Horikita Manabu: You've got some nerve, Hikigaya Hachiman, pulling a stunt like that in the school building

July 2, during homeroom

Chabashira-sensei announced some troublesome news during morning homeroom.

"I have something to tell you today. Sudo got into a fight with a student from Class C. To put it simply, they got into a scuffle."

As soon as Chabashira-sensei finished speaking, the classroom erupted into chatter. Yesterday's developments had made it easy to predict, but sure enough, Sudo had caused trouble again...

Above the din, Chabashira-sensei continued her explanation. Depending on how responsibility was assigned, Sudo might face suspension, and our Class Points could be deducted as well. If our Class Points were reduced to zero, we'd probably have a riot on our hands.

"Why haven't they reached a conclusion yet?" Hirata asked the teacher.

"The complaint came from Class C. They claim their student was beaten without provocation. But according to Sudo, students from Class C invited him out and provoked him first."

"It was self-defense! I didn't do anything wrong!" Sudo protested loudly, but his classmates' icy stares were trained on him. Insisting, "I didn't do anything wrong," at a time like this was just pouring fuel on the fire...

"But you don't have any evidence, do you?"

"How the hell would I have something like that?!"

"In other words, the facts are unclear for now, so a decision has been put on hold. The punishment could vary dramatically depending on who's found responsible."

"I'm innocent! If anything, they should be paying me for emotional damages!"

"That's what Sudo says, but he isn't particularly credible. If anyone saw him at the scene, the situation might be different—" Chabashira-sensei looked around the room. "Did anyone witness the altercation? If so, raise your hand."

No one in the classroom responded. Even if a classmate testified, their words probably wouldn't carry much weight.

"Apparently, nobody in this class witnessed it. The school has instructed all the homeroom teachers to share what they know about the incident and keep looking for clues."

"What?! They made it public?!"

(Isn't that obvious? If something happens to a student, of course all the teachers will be informed.)

"That's all for now. The final decision will be announced next Tuesday, after they've considered any witnesses and evidence. Homeroom is over."

After Chabashira-sensei left, Sudo walked out of the classroom with a gloomy expression.

"Sudo's screwed this time, huh?" Ike was the first to speak.

"We'd only just managed to raise our Class Points..."

"And now he's gonna make us lose them again!"

"Would've been better if he'd been expelled in the first place!"

The hostility began to grow, just like it had after school yesterday. Maybe I should duck out before first period?

Just as I was thinking that, the classroom door slid open with a rattle—and the person who walked in wasn't a teacher. It was Kamuro.

"Is Hikigaya here? I need to talk to you."

The unexpected visitor instantly shifted everyone's attention from Sudo to me. I fought through the knot in my stomach and headed for the door.

"What is it? Couldn't you just email me?"

"Sorry. Could I borrow your math textbook? I need it for first period, and I forgot mine."

(True, forgetting your textbook could affect Class Points. Kamuro doesn't usually hang out with students from other classes, so that's probably why she came to me.)

"Sure, but I need it for second period. Give it back as soon as class ends."

I pulled the textbook out of my bag and handed it to her.

"Got it. Thanks."

"I didn't think you were the type to forget things."

"I didn't put it away after studying last night, then I overslept this morning and rushed out without it."

"So your klutz side came out in full force, huh?"

"You're the one who got laughed at by Sakanayanagi over the same kind of embarrassing mistake."

"I'll give you that. But you're usually so cool and aloof that it's kind of cute seeing this side of you."

"God, you're annoying! Quit saying weird stuff!"

Kamuro glared and stepped closer, but suddenly her foot slipped and she fell toward me. I caught her on reflex.

"Careful... There's a pen on the floor. Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. You can let go now."

"Oh, sorry."

(To anyone watching, it probably looked like we were hugging... But after a similar incident with Yukinoshita, I didn't even break out in a cold sweat this time.)

Kamuro turned away as though nothing had happened. "I'm going... Thanks for earlier."

Her last words as she left made my heart skip a beat, but once she was gone, time started moving again in the classroom.

"Tch, look at him, acting so cool."

"Of course someone with Private Points and girls doesn't care about Class Points."

"If you've got all that energy, why not help the rest of us?!"

The hostility suddenly turned toward me. It wasn't like I'd done anything wrong...

Just then, Kushida clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention.

"Everyone, Hikigaya-kun didn't do anything wrong. We should keep discussing Sudo-kun's situation. Actually—Sudo-kun may really have been involved in the altercation Chabashira-sensei mentioned."

She began recounting what she'd heard from Sudo: members of Class C's Basketball Club were jealous that Sudo might make the starting lineup, so they'd called him out and threatened to make him quit the club. It had eventually turned physical, and Sudo had only fought back in self-defense.

"If anyone saw what happened, please speak up. I'm begging you," Kushida said, then quietly sat down.

(But a classmate's testimony wouldn't be enough. Unless there's something like a photo to back it up.)

Yamauchi suddenly chimed in. "I don't believe Sudo, anyway. He said he used to get into fights all the time in middle school."

"I saw him grab another class's student by the collar in the hallway."

"He yelled at an upperclassman, too."

(Nobody saw this incident, yet suddenly there are all these stories about Sudo's past... We've already lost this fight.)

"I want to believe him." Hirata, the class leader, stood up. "Sudo is one of us. It's wrong to suspect him from the start."

