Friday marked both the first day of February and the day of the mock exam.
Though this exam had no direct impact on students' grades and was merely a test of their academic proficiency, many of the questions closely resembled those in the upcoming final exam. Therefore, it was still something to be taken seriously.
After all, failing the final exam would result in immediate expulsion.
However, for the students of Class A, who consistently put effort into their studies, this was hardly a concern.
What worried them more was their class leader—Ichinose Honami.
Due to the recent rumors, Ichinose had been in low spirits. Even though she tried to act as if everything was normal in front of others, it was clear she was forcing herself.
Her condition worsened after the anonymous note labeling her as a criminal was dropped into her mailbox. At times, she would even blank out in class when called upon.
This was something unthinkable under normal circumstances.
A few sharp-minded students had already started harboring suspicions.
However, constrained by the class atmosphere, no one dared to voice them aloud.
Even when someone cautiously brought it up, the conversation was quickly shut down by others.
It wasn't just that Ichinose hated hearing about those rumors—her classmates also chose to avoid the truth, subconsciously giving up on seeking answers.
After all… this was Ichinose. Those rumors had to be false, right?
Many students shared this mindset—in fact, most of them did.
Fortunately, their worries seemed to come to an end today.
Early in the morning, Ichinose's cheerful voice rang out in the classroom.
At first, everyone was stunned. Then, their faces lit up with joy.
A group of girls immediately gathered around her, and even Kanzaki couldn't hide his surprise.
Having endured the ups and downs of the school year together, they could tell at a glance—this wasn't Ichinose forcing herself.
The bright, lively Honami-chan was finally back!
Though no one knew exactly what had changed within her, they assumed she had simply adjusted herself and gladly accepted the situation.
With that, the class welcomed the mock exam in a lighthearted atmosphere.
Despite having to deal with test papers all day and the exam being noticeably harder than before, everyone's mood felt strangely refreshing—a sense of clarity they hadn't experienced in a while.
Even though the rumors hadn't disappeared, they no longer posed a problem.
Once the exam ended, Ichinose stepped onto the podium of her own accord.
She took a deep breath before bowing deeply to her classmates.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for these past few weeks. Because of my weakness, I caused all of you to worry."
"Honami-chan, don't say that!"
"Yeah, there's no need to apologize at all."
"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters!"
The students below chimed in one after another, offering their support.
Ichinose smiled warmly.
"Yes! Just as you all said, I'm okay now."
"However, I still want to make it up to everyone. So…."
She paused briefly.
"So… next week is the final exam, right? I'd like to invite everyone to KTV to unwind before the big test! Let's go in our best condition and take the exam—what do you all think?"
"Sounds great! Let's go!"
"It's been ages since we last went singing!"
"Relaxing a bit before exams isn't a bad idea."
Without much hesitation, most students immediately agreed.
Ichinose hesitated for a moment before adding:
"And… if possible, I'd like everyone in the class to join."
Although group outings were common, they usually involved a dozen or so people at most. Inviting the entire class was rare.
At least, Ichinose had never done it before—she understood that everyone had their schedules, and forcing an invitation might be inconvenient.
But her classmates, who unconditionally trusted her, didn't think too much about it.
"Of course! No one's going to skip out, right?"
Though it sounded like a question, it wasn't.
Under this atmosphere of "if you don't go, you're ruining class unity," few would dare refuse.
After all, in a class of forty students, everyone couldn't enjoy KTV or class gatherings.
Some might already have other plans.
Realizing this, Ichinose quickly added:
"I'm not trying to force anyone! It's just… there's something really important I want to tell you all. It's something I've kept hidden for a long time… So even if you can just show up for a little bit, I'd appreciate it!"
She bowed her head once more.
"Honami-chan…"
Sensing an unusual atmosphere, the classroom fell into silence.
Most of the students in Class A were well-behaved kids who couldn't even imagine what Ichinose was going to say. However, there were also those like Himeno, who vaguely sensed something was off.
