Hikigaya had never considered himself a good person.
So forget about romance—even when Haruno had asked him to find a way for Ayanokoji to graduate as a member of Class D, a request that would undoubtedly harm his own class's interests, he had agreed without much hesitation.
To put it bluntly, concepts like "collective well-being" or "thinking about the bigger picture" had never mattered to Hikigaya.
He only cared about individuals.
However… Ichinose was an exception.
As long as they remained in this school, class conflicts were inevitable.
Students from different classes rarely interacted, precisely to avoid any suspicion of betraying their own class.
By that logic, Ichinose—someone who cared deeply about her class—should have understood this better than anyone.
And yet, Hikigaya had never expected her to confess to him… Even up to the last moment, he thought it was all in his imagination.
Unfortunately, he could never fully grasp what was on everyone's mind.
Ichinose had likely not given it much thought—or perhaps, deep down, she remained optimistic about the future.
After all, the current point gap between Class A and Class D was enormous, making them no real threat to each other.
Under those circumstances, there was no reason for the two of them to become enemies, nor any need to worry about it.
But what about later?
Class D wouldn't remain stagnant forever, and Class A wouldn't keep winning indefinitely.
Perhaps Ichinose believed that even if they became rivals during an exam, their relationship wouldn't change—but that was just self-deception.
The question Hikigaya had asked her earlier might have seemed like an unreasonable provocation, but it also carried this implication.
And her reaction was exactly as he had expected.
Because of that… rather than letting Ichinose suffer the pain of being caught between two sides later, it was better to cut things off from the start.
That would be best for everyone.
"Sigh… Am I… sigh."
Hikigaya kept sighing, wondering if his actions had led to Ichinose's misunderstanding.
"Would it have been better… if I had just ignored her?"
By now, he had lost count of how many times he had questioned whether he should have helped Ichinose so much.
He had always hated overly kindhearted girls, and yet… was what he did considered kindness?
But if he stopped helping people just because he was afraid of being misunderstood, that didn't feel quite right either.
If the other person were malicious or harbored ill intentions, it would be a different story—Hikigaya would never play the fool.
But someone as genuinely kind as Ichinose… sigh, sigh, sigh.
There was no perfect outcome in this world. The way things had unfolded was simply inevitable.
"Still, Ichinose will be fine, won't she?" Hikigaya muttered to himself. "She's popular, after all. She can always find someone better than me, and today's events will just become a funny anecdote—maybe something she recalls with a self-deprecating laugh every now and then."
Yeah, that's right.
Being rejected wasn't a big deal.
With time, this would turn into nothing more than a ridiculous memory. She might even look back and think, How did I ever fall for that guy?
Besides, it wasn't his place to worry about someone as socially successful as Ichinose, was it?
The sad part was that Hikigaya himself couldn't stop thinking about it.
On the surface, he looked calm, but his thoughts were a tangled mess. The more he dwelled on it, the more he wanted to stop thinking altogether.
He even started envying Zaimokuza's carefree nature.
They had both been in the position of rejecting someone, so why could that guy laugh about it with his friends, while Hikigaya… felt like there was a weight on his chest?
…Was it because he had no friends?
Just as Hikigaya was sinking into negativity, a voice suddenly called out from beside him.
"Hey, you over there, looking all gloomy."
"Uh…"
"Oh? Getting bold now, huh? Ignoring your senpai like that."
"Uh…" Even though he recognized the voice, he wasn't sure who they were calling, so Hikigaya decided to just ignore it.
However, the next moment—
"Are you deaf or something?"
Kiryuin grabbed Hikigaya by the collar like he was a stray kitten.
"When your senapi calls you, you should at least respond. Otherwise, that's just plain rude."
…Of all people, she was the least qualified to lecture others about manners.
While silently roasting her in his mind, Hikigaya rubbed his head and replied, "Well, I didn't know Kiryuin-senpai was talking to me. There are 159—no, 156 first-years at this school, so statistically speaking, the probability of me being the one you were calling is only one in 156."
"Hehehe, when you put it that way, that does make sense."
Kiryuin chuckled as if she found it amusing, but then suddenly shifted her tone.
"But logic aside, you cheeky little kouhai—there's no way you didn't do that on purpose."
"...No."
"How unfortunate. Whether it's a yes or no is for me to decide." Kiriyuin's tone remained as arrogant as ever. "By the way, today is Valentine's Day, you know? Don't tell me you never expected your cute senpai to give you some chocolate? Or are you just playing hard to get?"