(Easy enough to say, but even he probably doesn't believe it...)

"I agree!" some of the girls chimed in.

After hearing Hirata speak, Karuizawa Kei—Hirata's girlfriend—adjusted her bangs and raised her voice.

"If he's being falsely accused, that's a serious problem, isn't it? Isn't it awful for an innocent person?"

Karuizawa and Kushida were both influential among the girls. With Karuizawa leading the way, more and more girls began to voice their support. In the end, with Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa at the center, everyone seemed ready to start proving Sudo's innocence.

As for me? There was no way I'd get involved in that kind of hassle. Besides, Sudo had hit someone, which made him a perpetrator, too. I couldn't be bothered with an idiot who'd done something wrong but was pretending to be the victim.

I treated my classmates' conversation like background music and quietly got my materials ready for first period.

As time passed, the class officially decided after school that Hirata, Karuizawa, and Kushida would lead the search for witnesses. But when I saw Koenji, Horikita, and a few other classmates quickly leave the room, I followed them. Kushida caught up with Horikita on the way, but there was no way she'd cooperate.

Come to think of it, Hiyori was going to the Tea Ceremony Club today, and Sakanayanagi seemed to be heading out with a small group from her class. For the first time in a while, I'd have the place to myself. That left plenty of options: read in the library, go back to the dorm and play the game I'd bought from Ike, or get dessert at the shopping mall...

...Never mind. I'd save my points. I was exhausted, so I'd just go back and sleep.

Once I'd made up my mind, I headed for the dorm. As soon as I got inside, I flopped onto my bed.

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Incidentally, if you woke up the next morning to find Hiyori in her pajamas, screaming on your bed, that would be a perfectly normal reaction.

＊＊＊＊＊＊

The next morning, I was heading to school with Sakanayanagi and Hiyori, as usual. I split off from them along the way and headed for the vending machine. Just as I was about to buy a MAX Coffee—

"Heeey, Hikigaya-kun!"

A cheerful voice called out to me. It was that sunny voice that always seemed to radiate warmth—Ichinose.

I turned to see Ichinose jogging over. A certain well-endowed part of her bounced with every step, so I quickly looked away.

"Morning, Hikigaya-kun. Could I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"About the fight. I heard that while I was away yesterday, someone from Class D came to Class B to investigate, right?" Apparently, they'd gone around asking the other classes questions while I was gone.

"Were they looking for witnesses?"

"More or less."

"'More or less'? You weren't involved, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Why would I be? The guy involved has no remorse and is pretending to be the victim. Who'd want to help someone like that?"

To put it simply, I couldn't be bothered. It would've been nice if an idiot like Sudo had been expelled during midterms.

"Oh... The teachers and students only said there was a violent incident. Could you tell me what happened?" Ichinose asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. It wasn't a secret, so I told her everything I'd heard in class.

"I see. So that's why they came to Class B to investigate."

"Pretty much. Anyway, our class is definitely getting punished."

"Yeah, probably."

Since Class C had gone to the trouble of reporting it, their student had probably been badly hurt. Sudo, on the other hand, looked completely unharmed today. Whatever the students from Class C were like, public opinion would definitely turn against Sudo when people compared their badly injured student with Sudo, who had a terrible reputation but was completely fine.

Even so, Sudo was still insisting that he hadn't done anything wrong. Unless some decisive evidence turned up, he was bound to lose. And my gut told me that Ryuen was pulling the strings behind this. If so, Sudo was absolutely finished. I'd only met Ryuen a few times, but it was obvious how dangerous he was.

"Anyway, I don't care what happens to that guy. He almost got expelled at midterms and immediately caused trouble again. I can't be bothered with him."

"Huh? Sudo-kun almost got expelled before?"

Right. Only Class D knew about that.

"He didn't get a passing score on his midterm English exam. He barely scraped through by using points to buy a passing grade."

"Wow, so you really can buy anything with points at this school. By the way, how much did it cost?"

"One hundred thousand points for one grade point."

"That's so expensive!"

Yeah, it was basically extortion, wasn't it?

Just as I was thinking that, the warning bell rang. We'd been chatting for longer than I realized.

"We'd better hurry back to class. If we're not in our seats before the teacher arrives, they'll deduct points," I said, shaking my can of coffee.

If someone as popular as Ichinose was late, her classmates would probably just laugh and tell her to be more careful next time.

But if I, a loner, were late, they'd definitely come after me: "You've got points and girls, and you're still late? You trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Oh, right! Let's go, let's go!"

Ichinose nodded and hurried along, and I followed. Just as we dashed into the school building and started up the stairs—

"Ah!"

"Whoa!"

Ichinose, who was in front, suddenly missed a step and lost her balance, taking me down with her. Luckily, we'd only climbed a few steps, so we didn't fall too hard, but every part of my body hurt.

I tried to push myself up, but my palm met something soft.

Ichinose, pinned beneath me, let out a little "Ooh."

A breathy moan.

This feeling... Could it be?!

I was thinking of my similar experience the other day when a cold voice suddenly came from above us.

"You've got some nerve, Hikigaya Hachiman, pulling a stunt like that in the school building."

I looked up to see a handsome, stern-looking guy with glasses staring down at us. I knew him—

"Come to the Student Council Room during lunch."

With that, Student Council President Horikita Manabu turned and walked away.

I was done for...