Lately, nearly everyone in Class D had been caught up in the chaos of preparing for the Special Selection Exam. Even the students who weren't scheduled to participate had been assigned tasks to help out.
Even Ayanokōji, who usually liked to coast under the radar, was forced by Horikita's pressure to head to the gym after school every day. There, he put on a half-hearted show of teaching a bunch of guys karate in hopes of throwing off the other classes with a smokescreen.
You could say the class, for once, was genuinely united, with everyone pitching in for the sake of the exam.
Unfortunately, even in this rare atmosphere of teamwork, there were still two rotten apples in the bunch.
The first, naturally, was the pampered prince Kōenji. Just as he'd claimed, he showed up for one group discussion—once—and then disappeared without a trace. No one had seen him at practice since.
It was as if he'd completely forgotten the grand declaration he'd made during the class vote exam: "From now on, I will contribute to the class in earnest."
That smug face of his had pissed off a good chunk of the students. Some were already grumbling that if another expulsion vote came up, they were casting their ballot against him.
Guess it's true what they say: you can't believe a single punctuation mark from a rich guy's mouth.
As for the second slacker, that would be Hikigaya Hachiman.
He was sneakier than Kōenji. Using the excuse that he was the only one in class who could play shōgi, he claimed he needed to go back to the dorms and practice on a mobile app—but of course, that was total nonsense.
After school, he did exactly what he always did: hang out in the library reading, or head to the bookstore to check out the latest light novels and manga.
Practice shōgi? Yeah, not happening. Not in this lifetime.
To be fair, Hikigaya wasn't particularly skilled to begin with, and it's not like a week of training was going to do much anyway.
If Class A suddenly threw in some hidden master and wiped the floor with him, well… that'd be the end of that.
Can't be helped. Hikigaya's laid-back, "Buddhist" attitude is probably one of the few good things about him.
That said, deep down he was still debating whether or not to step up as the commander.
If it were just for Ayanokōji's sake, he'd say no—but Horikita was risking expulsion for the class. What if they lost? What would he do then?
If that happened… come graduation day for the third-years at the end of the month, he wouldn't even be able to look Horikita-senpai in the eye.
"…Guess I should do it after all?"
Just as he was deep in thought, an unexpected voice interrupted him.
"Hikigaya, mind if we talk for a bit?"
"…What is it?"
The speaker was Yukimura, the bespectacled honor student. Hikigaya blinked in surprise.
The two of them hardly ever interacted—barely enough to even call acquaintances. At most, they might've exchanged nods in passing.
For him to seek him out like this, something serious must've come up.
"It's a bit sudden, but… can I run something by you about the Special Exam?"
Alright, scratch that.
Hachiman frowned. "Why ask me about that? Wouldn't Horikita or Hirata be better?"
"Well… how should I put this…" Yukimura's expression twisted slightly in hesitation, and he lowered his voice a notch.
"I don't think those two are much help in this case. Not that they're not excellent students—it's just that talking to them about this wouldn't get us anywhere. That's why I wanted to ask for your help. Would that be alright?"
"…Sure."
After a moment's pause, Hikigaya agreed to listen.
He wasn't particularly interested, but since Yukimura had gone out of his way to ask so politely, the least he could do was hear him out.
To his surprise, Yukimura looked visibly taken aback.
"Eh? Y-You agreed just like that?"
"…What else was I supposed to do?"
"N-No, I just didn't expect it… I didn't think you'd be so easy to talk to."
"What kind of image do you have of me…?"
Hikigaya sighed in exasperation, though he couldn't blame him.
Considering his looks, his personality, and everything that had happened over the past year, it was only natural that people had a pretty awful impression of him.
Not that he cared or anything… Nope. Not at all.
"It's not a good place to talk here. Mind heading to the hallway?"
"Sure."
Yukimura didn't want their conversation overheard.
Hikigaya nodded and followed him out of the classroom.
But the moment they stepped into the hallway, they ran into Miyake—judging by the direction he came from, he'd probably just returned from the bathroom.
Not that Hikigaya was close to him or anything. He figured he'd just ignore him.
But Miyake and Yukimura were friends.
"Keisei and Hikigaya? That's a rare combo."
"Yeah, we've got something to talk about."
Seeing Miyake's curious look, Yukimura seemed to hesitate for a moment—then turned to Hikigaya.
"Sorry, mind if we include Akito too?"
"Go ahead."
Hikigaya didn't care either way, and Miyake didn't object.
The three of them headed to the nearby stairwell, where it was unlikely anyone else would pass by.
"Hikigaya, remember the day the projects were announced? I suggested at the class meeting."
"…You mean gathering intel?"
"Yeah." Yukimura nodded. "I later brought it up to Horikita too, but she didn't seem very interested."
In this exam, intel was incredibly important.
If they could figure out in advance which project the opponent would pick, they could tailor their strategy accordingly.
Of course, that was easier said than done. Realistically, all they could do was guess.
"Well, yeah. I doubt we can get anything out of Class A, considering how tight-knit they are."
"That's what Horikita said too… But if we just sit on our hands, isn't that a huge waste? We should be using this time more effectively."
