"Hikigaya, who is this woman?"
A tense voice called out from behind Hikigaya and Hoshino.
The two turned their heads.
A blue-haired girl with a single ponytail was rushing toward them, looking flustered.
"And you are…?"
Hoshino blinked curiously at the girl running toward them.
"My name is Kawasaki Saki, and I'm Hikigaya's classmate."
"I'm Hoshino Ai, an idol."
The two girls introduced themselves without waiting for Hikigaya to intervene.
"…Hoshino Ai? An idol?"
Kawasaki took a sharp breath as she sized up the girl before her—a stunning beauty with an impeccable figure. She took a moment to steady herself before asking seriously:
"You were just confessing to Hikigaya, weren't you?"
Instead of answering, Hoshino tilted her head in surprise.
"Kawasaki-san, were you following us?"
"I—I was just passing by."
Kawasaki's expression flickered as she gave a half-hearted excuse before pressing again:
"You were confessing, right?"
"Mhm."
Hoshino nodded openly, her eyes studying Kawasaki as she answered,
"I confessed to Hikigaya-kun. I want to marry him. I want to have his children."
"Huh?! H-h-have his children?!"
Even though Kawasaki had overheard those words earlier, hearing them said so directly in person still left her completely shaken. Her cheeks flushed red.
This was ridiculous!
This idol was around the same age as her, yet she was already talking about having Hikigaya's kids before they had even graduated?!
"D-do you even realize how irresponsible it is to say something like that?" Kawasaki clenched her teeth and shot Hikigaya a sharp glare.
Hikigaya, looking thoroughly awkward, averted his eyes.
When women talked, a man was better off staying out of it.
Hoshino, however, responded with complete sincerity,
"I take full responsibility for my words. I mean them. I really want to have Hikigaya-kun's children."
As she spoke, she stepped beside Hikigaya and, right in front of Kawasaki, gently wrapped her arms around his.
"Hoshino-san—!"
Hikigaya startled at the sudden closeness, while Kawasaki was outright dumbfounded.
She quickly stepped forward, flustered.
"Let go of him! Y-you can't just touch him like that!"
"Eh? I don't wanna~"
Hoshino giggled.
"If you want him so badly, come and take him from me. Let's see who's stronger~"
"That's not what this is about!"
Seeing the mischievous glint in the idol's eyes, Kawasaki grew even more anxious.
"What I'm trying to tell you is—Hikigaya already has a girlfriend! You should stop going after him."
"Eh?"
Hoshino's smile stiffened slightly. She turned her gaze toward Hikigaya, still holding his arm.
"You have a girlfriend?"
"...Yes."
Hikigaya didn't dodge the question.
"..."
Hoshino stared at him for a few seconds before pursing her lips and shifting her gaze back to Kawasaki.
"Don't tell me… it's you?"
"No, no, no!"
Kawasaki's face instantly turned red, and she shook her head frantically.
"I'm not Hikigaya's girlfriend! W-we're just classmates, that's all."
Hoshino raised an eyebrow. "Not you?"
"Of course not! Hikigaya's girlfriend is a friend of mine."
Kawasaki pulled Hikigaya away from Hoshino's grasp as she spoke.
"So please, have some self-respect."
"..."
Hoshino fell silent.
But then—
After a few moments, she lifted her head, her lips curling into a playful smile.
"Kawasaki-san, you really care about Hikigaya-kun, don't you~?"
"I…"
Kawasaki opened her mouth, flustered.
"He's my friend's boyfriend, so of course, I care!"
"Oh? But you know what they say—'guard against fire, theft, and best friends.'"
Hoshino tilted her head meaningfully.
"Kawasaki-san, are you sure it's just that?"
"No! I—I have no feelings for Hikigaya! I don't see him that way at all! D-don't go stirring up trouble between us!!"
"Fufu, no need to get so worked up."
Hoshino's calm smile only made Kawasaki more frustrated.
Seeing Kawasaki's face turn red as she kept explaining herself, Hoshino remained relaxed.
Kawasaki, however, had had enough.
"Enough of this! Hikigaya, we're leaving."
She grabbed Hikigaya's arm and started walking away.
But—
Hoshino suddenly chuckled.
"Heh. Who said a guy with a girlfriend can't be pursued?"
"...What?"
Kawasaki's body tensed, and she turned back toward Hoshino, shocked. Hikigaya was equally stunned.
"What do you mean by that?" Kawasaki asked.
"Fufu~"
Hoshino stepped closer to them, and—right in front of both of them—once again wrapped herself around Hikigaya's other arm.
"So what if he's taken? I like married men."
Kawasaki: "???"
Hikigaya: "???"
Both of them were left completely dumbfounded.
"Y-y-you—"
Kawasaki was so furious she couldn't even find the words.
She was this close to outright calling Hoshino shameless.
Of course, Hoshino only clung to Hikigaya for a moment before casually letting go.
Then, with a cheerful smile, she said,
"Well, I'm almost home, so let's leave it at that for today~ See you next time, Hi-ki-ga-ya-kun~~"
With that, she turned and jogged away, her charming face briefly flashing a cold glint.
Now, only Hikigaya and Kawasaki remained on the quiet street.
An awkward silence hung between them.
Hikigaya cleared his throat and finally spoke up.
"Kawasaki, uh… you can let go of me now."
"Eh? W-wah—!"
Still flustered from earlier, Kawasaki finally noticed that she was still holding onto Hikigaya's arm. Her face went completely red as she quickly let go.
"S-sorry."
"It's fine."
Kawasaki took a deep breath to calm herself, then hesitantly asked,
"So, uh… this Hoshino Ai… she's…"
"At best, she's just a friend. Don't worry—I wouldn't betray Yukinoshita because of her." Hikigaya replied seriously.
Kawasaki let out a small oh.
Then—
The two fell into silence again.
As they walked together for a few minutes, nearing their farewell point, Kawasaki hesitated, struggling with her thoughts.
Finally, she took a deep breath and—gathering her courage—spoke up.
"Hikigaya… can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Well, um… you see…"
Kawasaki fidgeted nervously, her face slowly turning red.
After a few more moments of hesitation, she finally looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hikigaya, high school is really stressful, right? Do you… ever feel lonely just studying all the time?"
Hikigaya: "?"
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