenji reacted swiftly, raising his left hand to block it.
Another punch followed—this time, however, it was a feint.
Just as the fist was about to strike Kouenji's abdomen, it abruptly changed direction, aiming for his bangs instead.
"How mischievous. You mustn't mess up my hairstyle."
Kouenji jumped backward to evade the grab, but it was as if Ryuuen had anticipated this. Without hesitation, he continued his pursuit.
Even without formal martial arts training, the combat skills honed through real fights were not to be underestimated.
Even Kouenji couldn't completely dodge every attack. As the fight dragged on, he started taking more and more hits.
There was no doubt—Ryuuen was growing at an astonishing speed.
Hikigaya, who had been watching from the sidelines the entire time, could confirm that without a doubt.
"Now!"
Suddenly, Ryuuen let out a loud shout.
At that moment, Ishizaki and Albert sprang up from the ground, lunging at Kouenji.
…So these guys really are resorting to dirty tricks.
"Heh, so the two of you are finally awake?"
Kouenji seemed to have sensed their movements in advance. Laughing, he leaped backward multiple times, swiftly widening the distance.
It was a flashy move, but judging from this reaction, he probably didn't dare to face all three of them head-on anymore.
"Tch, lucky you ran fast," Ryuuen taunted.
"How unfortunate. You've completely misunderstood." Kouenji brushed his bangs with one hand while extending the other, pointing at Ryuuen with just his fingertips. "It's just that, since it's the last day, I felt like indulging you all for a little longer. And thanks to you, I've been late for all my dates these past few days. The ladies have quite the grievances against me."
"Idiot, who the hell cares?"
With Ryuuen leading the charge, the three of them resumed their attack on Kouenji.
But by this point, Hikigaya had lost interest in watching.
Winning or losing—perhaps none of it mattered anymore.
No… deep down, he wanted his actions to be meaningless. He wanted all of this to amount to nothing.
Hikigaya had made plenty of mistakes in his life, and he often regretted them.
But just this once, he hoped he was wrong.
Because if he was, then he would simply have to accept the punishment for instigating a fight.
"Oi, dead-eyed boy, snap out of it."
At some point, someone called his name.
When he looked up, Ryuuen and the others were already sprawled out on the ground, unconscious.
Kouenji, meanwhile, stood in the middle, casually fixing his hair.
…So, no miracle happened after all.
"Such a shame. You missed the sight of me in combat—one of the greatest losses of your life."
"Give me a break. I've already seen it more than enough times."
Hikigaya sighed and walked over to a corner, retrieving the ice packs, towels, and ointment he had prepared in advance.
Thanks to Horikita-senpai's training, he was quite skilled at treating external injuries now… though it would've been much better if he hadn't practiced mostly on himself.
"Heh, as usual, I'll leave the cleanup to you."
Kouenji was about to leave, but this time, Hikigaya stopped him.
"You should at least get yourself treated too." He pointed at Kouenji's face.
"No need. Such minor wounds do nothing to diminish my beauty. You needn't worry."
"Who the hell is worried about you…?"
Honestly, Hikigaya couldn't help but envy and admire Kouenji's mindset.
Even if his family went bankrupt one day, he'd probably rise again through sheer willpower alone.
That was the true strength of Kouenji Rokusuke.
"Well then, when Dragon-boy wakes up, pass him a message from me. Spending time with him over these past few days wasn't as dull as I expected."
"You should just tell him yourself."
"Heh, see you."
Ignoring Hikigaya's reply, Kouenji left on his own.
Maybe the guy was just shy… not a chance.
Not long after Kouenji left, Ryuuen groggily opened his eyes under Hikigaya's care.
"You're awake."
"Ugh… Opening my eyes to see your dead eyes stare almost made me think I was crossing the Sanzu River."
"Not bad, that's a decent joke coming from you."
Hikigaya pulled Ryuuen up without hesitation, pressing the ice pack against his face.
"Here, hold this yourself. If you don't treat it soon, you'll have panda eyes tomorrow."
"Tch, I don't need you to tell me that."
After dealing with Ryuuen, Hikigaya woke up Ishizaki and Albert as well, treating their wounds like usual.
"Oi, Hikigaya, can we get another chance?" Ishizaki clasped his hands together, pleading. "I feel like we're so close to beating Kouenji! Can we try again tomorrow?"
"Unfortunately, that guy's going to disappear for winter break. You probably won't see him for a while."
"Ah… that's true…"
Ishizaki slumped his shoulders in disappointment. Albert gave him a light pat on the back.