Because of that, Himeno, who initially planned to find an excuse to decline, now decided to go along and see what was happening.
She figured she could just slip away in the middle of the gathering anyway.
"Alright then, in thirty minutes, anyone interested can meet at the KTV private room. The location will be shared in the class group chat. Any objections?"
With Kanzaki's words settling the matter, the entire class responded in agreement.
The thirty-minute gap was to give everyone time to prepare—some might need to drop off their bags at the dorms or take a quick shower.
It was also meant to give people some time to mentally prepare.
After the class meeting was dismissed, Ichinose accepted an invitation from her close friends Shiranami and Netsukura to go to the Keyaki Mall for a casual stroll before heading to the KTV meetup.
"Honami-chan, are you sure you're okay with the KTV later?" Netsukura asked with a concerned expression.
"Yeah, no problem." Ichinose replied with a gentle smile. "Sorry for making you all worry. I've been troubled lately, but it's all fine now."
"I see… that's good to hear. Honami-chan, if anything's on your mind, please talk to us, okay?"
Due to the recent rumors, Shiranami was more sensitive than usual.
Ichinose smiled and nodded. "Mhm, I really rely on you guys. If something happens, I'll definitely come to you."
That was her honest feeling.
At the same time, though, she truly didn't want to burden her classmates with unnecessary worries. That was why, at first, she hadn't wanted to say anything—clinging to the naive hope that she could keep it hidden.
But after her conversation with Hikigaya yesterday, she realized her foolishness.
Not only was Sakayanagi unlikely to let her off easily, but more importantly, hiding the truth from her classmates was itself a betrayal.
Sigh… No wonder Hikigaya-kun was so angry.
And the only other person who had ever scolded her like that… was her mother.
…Honestly, how ridiculous.
Thinking back to what had happened yesterday, Ichinose couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
Now that she had calmed down and reevaluated her actions, even she found them completely irresponsible.
For an ordinary student, wanting to hide their past mistakes was understandable—everyone had things they didn't want others to know.
But Ichinose was different.
As the leader of her class and the one managing its finances, she had no right to do that.
She had to explain everything properly to everyone.
Originally, she had planned to talk in the classroom after the exam ended. But Hikigaya suggested inviting the classmates to KTV instead, saying the atmosphere would be better. He had even given her a discount coupon so she could reserve a private room for forty people at a great price.
Although she felt a little guilty about it, she accepted his kindness with gratitude.
And besides…
Just like Hikigaya-kun had said, if she truly considered her classmates to be real friends, then why was she hiding the truth from them?
Until now, her mind had been refusing to confront that question.
But with Hikigaya's words, the answer had become clear.
Without a doubt, the "friendship" in Class A was merely superficial—nothing more than a façade.
That was an undeniable fact.
But there was still plenty of time, so there was no need to rush.
Thinking back to yesterday's conversation, and even to the summer break… Back then, she hadn't given it much thought.
But now, there was a warmth in her chest that hadn't faded even after an entire night.
Every time she showed her weakness to Hikigaya, her body felt lighter, as if she had been freed from some heavy burden.
Even though they were in different classes, Ichinose had never once been troubled by it.
Logically speaking, they should be rivals.
After all, ever since she reached Class A, Horikita had clearly stated that they were now opponents.
Ichinose had accepted that without question.
But when it came to Hikigaya-kun…
There were times when she completely forgot about that, letting her guard down and relying on him—going as far as making the unreasonable request to transfer classes.
While doing so would certainly benefit Class A immensely, she couldn't deny that there was a selfish motive behind it as well.
And it would be detrimental to Class D.
Yet for some reason, Ichinose couldn't bring herself to care about that.
Maybe it was because…
Hikigaya-kun also saw his class as a façade.
That's why he always said he had no interest in class conflicts, that it didn't matter what happened to Class D.
At first, Ichinose hadn't fully understood his thoughts and actions.
But after yesterday's conversation, everything finally made sense.
