Let's rewind to Sunday night.
While Ayanokoji was planning how to deal with Nagumo, Hikigaya was busy handling matters related to Ishikura.
To be honest, that guy was quite loyal—no matter how much Hikigaya tried to persuade him over the past few days, he refused to abandon Igari Momoko.
And unlike Kiriyama, who said one thing but did another behind the scenes, Ishikura's attitude was firm. Hikigaya could tell—words alone wouldn't change his mind.
Which meant he'd have to resort to some tricks.
But before that, there were a few things to confirm and take care of.
It was currently 11 p.m., and the schoolyard was dim and silent. Hikigaya sat alone on a bench, quietly waiting.
According to their agreement, that person should be arriving soon.
"Hachiman—are you here, Hachiman?"
Soon enough, a figure appeared nearby, mumbling softly as they approached.
As they drew closer, the faint moonlight finally revealed their face.
"Kikyo, over here." Hikigaya waved her over. "Sorry for calling you out so late."
"It's fine~ Actually, I'm really happy."
Kushida jogged over and sat down beside him, smiling cheerfully.
—A little too close. Was she feeling cold?
"I never expected you to call me out, and in the middle of the night no less—ah, even if no one else is around, you better not try anything weird, okay?"
"…I won't."
Hikigaya answered seriously, only to be met with Kushida's sudden, angry punch.
—Why was she so violent…?
"Hachiman, you idiot!"
"The one calling others an idiot is usually the—okay, my bad, all my fault."
Seeing her frown deepen, Hikigaya immediately surrendered.
No, helping it—he needed her help.
Normally, their interactions were limited to casual dinner conversations. But lately, Kushida had been busy getting close to Igari, and what they were about to discuss was something that absolutely couldn't be overheard.
So, Hikigaya had slipped her a small note at the right moment, arranging a secret meeting at midnight.
Technically, lights-out was at ten, and boys weren't supposed to have casual contact with girls. But the school's enforcement was surprisingly lax—there weren't even any patrolling teachers.
He wouldn't be surprised if other groups were sneaking around for secret meetings too.
Honestly, he was just relieved she hadn't stood him up.
"Alright, alright, I know you must have something important to say." Kushida leaned back, looking bored. "Is it about Igari? I don't think there's much to say—she's just a dumb bitch."
Then, as if remembering something, she added, "But the second-year girls in Igari's group… Something is interesting about them."
"Oh? What is it?" Hikigaya asked, intrigued.
"I heard that the whole second-year group is made up of girls close to Nagumo."
"…Huh?"
Hikigaya blinked in confusion. What was the point of that?
But if Kushida wasn't mistaken, then the answer was probably obvious.
"It's a smokescreen set up by President Nagumo."
"A smokescreen?"
"Yeah. That second-year group hasn't done anything strange so far, right?"
"Hmmm… Nope." Kushida thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Exactly. It's all just a front."
Nagumo had publicly challenged Horikita Manabu to a decisive battle—something that, on the surface, had nothing to do with the girls' group. But at the same time, he deliberately placed his trusted girls on the same team as Tachibana Akane, making it look like there was some inside information to uncover.
If someone followed that trail, they'd find nothing.
This kind of elaborate misdirection—only Nagumo had the resources to pull it off.
And the reason Hikigaya saw through it so quickly?
Because, like Nagumo, he didn't care about personal point losses.
Even if it meant spending tens of millions of points on something completely unprofitable, they wouldn't bat an eye.
Just like how Hikigaya had once scrapped Class C's contract without hesitation to try and force Ayanokoji to drop out.
Nagumo was the same. Just to mess with Horikita Manabu, he had thrown away 20 million points like pocket change.
Other students with access to large sums of points—class leaders, for example—had to consider their class's interests before making such decisions.
Since they couldn't afford to be as reckless as Nagumo, they also struggled to predict his moves.
After listening to Hikigaya's explanation, Kushida nodded, half-understanding.
"I see… So what do we do next?"
"Next, we create a little conflict between Ishikura and Igari."
Hikigaya figured his current expression must look villainous.
"Tomorrow during dinner, can you find a way to push Igari into inviting Ishikura to eat with her?"
"No problem. That woman brings up Ishikura all the time—she likes him."
Kushida agreed instantly, then asked in confusion, "But wait… Aren't you trying to drive a wedge between them? Why does this seem like the opposite?"
"Be patient. You'll understand tomorrow."
He wasn't trying to be mysterious—it was just hard to explain in words.
"Igari will probably feel uneasy afterward, and she'll come to you to complain."
