At the same moment, Hikigaya Hachiman headed straight to Matsunaga's café after school.
Since he hadn't left the school grounds yet, he figured he might as well savor the flavors of this place a little longer.
He also planned to settle Himeno's tab from the past few visits. After all, he still had plenty of those complimentary vouchers left, and there wouldn't be another chance to use them in the future anyway.
Just to be clear, this wasn't about taking advantage of a freebie!
To Hikigaya's surprise, even though he had already spoken with Matsunaga about covering Himeno's expenses and the latter had agreed, Himeno still insisted on paying for herself.
Jeez, that girl sure was polite.
"In that case, I'll have a cappuccino."
Since he couldn't give the vouchers away, he might as well use them himself.
"Would you like to try our new cake? I personally highly recommend it," Matsunaga suggested with a smile.
"Uh, I'll pass this time. I ate too much at lunch, and my stomach still feels a bit full."
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
Matsunaga turned back to the counter and began preparing the drink. His technique looked surprisingly professional.
Now that he thought about it, most of the café's staff were good-looking guys and girls… Makes sense. No way the owner would hire someone with dead-fish eyes or anything—imagine scaring away customers, that'd be a disaster.
As he watched the coffee being prepared, Hikigaya let his mind drift to trivial thoughts, quietly enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Sigh, if only school life here could be this peaceful.
…No, actually, that wouldn't be good either.
After all, that would mean I'd never see Komachi!
"Here's your cappuccino, please enjoy."
"Thanks."
Just as Hikigaya took a sip from his cup, Matsunaga leaned in with a mysterious expression.
"…What is it?"
"Do you remember what I told you about Valentine's Day last time?" Matsunaga lowered his voice. "It's coming up next week. You have to come! I've prepared an amazing gift just for you, Hikigaya-kun. You're going to be shocked."
"What exactly is it?"
"Heh, telling you now would ruin the surprise."
"Hmm…"
The problem is, if you don't tell me now, I probably won't get the chance to find out later… Well, nothing I can do about it.
Feeling a little guilty about Matsunaga, Hikigaya decided to keep quiet.
Just then, the sound of the café door opening rang out.
It seemed another customer had arrived.
"Ah, Himeno-san, welcome."
"…Huh?"
Hearing Matsunaga say that, Hikigaya instinctively turned to look. Sure enough, it was Himeno who had entered.
What a coincidence… No, something tells me she came here specifically for me.
Soon enough, his suspicion was confirmed.
The moment Himeno stepped inside, she walked straight toward him and, without a word, took the seat next to him.
Come on, at least say hello first.
However, even after waiting for a while, Himeno didn't say a word to him. Instead, she just ordered a cake and milk tea on her own.
…Am I supposed to start the conversation?
No, no, that would be overestimating my self-importance… or maybe not.
Though she remained silent, Himeno kept glancing over at him, her expression practically screaming "Hurry up and talk to me!"
…What a hassle!
Resigning himself to fate, Hikigaya finally spoke. "Hey, Himeno, do you want to try the new cake? I heard it's really good."
"…Are you treating?"
"Of course. I already told you last time—order whatever you want in this café, no need to hold back. Even when I'm not around, don't be shy."
"Tch, as if I could do that." Himeno clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Especially when you're not even here… Do you think I'm some shameless woman? Seriously, you're impossible!"
"…Sorry."
Weird. I'm the one offering to treat her, yet somehow I'm getting scolded.
But thinking about it, maybe I didn't consider things properly… Sigh, not like I've ever been that perceptive.
"Alright, let's get to the point. What do you want from me?"
"What? Who said I wanted anything from you? Stop being so full of yourself."
"Uh…" This woman is seriously infuriating!
But then, after some hesitation, Himeno awkwardly asked, "More importantly… Hey, I just want to know, has Ichinose been looking for you recently?"
"What does that have to do with you? Mind your own business." Hikigaya shot her a glare.
Since she called him self-important, Hikigaya, in true petty fashion, immediately returned the favor.
"W-why wouldn't it be my business?!" Himeno flustered. "Ichinose-san is our class rep, I must supervise her love life!"
"There's no such duty… Seriously."
