Aside from Nagumo's usual nonsense, the biggest topic on the minds of Koudo Ikusei students lately was, of course, the annual Valentine's Day.
Especially for the boys, who were filled with both anticipation and anxiety.
In fact, they didn't even have to wait until the actual day. By February 13th—the day before Valentine's—this nervous tension had already reached its peak.
The classroom was filled with a restless atmosphere.
"Hey, do you know what tomorrow is?"
"Oh, come on, it's that day. No big deal."
Conversations like this were happening all over.
What was even dumber was that, while saying such things, these guys kept sneaking glances at the girls. …Seriously? Could you be any more obvious?
Every year at this time, Hikigaya always felt a sense of calm.
For that, he had to give some credit to his parents. Thanks to their efforts, he had never felt the slightest bit of anxiety about Valentine's Day.
After all, he had Komachi, the world's best little sister!
What? Someone thinks only getting chocolates from your little sister is pathetic?
Hah. Fools…
For the siblings from Chiba, this was a reward, okay?
Although this year, thanks to this idiotic school, he wouldn't be getting any "Komachocolates," at least he had some from Tachibana-senpai and Kamuro…
Masumi… sigh.
Just thinking about it made Hikigaya let out a deep sigh.
Ever since that last exam, he hadn't seen or contacted Kamuro.
It felt like she was deliberately avoiding him… Of course, that could just be his imagination.
Kamuro was always a lone wolf type, barely interacting even with her classmates, only occasionally following Sakayanagi around.
Going ten days or even half a month without talking to her was normal for him. It had never affected their… whatever kind of relationship they had.
But this time, it felt different.
He had finally made up his mind to give Kamuro an answer… Damn that little brat Sakayanagi!
Just as Hikigaya was sighing, a sudden wail erupted from nearby.
"K-Kushida-chan, are you serious?!"
"Haha, y-you're kidding, right?"
Turning his head, he saw two boys who had been chatting with Kushida looking as if the world had just ended.
The other boys who had been eavesdropping on the conversation also looked equally devastated.
…What the hell? Did they finally discover Kikyo-chan's true nature and get heartbroken?
However, from the outside, Kushida still maintained her angelic facade.
So it didn't seem like her mask had slipped.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you all," Kushida said apologetically, pressing her hands together with an innocent smile. "I had originally planned to prepare chocolates for everyone in the first year as a thank-you for all the kindness you've shown me. But… Yamauchi-kun's expulsion made me rethink things. I wondered if I had just a little more private points, maybe I could have saved him. So, I decided to start saving every single point from now on. You never know when they might come in handy to help someone."
At these words, everyone immediately understood and began praising her.
"She'd do that… even for someone like Yamauchi? Kushida-chan is an angel."
"Now that I think about it, Valentine's chocolates are just a scam by businesses anyway. It makes more sense to save our private points."
"Exactly, Kushida thinks ahead."
Even so, they were probably still disappointed inside.
Especially those who weren't popular in class—some of them had been hoping to at least get a "pity chocolate" from Kushida. Now, even that last bit of hope was gone.
But come on… these single-minded idiots believed this nonsense?
Hikigaya was nearly speechless.
Just how high was their trust in Kushida?
That excuse was full of holes, okay?
Don't just shut off your brains because a cute girl is talking!
Because it's a cute girl, you should be even more on guard!
However, his exasperation seemed to have been misunderstood by someone.
"Eh—Hachiman-kun, why are you suddenly sighing? Are you also disappointed that you won't be getting Kushida-san's chocolates?"
"…That's not why I sighed."
Hikigaya looked at Matsushita at the neighboring desk with confusion.
What nonsense was she spouting now…
Besides, chocolates like Kushida's, which were given out to all the first-year boys, were the ultimate obligation chocolates. Even if you got one, it wasn't anything to be happy about, right?
If you wanted chocolate, wouldn't it be easier to just buy some yourself?
"Hehe, I see." Matsushita gave a fake smile. "By the way, I'm also not planning to celebrate Valentine's this year. My private points are running low, after all."
"Mhm. No need to waste money."
