Recently, two matters have drawn significant attention among the students of Advanced Nurturing High School.
The first, of course, is the commotion caused by Hikigaya and Nagumo.
To say the impact was enormous would be an exaggeration. At least for the second-year students, they were already well aware of Nagumo's character, and even some third-years had heard about it.
This wasn't the first time Nagumo had pursued a girl—far from it. He never even tried to hide it; in fact, he often flaunted it as a badge of honor.
Even his childhood friend Asahina knew about it.
However, Nagumo never played both sides at once—he'd play around with a girl and then discard her. Because of that, there was technically nothing morally wrong with what he did… probably.
But the first-years were largely unaware. Their impression of the current student council president was still stuck at "A bit extreme, but undeniably capable."
After all, Nagumo's inaugural speech about reform had won him quite a few admirers.
Everyone wanted to reach Class A—there was no shame in that.
But once their heads cooled, the smarter students started realizing something.
This so-called reform relied entirely on a single powerful figure uniting the entire grade and using the collective resources of all four classes to push as many students as possible into Class A. And the person who decided who got that privilege was none other than Nagumo himself, which was why the other three classes were desperate to curry favor with him.
The problem, though, was that other grades couldn't replicate this system.
Leaving other factors aside, the first-year war wasn't even remotely settled yet. At the very least, no class had thrown in the towel. The final outcome was still uncertain.
In the end, students had to depend on their own class if they wanted to graduate from Class A.
In other words, there was no need to give Nagumo any special respect.
At first, people were a little hesitant to openly criticize him, only whispering about it in private.
But once the news spread that Hikigaya had demanded Nagumo hold a public apology meeting and Nagumo didn't dare respond, any lingering reverence for the student council president vanished. Students began openly mocking him in classrooms and on the forums.
Many were already seething over that unreasonable special exam, which had cost them their classmates.
And on top of that, Ichinose was extremely popular in their grade—there were plenty of people who wanted to stand up for her.
Now, all of that resentment was directed at Nagumo.
Some second-years, however, couldn't stand this. They argued that while Nagumo's actions weren't great, he was still their senior—and not just any senior, but the most capable student council president in history.
He had strength.
He had status.
What right did these first-years have to criticize him?
Besides, Nagumo hadn't forced Ichinose into anything. She rejected him, and he didn't push further. So he hadn't done anything wrong.
Some even accused Hikigaya of stirring up trouble for no reason—of manipulating public opinion to frame Nagumo. They said only brainless internet sheep would fall for such obvious bait.
Of course, the first-years weren't having any of that.
They fired back immediately, calling the second-years Nagumo's lapdogs—people who had thrown away their brains and abandoned even the most basic sense of morality.
A full-blown flame war erupted on the forums. In just one lunch break, over a thousand new posts flooded in, escalating the situation further.
With no other choice, the school administration stepped in, citing site maintenance as an excuse to shut the forum down entirely.
But that was merely snuffing out the visible flames.
Given the right spark, the fire could easily reignite.
"Huh, feels more like adding fuel to the fire."
As lunch break neared its end, Hikigaya stood up from the restaurant, preparing for the next class.
Of course, he had been following the forum drama.
He just hadn't expected it to get taken down in real-time.
It was all too easy to interpret this as Nagumo pulling strings with the school—or worse, the school protecting Nagumo outright.
Either way, it wouldn't reflect well on him.
"Maybe I can use this… huh?"
Just as Hikigaya was contemplating his next move, he noticed a crowd blocking the hallway ahead.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized most of them.
On the second-year side, Nagumo was front and center, with Kiriyama standing beside him.
As for the first years, Hikigaya didn't know most of them personally, but he could tell they were from Class A.
The two groups seemed to be arguing about something.
This was rare.
Despite Advanced Nurturing High School's so-called meritocratic environment, it still reflected broader Japanese norms—students usually treated their seniors with the utmost respect. Sports clubs, in particular, were especially strict about hierarchy.