So, as a way to repay his kindness…
She would be the one to fulfill the vision Hikigaya-kun wanted to see.
At that moment, the girl silently made a vow in her heart.
…Ehehe, I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to Hikigaya-kun.
Every time she recalled yesterday's events, she couldn't suppress the emotions swelling inside her.
Hikigaya-kun had always avoided revealing his true feelings.
But that expression he showed yesterday…
Without a doubt, it was genuine.
If only he would smile like that just for me…
N-No! That's impossible!
Shaking her head vigorously, Ichinose tried to dispel the ridiculous thoughts in her mind.
Seeing her act this way, Amikura looked at her in confusion.
"Honami-chan, what's wrong? You've been spacing out for a while now."
"It's nothing! I was just thinking about Hikigaya-kun… Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Ichinose's subconscious response made all three of them—including herself—freeze in shock.
Fortunately, she quickly recovered and scrambled to explain.
"N-No, that's not what I meant! What I meant was… R-Right! You see, lately, Hikigaya-kun has also been troubled by rumors, so I was just wondering if there's anything I can do to help him. That's all!"
"Ohh, I see~."
Amikura responded with a knowing smirk.
Meanwhile, Shiranami looked visibly frustrated.
Considering that Ichinose had only just recovered emotionally, Amikura chose not to tease her and instead turned her attention to Shiranami.
"What's wrong, Chihiro-chan? You look pretty unhappy."
"What do I have to be unhappy about?" Shiranami replied irritably.
"Eh? I thought you hated—right?"
"Hmph, I never said I hated him… It's just frustrating. And those rumors are even more annoying."
Saying that Shiranami pulled out her phone from her pocket and opened a chat app.
"Look, take a look. The guys from Class D are already spreading new rumors about him."
"Eh?! There's a new one?!"
Ichinose quickly took the phone and, upon seeing the screen, was utterly shocked.
The content made her question her own eyes.
Who the hell…?
Hikigaya-kun… He won't be in trouble, right?
Meanwhile, Class D also had their mock exams in the morning.
Logically, everyone should be focusing on the test, especially since Class D wasn't exactly known for its academic prowess.
However, few students were studying. Most of them were engaged in heated discussions, showing no signs of tension.
Of course, their discussions had nothing to do with the test—it was all gossip.
"Hey, hey, did you see that?"
"Yeah, I found out as soon as I woke up this morning."
"Is that even real? It's way too exaggerated."
Since the person in question had yet to arrive, the classroom buzzed with excited chatter.
However, not everyone was interested in the topic.
"Matsushita-san."
Hearing someone call her name, Matsushita looked up from her phone with a bored expression.
"What is it, Kushida-san?"
"It's just… there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Matsushita wasn't unfamiliar with Kushida talking to her in class. But for her to approach her now—it could only be about that.
Thinking of this, Matsushita deliberately put on a troubled smile.
"Sorry, Kushida-san, the exam is about to start. I'm not in the mood to talk right now. How about after the test?"
But Kushida wasn't buying it.
Without a word, she sat down in the seat beside Matsushita, making it clear she wasn't leaving.
Matsushita raised an eyebrow.
"Kushida-san, that's Hachiman-kun's seat, you know?"
"I know, but he's not here right now. Borrowing it for a bit shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Of course, it's a problem. Get up."
Even Matsushita was surprised by how cold her voice sounded.
But Kushida remained unfazed. Instead, she shifted around, settling into an even more comfortable position.
Seeing her act like this, Matsushita grew more irritated.
"Fine, fine. Just get to the point. But I'm not promising I'll answer."
"Then I'll be direct." Lowering her voice, Kushida leaned in.
"Matsushita, if I remember correctly, you and Hachiman went to the same middle school, right?"
"So what? What about it?"
"…Don't play dumb with me."
Glancing around, Kushida impatiently pulled out her phone and turned the screen toward Matsushita.
