Inside the Volunteer Club.
After Yume Kobashi and Yuki Himeno arrived, the tutoring work was temporarily put on hold.
Mako Asakura and Yume Kobashi chatted incessantly, with Yuki Himeno occasionally chiming in.
Seriously, please.
If you're going to chat, can't you go somewhere else?
Forget it, it was more relaxing this way.
Hikigaya took out his headphones and put them on, plugged the jack into his phone, and turned on some music; he'd better study by himself.
After all, studying alone was more efficient; if his math grades continued to drop, it would be truly dangerous.
"Hikigaya-kun."
Yume Kobashi waved her hand in front of his eyes, and only then did Hikigaya take off his headphones.
"Listening to music helps with studying; when you stop noticing the music, it means you're being particularly focused."
Hikigaya explained helplessly.
It was only because they didn't have any need for liberal arts tutoring.
"Is that so?"
Yume Kobashi tilted her small head in confusion: "But I feel like it makes it easier to get distracted."
"However."
Mako Asakura, who was nearby, joined in: "I remember Honami-chan also likes to listen to music when she's studying alone; could it be that smart people all have this habit?"
Oh!
So that's it.
Hikigaya realized that the reason he liked wearing headphones so much wasn't to cut out noise, but simply because he was relatively smart.
Seeing that slight upward curve of Hikigaya's mouth, Yuki Himeno knew this guy was feeling proud because of Mako Asakura.
"But Hikigaya-kun's grades are only average, right?"
Yuki Himeno tilted her head, appearing puzzled.
Damn it.
Hikigaya could bet that this ill-natured woman, Yuki Himeno, was intentionally striking him down.
"Hmm... true."
Yume Kobashi nodded in thought; his grades were only in the middle of the class, so he couldn't be considered smart.
"Grades don't necessarily have to be the only thing that represents intelligence, right?"
Mako Asakura observed Hikigaya and nodded: "Hikigaya has always made great contributions in the special exams, so he must be one of the smart ones?"
Yes, exactly!
Though he wasn't good at handling this girl, as expected of someone recognized by Ichinose, Hikigaya felt she was quite decent.
Yuki Himeno glanced at the two of them, her eyes showing doubt.
Maybe she was overthinking it, but she felt Mako Asakura's attitude toward Hikigaya was a bit off; why was she always speaking up for him?
Are you two very close?
At the thought of this, Yuki Himeno felt a bit uncomfortable, but because of her persona as a submissive and fragile girl, it wasn't easy to do more probing.
But after thinking for a few seconds.
Yuki Himeno still felt uncomfortable, as if there were a small lump in her heart.
Taking a bit of a risk seemed worthwhile.
"Eh?"
Yuki Himeno said somewhat curiously: "Mako-chan, you don't happen to like Hikigaya-kun, do you?"
Girls are very sensitive to these things; although asking such a question directly didn't fit her persona and might cause others to become suspicious.
At this moment, she didn't care about that anymore.
At the thought of Hikigaya being taken away, Yuki Himeno felt it was unbearable, so it was better to strike first.
"That's not it."
Mako Asakura was a bit speechless and teased while small-scale waving her hands:
" I just think Hikigaya is very mature and gives off an adult vibe, and I'm just telling the truth; it's not what you said."
Hikigaya was almost in tears.
Could you please not joke around in front of the person involved?
Truly grateful for Mako Asakura's kindness; the second half might be the truth, but the first half translated as: How could I possibly like an old man like this.
"That's true~"
Yuki Himeno showed a smile of agreement; besides her, probably no one would like a guy with such a twisted personality as Hikigaya.
And Yume Kobashi, on the side, was lost in thought.
In the library earlier, she felt that Yuki Himeno was a bit abnormal today; so that's how it was...
Seeing that the topic had strayed again, Hikigaya put his headphones back on, and Yume Kobashi again waved her small hand in front of him...
"Hikigaya-kun, it's fine when you're alone, but it's better not to wear headphones during a study group."
"Eh, why?"
Hikigaya was a bit puzzled; speaking of which, why didn't you guys start? This was basically just chatting.
"Because if there's a problem you don't understand, you can ask at any time, and someone will help answer it, avoiding the need to struggle through books; doesn't that help improve study efficiency?"
"I'm fine by myself..." Hikigaya reflexively refused.
"Then does Hikigaya have no problems with science either?"
"That's a point..."
Hikigaya fell silent.
As expected of Ichinose's best friend, a perfectly logical argument that was truly impossible to refute.
But you guys stop just chatting and start already!!!
Are we going to study or not...
"Then, shall we start?"
Hikigaya said tentatively.
"Yes, start!"
Yume Kobashi held her pen and tapped her white chin:
"Speaking of which, Hikigaya-kun's National Language has always been second, and occasionally even surpasses Honami-chan for first; English and History also always seem to hover around the top five. Do you have any special study methods?"
"Rote memorization?"
Hikigaya said, unconvinced.
For liberal arts, you just need to memorize; at least that's how it's always been for him.
"Eh?"
Mako Asakura said with a bit of a headache: "But I work hard every day, yet my grades just don't change, and rote memorization is a real waste of time."
"True."
Yume Kobashi also had a bit of a headache: "Isn't there any other more efficient way, or some kind of trick?"
The underlying meaning: What you said is as good as saying nothing.
But it really was just that; Hikigaya said somewhat embarrassedly:
"Since you're often with Ichinose, she should have told you some methods, right?"
"Hmm."
Yuki Himeno also nodded and said with some dejection:
"She suggested increasing reading for National Language, rote memorization for English with a dictation every few days and using English for communication, and for History, she wanted us to memorize based on cause and effect; I really don't know what that means."
