Chapter 17: Class A Is Full of Bad Women
[Ike: "Am I seeing this right? This guy's actually approaching that monster from Class A?"]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi: "Yo, yo, yo, this is getting interesting. Someone's actually approaching the princess? Now there's a show to watch."]
[Kitō Hayato: "Just don't know what this guy's gonna do to the lone princess."]
[Hashimoto Masayoshi: "Don't worry about that. No one in this school dares to bully the princess. Plus… she's the kind who can control others without anyone noticing."]
[Sakayanagi Arisu: "Looks like you have a lot of faith in me, Hashimoto. But… I'm actually quite interested in this boy. Maybe he'll bring me something different."]
[Kamuro, standing nearby, looked at the girl in disbelief. After all, Sakayanagi had always treated her like a tool. Kamuro had frequent contact with her and could tell that Sakayanagi rarely showed genuine interest in anything. But… Why did this boy have such charm?]
[Kamuro was puzzled, but Sakayanagi, seemingly reading her thoughts, gave a faint smile.]
[Since he's replaced Ayanokōji, let's see what kind of waves he will stir up in Class D.]
The boy walked up to the girl with the cane, pretending to search for a book on the shelf.
Finally, he casually picked one up and said nonchalantly: "Need me to grab something for you?"
Sakayanagi flashed a smile: "Let me think… I think I want the one you're holding…"
"…"
Hikigaya was speechless. Seriously, was it really that coincidental? How could the book he randomly picked up be the one she wanted?
'Whatever, just give it to her.' His purpose here wasn't for books anyway—it was to help this girl.
This would definitely earn him points with Komachi!
"Actually, I don't need this book. I came here to study some math, so… here you go."
"Oh? Honest people like you are rare in this school. What a good boy."
'Hey, hey, what's with this girl? Is she a silver-haired fairy? Why's she just like that annoying person?'
Hikigaya might not have noticed earlier, but now he could feel the overwhelming pressure from the girl. Her smile was disarming, almost making her seem like a delicate little girl, but in that moment, he sensed the same feeling he'd gotten from Yukinoshita Haruno.
'So scary.'
The girl smiled as she took the book, looking at the boy with a teasing gaze.
"Why are you so guarded around me?"
"Can you read minds or something? Are you really a fairy? When did I cross into a fantasy world?"
"I'm just an ordinary little girl. Even I'd get upset if a strange older brother says things like that."
"No matter how you look at it, you're not ordinary. Your refined movements, your posture—it's obvious. You're like someone I used to know…"
The person he referred to was, of course, Yukinoshita Yukino. That kind of refined etiquette wasn't something someone could fake—it came from family upbringing and long-term habits.
"So, you need to study science?"
Glancing at the book Hikigaya was hiding behind his back, the girl made a quick guess.
"Yeah…"
"Want this fairy little sister to teach you? I'd say my math skills are pretty good."
"No, I don't think it has anything to do with sensei."
After all, he'd had several excellent science Senseis growing up, but in the end… his grades never improved. He had long concluded that his inability to learn science was his own problem, not senseis'.
The girl didn't press further. Since he'd rejected her so clearly, she wouldn't insist on teaching him.
"By the way, what class are you in? You look like a freshman."
"You should introduce yourself before asking others."
"Class 1-A, Sakayanagi Arisu."
"Class 1-D, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Well then, until we meet again, Hikigaya."
As Sakayanagi turned to leave, Hikigaya let out a deep breath. He'd only meant to do a good deed, but he hadn't expected to run into such a troublesome person. Were all the girls in Class A like this? That ponytail girl from the other day at Class A's door still occasionally followed him.
So scary…
With that thought, he found a corner and quietly began reading.
On the other side, as Sakayanagi turned a corner, she saw the ponytail girl waiting for her.
"Sakayanagi, I told you not to keep treating me like a tool…"
The girl was Kamuro Masumi, one of the core members of the silver-haired girl's group.
"The boy you mentioned—it's him, right? The one we saw outside our class."
"Class 1-D, Hikigaya Hachiman."
Kamuro nodded slightly. Though she'd felt some disdain when she heard he was from Class D, to ensure Class A's secrets didn't leak, she had reported the incident to their absolute leader, Sakayanagi Arisu.
Of course, their encounter with Hikigaya just now was entirely orchestrated. If the boy hadn't offered help, Sakayanagi would've showcased her rare acting skills.
A little girl with a cane falling—wouldn't that melt even an iceberg?
But they never would've guessed that Hikigaya could see through their act in an instant.
"At least from that interaction, he's just an ordinary Class D student. Nothing remarkable."
Sakayanagi's words completely reassured Kamuro.
It seemed Class D was just full of idiots after all.
[Of course, Sakayanagi and Kamuro, watching the video, knew how gravely mistaken they were. The boy who had uncovered the school's trap could no longer be called ordinary. And… if even they had been fooled by his demeanor…]
[Sakayanagi: "This was a real failure. I never thought I'd misjudge someone…"]
(End of this chapter)