For first-years to block a senior's path…
They must've finally decided to stop hiding behind Ichinose.
And it made sense.
These guys were all devoted to Kanohata Faithfuls. Most first-year boys already had a soft spot for Ichinose, so stepping up for her was only natural.
Even if Ichinose had likely advised them to let things go, she couldn't watch over them every second.
From a normal person's perspective, if Nagumo had genuinely pursued their goddess with sincerity, sure, there might've been jealousy, but most people would've still given him their blessing.
But the guy turned out to be an absolute sleazebag.
That was a different story.
At the very least, these were Class A students—they wouldn't just lash out blindly.
"We just want an explanation from Nagumo-senpai. Is that unreasonable?"
"How ridiculous. What kind of explanation are you even expecting?"
For some reason, it was Kiriyama who stepped forward.
With the authority of a senior, he barked, "The school is already chaotic enough thanks to you first-years. Instead of keeping your heads down, you're out here making even more trouble. You're high schoolers already—how do you not understand something so basic?"
As expected of the student council vice president—he really could pull off the stern senior act.
"Also, don't just believe everything you hear. What you've been told isn't necessarily the truth."
"B-But this was something Nagumo-senpai said himself!"
"I already told you, just because you heard it doesn't make it true," Kiriyama asserted confidently. "That was all induced by Hikigaya. In a courtroom, it wouldn't even qualify as valid evidence. I suggest you all stop letting yourselves be used as pawns."
The Class A students didn't seem particularly articulate, and since they were facing upperclassmen, they were already feeling nervous.
After hearing Kiriyama's serious but completely nonsensical reasoning, they were momentarily at a loss for words.
Even Hikigaya nearly laughed out of frustration.
"As expected of Vice President Kiriyama, your way with words is truly impressive."
As he spoke, he took the initiative to step forward, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Bringing up court right from the start—so deep down, you already believe Nagumo is a criminal suspect, don't you?"
"…Hikigaya."
The moment Kiriyama saw him, his expression darkened considerably.
Nagumo, on the other hand, didn't seem too bothered. In fact, he even shot Hikigaya a provocative smirk.
"I'm merely considering the possibility that Nagumo was wrongfully accused," Kiriyama took a deep breath and delivered the prepared statement. "It was clear that there was some sort of conflict between you two at the time. He was probably just trying to provoke you, which led him to say some inappropriate things. But that doesn't mean it was actually true."
That was the agreed-upon stance of the second-years.
If Nagumo lost his position as student council president over this, not just Class A but all three second-year classes would suffer significant consequences.
So, without even needing instructions, they instinctively rallied to defend Nagumo.
The problem was… was he really planning to spout such blatant nonsense right in front of the person involved?
"If that's how you want to frame it, why not ask him directly?"
Rather than arguing with Kiriyama, Hikigaya redirected the topic to Nagumo.
"Nagumo, you tell us—was what you said in the student council office that day just empty words? Of course, if you want to swallow back the crap you spewed, I won't stop you."
If it were Ayanokoji in this situation, he might have actually swallowed it back.
But Nagumo didn't have that kind of restraint. In some ways, he was still just a child.
"Look at you! What kind of attitude is that?!"
Perhaps fearing that Nagumo might say something wrong, Kiriyama quickly cut in ahead of him, righteously condemning Hikigaya.
"Putting aside the facts, don't you think you're at fault here? You were clearly provoking Nagumo on purpose, throwing the school into chaos—was that your goal all along?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted."
"H-Huh?!"
For a moment, Kiriyama was utterly speechless at Hikigaya's straightforward response.
It took him a while before he finally glared at Hikigaya and said in a cold voice, "So you're planning to make an enemy of the entire second year, then?"
"…Enemy?" Hikigaya frowned in confusion. "But the moment I rubbed Nagumo's face into the ground, didn't that already make me enemies with you lapdogs? …Your reaction time is a bit slow, huh?"
Anyone who opposed Nagumo would inevitably be pressured into expulsion.
