Saturday morning's classes were mainly focused on practicing speeches in the classroom.
Honestly, listening to what others had supposedly learned over the past year was hardly inspiring.
Especially those guys from Class 1-B—they practically all used Hikigaya as an example.
They didn't mention him by name, but of course, he knew they were talking about him.
Seriously… aren't these guys a little too petty?
Just because he had tricked them a little during the uninhabited island exam and the preferential exam, they had been holding a grudge until now.
Why couldn't they just laugh it off and move on?
As Hikigaya was contemplating this, the lively voices of girls echoed from outside.
Glancing out the window, he saw that the girls were currently in P.E. class, running around the track.
Since they were all wearing thick sports uniforms, there wasn't really anything interesting to see—huh? Was that Kikyo?
She was running beside that girl named Igari, smiling brightly as she chatted with her.
…That was insane.
While there were no rules stating that students had to run in their designated small groups, for Kushida to so openly blend into another group—one consisting entirely of upperclassmen two years older than her—and still manage to integrate seamlessly, that was beyond the capability of any ordinary person.
She wasn't just socially adept—she was a social terrorist.
However, one particular student in that group stood out—Tachibana Akane, with her hair tied up in a bun.
It was obvious that she was being excluded, trailing at the back of the group alone. She didn't seem physically exhausted, just intentionally slowing down, looking utterly unmotivated.
…Kind of pitiful. Huh? Was that…?
Horikita had left her own group and silently moved to run alongside Tachibana. The latter looked at her in surprise.
Horikita didn't say anything—but even that was enough.
…Weird. When did she become so considerate?
Did she have a fever or something?
In the same group as Horikita, Shiina and Ichinose were also running. Speaking of which, Shiina was the group leader—she probably volunteered for the role.
After all, that group was primarily composed of students from Class 1-B and Class 1-C, making Horikita and Ichinose unsuitable for the position.
By the way, as expected, Shiina wasn't very athletic. She was barely keeping up with the group but already looked exhausted, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Noticing this, Ichinose slowed her pace to run beside Shiina, flashing her a cheerful smile.
It seemed like she was trying to encourage Shiina in her own way… Well, as long as she was in good spirits.
Hikigaya had been a little worried that the rumors would affect Ichinose, but it seemed that concern was unnecessary.
At that moment, an annoying voice came from beside him.
"What's this? You watching Ichinose?"
"…Mind your own business."
"Heh, no need to be so shy."
Ryuuen, who was sitting nearby, followed Hikigaya's gaze and glanced outside before speaking in a meaningful tone.
"Oi, dead eyes, do you think Ichinose is just putting on an act?"
"What…?"
Hikigaya frowned, but just as he was about to ask further, he noticed the teacher looking in their direction. He had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Hopefully, their group wouldn't get points deducted… Well, even if they did, it couldn't be helped.
For now, he'd have to wait until after class to question Ryuuen properly.
Lunch, like breakfast, was served in an open-air area, with only the boys present.
Hikigaya carried his tray over and sat beside Ryuuen, lowering his voice.
"Oi, what did you mean by what you said in class earlier?"
"What did I say?"
"…About Ichinose."
Hikigaya knew Ryuuen was playing dumb on purpose, but since he needed information, he had no choice but to endure it.
"Oh, you were talking about Ichinose?"
Ryuuen gave a fake "oh" of realization, his smug tone making Hikigaya want to punch him.
"But why ask me specifically? Don't tell me you haven't heard anything?"
"…Heard what?"
"Heh, still pretending."
Ryuuen saw through him immediately.
"If you don't know, why don't we go ask Kanzaki and the others? Maybe we can bring up the topic of Ichinose allegedly stealing something."
During lunch, students were free to sit anywhere. Kanzaki and a few students from his class were chatting at another table, looking relaxed.
"You better be careful, or Ichinose's followers will beat you up," Hikigaya said with a straight face.
"What, is she running some kind of cult?"
"Pretty much. They're all fanatics."
Especially Shiranami Chihiro—wait, he was getting off track.
"Heh, and so what?" Ryuuen chuckled dismissively. "Even if those nobodies group up, they can't do anything. If they try to fight me, that'd be even better. Not to mention, Ichinose would be the first to stop them, so the fight wouldn't even happen."
He had a point.
Even if rumors were spreading, Ichinose was too kind to retaliate.
That being said… did this mean Sakayanagi had already started moving? Even Ryuuen had caught wind of it.
But on second thought, that didn't seem right. If things had already escalated, there should have been more commotion—especially from those Class 1-A guys obsessed with Ichinose. Yet, they were still chatting and laughing.
It seemed the rumors were still confined to a small circle of girls. Ryuuen had likely heard about them through his channels.
Still, it was only a matter of time before they spread.
And knowing Ryuuen, he might even try to fan the flames for his amusement.
There was nothing Hikigaya could do about that, though. Right now, he needed to deal with Nagumo. He had no time to worry about anything else.
