"So, Hiyori, how do you plan to convince your classmates?"
"Are you okay with them saying, 'Shiina Hiyori betrayed the class and her classmates'?"
"If you are, then I'll accept your proposal without hesitation."
His cold words made the two girls feel like the boy in front of them was a complete stranger. Especially Hiyori—she thought she understood him, but now she realized she had never truly known what went on in his mind.
She bit her lip and lowered her head. She knew Hikigaya wasn't wrong, and she understood that her earlier words had been spoken on impulse, without considering the consequences.
She wanted to argue back: "That's not true! Friendship is more important than getting ahead in school!"
At an ordinary school, this wouldn't be a problem. But in this school, it could mean being labeled a "traitor to the class." Was Shiina Hiyori really prepared for that?
She had never thought about it before, or maybe she had just been avoiding the question. But now, Hikigaya had laid it bare right in front of her.
Hikigaya wasn't feeling great about this either, but someone had to do it. The worst outcome would be losing Hiyori as a friend.
Her kindness over the past days had almost made Hikigaya forget that he was a loner. He had nothing to lose, but she was different. If someone had to be the bad guy, it might as well be him.
Rule number one of being a loner: always stay rational.
Lies are comforting. The truth is usually painful.
Hikigaya had long grown numb to pain.
Sorry, Hiyori. And thank you for being kind to me.
What he was about to do to Class C would cause serious conflict within the class. He would become the common enemy.
So, Hiyori... you can't be the one everyone turns against.
"Can I ask you something?"
Hiyori looked up at him, her expression complicated.
"Then, Hikigaya-kun, what about you? Can you accept it?"
"I can."
A short and direct answer.
His face was unreadable, showing no emotion at all.
"I've always been alone, so I don't care about what others think—whether they insult me, isolate me, or look down on me. I'll do what I believe is right, just like how I have to turn you down now."
For some reason, Hiyori felt a sharp pain in her heart.
What had he been through to make him think like this?
"P-please, don't fight..."
Sakura's shaky voice interrupted them. She looked like she was about to cry, guilt written all over her face.
"I... I don't need tutoring! I'll do my best to pass the test, so please, don't fight. I-I'm begging you!"
By the end, her voice was almost a sob.
Her mind was still a mess. She had no idea how the two of them, who had been getting along fine just a second ago, had suddenly started arguing.
"I-it's my fault... It's all my fault. Please, don't fight."
Sakura blamed herself, pleading with them.
"Airi, this isn't your fault. Hikigaya-kun and I were just... discussing something about the school. We weren't fighting."
Hiyori reassured her, then looked at Hikigaya.
Hikigaya sighed inwardly.
"Hiyori and I weren't fighting. We just had a disagreement, which is completely normal. If friends never argue, that's what's actually weird. It's not as bad as you think."
In the end, the meal didn't end on a good note. Hiyori and Sakura left together.
Before leaving, Hiyori glanced at Hikigaya, looking downcast.
"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun... I-I think I need some time to cool off. I really am sorry about today."
"..."
For some reason, Hikigaya felt like she was secretly blaming him.
Wait... why did he suddenly feel a chill down his spine?!
Watching the two girls walk away, Hikigaya wandered the school grounds alone.
He couldn't help but think—yeah, this was what suited him best.
He had always been alone. It wasn't anything new.
"If you get too used to kindness, you'll just end up making the same mistakes again."
He mocked himself.
...
Time passed, and the last day of May approached. There was only one day left before the midterm exams.
Class D's daily life had changed quite a bit compared to April. At the very least, classroom discipline had improved.
Hikigaya wasn't getting dragged off by Shizuka-sensei as often, and more students were actually paying attention in class—including the three idiots.
Of course, a lot of them were probably just cramming at the last minute. After the exams, they'd probably go back to their old ways.
Hirata and Kushida's study sessions were running smoothly, and surprisingly, Horikita, Ayanokouji, and the three idiots' study group had lasted all the way until the final day before the test.
That was something even Hikigaya hadn't expected.
