Before Hikigaya could speak, Menlai swiftly shifted the conversation to his studies.
"I'm not sure, Juke, Asako, do you have any better ideas?"
"I'm not very clear either," Juke replied with her usual air of innocence. Hikigaya glanced at her with mild contempt, but his reaction earned him another light kick from her under the table.
"Um..." Asako glanced at her partner and pondered seriously before saying, "Besides memorizing formulas, you also need to practice solving problems, right?"
"Yes, yes..." Hikigaya nodded, feeling like he'd just been told something he already knew. Teachers always said the same thing, but it was useless without knowing which formula to use on a specific problem.
Asako seemed to realize that her advice wasn't particularly helpful. If something so basic worked, Hikigaya would've already done it.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you have your previous test papers?" she asked.
"Oh, the test papers from the last quiz are still in my bag," Hikigaya admitted.
"Take them out and let me see."
"No need." Hikigaya hesitated, feeling embarrassed. It felt like public humiliation. Suddenly, Juke kicked him again.
"Huh?" Hikigaya glanced at her, confused. She usually kicked him when he was being unreasonable, but he hadn't even done anything this time. Was she just messing with him now?
He scowled slightly. Even back in middle school, when everyone ignored him, no one dared to bully him physically. And why?
He looked down at Juke's slender legs and retaliated with a light kick to her calf. Because if necessary, he would fight back.
Juke looked at him, stunned. She hadn't expected him to kick her back. This guy always acted so indifferent, as if nothing truly bothered him.
But his math skills were in real danger. Sure, it was manageable now, but the difficulty would only ramp up. And this guy still had the nerve to refuse help?
Juke's expression shifted to amusement. So, Hikigaya was willing to play along? She kicked him again, and Hikigaya, now determined, kicked back.
It was a petty exchange, each of them lightly kicking the other under the table. Hikigaya's face remained expressionless. He refused to back down.
But just when he was getting into the rhythm of their strange little game, Juke's smooth calf slid gently up his leg.
"Hiss..." Hikigaya tensed up, feeling like he'd been electrocuted. He pulled his legs back and shifted his chair away.
Nope. He was no match for Juke.
"Hikigaya-kun," Juke said sweetly, her voice soft. "If you show us your test paper, Asako will know how to tutor you better."
"Uh... right." Hikigaya quickly pulled the test paper from his bag and placed it on the table.
Juke lowered her head, satisfied, her smile radiant.
You still want to fight me, huh? Cute.
Menlai and Asako were busy examining his math test paper.
"Why did you leave so many questions blank? Did you spend too much time on the basics?" Menlai asked.
"No, I just couldn't do them. So, I focus on the basics to get as many points as possible," Hikigaya admitted.
"I see." Asako nodded. "That's a way to stabilize your grades if you can't tackle the more difficult problems."
"But it's not good to hand in a blank paper," Menlai noted. "Even if you can't solve a question, you can try filling the paper by making rough attempts. Sometimes, teachers give partial credit for effort."
"Really? That sounds promising!" Hikigaya's eyes lit up. This was the kind of advice he needed—something that didn't require him to work too hard but could boost his score.
"Still, the only reliable method is practicing more problems," Asako pointed out. "High school math is all about problem-solving."
"Yeah, Hikigaya-kun. Let's start going through the questions. If you don't understand anything, just ask me," Asako offered.
"I can help too!" Menlai raised her hand enthusiastically.
"Although my science scores aren't that great, we can study together," Juke added, her tone innocent.
Hikigaya felt another kick from Juke. He sighed. When it came to guys, he could handle their teasing. But Juke was a different beast. She could be genuinely thoughtful but also annoying beyond belief.
He tried to focus on solving problems, but after two minutes of quiet, Menlai's voice broke the silence.
"Isn't it peaceful here?"
"Yeah, it's quieter than the library," Asako agreed. "Even though the library is for studying, there are always people whispering or making noise. This place is much better."
Hikigaya reluctantly agreed. The clubroom was usually his sanctuary of silence. But with these girls here, his peace was officially gone.
"Or... why don't we just form a study group and study here from now on?" Menlai suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Sounds great!" Asako beamed. "I agree!"
"Me too," Juke nodded gently, but her hands clenched in triumph beneath the table.
Hikigaya panicked.
"Wait a minute. Isn't that like starting a war with Ichinose? She won't like this idea."
"No way," Menlai laughed. "If anything, Ichinose will be happy. She cares about everyone's studies."
"Exactly," Asako agreed. "If anything, she'd probably join us if she had the time."
"Is this settled, then?" Juke's voice had a finality to it, and she punctuated her point with another kick to Hikigaya's leg.
"Then it's decided!" Menlai cheered.
Hikigaya realized he was cornered. They'd already decided, and his objections were ignored. This was pure peer pressure in action. But he had to admit, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it was only during midterms and finals.
"Then... what should we name our group?" Menlai asked eagerly.
"I dunno. You decide," Hikigaya said, feeling defeated.
Menlai's eyes gleamed with inspiration. "How about... the Hikigaya Group?"
Hikigaya's eyes widened. "Wait, why would you name it after me? That's way too embarrassing."
"Why not? You're the president of the club, right?" Menlai countered.
"Yeah, it feels like recognition of your leadership," Juke added sweetly, though her smile was clearly teasing.
"Ugh... fine." Hikigaya gave up trying to argue.
"Let's exchange contact info then!" Menlai chirped cheerfully.
Hikigaya soon found himself looking at a new group chat titled "The Hikigaya Group." It was absurd, but it was real.
A study group named after him, run by girls who seemed determined to drag him along. This was not how he imagined his peaceful club life to go. But... maybe it wasn't all bad.
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