On it was a single line of text—
[During middle school, Hikigaya Hachiman used his phone to maliciously frame over forty girls, leading to their disciplinary actions, and even causing a teacher to be transferred.]
As a former student of Sobu Middle, Matsushita had, of course, heard about this.
It was precisely because of this incident that she had taken notice of Hikigaya, who otherwise seemed unremarkable.
"Are you the one spreading these rumors?" Kushida demanded bluntly.
"How could it be me?!" Matsushita immediately refuted this.
"And why would you suspect me? I have no reason to do something like that!"
"Hmph. Just the fact that you went to the same middle school as Hachiman is reason enough."
Kushida confidently added that no one else at this school could know about it, as if she had already decided Matsushita was the culprit.
Matsushita, however, saw through her tactics right away.
"Stop talking nonsense. You're just trying to use this as an excuse to frame me."
"If it wasn't you, then who spread it?"
"How would I know—wait."
Matsushita suddenly frowned. Something about Kushida's words felt off.
"Kushida-san, why aren't you doubting this at all?"
"Huh? I am doubting you."
"No, that's not what I meant. Why aren't you questioning whether the rumor itself is even true? It's like… you've already accepted it as fact… I see now."
As if a lightbulb had gone off in her mind, Matsushita instantly figured it out.
"You must've heard about it before… Did Hachiman-kun tell you?"
"Heh, so what if he did?"
Since she could get the answer just by asking Hikigaya directly, Kushida didn't deny it.
Besides, she had no intention of denying it in the first place.
After all, this was proof of the bond between her and Hikigaya.
Sensing Kushida's smugness, Matsushita responded sarcastically, "Sure, of course it's fine. But in that case, Kushida-san, you'd become one of the suspects too."
"Huh? You suspect me?!"
"Well, wasn't it you who said that besides the two of us, no one else in this school should know about it?"
"Guh…"
Kushida was momentarily at a loss for words but could only swallow her frustration for now.
"F-Fine, I won't joke around with you anymore. Just think—who else could've done this?"
"Isn't it that Sakayanagi? After she got scolded by Hachiman last time, she's probably out for revenge." Matsushita casually came to a conclusion.
Back then, Kushida had gone out with her friends, so she had left the classroom early. She only heard about what happened afterward from others.
To be honest, she regretted not witnessing it in person…
She had long found that pretentious little shrimp annoying, always acting all mysterious.
"But how would Sakayanagi even know? Don't tell me she was also your middle school classmate?" Kushida asked in confusion.
"Nope." Matsushita shook her head. "But I heard her father is the chairman of this school. Get it now?"
"…Yeah, I get it."
Ever since she learned about the class assignment system, Kushida had suspected that the school must have investigated her past.
Otherwise, with her apparent grades and abilities, there was no way she would have been placed in Class D.
In other words, Sakayanagi might know about her past too… Damn it!
Even though Hikigaya's words had made her lose interest in sabotaging Horikita, the fewer people who knew about her past, the better.
Besides, Sakayanagi was from another class, which meant she was an enemy of Class D from the start.
And now she even dared to provoke Hachiman…
That girl was the leader of Class B, and Kushida had interacted with her a few times. She seemed like a tough opponent to deal with.
…It'd be best to drag Hachiman into this too.
That thought crossed Kushida's mind, but she knew Hikigaya's personality all too well.
If Sakayanagi was merely spreading rumors about him, he'd probably just say, "Don't pay attention to it." Ugh, that part of him was such a pain.
And yet, it was precisely because of that trait that their relationship had become what it is today.
Otherwise, that night when she threatened Hikigaya, he would've turned the tables on her instead.
By now, she might've already been expelled.
…With Hachiman's abilities, he could've done that.
Kushida did not doubt it. While she felt relieved, there was also a sense of helplessness.
Did he have to be so kind to everyone? Some trash should just be cleaned up when necessary—wouldn't that be better?
Just as Kushida was contemplating how to persuade Hikigaya to deal with Sakayanagi, the classroom suddenly fell silent.
