Hearing a sudden voice from beside him, Hikigaya flinched in surprise, instinctively stepping back as if caught doing something suspicious.
Shiina, however, remained composed. She smiled and greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Ryuuen-kun. Are you here to buy books as well?"
"Heh, Hiyori, your acting skills have really improved."
Ryuuen smirked, but the movement seemed to tug at the wound on his lip, causing his grin to vanish instantly.
Speaking of which, he'd been beaten up pretty badly—so why wasn't he resting at home?
"Please don't say such things. I'm not putting on an act," Shiina replied calmly.
"Your ears are turning red, though."
"Eh?!"
Shiina, who had been maintaining her composure, suddenly panicked and covered her ears with her hands.
Oh? So she could get embarrassed too.
Noticing Hikigaya's slightly surprised expression, Shiina's cheeks quickly flushed red as well.
Then, speaking at a rapid pace, she said, "Sorry, Hikigaya-kun. Let's end things here for today."
"Oh, sure."
"I really enjoyed spending time with you. Let's hang out again next time."
With that, she lowered her head and hurried away.
Looks like she was genuinely embarrassed… Seriously, don't do that next time!
Even now, Hikigaya wasn't used to physical contact with girls.
Why hadn't he built up any resistance by now?
A true master should be able to overcome their instincts!
As he was lost in such pointless thoughts, Ryuuen suddenly stepped in front of him, wearing a smug, punchable expression.
"Sorry to interrupt, Dead Eyes. Did I ruin your little moment?"
"...What moment?"
"…Tch, you're boring."
Ryuuen looked at Hikigaya with a disappointed expression.
Huh? Why was he suddenly annoyed with me?
"You're not playing dumb, are you? Or do you just like guys?" Ryuuen asked with deliberate malice.
Well, if it were someone like Totsuka—wait, no!
Totsuka is just… Totsuka!
"Not your concern." Hikigaya rolled his eyes.
He wasn't blind—he'd noticed a few things.
If he wasn't overthinking or being delusional, then Shiina probably had at least some level of interest in him.
But he wasn't sure if it was romantic.
More importantly, he wasn't sure if he liked Shiina in that way.
He didn't dislike her, obviously… but calling it love felt like a bit of a stretch.
"You're being so wishy-washy, like a woman," Ryuuen scoffed as if reading his thoughts. "Just date her and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, you break up. That's how guys do things."
"No. Mind your own business," Hikigaya rejected the idea outright.
He knew modern relationships were often casual—both dating and breaking up had become mundane events.
But he had no interest in following that trend.
"Heh, what, are you planning to stay a virgin for life?"
"…And what about you?" Hikigaya shot back, a little irritated. "Did you succeed in confessing to Karuizawa? Or did you lash out at Ayanokoji because you got rejected?"
"Hah, you dared to bring that up?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Hikigaya wasn't at all afraid of Ryuuen's threats.
This guy was just putting on a show—deep down, he didn't care.
Someone with skin as thick as his wouldn't be bothered by failing a confession or getting beaten up.
At most, people would gossip about it behind his back.
But that didn't mean he was completely unaffected.
He must have realized something, too.
"Hey, Dead Eyes, humor me with a chat."
"You sound like a delinquent."
Ignoring Hikigaya's comment, Ryuuen found a corner of the bookstore and plopped himself down on the floor.
This guy had no sense of decorum.
Seeing no other choice, Hikigaya sat down as well.
"So? What do you want to talk about?"
"I've been thinking a lot since that day." Ryuuen glanced at Hikigaya, deep in thought. "The more I think about it, the more I realize—you're a freaking monster."
"Haha…"
So all this buildup was just to say that?
"Whether you're trying to compliment me or insult me, I don't care. Just shut up already." Hikigaya waved a hand dismissively.
"Let me finish."
For once, Ryuuen sounded serious… so Hikigaya decided to hear him out.
"Putting aside your monster-like insight and ability to read people, what are you even gaining from all this? None of this benefits you in any way."
It was clear this question had been bothering Ryuuen for a while.
Whether it was getting Kouenji to train them, or using the transfer bet to lure out X, the results had only ever benefited Class C.
From a practical standpoint, Hikigaya was making a loss.
Naturally, Ryuuen must have suspected there was some hidden catch.
But in the end, there wasn't.
That's why—even though Hikigaya had been leeching Class C's private points—Ryuuen still couldn't bring himself to see him as an enemy.
"If you're asking whether there's a benefit, of course there is. You just don't get it," Hikigaya replied.
"Heh, don't underestimate me."