Hikigaya nodded, fully agreeing.
Strangely enough, even though he had supported her point, Matsushita suddenly seemed unhappy.
"Uh…"
"What is it?"
Matsushita didn't say a word. She just stared at Hikigaya without blinking.
And somehow, that alone was terrifying.
"Uhh, um…"
Just as Hikigaya was about to break the awkward silence, Matsushita suddenly extended two slender fingers and, out of nowhere, jabbed them into his waist like a gun.
Hiss—!
Completely caught off guard, Hikigaya nearly jumped out of his seat.
Luckily, the wall was right behind him, or he would've embarrassed himself.
"What the… Matsushita-san?"
Hikigaya looked at her in confusion.
What the hell was wrong with this girl…
Also, a man's waist is not something you can just poke!
But Matsushita completely ignored him and instead turned to look over at Horikita.
Affected by her reaction, Hikigaya instinctively followed her gaze.
"Yo, Suzune—uh, and Ayanokoji, you both heard what Kushida just said, right?"
So it was Sudo launching an attack on Horikita.
His intentions were far too obvious, and dragging Ayanokoji into the conversation did nothing to conceal them.
"Not hearing it would've been more difficult," Horikita replied, looking up.
"Yeah, I guess so." Sudo seemed completely restless. "Didn't expect Kushida to choose not to celebrate Valentine's Day. A lot of guys are probably going to be disappointed. Not that I care... What about you, Ayanokoji?"
"I don't really mind either."
Even though Sudo wasn't actually looking at him, Ayanokoji responded out of courtesy.
"Mm, got it."
Sudo acknowledged him absentmindedly, his eyes still locked onto Horikita. Then, he asked, "What about you, Suzune? What do you think?"
"I agree with Kushida-san's decision." Horikita answered without hesitation. "Valentine's Day is meaningless. Our class isn't exactly well-off financially, so there's no reason to waste our precious private points on something like this."
"Y-Yeah…"
In less than five seconds, Sudo's ship had sunk straight to the bottom of the ocean.
Honestly, his intentions were way too obvious... Wanting chocolate is understandable, but this approach is just going to make girls dislike you.
That's why the best method is to not have any expectations from the start!
As Sudo walked away, visibly dejected, Matsushita muttered to herself, "Sigh, look at that reaction. I really wish someone could learn from it."
"Who exactly are you asking me to learn from?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled.
Horikita? Ayanokoji?
Surely not Sudo!
Hikigaya had also been like him once, desperately trying to get a girl's attention… but that was a long, long, long time ago.
The current Hachiman had no intention of being a simp anymore.
It wasn't just Class D that was troubled by the approaching Valentine's Day—boys from other classes were in the same boat.
Well, except for those damn normies.
However, this rule didn't seem to apply to Class A.
Shibata, usually the energetic mood-maker of the class, was slumped over his desk, complaining to his friends.
"Sigh… Looks like I won't be getting any chocolate in our class this year."
"There's nothing we can do about that," Kanzaki replied. "Saving a friend is worth spending as many points as necessary."
Even after spending 20 million points, the class account still had some funds left, but when divided among all the students, each only had about 10,000 points—barely enough to improve their meals for a few days.
As for giving chocolates? Girls already had plenty of expenses, and now they certainly didn't have extra to spare.
"I get that… but I still want chocolate," Shibata groaned, resting his head on the desk.
Kanzaki chuckled and reassured him, "What are you even worried about? Even if you don't get any from our class, surely at least one or two girls from other classes will give you some."
"…Oh yeah!"
Shibata instantly perked up.
After all, he was the ace of the track team. While he shared Sudo's somewhat clueless nature, he was usually cheerful and sociable, making him fairly popular in their year.
Of course, his reaction earned an eye-roll from the girls in class.
"Ugh, boys are so immature."
"Haha, well, it is Valentine's Day," Ichinose laughed as she tried to smooth things over.
A lot had happened recently, especially after Nagumo's conditions were exposed.
At first, Ichinose had been worried that her classmates might look down on her, but to her surprise, everyone had supported her. Some of the more hot-headed guys had even wanted to confront Nagumo directly.
