Christmas Eve, also known as Holy Night, is the evening before Christmas.
In the Western countries where Christmas originated, most people spend this day with their families.
But after the holiday made its way to Japan, whether due to cultural differences or some other reason, it gradually transformed into a day for dating and shopping. People flood the streets like fools, swarming out to celebrate.
Isn't that bizarre? You can go out and have fun any time—so why does everyone insist on doing it today?
Hikigaya couldn't help but recall this time last year. He had simply wanted to stay home and laze around, yet Isshiki had forcibly dragged him out.
In the end, he had spent the entire day carrying bags for her… He wondered how that cunning junior was doing now.
She was probably fine.
After all, before Hikigaya graduated from Sobu High, he had managed—through friendly negotiations and the power of the internet—to rein in the underclassman girls… Uh, never mind.
Anyway, today was about spending time with Shiina. He should focus on that.
Checking his phone, he saw that it wasn't even 9 AM yet—still half an hour before their scheduled meeting.
Had he arrived too early?
Well, it wasn't a big deal. If there was one thing he excelled at, it was zoning out.
Unfortunately, the structure of this school wasn't ideal for that. Most entertainment options were confined to the shopping center.
"Good day, Hikigaya-kun."
Like now—running into people he'd rather not see.
"Judging by your expression, you're waiting for someone? But before that, could you at least acknowledge my existence?"
"…No, I wasn't ignoring you."
Hikigaya sighed inwardly and glanced up at Sakayanagi, who had approached him, leaning on her cane.
This was definitely trouble.
"It's just that you're so tiny. And I was lost in thought, so I didn't notice the tiny you."
"Saying it twice is a bit much, don't you think?" Sakayanagi smiled kindly. "Also, isn't your situation rather unfortunate? You didn't even hear me greet you. Could it be that not only your eyes, but also your ears are starting to rot?"
"Yeah, so stay away from me. Wouldn't want you to catch it."
"Rest assured, I have immunity to the Hikigaya bacteria."
She just called him a bacteria…
Seriously, don't go around labeling people as germs!
It brought back some unpleasant memories. Mainly… elementary school kids could be cruel.
"Hehe, let's leave the jokes at that."
Sakayanagi chuckled, brushing the matter aside.
"I'm meeting Masumi later. Who are you waiting for? If you don't mind, why not join us? The more, the merrier."
"No." Hikigaya rejected her without hesitation.
"Oh my, not even Masumi can tempt you?" Sakayanagi said with feigned surprise. "Then at least tell me who you're waiting for. A boy or a girl?"
"A girl."
"Huh? You're surprisingly honest today."
She seemed genuinely surprised by Hikigaya's straightforwardness. Given past experiences, he usually would have dodged the question or given a vague answer.
"It seems that somewhere along the way, Hikigaya-kun has finally grown up."
For some reason, Sakayanagi suddenly shook her head in a show of sentimental reflection.
"You can openly admit you're going on a date with a girl now... Are you one step closer to becoming a scumbag?"
"Hey, don't make it sound so awful," Hikigaya retorted, clearly displeased. "I just don't see the need to hide it. It's not like I'm doing anything shady."
At the end of the day, he was just spending Christmas Eve hanging out with a friend, like most people. By the afternoon, they'd be going their separate ways.
It was fair to say that his relationship with Shiina was completely wholesome.
"Is that so? Then why didn't you ask Masumi-san instead?" Sakayanagi asked with a teasing smile.
"Even if you ask me why... I'd rather ask why I would even do that in the first place?"
Hikigaya had never considered asking anyone out. Not because he was against the idea, but simply because he preferred being alone.
"I see."
For some reason, Sakayanagi nodded thoughtfully, as if something had just occurred to her. Then, she gazed at him with a warm expression.
"I take back what I said earlier. It seems you're still just a child, Hikigaya-kun."
"...Oh, is that so."
Hikigaya rolled his eyes, then looked Sakayanagi up and down.
"With most people, I wouldn't care. But for some reason, hearing it from you really bothers me."
"Oh? And why is that?"
Sakayanagi deliberately stretched out her words, her tone gradually lowering.
...Creepy.
"It's nothing. Forget it."
Seeing Hikigaya back down instantly, Sakayanagi couldn't help but shake her head with a chuckle.
