Due to the unique nature of this exam, the atmosphere in the classroom had been terrible since morning, giving off a stifling sense of oppression.
Unlike usual, the students didn't chat noisily upon entering. Instead, they seemed completely drained of energy.
Well, at least the quiet was a welcome change…
This situation would likely persist until the special exam was over.
For most people, deciding who to cast their critical votes against was a troubling matter. To avoid drawing attention to themselves, they refrained from making any conspicuous moves, all the while remaining wary of one another.
If the exam was to progress, the leadership needed to step up at this moment.
Unfortunately, neither Horikita nor Hirata seemed inclined to take action—at least, not yet. There were still four days left before the voting, after all.
Aside from that, Hikigaya noticed something else.
The moment a few students entered the classroom, their gazes subtly drifted in his direction.
It was a small, almost unconscious movement—so well-hidden that most wouldn't notice. But Hikigaya had developed a keen sensitivity to others' stares, so there was no mistaking it.
In other words… they were watching him.
It was easy to imagine why. This was a completely normal development.
Close-knit groups were likely to discuss their voting choices in private, coming to a consensus on who to eliminate. Even Hirata wouldn't object to this—it was just how things worked.
And yet, it seemed like only four or five students were keeping an eye on him. That was… surprisingly few.
As Hikigaya mulled over this, he continued to feel scattered glances in his direction, only for them to quickly look away, pretending nothing had happened—over and over again.
Seriously? They're being way too obvious. Can't they at least try to be more discreet?
Of course, if their target had been anyone else, this level of subtlety might have worked. But this was a skill honed over years of solitude.
…Alright, time for a bathroom break.
Being stared at like this was unbearable. Hopefully, they'd at least learn to refine their technique a little.
With a silent sigh, Hikigaya stood up and left the classroom, feeling noticeably lighter as those annoying gazes finally disappeared.
Just as he stepped out near the stairwell, he ran into Sudo.
Huh? This guy's taking the stairs instead of the elevator? That's unexpected.
"Eh? Oh—Hik-Hikigaya, huh. Morning."
For some reason, Sudo seemed even more surprised than he was.
Then, as if noticing the odd look he was getting—or maybe for some other reason—Sudo awkwardly added, "Nah, the elevator's not broken or anything. Just figured I'd take the stairs for a bit of exercise."
"…Oh."
Even as he said it, Sudo's explanation felt forced.
And considering he was terrible at keeping a straight face…
Hikigaya recalled the students who had been glancing at him earlier. All of them were guys. And all of them were close to Sudo.
Ah, so that's what's going on.
"Hey, Hikigaya… I, uh, wanted to ask you something. Since, you know, you're smart."
Sudo hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, before finally spitting it out.
This was… really unlike him.
"I know I'm not the sharpest guy, and I've got a short temper. But, you know, I'm actually happy here. I don't wanna get expelled. So… if it means I can stay, I don't care who hates me. Do you think that's wrong?"
"Nope." Hikigaya nodded without hesitation. "At the end of the day, everyone's just looking out for themselves. And really, it's the school's fault for setting up such an unfair exam. Even if your choices end up hurting someone, you're just being forced into a corner. You shouldn't feel guilty about it."
It was like how villains in novels hold hostages to threaten the protagonist. No matter the outcome, the blame lies with the villain, not the hostage or the hero.
Unfortunately, most people aren't that rational.
Or rather, irrationality is the norm.
"…Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Hikigaya. I feel a little better now."
Muttering his thanks, Sudo hurriedly made his escape before Hikigaya could say anything else.
Geez. At least work on your acting skills a little?
Hikigaya shook his head but didn't hold it against him. He wasn't about to take action either.
Like he had just said, sometimes you had no choice but to sacrifice others for self-preservation. It was just an inevitable decision.
Besides, he and Sudo weren't friends. There was no reason to complain.
Even if they were friends, friendships had hierarchies. Some bonds naturally took precedence over others.
Just like in elementary school—where, even if everyone called each other friends, Hikigaya always ended up as that "oh yeah, I guess he exists" kind of guy.
…Actually, there was nothing complicated about it.
He was just dead last in the pecking order.
And in this exam, Sudo and Yamauchi were among the most likely candidates for expulsion. Just yesterday, Sudo had even picked a fight with Kouenji to protect his friend.
It was only natural for them to team up for mutual support.
In the end, that was all there was to it.
"…Man, this is why I hate dealing with people."
Class D was unbearable right now.
Might as well wait until the bell rings before heading back.
Even at lunchtime, the suffocating atmosphere hadn't changed.
The classroom was much quieter than usual, but Hikigaya had no intention of eating there.
Like always, he bought a few bread rolls and rice balls from the school store before heading to his favorite spot for meals.
…Though, lately, the weather had been getting pretty cold.
