Time flies.
Juke and the others have been spending their days in the Wool Department, and it seems like they've earned Ichinose's approval. Even Hikigaya feels a bit more relaxed now.
At least, after the first day, Menlai and the others weren't just chatting aimlessly. They were genuinely studying hard. And in the realm of academics, they asked questions whenever they hit a roadblock. Sometimes, they didn't even need to ask—just seeing Hikigaya's puzzled expression would prompt Menlai or Asako Okakura to step in and explain.
It was all quite flattering for Hikigaya.
Compared to his previous isolated school life, this felt completely unreal.
At the moment, Hikigaya was sitting at one end of the square table, with Himenoyuki directly across from him. Menlai and Asako Okakura flanked him on the left and right.
The seating arrangement was different, but the change was hardly worth mentioning.
When Hikigaya glanced up, Himenoyuki quickly averted her gaze, pretending not to notice. Hikigaya didn't mind. It wasn't his job to interfere with how Juke acted around others.
But man...she could really keep up the act.
"So, I heard from Kanzaki that this club isn't really busy. You can come and go as you please?" Menlai asked curiously.
"Uh-huh."
Juke explained softly, "I'm just a member of the Ghost Club. Menlai, are you thinking of joining?"
"Well...I don't think so!" Menlai shook her head. "It's a nice place to study, but I still prefer playing outside."
"Can Ghost Club members even play outside?" Asako Okakura asked, frowning slightly. "Isn't it wrong to be in a club and just use points without doing anything? Would the school even allow something like that?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Hikigaya.
"Well...every year, the club has to submit a performance report. It's easy to form a club, but it's difficult to maintain it."
He scratched his head, a little embarrassed by his explanation.
"Also, the Student Council randomly checks in. At least one member has to be around to keep things running."
In truth, most students joined clubs for fun or for prestige.
The Wool Department couldn't compare to real clubs. And even if it did participate, its members would just be cannon fodder. The way department funds could be used was also restricted.
There were no real benefits beyond borrowing this classroom and the 5,000 personal points.
"That's kind of lame." Menlai frowned. "Leaving one person here while everyone else goes out to play feels sneaky."
"Yeah, I couldn't do that either." Asako Okakura shook her head.
"So, how long can the Wool Department stay active?"
"Uh...if nothing happens, probably until April of the third year," Hikigaya said uncertainly. "The department was established in April. So, if you include the initial year and the reporting year, it should be good until third grade."
"Eh? So, you already submitted a report?" Menlai sounded surprised.
Hikigaya glanced at Himenoyuki. As expected, she wasn't about to mention his role in things. No wonder Menlai and the others had no clue.
"So...yeah. About that."
He then explained the whole book-selling strategy but deliberately left out Himenoyuki's involvement. After all, Juke never brought it up, so why should he?
"Wow! That's amazing!" Asako Okakura's eyes sparkled. Menlai looked equally impressed.
"Small business or not, you've got some real brains, Hikigaya. Finding a loophole like that...couldn't you easily save 20 million personal points? Why stop?"
"It's not that simple." Hikigaya felt awkward from all the praise. "If I kept at it, people would eventually notice, and the loophole would be patched. I don't want to keep working hard on something that might get shut down any moment."
"I see..." Menlai nodded thoughtfully. "You've got such an adult mindset, Hikigaya."
"No, not really..."
"Then let's have a celebration party tomorrow!" Menlai said excitedly. "Since the Student Council only checks randomly, and we can skip one day without trouble, let's meet at Pallet and bring some dishes we prepared. How about it?"
"Great idea!" Asako Okakura cheered, and Juke didn't object either.
"What do you think, Hikigaya?" Menlai asked cheerfully. "This way, you won't have to worry about making dinner, right?"
Uh-oh. These guys were serious. They wanted to throw a party and even make handmade dishes.
If he had known, he wouldn't have spun those little lies. Regret seeped into him, but he still really didn't want to go.
Ordinary people would just decline once or twice and never be contacted again.
So why couldn't he just turn them down?
"I'm really sorry." Hikigaya apologized sincerely. "My cooking skills are only at a sixth-grade level. Maybe I should just skip it?"
"Eh?" Menlai looked genuinely confused. "Isn't that normal? Most boys' home economics classes only teach the basics. It's not like everyone's a chef."
"Yeah, I'm only at a sixth-grade level myself," Juke admitted softly. "Besides, most of the boys were just messing around in those classes."
"Same here," Asako Okakura said with a hopeful grin. "But it's pretty rare for a guy to cook, you know? I've never had food made by a guy before. Kinda looking forward to it!"
Wait, was that really the case?
Well, considering how home economics classes in Sakurajima were more geared toward girls, boys were mostly goofing around.
And yet, Hikigaya had seriously tried to learn. After all, he dreamed of being a househusband someday.
"So, can you please stop praising me like this?" Hikigaya scratched the back of his head. "I'm really not some amazing guy like you all seem to think."
"Here we go again." Menlai waved her hand dismissively. "Being too humble just makes you sound fake."
"Exactly." Asako Okakura nodded. "We're just speaking the truth. We haven't beaten you, right?"
Hikigaya sighed. People were just going to believe what they wanted to believe.
"Well then, it's settled!" Menlai clapped her hands with excitement. "Tomorrow, after school, we'll cook at Pallet's studio!"
Back in his dormitory, Hikigaya stared at the ingredients in his kitchen, lost in thought.
Was he really going to prepare handmade food?
It wasn't just a matter of cooking.
It was the pressure of being expected to deliver something impressive.
Sure, the feeling of being expected wasn't all bad. But the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment when you inevitably fall short.
Suddenly, Hikigaya could relate to Ichinose's situation.
Menlai and the others had probably done the same thing to her, expecting her to lead them flawlessly. And Ichinose, being as kind-hearted as she was, desperately tried to meet their expectations.
Hikigaya knew one thing for sure.
He didn't want to be the leader of Class B.
He didn't want to be the next Ichinose.
Why should he go all out for people he barely knew?
Besides, he didn't even have the strength to do it.
With a determined look, Hikigaya closed the refrigerator.
Forget it.
He wasn't going to make that food.
He had no intention of living up to anyone's expectations.
If being a loser was what it took to avoid all that pressure, then that's what he'd be.
No way was he going to let himself get dragged into their expectations.
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