"...Mainly, my teeth have been hurting lately, so I can't eat sweets." Hikigaya casually brushed her off.
"Hmm, good thing you didn't ask me for any, since I didn't prepare any to begin with."
Kiriyuin nodded smugly on the other side… Just what was this woman trying to do?
Although Hikigaya was left utterly baffled, he had no intention of asking.
That person was always inexplicable. Trying to get to the bottom of it would only be a waste of effort.
"Senpai, if there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Nope. I'm feeling pretty bored right now, so come keep me company."
"...?"
Without waiting for Hikigaya's reaction, Kiriyuin grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a nearby bench.
Wait… if you're bored, why not just go home?
School was already over!
Hikigaya wasn't in the best mood to begin with, and he had zero interest in entertaining Kiriyuin's whims.
But precisely because she was such a willful person, rejecting her here probably wouldn't work anyway.
...Forget it. No need to get mad over something so trivial.
Besides, it wasn't like he had anything better to do if he went home… Might as well enjoy the breeze outside.
Convincing himself, Hikigaya obediently sat down next to Kiriyuin on the bench.
"Alright then, let's chat."
As usual, Kiriyuin crossed her legs, resting both arms along the back of the bench, exuding her signature air of arrogance.
This person really hasn't changed one bit…
"What's wrong? No need to be so stiff, just relax."
"Senpai, if anything, you're the one who's too relaxed." Hikigaya couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
If they were indoors, it wouldn't be a big deal, but in a courtyard full of people? Of course, he'd feel self-conscious.
"Let them look if they want to look, let them talk if they want to talk. Their opinions are completely meaningless."
Kiriyuin spoke in such a nonchalant tone, completely devoid of malice.
Which somehow made it even more infuriating.
"Besides, you're kind of famous now, aren't you? How about carrying yourself with a little more pride?"
"...I don't recall doing anything."
"Heh, still playing dumb?" Kiriyuin pointed at him with a smirk. "Honestly, even I didn't realize it was you pulling the strings behind the scenes at the school camp. I really thought Horikita managed to pull it off with her little brother's help."
"No, I really didn't do much."
Sure, he had given some advice, but the real effort came from Horikita and Kushida.
Even the best strategies were useless without capable executioners.
"No need to be so modest. You're the first person to ever toy with Nagumo like that—let alone as a junior. Just that alone makes you more impressive than Horikita, you know? You should be proud."
For some reason, Kiriyuin wore a smug expression, as if she were the one being praised.
Sigh… not that he wasn't used to it.
After a moment of silence, Hikigaya replied flatly, "But as you said, it was just 'toying' with him. There's nothing to be proud of in that."
"Looks like you haven't let victory get to your head."
As if applauding him, Kiriyuin even clapped her hands.
"If anything, whether it was a victory is still up for debate," Hikigaya said in a bored tone.
"Nagumo is troublesome. His early lead is way too big. His position isn't something I can shake so easily."
"Heh, that's not necessarily true."
Kiriyuin's smirk deepened as she continued.
"Forget the school camp for a moment. In your recent special exam, you completely stole the show. You managed to get nearly all of the other classes' praise votes… Ah, what a shame I'm not in your class. If I were, I'd get to witness the reactions firsthand. That must've been quite a sight, huh?"
"...Senpai, for someone like you, you sure have a lot of information."
Rather than answering directly, Hikigaya simply let out a slightly exasperated remark.
Kiriyuin, however, was unfazed—in fact, she looked rather pleased. "I can't help it. I'm just too cute. Everyone loves talking to me, so naturally, I hear a lot."
"That's a lie."
Without a shred of hesitation, Hikigaya shot her down.
Kiriyuin's response was just as swift.
"It's not a lie. I am cute."
"...Whatever."
Hikigaya sometimes admired how this woman could say such embarrassing things without the slightest hint of shame.
Unlike him, who was already cringing just from hearing it.
"But all of that is nothing compared to the biggest thing you've done. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Hehe…"
Midway through her sentence, Kiriyuin suddenly burst into laughter.
"Even now, I can't help but find it hilarious. That so-called brilliant Nagumo got played like a fool by you. He didn't even realize what was happening until someone pointed it out. Who would've thought he could make such a dumb mistake?"
"Well, that's what happens when you're the mighty student council president."
To be honest, Hikigaya's plan hadn't been all that impressive, and the execution had its flaws.