"Maybe it's just a difference in talent?"
Sure, sure.
Stop acting; I know you're a fragile girl.
Hikigaya couldn't be bothered to care; he had to admit Ichinose's advice was correct, and Yume Kobashi and Mako Asakura weren't the type to slack off.
Speaking of which.
Out of a hundred, seventy points already wasn't low.
What more did these people want? If you can't improve after working this hard, you'll only feel regret.
"Maybe."
Hikigaya nodded in agreement.
Since it was a difference in talent, there was nothing to be done.
Just accept your fate!
Just like he had set his passing line for math at fifty points.
It was easier to just give up.
"That won't do."
Yume Kobashi slapped her thighs with both hands and leaned forward with a serious face:
"Even if it's just one point, we must work hard to improve our scores; only then can we increase our chances of moving up a class!"
"Oh... oh."
Wouldn't it be fine not to move up to Class A? He obviously couldn't say those words, so Hikigaya nodded helplessly.
Even if his desire for Class A wasn't high, the others clearly wanted it very much.
Even if he didn't work hard.
He couldn't just tell the others not to work hard either.
Since Yume Kobashi and the others wanted to learn, he just had to think of a method.
But... was there really none?
"Hikigaya-kun."
Mako Asakura said with some distress: "Do you know what it means to remember based on cause and effect? Ichinose said she couldn't explain it well, and I really don't understand."
"It really isn't easy to explain."
Hikigaya nodded in thought:
"An example might be better; like a long, long time ago, there was a Little Su and a Little Mei. Little Su was a calm, beautiful 'slut' type, and Little Mei was a cheerful, cute 'slut' type."
"Slut?"
The expressions of the three girls were somewhat disgusted, and Yuki Himeno secretly kicked him under the table; you really dare to say that.
"An example, it's just an example."
Feeling the fearful eyes of Little Yume and Little Mako, Hikigaya felt a bit uncomfortable.
"The two 'sluts' were in the same class, chasing the position of the most popular person in the class; because they both wanted to be first, they were hostile toward each other."
"Eh? Why would it be like that?"
Yume Kobashi was somewhat puzzled: "Isn't it better for everyone to get along in a friendly way?"
"..."
Hikigaya was suddenly at a loss for words.
He didn't know if Yume Kobashi's past environment had been good enough or if this class was just different; why were there so many problems?
Weren't girls all superficially friendly but pointing swords at each other behind their backs?
"Anyway, just know they both wanted to be first..."
Hikigaya explained stutteringly; he felt his past learning methods were a bit hard to sustain.
Why can't they get along?
Because they're both 'sluts,' but there didn't seem to be any in this class; what should he do?
Whether it was Yume Kobashi or Mako Asakura, they both seemed to be kind-hearted good kids who hadn't experienced the dangers of the wars between girls.
Yuki Himeno, on the side, seemed to have caught on; this guy really was an ill-natured person. He surely hadn't been in group chats with girls talking bad about boys before.
"Because of the eyes of the people around them, in order to pretend to be good... uh..."
Hikigaya rubbed his leg where Yuki Himeno had kicked him; he wasn't intentionally mocking her.
"They couldn't show their hostility, so the two engaged in high-intensity information warfare or thought of ways to mess with the other in secret."
"How could there be people like that! How awful..."
"How could such a person be popular? It's impossible for other girls to support them, right? Hikigaya's example has no logic at all."
Yume Kobashi and Mako Asakura were both speechless; it completely overturned their worldview.
"Ugh..."
Hikigaya felt it was so hard: "Anyway, this is the struggle between capitalist countries and socialist countries, which is the Cold War!"
"Then both sides grasped weaknesses that, if spoken, could completely destroy the other, so neither side could rashly take action."
"The big secret is the so-called nuclear bomb, which is Mutually Assured Destruction!"
After finishing.
Hikigaya glanced at the two; in any case, he had done his best, but both Mako Asakura and Yume Kobashi still had expressions of complete confusion.
"Hmm, although Hikigaya-kun gave an example, I still can't quite figure it out..."
Yume Kobashi puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "Why didn't Little Su and Little Mei think about improving themselves to become number one in the class, but instead always thought about framing the other? Wouldn't it be terrible if they were found out?"
"Ugh..."
Sorry, this question is out of scope...
"Maybe it's because that's too tiring?"
"Why should a person like that become number one in the class~"
Yume Kobashi was somewhat unconvinced; she would never support such a person.
Is that the main point here?
Study properly for me!!!
Hikigaya was a bit tired; chatting with girls was truly a troublesome thing, as they would get off-topic at the drop of a hat.
"Me too."
Mako Asakura pulled the topic back: "I seem to kind of understand, but at the same time, I feel like I don't."
"Hmm..."
Yuki Himeno, on the side, tentatively said in a gentle voice:
"It might be easier to understand if you replace the class with this school; Little Su and Little Mei both used dishonorable means to move up to Class A, just like Ryuuen and the others?"
"Oh, now I understand!"
Yume Kobashi clapped her hands, her face showing a look of realization.
Mako Asakura across from him watched Hikigaya, equally excited:
"So that's what it means to remember based on cause and effect; as expected, Hikigaya is really reliable..."
"Hmm... hmm-hmm..."
Hikigaya's voice was weak, his gaze flickering.
This was probably the reason why Yuki Himeno felt somewhat out of place at the start of school; he felt like an anomaly in this class.
It was over; he was understanding these normies more and more.
It was truly too hard.