Time passed.
For the past few days, Yuki Himeno and the others had been studying in the Knitting Club, seemingly with Ichinose's approval.
Hikigaya also breathed a slight sigh of relief.
At least after the first day.
Yume Kobashi and the others weren't just chatting; they were also studying properly.
Moreover.
In terms of science, he could ask questions whenever he didn't understand—sometimes he didn't even have to ask; they'd just see his confused face.
Yume Kobashi and Mako Asakura would take the initiative to help him solve his problems.
It really made Hikigaya feel overwhelmed by the favor.
His past life felt like a strict dream, with a strong sense of disconnect from his current life.
It just felt so unreal.
At this moment.
Hikigaya was sitting at one end of the square table, with Yuki Himeno sitting opposite him, while Yume Kobashi and Mako Asakura sat to his left and right.
Although the positions were different from the start.
It was just a seat change, nothing strange.
Hikigaya looked up at the opposite side, and Yuki Himeno quickly looked away. Although what she did was her own business.
He had no intention of interfering with Yuki Himeno.
But this person... she really can act.
Yume Kobashi asked curiously: "I heard from Kanzaki that this club isn't busy, right? You don't have to come normally?"
"Mhm."
Yuki Himeno explained weakly: "I'm just a ghost member. Does Yume want to join?"
"Hmm... I'll pass!"
Yume Kobashi shook her head: "Although it's indeed a good place to study, I still prefer playing outside normally."
"Ghost members can play outside too, right?"
Mako Asakura frowned, looking a bit confused: "But doesn't that feel a bit wrong? Not having to attend the club yet getting points to use? Does the school allow such a good thing?"
Upon hearing this.
Several people looked up at Hikigaya.
"Uh."
"You need to submit a club result report every year. It seems establishing a club is easy, but keeping it going is hard."
"Also, people from the Student Council often come for random inspections, so at least one person has to sit here normally."
Feeling like he was bragging about himself, Hikigaya said somewhat embarrassedly.
In reality.
Most people joined clubs for interest or honor.
The Knitting Club couldn't participate in competitions.
Even if they did.
They would definitely be cannon fodder against legitimate club members.
The use of department funds was also restricted; though it could be bypassed at any time, it was still limited and couldn't compare to actual personal points at all.
Aside from the 5,000 personal points and the ability to borrow this classroom.
There were no other attractive features.
"That's indeed not great then."
Yume Kobashi frowned: "Leaving one person here while others go play feels sneaky."
"Yeah."
Mako Asakura also expressed that she couldn't do such a thing.
"So how long can the Knitting Club be used for now?"
"Uh... if nothing goes wrong, it should be usable until April of our third year?"
Hikigaya wasn't very sure either.
But the Knitting Club was founded in April; with the initial year plus the report year, it should last until the third year.
"Eh? So Hikki has already submitted a report?"
Yume Kobashi was somewhat surprised.
Hikigaya glanced at Yuki Himeno; when this person was with others, she really never mentioned his affairs.
It was normal that Yume Kobashi and the others didn't know.
"I guess."
"What kind of report?"
"Uh..."
Hikigaya explained the book-selling incident in detail again, omitting Yuki Himeno's involvement.
Since Yuki Himeno didn't say anything.
He didn't need to go looking for trouble.
Since she liked to act, he'd let her; anyway, it had nothing to do with Hikigaya.
If Yume Kobashi and the others asked, he'd answer; when there were no questions, he'd just focus on his exercises.
"Amazing!"
After listening, Mako Asakura's eyes sparkled, and Yume Kobashi was equally surprised:
"As expected, Hikki is very smart. I didn't think the school had such a loophole. Wouldn't it be easy to save up 20 million points this way? Why not keep doing it?"
"I can't."
Hikigaya was already uncomfortable with the praise and said a bit awkwardly:
"If I keep going, it'll eventually be discovered. When that happens, the loophole will definitely be closed, and I don't want to do work that's tiring but has low returns."
"I see..."
Yume Kobashi nodded: "As expected, Hikki has a very mature style."
"No..."
"Then let's have the celebration dinner tomorrow!"
Yume Kobashi quickly moved to the next topic: "Since the Student Council only inspects occasionally, missing one day won't hurt. We won't come to the club tomorrow; we'll go straight to Palette. We can all bring the dishes we've prepared. How about it?"
"Good idea!"
Mako Asakura said with delight, and Yuki Himeno had no objections either.
"What about Hikki?"
Yume Kobashi also looked very happy: "That way, you won't have to go back and prepare dinner, right?"
"..."
It was over.
These guys were serious.
They really wanted to have a celebration dinner and bring handmade dishes.
