Sometimes, the connections between people are truly inexplicable.
When Hikigaya first met Horikita Manabu, he never imagined that he would develop such a close, almost heartfelt relationship with the seemingly intimidating senior.
So… no matter how unwilling he was, it was time to let go of that miserable, hopeless obsession.
There was nothing wrong with bringing it to an end.
Even if the method of ending it was nothing more than a one-sided monologue, just like Horikita-senpai had said, he had to learn to accept reality.
For that reason… no matter how unsatisfactory the answer might be, he had to give one.
Otherwise, he would never be able to move forward.
"Although I don't know how much my words will help, if it makes you feel even a little better, then I suppose my trip here wasn't in vain."
"Mm… yeah."
Under that gentle gaze, Hikigaya found himself feeling a bit embarrassed.
Trying to change the subject, he quickly said, "By the way, senpai, how did you know about… uh, Yukinoshita?"
Even without spelling it out, there was no way Horikita Manabu would have called him out for no reason.
The only thing that puzzled Hikigaya was—who told Horikita-senpai about it?
…Could it have been Matsunaga?
After all, Hikigaya hadn't mentioned anything to anyone. And as far as he knew, that guy was the only one in the entire school who knew about both Haruno-san and Yukinoshita.
Besides, he was the one who helped sneak in the chocolates…
If it was him… then Hikigaya was never coming to this store again!
Stop casually leaking customer privacy!
However, Horikita Manabu's response was completely unexpected.
"Yukinoshita who?"
"…Huh?"
"You don't seem to be talking about Yukinoshita Haruno. After all, you always call her by name."
Under Hikigaya's stunned gaze, Horikita Manabu stroked his chin and continued analyzing, "That reminds me, I seem to recall Yukinoshita-san mentioning before that she has a very cute and extremely clingy younger sister. You're talking about that Yukinoshita, aren't you?"
"Extremely clingy? That's a lie!" Hikigaya couldn't help but retort.
"She also said there was a very interesting boy in her sister's club. That person must be you—"
"Wait, wait, wait! Senpai, hold on a second!"
Hikigaya was on the verge of a headache and hurriedly stopped him.
He felt that before speaking, he needed to properly clarify the current situation.
So after all this... this guy had no idea Yukinoshita even existed?!
"Horitaka-senpai, I'd like to ask you something," Hikigaya spoke carefully, enunciating each word. "Why exactly did you call me out today? Or did someone say something to you?"
"Ayanokoji told me that you were troubled by matters of the heart and suggested I try to counsel you," Horikita Manabu answered honestly.
Hikigaya was completely dumbfounded.
...Ayanokoji?
What the hell is that guy up to?!
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second!"
Hikigaya pressed his fingers to his forehead, his face filled with disbelief. "Ayanokoji said I was troubled by love? He said that?"
"That's what I heard."
"And then you just came to find me?"
"I wasn't planning to interfere at first. After all, I have no reason to meddle in your personal affairs," Horikita said indifferently. "However, Ayanokoji mentioned that ever since you received Suzune's chocolate, you've been in a daze, so as your senior, I felt I should check on you."
"Whoa—"
Hikigaya barely stopped himself from swearing in front of his respected senior.
Ayanokoji… that damn bastard!
And Horikita-senpai, don't just believe everything you hear!
"Wait, so you just take his word for it?" Hikigaya asked exasperatedly.
Horikita nodded. "At first, I was skeptical too, but then I thought… what if it was true?"
"There is no 'what if'!"
Hikigaya was about to lose it.
That so-called genius was a complete menace, actually using Horikita-senpai as a pawn in his schemes.
The nerve of him!
"Hikigaya, there's a saying: your greatest enemy often understands you the best," Horikita suddenly remarked. "You two may have your differences, but from what I see, he probably understands you better than anyone else."
"Please don't say things that make me sick."
"That's just my personal opinion."
Horikita shook his head slightly, then spoke in a firm tone. "Besides, it's not just him. You also have a clear understanding of what kind of person he is, don't you?"
"…I'd rather not." Hikigaya refused to admit it.
