With the training camp over, the students of ANHS returned to school and resumed their normal classes.
Hikigaya never particularly liked school before, but compared to the grueling, monk-like life of the forest camp, this place was practically heaven... After all, school was the easiest place to be.
At the very least, he didn't have to wake up and clean every morning.
However, the aftershocks of the exam had yet to fade.
That morning, the moment Hikigaya stepped into the classroom, he sensed an unusual atmosphere.
Especially among the girls—normally a rowdy bunch, they seemed even more boisterous than usual today. Had they become overly excited after returning to civilization?
Seriously, they should be careful not to get noise complaints from the neighboring class.
But this had nothing to do with him, so he simply ignored it.
Matsushita, his seatmate, was the one who brought it up first.
"Good morning, Hachiman-kun. Did you hear about this morning's news?"
"…Is it something about my dark past?"
"Of course not."
"Oh, then I'm not interested."
Hikigaya responded indifferently. Not that he could hear about it even if he wanted to—after all, it wasn't like he had any friends to walk to school with.
"It's… never mind, just see for yourself."
For some reason, Matsushita hesitated, showing a conflicted expression.
See for himself? How exactly was he supposed to do that?
Then, she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. Printed on it was a single sentence.
[Ichinose Honami is a criminal.]
"…Seriously? Again?" Hikigaya sighed in frustration.
"Yeah… A student found one in their mailbox this morning. Everyone got one," Matsushita said with a wry smile.
This was a repeat of Ayanokoji's tactics. Someone had likely snuck in overnight and distributed them.
"This seems like a real headache," Matsushita continued. "If it were just some baseless rumor fueled by jealousy, it would die down quickly. But this is Sakayanagi's strategy… She must have spread the rumor in a way that leaves no trace back to her."
That was the logical assumption. As long as she insisted she heard it from someone else, she wouldn't be caught.
If the rumor spread naturally through casual conversations and hearsay, there wouldn't be much the school could do about it. Eventually, it would fade away.
But that wasn't the real issue here.
Hikigaya shook his head. "What's so difficult about this? We literally have physical evidence."
He waved the printed paper in his hand.
It might seem difficult to track down the culprit, but if the school conducted a proper investigation, neither Sakayanagi nor Ayanokoji would escape responsibility.
They were only doing this because they knew Ichinose was too much of a pushover to report it to the school.
Honestly, both of them were just plain low.
"Eh? But the message is printed, right? And I doubt they used a shop to print it—that'd be too suspicious," Matsushita frowned, confused.
"Exactly because—" Hikigaya stopped himself. "Forget it, not worth discussing."
He didn't want to dwell on such an unpleasant topic.
"Alright, let's talk about something else then."
Matsushita dropped the subject and lowered her voice.
"Oh, by the way, did you hear? Karuizawa-san and Hirata-kun broke up."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Wow, that was such a cold response."
Even though Matsushita complained, Hikigaya didn't think he was being unreasonable.
He simply had no interest in other people's love lives—especially not when Karuizawa's fake love triangle had already become old news.
Even if they hadn't broken up now, it was only a matter of time.
This was the perfect timing—everyone's attention was focused on Ichinose's scandal, so barely anyone would care about a breakup.
Besides, Ayanokoji and Ryuuen's rooftop fight over Karuizawa had made such a scene that the written apologies were still pinned at the top of the forum.
Even outsiders hearing about the breakup wouldn't be too surprised.
At most, friends would just say, "Oh, so you guys broke up."
Since Hikigaya wasn't interested, Matsushita added another detail.
"Karuizawa was the one who dumped Hirata, by the way."
"Is that so… That's stupid."
"Stupid? How so?"
Hikigaya could guess what happened—Hirata probably suggested that Karuizawa should be the one to break up with him so that she could save face.
The problem was that, no matter how they explained it, people would still assume Karuizawa was the one responsible for the breakup.
Of course, there would also be plenty of gossip about Ayanokoji and Ryuuen stealing Karuizawa away.
In this situation, if Hirata had initiated the breakup instead, Karuizawa might have gained a bit of sympathy.
His kindness had backfired.
That sort of thing happened all the time.
Most people in the class seemed to sympathize with Hirata. As usual, both male and female classmates gathered around his desk, offering words of comfort.
But Hirata remained the same as ever—despite being dumped, he still wore his gentle smile, as if completely unfazed.
Because of that, no one teased him.
Even guys like Sudo and Sotomura, who might have normally made fun of him, only seemed mildly curious. They didn't say anything nasty behind his back.
Maybe all the special exams and the training camp had helped them mature.
It seemed like this class no longer had anyone clueless enough to—
"Yo! Hirata, heard you got dumped by Karuizawa! Don't take it too hard, man!"
