He was halfway in a hallway when a voice called out from behind.
"Excuse me!"
He paused and turned around.
It was Kushida who approached him with her usual radiant smile, with Wang Mei-yu quietly trailing behind her.
"You must be Hikigaya-kun, right? Do you have a moment?"
He blinked, "Huh?"
The word slipped out awkwardly before he could stop it. It wasn't every day that someone this popular willingly approached him Not only that he was bit surprised that she remembered his name most people either forgot it, mispronounced it, or acted like they'd never heard it in the first place.
Now that he was looking more closely, she was even cuter than he had noticed in class. Short brown hair that brushed her shoulders, a cheerful expression, and a uniform that pushed the limits of school rules—particularly the skirt length. She had… well, noticeable assets, too.
If you were to assemble the collective fantasies of average teenage boys into a single form, it might look something like her.
Before he could respond, she stepped a little closer, her voice warm and inviting.
"I'm Kushida, from your class. Do you remember me?"
Even someone as withdrawn as Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a small stir inside. Just for a moment.
But he quickly regained his composure.
"Yeah, kinda. Do you need something?"
Kushida smiled softly at him and replied. "Actually, yes, if you have a moment. There's something we wanted to talk to you about."
Hikigaya replied flatly. "Uhh… now's not really a good time for that."
For a brief moment, Kushida blinked, clearly not expecting such a blunt response from someone like him. However, as an experienced social butterfly, she quickly sensed that Hikigaya wasn't the usual type and decided to play a different card.
"Ehhh? Why not, Hikigaya-kun? Are we bothering you?" she asked, putting on a heartbroken expression that would've made most boys instantly regret turning her down.
But Hikigaya only felt a twinge of irritation.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and replied in a deadpan voice "…Uh, not the best time. Lunch is about to end and I've still got some… things. I need to take care of."
Kushida tilted her head, as she leaned in with a soft smile. "Oh? That sounds serious. But don't worry it won't take long. There's still ten minutes left, right?"
Wang Mei-yu remained silent behind her, glancing between the two, as if unsure whether to speak or simply observe.
Kushida gave her a quick glance before continuing,
"Actually, it's Mii-chan who wanted to talk to you, she was a little nervous to approach you alone, so I offered to come along."
Hikigaya raised an eyebrow, his eyes shifting toward Wang Mei-yu.
She stiffened slightly under the attention, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve before giving a small nod. "Um… yes, there was something I wanted to tell you, Hikigaya-san."
He blinked, a little thrown off.
After all, this was the same girl who'd rejected his proposal not too long ago. So, what could she possibly want to say now?
Still… he let out a quiet sigh.
If a shy girl like her had mustered up the courage to talk to him of all people. The least he could do was hear her out. Even he wasn't heartless enough to brush that off completely.
Hikigaya gave a slight nod. "…Alright then," he muttered.
Kushida smiled brightly. "Great! Then let's head to the cafeteria then. We'll have a little more space to talk there."
'She's been smiling this whole time… Does her face not get tired? Must be some kind of muscle memory at this point.'
Hikigaya frowned slightly. "Can't we just talk here?"
Kushida glanced at Wang Mei-yu, giving her a small encouraging nod.
Wang hesitated for a moment, then softly added, "U-um… I think the cafeteria might be better. It's less crowded now, and… I'd feel more comfortable talking there."
Kushida quickly followed up, "And I think it might actually help you too, Hikigaya-kun. Really."
'Help me? With what exactly? That's the kind of thing people say right before roping you into something you can't back out of.'
Still, with two girls staring at him like this, turning them down again felt like kicking a small animal. And, annoyingly, a part of him did want to know what this was about.
"…Fine," he sighed. "Just don't take too long."
Kushida clapped her hands softly. "Yay! Thanks, Hikigaya-kun!"
As they began walking toward the cafeteria, Kushida naturally took the lead beside Wang Mei-yu, chatting lightly about something he barely registered.
Hikigaya trailed behind by a few steps, hands in his pockets, his gaze flicking between the two girls ahead.
'There's something about the way Kushida acts… It reminds me of that idol concert and that annoying handshake event Komachi dragged me to a while back. That same kind of friendliness, like every gesture's meant to make people like her. To please everyone around her.'
He exhaled quietly. 'And just like back then, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to feel impressed… or rather unsettled.'
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They made their way to the cafeteria, now mostly emptied after the lunch rush, and settled into a quiet corner. Kushida and Wang Mei-yu took the seats across from him.
After a brief silence, Wang finally raised her gaze.
"I… um, I wanted to apologize," she said quietly.
Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. "Apologize? For what?"
"The other day, when you asked me for help, I didn't respond. I thought… maybe you weren't being serious. Or you were just joking. Or worse, trying to—"
He leaned back slightly in his seat, studying her. 'Ah. So that's what this is about.'
He sighed. "There's no need for you to apologize for something so minor, Wang-san."
Wang blinked in surprise.
"I'm not exactly the most approachable guy," he continued. "You had every right to say no. You still do, actually. I don't need anyone going out of their way just to make me feel better."
His voice wasn't harsh just flat, matter-of-fact.
But Wang shook her head, voice still soft but firm. "It's not that. I just… I didn't want you to think I was ungrateful or judging you."
'Of all the outcomes I imagined, an apology wasn't one of them. And yet… it doesn't feel forced. She actually means it.'
"I Didn't assume anything like that," he muttered. "So don't worry about it."
Wang nodded, her shoulders relaxing just a little.
He hadn't expected much when he asked her for Tutoring not because he thought poorly of her, but because he'd simply learned not to expect things from others. It was easier that way. No disappointment. No awkward follow-ups. He asked, she declined, and that would've been the end of it. That's how it usually went.
