Keyaki Mall.
On the street back to the dormitory.
Various shops lined both sides of the street, with a mix of different aromas stimulating the taste buds.
A bowl of ramen was naturally not enough for a teenager.
Although still a bit hungry, Hikigaya had no intention of eating anything else; the rest would be for Ichinose to feed him when he returned.
Just then.
A figure with long purple hair entered his field of vision, holding a hash brown and eating while returning toward the dormitory.
It was exactly that girl he had run into in the ramen shop just now.
She really can eat.
There was only this one road back to the dormitory.
They had only met once on the deserted island; the other party clearly also had some disdain for his two-timing behavior.
Looking at the girl ahead.
Hikigaya didn't care either, keeping both hands in his pockets.
Approaching the dormitory.
There were still many students returning to the dorms around them; Hikigaya felt there were noticeably fewer gazes than before, and not many people were looking his way.
Evaluation.
This showed the popularity of the topic was finally showing a downward trend.
In roughly some time.
No one would care about these matters anymore.
Only his reputation might remain; if it affected special exams, there was no helping it—everything comes with a corresponding price.
Just then.
The girl in front was tripped by something.
Masumi Kamuro fell to the ground with a "thud," the hash brown in her hand forming a graceful parabola in the air before landing on the ground.
"Pfft..."
The surrounding people were stunned for a moment, then covered their mouths and chuckled, instantly making Kamuro's face flush with heat.
Bastard.
If it weren't for the sake of the class, how could she be like this? These bastards watching the show on the sidelines were truly asking for a beating.
Up.
"Are you okay?"
After waiting around and finding no one stepped forward, Hikigaya walked up to her and asked in a low voice.
Looking at Hikigaya in front of her, Masumi Kamuro felt a bit unpleasant.
Fortunately.
Both Ichinose and Hikigaya were kind-hearted people.
As long as one exploited this kindness.
It would be easy to succeed.
But at the moment Hikigaya truly appeared in front of her, Kamuro still felt somewhat bad.
"I'm fine."
Masumi Kamuro spoke unceremoniously, using both hands to push herself off the ground and barely managed to stand, but a pain in her foot seemed to make her fall back down again.
Watching the scene unfold, the people around chuckled again.
"Sigh."
Hikigaya reached out his hand helplessly: "How about you contact the school's medical staff?"
"Mind your own business."
Looking at the hand stretched out in front of her, Masumi Kamuro glanced away with some disgust, and stood up by herself using both hands to support herself.
To handle this guy.
She had really invested heavily; it felt like her foot really was sprained.
After speaking.
Masumi Kamuro dragged her delicate body, her expression pained, and walked toward the dormitory one step at a time.
"Look at that guy, he's trying to make a move on another girl again."
"Does he really think others will be like Ichinose and the others?"
"Wishful thinking."
""
Looking at the slow-paced girl, Hikigaya didn't care about the evaluations around him.
What a strong-willed person.
However.
Since the other party didn't need it, he naturally wouldn't pry further.
Just then.
"Um..."
Masumi Kamuro turned back, looking somewhat hesitant:
"Could you help me find a stick or something like that?"
"Shouldn't you still go to the infirmary?"
"No need, just help me find a stick. A minor injury like this will be fine after two days of rest."
"Then wait a moment."
Hikigaya looked at the shops on either side, walked into a convenience store, borrowed a free umbrella, and gave it to the girl.
"You should still call your friends and have someone take you to the infirmary."
"Mind your own business."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched.
He watched as the girl ahead walked away gradually while leaning on the umbrella.
Although strong-willed.
Her personality was truly nasty.
However.
Perhaps because of this nasty personality, she might not have many friends, which is why she insisted on being alone even more.
Hikigaya slowed his pace and followed behind her.
Until he watched her enter the elevator, he returned to his own room.
The next day at school.
During the break between classes, Ichinose, Himeno, and others gathered around Hikigaya.
"Hikki..."
Kobashi Yume and the others asked with some confusion: "Why did I hear again that you're going to make a move on a new girl?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Hikigaya was suddenly completely dumbfounded.
"It's nothing."
Mako Amikura explained with some confusion: "It's just that I heard you seemed to want to make a move on another girl yesterday, so we're also a bit curious."
"It should be some kind of rumor, Hikki wouldn't do such a thing."
Ichinose, on the side, explained somewhat helplessly, and Himeno, next to her, also didn't take it to heart.
If someone said a girl wanted to make a move on Hikigaya, it might be possible.
The probability of this guy actively cheating was simply too low.
"That..."
Hikigaya finally realized: "When I was going back yesterday, I saw someone fall, so I went up to help for a bit."
"Is it someone you know?"
"No, probably a girl from Class A, I'm not very sure myself."
Hikigaya shook his head.
Although he could compare them one by one on the OAA.
But they had only run into each other once in a ramen shop, and the other party clearly disliked him, so Hikigaya wasn't so bored that he'd waste his energy like that.
"Hmm?"
Himeno furrowed her brows: "Then you didn't send her back to her room, did you?"
"How could that be?"
Hikigaya said speechlessly: "I don't even know her name, and she also seemed to dislike me. I originally wanted to help but was rejected; in the end, I just gave her an umbrella and she walked back slowly on her own."
Speculation.
"Eh? Then how did it get spread like this?"
Kobashi Yume was somewhat surprised.
This seemed like just a very ordinary small matter, yet it was spread as if Hikigaya was going to make a move on a new woman again.
"It's normal."
Hikigaya didn't feel it was anything special, saying indifferently:
"After all, my evaluation right now should be like this; with just a slight contact with a girl, it's very easy for people to guess in this direction."
"Indeed..."
Sayo Ando, in the front seat, couldn't help but nod and sighed:
"It seems like you're having a hard time, Hikki, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Hikigaya showed an indifferent smile: "I don't even know her name, I don't care about what those people think."
As long as the people close to him could understand, it was enough.
"As expected..."
Kobashi Yume said with some emotion: "No matter who it is, Hikki will step up to help."
"How could that be?"
Hikigaya said speechlessly: "Anyone would help with a small favor like that, and I certainly wouldn't help someone like Ike."
It was just giving an umbrella.
Or helping contact the medical staff.
Most people shouldn't refuse a small matter like that.
Although at the time, none of the people around stepped forward to help, Hikigaya only felt it was somewhat tragic.
One is not required to reach out to a stranger.
But they were still high school students.
In the best years of their lives, still students in an ivory tower.
Clearly.
Most people had already been "alienated" by this school.
They increasingly thought only of themselves.
After all, they also had to prevent the possibility of being "extorted" (scammed) by the other party, although their way of thinking wasn't incomprehensible.
But Hikigaya still felt this kind of coldness was somewhat tragic.