Still, a bit of discomfort was a small price to pay for some peace and quiet.
…No, actually, maybe it was time to find an even better spot.
The cold wind was unbearable.
Fortunately, there was still sweet, hot coffee—his only solace.
I should buy two more cans this time.
Just as Hikigaya was lost in such trivial thoughts, a faint voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Hikki… Hikki—"
"Uh…" What the heck?
Could it be… a ghost calling for me?
…Forget it. Better to pretend I didn't hear anything.
Even though a haunting in broad daylight was hard to believe, Hikigaya was a man well-versed in risk management. Ignoring it seemed like the safest choice.
However, the next moment, a figure suddenly jumped out from around the corner and forcefully slapped his shoulder.
"Hikki! Why didn't you respond when I called you?!"
"Hasebe… Why were you hiding there?"
The blue-haired girl who appeared before him was none other than Hasebe Haruka.
To Hikigaya, she was an overly energetic woman—one with an inexplicable personality.
Their first conversation had been because she stood up for Ayanokoji, whom she hadn't known for long… Thinking back, was that supposed to be loyalty?
Since then, while they weren't completely silent toward each other, their interactions had always been within a group, especially when Kushida was around.
After all, they were both Kushida's friends. At best, they were just friends of a friend.
Wait… Now that I think about it…
Almost everyone in Class D is Kushida's friend. In other words, everyone is a friend of a friend?
…No way. That sounds utterly stupid.
Anyway, being called out by Hasebe alone like this—especially since she seemed to have been deliberately waiting—felt suspicious no matter how he looked at it.
"Aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Ayanokoji's group?" Hikigaya asked knowingly. "Did you guys get into a fight? If so, you should ask Kushida to mediate."
"Idiot! That's not it at all!"
Hasebe huffed and forcibly dragged Hikigaya into a corner.
"I'm taking a huge risk just coming to talk to you, okay? Stop playing dumb—it's pissing me off!"
"…Sorry."
Wait, huge risk? What does she mean?
Hikigaya couldn't help but ask, "So, what exactly do you want to talk about? And why so secretive?"
"It's not secretive, it's just… ugh…"
For some reason, when she was about to speak, Hasebe hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words.
After a long pause, she finally said in a halting voice, "Hey, Hikki… Have you… heard anything from Kipyon lately?"
In the end, she's just dodging the question.
Seriously, if it's difficult to say, then don't force yourself.
"Kushida hasn't told me anything special," Hikigaya replied with a shake of his head. "Besides… Hasebe, maybe I'm overstepping here, but if you're feeling anxious about the exam, you should avoid acting recklessly. You'll end up drawing unnecessary attention."
"It's not that… Ugh, this is so annoying!"
Hasebe stomped her foot in frustration before taking a deep breath as if steeling herself.
"Hikki, do you realize that a lot of people in class have their eyes on you?"
"Is that so?"
"What do you mean, 'Is that so?!' Your reaction is way too calm!"
Perhaps thinking he didn't believe her, Hasebe elaborated.
"Yesterday, someone approached me. They said they've gathered four or five people and suggested that our Ayanokoji group should join them in voting to criticize you. Do you know what reason they gave?"
"What?"
Now that piqued Hikigaya's curiosity.
If they were simply targeting his misdeeds, there were worse reputations than his in Class D. It didn't seem like a convincing argument.
Then, Hasebe dropped an unexpected bombshell.
"They said… you have twenty million private points. Is that true?"
"…I see."
Hikigaya did have twenty million points. But very few people knew this.
Even when he talked to Hirata and Ayanokoji, he only mentioned having a little over ten million. It wasn't a lie either—just the verifiable portion.
The real amount was twenty-eight million. That was the truly shocking number.
However, from a rational perspective, not everyone was as calculating as Ayanokoji.
Most people just had a vague sense that Hikigaya was rich. They couldn't pinpoint an exact number.
Simply put, as long as the mastermind planted the idea that "Hikigaya has twenty million points," it didn't matter whether it was true or not.
With the looming fear of expulsion, most students would instinctively accept it as fact and convince themselves to vote against him.
—That guy can easily save himself, but if it were anyone else, he definitely wouldn't hand over his money.
It was an easy psychological pattern to predict.
But what puzzled Hikigaya was why Hasebe was telling him this.
They weren't exactly close.
"Hikki, do you… have twenty million?"
"No, I have around fifteen million."
"What? I knew it was impossible… Wait—fifteen million?!"
Even fifteen million was an absurdly high number for a first-year student.
But… this girl believes things way too easily.
"Hikki, you're seriously scary," Hasebe muttered, half in shock, half in admiration. "I always thought you were different from the rest… No wonder Kipyon… But still, even if it's just a five-million difference, that's not an amount you can just borrow from someone, right?"