So, moments like this, small as they were, always caught him a little off guard.
He gave a small nod "…Still, thanks for saying it."
Wang Mei-yu hesitated again, then reached into her bag.
"But… even if I couldn't accept your offer back then, I still wanted to do something,"
She said quietly. Then she carefully placed a small pouch on the table and pushed it toward him.
Hikigaya looked at the pouch in front of him. 'What's this?'
He reached out slowly, unzipping the pouch and his eyes couldn't help but widen a bit by surprise.
Inside were several stacks of paper, neatly clipped together. There were more pages than he expected. The first set was handwritten notes organized and easy to follow.
Each topic had clear titles, bullet points, and neat diagrams in colour. Important formulas were underlined, and difficult parts had short explanations in the margins. It was clear and carefully put together.
Underneath that was old question papers, already solved and marked. Some had red circles around common mistakes, others had sticky notes with extra tips.
There were even a couple of thin, worn textbooks with tabs sticking out. It wasn't just something thrown together. It was something she'd clearly put effort into.
He paused, flipping through one of the notebooks again. 'These… are incredible. They have almost everything I was planning to cover in a month. I've seen textbooks that were less organized than this.'
"It's just… some notes and Study materials. From my Junior High." Wang continued "I had them from when I was revising last term. Since you asked me about tutoring before, I thought maybe they could help."
'Wait… she actually brought all of this for me?'
"Mii-chan worked really hard on those. She was a top student back in Junior High, you know?" Kushida said, smiling. "I think she was a little nervous at first, but she really felt bad for denying you."
Hikigaya glanced between them. "I can definitely see that…"
Wang shifted slightly in her seat, looking down. "It's not much. I just thought… if it helps even a little…"
Hikigaya quietly closed the pouch and reached into his pocket, pulling out his Mobile. "Alright. I owe you for this, then. Would you mind sharing your number, Wang-san? I'll transfer you some points right now in exchange for this."
Wang quickly shook her head, waving her hands. "No! No, it's really okay. I… I didn't do this expecting Points or anything."
"I insist," Hikigaya replied. "It's only fair. You put effort into this, it's worth something."
"They're from my junior high days. I brought this with me by mistake. Honestly, I was going to throw them away."
She gave a small, sheepish smile. "They're not useful to me anymore. But when you asked me about tutoring… I figured, maybe they'd be useful to you."
Kushida leaned in with her usual bright expression. "See? Mii-chan's just thoughtful like that. She doesn't want anything in return. I think it's really sweet. You should just accept it, Hikigaya-kun."
He looked down at the pouch again, then back at Wang.
'Just accept it, huh?
He didn't respond to that, instead glancing down at the pouch again.
"…I was an exchange student," Wang said softly. "From China. I came to Japan around second year of elementary School."
Hikigaya blinked. "Really?"
She nodded slowly. "At first, I couldn't understand anything. The classes moved so fast. The kanji, the grammar it all blurred together. Everyone else seemed to just… get it. But I didn't. I was always behind."
'But why is she telling me this? This isn't the kind of thing you just drop on a guy you barely know. Especially not someone like me.'
Her voice was quiet, but steady. She wasn't looking for pity just trying to be honest.
"And I… I was too shy to ask for help," she continued. "I didn't want to be a bother. I thought people would laugh at me, or think I was dumb. So instead… my parents had to spend a lot of money. On private tutors, after-school classes, language support. Even then, I barely kept up."
She looked up slightly, meeting his eyes. "That's why… when I saw you and Hirata-Kun in class, raising your hand and asking questions so openly… even when some people were snickering behind your back…"
Hikigaya's expression remained flat as he stared at her, but she pressed on.
"…I thought that was kind of impressive. You don't pretend to know everything. You ask, even if it's awkward. Even if it's embarrassing."
Hikigaya's eyes flicked away for a moment.
"…That's not really why I did it," he muttered.
He scratched his cheek absently, looking vaguely irritated, though it wasn't clear at what. "I just… don't like wasting time pretending I get something when I don't. That's all."
His tone was flat, but his mind stirred uncomfortably.
'Don't look at me like that. It wasn't meant to be impressive. If anything, it's just proof I'm used to being the weird one in the room. She's really misunderstanding all of this, huh…'
He let out a quiet exhale, almost like he was trying to shrug it off. "You're probably giving me too much credit," he added, eyes still lowered.
There was no edge to his voice. Just that same matter-of-fact detachment. But beneath it, something faintly uncomfortable lingered like a person not used to being seen in a good light, and unsure of what to do when they are.
Wang shook her head slightly. "It's not about credit Hikigaya-san," she said quietly. "I just… I know how it feels. Not understanding. Falling behind. Feeling like everyone else is ahead and you're just… stuck."
She glanced at him. "When I turned you down that day, I felt bad about it. So… please take this. It's just my way of making up for that. I really mean it."
Before Hikigaya could respond, Kushida leaned toward Wang with a smile, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Mii-chan… you're really sweet, you know that? You don't have to explain so much. I think anyone would see how sincere you are."
Hikigaya remained silent, staring at the pouch in his hands.
He wasn't used to this—being offered help without strings. And even if part of him wanted to reflexively decline, out of habit more than pride, he couldn't bring himself to do it this time.
'She really means it… And honestly, I'd be an idiot to turn it down. There's too much to cover in one month anyway…'
"…I see," he muttered at last.
He gently closed the pouch and gave a short, deliberate bow.
"…Guess I don't really have an excuse to refuse, huh? Thanks, Wang-san. I really owe you one for this."