Chapter 3: A Strange School, Strange Students
[Yukinoshita's somewhat angry expression clearly showed that she couldn't agree with Hikigaya's actions.]
[This self-destructive approach, like blowing himself up, was something she absolutely couldn't condone.]
[In the past, he had used this method to help many people, but now, he had undeniably hurt himself, and Yukinoshita Yukino was fully aware of this.]
[The boy didn't respond. For him, this approach was undoubtedly the most efficient and useful.]
[As long as something happened around him, he couldn't ignore it. Unlike Hayama Hayato, he couldn't change his surroundings. This was his unique weapon, but now, it was being denied by others.]
[As expected, he still couldn't change.]
The bus came to a slow stop. Amid the whispers of the students wearing the same uniform, who cast disdainful glances at him before getting off, Hikigaya followed the crowd and stepped off the bus.
Keeping a certain distance from the others, Hikigaya followed the group to the school known as Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
However, when a girl paused her steps, Hikigaya stopped as well.
It was the girl who had sat next to him on the bus, her black hair instantly reminded him of that other beautiful, haughty girl.
But compared to her, this girl was somewhat different.
"I'm not interested in you, but that clumsy provocation you used on the bus had no effect on me. It only got you into trouble. What a fool."
'That sharp tongue feels so nostalgic. For now, I'll call you Yukinoshita No. 2.'
"In any case, I won't easily give up something I've earned."
With that, the girl turned her head and walked into the school.
'Getting put in my place before school even starts…'
The boy didn't take the girl's words to heart. After glancing at the school gate, so different from Sobu High, he followed the crowd and stepped inside.
[Because of Horikita Suzune's conversation with the boy, she once again became the center of attention in the class. However, no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember ever saying those words, especially not at the start of the school year.]
[Horikita Suzune shook her head silently again, but this time, it did little to dampen the excitement in Class D.]
[Though they still didn't understand why this video was suddenly being shown in the classroom, perhaps it was some special exam from the school, the situation had every class buzzing with excitement.]
[This strange yet thrilling exam was the second of its kind since the uninhabited island test, far more interesting than any written exam.]
[The class's enthusiasm was instantly ignited, with everyone focusing on the video. Only the boy sitting in the corner remained completely calm.]
['If this is the best the White Room's assassins can do, it's rather disappointing.']
['Trying to erase my presence by replacing me with someone else in a video, making it so I no longer have a place in this school.']
['But to think that's all it takes is laughable.']
[The boy glanced at the girl beside him. Ayanokōji Kiyotaka still vividly remembered meeting her at the start of the school year. It wouldn't be long before this boy would take his seat, and when that happened, the class would surely explode, and he would become the focus of the video.]
[With this analysis, Ayanokōji chose to stay put and adapt to the situation as it unfolded.]
After confirming he was in Class D, Hikigaya followed the signs to his classroom.
He still didn't know what distinguished Class D from the other classes, but judging by the posters, with four classes in total, Class D was likely the weakest in overall ability.
That made sense. After all, from birth until now, he hadn't done anything remarkable or contributed to society. His only strength was in literature. If he had to name a good deed, he recalled saving Yuigahama's dog at the start of Sobu High and ending up in the hospital for a few days.
Being placed in Class D was only natural for someone like him.
Though he wasn't clear on the differences between the A, B, C, and D classes, if his goal was to live a quiet three years, it didn't matter which class he was in.
It was said that once someone entered this school, they couldn't leave for three years. The school was equipped with comprehensive facilities, and as a government-supported public institution, it had not only academic buildings and dorms but also a gym, as well as entertainment venues like cafes, movie theaters, amusement parks, shopping centers, and karaoke rooms.
However, Hikigaya wasn't interested in these. If all went well, he would spend his holidays in the dorms.
Such energy-wasting activities were something Hikigaya strongly resisted.
By the way, the dorms here were single rooms, which was Hikigaya's favorite feature. It was practically a stroke of genius design. But a school like this couldn't simply be called a school anymore—it was more like a small commercial district.
As Hikigaya walked toward Class D's classroom, he had already counted that each class had about 25 students. With three grades and 12 classes, the school had only about 300 students. This meant that most of the people walking around weren't students but shop owners or staff in the commercial district.
That explained the abundance of cameras everywhere. Since non-students were around, extensive security and surveillance were necessary to provide evidence in case of conflicts.
Still, Hikigaya considered himself someone who didn't cause trouble. These cameras might even protect his safety. To live a quiet three years of high school, he would just have to put in a little effort.
( End of this chapter)