Naturally, it was because the protagonist had arrived.
Hikigaya seemed puzzled by the abrupt silence, as the surrounding students all turned their eyes toward him.
But he didn't say anything and simply walked toward his seat.
Upon seeing Kushida sitting in his chair, his expression became even more confused.
"…Did my seat get reassigned?"
"No, no." Kushida chuckled awkwardly and stood up. "I just wanted to chat with Matsushita-san for a bit, so I borrowed your seat without asking. I'm sorry."
"Oh," Hikigaya responded indifferently.
Although Kushida wanted to linger a bit longer, she had no choice but to leave under the scrutiny of so many eyes.
But seriously… what was with Hachiman's attitude?!
He was acting so cold!
Even in front of others, he could at least show a little warmth, right?
…Forget it, she'd deal with him later when no one was around.
Not long after Kushida returned to her seat, an untimely voice rang out.
"Hey, Bikiku—what kind of 'good deeds' did you do in the past? Tell us so we can all laugh!"
"Uh…" Hikigaya looked at Yamauchi, who was grinning mischievously, then slowly opened his mouth.
"Yamauchi, the mock exams are coming up soon."
"Huh? Of course, I know that."
"Yeah, I just wanted you to know—I hope you fail."
"Haah?! Are you cursing me?!"
"No, it's a blessing," Hikigaya replied with a serious expression.
The mock exam didn't affect final grades. In other words, if the weaker students performed poorly, it might serve as a wake-up call, forcing them to study harder.
Of course, the main reason was that Hikigaya simply wanted Yamauchi to shut up.
Ever since Yamauchi found out he had a lot of points, he had been bothering him nonstop… Sigh, jealousy was an ugly thing.
But Hikigaya had already anticipated this, so it wasn't a big deal.
…Though it was still extremely annoying.
"Tch, Bikiku, you are a nasty guy!" Yamauchi grumbled. "No wonder you did those things back in middle school. Those girls must've had it real rough!"
"…What are you talking about?"
"Haha! A guy like you, with no friends, really doesn't get any news, huh?"
Yamauchi laughed loudly as he reached into his pocket for his phone, but Hirata and Sudou quickly stopped him.
"Come on, Yamauchi-kun, the exam is about to start. Let's calm down for a bit. Besides, I already told you last time—don't get fooled by these kinds of rumors."
"That's right, Haruki! Stop messing around!"
"Messing around? Everything I said is the truth!"
Although Yamauchi was momentarily stopped, the issue wasn't over. Curious eyes turned toward them, eager to see what was going on.
In this situation, Hikigaya glanced at Matsushita, silently asking her what had happened.
Matsushita hesitated for a moment before quietly handing over her phone.
"Uh..."
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Hikigaya stared at the screen without saying a word.
Several seconds passed before he slowly looked up.
"...Yamauchi, you just wanted to confirm this?"
"Yeah! You did it, didn't you?"
"And then?"
"W-What do you mean 'and then'?! What are you trying to say?"
Yamauchi seemed confused by Hikigaya's response, but it didn't matter—he could just explain it clearly.
"So I'm asking you—what do you plan to do after confirming it?" Hikigaya said expressionlessly. "Or are you just trying to see if I'm really capable of this? Do you also want to get a disciplinary action on your record? Or maybe even get expelled?"
The atmosphere in the classroom shifted in an instant.
His tone was neither threatening nor spoken in anger—it was merely a statement of fact.
And precisely because of that, it felt even more terrifying.
Hikigaya usually didn't talk much in class, nor did he do anything that would make him stand out. It was easy for people to forget he even existed.
Especially back when school first started—he was practically like air. That first impression was hard to shake off.
But during special exams, he had repeatedly clashed with other students, and every time, he managed to leave them speechless.
Because of this, aside from those who lacked common sense, no one in class dared to provoke him face-to-face.
"H-Haha... What the hell."
Sensing the shift in mood, Yamauchi forced an awkward laugh.