Besides… this was ultimately Ichinose's battle.
If others kept interfering, it wouldn't help her grow.
As Hikigaya tried to convince himself of that, Ryuuen suddenly smirked and taunted him.
"What's wrong? Our dear dead eyes planning to play the hero again?"
…What dead eyes?
If he was going to insult him, at least call him Hikigaya-sama.
"Can you shut up? I already said I'm not getting involved."
"Oh? Say it again, then."
"…If I say it just because you told me to, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
Hikigaya fell silent for a long moment but ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it—earning a look of disdain from Ryuuen.
"Heh, I knew you were just useless dead eyes."
"…You're so annoying."
"Clicking your tongue now? You really can't win an argument, huh?"
Trying to vent his frustrations, Ryuuen was going all out with his mockery.
And what else could Hikigaya do besides play dead?
Sigh… He never thought he'd live to see the day Ryuuen mocked him.
Feeling utterly defeated, Hikigaya finished his meal and returned to the dorms to relax.
He had been racking his brain trying to deal with Ishikura these past few days, and it was giving him a headache.
Thankfully, there were no classes in the afternoon. He planned to just lie in bed and read.
Just then, he heard approaching footsteps.
"Hikigaya, may I have a moment?"
The owner of the voice was Katsuragi. Judging by his serious expression… or wait, wasn't that just his default face?
"What is it?" Hikigaya asked, turning to face him.
"I wanted to discuss our class during lessons." Katsuragi got straight to the point. "While most of our group members are paying attention, there are occasional lapses. I'd like to improve that as much as possible."
"…Fine, fine, it's my fault. I'll—"
"No, I wasn't just talking about you."
Hikigaya originally thought he was about to get lectured for whispering with Ryuuen during class, but unexpectedly, he was interrupted by Katsuragi midway.
"I already said, this is about an issue within the group, not specifically targeting you and Ryuuen."
"...Then why are you talking to me about it?" Hikigaya was confused.
"You were the one who entrusted me with managing the group, so of course, I need to discuss it with you," Katsuragi stated matter-of-factly. "No matter what, you're still the person in charge. Even if you've delegated part of your authority to me, you still bear responsibility—"
"Stop, stop, Katsuragi-senpai, just stop for a moment."
Hikigaya was so overwhelmed by him that he unconsciously used honorifics.
"Honestly, I think your dedication to the group is admirable, but it's the weekend. You should take some time to enjoy this training camp experience."
"...Enjoy?"
"Yeah, I know you're a serious person, but since the school included rest days in this exam, there's a reason for it."
Katsuragi was once the leader of his faction, and he must have had plenty of social interactions.
However, after several losses in exams, his standing fell, and he was gradually isolated.
Aside from Yahiko, he probably had no other friends in Class B.
That didn't mean everyone resented Katsuragi—he was an upright person, difficult to truly dislike.
Most of his classmates likely kept their distance because of Sakayanagi.
Now that the white-haired troublemaker wasn't around, this might be Katsuragi's chance to rebuild his connections.
"You know what team-building is, right?"
Saying that, Hikigaya took out a Switch from his bag and tossed it to Katsuragi.
"If you want everyone in the group to take initiative, just giving orders won't work. You need to integrate yourself with them first… Hmm, not that I should have to teach you this."
"…Indeed, I understand that what the group lacks is cohesion," Katsuragi murmured. "But you know what position I'm in, right? Even if I—"
"Stop talking about 'positions' already. My ears are getting calloused from hearing it."
Hikigaya cut him off impatiently.
"We're just high schoolers. There's no deep-seated hatred here. Isn't it normal for guys to play games together? Just forget about the class divisions for a while."
One of Katsuragi's biggest flaws was overthinking everything.
Sometimes, being too rigid could backfire.
Katsuragi thought for a moment and then, as if realizing something, said thoughtfully, "Forget about class, huh… Considering the nature of this exam, that might be the answer. Though I don't know if it's correct yet, I agree with your point."
After saying that, he bowed his head seriously.
"Hikigaya, thank you for lending me your gaming console. I'll take good care of it."
"Sure, sure, just use it."
Just then, Machida and the others returned to the dorm.
Hikigaya felt that if he stayed, the atmosphere would get awkward, so he grabbed a few light novels and left the room, looking for a quiet place to settle down.
He needed to find a perfect spot just for himself.
...
The day passed peacefully like that. However, at dinner, Hikigaya found himself sitting across from only Horikita.
The other two had their plans—Kushida had successfully blended into Igari's group, and Matsushita seemed to have gotten close to Manabe and the others, so they were eating together.
Only Horikita… as expected, she had no friends.
Hikigaya had suggested she go find Tachibana-senpai, but not only did she refuse, she even said that this was necessary… Why?
…A bad feeling crept up on him.
But, the situation with the girls was Horikita's responsibility. Since she said it was necessary, he'd just go along with it.