Their concern and kindness made Ichinose both happy and deeply moved. She felt incredibly lucky to be in this class.
Some had even suggested she quit the student council altogether.
But… thinking about the future of the class, Ichinose decided to stay.
Most importantly, she enjoyed working in the student council. She liked helping people.
And quitting now would feel like betraying all the support she'd received so far.
"Hey, how about we just buy chocolates and give them to everyone?" Ichinose suggested. "The store-bought ones are a little expensive, but we can get bulk chocolate and make some ourselves. It'd be really cheap if we all chip in just a little."
Unfortunately, her proposal was immediately shot down.
"No way, I'm not wasting time on boys."
"It's fine, this isn't meant to force—"
"If I'm giving chocolates, it's only to Honami-chan."
Ichinose barely had time to explain before Shirakawa cut her off.
And the moment she processed those words, she froze on the spot.
Th-Th-Th-This… A girl giving chocolates to another girl…
Does that mean Chihiro-chan still…?
Ichinose had already turned her down once before, but it seemed Shiranami still had feelings for her.
No—her reaction confirmed that she did!
"I-I just remembered! I have something to do, so I'll be going now!"
Completely flustered, Ichinose instinctively chose to flee.
As they watched her hurriedly leave, Shiranami and Akimura exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
"Jeez, it was just a joke. Besides, girls giving each other chocolates isn't weird."
Shiranami muttered though she wasn't upset about that.
Akimura didn't call her out on it and simply smiled. "So, Chihiro-chan, should we follow her?"
"…No."
They both knew exactly where Ichinose was headed.
They weren't planning to stop her… but Shiranami also didn't want to see the person she liked picking out chocolates for her rival.
However, Akimura found the situation amusing and encouraged her, "Come on, let's just go see. Besides, maybe we can even get Honami-chan to give you some chocolate."
That sentence immediately convinced Shiranami.
The two quickly packed up their bags and slipped out of the classroom, quietly following behind.
Meanwhile, just as they suspected, Ichinose's destination was the Keyaki Mall.
Since Valentine's Day was approaching, the chocolate shops had prepared plenty of stock and even set up a special holiday section.
Students filled the store, busily picking out chocolates.
"Ugh… I can't get close…"
Under normal circumstances, Ichinose wouldn't hesitate in situations like this. But for some reason, she found herself hesitating today, lingering around the area while pretending to browse.
She watched as girl after girl selected chocolates and walked away.
M-Maybe I should just buy a random one… No, that would be too rude to Hikigaya-kun.
Just as she was stuck in indecision, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder from behind.
"Isn't this Ichinose-san? Hello there."
"Eh? Kushida-san."
Ichinose turned around in surprise before smiling. "What brings you here? Are you buying chocolates?"
"Nope."
Kushida pointed to Wang Meiyu, who was selecting chocolates nearby, and explained with a smile, "I came with Meiyu-chan… She won't even tell me who she's getting them for."
"Hmm… I'd guess it's for Hirata-kun?" Ichinose speculated.
"Ah, so even students from other classes know about it."
"Haha, well, she's not exactly subtle. Back at the camp school, she'd blush every time Hirata-kun's name came up."
The two chatted casually for a bit before Ichinose hesitantly asked, "Um, Kushida-san?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Are you… not planning to give chocolates this year?"
After speaking, Ichinose quickly waved her hands.
"Of course, I'm not trying to pry into your personal affairs! If it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer."
"It's nothing inconvenient." Kushida maintained her usual friendly smile. "At first, I planned to give chocolates to all the first-years, but after thinking it over, I decided against it. It'd be quite expensive, after all."
"I see… Sorry about that."
Ichinose lowered her head slightly, her tone filled with guilt as she lowered her voice. "It's my fault for troubling you. I'll pay you back as soon as possible."
"No, no, it's my own decision to use my points on more important things. It has nothing to do with you, Ichinose-san." Kushida shook her head repeatedly.