Was he trying to comfort him?
"Well, don't be discouraged. You may have lost this time, but it wasn't all for nothing, right, Dragon-boy?"
"If you call me that again, I'll deck you." Ryuuen shot Hikigaya a glare. "And don't think I'm letting you off the hook for using me. After I deal with X, Ichinose, and Sakayanagi, you're next."
"Oh? So I'm the final boss? Or should I be grateful you're saving me for last?"
"Tch, that's exactly what pisses me off about you."
Hikigaya sometimes found his relationship with Ryuuen to be… bizarre.
If he were still at Sobu, he would never have crossed paths with someone like this.
It wasn't a pleasant experience, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant either.
"By the way… tomorrow, you're planning to make your move, aren't you?"
"Hah, do you even need to ask?" Ryuuen scoffed. "You already knew. That's why you set the deadline for today. Heh, you really can read people."
"It was just simple reasoning."
Tomorrow, only half a day of classes remained, and most students wouldn't be staying on campus. If they could handle the surveillance issue, the risk of getting caught would be minimal.
Ryuuen snorted. "Since you're so good at reasoning, do you know how I plan to force X out?"
"Yeah. Through Karuizawa, right?"
"Heh, so you do know."
Ryuuen wasn't surprised. He had put some thought into it, after all.
"You planned to get X expelled by exposing how he manipulated Manabe and the others to bully Karuizawa. I don't know why you gave up on that, but for me, it's quite convenient."
As he spoke, a sinister grin spread across Ryuuen's face.
"If I apply a little pressure, someone like Karuizawa—who's experienced bullying before—will break in no time. She'll spill everything about X like a broken dam… Heh, I can't wait to see his reaction when he realizes the person he trusted had already betrayed him."
"…You're a real piece of work."
Hikigaya fell silent for a moment before looking Ryuuen straight in the eyes.
"Ryuuen, let's make a deal."
"What kind of scheme are you trying to pull this time?"
"This time, it's simple." Hikigaya took a light breath. "I won't stop you from using Karuizawa, but you only need to lure her out. There's no need to do anything unnecessary."
"Heh, and what's the point of that?" Ryuuen sneered.
"That's exactly what this gamble is about."
"…What do you mean?"
With absolute certainty, Hikigaya enunciated each word: "I'm saying you don't need to force a confession. As long as X realizes that Karuizawa has been called out by you, he'll show himself to you voluntarily."
Ryuuen fell silent for a long time.
Then, as if he had gone mad, he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… Hahahahaha! Dead eyes, what should I even say about you? Even good-hearted fools should have their limits. Are you sympathizing with Karuizawa now?"
"You don't believe me?"
"X is someone obsessed with hiding his true identity. I'm not saying he'd sit still and do nothing, but you're telling me he'd reveal himself for Karuizawa? No matter how you spin it, that's ridiculous."
"Is that so…? Maybe you're right."
Hikigaya didn't argue. Instead, he pulled out his phone and displayed his personal points balance to Ryuuen.
"I have twenty million right here. This will be the prize. If you do as I say and X doesn't show up, then the twenty million is yours."
"Whoa, whoa, are you serious?"
Before Ryuuen could react, Ishizaki couldn't hold back his shock.
The first year isn't even over yet—how the hell did he gather that much?!
Even if you combined all the points from an entire class, it wouldn't be enough!
"Heh, interesting." Ryuuen stared at the screen with interest. "Dead eyes, did you rob a bank? Even if you squeezed me and Sakayanagi dry, there's no way you could've amassed this much already."
"Hm? Nah, I didn't rob a bank. Just… slightly looted the school, that's all."
"What?!"
Ishizaki and Albert were dumbfounded by Hikigaya's words, their first reaction being disbelief.
Only Ryuuen clapped his hands together in amusement.
"Hahaha! This is too damn interesting. Dead eyes, you are the best kind of bastard."
"…Am I supposed to say thanks?"
"Heh, I'll take your bet. I promise I won't do anything to Karuizawa."
Ignoring Hikigaya's sarcastic remark, Ryuuen suddenly pointed straight at him.
"But we're going to change the stakes. A mere pile of personal points isn't enough to command me."
"Then… should I throw in those two contracts as well?"
"No, I couldn't care less about those."
"Then what do you want?"
Just as Hikigaya was feeling confused, Ryuuen's lips curled into a cunning grin. His eyes, full of ambition, locked onto Hikigaya.
"I want you to transfer into my class for twenty million and serve as my subordinate until the day you die."
...Huh?