Too lazy to keep teasing her, Hikigaya got straight to the point.
"If you're asking about the exam, no, Ichinose hasn't come to borrow points from me."
"Ugh…" Hearing that, Himeno fell silent.
After a moment, she let out a wry smile. "Damn, you do know everything, huh? It's like you can see right through people's thoughts. That's kind of ridiculous."
"No, it's just a basic deduction."
Hikigaya and Himeno weren't particularly close, and given her personality, she wouldn't seek him out for no reason.
Considering the current exam and Class A's situation, the answer was obvious.
"So annoying. When I say you're amazing, just accept it already!"
"But you didn't say I was amazing."
"…You have such a terrible personality."
"Haha, well said."
Himeno puffed up her cheeks in frustration, looking just like a pufferfish, making Hikigaya chuckle involuntarily.
Not that he could deny her assessment of his personality.
"Hmph, keep laughing and I'll demand emotional compensation!"
"Alright, alright. Feel free to file a complaint with the student council."
"Like hell, I'd go to your turf to sue you!"
Gotta admit, her comeback was spot-on.
As they continued their casual banter, Himeno's expression gradually turned hesitant.
"…Hey, Hikigaya, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"I've always been curious… What exactly are you feeling when you help Ichinose-san?" Himeno idly stirred her milk tea with a spoon. "If you like her, then just confess already. It'd make things easier for everyone."
"Someone like me doesn't match with Ichinose," Hikigaya replied without hesitation.
"So you're saying Ichinose-san isn't good enough for you?"
"No way. How did you even reach that conclusion?"
Hikigaya sighed. No matter how you look at it, it's him who doesn't match up to Class A's goddess.
This kind of question had come up before—people really lacked common sense.
"But that's not the issue here." Himeno rubbed her forehead with a pained expression. "You know what kind of person Ichinose is, right? You've done so much for her already—shouldn't you at least ask for something in return? I mean, aren't you a guy?"
"What are you even talking about...?" Hikigaya sighed. "Anyway, I can't think of anything I'd ask for. Besides, I did all that for myself."
At the end of the day, this was just Hikigaya's own self-satisfaction.
He didn't need anything in return from Ichinose, nor did he want their relationship to change because of it.
"If you two were dating, this would be so much simpler—ahhh! Forget it, I'll just do it myself!"
Himeno let out a frustrated yell. Thankfully, there were no other customers in the café, or she would have caused a scene.
She then spoke at lightning speed. "Ichinose feels bad about bothering you every time, but I don't mind thick-skinned behavior, so basically... um, well... uh..."
Despite claiming she had no shame, when it came time to actually ask, Himeno started fumbling over her words.
But Hikigaya could understand her hesitation.
After all, it was two million points. Even between close friends, that wasn't an amount you could casually borrow.
The only reason it was even possible was because personal points weren't equivalent to real currency—and more importantly, they were freely distributed by the school. Otherwise, in the real world, no one would even consider borrowing that much from a fellow classmate.
"Uh, so… our class is trying to gather twenty million to prevent someone from getting expelled, but we're still two million short…"
Hikigaya didn't interrupt her and quietly listened until she finished.
"If it's possible… could you… um… lend it to us?"
After she said that, Himeno stared at Hikigaya anxiously, as if waiting for a verdict.
But then, as if realizing her request lacked sincerity, she quickly added, "Of course, we won't ask you to do it for nothing! If you want interest or any other conditions, just name them! I'd even… um… I'd even go on a date with you… probably."
"...Huh?"
"I-I'm making this clear right now!"
Before Hikigaya could even react, Himeno rattled on like a machine gun. "It's strictly limited to a normal date! Like having a meal, watching a movie—none of that weird stuff, got it?!"
"Who the hell would even think about that…?"
Hikigaya was speechless.
What was wrong with high school girls these days?
One after another, they kept using themselves as bargaining chips… Did they think being a girl made things that easy?
"Anyway, I get what you're saying."
"So, your answer is…?" Himeno looked at him nervously.
"You don't have to worry about it." Hikigaya let out a sigh. "Ichinose will definitely find a way. I can't tell you the details and don't ask. But on the morning of the voting exam, your entire class will understand. So just relax."
