Chapter 10: Exploration
Ayanokouji stared intently at the boy before him. Up until now, his actions had been flawless. If he wanted to erase his existence, he would first have to be fundamentally different in nature. And… if he wanted to change the timeline, then his actions should also deviate from Ayanokouji's own.
Yet Ayanokouji couldn't understand why someone who came from the White Room could still be such an overly self-aware guy.
The White Room erased all emotions, stripped everything away. Even so, the fact that this boy could still maintain such a calm state of mind was something Ayanokouji Kiyotaka hadn't expected.
But that didn't mean he was afraid. He was the White Room's greatest masterpiece. Even if countless assassins came for him, he wouldn't shy away. After all, he had never once felt fear since birth.
---
The boy held his phone in hand, constantly calculating the school's annual expenses. After checking again and again, he was certain: there was no way the school could spend this many points.
Three hundred and sixty million—a figure even many companies couldn't achieve—was supposedly being spent just on students. And that wasn't even counting other expenses. If the school really spent 360 million annually, it would be impossible for it to exist at all.
So… what was the real purpose of Chabashira-sensei's explanation?
> "It seems this school is more interesting than I thought."
Hikigaya surprisingly didn't complain further. If he had been dazzled by the 100,000 points, he would have run straight to the arcade to buy two consoles as soon as class ended.
But now—he was frighteningly calm.
After listening to Chabashira's speech, once she announced dismissal, everyone else in the class left the room.
Because it was only the first day of school, most of the time was meant for students to adapt to the environment and set up their dormitories.
Although single dorms were provided, daily necessities had to be purchased from the convenience store. But since everyone had just received 100,000 points, the students didn't think too much about it and happily left to shop.
Hikigaya, however, wasn't in a hurry. Before buying anything, he wanted to gather more information—especially about the other classes in the same year, those ranked higher than Class D.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked alone through the school building.
Since they were all in the same grade, the distance between classrooms wasn't large. A brief look shouldn't cause any problems.
Hikigaya first stopped at Class C. Unlike his own class, their students were still gathered twenty minutes after the teacher had left, clearly deep in discussion. Hikigaya lingered at the doorway, taking in the scene like a passerby.
A man with long red hair sat arrogantly on the podium, staring down at his classmates like a king. Beside him stood a tall, dark-skinned boy, guarding him like a loyal bodyguard. The atmosphere felt oppressive—like a tyrant and his enforcer.
The aura in the room was suffocating. With just a glance, Hikigaya could feel the threat in the air. Thankfully, his pitifully low presence allowed him to pass unnoticed.
> "Starting class domination this early? Is this the yakuza? The underworld?"
Not staying longer than necessary, he moved on after confirming his impression.
Rokusen Rokusen Rokusen?? (MTL gave Ryuuen here)
Ryuuen, however, was puzzled. With all his years of experience, it was unthinkable that he could miss someone's presence. Could this boy really be so unnoticeable?
And it wasn't just him. Students from Class D and B who were watching later also found it unbelievable. They knew very well what kind of person Ryuuen was. Having fought him before, they understood his sharp instincts. Yet he had failed to notice this boy at all.
Too incredible.
Ayanokouji, though, understood the reason. Ryuuen's perception was indeed sharp, but perception only mattered if the target projected intention. If someone simply walked past without a single stray thought, then even the sharpest instincts would be meaningless. And besides, it was still the beginning of the school year—Class C probably had its hands full suppressing disobedient students.
Hikigaya continued forward and soon arrived at Class B. Compared to Class C, this classroom was far more cheerful. Class B, known for its unity, naturally gave off such an atmosphere.
From the doorway, Hikigaya noticed a girl standing at the podium. She had long pink hair, a fresh and pretty face, and a radiant, genuine smile. Just looking at her dazed him for a moment.
Perhaps it was that brief lapse that caught Ichinose Honami's attention. After handing control of the class to Kanzaki, she waved generously and walked over to him.
"…Hello."
Hikigaya's face warmed slightly as she smiled.
"Hello, my name is Ichinose Honami."
"I'm Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Are you visiting our class? Welcome, Hachiman-san. I hope it's alright if I call you that."
She touched her fingertips to her lips, looking playfully thoughtful.
The boy didn't answer, only nodded slightly.
> "Sayaka, why did you change your personality…"
He didn't resist her presence. Though Ichinose was unfailingly kind to everyone, unlike a fake smile, her warmth was genuine. In contrast to a mask of hypocrisy, this girl's kindness was real.
---
Everyone in the Service Club sighed. It seemed this guy's position in Sayaka's heart was difficult to replace.
Of course, Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui never took their eyes off Hikigaya.
Their resentful stares, their dagger-like smiles—it was as if they could kill him at any moment. Hikigaya felt like bugs were crawling all over his skin.
After a brief exchange, Hikigaya clumsily avoided Ichinose's enthusiasm. No matter where he was, communication never came easily to him.
In the end, it wouldn't be long before she forgot him anyway. An angel like her wasn't kind only to him.
And Hikigaya had always known that.