Ryuuen sneered, his sharp gaze fixed on Hikigaya.
"You're just playing with me and Ayanokoji like we're your toys, aren't you? Seeing us move exactly how you predicted must feel damn satisfying."
"Unfortunately, it's the opposite." Hikigaya let out a small sigh.
"In truth, I wanted you guys to surpass yourselves. Especially you. When you saw Ayanokoji reveal himself, you should have thought of a better move."
At first, Ryuuen had done the right thing by listening to Hikigaya's warning and sparing Karuizawa.
That was commendable.
But choosing to fight Ayanokoji had been a terrible decision.
If he won, there'd be no benefit.
If he lost, he'd lose everything.
Although this incident of violence had been painted as a love rivalry gone out of control, one crucial fact remained unchanged—
Class C's most formidable group of enforcers had been utterly defeated.
And their opponent was Ayanokoji.
Alone.
As a tyrannical dictator, Ryuuen must have understood exactly what that meant.
"Heh... Hahaha! You really are a strange one." Ryuuen ignored his pain and burst into laughter. "Seriously, offering advice to your enemy so sincerely?"
This was a bookstore, for crying out loud. Even if there weren't any other customers around, couldn't he at least keep his voice down?
Hikigaya, unimpressed, replied flatly, "I've already told you—I have no interest in class warfare. We're not enemies."
"Is that so? Are you saying you didn't do anything in the last exam?"
"That was just a transaction."
"Oh? A transaction, huh?"
At that word, Ryuuen's gaze sharpened with interest.
Under his scrutiny, Hikigaya felt increasingly uncomfortable. To divert the conversation, he remarked, "You should worry about yourself instead. Watch out, or you might get overthrown."
"Ridiculous. You think anyone in my class could pull that off?"
"Maybe not completely, but making things difficult for you? That's another story."
Simply put, Class C was about to descend into chaos.
Ryuuen had long ruled through brute force, suppressing any dissatisfaction with an iron fist. But now, that intimidation had been shattered by an outsider. His absolute authority could no longer be taken for granted.
Even if he retained his leadership, his subordinates would inevitably begin doubting his capabilities. They might not dare to openly rebel but behind his back? Defiance and insubordination were inevitable.
From now on, ruling through violence was no longer an option. Class C would no longer move as Ryuuen willed.
And one day, someone just might raise the flag of rebellion.
Still, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Ryuuen.
A dictatorship never lasts forever. No single person's wisdom is infallible. If he wanted to change, now was the time.
"I'm well aware that some fools will try to challenge me," Ryuuen admitted, a smirk playing on his lips. "In a perfect world, I'd crush them without hesitation. But, as you said, this school's system is annoyingly restrictive. Even useless pawns can't be discarded so easily. And if just one person starts stirring up discontent, things can spiral out of control fast."
This wasn't just theory—he had experienced it firsthand.
Though to be fair, the sports festival fiasco had been his fault…
"So, Dead Eyes, how about working with me?"
"...Working together?"
The unexpected suggestion made Hikigaya frown.
"That's quite the leap in the topic. Or rather, I have no idea how you even got to that conclusion."
"Heh. Still playing dumb?" Ryuuen grinned and cut straight to the point. "You keep emphasizing that you don't care about class competition, that you have no obsession with Class A. And yet, you've been stockpiling personal points like crazy. That has to mean something, right?"
If Hikigaya truly wanted to reach Class A, he never would have made that reckless bet to transfer to Class C.
"There's no deep reason. Can't I just enjoy life?"
"Yeah, right. You think that excuse is gonna fool me?"
Ryuuen dismissed the lie without hesitation.
"I didn't get it at first. But then, on the rooftop that day, when that blonde student council president showed up with the former president, everything clicked."
"...Clicked how?"
"You want me to spell it out, huh?" Ryuuen exuded confidence. "That blonde guy—Nagumo—gives me the same vibe as Ayanokoji. And you hate Ayanokoji, don't you? No way you'd get along with someone like Nagumo. On the other hand, the former student council president—Horikita's brother—is just like her. A serious, by-the-book honor student. And those kinds of people are the ones you can't leave alone."
"Uh..."
Hikigaya fell silent for a moment, scratching his head.
Then, after a long pause, he muttered, "...Weird. Why do you only ever say half of what you mean? Also, I still have no clue what your main point is."
"Tch. You are an annoying bastard."
Ryuuen clicked his tongue, clearly frustrated by Hikigaya's feigned ignorance.
"But I know the truth. The real reason you've been collecting all those personal points—it's because you're planning to take down that blonde bastard, aren't you?"