"Hikigaya-senpai."
"Can I borrow a bit of your time to come out with me? I have something to ask you."
Taking advantage of the time Ichinose and Yuki Himeno were getting drinks, Sakurako Tsubaki asked while licking a lollipop at the corner of her mouth.
"Oh."
Hikigaya nodded.
Anyway, since Ichinose and the others were nearby, it wasn't a problem.
Only, seeing that Sakurako Tsubaki didn't move for a long time, he asked with some confusion:
"Where to?"
"Somewhere we can talk privately is fine."
"So, where is that?"
Hikigaya asked in a deep voice.
Did this girl want him to make the decision?
Since she wanted to talk, she should be the one to decide on the place.
Tsubaki finally looked up at Hikigaya.
Clearly.
Tsubaki wasn't the type who was good at conversation, and she rarely made decisions.
She was silent for a moment:
"Let's go..."
Hikigaya stood up and followed her out.
Looking at the customers everywhere in the family restaurant, Sakurako Tsubaki actually didn't know where would be appropriate.
Unfortunately.
Behind her was a useless senior who actually needed her to make a decision.
After searching for a while.
Tsubaki finally led Hikigaya into a fire escape.
Closing the door.
The passage instantly became pitch black.
Tsubaki turned on the flashlight on her phone and sat on the steps without a care; Hikigaya also leaned against the wall opposite her and took out his phone.
It was just a talk, so there was no need to be picky.
"Senpai."
Looking at those dead-fish eyes in the light across from her, which looked like a ghost, Tsubaki didn't mind.
"I see you haven't taken any action. Are you not planning to move against Ayanokouji-senpai? Are you not interested in that 20 million reward?"
"No... I don't plan to move."
"Oh."
Tsubaki nodded.
This useless senior seemed to answer frankly as long as he was asked; he was much easier to deal than Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
"Senpai."
Tsubaki sat on the steps and continued to ask:
"Last time you asked if we had met Tsukishiro before entering the school. You seem to know a lot about them. Since you don't plan to move against Ayanokouji, can you tell me the information you have about Ayanokouji-senpai?"
"No, I don't know much either."
Hikigaya shook his head.
Anyway, whether it was Tsubasa Nanase, Riku Utomiya, or Sakurako Tsubaki.
It was all the same.
As long as they didn't involve him, Hikigaya would answer every question.
"I only know he is someone who came out of a mysterious facility called the White Room. This exam was probably specifically prepared to get Ayanokouji expelled."
"Oh?"
Tsubaki had no expression, but her tone was a bit surprised.
This senior was truly honest, answering whatever he was asked.
Although it was somewhat expected.
Tsubaki also didn't expect to obtain such useful information so easily.
"What kind of facility is that White Room?"
"A mysterious facility, I'm not very clear on the details myself."
Hikigaya responded indifferently.
After all, most of the information came from Tsubasa Nanase, and he didn't know if it was true or false.
"That..."
After hesitating for a while, Hikigaya still asked:
"Utomiya-kun is participating in the exam to expel Ayanokouji for the sake of the class. As for you, what is it for?"
"Senpai, why do you like to pry into these irrelevant matters?"
Tsubaki licked the lollipop.
This senior clearly had no interest in the exam regarding Ayanokouji, nor in irrelevant people.
Whether it was them looking for Hikigaya to form a team before, or the questions now.
Hikigaya gave off an air of indifference, yet he specifically liked to ask about their motivations.
Tsubaki keenly noticed this point.
Perhaps.
There was more information within this, or it was the senior's own speculation.
Based on the answer, she might be able to see through Hikigaya's true nature.
Having been alone since childhood, Tsubaki's insight was also not to be underestimated.
"It's nothing."
Hikigaya said indifferently:
"I may not know much about them, but I at least know Ayanokouji's background is very powerful. Unless there is some special reason, it's best not to get involved with him."
Hikigaya was certain.
Getting involved with someone with a powerful background like Ayanokouji.
It wouldn't benefit an ordinary person.
What's more, standing on the opposite side of Ayanokouji, just like that poor Eiichiro.
Just by being slightly involved.
Perhaps without even having seen Ayanokouji's face.
He was driven to a dead end by a big shot he didn't even know.
Gambling one's life for a few private points or for Class A was clearly not worth it.
There was no benefit at all!
Isn't it good to just go to school properly?
Why go and get involved with a troublesome guy like Ayanokouji?
Therefore.
He would persuade whomever he could; if he couldn't, then so be it.
These were people on the edge of a crisis without even knowing it.
They didn't understand the seriousness of the problem at all.
Hikigaya didn't mind sharing information with them, hoping these first-year students could understand the danger before weighing the pros and cons.
If they still wanted to move against Ayanokouji.
Then no one could be blamed if they died.
"I see."
Tsubaki nodded.
It was useless. What could be determined was this.
The rumors might be somewhat distorted; Hikigaya wasn't the kind of trash from the rumors, but instead, like Ichinose, he would care about strangers.
"There is no special reason. Since you don't know much, forget it."
Tsubaki stood up indifferently, preparing to leave.
"No reason?"
Hikigaya, nearby, was somewhat startled.
To deal with Ayanokouji for no reason—did she not understand what he had just said?
"Yes."
Tsubaki held the door handle and said indifferently: "If I had to say, I feel it wouldn't matter even if I was expelled."
"If you are targeted, it might be more than just expulsion."
Hikigaya frowned, only now realizing how much more "gloomy" and pessimistic Tsubaki was compared to him.
In Tsubaki's state.
It wouldn't even be surprising if she sought her own end one day.
"Is that so?"
Tsubaki finally understood how serious the consequences could be, but she still didn't care:
"Then it seems like there's nothing to care about..."
With that.
Tsubaki left the fire escape, and Hikigaya followed behind her with a worried look in his eyes.
She was too gloomy.
Hikigaya already thought of himself as very pessimistic.
But Tsubaki seemed even more so.
She seemed not to care about anything around her.
Where did all these troubles come from at such a young age?
She didn't act like a high school student at all.
"Eh?"
Seeing the two return to their seats, Yuki Himeno asked with some confusion:
"Where did you two go just now?"
"Oh."
Hikigaya thought about it.
It was better not to tell the others about the matter of expelling Ayanokouji, otherwise it would only pull Ichinose and the others into trouble.
So he explained:
"Ichinose, don't be too enthusiastic. Tsubaki said she is a bit uncomfortable with it."
"No, it's just that what the senior was teaching was a bit beyond my ability."
Tsubaki quickly added an explanation, which surprised Hikigaya.
This girl clearly just wanted to ask for information.
She had no intention of studying at all.
To avoid leaking the Ayanokouji matter, which was good for everyone, Tsubaki shouldn't care about these things.
Unless.
The world truly contained people like Hiyori Shiina who enjoyed solitude.
But Tsubaki was clearly not among them.
"Eh? Is that so?"
Ichinose was slightly stunned and said somewhat apologetically: "I'm sorry. Then let's start with something simpler. Tsubaki-kun, if you have any requests, you can just tell me directly."
"Oh."
Tsubaki sat obediently next to Ichinose.
Watching this, Hikigaya felt it was necessary to let Ichinose have more contact with Tsubaki.
Ichinose was simply the natural enemy of loners.
Otherwise.
This worrying junior would eventually run into problems.
Being this gloomy was not a good thing.
Letting Ichinose and Yuki Himeno take Tsubaki out to play more.
Might be better.