The next morning.
As Hikigaya waited for the dorm elevator, he happened to run into Hiyori and Sakura, who were also on their way to school.
Wait… since when did these two start going to school together?
Before he could think too much about it, Hiyori had already greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
"Good morning."
Hikigaya instinctively raised his hand in greeting, his tone surprisingly natural when calling her name.
Come to think of it, this was the first time he had ever run into Hiyori in the dorm elevator. He was usually alone on his way to school.
It was also his first time seeing Sakura here. Was this some kind of galgame event? Overnight, his otherwise uneventful school commute had suddenly unlocked "new characters."
Sakura looked the same as always—her bangs covering half her face, thick glasses perched on her nose, giving off that timid, self-conscious, and easy-to-bully aura. Noticing Hikigaya's gaze, she instinctively lowered her head, clenched the hem of her clothes, and subtly leaned toward Hiyori.
Why did this feel like a small, frightened rabbit meeting a big bad wolf?
Remembering last night's events, Hikigaya thought for a moment and decided to greet her.
"Good morning, Sakura."
Silence.
The elevator suddenly felt eerily quiet.
"..."
Hikigaya froze, his half-raised hand awkwardly shifting to scratch his nose. His eyes darted around, avoiding direct contact.
What made it worse was that Hiyori, standing next to him, pretended not to notice, but the amusement in her eyes completely betrayed her.
Hiyori! Why are you just standing there watching? Say something to ease the tension!
This is so awkward! I just want to roll back to my dorm and hide under my blanket forever!
But at this point, the elevator doors had already closed. The three of them were now trapped in this tiny, silent, suffocating space.
The air was thick with… unbearable awkwardness.
If I don't feel awkward, the awkward one is someone else!
Hikigaya repeated this mantra in his head, trying to keep his sanity intact.
"...G-Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
At last, Sakura's hesitant voice broke the silence.
Hikigaya's face stiffened. He gave a slow nod and forced a polite but undeniably awkward smile.
Cringe moment +1.
Social embarrassment +1.
…
With two-thirds of May already gone, less than ten days remained for students to prepare for their exams.
For top and average students, this wasn't much of a problem. Those hovering near the passing line still had some room for improvement. But for the students below that line… well, their best bet was probably luck.
Inside Class D's classroom, Hikigaya was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to share the right exam topics.
But more than that, he was curious about Chabashira-sensei's true intentions.
At this school, most of the things the teachers said carried hidden meanings. Looking back, every single word Chabashira-sensei had said since the start of the school year seemed to contain a hint of some kind.
If that was the case…
Then what about the things she said on May 1st when she revealed the truth about the school? Was there a hidden clue in her words back then too?
Something related to the midterms…
"A way to avoid failing the exam?"
Hikigaya muttered to himself.
At first glance, it sounded like a normal statement.
But the more he thought about it, the more something felt… off.
Based on common understanding, studying hard to improve grades should naturally help avoid failing. But from what Chabashira-sensei said, it seemed like there was another way to avoid failing?
"Could it be that method?"
Hikigaya's eyes narrowed. If that was the case, then his thoughts were actually in line with Chabashira-sensei's.
This midterm exam wasn't just a simple test on the surface. If you thought about it carefully, you'd notice a "hidden rule"—one that allowed everyone to "pass smoothly."
Was Chabashira-sensei deliberately giving out incorrect exam material as a way to indirectly remind the students?
"These people really love their little mind games."
Hikigaya shook his head, feeling speechless. Not just the teachers, but this entire school. But from another perspective, this was also a way to test students' ability to think and observe.
He glanced around the classroom. Had anyone here already figured out the "hidden rule"?
The warm and friendly guy? The ice-cold girl? The masked little angel? The blond musclehead?
These were the candidates that came to Hikigaya's mind. Oh, right—there was also that shadowy mastermind, Ayanokouji!
Well, whatever. Let them worry about it. Hikigaya himself had no interest in this whole "graduate as an A-Class student" thing. Besides, as a so-called "public servant," he really wasn't in the best position to get involved. It honestly felt a little guilty just thinking about it.
The day passed in a flash. After school, most of the students had already left within moments—mainly those who were in the failing group and had to attend study sessions.
Thinking about it, it was kind of ironic. Just last month, at this same time, those same students were in the same classroom. If only they had known back then where they'd end up today.
Hikigaya yawned as he slowly packed his things to leave.
"Sakura."
In the empty hallway, Hikigaya spotted Sakura standing there alone.
Sakura froze the moment she recognized his voice, standing stiffly in place—shaking!
Uh… Am I really that scary?!
Hikigaya looked hurt. Why did Sakura always act like Little Red Riding Hood running into the Big Bad Wolf whenever she saw him? This was getting awkward!
"D-Do you need something?"
She still looked just as timid and socially anxious as ever, even though they had already become friends.
Sakura had never felt so nervous and embarrassed in her life. Just thinking about how she had cried in front of a boy last night made her want to never come to school again. Her head had been in a daze the entire day, and now, being suddenly called by him, an overwhelming wave of embarrassment rushed through her, turning her face bright red—like a fully ripe apple.
"Why are you blushing again?"
Hikigaya muttered under his breath. Did Sakura actually have some kind of rare genetic condition?
Though he had spoken quietly, Sakura, who was extremely sensitive to her surroundings, still heard him.
Her face flushed even more, and she felt a strong urge to just run away.
"Oh yeah, Sakura, you seem to know a lot about digital cameras. Could you tell me a little about them?"
Hikigaya had suddenly remembered what Sakura said last night—she seemed really knowledgeable about digital cameras and photography. So he figured he'd ask her for advice.
But for some reason, the moment she heard the words "digital camera" and "photography," her trembling got even worse.
And then… she ran away!
S-She actually ran away?!
"…"
Hikigaya swore he could hear something shattering inside his heart.
His eyes gradually lost their light as he lowered his head, opening his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, the words just got stuck in his throat.
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