But what he had truly excelled at was accurately reading his opponent's psychology.
Like when Nagumo's phone rang—Hikigaya had anticipated that someone might try to warn him, so he deliberately tossed Nagumo's phone away and provoked him.
From an omniscient perspective, Nagumo should've been suspicious in that situation.
After all, Hikigaya's action was a bit too deliberate. It was too out of character for him to just throw someone's phone like that.
If it had been Ryuuen, it wouldn't have felt out of place.
But hindsight was 20/20.
As the person involved, unless Nagumo had a mind as calm as a "masterpiece," it would've been nearly impossible for him to consider, "Is my opponent setting me up?" at that moment.
At the end of the day, he was simply too arrogant.
It was like those corrupt CEOs who never considered that an employee might record their misdeeds until it was exposed online.
Similarly, when Hikigaya smacked him out of nowhere, the first thing that popped into Nagumo's head was probably, "I'm the almighty student council president who controls all of the second-years. How dare you do this to me?"—a simple and predictable reaction.
Which made it all the easier to manipulate him.
In contrast, Ayanokoji wouldn't even flinch if someone stomped on his face.
The difference was obvious.
"The battle between you and Nagumo is really interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold." Kiriyuin remarked in satisfaction. "But you might have a tough time ahead. That guy definitely won't let this slide. He's going to come at you in every way possible."
"Is that so." Hikigaya didn't seem the least bit concerned.
He had already prepared himself for that.
"Mm—I've been doing all the talking, huh?"
Kiriyuin lazily stretched before speaking again. "Alright, now it's your turn. Ask me something."
"I have nothing to ask you." Hikigaya replied flatly.\
"Heh, that's not quite right, is it?" Kiryuin chuckled, shaking her finger. "You've been looking all preoccupied since just now. No matter how I see it, it doesn't seem like 'nothing' at all."
"…I already said, it's nothing."
"Come on now, no need to be so reserved with me."
As she said that, Kiryuin casually draped her arm over Hikigaya's shoulder, as if comforting him.
"At the end of the day, I'm your senpai. Listening to the troubles of my juniors is my responsibility. Or is it that you only come to me when you need something, but when there's nothing, you won't say a word?"
"…Ugh."
Weird… Is she actually concerned about me?
Despite her usual dubious impression, Hikigaya felt a slight sense of warmth from her words.
It seemed that she hadn't stopped him just to kill time.
However, that sentiment didn't last even a full second.
"But really, there are only a few things that could trouble you, kid. Most likely, it's about a girl, right? Could it be that you're sulking because you didn't get chocolates from the girl you like on Valentine's Day…? Huh? Wait, don't tell me the person you like is me?"
As she spoke, Kiryuin even pointed at herself in exaggerated surprise.
"…I'm leaving."
"Hahaha, it was just a little joke! Are you seriously getting mad?"
Laughing heartily, Kiryuin pulled Hikigaya back onto the bench.
"Alright, alright, let's get serious." Her expression turned slightly more serious—though only slightly. "At the very least, you're definitely troubled about something related to Valentine's Day, aren't you? Did those little girls around you get into a fight?"
"Of course not… sigh."
Hikigaya glanced at this senior of his, who was looking at him with eager anticipation.
No matter how he looked at it, she wasn't reliable.
But… it felt like if he didn't say something, he wouldn't be able to go home today.
Fine, he'd just brush her off with something random.
"Now that I think about it, senpai, you're always boasting about how cute you are, aren't you?"
"Yep, I'm super cute." Kiryuin nodded without hesitation.
"…If that's the case, I'd like to ask something from such a 'cute' senpai."
Suppressing his urge to retort, Hikigaya spoke slowly and deliberately:
"A senior as cute as Kiryuin-senpai must have received countless confessions, right? How do you usually—"
"Never happened."
Before he could finish, Kiryuin cut him off.
"…What do you mean, 'never'?" Hikigaya was momentarily stunned.
"I mean, I've never been confessed to."
She repeated herself with absolute confidence, neither blushing nor embarrassed.
That gave Hikigaya the perfect opportunity to tease her.
"Whoa, no way," he said, smirking. "Didn't Kiryuin-senpai always boast about being cute? How could no guy ever confess to you? Which part do you think is the problem?"
"The problem is on their end."
When it came to confidence, Kiryuin was definitely at the top of the school rankings.
"I am cute. I just haven't met a guy capable of drawing it out yet."
