COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

Horikita didn't seem to care much about Ike getting expelled... Yeah, right! 

"We finally earned some class points, and now we're back to zero again." 

She was more concerned about the class points than Ike himself. 

"I know what you're trying to say." 

Horikita suddenly gave Hikigaya a strange look. "Just like you told me before, choosing to 'abandon' someone is the worst choice. Back then, we chose to help Sudou and Ike because we believed that helping them was more valuable than leaving them behind." 

"You still remember that?" 

Hikigaya muttered. 

That conversation was still fresh in Horikita's memory—it was the first time someone had called her a 'frog in a well.' Looking back now, she realized she really had been one. Her view of things had been far too narrow. 

"I admit that Ike was valuable during the island exam, and I believe he might have even more value in the future." 

It sounded like Horikita was speaking to Hikigaya, but also like she was talking to herself. "But what he did—the mistakes he made—caused more harm than good. And looking at the bigger picture, this won't just happen once or twice. Getting rid of him now might actually be for the best."

Horikita believed that someone who secretly took photos of the girls' changing room wouldn't stop after crossing that line. If he was 'forgiven' this time, he'd do it again.

A second time, a third time… That's just human nature.

There's a saying: 'It takes three years to learn good habits but only three days to learn bad ones.' Maybe not even three days.

Horikita thought of Ike as a ticking time bomb. It was better to get rid of him early. If the class ever reached a critical moment, and he caused another disaster, that could be a fatal blow.

Hikigaya took another look at Horikita, slightly surprised. She still had the same pride as before, but now there was less arrogance and more maturity.

She still had a sharp tongue, though. And she was still just as stubborn.

Horikita… had grown.

What would the student council president think if he saw this?

But Horikita wasn't the only one changing—everyone was. That wasn't something to be praised. It was just natural. If someone went through a whole semester without growing at all, that would be the real disappointment.

—

After school, Sakura and Hasebe had other things to do, so Hikigaya was running alone on the track. Since he didn't have to slow down for them, he ran a full 1,200 meters. It wasn't too bad—he figured he could gradually increase his pace. There was still a lot of room for improvement.

Suddenly, applause came from a short distance away.

On the bleachers, a silver-haired girl wearing a beret was clapping lightly.

Hikigaya had already noticed Sakayanagi earlier. Since there were other students from different classes on the bleachers, he hadn't paid much attention to her. But he hadn't expected her to suddenly stand up and clap.

"I always knew you were smart, Hikigaya-kun, but I didn't expect you to be this athletic, too. Running 1,200 meters in under 250 seconds—that's quite impressive."

Sakayanagi smiled.

Hikigaya had planned to pretend he didn't see her and just leave, but it seemed like she wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"It's been a while, Sakayanagi from Class B."

"…"

For a brief moment, the smile on her face seemed to freeze. But the next second, it was back to normal.

"Hehe."

She was still smiling, but there was a chill to it.

"Compared to Ryuen from Class C, you sure know how to get under my skin, Hikigaya-kun. He should really learn from you instead of relying on those cheap, third-rate tricks."

Sakayanagi leaned on her cane and slowly walked down the steps toward him.

"Ryuen? If that idiot hears you say that, he's definitely going to lose his temper."

"Well, of course. After all, as someone who lost to you, I'm sure Ryuen isn't happy about it."

Sakayanagi smiled playfully.

Hikigaya let out a dry chuckle and didn't respond to Sakayanagi's comment. Instead, he got straight to the point. 

"So, what's the reason this time? You didn't come all the way here just to watch me run, did you? Just to be clear, I'm not doing high jumps." 

"High jumps?" 

Sakayanagi seemed a little lost, so she simply pretended not to hear it and chuckled. "Now that I think about it, it's been quite a while since we last met, ever since before summer break. And during the break, you really gave me quite the surprise. After thinking it over, I felt I should thank you in person." 

"Thank me?" 

Hikigaya's expression turned odd. "Sakayanagi, you're not just saying thank you while secretly cursing me in your head, are you?" 

Sakayanagi: "..." 

"See? You're not denying it, so I'll take that as a yes." 

Hikigaya looked as if he had expected this. "Why is it so hard to just be honest? Acting all high and mighty in front of me won't do you any good." 

Sakayanagi took a deep breath. "As expected, when it comes to making me angry, Hikigaya-kun is far ahead of the competition." 

"I have to say it again—I'm not trying to make you mad, I'm just stating facts." 

Hikigaya didn't seem to notice that Sakayanagi's face was getting darker and darker. "If you think my honesty hurt you, then I apologize." 

"Honestly, I really feel like smashing my cane into your head right now." 

Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes with a smile, but her words were downright terrifying. 

Hikigaya: "..." 

"Well, since we're even now, I'll be going if there's nothing else." 

To Hikigaya's surprise, Sakayanagi actually let him go… Yeah, right! 

For the next few days, a silver-haired girl could be seen sitting in the stands near the track. Hikigaya could only pretend not to notice her. But sometimes, even if you don't go looking for trouble, trouble finds you. 

Of course, it wasn't Hikigaya who got dragged into it this time—it was Sakayanagi. 

With her striking silver hair, petite and fragile-looking figure, and the natural aura of nobility she carried, Sakayanagi always managed to attract attention. Especially from the energetic boys running around the track. 

And so, Sakayanagi… got hit on. 

--- 

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