Chapter One: Enrollment
Hachiman Hikigaya, a boy with a dark and cringeworthy past, is a siscon.
The reason for saying this is because during the summer vacation after graduating from middle school, in order to get some pocket money to take his little sister Komachi to the beach, Hikigaya agreed to his father's request and applied to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.
Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School—this is a school established with government funding to cultivate the youth who will support the future.
It is said to have a 100% university placement and employment rate, operates under a completely closed education system, and charges no tuition fees.
Allegedly, under the full guidance of the state, it thoroughly supports the future you desire.
—It sounds just like a gigantic pie falling from the sky.
Nevertheless, Hikigaya, who became uncharacteristically motivated for the sake of his sister, worked hard through multiple subject tests and interviews filled with strange questions.
In the end, he was successfully admitted into Advanced Nurturing High School as a new student of Class A.
By the way, his school tuition fee was taken by that bastard of a father to go traveling with his wife.
All Hikigaya got for getting into a prestigious school was 50,000 yen.
"So far away… Speaking of which, why are we gathering in one place instead of just going straight to school?"
It was only April, and the sunlight felt warm on the skin.
Hikigaya, having run all the way to avoid being late for the gathering, was slightly sweating and instinctively took shelter under the shade of a tree.
The little ahoge on top of his head swayed slightly as Hikigaya carefully surveyed his surroundings.
To be honest, Hachiman Hikigaya had a decent-looking face.
The only real drawback was his dead-fish eyes, which severely dragged down his appearance.
He was wearing a white shirt with a blue tie, layered with a red jacket.
His lower half was clad in dark green trousers, and the leather shoes on his feet shone brightly under the blazing sun.
Despite being dressed quite properly, the way he slightly hunched his back and kept both hands in his pockets gave off an impression of being lethargic and uninspired.
The school had sent each admitted student a set of uniforms in advance and notified them to gather at a designated location.
A school bus would then take the students to the school.
Because the gathering spot was far from home, Hikigaya—who had cried bitterly over the long separation from his sister—reluctantly left the house only after being pushed out by Komachi after a prolonged struggle.
When he arrived at the gathering spot designated by the school, there were already many students in the same uniform waiting there.
The one who drew the most attention from Hikigaya and others was a tall, muscular bald man.
Despite Hikigaya's stare, the man remained calm, clearly unbothered by the curious glances thrown his way.
"Arisu, your health isn't good. Why did you come all the way here? Didn't I say there would be a special car to take you to the school?"
Hikigaya turned his head at the sound of the voice and saw a man with short silver hair standing in the shade of a tree.
He bent slightly forward, looking with fatherly affection through black-rimmed glasses at the girl in front of him holding a cane.
"No problem, Father. I wouldn't want to leave a bad first impression on my classmates."
The girl had lustrous silver hair styled into straight bangs like Komachi's.
She wore a white beret, the same school uniform as Hikigaya, with a ribbon at the collar.
But her bottom half was different: a white skirt with black frills exposed a glimpse of perfect, unblemished thighs—an "absolute zone." White thigh-high socks snugly wrapped her slender legs, and her small, leather-shoed feet slightly rose onto their toes, making her look charming and adorable.
Petite in stature, she held a silver cane in her right hand, suggesting some physical inconvenience. Her delicate face wore a gentle smile, but the atmosphere around her felt fleeting and dreamlike.
'That girl… I feel like I've seen her somewhere before…'
Hikigaya sank into thought and didn't realize he had been staring at her for quite a while.
As if noticing his gaze, the girl politely smiled at him.
Hikigaya snapped out of it and nodded awkwardly in response.
"But Arisu, the bus ride is long and bumpy, and the seats aren't exactly great… How about this? I'll call the butler to come—"
"No need for that, Father. Aren't you going to meet with the Yukinoshita family later? Besides, this is a rare opportunity to experience school life."
Before the man could finish, the girl cut him off.
"Well, if you insist, then I won't say any more. Be safe, and take care."
Hikigaya stopped eavesdropping as the school bus had arrived to pick up the students.
Quietly lining up with the others, Hikigaya noticed that the girl was still waiting patiently in the shade, seemingly intending to board last.
After getting on the bus, Hikigaya found that most of the seats were already occupied, so he made his way toward the rear.
Unlike the front, many of the seats in the back were piled with heavy packages. It was unclear what was inside.
One seat even had a freezer tightly secured with a rope.
Giving the parcels a brief glance, Hikigaya sat down and gave up on satisfying his curiosity.
A broadcast came from the bus speakers:
"Students, please board quickly. There are free beverages in the freezer at the back of the bus. The journey will be long, and there will be no stops along the way. Please stay hydrated."
Thud thud thud—
The sound of a cane striking the ground echoed—the petite, frail-looking girl had begun boarding the bus.
Scanning the bus interior, Hikigaya noticed that aside from the girl, who was called "Arisu," all the students were already on board.
All the seats were taken, and everyone sat in silence without uttering a word.
"…Kinda thirsty."
Hikigaya got up without a word, vacating his seat, and walked to the freezer.
He opened the lid and hid behind the door, peeking around sneakily like a thief, looking for his favorite drink—MAX Coffee.
"Arisu, there's an empty seat in the back of the bus. You can sit there," the silver-haired man said as he accompanied the girl onto the bus. The driver nodded respectfully at the man.
"Father, that seat is already taken. I don't mind standing for a bit."
"That won't do!" the man rejected her proposal outright and strode quickly over to Hikigaya.
He gently knocked on the opened freezer door. When Hikigaya looked over, the man spoke in a calm, composed voice:
"Hello, student. My daughter is unwell and can't stand for long. Would you be willing to give up your seat for her?"
"Ah? Oh, uh, okay…"
Seeing that the entire bus had turned to look, Hikigaya awkwardly responded.
Strange. I made every effort to reduce my presence… Has my "Hikki's Stealth" skill gotten rusty from disuse?
Crap! Does this mean I'm going to become super popular? Oh no, how troublesome…
"Hehe…"
Seeing Hikigaya's mind drifting off, his dead-fish eyes dazed and vacant, Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but chuckle softly.
She gave a small bow and thanked him politely and gracefully:
"Thank you very much for your kindness."
After escorting Sakayanagi Arisu to the seat, the man nodded to Hikigaya in thanks and hurriedly left.