"…I think I know how to bring it out."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Kiryuin's eyes immediately lit up with interest.
Hikigaya smirked slightly. "It's very simple. If Senpai could just keep her mouth shut and become a quiet, refined beauty, I guarantee that guys would—Mmph?!"
Before he could finish, his face was suddenly seized in a tight pinch.
"Whose mouth is saying such nonsense, hmm?" Kiryuin's smile carried an overwhelming sense of menace. "Was it this mouth? You sure have some nerve talking back to your senpai like that."
Damn it… this woman resorts to violence when she loses an argument!
After finally prying her hand away, Hikigaya rubbed his sore face and grumbled, "Weren't you the one who said not to care about other people's opinions?"
"Hmm? Did I say that?"
Kiryuin hummed gleefully, clearly amused by how helpless he was against her.
But her smug expression didn't last long.
Guuu—
Suddenly, an untimely sound echoed between the two of them.
They glanced at each other before simultaneously breaking into a smile.
"Senpai, your stomach—"
"Kouhai, you seem hungry." Kiriyuin bluntly interrupted Hikigaya. "But that makes sense. After all, you're a boy, still growing. Your body is naturally in a constant state of hunger, right? Mm-hmm, no need to be shy, no need to be shy. It's not a big deal."
...How can this person be so shameless?
Hikigaya stared at her speechlessly, waiting for her to finish before responding flatly, "Kiriyuin-senpai, it's just the two of us here, you know?"
"…So what?"
"I mean—"
"What, I can't be hungry? I'm a growing girl too, you know."
"Well, I guess it's not impossible…" Hikigaya was startled by her bluntness. "I just meant that if you're hungry, you should go eat. Otherwise, it's bad for your stomach."
"Hmph, you idiot."
Kiriyuin returned to her usual carefree demeanor, but her words were still as exasperating as ever.
"Vegetable meals only taste good when you're starving, don't they?"
Uh…
Was she trying to say that anything tastes good when you're hungry?
Confused, Hikigaya asked, "But, senpai, if I remember correctly, your class earned quite a lot of points in the survival exam, right?"
No matter how bad things got, she shouldn't have to rely on wild vegetables to stave off hunger.
"Yeah, but don't forget—it's already February 14th."
"…And?"
Hikigaya was still baffled. It's not like she spent all her points on chocolates, right?
Kiriyuin gave him a strange look. "What do you mean, 'And?' Half a month has passed, of course I've already spent all my money."
…Alright.
This person really had no sense of financial restraint.
Although Hikigaya found Kiriyuin exasperating, for once, it might have been convenient.
After hesitating for a moment, he pulled a piece of chocolate from his bag and handed it to her.
"Senpai, if you don't mind, here."
"Uh…" Kiriyuin, for once, fell silent, staring at him without a word.
After a long pause, she finally reached out and took it.
"Since you're giving it to me, I'll accept it… Don't regret it later."
"…Mm."
From the way she spoke, it seemed like Kiriyuin knew something. But Hikigaya didn't care anymore.
This chocolate… was from Ichinose.
He didn't feel like he had the right to accept it, but he also couldn't throw it away, nor return it.
So… he might as well give it to someone who needed it.
Hikigaya lowered his head in silence. The only sound in the air was the crinkling of the wrapper, followed by the faint noise of chewing.
Yeah, this was fine.
But then, as if on purpose, Kiriyuin started chewing louder and louder, until she was practically smacking her lips.
This woman…!
Girls shouldn't be doing something so unrefined!
"Hey, senpai, can you—mm?!"
Just as Hikigaya was about to complain, something was suddenly stuffed into his mouth.
It was Ichinose's chocolate.
"No matter what, you should at least take a bite, right?" Kiriyuin's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "Otherwise, I guarantee you'll regret it later."
"Uh…" Hikigaya didn't respond. He simply moved his lips slightly.
Then, slowly but resolutely, he chewed and swallowed.
Seeing this, Kiriyuin smiled in satisfaction.
"Well? Sweet, isn't it?"
"…Can't tell."
"Sigh, what a dumb kouhai."
Kiriyuin's lips curled up slightly as she reached out and ruffled his hair.
"At times like this, you're just supposed to say, 'Yeah, it's sweet.'"
"…No."
"Heh, still so arrogant."
The winter sea breeze howled past, and the sun gradually sank beyond the horizon.
Yet, in Hikigaya's heart, a faint warmth lingered, refusing to fade.