The next day, August 8th.
The exam was over. Hachiman spent the whole day resting in his dorm. Next would be the wonderful cruise time.
Naturally, that's impossible.
Anyway, even on holiday, he didn't really want to go to those crowded places.
He guessed it would be like before—finding a deserted spot in the rooftop cafe to spend time leisurely.
Early morning.
Hachiman finished washing up and intended to go out.
"Eh? Hikigaya, wait for us a bit."
Shibata, who was getting dressed, said somewhat helplessly.
"Eh? Why?"
Hachiman turned back, startled.
He didn't recall having any plans with these guys.
"Hmm?"
Shibata was also stunned for a moment before reacting: "Aren't you going to the celebration banquet?"
Celebration banquet?
When?
How come I didn't know?
"He probably didn't check the group chat."
Seeing Hachiman's dazed state, Kanzaki, who had just come out of the bathroom, had a look of realization.
"Most likely."
Watanabe also nodded: "Then Hikigaya, wait a bit. Let's go together."
How did they just decide for me?
Hachiman took out his phone and looked; sure enough, there was a message from Ichinose, but he had fallen asleep last night and didn't see it.
"No thanks, I have something to do, so I won't be going."
Hachiman raised his hand to decline.
"You're not going to the celebration banquet?"
Shibata was even more stunned.
In his perception, not attending a celebration banquet was something hard to understand. One could imagine Shibata's past must have been quite fulfilling.
"Exactly."
Watanabe also stood up and continued: "It's a rare celebration banquet. Everyone celebrate together. Is there anything that can't be pushed back a bit?"
"No, just have fun yourselves."
Ignoring their enthusiastic invitation, Hachiman raised his hand and turned to leave.
Moreover.
He wouldn't know what to do if he went; he could only sit there frantically eating snacks.
And it would only make the atmosphere worse.
He also felt sorry for them since they wanted to hold the banquet.
Furthermore, the celebration banquet mostly used the class funds, and he hadn't contributed his personal points, so he felt it was a bit inappropriate.
Leaving the others staring at each other, Watanabe sighed: "I don't really want to say it, but I feel like Hikigaya isn't very sociable."
No one is willing to keep putting their warm face against a cold butt.
Being able to persist until now, it's almost at the limit.
"Don't say that."
Shibata patted his shoulder and smiled: "Hikigaya probably has some reason. I feel like he must have some kind of knot in his heart. As classmates, we should be more understanding."
"Well, I agree with that."
Watanabe nodded.
"A pity."
Kanzaki was also somewhat helpless: "If he were willing to speak out, we could think of some solutions."
"True."
The other two sighed and nodded. Shibata then changed the topic: "Alright, then let's go to the celebration banquet together."
Cruise Restaurant No. 1.
"Hi, Shibata, Kanzaki, Watanabe!"
"Really, you boys are so slow!"
Seeing Shibata and the others enter the restaurant, Ichinose and the others smiled and walked over.
"Sorry."
Shibata smiled brightly and explained: "By the way, Hikigaya seems to have something to do and can't come. He asked me to tell everyone."
Kanzaki and Watanabe on the side didn't contradict him.
No matter what, the people of Class B acted with good intentions.
"I already knew that just now."
Ichinose picked up her phone and smiled: "Then let's start first."
She had also received a message from Hachiman just now. Although it was a day late, he wouldn't be negligent about these work etiquette matters.
But Ichinose and the others presumably also knew what was going on. Several people came around the dining table.
"Then."
Ichinose raised her glass, a joyful smile on her face: "To our first place in the deserted island exam, cheers~"
"Cheers~"
The people of Class B raised their glasses together in joy.
This was the result of their united efforts.
Only.
One person was missing.
Next.
It was time for pleasant chatting and enjoying delicious food.
"Only 208 points left, and we can rise to Class A!"
"Yeah. After graduation, what does Honami-chan want to do?"
"Me? After graduation, I want to work at HARBS, then open my own dessert shop to let my family live a better life!"
"That's great! How about I work with Honami-chan after graduation!"
"No, it's a rare chance for free career choice. Everyone should think carefully about their own future."
"But, I just want to be with Honami-chan."
"Me too, me too~"
A group of girls gathered around Ichinose.
As for the future, they had never considered it; at least being by Ichinose's side right now was the happiest thing.
As for the boys, well, they were chatting.
"Bang."
Just then.
The restaurant door was roughly pushed open.
Ryuen led Kaneda and a group of henchmen through the door. The people of Class B instantly fell silent.
"Ryuen."
Ichinose stepped forward and smiled sweetly: "Sorry, this restaurant is booked by us today. Is there something you're here for?"
Shibata and others also stood behind her, confronting Ryuen.
"Don't be so nervous."
Ryuen grabbed Kaneda's collar and said coldly: "According to Kaneda, he was provoked and misled by a guy named Hikigaya, which led me to write Hachiman Hikigaya's name for the leader."
"Only."
Ryuen stared into Ichinose's eyes, trying to find a flaw, and said coldly:
"Provoking and misleading others—no matter how I think about it, that sounds like something you, Ichinose, would do. Who exactly taught you?"
Kaneda, suspended in mid-air, was trembling.
He only realized now that he must have been provoked by Hachiman.
In the end,
He wasn't even looking for the leader; he just hoped Class B's leader was Hachiman Hikigaya.
He wanted revenge.