"Huh? Why me?" A question mark popped up above Kushida's head. "Even if we get along okay, she's known her classmates way longer. I doubt she'd come to me first."
Hikigaya shook his head with a knowing smile.
"No, it's precisely because you're an outsider that she's more likely to come to you."
Logically speaking, Kushida was right.
As a third-year, Igari had fought alongside her classmates for over two years. Their bond wasn't something a first-year could compare to.
But this situation was different.
Igari was facing a harsh reality—her classmates might have to sacrifice her to reach Class A.
In that position, anyone would start doubting those around them.
Even lovers who had been together for years could betray each other when money was involved. Classmates? Even more so.
"Anyway, if she does talk to you, steer the conversation toward Horikita. Think you can do that?"
"Yup! Leave it to me!"
Kushida thumped her chest in confidence. Then, all of a sudden, she scooted closer to Hikigaya, rubbing her arms.
"Hey, Hachiman… It's kinda cold, huh?"
"Yeah, it's getting chilly." Hikigaya shivered slightly. "If you're cold, you should head back. I'm pretty tired too, so—ugh?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kushida suddenly grabbed his collar and yanked him toward her.
"…Oi, Hachiman."
"W-What?"
Her voice was ice-cold, sending a chill down his spine.
"What do you take me for? Huh? Some convenient girl? Use me and then toss me aside?"
"No, no, I'd never think that!" Hikigaya hurriedly clarified.
—What was she even mad about? Was it… that time of the month?
"You better not be thinking that."
"…Sorry."
Against an angry Kushida, apologizing was the safest bet.
Girls were impossible to reason with.
"Hmph. Whatever."
She snorted, finally releasing him—but that didn't mean she was letting him off the hook.
"Hachiman… We haven't done 'that' in a while, have we?"
"…Can you not phrase it in such a misleading way?"
Hikigaya sighed.
At this hellish camp, there was barely any privacy. He wasn't the only one feeling suffocated.
Especially the girls—they were bound to vent to Kushida.
And honestly? He wasn't happy with this environment either.
Even though Kushida was also dissatisfied with this environment, she had no choice but to put on a smile and go along with them. Naturally, that kind of pressure would build up over time.
"It's not that! This exam is just way too disgusting!"
As if a switch had been flipped, Kushida began complaining without holding back.
"Not only are we banned from using our phones, but they've also set up a bunch of stupid rules. Even meeting up has time restrictions! Those pretentious idiot teachers are nothing but salary thieves!"
"Yeah, it's definitely annoying."
"And those brain-dead pigs—complaining that the body wash is some off-brand, whining that they can't get used to the shampoo. Do they have something wrong with their heads? What the hell are they telling me? What am I supposed to do about it?!"
"Yes, yes, you're right."
"And that idiot Ishikura too. He couldn't even handle Horikita's brother, so now he's begging someone younger than him for help, yet still acting all high and mighty—"
As Hikigaya absentmindedly responded with a few hums and nods, he felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
Now that he thought about it, ever since summer break ended, Kushida had rarely come to him to vent. Having her occasionally do so like this… was actually kind of amusing.
Wait… did that make him a masochist?
After about thirty minutes of "casual conversation," Kushida finally closed her mouth, looking satisfied.
Of course, it was also possible that her throat was just dry.
"That should be enough, right? If you don't sleep soon, you'll be exhausted tomorrow," Hikigaya suggested.
"Hmm… Hachiman."
"What?"
"I've always been grateful to you, Hachiman."
"Uh, what are you suddenly saying? Are you sleepy? If you're tired, just go to bed already."
Hikigaya scratched his head, completely lost.
Then, Kushida glared at him fiercely.
"Stop dodging the topic and listen properly when someone is talking!"
"...Oh."
"I just wanted to say thanks." Kushida took a deep breath and spoke seriously. "I've always been grateful that Hachiman is willing to listen to my complaints. I know I can be a bit annoying sometimes… So if you ever have any troubles, you can talk to me too. I promise I'll listen."
"No, I don't… Well, maybe a little."
Hikigaya instinctively wanted to brush it off, but under Kushida's gaze, he found himself unable to hold his ground.
After a brief hesitation, he said, "Kikyo, if you… If you figured out that someone was planning to do something bad, what would you do?"
"Something bad?"
Kushida thought about it for a moment before asking, "Would it have any negative impact on me?"
"If anything… it might be beneficial," Hikigaya answered, looking conflicted.
"Ah? Then obviously, I wouldn't care!"
In contrast, Kushida made her decision without hesitation.
