On the other side.
Sakura Airi's dormitory.
Karuizawa, Hasebe, and the three walked into the kitchen; at this time, the cooking station was a mess.
"What should we do?"
Sakura Airi looked at Hasebe Haruka in front of her, feeling unhappy.
"The Student Council should be letting out soon, Hikki should be back soon, what do we do now?"
"Uh... I don't know either."
The two simultaneously looked at Karuizawa, who was leaning against the wall.
"Don't look at me."
Karuizawa said awkwardly: "I didn't even attend my home economics classes in elementary school properly, how would I know how to cook? Besides, what era is this? Those who know how to cook are the minority, right?"
"But Honami and the others all know how."
Hasebe and Sakura Airi both felt discouraged.
It was rare for Hikigaya to call the three of them together, and they wanted to make a dinner for Hikigaya.
Unfortunately.
The three of them didn't seem to be very good at it.
It wasn't that they didn't know how at all, but they were only at an elementary school level, completely unable to compare with Ichinose and the others.
Initially, they hadn't taken it to heart.
After all, besides those with a hobby, people in Class D were about the same.
In this day and age.
Not knowing how to cook is perfectly normal.
It's just that the longer they stayed with Ichinose and the others, the more the three could see the gap.
Whether it was academic grades, daily habits, etiquette, or class atmosphere.
There were clear differences.
"Forget it, at worst we'll go out to eat later or order takeout."
Karuizawa wasn't interested in cooking, she was just curious:
"Speaking of which, don't you think it's a bit strange? Why the three of us?"
"Now that you mention it, it is indeed a bit strange."
Hasebe Haruka tapped her chin with her finger, agreeing.
A situation like the three of them being together like this.
Was indeed rare.
Usually, it was either all of them having a party together, or him calling a few of them, or one-on-one.
Only.
The one-on-one cases.
Were actually rare; basically, Hikigaya would make the call.
They now felt that the more people there were, the more exciting and fun it was; just as she also preferred holding hands with Sakura while being "driven" from behind by Hikigaya.
But there were also differences.
Within the group, there were several small cliques.
Like her and Sakura Airi, who preferred playing with Ichinose; Karuizawa and Himeno Yuki preferred playing with Kamuro Masumi.
Only Sakayanagi Arisu...
Well... she counts as a chihuahua?
The four of them and Hikigaya were often together.
But being with Karuizawa was a bit rare, especially when being individually notified by Hikigaya.
"Mm..."
Sakura Airi thought for a moment, feeling nervous:
"Could it be that something went wrong with us during this time, and Hikigaya-kun hopes the three of us can get along better?"
"Impossible."
Karuizawa waved her hands repeatedly: "I think our relationship is great; or does Airi have some dissatisfaction with me?"
"No."
"Then it's fine."
Although Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi had a very good relationship and would gather every day after school.
But in the end, they were still in different classes.
Currently, Karuizawa spent more time with Hasebe Haruka.
As time passed, people gradually came to understand each other's strengths.
The relationship among the three was actually quite good.
"If you ask me…"
Karuizawa seemed to think of something and looked at the two in front of her with a mischievous smile.
"It's probably because Hikki is a bit dissatisfied with the two of you and wants to do something more fun, so he asked me to lead you, right?"
"Is that so?"
Sakura Airi found it somewhat believable.
Although she already knew how to play, she still couldn't compare to someone like Karuizawa.
"That wouldn't happen…"
Hasebe Haruka said, sounding a little speechless.
"By the way, how do you usually do it with Yuki and the others? Is it the same when everyone's together?"
"Of course it's different. We make it really intense."
Karuizawa said with a mischievous grin, making the two of them blush in embarrassment.
"So, if you're scared now, there's still time. Do you want to leave today to me?"
"Hmph, who's afraid of whom."
Hasebe Haruka replied stubbornly, while Sakura Airi beside her lowered her head, her face red.