…Okay, maybe there was still one.
While everyone else knew this wasn't the time for jokes, Yamauchi was an exception.
Grinning, he strolled up to Hirata and playfully patted him on the shoulder.
Hirata's friends immediately glared at him, but Yamauchi remained oblivious.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that? I was just joking, what's the big deal?"
"Enough, Haruki. Cut it out."
Even Sudo couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Yamauchi's arm and tried to drag him away.
"Hey, what the hell?" Yamauchi protested. "I was just trying to cheer him up! Even hot guys get dumped sometimes, right?"
"What kind of messed-up logic is that? Just shut up already."
"Hah? But hot guys getting dumped is super rare!"
Even with Sudo trying to stop him, Yamauchi just wouldn't shut up.
This guy was beyond saving.
"Yamauchi-kun is hopeless," Matsushita whispered to Hikigaya.
Then, with a sly smile, she added, "Who knows, maybe he'll be expelled in one of the future exams?"
"…Who knows."
Honestly, Hikigaya didn't care what happened to Yamauchi.
He wouldn't go out of his way to help him, nor would he actively sabotage him. The best approach was to just ignore him.
For now, the more pressing issue was Ichinose.
On one hand, Hikigaya didn't know how to console her.
Her problem wasn't that she refused to admit her past mistakes—it was that she couldn't face them.
While she had confessed to him in private, doing so in front of everyone was a completely different matter.
On the other hand, Hikigaya also wasn't sure how to handle Sakayanagi.
Though he had initially planned to strike hard after overhearing her conversation with Nagumo, he was now considering a more diplomatic approach.
Maybe, like Matoba and the others, there was still room for negotiation.
After all, he was the one who had closed the door first.
So this time, perhaps it was worth trying to talk things out with Sakayanagi.
If she was willing to back down, that would be ideal.
At the end of the day, Hikigaya was just an outsider with no personal stakes in this matter. The only reason Ichinose had the courage to confess her crime was because he had no direct interest in her affairs, and their younger sisters happened to be friends.
But things were different when it came to Class A's students. Ichinose wasn't just their leader—she was also the one in control of the class's finances.
A thief holding the purse strings… If she had disclosed this to her classmates in advance, it might have been a different story. But that wasn't the case.
It was likely her own guilty conscience that made her avoid confronting the rumors head-on all this time.
On the other hand, Hikigaya wasn't sure how to deal with Sakayanagi.
Back when he eavesdropped on her conversation with Nagumo, he had decided to go in with full force. However, after this training camp, he began to wonder if there was a more diplomatic approach.
Just like how things turned out with Machida and the others, perhaps there was still room for dialogue.
It was Hikigaya himself who had shut that door, after all.
So… at least this time, he should try having a proper conversation with Sakayanagi first.
If she was willing to back off, that would be for the best.
And that was something Ichinose, a lover of peace, would surely be glad to see.
…
Just as Hikigaya was thinking about when he should reach out to Sakayanagi, she unexpectedly came to him first.
After school, she suddenly appeared in Class D's classroom.
"Excuse me for the interruption. Is Yamauchi Haruki here?"
Some students had already left for club activities or returned to their dorms, but there were still quite a few lingering in the classroom.
Hearing Sakayanagi's words, everyone turned to look at Yamauchi in shock.
Even Yamauchi himself was startled. He stammered, "Huh? I—I'm Yamauchi… What's up?"
"Could I borrow a bit of your time?"
"Uh… yeah, sure."
"…It's a bit inconvenient here. I'll be waiting for you in the hallway by the stairs."
Perhaps mindful of the eyes on her, Sakayanagi lowered her head and turned to leave.
However, before she could step out, Horikita called out, "Sakayanagi-san, please wait."
"You must be… Horikita-san, correct? How may I help you?"
Sakayanagi turned back—this was probably the first time she and Horikita had a direct conversation.
"I'll get straight to the point. What exactly do you want with Yamauchi?" Horikita asked coldly.
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion.
"Are you really going to play dumb? Fine." Horikita didn't hold back. "The fact that you suddenly came here to invite Yamauchi is already suspicious. I have every reason to believe you're plotting something against Class D."
Before Sakayanagi could respond, Yamauchi jumped in first, "Hey! Horikita, don't talk nonsense! There's no way Sakayanagi-chan would do something so underhanded!"
"You think there's no way? Are you even using your brain?"
Even knowing full well what kind of person Yamauchi was, Horikita was still stunned by his stupidity. She gave him a speechless look and said, "The rumors about Ichinose that are spreading around school—she's the mastermind behind them, isn't she? Who knows, maybe you're her next target."
"What do you even know? Besides, you don't have any proof, do you?"