Up until now, Kiriyama had surely 'warned' many people with this same line.
However, if the person in question didn't care about expulsion, then such threats were nothing more than empty words.
Speaking of which, it was amusing that someone could have an even bigger persecution complex than he did. Making enemies, huh? (laughs)
Hikigaya almost couldn't hold back a snarky remark.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not on Nagumo's side."
Kiriyama shook his head, his gaze toward Hikigaya becoming even sharper.
"I simply can't stand the way you do things. You're just a first-year, yet look at how much trouble you've caused so far. You don't even deserve to be called a high school student."
"No problem. You can call me a teacher."
Hikigaya couldn't even be bothered to argue with this self-righteous guy anymore.
Kiriyama was frustrated in this way.
Wanting to get into Class A, wanting to be a winner in life—those were perfectly normal desires. There was no need to be so secretive about it.
Yet, he wanted to follow Nagumo while refusing to admit it, which just made everything unnecessarily complicated.
As a junior, Hikigaya figured he might as well give him a push.
"Kiriyama-senpai, you're speaking up for Nagumo so much… don't tell me he promised to secure your place in Class A?" Hikigaya kindly reminded him. "If that's the case, make sure to sign a contract in advance. Otherwise, that guy will go back on his word."
Unfortunately, Kiriyama didn't seem to appreciate the advice.
"Nagumo didn't promise me anything. And like I said, I just can't stand the way you do things."
"But you seem perfectly fine with the way Nagumo does things."
"Regardless, that's just a personal matter. Besides, the truth isn't even clear yet."
Hikigaya was speechless at Kiriyama's blatant double standards.
With an exasperated sigh, he spread his hands and said, "Seriously… wanting to rely on Nagumo to get into Class A isn't anything shameful. That's just how your second-years operate. Just admit it openly. Back when Horikita-senpai recommended you to join me in taking down Nagumo, I already thought you were unreliable. And now, I see I wasn't wrong at all."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kiriyama replied, his expression unchanged.
"You don't remember?" Hikigaya asked knowingly. "Didn't you even complain to me about Kiryuuin-senpai, saying that because she refused to contribute to the class, you ended up in Class B? At the time, I thought to myself—someone with no skill and no responsibility like you is the last person I should ever work with."
"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about."
Even though Kiriyama tried to maintain his composure, his voice wavered slightly.
What a pathetic guy.
"A-Anyway, you better lay low for a while. Don't think you can keep doing whatever you want."
After throwing out an empty threat, Kiriyama quickly walked away.
Nagumo, on the other hand, seemed to find the whole thing amusing. He watched Kiriyama's departing figure with great interest.
It seemed the student council president had a better mentality than his vice president.
Then, Hikigaya noticed the strange looks coming from the Class A students.
Hmm… were they scared?
He was already prepared for this outcome. A student like him—who didn't respect his seniors and completely disregarded the atmosphere—would be considered nothing but trouble, no matter where he went.
Besides, even though he had exposed Nagumo's true nature, it also meant putting Ichinose's situation into the public eye. That was essentially a secondary form of harm toward the victim.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Class A students came to hate him for it.
However, the reality turned out to be slightly different from Hikigaya's expectations.
"Even Kiriyama-senpai got taken down."
"First the student council president, now the vice president…"
"Getting on Hikigaya's bad side is seriously terrifying."
…Huh? What were these guys talking about?
Hikigaya never expected to one day be described as 'terrifying' by others. Well… aside from his eyes, that is.
Just as he was feeling a little awkward, a voice suddenly stepped in to save him.
"You guys, class is about to start."
"Ah, it's Horikita-senpai."
The person who arrived was none other than the former student council president, Manabu Horikita. As usual, Akane Tachibana followed closely beside him.
However, that guy Nagumo completely ignored Senior Tachibana… It definitely wasn't because of poor eyesight or because Senior Tachibana was too small to notice.
Seeing Manabu Horikita speak, the students from Class A dared not disobey. They quickly greeted him before hurriedly leaving.
