After leaving the ran shop, Hikigaya reminded Shizuka-sensei to be careful on her way back. She scoffed and said, "You sound like an old lady nagging . Aren't you just a high schooler?"
She threw a few quick punches into the air, the wind slicing through like blades. "Hah! The ones who should be careful are the idiots who ss with !"
Alright... maybe he was worrying too much. Besides, she lived in the teacher's dorm, so there wasn't really anything to be concerned about.
By the ti they parted ways, it was already around 10:30 PM. Without realizing it, he had spent nearly an hour and a half talking with her.
Tokyo nights in May were still a bit chilly. The cool air wrapped around him as he walked down the empty school path, making him shiver slightly.
Thinking back, over a month had already passed.
Sohow, he had started getting used to life in this isolated school. His dislike for it had lessened—just a little—but he still couldn't fully accept its "survival of the fittest" philosophy.
He looked up at the dark sky. Thick clouds completely covered the moon, making the night seem even deeper. Even the streetlights along the path looked dimr than usual.
Shizuka-sensei had dragged him out for ran and a chat tonight. It seed like an impulsive, reckless thing to do, but Hikigaya knew better.
She was checking in on him, making sure he was okay.
Sowhere in her heart, she was probably worried about his ntal state. After all, he still carried the label of "Adolescent Syndro."
"...Sigh. I wonder what the next three years will bring."
What happened in the library today was just a small glimpse, the beginning of sothing bigger. As ti goes on, the competition between classes will only get fiercer. And as the differences in ability beco more obvious, conflicts and divisions within each class are bound to happen.
Survival of the fittest—that's just how it works.
Hikigaya could already picture the endless scheming, deception, and backstabbing that would unfold over the next three years. Even if he didn't want to, this environnt would inevitably shape and change him.
On his way back to the dorm, Hikigaya felt a bit thirsty. He took a small detour to buy a drink. But just as he was nearing the dorm, he spotted a familiar figure.
"President?"
Horikita Manabu? What was he doing near the first-year dorm this late at night?
Although the dorms for all three grades were in the sa area, they were actually quite far apart, with plenty of trees and greenery separating them. Unless soone had a specific reason to be there, students from different grades rarely ran into each other.
Hikigaya thought about it but decided not to get involved. However, before he could walk away, another figure appeared in his sight, making him stop in his tracks.
The ice queen?
But Hikigaya's attention wasn't on Horikita. Instead, it was on the guy sneaking behind her.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes as he observed the situation. If this was just a casual eting between Horikita Manabu and his sister, he wouldn't care. But with Ayanokouji lurking around like he was up to sothing, things suddenly seed a lot more suspicious.
The darkness of the night served as perfect cover for Hikigaya, and with his natural "presence suppression" skill, no one had noticed the dead-fish-eyed observer hiding in the shadows.
In the dimly lit path behind the dorm, Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune were having a conversation.
"Suzune, it's been a while. Almost three years now. I didn't expect you to follow to this school."
"I'm not the useless person I used to be. I ca here to catch up to you."
"You're in Class D, right? Just like three years ago, you're still chasing after my shadow. You haven't changed at all. And even now, you still don't see your own flaws, do you? You shouldn't have chosen this school, Suzune."
"I'll work my way up to Class A and prove myself to you."
"That's impossible. You don't have what it takes to reach Class A."
Their argunt grew more heated. Horikita Manabu even raised his hand against his sister. Hikigaya considered stepping in, but before he could, Ayanokouji suddenly moved.
And just like that, Ayanokouji and Horikita Manabu started fighting right there in the alleyway, while Horikita Suzune collapsed weakly against the wall, her eyes empty.
Should I be yelling, "Stop fighting, you two!" right now?
To an outsider, this might look like a dramatic love triangle brawl. Though, seeing the usually cold and composed Horikita looking so weak and vulnerable was a first for Hikigaya.
How should I put it...? The contrast was so extre that he couldn't help but wonder, "Did she just break or sothing?"
Both Horikita Manabu and Ayanokouji clearly had so level of martial arts training. Their movents weren't just random swings and punches like a normal street fight. They were both testing each other, analyzing their opponent.
Then, in a synchronized motion, they struck at the sa ti—punches, kicks, counterattacks. Every move was t with a precise response. But overall, Horikita Manabu seed to have the upper hand, while Ayanokouji stayed on defense.
Hikigaya might not know much about fighting, but he had sharp observational skills. Even though Ayanokouji looked like he was on the losing side, his breathing and footwork were completely steady. More than that, he predicted many of Horikita Manabu's moves in advance but chose not to counterattack.
Hikigaya was sure—this guy was still hiding his real strength.
Just how many power-fantasy light novels has this guy read? He's pulling the whole "playing weak until the right mont" act. What is he, so shadow monarch? The Dark Dragon King of the Underworld or sothing?
"Your form and movents aren't bad. You're the first person in this school who's managed to avoid my attacks so many tis. It looks like you've trained in martial arts."
Horikita Manabu finally stopped and adjusted his glasses.
"Sorry, but no. If I had to say I trained in sothing, it would be piano and calligraphy. I even won a national piano competition in elentary school."
"You're in Class D too? Suzune, it seems like your class has so interesting students."
Horikita Manabu turned to look at his sister.
For so reason, Horikita Suzune suddenly pictured Hikigaya in her mind. Was her brother talking about him?
"How long are you planning to hide over there?"
Ayanokouji's gaze shifted to a dark corner nearby.
Hikigaya, realizing he had been spotted, sighed and stepped out of the shadows. At the sa ti, he couldn't help but be impressed by Ayanokouji's sharp instincts.
When the other three saw Hikigaya walk out, they all looked surprised.
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