"What are you guys doing?"
"Why did you step on my cup? That couldn't have been an accident, right?"
Haruka Hasebe stood up, her pretty face glaring at the group in anger.
It was Ryuen along with several Class C boys, as well as Hiyori Shiina standing beside them, who still looked like she hadn't quite woken up.
Hikigaya looked up.
Actually.
Being with Hiyori Shiina was the most comfortable.
Even though they hadn't met many times, just sitting quietly in the library reading books never felt awkward. Hiyori had even recommended quite a few books to him.
At the very least, they could be considered acquaintances.
As Hikigaya was hesitating, their eyes met, but Hiyori Shiina acted as if she hadn't seen him.
Being ignored, huh...
It wasn't that strange.
They were in different classes and only occasionally read books together; their relationship wasn't that close.
Since the other party was ignoring him.
There was no need for Hikigaya to go up and be annoying.
"Oh."
Ryuen ground the paper cup under his foot, his face full of flippancy.
"It rolled to my feet. I thought you had thrown it away. I only stepped on it to save you the effort."
"Ryuen, I've wanted to say this for a long time: you really should knock off that attitude!"
Akito Miyake slapped the table and stood up. It looked like the two sides were about to come to blows at any second.
Hikigaya also looked up at the group.
Class C's opponent this time was Class D, so Class D probably wasn't having an easy time.
But these people really loved this kind of troublemaking pressure tactic.
Are they children?
"Huh?"
A boy behind Ryuen glared aggressively at the other side: "Who do you think you're talking to?"
" I'm not talking to you. Flattering lackeys like you should just get lost, Ishizaki!"
Akito Miyake also showed no intention of backing down.
How nostalgic!!!
Hikigaya turned his body sideways, resting his arm on the table to prop up his face as he watched the scene before him.
Classes are just like carnivores.
A hierarchy exists there as well.
If you can't become the leader, you'll be under pressure until you die.
If you want to be part of the top group in the class, you need to find your position and trample others underfoot.
This Ishizaki-kun.
He was probably playing the role of the loyal, comical lackey to become Ryuen's close attendant.
Now that was a normal class.
Every time he saw Class C and Class D, Hikigaya felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
By the way.
How come he didn't see that big black guy from Class C?
He remembered that guy was very strong. As expected, if you want to be part of the group at the top of the class, sycophancy is indispensable.
Just having strength isn't enough.
By the way.
Why haven't these guys started fighting yet? Hachiman picked up a cookie made by someone unknown and popped it into his mouth, fully prepared to watch the show.
Hurry up and start!
Just then.
"Stop it."
Kobashi Yume pushed off the table and stood up, appearing between the groups.
"Are you really trying to cause a violent incident here?"
Eh?
Wait a second?
Hachiman was suddenly stunned. Why did you run over there?
There weren't just upperclassmen around; there were several surveillance devices as well. This was undoubtedly a public place with no blind spots. Wouldn't it be better to let them fight?
If Class C and Class D caused a violent incident here, even if they weren't expelled, they would definitely lose a lot of Class Points.
This would only benefit Class B. Why meddle?
"Is it really okay?"
Hachiman felt somewhat helpless. It seemed that not just Ichinose, but Kobashi Yume and the others were also a bunch of pure, meddlesome "good people."
"Class B is really..."
Even Ryuen was a bit speechless. He glanced at Hachiman and said, "Why don't you all just be like him and stay on the side to watch the show?"
This guy had been standing there with a gloating expression that said, 'Why haven't you started fighting yet?' It was like he was treating Ryuen like a fool. How could a fight actually break out here?
"Ahem."
Hachiman gave an embarrassed cough and said, "That... this should be a matter between Class C and Class D. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for us to interfere?"
Seriously.
Stop meddling!
"How can you say that?"
Kobashi Yume finally spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Maintaining the school's atmosphere is the responsibility of every student. Everyone is responsible, and violence is wrong."
The corners of Ishizaki and the others' mouths from Class C twitched, their faces wearing a look of 'I give up.'
Every time they ran into Class B while trying to get things done, it was a hassle. They were all a bunch of do-gooders who loved acting as heroes.
"..."
Hachiman was also somewhat helpless: "Ryuen and the others probably didn't intend to cause a violent incident anyway, so let's just leave it alone."
"Eh? Is that so?"
Kobashi Yume and the other girls looked at Ryuen suspiciously, only to see him narrowing his eyes as well.
Back on the cruise ship.
He had already discovered that this guy's insight was exceptionally high.
And his brain wasn't bad either.
Although Hachiman never had any intention of hiding it.
Ryuen wasn't particularly interested.
But to climb to Class A, besides Ichinose, Hachiman was undoubtedly another enemy standing in the way.
"Ho?"
Ryuen narrowed his eyes, turning the spearhead toward Hachiman:
"Let me hear your reasoning."
Even though this matter had nothing to do with Class B.
Once he dealt with the mastermind hidden in Class D, he would still have to face Ichinose and Sakayanagi. It wouldn't hurt to do a little preparation in advance.
"Why should I explain it to you?"
Hachiman was speechless. I'm not your lackey, why should I follow your orders?
"You bastard."
His follower, Ishizaki, jumped up again, his face full of anger: "Who do you think you're talking to?"
"Heh..."
Ryuen raised his hand to stop his subordinate, scrutinizing Hachiman with eyes like a venomous snake:
"I've felt this for a while—you've got a lot of nerve. Do you think I won't lay a hand on you?"