Even though he was the former student council president, he still seemed more prestigious than the current one…
It looked like Hikigaya's efforts weren't in vain. At the very least, no one would see Nagumo as an unbeatable figure anymore.
"Senior Horikita, you came at the right time. I just happened to have some things I wanted to ask you."
With that, Nagumo cheerfully stepped forward.
"Starting tomorrow, the preliminary battle will begin—one that will decide whether Horikita-senpai can graduate from Class A. You're a step ahead of the first- and second-years. Have you made your preparations for this crucial fight?"
It was still February. Normally, the final special exam of the school year wouldn't be until next month.
However, the third year typically had more than one special exam. Everything was determined by the school's announcements.
Simply put, if the competition within the grade was fierce, the school might add extra exams based on the situation.
If not, then there wouldn't be a need for them.
"It's not a situation to be taken lightly, but it's not something you should be concerned about."
Manabu Horikita responded indifferently, showing no signs of wavering.
Although Hikigaya had thwarted Nagumo's scheme at the forest training camp, the outcome was that Class A's points had been significantly overtaken by Ishikura's Class B group.
From this perspective, when it came to "defeating Manabu Horikita," Hikigaya had caused more damage than Nagumo…
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Nagumo lost his composure that day.
"Heh, as expected of Horikita-senpai. You don't seem worried at all that I might interfere." Nagumo smirked and suddenly looked over. "Or is it that you're planning to rely on a certain junior again…? Well, that's fine too. If you end up graduating from Class B, though, that won't be very funny, will it?"
"That wouldn't be a problem." Manabu Horikita remained unfazed.
Even though he knew such provocations wouldn't work, Nagumo still found joy in doing it.
If given the chance, he would undoubtedly lead the entire second year as the support force for the third-year Class B.
That level of obsession was simply unnatural.
"Nagumo, instead of worrying about others, maybe you should worry about yourself."
Hikigaya kindly reminded him, pointing at the bandage on Nagumo's forehead.
"Don't forget—you still haven't apologized to me."
"…Hikigaya, there's no need to rush."
Nagumo avoided the topic, chuckling. "Once Horikita-senpai graduates and we enter the next school year, I'll make sure to take good care of your juniors. Look forward to it."
Although it sounded like a declaration of war, he probably didn't take it too seriously.
After all, Hikigaya's methods were merely ambush tactics, and this time, he hadn't harmed Nagumo—just embarrassed him.
From Nagumo's perspective, in a confrontation, in a special exam that tested overall class strength, there was no way he would lose.
Hmm, well… That wasn't necessarily wrong.
Hikigaya didn't have much confidence in commanding Class D either.
But if Nagumo kept stubbornly refusing to apologize, he might not even get the chance for a proper match.
A direct showdown? There was never only one way to win.
"Also, you've done a good job staying hidden all this time, but you shouldn't have exposed yourself so easily. You're still lacking a bit of patience."
Nagumo spoke with the air of a mentor.
He was probably trying to say, if you're going to betray someone, do it at the right moment, when it will deal the most damage.
At the very least, he thought Hikigaya should have waited until a special exam to backstab Manabu Horikita—rather than making such a small, ineffective move now.
It wasn't just bravado.
Even someone like Kiriyama, who was openly opposing Nagumo, still chose to maintain the system he had built. That alone proved how solid Nagumo's hold was.
Finding allies within the second years was nearly impossible, which was why Hikigaya never wasted time on them.
"Or… is it that you care about Honami that much?"
Nagumo's grin widened as if he had found Hikigaya's weak spot.
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have exposed yourself so early. But that works out fine for me. I'm quite curious to see how effective Senior Horikita's backup plan will be when you're under constant surveillance."
Indeed, from a pragmatic standpoint, Hikigaya shouldn't have acted so rashly this time.
Even though he had disgusted Nagumo, the actual gains were minimal.
Had Nagumo not lost his temper and punched Hikigaya in the end, the incident might have just passed like that.
