Yesterday's Christmas Eve was, overall, quite meaningful.
On one hand, I confirmed Sakayanagi's movements. On the other, I temporarily reached an agreement with Ryuuen, though how things will develop remains uncertain.
Aside from that, the morning movie was pretty bad, but the Pretty Cure movie in the afternoon was fantastic. Oh, and the fried chicken was delicious… Yep, that's all!
Spending time with Shiina was certainly enjoyable, but now wasn't the time to reminisce about it.
I had no intention of letting myself get distracted—after all, I still had to deal with my troublesome superior.
…Ugh, this is such a pain.
If Komachi were here, that'd be a different story. Otherwise, I'd much rather spend Christmas alone in my room, relaxing.
Who the hell wants to go to karaoke with upperclassmen?
It's not like I don't know them—they're mostly student council members I've interacted with before. But this is the first time we've ever had a group outing like this. Plus, it seems like some of Nagumo's classmates will be joining as well.
Isn't this a bit too much for me to handle?
"I hate this… I just want to go home."
"Hmm? What are you talking about?"
"Whoa?!"
Just as I was muttering to myself, a sudden voice from beside me startled me.
I turned to look—it was Ichinose.
She was wrapped in a pink coat with a white scarf and gloves, looking warm and cozy.
"Hey, don't just sneak up on people like that!" I complained.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to." Ichinose smiled apologetically, clasping her hands together. "By the way, I saw you standing over there, completely lost in thought. You looked so focused! Were you thinking about the Christmas event?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about when I can leave."
"Come on, don't say such depressing things! We finally have a chance to hang out together!"
Because we were already familiar with each other, Ichinose knew I wasn't joking.
"If you stay cooped up in your room all the time, you'll rust away. Let's just have fun this time! Besides, you showed up pretty early—you must be looking forward to it, right?"
"No, showing up fifteen minutes early is just basic etiquette."
Looking forward to it? Please. If anything, I felt the exact opposite.
The thought of spending time with Nagumo—especially with Ichinose present—made my stomach churn.
What Nagumo did wasn't my business, and I had no right to interfere. But my disgust for him was purely instinctive.
Seriously, his tactics were just so low.
Almost as bad as Ayanokoji.
That guy incited Manabe and her group to bully Karuizawa, only to swoop in as her savior when she was at her breaking point.
Similarly, Nagumo was using Sakayanagi to expose Ichinose's past, all in an attempt to take advantage of her vulnerability.
What the hell? Why are these people all like this?
Did all the scumbags in Japan just gather at ANHS?
Honestly, I should just let those two tear each other apart—it'd save everyone else the trouble.
"You don't have to be so nervous, Hikigaya-kun."
Seeing me remain silent, Ichinose probably thought I was worried about the gathering.
It made sense—after all, we were the only first-years attending. Everyone else was a second-year student.
To her, it must have seemed like I wasn't used to situations like this.
"I'm sure the upperclassmen are all kind people. They'll treat you well!"
"…Sigh."
Unfortunately, Ichinose's attempt at reassurance had zero effect.
I let out a small sigh. "Come on, don't be naïve. The only person who's going to treat me kindly is you. If the others don't mess with me, I'd already count that as a blessing."
To put it bluntly, most of the second-years were Nagumo's loyal dogs.
They had chosen to submit to him for the sake of their futures, but that didn't mean they weren't bitter about it.
When weak people are angry, they either try to morally guilt-trip the strong or take it out on someone even weaker.
That's exactly why I didn't want to interact with these second-years.
…Hm?
"Eh? Ehh?!"
For some reason, Ichinose suddenly became flustered, covering her cheeks with both hands.
"Wait…! Hikigaya-kun, that was such an unexpected attack! And I'm not that kind, you know!"
"What are you even talking about? Who attacked you?" I asked, confused. "And you are kind. Even someone like Ryuuen—if he were struggling, you'd still help him, right? Or did I get that wrong?"
Ichinose was a genuinely good person, through and through. That much, I was certain of.
"Uuu… Hikigaya-kun, you idiot!"
"Huh? Why am I getting insulted?"
It's not like a simple compliment should be enough to make her this flustered. If anything, she should've been used to hearing praise by now.
So could she at least act normal and respond with some generic, polite words? That would make things a lot less awkward.
"R-right!"
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Ichinose quickly changed the subject.
