Gymnasium.
All the assembled students and adults who are rarely seen stand in rows. Now, everyone is watching the graduation ceremony.
Those advancing to higher education, those entering the workforce.
For the third-year students, this is a pivotal event where they step beyond the framework of childhood and into society.
"Now, we would like to invite the representative of Class A—the class that fought hard for three years and proudly achieved graduation—to deliver the farewell address."
An unfamiliar man acting as the emcee speaks into the microphone.
The gymnasium grows even more silent.
"The representative, Class A—Horikita Manabu-kun, please come forward."
For me, this was an expected choice, but the moment that name was called, Horikita's younger sister must have felt genuine relief. Though the extent of Nagumo's interference remains unclear, we never learned the full details.
With dignified steps, he ascends the stage and shifts his gaze to the current students and distinguished guests.
"Farewell Address. On this day, as we sense the breath of spring in the fragrance of dreams, we welcome our graduation ceremony."
Horikita Manabu's farewell address begins.
He expresses gratitude for the grand graduation ceremony and reflects on their enrollment three years ago.
Everyone listens intently. His words, delivered with calm yet earnest sincerity, captivate all who hear them.
And then, a few minutes later, the address nears its conclusion.
"What we have learned at this school will become the greatest treasure and asset in our future lives—this, I promise here and now."
Once more, Manabu looks at the underclassmen.
"Next year, and the year after that. The moment will surely come when those who deliver this address will understand as well."
The person delivering the farewell address…
In other words, the leader of the class that graduates as Class A.
For the second-years, Nagumo would undoubtedly be the frontrunner.
But for us first-years, the battle is still unfolding.
Horikita, Ichinose, Ryūen, or Sakayanagi?
Or perhaps someone else entirely?
Whoever emerges victorious from the upcoming special exams will earn the right to stand on that stage as the representative.
Horikita Manabu reads his farewell address—measured, yet flowing effortlessly.
"———For these three years, we are truly grateful."
With those flawless final words, the farewell address concludes, and the graduation ceremony moves on to the next stage.
...
After the graduation ceremony ended, we, the remaining students, were the first to leave the gymnasium.
Then, we returned to our classroom once more.
Next, the graduates, all faculty members, and the parents of participating graduates would gather for an appreciation banquet—a gathering where departing students and their parents express gratitude to the teachers.
Of course, the first-years would have their own time to participate later. Some students, like those involved in clubs who had been mentored by seniors, were restless or nervous.
"Now, while this could wait until tomorrow's closing ceremony, let me briefly summarize this semester," said Sakaue-sensei, our homeroom teacher, looking somewhat pleased as he addressed the class.
"First, congratulations on your decisive victory in the final exam. It was a landslide win—even the other teachers were surprised."
Picking up a piece of chalk, he wrote the current class points on the board for confirmation.
Provisional Class Points (Late March)
Class A (Sakayanagi's leadership): 1,151 points
Class B (Ichinose's leadership): 564 points
Class C (Ryūen's leadership): 820 points
Class D (Horikita's leadership): 225 points
With a record of five wins and two losses in the exams, we had taken 90 class points from Ichinose's class. Combined with the 100 points awarded by the school, we gained a total of 190 points. We had successfully reclaimed our position as Class B.
"Whoa…! Looking at it now, we're just one step away from Class A, aren't we?! And it's all thanks to Ryūen!"
Ishizaki excitedly turned to Ryūen with admiration in his eyes. Ryūen, as usual, seemed indifferent, but a faint smirk played on his lips.
Our previous victory in the exam was also the result of Ryūen's strategy. Without it, we never would have achieved such a dominant win.
"Looking back over the year, your class has shown the most remarkable growth. As your teacher, I'm proud. But don't let your guard down."
Though our class points were high now, they were only valid until the end of the month. In April, factors like attendance and behavior would cause fluctuations. Still, it was unlikely Ichinose's class would overtake us from here.
"Uh… It's kinda scary when you praise us like that, sensei. There's no catch, right?"
Komiya's skepticism wasn't unwarranted. In this school, it wouldn't be surprising if another exam was announced right after.
"There's nothing else—just my honest thoughts. I've been a teacher for a while now, and your class stands out even among past generations. But the same could be said for the other classes."
He tapped the blackboard once.
"Tomorrow is the closing ceremony, but remember—even though there are no classes, it's still a school day."
With that, he dismissed us for the day.
Though it was time to leave, some students headed out to wait for the third-years, while others lingered in the classroom.
As for me, today I had a meeting arranged by Sakayanagi in the reception room with Mashima-sensei, Chabashira-sensei, Arisu, and Ayanokōji.
The appreciation banquet was scheduled for 90 minutes.
Not wanting to waste time, I stood up to leave.
Then, Hiyori quickly approached me.
"Hachiman-kun, do you remember the message I sent you after the final exam?"
Her cheeks slightly flushed, she looked up at me as she asked.
"Yeah, I remember. We were supposed to go out somewhere, right?"
As I recalled the message she'd sent after the exams, Hiyori narrowed her eyes slightly, looking a little dissatisfied.