If he had known, he wouldn't have told those clumsy lies. Hikigaya felt a faint regret, but he really didn't want to go.
Wouldn't normal people stop contacting someone after being rejected once or twice?
Why couldn't he turn down these people's invitations?
"I am truly sorry."
Hikigaya apologized sincerely: "Actually, my cooking is only at a sixth-grade elementary level. How about we just forget it?"
"Eh?"
Seeing this, Yume Kobashi said with confusion:
"Isn't that normal? Aside from those who join clubs for interest, most boys' home economics skills should only be at a sixth-grade level, right?"
"Me too."
Yuki Himeno nodded and said softly: "And back in elementary school, the boys were always just messing around."
"Yeah, I'm only at a sixth-grade level too."
Mako Asakura said expectantly: "Besides, boys who can cook are rare. I've never eaten a dish made by a boy before. I'm looking forward to it~"
Hmm?
Was that so?
Still, Japanese home economics classes were indeed geared more toward girls; the boys basically spent the time treating spatulas like swords and play-fighting.
Hikigaya only studied home economics seriously because he dreamed of being a househusband and didn't have any friends.
It seemed.
No matter how he explained it.
In the eyes of Yume Kobashi and the others, he was a very impressive person. Their thinking was simply too positive.
He felt these people would be easily tricked in the future...
"Um..."
Hikigaya scratched the back of his head, feeling quite embarrassed:
"Could you please stop praising me like that? I'm really not as amazing as you think."
"Here we go again, here we go again~"
Yume Kobashi waved her hand slightly downward while teasing: "Hikki, being too humble only makes people think you're being fake."
"Yeah."
Mako Asakura also shook her head: "Besides, we're just telling the truth. We aren't exaggerating, right?"
"I see..."
Hikigaya sighed softly.
The underlying meaning was: stop being so self-centered, it's honestly disgusting.
In the past, Hikigaya would have definitely thought that; he still thought it now, but he was a bit confused.
Yume Kobashi and Mako Asakura.
Did they really lack awareness in this regard, or was their level already too high for him to see through?
Hikigaya remained suspicious at all times.
But this feeling of being praised, aside from being uncomfortable, didn't seem to be bad.
"Then it's decided,"
Yume Kobashi clapped her small hands happily and said, "Tomorrow after school, we'll bring homemade food to Pallet for a get-together!"
At the dormitory building.
Back in his room.
Hikigaya stared at the ingredients in his kitchen, lost in thought.
Should he actually prepare homemade food?
This wasn't just a simple question about cooking.
Because he had never been expected of by anyone before, Hikigaya was particularly sensitive to this kind of thing.
Whether it was Yume Kobashi or mako asakura—regardless of whether they were faking it or being sincere—this was likely what it felt like to have people expecting things from you.
However.
While the feeling of being expected of wasn't bad, expectations only continue to rise until they eventually lead to disappointment.
Looking at the big picture through this small lens.
Hikigaya finally understood Ichinose's situation.
She had probably been propped up step by step by people like Kobashi and the others.
Hikigaya could bet on it.
The next step.
Kobashi and the others would ask for his opinion on the special exam to meet their expectations.
The step after that.
They would continue by asking if he had a strategy for victory.
He would have to keep satisfying those expectations.
Kobashi and the others might even go around proclaiming how amazing Hikigaya was.
Invisibly.
Hikigaya felt like he would end up becoming the leader of Class B.
They probably didn't have any malicious intent, but this situation was extremely bad.
It even felt like a force of nature he couldn't resist.
In a normal school.
This would probably be a perfect class.
But in this school.
Class B, as a class that needed to compete, wasn't functioning properly at all.
The kind-hearted Kobashi and others were unconsciously projecting their expectations onto Ichinose, and the kind-hearted Ichinose was desperately trying to satisfy them.
If they could keep going like this and reach Class A, that would be fine.
But Hikigaya fully believed.
That once they suffered a defeat.
Ichinose would inevitably have a day where she would be crushed.
Even though they were currently in Class B—even just one step away from Class A—Hikigaya felt the situation was dire.
No.
Absolutely not.
Hikigaya had no desire to become the leader of Class B, nor did he want to become the next Ichinose.
Why should he exhaust himself to lead a group of people he barely knew just to scramble into Class A?
Besides.
He didn't even have that kind of ability!
Hikigaya's gaze grew deep as he made his decision and closed the refrigerator.
This meal.
He wasn't making it!
He could not meet the expectations of Kobashi and the others!
He wanted to be a loser; only losers aren't expected to do anything.
Why should all that pressure be transferred to him?
No way!