Seeing that Hikigaya still seemed troubled, she quickly added a few words of reassurance.
"Besides, didn't you just say you were only guessing? What if you're wrong? Wouldn't that mean you're falsely accusing someone?"
"…Yeah."
That was precisely the dilemma Hikigaya was facing.
On one hand, he could guess what Ayanokoji was planning, but Ayanokoji had never admitted to it, and there was no guarantee that he would go through with it.
On the other hand, Hikigaya couldn't keep an eye on Ayanokoji all the time—that simply wasn't realistic.
There was no solution…
"So don't overthink it. You have plenty of things to deal with yourself, don't you?"
Kushida had already figured it out—Hikigaya's dilemma stemmed from his conscience.
If it were anyone else, she would have just humored them with a few vague words.
But since it was Hikigaya, rather than giving him an answer, she felt it was better to help him make up his mind.
"You still have to help Horikita's brother, don't you? You don't have time to worry about other people. No matter how capable you are, you can only handle one thing at a time, right?"
"…Yeah, you're right."
Under Kushida's persuasion, Hikigaya slowly nodded.
He was just an ordinary student—there were many things beyond his control.
He could warn Nagumo, but that might lead to questions about last night's meeting… That was absolutely out of the question.
In the end, Hikigaya decided to stay out of it.
If Ayanokoji did nothing, that would be for the best. But if he did act—
Then it would be his problem to deal with.
"Thanks, Kikyo. I feel a lot better."
Strictly speaking, this conversation hadn't solved anything, but somehow, Hikigaya felt a sense of relief.
No wonder people loved venting on internet forums… No, wait, I mean, talking about their troubles.
"Hehe, it's nothing." Kushida smiled. "If you run into any trouble again, you have to tell me, okay? You know, with our relationship, there's no need to be so formal."
"…Thanks."
It was already past midnight. Any later, and it would be way too late. The two of them said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Hikigaya had just arrived at the dormitory when he noticed two figures standing under the porch outside.
At the same time, they spotted him as well.
"Yo, Hikigaya, still not in bed at this hour?"
The voice was unmistakably Nagumo's, but it wasn't until the other person stepped forward that Hikigaya recognized him.
"Good evening, President Nagumo… and Ishikura-senpai."
"Heh, good evening," Nagumo smirked with interest. "It's freezing outside. Who were you meeting with? I saw you coming from the sports field. Were you on a date with a girl?"
"…It wasn't a date."
"Come on, no need to be shy."
Nagumo teased him for a bit before turning his attention back to Ishikura.
"Ishikura-senpai, you were just complaining to me about Hikigaya earlier. Now that he's here, why not tell him directly?"
"I've already said everything I need to." Ishikura's voice was low and firm. "Besides, I know he was only pressuring me under your orders. As long as you stop this, it won't be a problem."
"Hey, hey, don't go accusing an innocent man." Nagumo waved his hand with a chuckle.
"Innocent? Are you going to deny that you put him up to this?"
Ishikura glanced at Hikigaya, his voice filled with discontent.
"And on top of that, you even exposed the plan—"
"Ishikura-senpai." Hikigaya suddenly interrupted him. "I know you don't want to abandon Igari-senpai. Honestly, I respect that. But—"
And of course, what came after "but" was the real point.
"But what about the other way around? Are you sure that Igari-senpai completely trusts that you won't betray her? Are you certain she won't let you down? Have you ever considered that?"
"That's ridiculous. Outsiders have no right to interfere in our class affairs," Ishikura snapped.
"But wasn't it thanks to outsiders that your class even got the chance to defeat Third-Year Class A?"
Hikigaya's retort caught Ishikura off guard. For a moment, his seniority meant nothing.
"Think carefully about what I told you yesterday." Hikigaya said calmly. "Indeed, you can't choose where you're born, but right now, the chance to avoid becoming just another pawn is right in front of you. And it's not just about you—the entire class's future is in your hands."
"…I'm heading back."
Ishikura didn't reply. He simply turned and walked away.
As he watched Ishikura's retreating figure, Nagumo chuckled. "Wow, you know how to get inside people's heads. If I were Ishikura-senpai, I'd probably be convinced already."
"It doesn't matter. He's already wavering."
"Heh, then I'll be looking forward to what happens next."
As Hikigaya expected, Nagumo had been approaching Ishikura in secret.
That was why he hadn't bothered to hide the fact that he saw through Nagumo's intentions.
Of course, even with Horikita as cover, it was still risky.
But if Nagumo's plan ultimately failed, he would investigate what went wrong.