Yamauchi completely ignored Horikita's warning, instead indulging in his own delusions.
"Besides, haven't you heard of the classic story where a girl with toast in her mouth crashes into a transfer student at a street corner and falls in love?"
"Huh? Toast… street corner?"
Horikita had no idea what Yamauchi was talking about. Frowning, she turned to Hikigaya, who was watching the scene unfold with amusement.
"Hikigaya-kun, could you explain this to me?"
"Eh? Why are you asking me?"
"You watch anime often, so I thought you might understand."
That was… an irrefutable argument.
Dragged into the conversation for no reason, Hikigaya had no choice but to answer under the watchful eyes of his classmates. "Well… how should I put it… Sakayanagi's plan is so simplistic and ridiculous that I don't even know where to start criticizing it."
He figured that response wouldn't satisfy anyone, but to his surprise, Horikita chuckled.
"Heh, well said."
"What do you mean 'well said'?!"
Yamauchi, on the other hand, was displeased. He pointed at Hikigaya, shouting, "What do you know, Bikigaya?! Oh, I see now—you're just jealous!"
"Even if you say I'm jealous… you did say something before, didn't you?" Hikigaya scratched his head. "Something like 'Sakayanagi may be cute, but she's ridiculously slow' or whatever… I remember you saying that. Weren't you not interested in her?"
On the first day of the forest training camp, he had accidentally witnessed Sakayanagi colliding with Yamauchi. Ayanokoji had been there too.
The way Sakayanagi had looked at Yamauchi back then—like she was about to kill him—was still fresh in his memory.
"N-no! I never said that!"
But despite Hikigaya's efforts to remind him, Yamauchi remained stubborn.
Panicking, he tried to explain, "Sakayanagi-chan, you have to believe me! B-Bikigaya is slandering me!"
"How could he be slandering you?" Horikita crossed her arms, her tone icy. "For your own good, I'll warn you—don't think I don't know what you've been doing with students from other classes during the forest training camp. So lately, I suggest you behave yourself."
"W-what are you talking about?! I didn't do anything! Don't listen to Ayanokoji's nonsense!"
Of course, Yamauchi denied everything. But he had misunderstood one thing.
"…Let me clarify. Ayanokoji-kun never told me anything." Horikita looked at him with a deadpan expression.
In truth, it was Hikigaya who had informed her. Ayanokoji was just collateral damage.
At this moment, Hirata and Sudou were both attending club activities, leaving no one to step in and defend Yamauchi. He was left to embarrass himself in front of Horikita.
As his classmates watched the spectacle unfold with amusement, Yamauchi, having lost all hope, decided to go all in.
"A-anyway! I didn't do anything! Horikita, stop falsely accusing me!"
"Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment?"
At that moment, even Sakayanagi seemed unable to tolerate Yamauchi's disgraceful display any longer and chose to step in.
She turned to Horikita, smiling as she asked, "Horikita-san, I simply wanted to have a private conversation with Yamauchi-kun. Is there a problem with that?"
"I've already told you—you're the mastermind behind setting up Ichinose. There's no way I'll allow you to interact with our class members."
"Oh my, it seems I'm not very welcome."
Sakayanagi chuckled as if she found the situation amusing.
"May I ask what exactly you mean by 'setting up'?"
"Don't play dumb. During the group assignments at the forest training camp, you publicly claimed Ichinose was untrustworthy. Then, all those strange rumors started appearing."
Faced with Horikita's accusation, Sakayanagi merely put on a puzzled expression.
"I fail to see the connection between the two. If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could provide concrete evidence."
"I don't need evidence," Horikita replied bluntly. "This isn't a trial. As long as there's sufficient reason to suspect you, that's enough. Or do you plan to sue me for defamation?"
Perhaps this response caught Sakayanagi off guard, as she remained silent for a while.
After some time, she slowly spoke, "I see. I had assumed you were as rigid as Katsuragi-kun… but it seems I underestimated you."
Indeed, there was no need for evidence.
If someone insisted on procedural justice at this stage, they were truly beyond saving.
Even if, by some remote chance, Sakayanagi was innocent, it wouldn't be a big deal.
"Sakayanagi, let's just stop here," Hikigaya took the opportunity to interject. "Aren't you supposed to be a genius? If that's the case, then just defeat Ichinose fair and square in the special exam. Besides, your strategy has already had an effect. Before things spiral out of control, why not call it quits?"
Technically, Sakayanagi's plan was both effective and ineffective.
Class A had indeed suffered a significant impact and failed to achieve good results in the exam.
However, both Class A and Class B had ended up in fifth place, meaning they hadn't lost too many points.
There was nothing they could do about that. After all, the two lowest-ranking first-year groups had been dragged down by their upperclassmen.