However, Nagumo was mistaken about one thing.
Hikigaya had never acted just to deal with him.
He simply couldn't stand it—so he did what he did.
"Nagumo... you're not going to apologize?"
"Heh, what do you think?"
"...I see."
Some people will never understand why others want to go against them.
If he could just put himself in the shoes of the girl's family for a moment, he would understand… If someone had made such a demand of Komachi, Hikigaya swore he would have killed that guy.
Nagumo might not have a younger sister or an older sister, but he at least had a mother, right?
...No, perhaps it wasn't wise to jump to conclusions so easily.
As lunch break was about to end, the conversation came to a stop.
Nagumo left with a satisfied expression, while Horikita Manabu, looking slightly apologetic, said, "Sorry, Hikigaya. This whole mess ended up dragging you in. I shouldn't have pushed this onto you back then. Stopping Nagumo should have been my responsibility."
"No, even if Horikita-senpai hadn't asked me, as long as Nagumo kept acting like that, I would've clashed with him sooner or later." Hikigaya had already expected as much.
"Is that so… Well, anyway, Tachibana has something to give you."
Horikita Manabu seemed unwilling to dwell on the topic and stepped aside to make way.
"Huh? Tachibana-senpai?" Hikigaya looked over, curious.
She had been silent this entire time, probably unsure how to face Nagumo.
After all, they used to be student council colleagues, yet out of nowhere, he tried to have her expelled.
Even though the plan ultimately failed, it wasn't something Tachibana Akane could easily accept.
There had never even been any conflict between them… So in the end, it was best to stay away from lunatics.
"...Hello, Hikigaya-kun."
Tachibana Akane slightly lowered her head.
"I originally wanted to thank you sooner… but as a senior, I was really pathetic. I just didn't have the face to see you until now."
"Please don't say that." Hikigaya quickly waved his hand. "Tachibana-senpai has always looked after me, and during my time in the student council, you taught me a lot. You're an amazing senior."
No matter how strong someone was, failure and deception were inevitable.
Even Ayanokoji or Sakayanagi could be expelled if the right opportunity arose.
That was exactly why, more than so-called strength, Hikigaya valued character.
Especially in this meritocracy-obsessed school, people like Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane, who were genuinely kind, were rare… just like Ichinose.
"Heh, hearing you say that makes me a little embarrassed."
A long-lost smile appeared on Tachibana Akane's face.
Influenced by this, even Horikita Manabu gave a small smile.
"By the way, aside from thanking you, I also wanted to give you this, Hikigaya-kun."
As she spoke, Tachibana Akane took out a small box from her pocket and handed it over.
Oh? This is…
"It's Valentine's chocolate. The actual day is tomorrow, but we third-years have exams, so I probably won't have time to come then. That's why I wanted to give it to you in advance."
"Oh, thanks."
Now that he thought about it, this was actually the first time Hikigaya had received chocolate from a senior. It felt kind of novel.
But still… setting an exam on Valentine's Day? That was ridiculously insensitive.
The bitterness of the person who scheduled it could practically be felt.
Just as Hikigaya was internally complaining, Tachibana Akane added, "The main reason is… I figured you'd be really busy tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun, so I didn't want to add to the chaos. If there were any misunderstandings, that'd be troublesome."
"Huh? Busy with what?" Hikigaya was momentarily confused.
"Yeah, make sure they don't start fighting."
Even Horikita Manabu joined in on the cryptic remarks.
Somehow… these two seemed like they were up to no good.
If they kept getting carried away, they'd end up suffering in the special exam.
But still… Valentine's Day, huh…
For a moment, Hikigaya's mind drifted back to Chiba.
If things had gone smoothly… Komachocolate…
My Komachocolate…
Seeing his melancholic expression, Tachibana Akane whispered, "Hey, Horikita-kun, what's with Hikigaya-kun?"
"He's probably having a mental breakdown."
Horikita Manabu, who believed he understood him well, gave a perfectly accurate answer.