Chapter 5: Desk Mate, Horikita Suzune
Just as Hikigaya was lost in such fantasies, a familiar yet haughty figure slowly walked into Class 1-D.
'No way, it can't be that coincidental… It can't really be her, right?'
The appearance of the black-haired girl gave Hikigaya a bad feeling. Every time this girl showed up, she made him feel both familiar and unfamiliar.
Scheming, prideful, sharp-tongued—every trait fit so well, yet she was completely different from the girl in his memory.
Watching the girl approach closer and closer, she finally stopped beside the boy and, as expected, sat down next to him.
However, from start to finish, the girl didn't even glance at him, nor did she show any intention of speaking to him. In such a situation, perhaps it would be wiser for him to quietly wait for sensei to arrive.
Most of the time, people tend to overthink due to excessive self-awareness, assuming others are paying attention to them when, in fact, they aren't. The girl in front of him was no different.
After confirming that his desk mate was the same girl who had put him in his place earlier, Hikigaya no longer held any expectations for her. Instead, he continued to observe his surroundings.
Since entering this school, he had noticed that whether it was the entertainment venues, the academic buildings, the gymnasium, or even the classroom they were currently in, there were an unusually large number of cameras. Based on his past observations, Sobu High's classrooms had at most one camera, but here, there were several…
Could it be to compensate for a shortage of teaching staff, preventing students from breaking school rules? But that didn't add up. This was a public school, with abundant academic and networking resources. If the purpose of adding cameras was to reduce staff, there could only be one explanation.
To make all the students unknowingly subject to the school's surveillance.
Terrifying… Truly terrifying.
The boy let out a helpless sigh. This three-year high school life was going to be much scarier than he had imagined.
He couldn't keep slacking off and sleeping through math classes anymore.
Just as the boy was thinking this, a voice from the black-haired girl beside him slowly reached his ears.
"So, you're the one sitting next to me. What an unpleasant coincidence."
'Hey, hey, at least look at me when you're talking.'
Hikigaya didn't get upset; instead, he responded calmly: "You would only feel dislike for someone after understanding them to some extent. So, by that logic, I shouldn't have reached the level of being disliked by you yet."
The girl's gaze shifted from her book, turning to look at Hikigaya.
"What a twisted conclusion."
"I mean, I haven't given you a reason to dislike me, nor have we reached a point where we would mutually dislike each other."
"That's unbelievable…"
Though the girl's expression remained calm, her words carried a noticeable hint of emotion compared to before.
'This straightforward style, I don't dislike it.'
Indeed, even though the girl had already declared him an unpleasant presence, Hikigaya had no reason to dislike her. On the contrary, her straightforward personality suited his tastes quite well. At the very least, a relationship where he didn't have to wear a mask to interact with others might not be a bad choice.
Though he always felt disgusted by himself, there was someone he admired: Miura Yumiko. The girl in front of him gave him the same feeling.
[As Hikigaya's inner thoughts were edited into the video, the members of the Service Club were somewhat astonished.]
[Yuigahama Yui watched the video and gave a gentle smile: "Hikki's still the same no matter where he goes, huh? But… I never would've thought you didn't dislike Yumiko."]
[After all, Miura Yumiko had never given Hikigaya a friendly look, her straightforward style was just like that, and Yuigahama had always noticed it.]
[Isshiki Iroha, curious, chimed in: "So, senpai likes someone with Miura-senpai's personality? In other words, you're a masochist, right?"]
["No way, idiot!"]
[This was outright character defamation, and Hikigaya fought back, though to the others in the Service Club, it was clear they didn't believe him.]
[Yukinoshita Yukino crossed her arms, feigning fear as she said: "No wonder this guy never reacts when he's scolded. Normal people would've avoided me long ago. So, you're a complete masochist. That means I deserve some credit for helping you communicate normally."]
[Hikigaya was now in a situation he couldn't clear up even if he jumped into hell, "I said it's not like that! And thanking you for scolding me is what's really messed up!"]
[The boy didn't say more. In moments like this, the more he explained, the more it would seem like he was making excuses. Thankfully, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were reasonable enough to stop teasing him after the joke had gone far enough.]
[Of course, Miura Yumiko, who was in the chat group, also saw the video. Upon hearing Hikigaya's inner thoughts, she felt nothing but overwhelming disgust.]
[This guy was picking a fight, wasn't he?]
[Soon, she dragged Hayama and Ebina to the Service Club. Poor Tobe, returning from the bathroom, found himself left behind. The real reason was that he was too noisy. Watching this kind of video was more fun with a lively crowd. Though Miura Yumiko had no interest in Hikigaya, she knew Yuigahama Yui was very interested in him.]
[And so, the Service Club welcomed a few more visitors, making it perhaps the liveliest it had ever been.]
Facing the girl with resentful eyes, Hikigaya didn't say more. Instead, he propped his chin on one hand. After roughly observing the classroom situation, he took out a well-worn literature book from his bag.
To pass the time, this was the most straightforward method.
Upon entering this school, all personal phones were confiscated, so naturally, he lost contact with the outside world.
Now, he was starting to miss his gentle little sister back home.
The thought of not seeing Komachi for three years felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
( End of this chapter)