Chapter 3: Entrance Ceremony (Part 1)
It seemed she had noticed Hikigaya's gaze. Sakayanagi smiled faintly and introduced, "This is Kito Hayato. He's in the same class as us. Because I have mobility issues due to health reasons, Hayato-kun is here to help me."
You think I'd believe that?!
Hikigaya had noticed long ago: this so-called "kind-hearted" Kito-kun that Sakayanagi spoke of didn't just have a terrifying appearance—he also had an extremely strong physique.
His muscles strained against the fabric of his uniform, and his fingers were covered in thick calluses.
He didn't look like someone easy to deal with.
In other words, Sakayanagi, in less than an hour on the bus, you've already tamed this guy? Are you Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town?!
Kito seemed rather taciturn. He gave a slight nod to Hikigaya and said, "Hello."
"…H-hello."
So scary! When that guy looked at me just now, I nearly played dead from fright.
Actually, Hikigaya had quite a bit of confidence in his playing-dead act. Back in elementary school, he once faked foaming at the mouth to scare off a bully…
Sakayanagi looked at Hikigaya with a puzzled expression. For some reason, his eyes looked dead.
"Hikigaya-kun, let's walk together. I do hope you'll be my first friend in high school."
Even though Hikigaya knew full well that Sakayanagi probably just saw him as a toy for her own amusement, looking at her cute expression as she tilted her head slightly, he still couldn't help but feel his heart beat a little faster.
If it were the junior high version of Hikigaya standing here, he'd probably confess his love immediately.
——Only to get rejected at light speed.
No, knowing how twisted Sakayanagi is, she might even pretend to accept the confession, then proceed to boss him around constantly and laugh at him while enjoying the show.
Unfortunately for you, I'm no longer that same guy!
Just like how a Saint Seiya can't be hit by the same move twice, the same trick won't work on a loner either.
Face slightly flushed, Hikigaya frantically tried to think about random things to dispel the strange and inexplicable fantasies forming in his mind.
Walking into the campus together with Sakayanagi—who had a bodyguard in tow—Hikigaya intentionally slowed his pace to match hers for her convenience.
As they talked, he curiously looked around the surroundings.
To be honest, this school was ridiculously huge—more like a miniature city than a campus.
Not only was the environment beautiful, but the infrastructure was also modern and varied.
Providing students with such an environment for learning and living could even be called luxurious.
In addition to convenience stores and supermarkets, Hikigaya even spotted a massive shopping center with all kinds of recreational facilities: bookstores, clothing stores, restaurants, cafes, arcades… Huh? Why is there even an arcade inside the school?
Something felt off about this school. And also—
Hikigaya subtly rolled his eyes upward, glancing at the ceiling without turning his head. There was a surveillance camera slowly rotating, its lens flashing with a faint red light—clearly operational.
Of course, this could be interpreted as the school ensuring the safety of students and staff, but still—there were way too many cameras.
In just the 200 meters they walked together, Hikigaya counted no fewer than ten cameras. He even spotted red lights glowing from inside some bushes.
Ugh, what the heck is going on? Is this school filming a reality show or something? It felt like they were being observed like monkeys trapped in a cage.
Disgust and unease crept through him.
Hikigaya got the sense that he had boarded a pirate ship—this school was not as idyllic as it portrayed itself to the outside world.
Sakayanagi, however, walked calmly as if she noticed nothing.
She moved with the composure of someone taking a stroll through her own private garden. Her cane tapped lightly on the ground, and though her figure was petite, she exuded a presence that could not be ignored.
Just then, a school-wide broadcast came through the speakers: "The entrance ceremony is about to begin. All students, please proceed promptly to the main auditorium."
Hikigaya and the others had originally planned to visit the dorms first, but with the announcement, they had no choice but to head to the auditorium.
Fortunately, there was a convenient luggage storage area near the entrance, so there was no need to worry about lost bags.
Hikigaya was the last to store his luggage.
He entered the hall and began searching for Class 1-A's seating area. Soon, he spotted Sakayanagi waving at him from the far-left side of the auditorium.
I'm not a kid, okay? Stop waving. People are looking. Seriously, stop.
Compared to the noisy chaos on the far-right side of the auditorium, the students of Class 1-A appeared extremely well-mannered.
They had naturally split into two lines—boys and girls—and were quietly waiting for the ceremony to begin, without whispering or fidgeting.
Based on how his classmates were positioned, Hikigaya could get a rough idea of the group dynamics in his class.
Among the boys, the one standing at the front of the line was the tall, bald-headed guy.
According to Sakayanagi, his name was Kohei Katsuragi, a prudent and steady person who had been born with alopecia.
He didn't seem particularly bothered by it.
As for the girls: there was a cold, dignified beauty with navy-blue eyes like snowmelt from an entire season; a tall, purple-haired girl with a cold expression and a look of disdain; and a high-ponytailed girl who looked pretty but had very little presence.
It seemed they noticed Hikigaya looking, and all three turned their sharp gazes toward him.
Hey! Don't give me that "is this guy a pervert?" look! I didn't do anything—I swear I didn't do anything!
Well, in any case, better calm down.
Getting nervous just from being looked at by a girl would be even more suspicious.
At the very front of the girls' line stood Sakayanagi herself, whose cuteness was matched only by her potential to be dangerous.
Gripping her cane, she scanned the boys' line with her eyes. When her gaze met Hikigaya's, she smiled sweetly and turned her head.
Seriously, cut it out already.
Hikigaya quietly tried to reduce his presence and slipped to the back of the boys' line, observing everything silently.
Now that I think about it, aren't there a little too many pretty girls in this school?
Looking over at the class next to them, likely Class 1-B, they seemed to be mimicking Class A's orderly behavior.
At the front of the girls' line stood a girl with long, pink-gold hair.
She was chatting softly with a short-haired girl behind her.
Her delicate, beautiful face beamed with youthful energy, and the bright lighting made her porcelain skin glow—she looked almost angelic, dazzlingly radiant.
Unlike the girls in Class A, she wore a black ribbon on her chest. It seemed that the girls' neckwear came in two colors: black and blue.
By the way, Hikigaya noticed the ribbon color not because he had been staring at her chest, okay?
He just happened to see it.
Accidentally.
Standing in the very center of the auditorium, directly facing the stage, were the students of Class C. Most of them looked like delinquents who got into fights regularly.
They didn't seem to respect one another, and they stood in a disorderly fashion—boys and girls mixed together, with no clear lines or discipline.
That meant the group on the far-right side of the hall, the ones arguing over the lineup, must be Class D.
There were quite a few good-looking girls there too: one who exuded an unmistakable "don't talk to me" aura and looked like an emotionless iceberg; a blonde gal who spoke casually but had a cute face; a buxom blue-haired beauty with a mature vibe; and a gentle, sweet girl trying to stop the quarrel.
Girls really are born absurdly beautiful.
As a rational monster, Hikigaya believed he wouldn't be like those typical high school boys who start having delusional romantic fantasies just because they've suddenly found themselves surrounded by cute girls.
Absolutely not.
…Probably.