Time passed.
Soon, it was the day of the small test.
Ichinose had the bottom ten students write only their names, while everyone else took the exam with full effort.
That way.
The bottom ten would be paired with the ten best-performing students.
Although Class B didn't need to worry about the risk of expulsion for failing.
Ichinose's choice to be cautious wasn't a problem.
The only thing somewhat dissatisfying was...
Damn it, I want to leave my paper blank too.
During the math exam.
Hikigaya was desperately working on scratch paper.
Clearly, his grades were just average.
Why wasn't he allowed to leave his paper blank? This was so unfair.
If he could leave it blank and pair up with Ichinose, he wouldn't have to work so hard.
Speaking of which.
The grades of students in Class B's middle tier were a bit too average.
You guys should either be stronger or weaker.
Being stuck in the middle is agonizing.
To not cause trouble for the class, wasn't he being forced to work hard?
He couldn't even "lie flat" if he wanted to.
Was there a bug in this world? Why didn't he even have the right to choose?
Unfortunately.
This was a task from the leadership.
As a corporate drone, Hikigaya was powerless to resist and could only stare at the "Big A" and "small a" brothers on the test paper.
Class B classroom.
The fourth period of the next day.
"The teacher is going to announce the partners for the final exam now~"
"Ta-da~"
Hoshinomiya posted the small test results on the blackboard, her slender body making a sparkling, cute pose in the shape of a "K."
If she weren't beautiful, this move would definitely be punchable.
Instead...
The hungover Hoshinomiya was not unacceptable.
Hikigaya quickly found his pairing.
Hikigaya Hachiman... Amikura Mako.
"Who is this?"
Hikigaya felt he had an impression, but it wasn't very strong. She seemed to be a girl who was often around Ichinose.
He was 18th, and she was 22nd.
Both happened to be in the middle of the pack.
Hikigaya breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Since she was a girl who hung around Ichinose, there was probably no need to doubt her grades or her study attitude.
In that case.
Passing the exam peacefully should be no problem.
After school.
As Hikigaya was packing his bag, Ichinose walked over to him with a girl.
"Yaho, Hikigaya, are you going to the club later?"
Hikigaya's alarm bells rang, and he shivered instantly.
He had a bit of a conditioned response now; whenever Ichinose spoke, he felt it was about something "good" that he didn't want to do.
"I haven't decided yet."
Hikigaya gave an ambiguous answer to prepare for a later refusal.
"Then let Mako-chan go with you."
Ichinose patted Amikura Mako beside her and smiled: "Anyway, the two of you are a pair for this exam. It just so happens that Amikura Mako is better at science and a bit weaker in liberal arts. You two can tutor each other."
"..."
Hikigaya fell silent.
As expected.
This was definitely Ichinose's "special care" again.
Although the top thirty participants took the test with their real strength and the groupings were decided purely by merit.
But Ichinose had likely communicated with Amikura Mako in advance.
Otherwise.
Amikura Mako, who often participated in the Student Council with Ichinose, wouldn't have come over with her.
This kind of bestowed sympathy was truly difficult to swallow.
Hikigaya felt his insignificant self-esteem was about to be crushed by Ichinose.
But there was nothing he could do.
No matter how harsh his words were, Ichinose insisted on making him integrate into the class.
"No, I prefer self-study."
Hikigaya made a final stand. He really didn't want to trouble Ichinose, but since Ichinose was acting on her own, there was nothing he could do.
Although it was uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.
However.
While troubling Ichinose.
He also had to let other students care for him under pressure from Ichinose's presence.
It really made Hikigaya a bit hurt.
Not causing trouble for the class was his final line of defense.
"How will you know if you don't try?"
Ichinose said dismissively: "And, Hikigaya-kun, this pairing was entirely a coincidence. It just so happens you can complement each other. How about treating it as helping Mako-chan?"
Helping Amikura Mako.
Perhaps.
Ichinose felt that saying it this way would make it easier for him to accept.
However.
Being looked after in his self-esteem this way made Hikigaya feel lost, and he felt even more self-loathing for this boring self-esteem.
It seemed as if nothing he did was right in front of Ichinose.
As long as Ichinose wanted to unilaterally continue this kind of care, the situation wouldn't change.
"If you won't go."
Ichinose suggested again: "Then I'll have everyone try holding a study session at the Service Club (Sheep Wool Club). Would that be better?"
"Shouldn't we respect Amikura-san's opinion too?"
Hikigaya quickly switched to another excuse.
If a bunch of people rushed into his club to study, it would be even more unacceptable.
"I don't mind at all."
Amikura Mako didn't seem to care; instead, she even showed a smile and said:
"Because I knew during the 'VIP' exam that Hikigaya-kun is a reliable person who found the VIP right away. You help me with liberal arts, and I'll help you with science."
"But, although my science is probably a bit better than Hikigaya-kun's, it's not particularly good. That should be fine, right?"
Aniye? (Wait?)
The VIP exam?
Hikigaya was confused. He remembered his teammates then were the "hero" Kanzaki and a girl. Could it be her?