"Take this situation, for example. You were surprised that he sent me, but you weren't all that shocked by the fact itself—as if you already knew his reasons for doing so."
"…Sigh. Senpai, do you want to know?"
"If you're willing to tell me."
It seemed Ayanokoji's unusual enthusiasm had made Horikita suspect there was more to the story.
Normally, Hikigaya wouldn't casually reveal someone else's business.
But since Ayanokoji had provoked him first, there was no need to hold back.
That said, he still needed to be careful about how he explained it.
After thinking it through, Hikigaya decided to condense the story.
"That guy pissed off the acting director, and now they're trying to expel him through underhanded means. So he needs me to be a scapegoat in this exam."
"I see."
At first glance, it sounded ridiculous.
Why would a school director go out of their way to target a single student?
And using cheating, of all things?
Anyone else would dismiss it as nonsense.
But Horikita accepted it without hesitation, which caught Hikigaya off guard.
"Uh, just to clarify, I wasn't lying just now."
"I know you weren't." Horikita seemed thoughtful. "The first time I met Ayanokoji, I already had a feeling he wasn't ordinary. His skills couldn't have been purely innate—his family background and upbringing must be quite extraordinary."
"Yeah… which is exactly why I don't want to get involved."
Though he had already antagonized Tsukishiro, that was by his own choice.
But doing it for Ayanokoji? That was a different story.
"Well, ultimately, what you do is up to you."
Horikita nodded, acknowledging Hikigaya's reasoning.
"Besides, from a class perspective, if a student is seen as a threat by the director, the entire class could suffer as a result…"
He suddenly paused.
Then, taking a deep breath, he said in a serious tone, "If that happens, cutting ties with that student might be the wisest choice."
"Uh…"
No doubt, that was a perfectly logical conclusion.
As mere students, no matter how much they struggled, they couldn't possibly go against the director.
Hikigaya had always thought so too.
He just hadn't expected Horikita-senpai to say it so bluntly.
"So even the student council president doesn't have the confidence to defy the director's orders, huh?"
That was also the reason Hikigaya had convinced Ayanokoji to help.
If even Horikita Manabu wouldn't do it, then Nagumo certainly wouldn't either.
Not to mention, that guy already had a grudge against Ayanokoji.
"Don't be so cynical. At the end of the day, I'm just a student." Horikita shook his head slightly. "That said… have you ever heard the saying 'raise the muzzle by one centimeter'?"
"Hm?"
"If I were given such an order, even if I couldn't resist the higher-ups, as the student council president, I would still protect my fellow students until the very last moment."
"Yeah, yeah, very noble… Wait, you're serious?"
"Of course. I genuinely like this school."
It wasn't about justice or duty.
He simply loved this place.
That was the pure and simple truth Horikita wanted to convey.
"I generally support the school's ideology. While meritocracy is the foundation, even lower-ranked classes still have a chance to rise. However, if the director intervenes in the exams, that delicate balance will be shattered."
Indeed, if Ayanokoji got expelled from this exam, it would also mean the downfall of his class.
No matter how hard the students worked, all their efforts would be for nothing.
Class D already had so few chances to turn things around.
If they lost this one, it would be a devastating blow.
"Also, this is an even more important point," Horikita Manabu continued. "I know that whether in school, in society, or even from birth, people are inherently unequal... But I believe that through effort, we might be able to make everyone a little more equal."
So, if it were him, he wouldn't bow easily to authority?
"Even when faced with an enemy that seems impossible to defeat, the weak are not without room to resist. It was here that I learned this principle."
Unfortunately, for Horikita Manabu, what happened next had nothing to do with him anymore.
Whatever became of the school after this, even if he wanted to care, there was nothing he could do.
Because he would be leaving soon.
"Equality, huh... Is that what you're striving for, Horikita-senpai?" Hikigaya asked softly.
Now that he thought about it, someone else had said something similar before.
It seemed that only the strong had the luxury of pondering such matters.
"Don't take it too seriously. Just treat it as the naive ramblings of a student who doesn't know their place."
"Yeah… It does sound pretty arrogant."
The reality was often cruel.
Sometimes, you didn't even need to grow up—just waiting a single day could make you realize how laughable your past self had been.
