Of course, Hikigaya had no intention of exchanging contact information with Sakayanagi Arisu. He wanted nothing to do with this little devil. The very idea of being connected to her sent chills down his spine.
But turning her down would require a convincing excuse. Who knew what sort of trouble she might stir up if he wasn't careful?
After a brief pause, Hikigaya grasped for something and replied, "As a dedicated individualist, I'm not really looking to make friends right now."
"Huh? But didn't your sister want you to make ten friends in high school?"
!!!
Hikigaya froze in shock. How does she even know that?
Are you some kind of secret agent?
The more alarmed he became, the more resolute he was about avoiding any association with Sakayanagi. "That's just my sister's wish," he responded with a firmer tone. "I don't have any intention of fulfilling it."
"I see. That's unfortunate."
Sakayanagi didn't press the issue. Though her presence seemed to radiate a subtle pressure, she still maintained a polite demeanor, which prevented Hikigaya from feeling outright hostility. It was likely the only reason he hadn't stormed off already.
She truly lived up to her reputation—this devilish girl knew exactly how to present herself.
"Well, since we can't exchange contact information, how about we just talk for a while?" she suggested, smiling gently. The pressure that had once enveloped her seemed to vanish, replaced by the appearance of a normal high school girl.
"Consider it an apology for the coffee earlier."
"…"
Faced with her sudden shift in tone, Hikigaya knew he had little choice. This white-haired devil knew how to manipulate emotions. Despite her ambition, she never came across as overly pushy—making it hard to outright refuse.
Was she some sort of queen of Class A with social skills like these?
As Hikigaya wrestled with his thoughts, Sakayanagi sipped her coffee, her once-tense posture relaxing. If she stayed quiet, she almost resembled a princess from a storybook.
He gave her a sidelong glance, already bracing for some form of interrogation. But to his surprise, Sakayanagi kept the conversation light, speaking with the ease of an ordinary girl. No loaded questions, no pressure—just idle chatter.
Time slipped by without him realizing it.
By the end, Hikigaya almost forgot about the unease she had initially caused.
"Hehe, today was surprisingly enjoyable," Sakayanagi said, placing her cup back on the table and offering him a calm smile. "I'd love to meet like this again sometime."
Her words carried a certain charm, the kind that could easily lead someone astray.
But Hikigaya, well aware of his position, wouldn't be so easily deceived. He shook his head and said, "What's the point? I'm just a nobody from Class D."
"That's exactly why it's so interesting."
She smiled, and this time, it seemed genuinely happy.
What a strange woman… Hikigaya sighed, glancing outside at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. I should head back to the dorm."
It seemed like today's trip to the library would have to be postponed.
Oddly enough, missing the chance to see Shiina Naho left Hikigaya with a strange sense of disappointment.
"If it were possible, I'd like to spend a bit more time with you, Hikigaya-kun."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Hikigaya stared at Sakayanagi, stunned.
She smiled and said, "You mentioned that this school allows you to buy anything with points, right? So, how many points would it take to become friends with you?"
"Are you asking how many points it would take to 'buy' me?"
"If you want to think of it that way, sure," Sakayanagi said, covering her mouth with a smile. "If it were up to me, I'd love to 'buy' you as my servant."
"Sorry, I'm not for sale."
"Fair enough. Then how about buying your time instead?" Sakayanagi pulled out her phone. "For these past few hours, how many points would be enough?"
"Are you suggesting you want to sponsor me?"
"Hehe."
Tch...
Sakayanagi's smile was as inscrutable as ever.
In truth, Hikigaya had often daydreamed about the perks of being supported by a wealthy benefactor. Unfortunately, despite her appearance as a charming white-haired loli, Sakayanagi's true nature was anything but pleasant.
Decisively, he stood up and shook his head.
"No need. I'm simply willing to converse with you. That doesn't require any points."
"Is that so?" Sakayanagi looked mildly surprised but smiled even more. "Then can I still invite you to meet up in the future?"
"Don't make it sound so weird."
As if I'm being sponsored.
"If I'm available, of course, I'd be happy to."
Hikigaya didn't refuse Sakayanagi outright. First, he felt that refusing wouldn't achieve much—this intimidating woman likely wouldn't let him off the hook so easily. Second, he wanted to keep his options open. If Class D couldn't offer what he wanted, moving to Class A might not be such a bad idea after all.
So, Hikigaya took his leave from Sakayanagi, all the while keeping a vigilant eye out for any potential followers.
Whether the persistent failures had caused his stalkers to lose faith or if no tracking orders had been given for tonight, he didn't feel any sense of being followed.
Having consumed a lot of coffee earlier, he wasn't hungry at all.
Thus, he headed straight back to the dormitory.
Just as he was about to lie down, his school-issued phone rang suddenly.
This phone was mainly used for receiving points, so the contact list was very sparse—currently, it only included Horikita Manabu.
Hikigaya had expected the call to be from Horikita, but when he checked the message, he felt a chill run down his spine.
[Sakayanagi Arisu: Well then, I look forward to our future interactions, Hikigaya-kun.]
How did she get my number?!
Is this school somehow run by her family?!