The riverside breeze was gentle as Hikigaya followed Horikita Suzune back to the Class D camp. The moment they arrived, he could clearly feel the contempt in the eyes of the Class D students.
But...
He was long used to it.
There was no reason to interact with these people, so he didn't take it to heart.
"Horikita."
Sudou quickly approached them, his expression tense. "This guy didn't do anything weird to you, did he?"
Well…
Hikigaya looked up at him, analyzing the situation. He could somewhat understand why the red-haired idiot was acting protective toward Horikita, but this level of devotion wouldn't earn him any points with her.
From his own experience, being a simp never ends well, and Horikita clearly had no interest in him.
"Idiot."
Horikita's tone was indifferent. "Do you think he even has the capability to do anything to me? Instead of worrying about me, you should focus on your own future."
...
Hikigaya's face darkened.
This guy seriously liked someone like Horikita? A girl who had no redeeming qualities apart from her appearance?
"Chabashira-sensei."
Ignoring Sudou, Horikita approached the class teacher. "I need you to get MAX Coffee for me."
"Huh?"
Chi and the others were instantly confused. "Horikita, why would you waste points on that sugary drink now? The exam is almost over—you don't need a sugar boost anymore."
Heresy.
Hikigaya shot him a cold glance.
Horikita had clearly used the excuse of fatigue to buy MAX Coffee for him before. But now, with the test ending soon, that excuse wouldn't work.
"It's for Hikigaya." Horikita explained, clearly exasperated. "Don't worry, it's just this once."
"Huh?"
This time, a certain girl seemed displeased. "Isn't he from Class B? Why should we spend our class points on him? Karuizawa, back me up here!"
"Horikita..."
A girl with a high ponytail, Karuizawa, smirked sarcastically. "I don't know what your relationship with this guy is, but using our points to buy him a drink? That's a bit much, don't you think?"
Her words were as sharp as a stereotypical high school mean girl's, and just as irritating.
"Horikita..."
Sudou looked uneasy. "What's your relationship with this Hikibi-whatever?"
Ah.
Finally, someone got his name wrong.
Hikigaya sighed in relief, reassured that his skill—blending into the background and being forgettable—hadn't completely vanished.
Still, Karuizawa was sharp. She had picked up on the situation fast, which explained why she was the center of the Class D girls.
Even Kushida, who was usually all smiles, seemed uncomfortable locking eyes with him.
Every time their gazes met, she would pretend not to notice.
It was almost enough to make him feel guilty. Almost.
If he hadn't known she was likely a manipulative snake, he might have actually believed she was just a friendly, innocent girl.
What a joke.
If he had fallen for that act, he would have been the fool.
"Shut up."
Horikita's cold tone silenced everyone. "If you hadn't taken his camera, we wouldn't need to buy him coffee."
"Huh?"
Yamauchi immediately looked annoyed. "What do you mean? We just suspected he was a spy—we didn't actually do anything to him!"
"You still don't get it?"
Horikita's sharp eyes scanned the group. "What you did was beyond idiotic."
"Taking someone else's belongings without permission is immediate disqualification from the exam. If that happened, all of our efforts these past days would be for nothing."
Silence.
The Class D students exchanged uneasy glances.
Karuizawa turned to Yosuke Hirata. "Hirata, is that true?"
"Uh..." Hirata hesitated, then nodded with a forced smile. "Yeah, there's actually a rule like that... Our class made a mistake. Buying him coffee isn't a big deal, let's just do it and move on."
"Well, if Hirata says so..."
Karuizawa and the others quickly dropped their complaints.
After all, it was just a drink. It barely cost anything.
"This is ridiculous!" Sudou's face was red with frustration. "The camera isn't broken, we just looked at it! Why should we apologize?"
He turned to Hikigaya and glared. "And if you dare report this to the school—don't blame me for what happens next."
Hikigaya blinked.
...
Did this idiot just threaten him?
Did he really think he could intimidate someone into staying silent about their wrongdoing?
Even middle school delinquents were smarter than this.
Chabashira-sensei, who had been silently watching, finally stepped forward.
She casually handed Horikita the MAX Coffee.
It was as if nothing had happened.
"Sensei." Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. "You're just going to ignore this?"
"Well, there's a problem, but it depends on whether you want to do something about it." Chabashira exhaled a puff of smoke, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"I see."
If the victim didn't speak up, the school would turn a blind eye.
Like the police, in a way.
"Then let me ask: if I report them now for taking my camera and threatening me, what happens?"
"If you report it, Class D is immediately disqualified from the exam. Sudou gets a demerit."
"Strict, huh."
Hikigaya smirked and looked at Horikita. "Not my problem. Two MAX Coffees, or I report it. If you don't mind Sudou getting punished, that's fine too."
"You bastard—!"
Sudou lunged, but Hirata and the others quickly restrained him.
Horikita's face darkened. She had no choice.
Even a demerit could affect Class D's points.
"Two cans."
Horikita tossed the drinks into Hikigaya's hands, her expression unreadable.
If it weren't for these morons in her class, she wouldn't be wasting points like this.
"Next time, explain the rules to them properly."
Hikigaya accepted the coffee, satisfied.
A fair trade.
As he opened one can, he noticed Horikita staring at him coldly.
What?
Was she expecting him to offer one back?
"Want a can?" He hesitated, holding one out.
She only glared at him.
"...Forget it."
Hikigaya shrugged. "You're still sick. Too much sugar isn't good for you."
"I'm not sick!"
Horikita's glare intensified.
But Hikigaya had already turned away, sipping his coffee as he left behind an aggrieved Class D.
Later, on the island…
While walking, Hikigaya stumbled across a few occupied strongholds.
Class B had taken a wooden hut. Class C had given up. Class D was too weak to claim anything.
That meant most strongholds were controlled by Class A.
"Stop."
Hikigaya sighed.
Again?
Did he just scream "easy target" or something?
Turning around, he saw two girls in sportswear—one with long purple hair and a sharp gaze, the other with droopy, sleepy eyes.
"Who are you?"
The purple-haired girl crossed her arms. "What class are you from?"
"First-year Class B. Hikigaya Hachiman."
She scoffed. "I'm Kamuro Masumi. Class A."
...This was going to be annoying.
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