Chapter 31: Horikita Suzune Doesn't Need Friends
Of course, Horikita Suzune understood basic etiquette. She had even received special training in it. But… her arrogance often made her address others with an air of superiority.
Of course, this had no effect on Hikigaya. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings, so he wouldn't respond unless he was sure she was addressing him. As for why Hikigaya had this habit, it stemmed from one of his friends…
The girl looked at Hikigaya with a slight flush, unable to find words to retort after being called out.
"Look, if you really want to make friends…"
"I don't need friends…"
Before Hikigaya could finish, Horikita Suzune cut him off with an absolute rejection.
'What a frustrating person. Is everyone in this school a problem child? Though I know I am too…'
Hikigaya didn't know what had happened to Horikita to make her so resistant to friendship, nor the reason behind it.
Or rather, in some ways, she was very similar to him, yet completely different.
Both of them didn't need friends.
He believed he couldn't accomplish anything.
But she believed she could do everything on her own, even without friends.
Still, since she was certain she didn't need friends, there was no need to say more.
They both felt maintaining the status quo was fine. She hadn't made a request of him, so… Hikigaya naturally wouldn't meddle.
Perhaps because he'd spent so much time in the Service Club, if someone made a request, he'd accept it. But without a request, he wouldn't act for any reason.
In the end, he still needed someone to give him a good enough reason, like Komachi had.
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"Though I don't think you're that impressive, and I don't know why the leaders of Classes A and C value you so much."
'I don't know either…'
"But I don't dislike you, and your methods can indeed help the class to some extent. Since Chabashira-sensei says so, I… I still hope you'll stay in Class D."
The blush on the girl's face became even more noticeable, and her words trembled with a hint of embarrassment.
It was only in moments like these that Hikigaya could feel there was actually someone sitting next to him.
After all, before this, she seemed like a machine, constantly studying and listening to lessons without reacting to anything happening in the class.
Hikigaya nodded lightly and said: "Don't worry, I don't have any plans to go to other classes for now. I may not have friends in Class D, but it'd probably be the same in other classes. If that's the case… I might as well stay here and live a peaceful three years."
Hikigaya's words reassured the girl but also irritated her slightly.
Every student came to this school to gain society's recognition, drawn by the promise of a 100% college admission and employment rate. But… this boy had no ambition whatsoever.
"What's your dream?"
Horikita Suzune was curious. If he wanted a peaceful life, what was the point of enrolling in this school? What were his so-called ideals and goals?
"Dream? I don't have such lofty things. If I had to say, becoming a househusband, lying around at home and being taken care of for life—that'd be happiness. No… super happiness."
"You… I take back what I said. I really can't like you at all. You're twisted and awful."
"Thanks. It's been a while since someone called me twisted and awful since coming here. Kind of nostalgic."
Hearing these words, Horikita Suzune's mouth opened wider in disbelief, her eyes almost bulging.
"You… You're really impossible to figure out."
The boy didn't respond further. Perhaps ending their conversation here was the best choice.
After that, Hikigaya settled into a peaceful life. Though he attracted strange looks from the class after that incident, he ignored them. His interactions with Horikita Suzune were also minimal.
Thankfully, after the last incident, no one in the class committed rule-breaking behavior during lessons anymore. Though most still weren't listening attentively and spent much of their time daydreaming, that didn't count as a violation for point deductions.
Moreover, after learning the school's rules from sensei and Ryūen, the class returned most of the items they had recklessly bought, which was a decent start.
In the following two weeks, Kamuro still frequently followed him. Since Hikigaya had nothing to hide, her tracking didn't bother him much. As for Ryūen and Sakayanagi, they hadn't come to Class D to seek him out again since that time.
On the other hand, Sudo, once one of the "three idiots," now often invites Hikigaya to have lunch together. Though Hikigaya always declined with various excuses, he noticed Sudo's change.
At the very least, this guy was genuinely honest and no longer as arrogant as he was at the start of the semester.
In some ways, his interactions with Sudo were the most frequent.
Perhaps influenced by Hikigaya, Sudo's temper had undergone a significant change recently. He no longer shouted like a gorilla as he used to.
Though his appearance was still intimidating… overall, it was considerable growth.
Of course, this was limited to his personality. His grades…
Still hadn't improved one bit.
Time passed, and it was now May 1st.
According to the school's rules, today was the day points were distributed. Based on what sensei had said, points were determined by the real-time evaluation of each student through the S-Point system, with class points distributed afterward.
After two weeks of rule-breaking, how many points did Class D have left? Honestly, everyone in the class was extremely nervous.
[Similarly, the Class D students watching the video were just as nervous.]
[Horikita Suzune: "Can this really change our history of zero points?"]
[Ayanokōji: "Let me see just how capable you are…"]
(End of this chapter)