He paused, then added, "Besides, Class C's already making moves. I've seen them pestering Class B students multiple times—some of those encounters nearly turned into fights."
"We can't exactly copy their thug tactics though…"
Hikigaya rubbed his temples. He hadn't expected Yukimura to be this fired up about the exam.
Guess the guy wanted to win.
"How about we send Ayanokōji, Sudō, and Miyake to go rough up Class A a bit?"
"Hey, don't drag me into this," Miyake said with a wry smile.
"Just kidding—mostly."
Besides Kōenji, those three were Class D's top muscle.
"Hikigaya," Yukimura said seriously, "please give this some real thought. Right now, you're the most reliable person in the class. If we lose, Kiyotaka could be expelled. So… I'm begging you."
"Wait, are you saying you don't trust Ayanokōji's skills? Or are you blaming me for not stepping up as the commander?"
If it were the latter, Hikigaya could understand.
In every other class, the commander role had gone to a student with protection points. Only Class D was the odd one out.
To someone like Yukimura, who wasn't in the loop, it probably looked like Hikigaya's refusal to act had forced Ayanokōji to take the fall and risk expulsion.
And honestly, that wasn't entirely wrong.
Yukimura let out a long sigh. "Sigh… At first, I did hope you'd take the commander role. But the protection point is something you earned with your strength. It's not our place to tell you how to use it."
That genuinely surprised Hikigaya.
Given how Yukimura had acted back during the summer camp on the deserted island, he'd expected at least a bit of resentment. Maybe the guy had matured somewhat.
"But I guess it's a small blessing in disguise. I mean, at least it's Kiyotaka who got picked. I think his skills are on par with Horikita and Hirata."
Still, Yukimura's expression gradually turned more troubled.
"But the problem is that our class's overall strength is no match for Class A. And Kiyotaka… I don't know if he's just too confident or what, but he doesn't seem the least bit anxious about being expelled. Like he couldn't care less."
Of course he isn't. That guy's got Horikita playing shield for him.
Hikigaya muttered that in his head, but aloud he said, "I get where you're coming from. But asking me isn't going to change anything. I've already shared all the intel I've got. That's it. Or maybe you're just overestimating me—I'm not as dependable as you think."
"But you are amazing," Miyake chimed in suddenly. "Not just the previous exams—this time too, our class's project submission was changed thanks to your advice. Honestly, I was pretty impressed. Who even comes up with stuff like that?"
"Yeah. If we were competing on average ability, we wouldn't stand a chance. But if we're judged by the highest peaks… then we've still got a real shot."
Yukimura nodded with a rare, genuine smile.
Weird… How do these two know about it?
"Um, can I ask—who told you it was my idea?" Hikigaya couldn't help but ask.
"Kiyotaka said so. He figured there's no way Horikita would come up with something like that, so it was probably you giving her advice behind the scenes. Isn't that right?"
"…It's not."
Damn it, what's that bastard scheming again?
And yet, Ayanokōji had hit the nail on the head so precisely that Hikigaya had no way to refute it.
At that moment, Yukimura suddenly said awkwardly, "Hey, Hikigaya… by the way, you're doing okay now, right?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Hikigaya was caught off guard by the completely out-of-nowhere question.
"I mean… uh." Yukimura clearly found it hard to say, "Back around Valentine's Day, you seemed really down. I totally understand—it must've sucked to reject someone as kind as Ichinose. But even if you can't date, you could still be friends, right?"
"Whoa, whoa, Kisei! What the hell are you saying?!" Miyake cut in, clearly panicked.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"Idiot! That's not something you just blurt out! Just shut up already!"
After Miyake's outburst, Yukimura seemed to realize what he'd done and looked over, a little embarrassed.
But Hikigaya didn't particularly mind. He just shook his head and said, "Yukimura, I'll put it this way—even if Ichinose and I were dating, she's the kind of person who puts her class first. There's no way she'd leak intel to me. If anything, it's more likely I'd end up giving our class's info to her if I saw her troubled."
"…Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I lost my head for a second," Yukimura apologized honestly.
Crude as the question was, it was rooted in a very real concern.
They were in the same grade but different classes. If you started dating, that kind of dilemma was inevitable.
Sure, Class A was in the lead now, so they could afford to be a little lax. But what if they slipped down the ranks?
As the leader, Ichinose would be torn between her class and the person she was dating. She might end up in an impossible situation, trying to live up to the trust her classmates had in her.
Rather than let it come to that, maybe it was better not to start anything in the first place.
"Anyway, I might not be much help when it comes to that kind of thing, but if you want to improve your odds of winning, there are still other ways," Hikigaya said, shifting gears.
"Really? Like what?" Yukimura asked eagerly.
"Inducing Class A to pick a specific event. For example, right now our class is pretty hopeless when it comes to chess. But what if we secretly had a chess prodigy like Ayanokōji in our ranks? Would Class A still choose chess if they knew that?"
"Huh? But Kiyotaka said he just knows how to play."
"Hah, he also says he's just an ordinary student. And yet he aces every test, runs like the wind, and can throw hands when he has to. What kind of 'ordinary' is that?"