"Lately, it seems like your class has been in some serious conflict with Class C… Is everything okay?"
"No, that's just Ayanokoji acting on his own," I replied solemnly. "None of the other students from Class D are involved. I made that very clear in the post I wrote on the forum."
I had to make sure people understood. Misunderstandings like that could be annoying.
"Oh, so you wrote that? No wonder it was such an entertaining read!"
"Right? I put a lot of effort into it."
Hearing her compliment, I couldn't help but feel a little proud.
After all, writing a good post—one that the audience would enjoy reading—wasn't easy.
Ichinose couldn't help but smile wryly. "At this rate, instead of an official report, it's starting to sound more like tabloid gossip."
"No problem. Everything I do is to bring smiles to people's faces."
"Ahaha… That sounds nice, but how much of it is true? Did Ayanokoji take down Ryuuen and his group all by himself?"
Not just Ichinose—anyone with a bit of common sense would have doubts about the authenticity of that claim.
Fortunately, Hikigaya had arranged for several people to witness the event firsthand. Otherwise, Ayanokoji might have completely covered up the truth.
That would've led to the classic case of a rumor spreads easily, but debunking it is a nightmare.'
In any case, no one is allowed to question the combat prowess of this ultimate masterpiece!
"Don't doubt it. Plenty of people saw it happen. Aside from Hirata and the others, even Horikita-senpai and President Nagumo personally witnessed all four of Ryuuen's group lying on the ground."
Including next year's freshmen, Hikigaya was determined to make sure every student and teacher remembered this moment.
"The only one left standing at the scene was Ayanokoji. He's the undisputed champion."
"Can you not make it sound like a boxing match?"
Ichinose found the description amusing yet unsettling. Internally, her wariness toward Ayanokoji reached an all-time high.
Perfect scores in academics. The ability to take on four opponents at once.
Even though it was unclear why Ayanokoji had been holding back until now, once he got serious, Class D would undoubtedly become a formidable force.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Ichinose perked up. "By the way, was the fight really over Karuizawa?"
Despite her caution, she was still a girl, and when it came to topics like this, curiosity was inevitable.
"And what about Hirata? I thought he was Karuizawa's boyfriend… Did he say anything?" Ichinose asked cautiously.
"Uh… actually, he didn't say much." Hikigaya wasn't sure how to respond.
On the surface, Hirata seemed like the biggest victim in all of this. But in reality, his relationship with Karuizawa was just an act.
As for what he had to say about the whole thing…
—Well, isn't this nice?
That was probably the only answer Hikigaya could come up with.
As the two chatted near the mall entrance, more people gradually arrived, all equally curious about Ayanokoji's exploits. They bombarded Hikigaya with questions.
Of course, Hikigaya was more than happy to answer.
Even if he didn't know something, he'd make something up to help Ayanokoji's legend grow.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
The last to arrive was Nagumo, accompanied by a flashy-looking girl.
Huh? That person is…
Nagumo casually greeted the group before turning his attention toward them.
"What's got you all so excited? Mind filling me in?"
"Well, it's…"
"It's about Ayanokoji," Hikigaya cut in before Ichinose could answer.
"The senpais and Ichinose were curious about Ayanokoji's heroic feats, so she asked me, as his classmate, for details."
"Heh… is that so?"
Nagumo nodded with a smile, but his eyes weren't smiling at all.
Oh boy, what a petty man.
Hikigaya could tell immediately—Nagumo was displeased with Ayanokoji stealing the spotlight.
Especially since that growing reputation was starting to overshadow his own.
"You all should know your limits," Nagumo warned. "Information is valuable in this school, and Hikigaya, you shouldn't be so quick to share details about your class. No matter what, you and Honami are still competitors."
"Yes, Nagumo-senpai, you're right."
Hikigaya nodded earnestly before adding with a self-deprecating chuckle, "I guess I got carried away. Just because we have someone like Ayanokoji in our class doesn't mean we have victory in the bag."
"Exactly. I'm glad you understand."
Despite his words, Nagumo's tone still carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
But no matter how frustrated he was, there was no way for him to immediately prove himself superior to Ayanokoji. For now, he could only bottle up his irritation.
"Hey, are you done talking? These first-years don't even know who I am yet, since this is our first meeting."
At that moment, the girl beside Nagumo finally spoke up and introduced herself.