"Eh? What do you mean? Wait—did you already lend the money to Ichinose?" Himeno widened her eyes in disbelief.
If that were the case, Ichinose should have already told the class.
But the reality was that she had only told them to trust her. That vague reassurance felt unsettling, and Himeno wasn't sure what else she could do.
As she was worrying over it, she happened to see Hikigaya at a café while wandering through the mall. After much hesitation, she finally decided to ask him for help.
She knew it was shameless, but it was still better than blindly trusting Ichinose.
After all, the last time they trusted Ichinose… if Hikigaya hadn't stepped in, she would have been completely crushed.
That incident had taught Himeno one thing:
—You absolutely can't just trust Ichinose without thinking.
She was undeniably a good person, but not exactly competent.
At some point, the blind faith of her classmates would only end up suffocating her.
"I already told you, don't ask. Can you just trust me?"
"…That's such a sneaky way of putting it."
For some reason, hearing it from Hikigaya made Himeno feel like she actually could trust him.
How strange… They weren't even in the same class.
"Don't worry, I guarantee the outcome won't disappoint you."
"…Really?"
"Of course. Besides, I have nothing to gain from lying to you."
After Hikigaya reassured her multiple times, Himeno finally relaxed and happily dug into her cake.
Seriously, this guy had decent grades and good relationships with others. He had no reason to worry about expulsion, so there was no need for him to lower himself and ask for help…
Was Class A just full of idiots?
"Alright, take your time eating. I'm heading back."
"Huh? You're leaving already?" Himeno looked up in surprise.
"Yeah." Hikigaya gave her a puzzled look. "Why? Did you have something else to say?"
"…The way you said that is irritating."
"Huh? Irritating?"
"Isn't it?! You're making it sound like I only came to see you for my benefit and now that I got what I wanted, I'm just kicking you aside!"
"Uh… what?"
Himeno had spoken so fast that Hikigaya barely caught what she said.
But even if he had, he still wouldn't have understood what this girl was getting at.
"Anyway, don't overthink it." Hikigaya shook his head. "In the end, I never actually lent you any money, did I? And I wasn't the one who helped Ichinose either, so you don't owe me anything."
"…Liar. I'm sure it was you."
"It really wasn't me. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ichinose later. Anyway, I'm leaving now."
With that, Hikigaya paid the bill and walked out.
Sigh… As expected, Class D is still the best.
At the very least, in that class, he didn't have to worry about unnecessary things. Even if he abandoned something without a second thought, there wouldn't be any psychological burden.
Though as for Kushida and the others… they would probably have to apologize in the end.
Wait, would just a bow be enough?
Kneeling in apology… the embarrassment would be way too much…
"Hm?"
"Uh…"
Just as Hikigaya was lost in thought, a soft voice came from beside him.
Turning his head, his eyes met another pair.
"Hehe, if it isn't Hikigaya-kun? I must say, I'm both delighted and surprised to run into you here."
"Sakayanagi…? What are you doing here?"
"I came to buy a drink." Sakayanagi smiled, shaking the cup in her hand. "Speaking of which, isn't that my line? Shouldn't I be the one asking why you are here, Hikigaya-kun?"
Tilting her head, she glanced behind Hikigaya.
Then, her gaze landed on Himeno, who was still seated inside the café and curiously looking their way.
"…I see."
For some reason, her voice suddenly turned cold.
"As expected of you, Hikigaya-kun. Even when you don't have a single point on you, you can still find a girl willing to treat you. And someone I don't even know, no less… Hehe, no wonder you said you wanted to become a househusband. You have quite the talent for freeloading."
"I have no idea what you've misunderstood, but it's not what you think," Hikigaya retorted.
Or rather, he was the one paying, okay?!
And speaking of misunderstandings, Sakayanagi sure had some thick skin. Just this afternoon, something like that had happened, yet now she was casually talking to him like nothing was wrong.
Though, to be fair, Hikigaya wasn't really in a position to judge either.
Ultimately, both of them treated the special exams as nothing more than regular tests.