Since Ayanokōji was always using him like a tool to boost the class, Hikigaya didn't mind returning the favor.
"Bottom line: don't believe a word that guy says. He's basically like Kōenji—always looking for ways to slack off. He just hides it better."
"Now that you mention it… that does sound like him," Miyake agreed. "Kiyotaka always acts like he's not interested in anything."
"Exactly. That's why I think you should start spreading rumors that Sakayanagi—who's also good at chess—is evenly matched with Ayanokōji. Make it sound like they're on the same level."
"Uh, would that really work?"
"Of course. The Chess Club already recognizes Kiyotaka's skill. If word gets out, they'll definitely talk to Sakayanagi about it. And since she's been itching to challenge him anyway, chances are she won't deny it. That information will get back to the Class A students for sure."
Class A already had students in the Chess Club, so they were well aware of Sakayanagi's level.
If they found out Ayanokōji was just as good—and given that chess was a highly manipulable event for the commanding tower—it would definitely influence the decisions Ichinose and the others made.
"That's amazing, Hikigaya!" Yukimura praised him excitedly. "I knew coming to you was the right call. I can't believe you came up with that."
"Haha, it's nothing."
Helping Class D was just a bonus. Mainly, Hikigaya wanted to annoy Ayanokōji a little.
That guy had gone out of his way to mess with him—turnabout was fair play.
"But yeah, this kind of thing only works with chess. I've got nothing when it comes to things like Go or billiards."
"Even solving one event is a huge help."
Yukimura seemed content with that, then looked over at Miyake.
"Plus, we've got archery—none of the other classes have anyone for that. We'll be counting on you, Akito."
"...Actually, that might not be a sure thing," Miyake said, sounding troubled. "To be honest, I heard some rumors from a senior in my club. I don't know if they're true, though."
"What kind of rumors?"
"It's about Kanzaki from Class A. Supposedly, he's been practicing archery since he was a kid."
"Seriously?"
"That senior's from Kanzaki's hometown. He said the Kanzaki family is kind of a big deal there, and Kanzaki is their heir. He's been trained in all kinds of traditional arts since he was little, and he's even won a bunch of competitions."
At that point, Miyake scratched his head awkwardly.
"If that's true, I probably don't stand a chance. I only joined the archery club in the third year of middle school—I'm just a halfway decent amateur at best."
"That… could be a problem."
"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the mood."
"No, it's good that you brought it up early. I don't think we should force anything."
As he spoke, Yukimura glanced at Hikigaya for confirmation.
Hikigaya nodded. "Yeah, better let Horikita know ASAP. Looks like we'll have to rethink our events."
"Yeah, let's do that."
Having wrapped up the conversation, the three of them parted ways.
But Miyake's intel stuck with Hikigaya.
Come to think of it, Kanzaki did have a certain maturity beyond his years.
In some ways, he reminded Hikigaya of Haruka, or even Hayama—people from elite families, raised with a refined, disciplined education.
Horikita-senpai had that same kind of aura too.
This school was full of hidden talents… though that wasn't all that surprising, given it was one of Japan's top institutions.
You had students like Yamauchi who dragged everyone down, punks like Rokusuke who didn't care about the rules, and elite types like Sakayanagi, Kanzaki, and Kōenji who started miles ahead of the curve.
Maybe this kind of wild mix was exactly what Advanced Nurturing High School wanted.
They wanted to see what kind of fruit this strange experiment would bear.
No wonder it felt like a giant lab. It was honestly kind of creepy.
Speaking of which—
That afternoon, after school, Hikigaya was on his way to the library when he just so happened to run into Kanzaki—the very person they'd just been talking about.
To his surprise, Kanzaki came over to greet him.
"Hikigaya. Are you heading somewhere?"
"Just going to the library for a bit."
"I see. You seem pretty relaxed about this exam."
"…More or less."
Did this guy open with a probing question?
Thinking that, Hikigaya replied, "It's not like I'm the commander or anything. I'm just doing what I need to do."
"Fair enough. Still, I was surprised by your class's decision," Kanzaki said casually. "You made Ayanokōji the commander. You must have absolute confidence in him. Even Ichinose's starting to waver."
"No… you're reading too much into it."
In reality, it was just some unexpected circumstances that forced Tsukishiro to rig it in Ayanokōji's favor.
"Honestly, I don't think there's anything to waver about. If Ayanokōji got expelled, wouldn't that be good news for your class?"
"You're in the same class as him, but you're surprisingly blunt."
"I'm just stating facts. Are you saying I'm wrong?"
"…No. Ayanokōji is a terrifying opponent."
Kanzaki's expression suddenly turned conflicted, which left Hikigaya confused.
"This probably isn't something I should be saying… but honestly, I don't want Ayanokōji to get expelled."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because… sorry. Forget I said anything."
Staring at Kanzaki, who looked like he wanted to say more but bit his tongue, Hikigaya felt a little uneasy—then a thought hit him out of nowhere.
If Kanzaki really was from a distinguished family, just like Miss Haruno…
Could it be…?
"Hey, Kanzaki," Hikigaya said, deciding to take a shot.
"You and Ayanokōji… do you know each other well? Or maybe… did you already know him before this?"