"Well, yes, but… it wasn't just about going out. I meant… spending the whole day together, just the two of us—"
She fidgeted with her fingers, speaking softly in embarrassment, but her words were drowned out by the sudden noise around us.
Turning toward the commotion, I saw Sakayanagi Arisu, the leader of Class A, standing at the classroom door with a smile on her face.
And her gaze was fixed directly on me.
"Forgive me for dropping in so suddenly. Is Hikigaya Hachiman-kun here?"
With a polite bow and a radiant smile, she called my name.
This is bad…
By the time I realized it, it was too late—the entire class was staring at me.
"...Why did you come all the way to my classroom?"
Ignoring the stares, I quickly made my way to Arisu and spoke in a low voice.
"Fufu. You look quite troubled. But this is the result of your own carelessness, isn't it? The appreciation banquet only has 90 minutes. I simply came to check on you in case something had happened. This was purely out of goodwill."
Though she claimed to be worried about me, Arisu—who knew me well—would never do something like that without an ulterior motive.
"In other words, I was just concerned about you."
"Haah, there's nothing to worry about. I was just talking to Hiyori."
"...Shiina-san, was it?"
Arisu's gaze shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Hiyori.
"...!"
Hiyori seemed to notice her stare.
"..."
"..."
For just a few seconds, the two exchanged glances—their expressions unreadable. The classroom had fallen completely silent, and the tense atmosphere between Arisu and Hiyori was unsettling.
"...I should get going."
If I stayed any longer, I'd run out of time. Trying not to provoke anything, I spoke to Arisu, who returned her gaze to me with her usual smile.
"Indeed. Shall we go, then?"
"Hold on. Let me grab my things."
After retrieving my belongings, I turned back to Hiyori.
"Sorry, Hiyori. I have plans with Arisu today. Let's figure out another day to go out, okay?"
As I tried to leave, Hiyori suddenly tugged hard on my sleeve.
When I turned around, she grabbed my cheeks with both hands—as if she'd been waiting for this—and pulled.
"...That hurts, Hiyori."
"...Hmph."
Pouting, she kept pulling for a while before finally letting go.
Even I could tell Hiyori was upset. After all, I'd been talking to her just moments ago, only to prioritize Arisu. Anyone would be annoyed if they were brushed aside like that.
"I'm really sorry, Hiyori. Today's meeting is important."
"...It's fine. I was being childish."
"No, this is my fault. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just say the word."
"...Eh? R-Really?"
"Yeah, of course. If it'll make you forgive me."
To my surprise, Hiyori seemed to perk up at that, nodding in acceptance. I gave her a small wave before hurrying over to Arisu, who was waiting outside.
I'd lost a bit of time, but there was still plenty to spare. As long as nothing else happened, I wouldn't be late.
"You and Shiina-san seemed quite close, didn't you?"
The moment I reached her, Arisu's voice carried an uncharacteristic weight. Her eyes were cold—her face smiling, but her gaze wasn't.
"Why are you in a bad mood now?"
I could understand Hiyori's frustration, but Arisu's reaction was a complete mystery.
"...Are you being serious?"
"...?"
"Sigh, never mind. Let's just go."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she started walking slightly faster than usual.
"Ah, Arisu…?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
With Arisu thoroughly sulking, I apologized under my breath as we headed for the reception room.
.....
"...Understood. I can acknowledge the credibility in the three of you's arguments. I'll keep a close watch on Acting Chairman Tsukishiro as well. Does that work for you, Chabashira-sensei?"
"I have no objections."
"Then this discussion is over. We've been in this reception room for over thirty minutes—we can't keep skipping the appreciation banquet indefinitely. You three should leave first. We'll exit separately afterward."
Ayanokōji, Arisu, and I nodded in unison before stepping out of the reception room.
For about thirty minutes, we had explained the details of the final exam clash between Class A and Class D, as well as the fact that Ayanokōji's father was actively trying to expel both Ayanokōji and me.
At first, Chabashira and Mashima-sensei had been entirely skeptical, but with Arisu—Class A's leader—backing our claims and presenting the undeniable shifts happening within the school, we managed to pull them to our side.
"It was a bold move, but bringing Mashima-sensei into this is a major advantage. As the first-year homeroom teacher with the most influence, he can get closer to Acting Chairman Tsukishiro than anyone else."
"Yeah. Even if we can't completely block his moves, having him as a deterrent will be effective enough."
Ayanokōji responded to Sakayanagi's words with a calm assessment.
"The only downside is that his sense of justice might be too strong. That could be a problem."
I hadn't interacted much with Mashima-sensei before, but the discussion had given me a clear enough read on him.
"Hachiman's right. While his reliability is an asset, that same trait could also backfire on us."
After walking together for a while, Arisu announced that she would be parting ways here, citing some unspecified business. At the same time, Ayanokōji and I also decided to go our separate ways. With how late it had gotten, I started heading back.
....
After the appreciation banquet ended, Tachibana Akane and Horikita Manabu—both student council members—finished exchanging farewells with the second-years and underclassmen they had worked with before preparing to leave.