"You are... never mind. I have a few questions for you. You've heard about Class C, haven't you?"
"I wrote the article on the forum." Hikigaya cut straight to the point.
The report had been posted around noon yesterday, and within a day, it had spread like wildfire. Everyone was talking about it.
It had spread even faster than expected.
But that was only natural. ANHS was a closed environment—any incident, no matter how small, would make its way through the entire school in no time. Especially when the topic was this juicy.
In that sense, Ayanokoji and Ryuuen had done something good.
Their actions had brought a bit of amusement to the otherwise dull school life.
"I see. No wonder it was written in such an entertaining way," Sakayanagi said with a knowing smile. "But how much of it is true? Can you be honest with me?"
"Oh? Are you having trouble accepting it?"
Hikigaya immediately saw through her thoughts and deliberately provoked her.
"The Ayanokoji-kun you admire so much not only exposed his hidden strength by fighting over a girl but also caused a huge commotion throughout the entire school. Are you struggling to accept that reality?"
"…I just find it hard to believe that Ayanokoji-kun would do something like that."
Sakayanagi's grip on her cane tightened, producing a faint creaking sound—probably her way of suppressing her frustration.
"And at the time, Dragon Boy was still searching for the strategist hidden within Class D. I can't understand why he would suddenly confess to a Class D girl... and why he and Ayanokoji-kun... No matter how I think about it, it doesn't make sense."
So it wasn't just those two—Sakayanagi was also struggling to wrap her head around this situation.
"There's no need to explain it, is there? High school boys are just like that. When their emotions get the better of them, they do all kinds of stupid things," Hikigaya replied nonchalantly.
"Perhaps... So, were you involved in this matter?"
Sakayanagi's sharp gaze locked onto him as she pressed further. Hikigaya, however, remained calm and simply shook his head.
"You already know the answer. Why even ask?"
"Then was it also you who forced Ayanokoji-kun to score full marks on the Paper Shuffle?" Sakayanagi continued probing.
"Ugh, why do you have so many questions?" Hikigaya sighed. "How about I ask you one instead? I've always been curious—you're always going on about how amazing Ayanokoji is. Sure, his grades and athletic ability are ridiculously good. But when you say you want to defeat him, what exactly do you mean?"
"I've answered this before, haven't I? Of course, I mean in the special exams."
"But didn't your class lose in the Paper Shuffle?"
"That was indeed my loss. However, a true genius never gives up."
"Yeah, yeah, got it. You're as persistent as a piece of gum."
The tension between them gradually sharpened—just as Hikigaya had hoped.
He wanted to know what Sakayanagi was planning next.
"After this incident, Ayanokoji will only become even more cautious," Hikigaya said flatly. "I doubt you'll get your wish. Even if he's secretly an attention-seeker, he won't be so eager to be your opponent—especially since, from his perspective, you're just some random person who appeared out of nowhere."
"…You're not wrong."
Sakayanagi fell silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"When I last spoke with Ayanokoji-kun, he mentioned something... He asked if I was placed in Class A because my father, the chairman, gave me special treatment. Heh, it was a cheap provocation, but it did make me realize that I need to take action. Otherwise, he'll never acknowledge my strength."
So they had that kind of conversation while Hikigaya wasn't paying attention.
…Wait.
Could it be that Sakayanagi's sudden decision to go after Ichinose was because of Ayanokoji's words?
No, that probably wasn't the only reason. This was just the kind of person she was.
"Not just Ayanokoji—I don't believe in you either." Hikigaya decided to follow her train of thought.
"No matter how much you emphasize that you're a genius, you haven't achieved much, have you? If we look purely at results, your class even dropped to Class C at one point. If we're talking about individual exam scores, Yukimura and Horikita from my class are on par with you. Are you saying they're also geniuses on your level?"
"…You've been provoking me this whole time, haven't you?"
Even though Sakayanagi remained calm, a flicker of emotion showed through.
"Have I? Then I sincerely apologize for my honesty."
Hikigaya didn't care whether she was upset. After all, she was the one who chose to cooperate with Nagumo.
The secret meeting between those two in the student council office had honestly disgusted him.
For that, Sakayanagi had to take responsibility.