"Yeah, it's impossible."
"Then isn't this bad? Shouldn't you discuss it with Kipyon?"
Hikigaya appreciated her concern.
But even if he added the five members of Ayanokoji's group to his side, that was only a quarter of the class—not enough to change the outcome.
So, he decided to do nothing.
Besides, there were other things he found far more interesting.
"Hasebe, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Why did you go out of your way to tell me this? It doesn't benefit you, does it?"
"...That's what you want to ask?" Hasebe looked at him, dumbfounded.
Hikigaya found her reaction odd and asked in confusion, "Then what did you expect me to ask?"
"You should be asking who told me to come to you!" Hasebe looked at him in exasperation. "Seriously, you're usually so smart. Why are you suddenly acting dumb? Don't tell me you're panicking just because you found out you're being targeted?"
...She really didn't hold back, huh?
"No, I was just thinking that if you told me, you'd probably give yourself away too easily. It's better to keep it a secret."
"W-What?! Are you calling me an idiot?!"
"Can you guarantee you wouldn't slip up?"
"Uh... No."
"Heh, see?"
Seeing her deflate immediately, Hikigaya couldn't help but chuckle.
"Also, did you consider that if I leak this, you might become the target instead?"
"I-If that happens, I'll complain!"
With a hint of nervousness, Hasebe huffed, "I'll tell Kushida bad things about you! Like… like how you always look at me with perverted eyes! Oh, and Airi too! I'll tell her you're always staring at the girls' chests in our group!"
"Hey…"
That was no joke.
If such a weird rumor spreads, expulsion might be preferable.
At this point, there was only one thing Hikigaya could do.
"I'm sorry, Hasebe-sama! It was my mistake!"
"Hmph, as long as you know."
Hasebe crossed her arms triumphantly, letting out two satisfied hums before her expression turned somber.
"You know, ever since elementary school, girls never really liked me. Weird things would always appear in my shoe locker… So I hate it when people gang up on someone. Besides, you earned those points yourself—why should you be forced to hand them over? It's not like those people ever did anything for the class… We're supposed to be classmates, so why do they have to be so cruel?"
It wasn't hard to imagine.
Not only was she pretty with a great figure, but her personality wasn't exactly the most agreeable—blunt and straightforward.
A girl like that would naturally be ostracized… just like someone else he knew.
Thinking back, Hasebe barely talked to anyone when school first started. At least now she had Sakura as a friend.
Hopefully, their friendship would last.
"And also… I kind of owe you one, Hikki."
"Owe me?" Hikigaya didn't follow.
Hasebe nodded. "Remember how you warned us before? About how this school has brutal exams where we'd have to turn on our classmates? Back then, I was skeptical like everyone else… but after this test, I finally understood. This school is messed up."
Oh, right.
That had happened.
But Hikigaya hadn't said it out of kindness. It was just that, at the time, seeing Hasebe act all righteous for her friends had felt so hypocritical and laughable.
She didn't even know what kind of person Ayanokoji was, yet she had the nerve to act like she was standing up for friendship…
Looking back, maybe he'd been a bit too impulsive.
"But that's not something to thank me for, is it? And my whole point back then was to mock your little friendship games, you know?" Hikigaya stated bluntly.
"I didn't need you to tell me that! I figured it out myself!"
Hasebe shot him a sharp glare but soon let out a deep sigh.
"But thanks to what you said, I spent a while thinking about 'what true friendship is.' Even last night, I couldn't sleep because I kept wondering… If my best friend got expelled, could I smile like nothing happened afterward?"
"And? What's your conclusion?"
"…I don't know."
An unexpected answer, yet completely reasonable.
Hikigaya found it amusing and let out a small laugh—only to be met with a complaint.
"What's so funny?! My brain just isn't that great, okay?!"
"No, I wasn't laughing at you."
The fact that she was willing to think about it at all was already rare. Most people just accepted the vague concept of "friendship" without ever questioning it.
As long as they had fun together, they were friends.
And when they drifted apart, they'd just make new friends somewhere else. That was how it usually went.
That's why someone like Hasebe, who stopped to reflect, was special.
"Anyway, thanks for taking the risk to warn me today. Don't worry—I'll handle this properly."
Hikigaya gestured toward the nearby vending machine.
"It's not much of a thank-you, but at least let me buy you a drink."
"I'll have juice, then."
Without hesitation, Hasebe made her choice.
As for Hikigaya, of course, he went for Coffee… Sigh, will Max Coffee really never make a return?
He pressed the button, and just as he pulled out his phone to pay, his hand suddenly froze.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Seeing him stand there motionless, Hasebe instinctively leaned in—and then spotted a glaring red mark on his phone screen.
"Eh? This is… an account ban?"