After dinner, he took a bath and went to bed.
Then, a new situation arose—someone had slipped a note onto his bed, asking him to meet in the hallway at 11 PM.
Honestly, setting aside who sent it, the timing was rather odd.
Lights out was at 10 PM. If someone wanted a secret meeting without alerting others, midnight—after everyone had fallen asleep—would be the best time.
He could just ignore it, but one line on the note caught his attention.
It mentioned that three people would be at the meeting.
That significantly narrowed down the possible senders. He was pretty sure he already knew who it was.
...Ugh, annoying.
After lying in bed for a while post-lights-out, Hikigaya eventually sat up, stretching lazily before standing up.
He didn't bother tiptoeing to avoid making noise. Going to the bathroom at night was normal—acting sneaky would only make him more suspicious.
Since the hallway was quite dark at night, the rooms had several flashlights available.
Grabbing one, Hikigaya casually walked through the corridor and stepped outside to the designated meeting spot.
It was the outdoor kitchen.
At first glance, it seemed empty… Tch, how long was that guy planning to hide?
"Oi, Ayanokouji, if you don't come out, I'm leaving."
"…Turn off the flashlight first."
A voice responded from the darkness, sounding mildly exasperated.
Hikigaya complied, and under the dim moonlight, Ayanokouji's expressionless face slowly emerged from the shadows… This scene was honestly a bit creepy.
"Next time, don't bring a flashlight. If someone sees, it'll be a problem."
"There's not gonna be a next time," Hikigaya replied irritably. "Why the hell are you dragging me out here at this hour? If you don't want to sleep, don't drag others into it."
"Quit complaining. If you didn't want to come, you wouldn't have."
Then, as if anticipating Hikigaya's next question, Ayanokouji continued, "Horikita's brother is supposed to arrive ten minutes later. He should be here soon."
"…You're annoying."
Hikigaya understood the implication immediately and pulled over a chair to sit down.
If it was just the two of them, there was no need for secrecy. Since they were classmates, a casual conversation wouldn't draw Nagumo's attention.
But involving Horikita-senpai changed things—it made them too conspicuous.
Ayanokouji had deliberately used this to lure Hikigaya out for a private talk.
This was exactly why he was annoying—he loved these roundabout tricks.
"I hope whatever you have to say is worth my time. Don't waste my precious sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow to cook."
"Relax, I'm not here for nothing," Ayanokouji spoke slowly. "After thinking things over, I realized that when it comes to dealing with Nagumo, we share a common interest. So, how about teaming up?"
"No."
"…At least hear me out before rejecting me."
Hikigaya's instant refusal didn't faze Ayanokouji. He seemed to have expected it and knew exactly how to respond—by continuing as if nothing had happened.
"I originally planned to stay passive in this exam. The only thing I intended to do was defend myself—if someone tried to get me expelled, I'd retaliate… Unfortunately, the number of people targeting me is higher than expected. It's a bit troublesome."
"And you're telling me this because…? I'm not the one trying to expel you."
"True, you're just aware of it," Ayanokouji stated without a doubt. "So, I've been considering what kind of reward would make you agree to work with me. The conclusion is…"
"The conclusion is that I won't help you." Hikigaya shut him down again.
He turned to leave, but Ayanokouji's next words made him stop in his tracks.
"How about the expulsion of Gokyou and Tonegawa?"
"…Go on."
These two were the student council secretaries, former Class B students who had followed Nagumo from the very beginning, sharing both his struggles and triumphs. They were practically his right-hand men.
Nagumo trusted them deeply. If they were to actually drop out… it would be interesting to see how he would react.
However, in terms of pure value, their expulsion wouldn't shake the foundation of Nagumo's rule.
So, Hikigaya decided to just listen for now—he didn't necessarily have to take action.
"I originally planned to target Nagumo himself, but the leader of his group isn't him—it's a student from Class C. That makes it nearly impossible to pull off."
Coincidentally, Horikita-senpai's group leader was also from Class C. As the leader of his class, it was only natural for him to avoid the risk of expulsion.
"Heh, you are something else." Hikigaya let out a cold chuckle. "Your group isn't even sorted out, yet you're already thinking about messing with someone else… Enough nonsense. What exactly do you want me to do?"
"I can't tell you the specifics just yet."
Ayanokoji shook his head.
"I just need you to do one specific thing at a specific time. That's all. You don't need to worry about anything else, and I can guarantee that you won't get dragged into this."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I'll just agree because you said that?"
Hikigaya was dumbfounded. Where did this guy get the confidence to offer him guarantees?
If ANHS had a credibility rating system, Ayanokoji's score would be a solid zero.
"I figured as much. But this matter is really important. The most I can give you is a single keyword."
So now he's being all cryptic… Fine, let's hear what he has to say.
Then, Ayanokoji slowly uttered two words—
"Wild boar."