Ayanokoji's Defeat

The dismissal bell rang, and the students left the classroom in twos and threes.

Hachiman Hikigaya cast Horikita an expectant look, but she ignored him outright, rose to her feet, and walked straight out of the classroom.

With a helpless sigh, Hachiman and Ayanokoji looked at each other.

"Want to head back together?"

Ayanokoji nodded, accepting Hachiman's invitation.

"Ah, girls really are such fickle creatures. They're impossible to figure out."

With his hands clasped behind his head, Hachiman left the school building with Ayanokoji.

After discussing it, the two decided to sit down at a Cafe together.

"Is that so?"

Ayanokoji was somewhat puzzled. Someone without emotions like him would not understand the various moods girls had.

Otherwise, he would not have needed to learn about such things through Karuizawa.

"Huh? Ayanokoji, you're unexpectedly hopeless when it comes to emotions."

"Perhaps."

Ayanokoji neither confirmed nor denied it. In this regard, he truly felt ashamed.

He believed he still had much to learn. While this place lacked the White Room's learning environment, it also held knowledge that could not be learned in the White Room.

Only humility allowed people to improve, and Ayanokoji had always felt he did fairly well in that respect.

They entered the Cafe together and ordered drinks, then sat across from each other.

"By the way, Ayanokoji, aren't you planning on getting a girlfriend or something?"

Hachiman took the initiative to start a conversation. Though his words sounded teasing, they did not provoke Ayanokoji's displeasure.

"Unfortunately, someone like me will never have that kind of opportunity."

"No way, right? You're actually pretty popular, Ayanokoji. You ranked fifth on the handsome guys list."

Hachiman held up a ranking list someone else had made and showed it to Ayanokoji.

He had no reaction, as though it were merely a trivial matter.

Incidentally, Hachiman was ranked first.

Did that count as beating Ayanokoji once?

Hachiman smugly thought about it. His opponent was the absolute ceiling for the next three years!

Being able to beat him once ought to count as an honor, right?

"Even if you say that, no girl has ever taken the initiative to talk to me."

Ayanokoji was not happy about the ranking. If anything, he was uninterested in it.

If it had been someone else, like Ike, he would probably recite it every day.

"You're really calm about it."

Hachiman sighed. Was this the composure of the strong?

A famed collector of human tools, just as expected.

I really hope I can become Ayanokoji's tool someday too!

Heh, just kidding.

But honestly, Hachiman truly hoped Ayanokoji would never become his enemy one day. That would be a terrifying prospect.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No."

"Mm."

"Let's have a toast."

"With coffee?"

"Yeah."

Though it was strange, Ayanokoji still went along with Hachiman and clinked cups with him.

Dazzling sunlight streamed through the glass and fell over Hachiman, while Ayanokoji happened to be sitting in the shadows, untouched by the sun's assault.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the week before final exams.

The students who usually laughed and played around began studying seriously, afraid that the same thing that had happened during the midterms would happen to them.

After learning the penalty for failing, many people had started studying a little more in their spare time. As long as they put in some effort, passing the final exams would not be a problem.

As long as they passed the final exams, their first summer vacation awaited them.

Chabashira had once said that if they did well on their exams, she would take them to the beach during summer vacation.

Work hard, strive on, and go see swimsuits!

The boys were highly motivated; even Sudo had become more serious than usual.

After school, Hachiman was the first to leave the classroom and head for the Library.

He had arranged to give Wang Meiyu English tutoring at the Library.

Of course, besides her, Horikita was also there, having been invited after Hachiman repeatedly begged her.

In truth, with Hachiman's grades, he could easily get through the exams without Horikita's help.

The reason he did this was simply so he could spend more time with Horikita.

As the saying went, familiarity bred affection. Constant companionship would eventually make Horikita accustomed to his presence.

After waiting for a while, Wang Meiyu had yet to arrive. Bored out of his mind, Hachiman placed two books on the table to save seats for them.

He then got up and wandered around the Library curiously.

He had come to the Library many times. Every time, Horikita liked tutoring here.

But Hachiman had never borrowed a book here before. As the Library of such a large school, how many famous books did it have?

Not that he was interested in those books, anyway.

The dazzling array of books made his eyes swim. Seeing piles of books whose titles he had never even heard of, he gave up on borrowing anything.

As someone who only liked reading simple wish-fulfillment novels, if he borrowed these books, they would probably only put him to sleep.

Thinking that, Hachiman prepared to head back.

At that moment, in front of the bookshelf ahead, a girl in school uniform was standing on tiptoe, reaching for a book on the upper shelf.

Her silver hair was eye-catching, and her fair, long legs were clad in gray thigh-high socks. Even her back view was enough to make one's heart race.

As expected of a vocational school—there were hair colors of every variety.

Hachiman smiled helplessly and stepped forward, coming to the girl's side.

He stretched out his hand and took down the book she wanted.

The moment Hachiman appeared, the girl sensed someone behind her. She turned around, and that handsome face entered her sight.

The close distance made her blush. Faced with someone suddenly appearing behind her in a pose somewhat like a kabedon, the first thing she felt was not fear.

That was the power of good character design! (Recommended reading three times.)

"You wanted this book, right?"

Hachiman held out the book titled [Goodbye, My Love] before her.

The girl froze for a moment, then nodded shyly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The girl accepted the book, and Hachiman waved before leaving.

The girl watched Hachiman's retreating back, her heartbeat accelerating slightly. For some reason, he looked familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before.

With his hands in his pockets, Hachiman did not care about the girl's identity at all.

Because from the very beginning, he had seen her name.

Shiina Hiyori, entries: [Bookworm] [Gentle Girl]

A student of Class C, a girl completely out of place with Ryuen.

Hachiman had not expected to run into her just by casually wandering around.

Though it had only been chance, Shiina probably spent every day in the Library. Hachiman had simply only noticed her today.

Looks like I'll have to come to this Library more often!

When Hachiman returned to where he had started, Wang Meiyu happened to arrive at the Library, and the two began their English tutoring.

Shiina watched Hachiman's back from afar, her brows knitting slightly.

"Where exactly have I seen him before?"

Sometimes, even if one had no interest in others, if someone was a person one had seen somewhere before, an unbearable curiosity would inevitably arise.

She had to remember where she had seen him and get an answer.

Shiina felt exactly that way at the moment, her mind constantly searching through memories related to Hachiman.

Hachiman had no idea that merely appearing before her once had made a girl agonize over him for half the day.