He wanted to see this despicable guy being despised by his companions.
Such feelings of hatred
Seriously affected his judgment.
"That's just Ryuen-kun underestimating me, isn't it?"
Although a bit puzzled, Ichinose still faced it calmly: "Although I don't like small tricks, I'll still tell lies when necessary."
"Is that so."
Ryuen sneered and glanced at the people behind her: "But these small fry behind you don't seem to think so. It seems you, Ichinose, are also in the dark."
"Come on! Step out! Let me see what kind of person Hachiman Hikigaya is!"
Ryuen's gaze was sharp, sweeping over everyone.
However.
At this moment, the hearts of Class B's people were filled with shock.
They had thought this exam was the result of everyone's united efforts, but they hadn't expected someone was contributing silently behind the scenes.
"Not coming out?"
Ryuen sneered and lifted the Kaneda in his hand a bit higher: "Kaneda, who is the guy that made you hate him so much that you even dared to change my plan without permission?"
"He's... not... he's not here."
Kaneda struggled to breathe and said with a pained expression.
"Ha?"
Ryuen was momentarily dazed, but soon sneered with disdain:
"Holding a celebration banquet but not letting the biggest contributor attend. You guys really are something. This is the friendly companion consciousness of Class B? I've certainly seen it now."
Regardless of what caused it, he would first mock them to stir up some hatred and mess with Class B's mindset.
Actually, the whole class was in the dark.
Then it must have been that Hachiman Hikigaya's solo idea.
It was no longer meaningful to stay.
"Well."
"Since you took first place, celebrating isn't a bad thing. Hope you enjoy yourselves."
"Though, it's on the premise of abandoning your biggest contributor."
Ryuen laughed loudly and left composedly with his group of henchmen.
The group of people remaining from Class B could not bring themselves to smile.
They originally thought that even if Hikigaya didn't want to participate, they shouldn't force him, but now they found it impossible to celebrate properly.
To think they were here celebrating with a clear conscience while leaving the hero aside.
Many people felt their hearts filled with shame.
"Um..."
As the leader, Chihiro Shiranami said with some shame: "Was it Hikigaya who did something behind the scenes?"
"I'm not very sure either."
Ichinose also showed a sheepish smile, but then quickly cheered up and said:
"However, this also shows that Hikigaya has been thinking about the class. We just need to find him and bring him back next~"
"Then I'll go."
"I'll go too, I'll go too!"
A group of people raised their hands in agreement, wanting to dispel the feelings of shame in their hearts.
"But, he probably won't come, right?"
Kanzaki frowned and spoke the reality.
"Indeed."
Shibata and the others looked at each other and nodded.
By any stretch of the imagination, Hikigaya wasn't the type of person who would attend this kind of victory party.
"Then I should be the one to go."
At this time, Yuki Himeno raised her hand and said: "Although I haven't spoken much with him, I am at least in the same club and his seatmate, so it should have some effect, probably?"
"Hmm."
Ichinose thought for a moment and nodded: "Then I'll leave it to you, Yuki. If there are any difficulties, remember to contact us anytime."
"Got it, leave it to me then."
"He seemed to be at the top-floor cafe before. Himeno-san, you can go check there."
"Understood."
Himeno quickly turned and left the restaurant.
Damn it.
How did it come to this.
Even she felt some self-reproach, to be able to enjoy herself with a clear conscience while abandoning the hero, although she didn't really want to attend either.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The top-floor cafe.
Could it be a ghost? What the, that's so scary.
Hikigaya looked back and forth, nervously scanning the surroundings.
Yes.
There was no mistake.
Absolutely no mistake.
From the moment he stepped onto this cruise ship, he felt like someone was monitoring him, but he could never find anyone.
What is this, it's too scary.
It shouldn't be. Could it be that his thin presence has finally reached a level comparable to a ghost?
Do ghosts and things like that really exist in the world?
Ha.
What a joke.
Hikigaya sat in his seat, head lowered in deep thought.
The stalking started before the exam, or perhaps even earlier,
It was just that at school, he was always going between two points, occasionally going to the library to borrow books.
There were too many people at school, so he probably just didn't notice.
After thinking for a long time.
Hikigaya couldn't understand what kind of person would target him.
He shouldn't have done anything to the extent of making someone harbor such a grudge.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Not even attending the victory party, as expected, he's here again."
Kushida Kikyo lay behind a wall, the sweet smile on the corner of her mouth feeling deeply terrifying.
She had been stalking this guy for some time now.
It was just that at school, this guy was always going between two points, basically leaving no convenient opportunities for contact.
But having stepped onto the cruise ship.
Except for sleeping, Hikigaya was always at the top-floor cafe, occasionally going down to grab a meal or something.
His action patterns had been completely mastered by her.
Thinking of this.
Kushida Kikyo's expression turned distorted.
Now is the time. It's time to make this rude bastard, who dared to delete her contact information, pay the price.
In all her years growing up.
Even if some people weren't interested in her kindness, they wouldn't refuse out of consideration for appearances.
Only Hachiman Hikigaya, this detestable man.
He actually dared to play her!
Once the two become friends, she will definitely expose Hikigaya's dark history to the whole school, and then save the guy.
Let Hikigaya live in a fake life for the rest of his life.
"Heh."
Ah...
Thinking of this, Kushida Kikyo got a bit excited. If Hikigaya only found out at the very end that he had been deceived, how desperate would he be?