"If I were Ayanokoji, I wouldn't bother entertaining your challenge either. You're simply not worth defeating. Unless, of course, you take a page from Ryuuen's book and force Ayanokoji into a fight. Let him beat you to a pulp, send you to the hospital, and get him expelled. That'd count as a victory for you, wouldn't it?"
"Hehe, that does sound like a good plan."
Sakayanagi didn't get mad. Instead, she chuckled softly.
"But if it were me, I'd prefer to have Masumi-san be the one Ayanokoji-kun attacks. That way, I could use you against him. My chances of winning would be much higher, wouldn't they?"
"You can rest assured because before that happens, I'll take you down first."
"Oh my, do you care about Masumi-san that much?"
Sakayanagi laughed behind her hand.
"Hikigaya-kun, you've just exposed your weakness."
"No, I just owe her a favor," Hikigaya replied, unfazed. "Besides, I've been waiting for you to make a move. Thanks to our contract on the uninhabited island, I've been siphoning 1.1 million private points from your class every month. And yet, you've done nothing... Don't tell me you're holding back because I saved you once?"
"Of course. I can't bear to do it."
Sakayanagi's expression suddenly turned serious—almost as if she meant it.
"So if you're willing to join my class, I wouldn't have to make things difficult for you."
"If I were to switch classes, I'd go to Class A. Why would I join the former Class C?"
"Heh, you don't have to worry about that."
Sakayanagi chuckled again, as if she found something amusing.
"Class A's success is only temporary. That class has a fatal weakness, and soon, I'll completely dismantle them."
"Is that even possible? There's a gap of over 500 points between your classes right now," Hikigaya replied skeptically.
"No need for words—you'll just have to wait and see."
Sakayanagi clearly had no intention of going into detail, but this much was enough.
At the very least, it confirmed that she had decided to make her move.
"There you are! Seriously, can you not wander off from the meeting spot? Your legs aren't exactly in great shape... Oh, Hikigaya."
At that moment, Kamuro showed up to join Sakayanagi. Naturally, she noticed Hikigaya as well.
"Yo."
Hikigaya raised his hand slightly in greeting.
Now that Kamuro was here, Sakayanagi would probably be leaving soon.
"Apologies, I arrived a little early, so I took a short stroll."
Sakayanagi smiled as she offered her excuse, showing not even the slightest trace of the leverage she held over the other party.
She's really something else… completely two-faced. She reminds me a lot of Haruno-san.
As Hikigaya was lost in thought, Sakayanagi suddenly turned her head and flashed him a meaningful smile.
He wasn't sure what she was up to, but he had a bad feeling about it.
"Masumi-chan, listen to this—Hikigaya-kun has a date with a girl today."
"...And that concerns me how?"
Despite her words, Kamuro's expression visibly darkened. In the end, she even turned her head away.
Huh? Was she feeling that the world was unfair because she had to be stuck with Sakayanagi?
If that was the case, he could sort of understand how she felt.
"What's wrong, Hikigaya-kun? Aren't you going to comfort her?" Sakayanagi teased, clearly enjoying the situation.
"Comfort her? How? Uh… I guess I could treat you next time? How about ramen?"
"Ramen… Hehehe, ramen… He actually said ramen."
For some reason, Sakayanagi burst into laughter, even patting Kamuro on the waist as she did so.
"Masumi-chan, isn't this wonderful? Hikigaya-kun said he'd treat you to ramen."
"W-What?! What's so funny about that?!" Kamuro's face instantly turned red.
Looks like for a high school girl in the prime of her youth, ramen was an absolutely inappropriate choice... Was it really that bad?
"No, no, I'm not making fun of you." Sakayanagi chuckled. "I just think you and Hikigaya-kun suit each other so well. If you do go for ramen, could you bring me along too? I'd love to try it."
"You're so annoying! Let's go already!"
With that, Kamuro forcefully dragged Sakayanagi away.
Halfway through, though, she suddenly turned back and shouted, "Hey, you better not go back on your word! I'll remember what you said!"
"Oh my, Masumi-chan really is…"
"Shut up!"
Watching the two bicker as they walked off, Hikigaya suddenly felt a bit melancholic.
Talking with Sakayanagi wasn't exactly pleasant, but even interactions like this would only happen during this winter break.
Once the third semester began, things would probably change completely… Well, that was a problem for the future.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hikigaya-kun."
"No worries, I just got here too."
For now, he might as well enjoy the break while it lasted.