"Ah…"
Sakura Airi suddenly realized something.
"That…"
"What's wrong?"
"These past two days, Honami seems to have been hinting to me that maybe a new sister will join us… Could it be related to this?"
"Ah… now that you mention it, there was something like that."
Hasebe Haruka also recalled it.
It was roughly about asking how they would feel if one more person joined, as if testing their reaction.
Naturally, neither of them minded.
Instead, they felt a sense of "as expected."
"Thinking about it that way, there really was something like that."
Karuizawa furrowed her brows, remembering that she had also said she didn't care at the time.
Since Ichinose and Sakayanagi had no objections, there wasn't much they could say, though they still felt something subtle in their hearts.
If it were someone like Sakura Airi—who didn't fight, was obedient, and well-behaved—Karuizawa wouldn't object at all.
In the end, it depended on who the person was.
"Airi…"
Karuizawa looked at Sakura Airi and raised an eyebrow.
"You're in the same class as Honami and the others. Do you have any clues? Who do you think it might be?"
"Hmm…"
Sakura Airi thought for a moment before answering.
"I think amikura-san, Kobashi-san, Shiranami-san, and Tsube-san… They all look at Hikki with rather complicated expressions, and sometimes there's even admiration in their eyes. I feel like any of them could be the one."
"So many? Why haven't you said anything about this before?"
Hasebe and Karuizawa were both stunned.
They had considered the possibility, but never imagined there would be so many.
"Is Hikki really that popular in Class B?"
"I know that privately, Hikki is very popular."
Sakura Airi said it as if sharing in his glory, looking a little proud.
Page 2
"He's handsome and capable. I heard that after he started dressing better, he became quite popular. And if it weren't for Hikki, Class B wouldn't be this close to Class A. A lot of people in Class B are very grateful to him."
"It's just that Hikki always takes everything upon himself, which makes people feel guilty and want to help him instead."
Sakura Airi spoke more and more excitedly.
But the main reason was that this was Class B—there were many people who felt both gratitude and guilt toward him.
Having experienced two different classes, Sakura Airi understood this very well.
If it were Class D, he would at best be seen as an unpopular Hirata-type who didn't understand socializing.
Of course, in that case, Hikigaya wouldn't be so diligent either—he would just muddle through until graduation.
"Eh, those names all sound unfamiliar. What are they like?"
"They're all very kind people."
Sakura Airi enthusiastically introduced them one by one.
Watching this, Hasebe Haruka felt a gentle sense of satisfaction, like watching a daughter grow up.
"Forget it. As long as they're not bad people."
Karuizawa said casually, then added, "But I'm saying this now—I'm going first later. You're not allowed to steal it from me."
"I really don't know what there is to steal. Do whatever you like. In the end, it's all the same anyway."
"Then what about dinner? I'm really bad at cooking…"
Karuizawa looked at the kitchen counter with a headache.
"And Honami and the others cook so well. I feel like I'd be completely outclassed."
"Yeah… should we just order takeout?"
"Then it's settled."
Karuizawa took out her phone and placed the order.
She didn't bother splitting the bill; she had always been generous with money and would occasionally borrow from them instead.
"Let me say this first—if a newcomer really joins, you can't be too soft on her. You have to make it clear who's the senior and who's the junior, got it?"
Karuizawa crossed her arms, looking rather pompous.
Even though Ichinose and the others never showed it, Karuizawa had always cared a little about hierarchy.
She had been the last to join.
The lowest position in the group.
Now, there was finally someone new who would be the younger sister.
Soon, evening arrived.
At 6:00 PM.
The door opened, and Hikigaya Hachiman and Kushida Kikyo appeared before them.
Four people, four pairs of eyes met.
Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi froze slightly.
Intense sparks flashed in Karuizawa's eyes.
Unbelievable.
It was actually her.
Karuizawa clearly remembered the words this person had said during the Unanimous Special Exam.