"I was just joking around! No need to take it so seriously... Whatever, I can't be bothered with someone who doesn't know how to take a joke."
Just then, Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom, holding a stack of exam papers.
Yamauchi quickly took the chance to slip back to his seat, but the heavy atmosphere in the room didn't lighten. If anything, it grew even heavier.
At first, some had thought the rumor was just a joke—because no matter how they looked at it, it seemed too exaggerated.
But now, after just a few words from Hikigaya, hardly anyone would think that anymore.
"...Thanks, Matsushita."
Hikigaya returned the phone and thanked her.
"Hachiman-kun... Are you okay?" Matsushita couldn't hide the concern on her face. "You're still... bothered by that matter, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just a little surprised."
While denying it, Hikigaya also shook his head, signaling that he didn't want to continue the conversation.
"The exam is about to start. This isn't the time to focus on things like that."
"...Got it. But if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me. I'll be happy to listen."
"Mm. Thanks."
Although Matsushita was still worried about Hikigaya's mental state, it seemed like, just as he said, his attention was solely on the exam.
At least on the surface, he didn't seem affected.
However—
The moment the exam ended and dismissal was announced, Hikigaya suddenly shot up from his seat and bolted out of the classroom before Chabashira-sensei even had a chance to leave.
The abrupt action startled everyone, including their homeroom teacher.
Immediately after, the classroom erupted into chaos.
Hirata was the first to react, quickly rushing to the door to see where Hikigaya had gone.
"Hirata-kun! Where did Hikigaya-kun run off to?" Kushida anxiously asked.
Judging by the fact that Hikigaya's bag was still in the classroom, it was obvious he wasn't simply heading back to the dorms.
"It looks like he ran to Class B's room," Hirata replied with a troubled expression.
"Class B? That's not good..."
"Hikigaya seems really mad... He was like a volcano about to erupt."
"Eh? Is he going to confront Sakayanagi? But can he handle this alone?"
The class erupted into a flurry of discussion, more excited than worried.
Kushida immediately sent a message in their group chat:
[What's going on? Why did Hachiman suddenly run out?!]
[Did he say anything to you guys beforehand?]
Matsushita replied, saying she didn't know anything.
As for Horikita, she had a thought—could he be going to confront Sakayanagi?
Unlike when Ryuuen had brought his lackeys to cause trouble, Horikita believed Hikigaya wouldn't resort to physical violence.
However... Class B was about to be turned upside down.
"I'm worried about this. I think I should go check on him."
Hirata's statement immediately drew responses from over ten students who wanted to follow along.
But this only put him in a difficult spot.
His goal wasn't to lead a group into a fight—he just wanted to prevent any accidents from happening.
If too many people went, Class B might think they were trying to pick a fight, making the situation even harder to control.
"Hirata, let me go check things out instead."
Seeing his dilemma, Miyake volunteered.
"Is that okay, Miyake-kun?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll handle it." Miyake nodded, then turned to his two friends. "Kiyotaka, and Kisei, can I ask you to come with me?"
"If Akito says so, then let's go."
"Yeah, Hikigaya is an important student for our class too."
The two agreed without hesitation.
Come to think of it, the last time Ryuuen targeted Sudo, it was also Miyake and the others who went after him, while Hirata stayed behind to reassure the class. So, this shouldn't be a problem.
"I'll go with you too."
Although she had a rough idea of what Hikigaya was planning, Horikita still wasn't completely at ease and decided to check things out herself.
But as soon as she spoke up, not only did Sudo immediately insist on going to protect her, but Kushida and Matsushita also said they wanted to come along out of concern.
And just like that, the group grew even larger.
When they arrived at Class B's classroom, they found the place in complete chaos. The students of Class B were all focused on the unfolding situation.
Surrounded by Onitake, Hashimoto, and others, Hikigaya stood completely unfazed, his gaze locked firmly on Sakayanagi in front of him.
"What do you mean by this?"