The next morning, Hikigaya felt sothing was off as he walked down the street.
Ever since he discovered that the obnoxious Ayanokouji didn’t have any special abilities, he went back to his habit of going to school at the last possible mont. Because of this, there usually weren’t many students on his route, especially not from Class B. Even if he did run into a classmate, it was rare for anyone to greet him.
Maybe they were just pretending not to see him.
Whatever the reason, strangers rarely stared at him.
But now, Hikigaya could feel two pairs of eyes drilling into his back. The intensity of their stares made it clear they weren’t trying to hide it.
Turning around, he saw two boys he didn’t recognize. The urge to walk up and ask if they had a problem crossed his mind, but he ultimately decided against it.
Being stared at was nothing compared to the harassnt he experienced in middle school. It was a childish form of bullying. He shrugged it off and continued on his way.
Arriving at the Class B classroom, he was imdiately greeted by Ichinose, her face full of concern. Hinoyuki and others hovered around her, looking equally anxious.
"Hikigaya-kun, have you been harassed by people from Class A?" she asked.
"I was just stared at, not harassed," Hikigaya replied with an awkward laugh. So, those two guys were from Class A. It seed he wasn’t the only target.
"Really? I didn’t expect Class A to move so quickly," Ichinose said with a furrowed brow.
"What should we do now?" soone else chid in.
"If they think just following us will pressure us, they’re underestimating us," another added confidently.
"Yes, as long as we work together, everything will be fine," Ichinose said with her usual cheerfulness.
While they discussed their strategy, Hikigaya slipped away to his seat. Despite the conversation not being aid at him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
He’d been so confident yesterday, lecturing Ichinose about her approach. Yet, her judgnt was spot on. She correctly predicted that Class A would target them due to Sakayanagi’s character. The fact that Class A had started its moves even before the competing classes were officially decided showed how aggressive Sakayanagi could be.
Scary.
anwhile, Hikigaya felt his cheeks flush with sha. His assumptions had been utterly wrong. It was clear that the people chosen to lead their classes were all incredibly sharp.
He was just a low-level social creature. Best to stay low and avoid trouble.
After school, Ichinose approached him again.
"Hikigaya-kun!"
She had been unusually friendly lately. Her persistent concern was getting harder to dodge.
"Uh, what’s up?" Hikigaya asked, feeling the eyes of his classmates on him.
"Before, you ntioned that you preferred studying alone. So, I didn’t say much about it," Ichinose began, her expression turning serious. "But over the past six months, your math scores haven’t improved. In fact, they’ve gotten worse. Are you really okay?"
Hikigaya stiffened.
It was true. His liberal arts scores were still top-tier, ranking within the top five in Class B, just behind Ichinose, Kanzaki, and a few others. But when it ca to science subjects, he struggled.
Physics was sowhat manageable. But math?
Math was an entirely different beast. It felt like a broken ga with incomprehensible chanics. Terms like a1 and A2 might as well be alien language. Hikigaya could only secure basic points from the simple questions. Anything beyond that was a lost cause.
His math scores hovered around 49 points, down from his previous 52. The passing line for Class B was usually around 37 to 40 points, so he was still technically safe. But if he wanted to avoid being a burden, he needed to consistently score above 50.
"Don’t worry," Hikigaya said with forced cheerfulness. "Didn’t Hoshinomiya-sensei say that points can buy everything? If it gets bad, I’ll just use my personal points to deal with it!"
Ichinose sighed. "Hikigaya-kun, I’m not blaming you, but the exams will only get harder. Are you sure you’ll be okay? Why not try attending a study group? It might be more efficient if you have soone to help you with questions."
He could see the genuine concern in her eyes.
But Hikigaya shook his head. "I’m fine. I’ll work hard and get above fifty next ti."
He stamred out the promise, feeling foolish.
Reading was always sothing he did best alone. Study groups, in his experience, were just glorified gossip sessions. Trying to study in that environnt would be like trying to swim in quicksand.
Ichinose seed to pick up on his hesitation. "Alright. But if you change your mind, the offer’s always open."
The following day, Class A’s pressure campaign continued.
Hikigaya wasn’t sure what was happening with Ichinose and the others, but at least he wasn’t being actively harassed.
Around noon, he headed to the cafeteria to grab lunch. If there was one thing he appreciated about this school, it was the cafeteria.
The food was good, and the place provided a perfect view of human nature’s pettiness.
Friends who pretended not to see each other. Groups that only existed for convenience. The cafeteria was a microcosm of superficiality.
"The Lone Ranger is the only correct way to live," he muttered under his breath, carrying his tray. "Clearly, social obligations are the root of all conflict. World peace can only be achieved if everyone becos a Lone Ranger."
But as he scanned the crowded cafeteria, his mood soured. There were hardly any empty seats. Maybe he should suggest to the student council to add more single seating.
Spotting an opening, he saw Onitsuka Ookami from Class D eating a mountain vegetable set al. Alone, of course, with a sort of regal air that commanded his surroundings to stay clear.
"Now that’s a true Lone Ranger," Hikigaya thought with admiration.
Once Onitsuka finished his al and left, Hikigaya pounced on the vacant seat.
"Itadakimasu," he mumbled to himself, trying to channel his own solitary aura.
Just as he was about to dig in, a girl with long, straight black hair in a burgundy uniform slid into the seat across from him.
Horikita Suzune.
"Uh... I didn’t even answer yet," Hikigaya muttered.
"You have no friends to wait for, do you?" Horikita replied calmly, setting her tray down.
She made a good point.
And just like that, his lonely lunchti had been hijacked.
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