"Ah, Horikita-kun. Do you mind if we make a quick detour?"
"I don't mind, but is something the matter?"
At Horikita's question, Tachibana glanced out the window before answering.
"Actually, I just saw Hikigaya-kun walking down that path. He's done a lot for us, so I thought I should say goodbye to him before we leave the school."
"!...I see."
"I was planning to greet him next time, but… I think it's better to do it sooner rather than later."
"...You're right."
Horikita was conflicted.
Last night, Hachiman had told him that their previous meeting would be their last. Was it really okay to see him again now?
Recalling that moment, his expression remained unchanged, but internally, he was agonizing over it.
"Um… I think you already said your goodbyes to him, right?"
"No…"
Seeing Horikita hesitate over how to respond, Tachibana misinterpreted his silence.
"Ah… You don't have to force yourself to come with me, okay?"
"...!?"
Horikita didn't let it show on his face, but inside, he was shaken.
"I'll catch up later, so you can go ahead first. I don't want to inconvenience you, Horikita-kun."
Tachibana's smile held no ill intent—if anything, she was being considerate of him.
As the secretary who had supported Horikita all this time, she felt guilty about dragging him along until the very end. Her words were meant to spare him the trouble, but…
"..."
Horikita's demeanor darkened ever so slightly.
"Oh, now that I think about it, Horikita-kun… didn't you say you were going to invite Hikigaya-kun to the student council?"
"...!"
At that moment, a glint flashed in Manabu's eyes.
"If you haven't brought it up yet, then now's the time to––––––"
"––––––That's right. I'd forgotten about that. Good save, Tachibana—I almost let it slip. Are you ready? If so, let's hurry. Before we lose sight of Hikigaya."
"Eh? Ah… y-yes!"
Though startled by Horikita's sudden shift, Tachibana quickly followed after him.
...
"Hikigaya-kun!"
As I was walking home in a daze, I heard a voice calling my name from behind, accompanied by the sound of two sets of footsteps.
When I turned around, I saw Tachibana-senpai and... Horikita Manabu hurrying toward me.
"Ah, I'm glad! You're still around here."
"Tachibana-senpai? What's up? And... you too?"
It was unexpected for both of them—the only two seniors I had any real connection with—to come find me like this.
Especially since one of them was someone I'd already said goodbye to.
"Um, I just wanted to say a proper farewell to you before leaving the school."
So Tachibana-senpai had come just to greet me.
Honestly, I was a little surprised. I never expected her to go out of her way like this.
"Hikigaya-kun, I've said it before, but thank you again for helping us during the mixed training camp."
"Nah, like I said back then, it was nothing worth thanking me for."
"But I wanted to say it. Also, whatever happened between you two, you have to use proper honorifics with your seniors, okay? It might cause trouble for you in the future."
She sounded almost like a teacher—no, more like a proper senior, trying to impart wisdom.
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
I bowed slightly.
"Congratulations on your graduation, Tachibana-senpai."
"Fufu. Finally acting like a proper junior, I see."
She smiled, satisfied, and for the first time, I really felt the weight of her being my senior.
Was this what an ideal senior was supposed to be like? Since my only other frame of reference was Horikita Manabu, I couldn't say for sure, but between the two, Tachibana-senpai was definitely the one who felt more like a senior.
"..."
"..."
After finishing my exchange with Tachibana-senpai, my attention turned to Horikita Manabu—who, for some reason, had also come to see me.
Just last night, we'd parted ways under such heavy circumstances. And yet, here we were, reunited in less than 24 hours.
"Aren't we meeting again a little too soon? It hasn't even been a full day."
"...I'm aware."
How was he able to keep such a dignified aura while his eyes were clearly darting around? Was this some kind of special ability?
"I don't mind seeing you again, but... what about your sister?"
"...She didn't come. But I asked Ayanokōji to pass on a message—to meet me at the main gate at noon on the 31st."
"Wouldn't it be better to tell her yourself? There's still time."
"That girl has a habit of being stubborn. I figured Ayanokōji would be the better option."
If anything, that might backfire. Knowing Ayanokōji, there's a good chance he won't pass on the message.
"Well, it'd be a shame if I didn't at least say congratulations at your graduation. This works out."
A graduation ceremony is meant to celebrate, after all.
"Congratulations on graduating."
Just like last night, I held out my hand.
Manabu looked slightly surprised for a moment but then firmly grasped it in return.
"———Yeah. Thanks."
After a few seconds, our hands parted, and it felt like the tension drained out of him all at once.
"Wow... Horikita-kun is smiling."
Beside us, Tachibana-senpai covered her mouth, her cheeks slightly flushed. Apparently, Manabu's smile really was a rare sight.
"Hikigaya. Do you remember our promise from yesterday?"
Just as we were about to part ways, Manabu suddenly spoke up—in a voice so quiet that Tachibana-senpai wouldn't hear.
"...You're paying for the coffee."
I replied in an equally hushed tone before giving one last bow and turning to leave.
As for what expression Manabu wore at that moment... only Tachibana-senpai would ever know.
=================================
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