But even the most unrealistic thoughts... might still have a chance of coming true.
"Sorry for dragging you out here, only to ramble about all this nonsense."
Saying that Horikita Manabu handed him the menu.
"Anyway, it's almost dinnertime. Let's grab something to eat before heading back—my treat this time."
"Oh? How generous of you."
"Every once in a while, I should at least fulfill my duty as a senior."
Since Horikita put it that way, Hikigaya saw no reason to refuse.
Ding—
Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Opening it, he saw a message from Kushida.
[Hachiman, can I come over to your room?]
[Matsushita and Horikita insisted on coming too.]
…These three again?
Hikigaya sighed. Any one of them alone would be easy to deal with—uh, no, that's not it. They'd be… easy to—cough cough.
Anyway, stop forming teams just to bother people!
That said… if he wasn't overthinking it, they were probably just worried about him.
Now that he thought about it, both Matsushita and Kushida had been trying to talk to him these past few days, and even Horikita had been subtly prying into what had happened.
Looking back, they had gone out of their way for him.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Hikigaya's lips.
Seeing this, Horikita Manabu didn't ask any questions. He simply said, "Looks like you have something else to take care of. Let's call it a day."
"Ah, sorry about that. I appreciate the thought."
"It's fine. There's still a month left, after all."
So, before leaving, he planned to invite him for another meal. Not bad.
Hikigaya quickly replied to Kushida with "I'm out right now, but I'll be back soon," then packed his things and left the VIP room with Horikita Manabu.
But before they could reach the restaurant entrance, he spotted someone at a table near the wall—narrowing her eyes, staring daggers at him.
And the worst part? He knew exactly who she was.
Her glare was so blatant that even Horikita Manabu noticed.
Glancing between them, he remarked, "Hikigaya, looks like she's a friend of yours."
"Uh, no, not a friend."
"Well, I'll be heading off then."
"Huh? Wait—"
Before Hikigaya could stop him, Horikita Manabu simply turned and left.
Seriously, don't just leave me here!
Hikigaya's outstretched hand fell back in vain. Maybe he should just slip away too.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have minded. But of all people, it had to be Himeno…
Right now, the last person he wanted to run into was Ichinose, followed by Himeno and Kanzaki—people he had some kind of history with.
He didn't want to see anyone from Class A!
…But that was impossible, wasn't it?
This school wasn't that big. Eventually, they were bound to run into each other.
He had no choice… but to learn to accept reality.
Before anything else, it's better to practice with Himeno first—at least the impact would be smaller.
Having made up his mind, Hikigaya braced himself and walked over, cautiously raising a hand in greeting.
"Hi, hi."
"...Me?"
For some reason, Himeno was stunned at first. Then, looking utterly surprised, she pointed at herself.
Huh... Was that a sign telling me not to talk to her?
Just as Hikigaya was left bewildered by her reaction, Matsunaga chuckled from the side and helpfully reminded her, "Himeno-san, this is Hikigaya-kun."
"Eh... Ah?!" Himeno immediately let out a loud yelp.
"What the...," Hikigaya was speechless. "So after all this, you didn't even recognize me? If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered greeting you."
"No, I mean, no wonder you looked so familiar! It really is you!"
"...I thought you were glaring at me."
"What? Are you trying to subtly insult me by saying I have a scary stare?"
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that."
Seeing that Himeno seemed a little displeased, Hikigaya quickly shook his head in denial.
"I get made fun of for my dead-fish eyes all the time, so I don't exactly have the right to talk."
"Hmph... Who knows what you're really thinking?"
That being said, when Himeno narrowed her eyes, there was something... distinct about her gaze.
"By the way, why are you suddenly wearing glasses? It's not like you got dumped by Ichinose, so why are you changing your image—"
Before she could finish, Hikigaya's phone suddenly rang.
Taking it out, he saw that it was another message from Kushida.
[Hachiman, we're waiting in your room.]
[We're hungry. Can we eat some snacks?]
...Why do girls always send these completely trivial messages?
Hikigaya sighed inwardly and quickly replied with a "Whatever" before putting his phone away.