"Don't do that!"
Kobashi Yume stopped them again, saying with some anticipation:
"Hikigaya-kun, I want to know too. Why do you think Ryuen and his group won't cause a violent incident?"
"Sigh..."
Feeling the sparkling eyes of several girls on him, Hachiman felt a bit unnatural and said:
"They've been sitting behind Class D this whole time. The paper cup was stepped on by Ryuen the moment it fell. There are no such coincidences in this world. Waiting for an opportunity like that—he probably has other goals. If he wanted to start a fight, he would have done it long ago."
From the very beginning.
Yes.
Hachiman had noticed Ryuen and the others.
Though he didn't see Shiina Hiyori, she was likely at the table behind Class B.
The paper cup hit the ground.
In less than a second, it was stepped on by Ryuen.
This guy was clearly waiting for this chance to act cool and stir up trouble.
For this one chance.
Ryuen had been waiting in the back for quite a while.
Thinking about it.
This guy is actually childish in a somewhat cute way...
"Stare..."
Hasebe Haruka, Kobashi Yume, and the others couldn't help but stare at Ryuen. Even Miyake Akito looked at him with a gaze that wasn't quite right.
Ishizaki and the others also scratched the backs of their heads, stealing glances at Ryuen. Just now, Ryuen-san had kept telling them to wait a bit longer.
Could it be that he was waiting for exactly this?
It felt like Hachiman's analysis made a lot of sense.
In that case.
Why did Ryuen Kakeru suddenly seem strangely "cute"?
Wasting so much time.
Just to wait for an opportunity to make a grand, cool entrance?
The originally dangerous atmosphere vanished instantly. Feeling everyone's gaze, Ryuen narrowed his eyes.
He had been waiting just now.
But that was only to seize the initiative and suppress them with momentum.
But once Hachiman explained it like that, it made the behavior seem very childish.
If he tried to stubbornly explain himself.
Ryuen knew very well that it would be a blow to his prestige.
Moreover, explaining these things to idiots like Ishizaki was inherently exhausting.
Unknowingly.
Ryuen felt like he had been backed into a corner. He realized that Hachiman was an oddly disgusting guy to deal with.
Last time they met, he was full of complaints and lies, but at a critical moment, he didn't give his opponent a chance to refute.
Perhaps.
Hachiman is even harder to deal with than Ichinose.
It's just that this guy doesn't seem to have much interest in the class, but is instead quite obsessed with personal points.
"...That certainly sounds like the thought process of an idiot."
Feeling like they were being insulted, Ishizaki and the others turned red. Hachiman was also speechless; this guy really was stubborn.
"Forget it."
"I'm not looking for you this time. I'm looking for these two."
Ryuen walked up to Yukimura and Ayanokouji, his gaze still sharp.
"Did you receive my gift?"
"What on earth is he talking about?"
"Who knows..."
Ayanokouji and Yukimura looked completely baffled.
Yukimura might have been truly confused, but as for Ayanokouji, Hachiman strongly suspected he was faking it.
He actually received a gift from Ryuen?
This guy really is a traitor to Class D, just like Kushida Kikyo!
Just kidding.
If he really were a traitor, Ryuen wouldn't need to interrogate him, right?
Then what is he doing?
Hachiman was a bit puzzled, but he didn't take it to heart. Anyway, it was a matter between Class C and Class D; let them fight it out themselves.
"How is it? Anything of interest? Hiyori?"
Ryuen stared at the two of them and called out Shiina Hiyori's name.
"It's hard to say. Nothing can be confirmed at this stage. Neither of their faces leaves a deep impression; I feel like I might forget them immediately."
"Hehe, don't say that. They might be people we'll be dealing with for a long time later on."
"Yukimura-kun, Ayanokouji-kun, and Koenji-kun... and that other one?"
"It's Hirata. Hirata."
"Oh, right."
The two of them ignored everyone else and began to converse shamelessly.
Eh?
Hachiman was shocked.
Does Class D have this many traitors?
However.
He didn't expect Shiina Hiyori to have such a good relationship with Ryuen; they were actually on a first-name basis.
Speaking of which.
When facing Horikita Suzune, even though she clearly resisted, Ryuen still insisted on calling her by her first name without considering her feelings.
Shiina Hiyori might be in the same situation.
Ryuen is quite bold; he loves aggressively calling people by their first names.
Wait a minute...
Hachiman, lost in thought, suddenly frowned.
When facing Ichinose, Ryuen always seemed to call her Ichinose. It was the same for Sakayanagi.
Why is that?
Whether it was Ichinose or Sakayanagi, they were undoubtedly beautiful girls who were not inferior to Horikita Suzune.
This definitely wasn't a difference in aesthetic preference.
Language often hides extremely important details.
Even unconscious thoughts deep within the mind.
Ryuen seemed to look down on Horikita Suzune's strength, which is why he ignored her will and called her by her first name.
He never treated Horikita Suzune as an equal opponent.
But as for Ichinose and Sakayanagi...
Ryuen never used their first names. Is he afraid of them? Does he view them as opponents on the same level?
If it were Sakayanagi he feared, Hachiman could understand.
That little loli really is terrifying.
But why would he fear Ichinose?
Hachiman found it really difficult to understand.
It was just that he rarely saw Ryuen and Ichinose talking; the last time was during the Sports Festival