Rather than being suspected later, Hikigaya figured it was better to get involved now—to make himself part of the "failed plan."
—Hikigaya had done his best to convince Ishikura to abandon Igari. But in the end, Igari is deceived by someone else and betrays Ishikura.
That was the script Nagumo would witness.
…
After Monday's classes ended, exhausted students trickled into the cafeteria in small groups, preparing to eat dinner.
After spending half the day running in the mountains, many were too tired to even make a fuss. The usual noise was noticeably subdued.
Hikigaya had rested in his dorm for a bit before heading to the cafeteria. He wandered around aimlessly for a moment before quickly spotting his target.
"Ishikura-kun, today's PE class was brutal. My legs are killing me."
"Then soak in the bath for a while. That should help by tomorrow."
The two people sitting at the same table were none other than Igari and Ishikura.
It looked like Kushida's plan had worked.
Though Hikigaya felt a little sorry, this peaceful atmosphere probably wouldn't last much longer.
Taking a deep breath, he walked over.
"Ishikura-senpai, Igari-senpai, sorry to interrupt."
"You are…?"
Igari looked confused, while Ishikura wore a complicated expression.
Ignoring their reactions, Hikigaya spoke. "Apologies, but I need to have a few words with Ishikura-senpai. Could I borrow him for a moment?"
"So you were looking for Ishikura-kun... Ah, you're that Hikigaya Hachiman!"
For some reason, Igari recognized him.
"I often hear Kikyo-chan mention you. She says you're very capable and quite smart."
"Oh, no, no, you're too kind."
Hikigaya let out an awkward chuckle, inwardly annoyed that Kushida was bringing him up again for no reason.
That wasn't part of the plan at all!
"But you seem to be quite the flirt." Igari gave him a scrutinizing look. "I saw it with my own eyes a few days ago—you seem to be pretty close with Horikita's little sister. You two often have meals together, and it doesn't seem like she's the only one."
"...That's just a misunderstanding. Horikita and I simply couldn't find anyone else to eat with, so we ended up sitting together by coincidence."
Even Hikigaya himself didn't believe that excuse, but it was all he had for now.
Come to think of it, did Horikita deliberately sit with him just to set up this kind of situation...?
"By the way, how do you know my name? Did Kikyo-chan tell you?" Igari asked curiously.
"No, it was Nagumo-senpai."
"Huh? You mean Nagumo-kun...?"
At first, Igari seemed to think this was just casual small talk.
But the moment Nagumo's name was mentioned, the atmosphere around her changed instantly.
"Wait a second, Hikigaya." Ishikura interrupted. "We're still eating. If it's something important, let's talk later."
"Sorry, this won't take long. Can we just step aside for a bit?"
"...Then just say it here. There's no one else around anyway."
Ishikura took a step back, reluctantly compromising, but Hikigaya didn't accept that.
He glanced around and smiled. "Senpai, you must be joking. This place is full of people, isn't it? Just come with me for a moment—it'll only take a few words."
"...Fine." Ishikura sighed. "Igari, wait here for a bit."
"Oh, okay."
Igari nodded, looking slightly uneasy as she watched them leave.
However, just as Hikigaya had said, he didn't take Ishikura far—just to a quiet corner of the cafeteria.
From where Igari sat, she could still see what was happening.
"Alright, what does Nagumo want you to tell me? And why didn't he just say it himself?" Ishikura asked impatiently.
But Hikigaya didn't answer.
He simply stood still, staring at Ishikura in silence.
Seeing this, Ishikura frowned. "What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now?"
Then, finally, Hikigaya spoke.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten... Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen."
"...Huh?"
Ishikura stared at him, wide-eyed, as if he'd just seen a ghost.
Hikigaya simply gave a small smile.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
"Wait! What the hell are you doing?!" Ishikura couldn't help but shout.
Hikigaya, looking completely serious, nodded and pointed toward Igari.
Then, in a slow and deliberate tone, he said, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen."
Ishikura had never encountered something like this before. He was utterly baffled.
"Oi! If you don't start speaking normally, I'm leaving!"
"One, two, three."
Hikigaya didn't offer any explanation. In the end, he simply gave a slight bow and walked away.
Ishikura stood there in a daze for quite a while before slowly making his way back.
Noticing that something seemed off about him, Igari hurriedly asked, "Ishikura-kun, what's wrong? What did that Hikigaya say to you?"
"Uh, he..."
Ishikura opened his mouth, looking utterly bewildered as he replied, "He... he didn't say anything to me at all?"