Not even Sakayanagi could interfere with other grade levels.
"Hehe, Hikigaya-kun, is this really okay for you?"
"What do you mean by 'okay'…"
"I mean Ichinose-san," Sakayanagi sneered. "It seems you're drawn to her character and trust her unconditionally. But if you continue like this, you'll be betrayed one day. And have you ever considered… why, after all this time, Ichinose-san hasn't stepped forward to deny these rumors? Could it be that she's feeling guilty?"
She was trying to shake Hikigaya's resolve.
He wasn't affected, but some of the Class D students started considering Sakayanagi's words.
So these idiots… No, it wasn't entirely their fault.
"As a gesture of goodwill, let me give you a little advice—people like Ichinose-san are often the ones who turn out to be the worst. A world with pure goodness simply doesn't exist."
"…Maybe."
Hikigaya's patience had worn thin at Sakayanagi's self-satisfied remarks.
Heh, and here I thought we could have a proper conversation.
What a joke.
Sneering at himself internally, he spoke up, "But Sakayanagi, are you really okay with this?"
"Hm? Are you trying to return my words to me?" Sakayanagi smiled.
"Yeah, I just couldn't stand watching anymore." Hikigaya let out a deep sigh. "You keep boasting about being a genius… that a lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth… but even you seem to have started believing your nonsense. Do you think you're a genius?"
Before she could respond, he continued, "That printed sheet with 'Ichinose Honami is a criminal' written on it… you had someone distribute it, didn't you?"
"Oh, my? So now Ichinose-san has been upgraded to a criminal?" Sakayanagi feigned surprise, covering her mouth.
Hikigaya completely ignored her performance.
"Honestly, I can't tell if you're dumb or just pretending."
As he spoke, he pulled out the paper from his pocket, crumpled it, and tossed it at Sakayanagi.
Yamauchi hurriedly stepped in front of her.
"Hey! Bikigaya, what do you think you're doing?!"
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi unfolded the paper, studying it thoughtfully.
Without even glancing at Yamauchi, Hikigaya continued, "Similar papers circulated before, accusing Ichinose of acquiring points unfairly… Did you know that every convenience store and classroom printer in this school is networked? Meaning, all print history is recorded and accessible?"
"Is that so? And what does that have to do with me?"
"Yeah, it has nothing to do with you."
"In that case—"
"Tell me, how many students do you think would bother buying their printer?" Hikigaya abruptly cut her off.
"…Huh."
In that instant, Sakayanagi realized what he meant.
"Good. So you understand now." Hikigaya nodded. "Honestly, was it that hard to just write a few extra words by hand? If you were afraid of being recognized, you could've at least used your left hand."
"Ugh…"
For the first time, Sakayanagi was truly at a loss for words.
Although printers aren't expensive, the cost of consumables is ridiculously high, and their usage is quite low. A convenience store can fully meet the needs of students.
Besides, students only live here for three years, so few would bother buying a printer just to let it collect dust in their dorms.
Most importantly, very few first-year students can afford such an expense.
Classes C and D can be ruled out immediately. Even if someone in Class A bought one, they wouldn't use it to frame Ichinose. As for Class B, neither Katsuragi's faction nor the neutral faction has that kind of money. That leaves only the dozen or so people in Sakayanagi's faction.
Even if Sakayanagi borrowed a printer from a senior, the number of possible lenders is still very limited.
If someone were determined to investigate, they could expose her in no time.
"To put it bluntly, you and that guy are just two idiots who don't even know how to frame someone properly." Hikigaya mercilessly scolded. "Aside from taking advantage of Ichinose's kindness, knowing she wouldn't report this to the school, what else can you do? If you have the guts, try the same trick on me or Ryuuen and see who ends up destroyed."
"Ugh…" Another student in the class was left speechless by the harsh words.
Sakayanagi stood frozen as if pierced by needles. She could feel the mocking and scornful gazes from the students of Class D.
Wait… Am I being… laughed at by them?
Impossible…
She had always been the one to toy with others—when had she ever been looked down upon in public like this?
She wanted to say something tough, but her mind was completely blank.
"…My apologies, Yamauchi-kun."
After much struggle, Sakayanagi forced a smile.
"It doesn't seem convenient today. Let's do this another time… Farewell."
With that, she leaned on her cane and left at the fastest pace she had ever moved in her life.
"Ah! Sakayanagi-chan, wait for me!"
Yamauchi grabbed his bag and immediately chased after her, but not before throwing out a final threat.
"Hikitani, you better remember this!"
"…Ugh." Hikigaya now truly understood what it felt like to have an annoying pest clinging onto him—one that couldn't bite but was irritating nonetheless.
…Seriously, this idiot should just go die.