And she had zero reaction to his unfriendly tone.
Had he misunderstood her?
"No."
Hikigaya scratched the back of his head sheepishly: "That time was just a coincidence, I wasn't very sure either."
"Even being able to sense suspicious targets is a very impressive thing."
Amikura Mako said with a face full of admiration.
She had watched the Dragon Group's exam all along.
Clearly, she hadn't seen Hikigaya take any action, but by just selling his text message to Ryuen, he easily earned forty thousand private points and found the VIP.
Even now.
Amikura Mako still felt it was incredible.
He was truly amazing.
It was just that Hikigaya was humble and didn't like to show off.
"Alright."
Ichinose placed her snowy-white hands on both their shoulders and smiled:
"Since you two already know each other and are a 'community of destiny' for this exam, let's try mutual tutoring first."
"If there's anything you're not used to, Amikura Mako can return to the main study group, and Hikigaya can study alone for a while. How about that?"
The words had reached this point.
Hikigaya really had no reason to refuse and nodded helplessly. Amikura Mako didn't mind at all.
What Hikigaya didn't notice was that nearby, Himeno Yuki's eyes had been fixed on the three of them the entire time.
Even though she knew this pairing was by luck.
And Ichinose wanted Hikigaya to integrate into the class.
But she still felt somewhat uncomfortable in her heart, yet didn't know how to speak up.
And on the other side.
Class 1-A, half an hour ago.
Under Sakayanagi Arisu's command, Class A began study sessions in organized small groups. As for the location...
After all.
Even without orders.
With Class A's discipline, they would not slack off in their studies.
At this time.
Only Arisu Sakayanagi and Masumi Kamuro remained in the classroom.
"How strange."
Masumi Kamuro sat on a desk, watching Sakayanagi opposite her, her brow furrowed in confusion:
"Sakayanagi, could your judgment have been wrong?"
Sakayanagi sat in her seat with a flat expression.
She was unhappy.
Very unhappy.
There was no logic in someone tailing you once and then never appearing again.
Ever since she was tailed by Hikigaya, Sakayanagi had immediately begun a counterattack against Class B, looking forward to the opponent's next move.
However.
Forget Ichinose's next move.
Even that fellow named Hachiman Hikigaya had vanished.
At first.
Sakayanagi decided that Ichinose was preparing for a future strategy.
She looked forward to her subsequent tactics, planning to crush Ichinose in one fell swoop.
Yet.
As days passed.
Sakayanagi had to suspect whether her judgment was wrong.
Could it be that Hikigaya hadn't been tailing them at all?
However.
They were with the homeroom teacher Mashima at the time; there was no reason for that guy Hikigaya to be following a school teacher.
Sakayanagi firmly believed.
That fellow named Hikigaya was indeed tailing them at that time.
It couldn't be that Ichinose simply backed down upon seeing Class A's counterattack; if so, why bother sending someone to tail them?
That was even more unrealistic.
But today.
Even the match-ups between classes had been determined.
Class A vs Class B, Class C vs Class D.
There were no duplicate match-ups, so no lottery was needed.
However.
Ichinose's Class B still made no move.
Sakayanagi had to suspect.
Whether she had truly judged incorrectly, and that the "do-gooder" Ichinose had no offensive strategy at all.
It was all just that fellow Hikigaya acting on his own!
Although thanks to Hikigaya, they followed Teacher Mashima and discovered a nice shop, which was indeed something worth being happy about.
However.
Sakayanagi was very displeased.
To stir her heart into such excitement only to leave it hanging.
He was practically a scumbag.
She had wanted to have a serious contest with Ichinose, yet her judgment had been interfered with by such a man.
Fortunately.
Only Masumi Kamuro knew about this matter.
Otherwise.
It might greatly affect her prestige in Class A.
"Maybe," Sakayanagi replied expressionlessly, giving an ambiguous answer.
"What do you mean 'maybe'?"
Masumi Kamuro's eyes widened as she voiced a natural doubt:
"Who tails someone once and then disappears? Last time's tailing was likely just a coincidence. Maybe that guy just simply went to eat some ramen?"
"Impossible!"
Sakayanagi remained unconvinced and provided powerful evidence.
"I've already asked Teacher Mashima about this. That 'Tenka Ippin' shop only officially opened for the first time that day; before that, it was only in trial operation among staff."
"How could a student know the location of the shop on its very first day of opening?"
Logically, Hikigaya couldn't have known the location of a hidden shop, and his route of movement showed no hesitation.
Regarding this point.
Masumi Kamuro also found it difficult.
"Perhaps this wasn't Ichinose's decision, but a judgment that man made on his own for the sake of the class."
"It seems Class B is not a monolithic block either."
Sakayanagi rose, leaning on her cane:
"We only need to go and test it to find out."
With that, Arisu Sakayanagi took Masumi Kamuro toward Class B.
To dare to toy with her was simply outrageous!
Even if it was just that stinky man's independent judgment, Arisu Sakayanagi would make him pay the price.