Then, she smiled and added, "Of course, expressing gratitude to others is important, but this exam made me realize that in this school, you absolutely can't afford to be naive. Even a single personal point can affect the entire situation."
"Yeah… we almost got into big trouble this time." Ichinose shuddered slightly at the thought.
"But, well, giving chocolates to someone you like is a different matter."
"…Eh?"
"Ichinose-san, you're planning to give them to Hikigaya-kun, right?"
"N-no… Uh…"
Ichinose instinctively wanted to deny it, but recalling that conversation from the other day, she hesitated before nodding slightly.
"Hehe, in that case, you better give it your all." Kushida's smile remained unchanged. "To be honest, Hikigaya-kun is surprisingly popular… Maybe not in our class, but I'm sure there are girls from other classes who will give him chocolates."
"Eh? W-who?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ichinose regretted it.
That was way too rude of a question. No matter what, she shouldn't be prying into other people's affairs.
But Kushida didn't seem to mind. Instead, she put on a slightly concerned expression and answered, "It's Sakayanagi from Class B. You've heard about her conflicts with Hikigaya-kun, haven't you?"
"…Yeah."
Ichinose nodded lightly.
Even though she knew she shouldn't keep listening, she was too curious to stop.
"Originally, everyone thought she was going to be expelled this time," Kushida said in a complex tone. "But on the day of the exam, Hikigaya-kun suddenly started rallying votes for her in class. In the end, Class B lost Totsuka-kun instead."
"I see…"
Ichinose had only heard bits and pieces about this before.
Back then, she found it hard to believe. But now… why would Hikigaya-kun do something like that?
The question lingered in her mind, refusing to go away.
"So, I was wondering… maybe Hikigaya-kun was deceived by Sakayanagi-san," Kushida spoke with conviction.
"…Deceived?"
Ichinose was stunned, looking up sharply.
A bad premonition crept over her.
"Yeah, think about it. Sakayanagi-san has trouble moving around, and Hikigaya-kun… you know how soft-hearted he is. If she put on a pitiful act, he'd probably forgive anything."
"Maybe…?"
Kushida's reasoning sounded convincing, but Ichinose wasn't sure if she could believe it outright.
Still, a seed of doubt had been planted in her heart.
"Of course, Hikigaya can be friends with whoever he wants." Kushida continued. "But I'm worried that Sakayanagi-san is just looking for an opportunity to use him, manipulating his feelings… Maybe I'm being too harsh, and I don't want to badmouth people behind their backs, but I think that cunning— I mean, that Sakayanagi-san is capable of such a thing."
"…I see."
Ichinose had no rebuttal.
Even though she didn't hate Sakayanagi, she wouldn't consider her a kind person either.
Kushida continued to drop bombshells. "And this isn't just my personal opinion, you know. I don't mind telling you—Yamauchi-kun was expelled this time because Sakayanagi was pulling the strings behind the scenes… She deceived and manipulated Yamauchi-kun's feelings, intending to use him as a spy. But Horikita saw through her scheme on the spot, which is why everyone ended up casting criticism votes against him."
"No way, something like that happened?" Ichinose grew more and more shocked as she listened.
"That's exactly why I'm worried if Hikigaya-kun might meet the same fate," Kushida said with concern.
"N-no way, Hikigaya-kun is way too smart for that…"
"But being smart doesn't mean you won't be deceived emotionally, right?"
"…That's true."
At this moment, Ichinose felt utterly shaken by Kushida's words.
She wanted to run over and warn Hikigaya immediately… but how was she supposed to say something like this?
She couldn't just tell him to be wary of Sakayanagi outright.
"That's why I'm wondering if Sakayanagi might take some sort of action on Valentine's Day."
As Kushida spoke, she discreetly observed Ichinose's reaction.
"Actually, I overheard some Class B students talking… Apparently, Sakayanagi is planning to confess to someone."
"C-confess?!"
Ichinose's voice shot up several octaves before she hastily covered her mouth.
Luckily, the surrounding area was noisy enough that it didn't attract any attention.
But… Sakayanagi was planning to confess to Hikigaya-kun…?
A-ahaha, there's no way… right?