To use an analogy, it was like how the second-place student in the grade wouldn't hurl insults at the top-ranked student just because they didn't get first place. At most, they'd just aim to win next time.
After all, in a normal school, ranking lower didn't usually affect one's interests.
But at ANHS, things were different. Special exams determined class rankings, and only students in Class A received special privileges upon graduation.
With such high stakes, even children would fight to the bitter end.
Only students like Hikigaya and Sakayanagi, who had no attachment to Class A, could remain this calm after a loss.
Of course, her way of doing things was still irritating.
"Well, that's not my concern right now. More importantly, I had planned to hang out with Masumi, but she seems to be in a bad mood lately. Since you're here, why don't you chat with me instead?"
"I'm busy. I'm heading home."
"Don't be like that~ Oh, by the way, this is a new drink that just came out. Want to try a sip? I think it's pretty good."
Saying something strange, Sakayanagi held up her drink and moved the straw toward Hikigaya's mouth.
Hikigaya grimaced and raised a hand to block it. "No thanks, you drink it yourself."
"Hehe, could it be that you're embarrassed about an indirect kiss? How cute."
"It's called basic hygiene."
"Don't worry, I don't mind if it's you."
"Well, I mind."
"Ah, that's a little hurtful."
Despite her words, Sakayanagi didn't seem hurt at all. She looked rather pleased.
She enjoys messing with people, huh…
"Alright, enough joking around. Since I ran into you here, there's something I have to tell you."
"If it's a complaint, spare me."
"Hehe, do you think I'd do something so disgraceful?"
Sakayanagi believed that if she lost, she should accept it gracefully and take responsibility for her failure.
"Congratulations, Hikigaya-kun."
"…Huh?"
"This time, you've completely defeated me."
There was no resentment or unwillingness in her voice. Instead, it sounded almost like… relief.
But Hikigaya couldn't accept it at all.
"Don't joke around."
"I'm not joking. Just accept a loser's congratulations already."
"I said—don't joke around." His expression turned cold. "If you want to call it a victory, that's your business. But don't force your definition onto me."
Driving someone to expulsion had nothing to do with victory.
"But in this school, making a strong opponent drop out is considered a victory, isn't it?"
Seeing through his thoughts, Sakayanagi sighed. "Regardless of whether I was a threat to you in the class battle, the fact remains that you orchestrated the expulsion of the top student in the grade. Your reputation will spread throughout the school, and soon, hardly anyone in the first year will dare to oppose you."
"…How dull."
"Hehe, are you saying that I was an insignificant opponent? Or are you dismissing the entire student body?"
"I'm saying that this school's system is dull."
"But isn't it precisely because of this dull system that you were able to defeat me? Even Ichinose-san was saved because of it."
Sakayanagi's words cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"In this school, everyone acknowledges Ichinose-san's contributions to the class, so they can easily forgive her. But if this happened at an ordinary school, the lightest consequence of being exposed would be social death. On the internet, people would love nothing more than to beat a thief to death... Hehehe, am I wrong?"
"...This has nothing to do with me. Go talk to Ichinose about it."
Hikigaya didn't want to answer. Or rather, aside from agreeing, he couldn't think of anything else to say, so he chose to evade the question.
"How unfortunate. I have no interest in Ichinose-san." Sakayanagi gently shook her head. "But I did stray off-topic. Let's get back to our previous discussion. Thanks to this school's system, students like you, Hikigaya-kun, can stand out, right? Otherwise, while your grades are decent, they are only average at best."
That was true. Normally, Hikigaya would never have crossed paths with the geniuses here.
Sakayanagi, Ichinose, Horikita, Kouenji, Yukimura—there were too many students who academically outperformed him.
And yet, now, he was the one attracting the most attention in their grade.
"It doesn't matter. Being average is fine for me."
"That's not true at all. This school was built specifically to discover talents like you, Hikigaya-kun."
As she spoke, Sakayanagi suddenly took a step closer, startling Hikigaya into stepping back.
But she pressed on relentlessly. "Hikigaya-kun, I know you're not used to this yet. You still feel guilty for 'forcing me to drop out.' But in order for you to reach your full potential, I'm more than willing to be your first sacrifice."
