After Sakayanagi left.
Hikigaya still lay on the bed, his eyes hollow and his mind in chaos.
He could never understand.
How someone could be so unscrupulous just for their own selfish desires.
Even Ryuen.
At most, he would just test the rules repeatedly and use some shameful, dirty tactics.
But Sakayanagi could be so completely without a bottom line.
Only focusing on the result.
No matter what the process was, whether it violated the rules, as long as the result was beneficial to herself, there was no problem.
She.
Seemed to regard all of this as her own strength.
Delighting in the fact that she could think of such a method.
Beast.
A burst of anger rose in Hikigaya's heart, but it was quickly extinguished.
He had betrayed Ichinose and Himeno Yuki, and he couldn't even protect his own safety.
Although he despised Sakayanagi's methods.
The truth was indeed developing according to her predictions.
As long as the school was appealed to.
His future being ruined went without saying; whether it was Ichinose, the class, or even his parents and Komachi, they would all be affected.
Sakayanagi, that snake-hearted woman.
The desperate reality was laid out before him; Hikigaya felt only a sense of powerlessness.
He was just attending school; why did it turn out like this?
After a long time.
"Don't you feel it's disgusting?"
Hikigaya lay on the bed and asked with a voice of dead silence.
"Disgusting?"
It seemed she had been waiting for him to speak; Kamuro Masumi said with a face full of disdain:
"I don't find it disgusting at all. Anyway, this kind of thing has to be done sooner or later. After trying it, I found it's actually quite great. It seems Ichinose and that Himeno guy are very happy."
"Just thinking about Ichinose and the others finding out about this makes me so excited I can't stand it. What kind of expressions will they make?"
"But don't worry, neither Sakayanagi nor I will tell Ichinose and the others about this."
As she spoke.
Kamuro Masumi changed the subject and said playfully: "However, the premise is that you can be obedient."
"..."
Hikigaya clenched his fists and didn't respond.
What "becoming Sakayanagi's pawn for the sake of the class"—she clearly just wanted to pursue excitement and thought it was fun.
Kamuro Masumi was also a beast.
But thinking of Ichinose and the others, Hikigaya already didn't know what to say, much less how to face Ichinose.
"Alright."
"It's after eight o'clock; you should head back."
"If Ichinose and the others notice, you won't be able to explain yourself."
Kamuro Masumi saw him off with a playful expression, as if she were still looking out for him.
The hidden threat in her words, however, made Hikigaya feel even more disgusted.
Putting on his clothes.
Hikigaya left the bedroom like a puppet.
Walking to the elevator.
Hikigaya recoiled for some reason, turned into the fire escape, and walked down the stairs toward the fifth floor.
Returning to the sixth floor.
Hikigaya couldn't help but stop in his tracks.
He really didn't know how to face Ichinose and the others; at the thought of it, Hikigaya was filled with guilt and his heart was somewhat desperate.
Clearly, even his shitty old man had said.
To be careful of those big sisters who always have a gentle smile.
But he didn't expect.
A woman with such a look of disgust would be even more despicable and shameless.
Hikigaya sat on the steps and pulled out his phone.
He clicked on the OAA for Class C's pairings this time.
Many people were paired with those from First Year Class D who had weaker academic ability; this was clearly Ichinose's arrangement to help the first-year students for free.
However.
There were over ten classmates whose partners were top students from First Year Class A, which was clearly abnormal.
As long as the first-year students were persuaded to send an invitation, the upperclassmen would certainly not refuse.
He didn't know how it was done.
But it was clear that Sakayanagi had acted as a bridge in the middle.
"Hah..."
Hikigaya covered his forehead, and a tear couldn't help but spill from the corner of his eye.
Why was he so weak? Why didn't he see this earlier?
If he had seen it.
He should have been able to notice the abnormality.
Just as Sakayanagi said.
He always thought about staying out of things and keeping himself clean, being too indifferent to the things around him.
However.
As long as Sakayanagi still held the handle over him.
Hikigaya really didn't know what to do.
Watching the time on his phone tick away minute by minute, Hikigaya covered his forehead, somewhat at a loss.
Ichinose and the others must be waiting for him in the room.
There were messages on the chat software from Ichinose, Himeno Yuki, and others.
Even without clicking on them.
Hikigaya could guess the content.
They must be asking why he wasn't back yet.
If he went back to the room.
And Ichinose and the others asked him where he went and why he was only back now.
How should he answer?
Although it was those two sluts, Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi, who used such dirty tactics, it was also a fact that Hikigaya had betrayed Ichinose.
And he was caught with a handle that he couldn't resist.
Hikigaya buried his head in his arms and clenched his phone tightly, the hard case squeezing his fingers until they hurt slightly.
He just wanted to go to school properly.
His desire to rise to Class A wasn't even that high.
Although he had some petty cleverness that didn't belong in polite society, he hadn't intentionally hurt anyone else.
Why did it turn out like this?
Near nine o'clock.
Hikigaya didn't even know how he returned to the room.
"Hikigaya-kun, welcome back~"
The energetic smile on Ichinose's face instantly gave Hikigaya an urge to cry, but he held it back.
He had only just adjusted his state of mind.
He wanted to do his best to spend his life with Ichinose and Himeno Yuki.
Even if it wasn't accepted by the world, even if the road ahead was full of difficulties, if the three of them worked together, there would surely be some way.
But in just a few days.
Even such a tiny fantasy was shattered.
Hikigaya even felt a bit like dying.
"I'm back..."
Hikigaya replied with a forced smile.
"Honestly."
Himeno Yuki sat on the edge of the bed and said somewhat dissatisfied: "It's almost nine o'clock. Where on earth did you go? You didn't even check your messages."
"Uh..."
Lying was usually a common occurrence for him; normally, he could spout nonsense with a straight face and no racing heart.
But at this moment.
Hikigaya's heart was filled with guilt and self-reproach, and even his expression became somewhat stiff:
"I went to karaoke to sing."
"With whom?"
"Alone."
"Eh? Why?"
Himeno Yuki was momentarily stunned, and then she said a bit unhappily:
"Why go to karaoke alone? Why didn't you ask me to go with you? I want to go singing too~"
"That's too embarrassing; it's easier to let loose alone."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? How about we go to karaoke together after the exam is over? Honami?"
"Sure, I also feel like I haven't been to karaoke in a long time."
"Better forget it; I'll wait until I've practiced my skills."
Hikigaya barely maintained his smile, not knowing what exactly he was saying.
"What are you afraid of? It's not like we haven't sung together. It's just the three of us; we won't laugh at you."
Himeno Yuki said with a mischievous smile; she would definitely have a good laugh at him then.
It had to be said.
Hikigaya usually gave off a very stable feeling, rarely showing any expression beyond an awkward chuckle.
So much so that it was hard for people to detect his true meaning.
"By the way, Hikigaya-kun, we left some food for you. I'll go heat it up for you."
Ichinose stood up and picked up the food from the low table and walked into the kitchen.
"No need."
"I've already eaten out."
Hikigaya didn't dare look the two of them in the eye.
He already didn't know how to face Ichinose and Himeno Yuki.