The last time Hikigaya came to Tokyo, he was with Yukinoshita.
It was like a honeymoon—a trip just for the two of them.
Throughout the trip, a lot had happened. They had come so close.
But in the end...
He chickened out just a little, and as a result, their most precious "first time" didn't end up happening in Tokyo.
The main culprit?
A certain annoying little white-haired menace who kept messing with his head. That damn gremlin ruined every single opportunity he had!
Because of that, his "sacred ritual" with Yukinoshita remained unfinished in Tokyo.
But.
That same frustration led to Yukinoshita being so angry that just a few days after they got back to Chiba...
She dragged him back to her hotel.
And then... well... she personally saw to it that justice was served.
Hikigaya had to admit, when a girlfriend goes on the offensive, it's downright terrifying.
"Senpai, this way~ The Japanese restaurant is over here~~"
Clinging onto Hikigaya's arm like a proper girlfriend, Isshiki led him down the bustling Tokyo street.
Hikigaya sighed.
It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter.
The restaurant wasn't far from the station.
About ten minutes later, the two of them arrived at their destination.
It was a high-end Japanese restaurant. The kind of place Hikigaya would never step foot in unless a wealthy girlfriend was treating him.
Stepping inside cautiously, Hikigaya hesitated before saying:
"I need to hit the restroom."
"Huh? The bathroom?"
Isshiki tightened her grip on his arm, looking nervous.
"Senpai, you're not gonna ditch me, are you? You can't leave me here alone! Senpai! Senpai...!"
"I literally just need to use the bathroom."
Hikigaya looked at her, deadpan.
"I've been holding it since we bought tickets, got on the train, and came all the way here. Can I please go now?"
"Ugh… Senpai, couldn't you have just held it in a little longer?" Isshiki sighed. "We're about to meet them!"
Hikigaya squinted at her.
"And you don't have to go?"
Isshiki flinched.
"You definitely drank a lot of water on the way here."
"Eh? I…!" Isshiki's face turned red as she glared at him. "A beautiful girl never has to use the bathroom, okay?!"
"..."
Hikigaya fell silent, his gaze drifting down toward her black-stocking-clad legs.
Isshiki instinctively squeezed her thighs together, looking very uncomfortable.
"S-Senpai! W-What are you staring at?!"
"So… are we going together, then?"
"Go by yourself!"
Isshiki finally let go of his arm, pouting.
"They're already here. I need to go greet them."
"Girls shouldn't hold it in too long. It's bad for your health." Hikigaya warned.
"W-Why do you even care?!"
Her face now fully red, Isshiki huffed, then quickly rattled off the private dining room number before marching off.
Hikigaya nodded and headed for the restroom.
Meanwhile, Isshiki took a deep breath, patted her cheeks, and walked toward the reserved room.
After finishing his business, Hikigaya strolled down the hall, muttering to himself.
"Sigh… A training camp with Advanced Nurturing High? Who even thinks of this kind of nonsense…?"
Just the idea of working with that school was enough to make his scalp tingle.
"Maybe I should just back out…? It'd be cruel to Isshiki, but… cough, I could find another way to help her keep her student council president seat…"
Muttering under his breath, he arrived at the designated room.
He definitely wasn't going to take this too seriously.
He'd put on a show, pretend he tried his best, and that'd be the end of it.
Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door.
That's when he heard voices from inside.
"Isshiki-san, if that's all you've got, you should give up. There's no way our school is agreeing to a joint training camp with Sobu High."
"Horikita-san, please! Just… Just one more chance!"
"I've already given you a chance."
"I… I…"
"..."
Hikigaya furrowed his brows.
That sounded…
Desperate.
And kinda pitiful.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Even if Isshiki was an annoying little devil, she was still his underclassman.
And seeing her get completely crushed like this…
Well.
As her senpai, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
At the very least, he could make sure she didn't get humiliated too badly.
Twisting the doorknob, he pushed the door open and awkwardly said:
"Sorry, sorry. I'm late. I, uh, had to use the restroom…"
"Senpai!"
As if she had just been saved from drowning, Isshiki bolted out of her seat and latched onto his arm like a lifeline.
"Come on, come on!"
"Uh… Huh?"
Hikigaya blinked.
Then he turned toward the two girls sitting opposite them—both from Advanced Nurturing High.
And the moment he saw them—
His pupils shrank.
His body froze.
Cold sweat ran down his back.
He wanted nothing more than to grab Isshiki and sprint out of the room.
"Tch. Late, huh?"
Sitting with her arms crossed, Horikita Suzune shot him a cold glance.
"With this kind of attitude, you think we'd even consider this joint camp? There's nothing more to discuss. We're leaving."
She turned to the girl beside her—a petite white-haired girl who had been silent up until now.
That was when the white-haired girl…
Smiled.
A bright, innocent, terrifying smile.
"Oh no, I think we definitely have more to talk about~"
Her gaze locked onto Hikigaya.
Like a hunter cornering its prey.
Hikigaya's entire body seized up.
"Wha—?!"
Horikita frowned.
"Sakayanagi, what are you talking about?"
"There are some very interesting creatures in Sobu High."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled.
She pursed her lips slightly, as if mouthing something.
Something that looked an awful lot like—
'Darling~ Hikigaya-kun~'
A violent shudder ran through Hikigaya's body.
His face paled instantly.
HELP.
WHY IS THIS TERRIFYING WHITE-HAIRED GREMLIN HERE?!
Horikita, noticing his reaction, narrowed her eyes and turned to look at him.
Her brow furrowed.
"…Wait. Him?"
She gave Hikigaya a once-over.
This guy?
This dead-fish-eyed loser?
Sakayanagi, are you out of your mind?
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the restaurant—
Sitting by a window, Yukinoshita quietly nibbled on her food while keeping a close eye on the situation.
[Hikigaya Hachiman's affection level for Sakayanagi Arisu: -10/100 (Fear, Annoying Clingy Gremlin)]
[Hikigaya Hachiman's affection level for Horikita Suzune: 30/100 (Terrible Personality, But Looks Like My Wife)]
"Oh?"
Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow.
"So we have another new candidate for cuddling?"