"...I wasn't the one who decided your expulsion. That was your classmates."
"Hehe, you always mock me for pretending to be oblivious, but aren't you doing the same thing yourself?"
"Uh..." Hikigaya had no retort.
"People change easily when given the right opportunity. As long as you stay at this school, you'll get used to it someday. So there's no need to feel uneasy. The only ones in the wrong are the losers."
Sakayanagi paused, recalling the first time she had met him.
Hikigaya-kun back then... was fine, but the current version of him was undoubtedly the best.
"But that's something to worry about in the future. To help you feel better now, how about you make it up to me, the soon-to-be expelled student? Just by granting me one request."
"Hah? What nonsense are you talking about...?"
"Come on, with your way of thinking, you must feel responsible for my expulsion, right?" Sakayanagi shamelessly continued. "Rather than letting guilt torment you, wouldn't it be easier to just do me this one favor? That way, you might feel a little less burdened."
...Does this girl even know what shame is?
But in Sakayanagi's dictionary, those words didn't exist. Without hesitation, she voiced her request.
"After I leave this school, I want you to inherit my belief—that is, to defeat Ayanokoji-kun... No, that might not be the right way to put it."
What came out of her mouth was utterly absurd.
"I want you to prove that the existence of 'Ayanokoji Kiyotaka' is a mistake."
"A mistake...?"
Hikigaya mulled over the phrase for a while, still unable to understand what was going through Sakayanagi's mind.
"I told you before, didn't I? Eight years ago, I met Ayanokoji-kun somewhere," Sakayanagi said calmly. "Back then, I became determined to defeat him. But it wasn't entirely due to competitiveness—it was because... No, never mind. I don't know how to explain it to you properly."
"But you're making it sound so dramatic, calling Ayanokoji a 'mistake of existence.' Anyone hearing this would think you have some deep grudge against him." Hikigaya couldn't help but comment.
"Hehe, I suppose it sounds that way. But actually, the truth might be the opposite."
Sakayanagi hesitated for a moment before giving a vague answer. "If I had to put it into words, I think I somewhat sympathize with Ayanokoji-kun. Of course, I won't deny that I also have a strong desire to prove I'm better than him."
"So, besides your competitive streak, you have another reason why you absolutely must defeat Ayanokoji."
"Exactly. I'm glad you understood that so quickly."
Sakayanagi seemed quite pleased with his response, her face lighting up with a satisfied smile.
"It's an unreasonable request, but can you agree to it without asking anything further?"
"There's no way I could do that," Hikigaya said flatly.
"Don't be like that." Sakayanagi clung to him shamelessly. "As the man who completely defeated me, isn't it only right to grant a defeated opponent's final wish?"
"...You're not dead."
"In this school's system, expulsion and death aren't much different for the students here, are they?"
No, no, there's a huge difference.
Hikigaya sighed internally. He could just ignore her or brush her off, but considering how long they'd known each other, maybe it was better to be direct.
Still, he understood why Sakayanagi was being so cryptic.
She probably didn't want him to get involved with the White Room.
That's why she only asked him to defeat Ayanokoji but never fully explained her true thoughts or motives.
If it was purely a matter of pride, it wouldn't make sense unless she challenged him personally.
"...What's wrong, Hikigaya-kun? Are you still upset that I tricked the school into banning your account?"
Seeing Hikigaya lost in thought, Sakayanagi seemed to misunderstand.
She smiled sweetly. "If that's the case, I can compensate you. I still have over two million private points on hand. Since I won't be needing them soon, I'll give them all to you. Just go request a temporary account from a teacher first."
"That doesn't matter to me." Hikigaya shook his head. "Besides, have you considered something?"
"And what would that be?" Sakayanagi asked curiously.
"With just that accusation and the student council president's bias, do you really think my account could be banned so easily?"
"Hmm, about that..."
Sakayanagi stroked her chin in thought before nodding. "Now that you mention it, it does feel off. I was only trying my luck, or at the very least, I expected to face you in a hearing. But to my surprise, it worked so effortlessly... So, is there something going on behind the scenes?"
"This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere private first," Hikigaya suggested.
"Oh my, are you planning to take advantage of me?"