COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

The boys were naturally the fastest to change and leave the locker room. While they all acted calm, they were secretly looking forward to seeing the girls in their swimsuits. Of course, their faces remained completely neutral—only they knew what they were really thinking. 

"Huh? What's going on?!" 

Suddenly, Ike pointed at the second-floor bleachers and shouted. There, a group of students—sixteen in total—stood overlooking the pool. Nearly all of them were girls, dressed neatly in their school uniforms. 

"My bust-ranking, big-opai plan is ruined!" 

Ike clutched his head and let out a monkey-like wail. His cries instantly earned a wave of eye-rolls and complaints from the girls on the bleachers, dragging all the nearby boys down with him. 

Among the girls were Hasebe, Karuizawa, and even the ostrich girl, Sakura. It was obvious that they weren't comfortable with the idea of a mixed swimming class. After all, no one wanted to be stared at in such a pervy way. 

Hikigaya felt nothing about it. Honestly, this was just the two monkey-brains getting what they deserved. If they hadn't acted so desperate in the morning—like they'd never seen a girl before—or made so many creepy comments, maybe the girls wouldn't have been so wary. Maybe more of them would have actually joined the lesson instead of choosing to sit out. 

"Look, look over there!" 

Yamauchi suddenly shouted, bursting with excitement. From the far end of the pool, more girls were coming out in swimsuits. There weren't many, but one stood out the most—Kushida, who was leading the group. 

"S-So huge!" 

Ike, Yamauchi, and the others were completely mesmerized, nearly drooling. 

Even with her school uniform on, Kushida's impressive figure was already noticeable. But now, in a school swimsuit, her curves were on full display. 

Her body was full and well-proportioned, her curves looking like they could create a wind pressure of 60 km/h. Her thighs and hips had just the right amount of softness. Her pale, slender calves stepped onto the poolside floor, and with each step, it felt like she was stepping on the hearts of the boys, making them thump with excitement. 

Even a certain dead-fish-eyed boy couldn't help but take a second glance.

Kushida's appearance made all the guys around her instinctively swallow. She didn't shy away from their gazes at all, confidently showing off her figure. She even took the initiative to greet them, making all sorts of cute gestures that might seem a bit exaggerated to outsiders—but the guys totally fell for it! 

Led by the two "monkeys," the group was instantly captivated. They started shouting things like "Angel Kushida!" and "Kushida is the best!" like die-hard fans. 

Suddenly, Hikigaya felt a sharp gaze stabbing into his back. He turned and was surprised to see Horikita. He hadn't expected her to show up at the pool in a swimsuit—looks like he had underestimated her "pride." 

And… her figure was unexpectedly nice?! Compared to that musclehead demon, the difference was huge! 

Horikita wasn't as full-figured as Kushida, but she had a well-balanced, healthy look. 

Noticing Hikigaya staring, Horikita frowned and couldn't help but speak. "Don't you think your gaze is rude?" 

Her cold tone immediately snapped Hikigaya back to reality. Yep, still the same sharp-tongued ice queen. The moment she spoke, the atmosphere around them dropped several degrees, like a cold wind cutting through the air. 

"My parents and teachers always taught me that looking someone in the eyes when greeting them is important," Hikigaya replied, his face completely expressionless. His dead-fish eyes didn't waver in the slightest, keeping direct eye contact with her. 

"Tch." 

Horikita clicked her tongue in annoyance. She hadn't expected him to be this "bold." 

The guys in the group—especially the two monkeys—had been loudly proclaiming how they'd feast their eyes today. But now that the girls in swimsuits were actually here, with their dazzlingly white thighs everywhere and the sheer wave of hormones filling the air, reality hit them. A strange sense of social pressure crept in, as if staring too much would get them dragged out for public shaming. So, they all instinctively averted their gazes, too afraid to look directly. 

At the end of the day, they were just a bunch of teenage boys—an age where thoughts and emotions were in constant turmoil. Saying something and actually doing it were two different things. 

Who hasn't bragged during their youth? 

Who hasn't acted tough? 

They were still just boys, not yet men. 

But there was one exception—Koenji. That guy confidently strutted around in the only pair of speedos in the entire pool, making no effort to hide his perfectly sculpted physique. 

Ignoring the weird looks from those around him, he tossed his golden hair back with a laugh and ran his hands over his well-defined muscles. His over-the-top narcissism was so intense that even some of the girls didn't dare to look directly at him. 

"You think you were being smart just now? Feeling proud of yourself?" Horikita locked eyes with Hikigaya again, scanning him up and down before letting out a cold snort. 

"Such a sneaky way of arguing. I suggest you drop the act. Smooth talkers like you are the worst!" 

Hikigaya remained calm, his expression unchanged. 

"From a girl's perspective, no matter what I say now, I'll be labeled 'wrong' because society has given you all the absolute moral high ground. Whether it's on the train, the subway, here, or anywhere else." 

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Horikita interrupted, looking irritated. 

"I mean, it's human nature to admire beauty. As a normal guy, why should I feel ashamed or be criticized for appreciating the female form? Just like how you girls have been checking out our bodies since the start." As he spoke, Hikigaya shifted his gaze toward Ayanokouji. 

Ayanokouji, who usually blended into the background like he didn't exist, had a surprisingly lean build. He wasn't as eye-catching as Koenji or Sudou, and at first glance, he even looked a little too thin. But if you paid close attention to the way his muscles moved, it was clear that his body hid a dangerous amount of explosive power. 

Horikita immediately realized—her own gaze at Ayanokouji had been noticed. Her frown deepened, and an odd frustration welled up inside her. She pressed her lips together in annoyance. 

"So in the end, we're no different," Hikigaya continued. 

"It's just that the current environment and social norms have placed you all on a higher moral pedestal. I don't mind that, and if you feel offended, I can apologize. But you need to understand—this kind of power isn't something to take for granted, nor should it be abused as a way to look down on others." 

Hikigaya looked at Horikita calmly. 

Horikita's eyebrows shot up, her chest rising and falling sharply before she forcefully suppressed it. She gave him a glare full of frustration, then turned and walked away without saying another word. 

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