"I'm Nazuna Asahina, a student from Class 2-A, just like Nagumo."
"Nice to meet you, Asahina-senpai. Please take care of us," Ichinose responded politely.
But Hikigaya smirked and said, "First time meeting… That might not be entirely accurate. Asahina-senpai, do you remember what happened the other day?"
"What do you mean?"
Before Nagumo could react, Asahina immediately cut in.
"Haha, it's nothing major," Asahina laughed awkwardly, trying to brush it off.
Her reaction, however, only made people more curious.
"Senpai, when you tripped the other day, you didn't get hurt, did you?" Hikigaya asked with apparent concern.
"Tripped?"
Nagumo blinked in confusion, and the others soon followed suit, staring blankly.
Then, almost in unison, they burst into laughter. Even Ichinose covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles.
"What the heck, Asahina? You're so clumsy that you even let a first-year see it?" Nagumo teased, laughing loudly.
"It wasn't like that! The ground was slippery that day!" Asahina glared at Hikigaya, puffing her cheeks. "You're the worst! Why did you have to bring that up?! I was even pretending not to know you!"
"I was just concerned about something."
Since Asahina was right in front of him, he had no reason not to ask.
"Senpai, about the good-luck charm you dropped that day… Did Ayanokoji manage to return it to you? He told me he handed it back."
"Oh, so he's Ayanokoji, huh?" Asahina mused for a moment before smiling. "Don't worry. He gave it back properly. If I had lost that charm, I would've felt uneasy."
That should have been the end of the conversation.
But Nagumo found something odd about it.
He frowned and asked, "Wait a second… Why does this involve Ayanokoji again?"
"Well, I happened to be walking home with Ayanokoji that day, and we saw Asahina-senpai… um, drop something on the ground."
Hikigaya had been about to say "trip," but Asahina's intense glare convinced him otherwise.
"So Ayanokoji enthusiastically volunteered to return it," he continued. "Since we ran into Senpai just now, I just wanted to confirm."
"Oh, is that all?"
Nagumo forced a casual smile before clapping his hands to grab everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone. Let's head to the karaoke lounge. We can continue our conversation there."
With that, the group made their way toward the KTV.
But after just a few steps, Nagumo slowed down, pulling Hikigaya to the back of the group and lowering his voice.
"Hikigaya, are you hiding something from me?"
"…What?"
"Don't play dumb." Nagumo's voice carried a warning. "You said Ayanokoji offered to return it. But I don't believe he's the type to be so helpful. There's more to this. Tell me everything that happened that day."
Hearing this, Hikigaya almost laughed.
Of course, Ayanokoji wasn't the helpful type.
He just got dragged into it.
"Honestly, I didn't think much of it…" Hikigaya feigned uncertainty. "If anything, Asahina-senpai was on the phone with you at the time, and we happened to overhear a little."
"She was on the phone with me?"
Nagumo rubbed his chin in thought, then suddenly realized something.
"Wait… Could it have been the day you handed me that report?"
"Uh-huh. That was the day."
Hikigaya put on a thoughtful expression and slowly nodded.
Hikigaya put on a thoughtful expression and slowly nodded.
That day, Nagumo had confessed to Asahina over the phone. However, she hadn't taken it seriously—or rather, she hadn't made up her mind—so she had just brushed it off.
"So, both you and Ayanokoji heard it?"
"I only caught a bit of it," Hikigaya replied casually.
"Then Ayanokoji knew about my relationship with Kei, which is why he delivered the item?"
"…Hard to say."
Hikigaya's response nearly made Nagumo explode with frustration.
What do you mean, hard to say?
What's so hard to say?!
In Nagumo's eyes, Ayanokoji and Horikita Manabu were undoubtedly working together.
Moreover, Manabu's sister, Horikita Suzune, had even shown up in person for the deliberation that day.
Both siblings were backing Ayanokoji—there had to be a deeper connection behind it.
Looking at it this way, Ayanokoji's act of returning the protective charm to get close to Asahina was likely a calculated move.
After all, that guy also had another identity—X, the one pulling the strings behind Class D.
Others might not know the truth about the rooftop incident, but Nagumo understood it perfectly. The only reason he had made that ruling was to prevent Horikita Manabu from getting his way.
But what he hadn't expected was that Ayanokoji had already set his sights on him long ago.