In the dorm room.
Hikigaya leaned against the wall holding Yuki Himeno in his arms, his chin resting on her fragrant shoulder as he watched her play with wide eyes.
Since Yuki Himeno arrived, this handheld console had nothing more to do with him.
He felt it was necessary to re-apply to the student council to get a few more for free.
But thinking that Miyabi Nagumo was now in charge of the student council, Hikigaya thought better of it.
After all.
He hadn't even re-applied to the student council for a heater.
He just didn't want to have anything to do with Nagumo.
Although Nagumo had issued a challenge, he hadn't made a move on him yet; he was mostly likely being tied up by Ayanokouji.
Hikigaya had no evidence.
But he felt that if anything happened, it could be pushed onto Ayanokouji.
He'd probably be eighty or ninety percent right.
After all.
Ayanokouji was likely the most mysterious person in the whole school.
Anything could be connected to him.
Just let Nagumo and Ayanokouji fight like dogs.
As long as enough time passed.
He believed Nagumo would eventually forget about the challenge.
However.
Hikigaya still supported Ayanokouji more.
After all, although Ayanokouji couldn't be called harmless to humans and animals, he seemed to have no aggressiveness.
Even though he had no idea what Ayanokouji wanted to do, he was at least much better than that pleasure-seeker Nagumo.
"Speaking of which."
Hikigaya touched Yuki Himeno's flat belly and asked curiously:
"How is that first-year doing?"
Yuki Himeno let go of the handheld console, looked back at him, and then furrowed her brows:
"I say, you really shouldn't be too gentle with people you're not familiar with."
These past few days.
Yuki Himeno had followed Ichinose and accompanied Sakurako Tsubaki shopping for a few days.
She was already very clear on this.
That girl simply looked for Hikigaya to form a team; she indeed had no other thoughts.
Himeno then lowered her guard, and Tsubaki also looked much more pleasant to her.
That first-year was indeed very worrying.
But Hikigaya was simply too kind.
Even when seeing matters unrelated to himself, as long as he saw someone in need of help, he would reach out to assist.
This kind of "central air conditioner" (being warm to everyone) was unacceptable.
Being gentle to just the two of them was enough!
"Oh, oh."
Hikigaya nodded.
He couldn't help but think of what Karuizawa had said that day; he felt it would become a lifelong psychological shadow.
That sort of thing indeed seemed not very good.
But Hikigaya believed he had already fully learned his lesson.
"Not really, didn't I hand her over to Ichinose?"
"Well, that's true."
Himeno nodded, and when speaking of Sakurako Tsubaki, her expression couldn't help but turn somewhat helpless:
"I don't know what that girl went through in the past, but it's indeed worrying. Clearly a girl, yet she isn't interested in makeup or shopping at all."
"Are you talking about Sakurako-chan?"
At this time, Ichinose walked out of the kitchen carrying a food tray and asked with some concern.
"Oh, it's time to eat~ Being able to eat Honami's cooking every time is truly great."
"Sorry, I'm always troubling you."
The two "rotten fish and shrimp" (useless people) quickly stood up and sat in front of the low table, like fledglings waiting to be fed.
Himeno would occasionally help at first.
But it seemed she truly disliked cooking; after helping a few times, she chose to "let it rot" (give up).
She had no right to criticize Hikigaya.
Hikigaya also enjoyed Ichinose's service with a heart full of guilt.
There was no helping it.
Mama Ichinose's cooking was just too delicious.
"Honestly."
Together.
"No need to be in such a hurry."
With a joyful smile on her face, Ichinose happily placed the lunch in the middle of the table; compared to separate portions, she still preferred everyone eating together.
Of course, she would only serve separate portions with people she wasn't familiar with.
"Then let's begin."
"I'm eating now!"
The three of them put their hands together before picking up their bowls and chopsticks.
"Sakurako-chan is indeed very worrying."
Following up.
Ichinose sent a small ball of rice into her mouth and then returned to the previous topic, saying with some worry:
"I feel she's a bit like Hikki was at the start of school."
"Ah... indeed..."
Himeno froze for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Sakurako Tsubaki indeed gave off the feeling of being bad at communicating with others and not caring about the evaluations of those around her; she also spoke very directly.
"Hey..."
Hikigaya said with some dissatisfaction: "No matter how you put it, I wasn't as decadent as she is, right?"
Feeling that "gloomy" might not be quite right, Hikigaya quickly changed his wording.
However,
Speaking of which.
People.
Hikigaya ate his rice with some emotion.
He was already able to talk normally with people in the class, and now he had two girlfriends and people like Yume Kobashi who could be called friends.
Perhaps he would even participate in multi-person study sessions with Ichinose and the others, go shopping with them, and enter cafes together.
It was completely different from his past life.
Unwittingly.
He had also changed quite a bit.
But in any case, he shouldn't be as "gloomy" as Sakurako Tsubaki.
"About the same."
Himeno said somewhat disdainfully while eating: "When school started, weren't you always cooped up in the club, only liking to drink MAX Coffee and going nowhere? You weren't much better than Tsubaki."
Learning.
"Ugh..."
Hikigaya's face stiffened; it seemed he couldn't refute that either.
Aside from ramen and MAX Coffee, at the start of school, he truly was uninterested in everything around him.
Now, he wanted to run to his dorm as soon as school was over.
It was all because Ichinose and Himeno were here; even if they weren't, they would return.
In that case.
Hikigaya furrowed his brows and tried to imagine.
Suppose at the start of school, he had received an exam where expelling a student would yield 20 million private points.
How would he have acted?
He probably would have chosen to participate just like Tsubaki.
After all.
At that time, he seemed to wish he could quickly be expelled and return to Chiba.
Even being expelled didn't matter.
Tsubaki was likely in a similar state.
But after figuring out Ayanokouji's background, he would most likely still choose to give up.
"Yes."
Ichinose also couldn't help but smile: "~But now Hikki is completely different from the start of school; it's truly great."
"Oh, well that's good."
Hikigaya couldn't help but smile.
Even if his reputation seemed to have worsened, at least in the eyes of Ichinose and Himeno, he was changing for the better.
Even though they were talking about Tsubaki.
The topic had somehow shifted back to Hikigaya.
However.
Since Ichinose was paying attention, there was likely no need to worry.
Ichinose was simply a "treasure against loners."
Specially designed to counter loners!
He believed Tsubaki would also make changes just like he did.
At least with Ichinose around.
That gloomy Sakurako Tsubaki probably wouldn't do anything foolish.
Another week began.
After school.
Ichinose, Himeno, Tsubaki, and others held a study session; Hikigaya felt truly uncomfortable and returned to his dorm to study on his own.
After all.
While they could talk, his relationship with Sayo Ando and the others couldn't be called good; the chirping and chattering truly affected study efficiency too much.
Speaking of which.
Although it had only been about a month.
Hikigaya felt he hadn't been to the Wool Club for a long time, nor had he gone to eat ramen.
Whether it was breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even late-night snacks.
Ichinose had completely taken care of every aspect of his life, even refilling daily necessities regularly.
She was truly an excellent wife.
Today.
Let's go eat ramen after such a long time.
Thinking this.
Hikigaya walked toward the direction of the bowling alley.
Since discovering that "Toranoana" (Tiger's Den), he had actually only eaten there once; it was simply a disrespect to the God of Ramen.
Disrespecting the gods would come at a price!
Leaving the school.
Not far behind.
Seeing Hikigaya walking toward Keyaki Mall alone.
Masumi Kamuro revealed herself.
You bastard.
This old lady finally waited for an opportunity.
...Handsome...