Sure enough, Himeno already looked displeased.
"You sure are busy. Let me guess, some girl is looking for you?"
"...Why are you assuming it's a girl?"
Even though she was right, Hikigaya refused to admit it.
"Hmph, well, considering you even rejected Ichinose's confession, I bet you're never short on girls around you."
That was such a terrible way to put it.
Also, rejecting a confession is very different from dumping someone after dating them. There's a huge difference, okay?!
"Ugh, just give me a break... What exactly do you want to say?"
"…Heh, what do I want to say?" Himeno suddenly let out a broken-sounding chuckle. "You seriously dare to ask me that...?! Obviously, I'm here to complain!"
"Eh? Eh?"
"'Eh' my ass!"
Ignoring Hikigaya's confusion, Himeno started ranting, her lips moving a mile a minute.
"Do you have any idea how many girls in our class have been wanting to cause trouble for you these past few days?! And do you know how much effort I had to put in to stop them?! My tongue is practically worn out from all the talking!"
"Uh... Was it really that bad?"
"What do you think?"
"...Sorry."
Now that he thought about it, it was definitely possible.
After all, Class A was practically a cult of Ichinose's followers. If all those girls had come after him, just imagining it was terrifying.
"Wait, were there really that many?" Hikigaya wiped a cold sweat. "They're not still planning to come after me in a few days, right?"
"Hmph... I've at least managed to hold them off for now."
Though Himeno still looked irritated, her tone softened slightly.
"And since Shirakawa didn't stir up any trouble this time, I think... maybe... possibly, it should be fine."
"...Anyway, thanks for the trouble." Hikigaya bowed deeply.
No helping it—if you want to ask someone for a favor, you have to lower your head.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it... Not like I wouldn't have done it anyway."
At the end of her sentence, Himeno muttered something under her breath before suddenly looking up again.
"By the way, when are you planning to fulfill your promise and treat me to some snacks?"
Hikigaya thought she was about to say something serious, but it turned out to be just that.
"Didn't I already tell you? You can eat whatever you want at this shop and put it on my tab."
"...Idiot. That's so thoughtless."
"Huh?" How was that not thoughtful?
If someone told him he could eat whatever snacks he wanted on their dime, Hikigaya would probably laugh in his sleep and make sure to eat them into bankruptcy.
Sigh... Girls are so troublesome.
Just as Hikigaya sighed, a sudden realization hit him.
Wait a second—snacks?
Didn't Kushida also say something about snacks?
But the problem was... he didn't have any snacks in his room.
…Unless… chocolate?
...Huh?
That chocolate?!
"You take your time eating—I've got something to do!"
"Huh? Hey!"
Without a second thought, Hikigaya bolted away, leaving behind a stunned Himeno.
He sprinted all the way back to the first-year dorms, skipping the elevator entirely and dashing straight up the stairs to the fourth floor.
He had never moved this fast in his entire life.
Throwing the door open—or rather, nearly crashing into it—he saw Kushida, Matsushita, and Horikita sitting around the table, happily chatting while eating... chocolate?!
It really was chocolate!
…Wait, there was still hope!
Just because it was chocolate didn't necessarily mean it was that chocolate—
…Huh?!
But then he saw the pink wrapper on the table, and his last shred of hope was shattered.
"Ah, Hachiman, welcome back!"
Hearing the noise at the door, Kushida looked up and greeted him cheerfully.
However, the three girls quickly noticed something was off about him.
"Uh, Hikigaya-kun, what's wrong?" Matsushita asked with a worried expression.
"...He looks kind of... broken?"
Horikita frowned and waved a hand in front of his face, but he didn't react.
After a long pause, Hikigaya finally spoke with a wooden expression.
"Ahaha, it's nothing… I was just thinking, one piece of chocolate isn't enough for three people, right? Here, have another one."
Moving robotically, he shuffled to the fridge and pulled out another bar of chocolate—this one wrapped in blue.
Heh heh heh... You can't blame me for this.
To avenge Yukichoco, this one must take its place.
"Here you go… Have this one too."
If they wanted to eat, then he'd make sure they ate their fill!