Many students in Class D have been cramming hard lately, cutting back on entertainment (not that they had money for it anyway). For a class that lost all its points in the first month, this was quite a rare sight.
As the rest of the first-year students were in their final phase of exam prep, Class C was the only exception. None of them seemed to be studying at all. Instead, they were having the time of their lives and even spent their time messing with students from other classes.
"Damn it! Those Class C idiots better fail and get expelled!"
"How are they so relaxed?! I wish I were in Class C!"
A trio of fools sat around sulking, drawing imaginary circles on the ground, and cursing Class C students.
Most people felt the same way. After all the effort they put into studying, seeing others partying and having fun was frustrating.
If it were Class A or B, maybe they wouldn't feel as bad, but Class C was supposed to be in the same boat as them—another lower-ranked class. So why was Class C having it so easy while they suffered?
It wasn't about being jealous of someone who was doing better. It was about seeing someone at the same level suddenly driving a luxury car while they were still struggling.
Many students in Class D felt this way, leading to a huge sense of unfairness. Thankfully, Hirata stepped in at the right moment to keep everyone focused. If he hadn't, all the effort they put into studying might have gone to waste, and their frustration could have even affected their performance on the test. That would have been a disaster.
Throughout May, Class C was the most active class. They didn't just provoke Class A and B without fear; they even disrupted Class D. Seeing how aggressive Class C was, the other three classes all chose to endure it and step back. But this only made Class C even more arrogant.
Whenever Ryuen and his group showed up in the hallways, they always carried themselves like they owned the place. Many students avoided them like they would avoid stepping on dog poop—some even found them more disgusting than the trio of fools, Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudou.
Initially, people thought that after the school revealed the truth, Class A or B would take control of the grade. But based on how things had been going in May, Class C had unexpectedly seized control. No one had expected them to be this dominant.
It was almost like a scene from *Three Heroes vs. Lü Bu*, but who knew if Class C would end up with the same fate as Lü Bu?
Meanwhile, under Hikigaya's one-on-one tutoring, Sakura's grades had improved rapidly. She was almost guaranteed to pass the midterms. Her social anxiety had also lessened—she spoke up more often now, though she still trembled from time to time, leaving Hikigaya completely baffled.
As for his relationship with Hiyori, things were… complicated. Ever since that day at the nameless teahouse, it had been over a week since they last talked. Their last conversation in their chat logs was also from over a week ago.
They did run into each other on campus occasionally, but they usually just exchanged nods and moved on. The distance between them hovered somewhere between that of strangers and friends, filled with an awkward sense of unfamiliarity.
But Hikigaya had already prepared himself for this outcome, so he accepted it without much thought. It would be ridiculous to expect things to go back to how they were before.
On Thursday, after classes ended, it was finally time to go home. The midterms would officially begin tomorrow. After Chabashira-sensei finished the homeroom session and left, Kushida stepped up to the podium with a stack of papers in her hands.
"Sorry, everyone, but before we go, can I have a moment of your time?"
She started passing the papers back, one by one. They were past midterm exam papers along with their answer keys.
While most of the class reacted with surprise, confusion, or excitement, Hikigaya remained calm.
It was expected, yet still unexpected.
Even so, he played along, pretending to be surprised. As he glanced around the classroom, his gaze quickly landed on a certain deadpan-looking guy—or more accurately, he noticed something off about Kushida.
Ever since she got up on stage, she had been sneaking glances at Ayanokouji in the corner. She hid it well, but Hikigaya still caught it.
At the same time, thanks to the exam papers, Kushida had earned a wave of praise from the class. Her smile became even brighter.
While most students in Class D were thrilled and celebrating, Hikigaya just observed everything with cold detachment. It was the same feeling he had when Chabashira-sensei first revealed the school's system—like he was watching from the sidelines, completely disconnected from it all.
No emotions stirred inside him. He simply watched, indifferent.
"Isn't it a little too early to be celebrating?"
Muttering to himself, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to a certain overly self-important chuunibyou.
"It's time to wrap things up."
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