"Hey... Aoki," Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated slightly as he followed Aoki Kei down the hallway. "All those people talking about you... Doesn't it bother you at all?"
Aoki adjusted the guitar case on his shoulder and shrugged.
"What could it possibly do to me? It's not like their gossip will peel my skin off."
Whispers, judgmental stares, and careless chatter that completely ignores how others might feel—these things can eat away at a person without them even realizing it.
And when the damage is done, the ones who spread the rumors or shot those dirty looks are always the first to play innocent.
They'll say stuff like, "Oh, I didn't mean it," or "Sorry, it was just a joke," with a face that makes you want to punch a wall.
Most of that behavior came from the typical shallow cliques in class.
So really, when Hachiman shouted, "All those idiotic normies celebrating youth should just explode!"—that wasn't too far from his true feelings.
But Aoki Kei? He was built differently.
Even with the majority of the class whispering about him behind his back with a bit of malicious glee.
He could just calmly walk out of the room, completely unfazed, and say something like, "It's not like I'll lose a layer of skin because they talk behind my back."
Unaffected by others' words. Choosing solitude. Choosing to walk alone.
The purity of it... was terrifying.
A faint, nearly imperceptible hint of admiration flickered across Hachiman's face—only to be immediately replaced by curiosity.
His dead-fish eyes flicked toward Aoki.
"Well... if you're really fine with it. But that red-haired underclassman—who is she exactly? Uh, if it's private or something, forget I asked."
"It's not really a secret," Aoki replied with a small shake of his head. "I joined a band recently. Kita-san's our lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. She just asks me stuff about guitar now and then."
"Oh..." Hachiman nodded slowly.
Aoki paused, then added with a completely serious tone, "Speaking of joining the band... Hachiman, we're close enough to be called best friends, right?"
That caught Hachiman completely off guard.
He stiffened, his expression freezing in disbelief.
'Whoa whoa whoa... what's with the sudden friendship speedrun?!'
His internal alarm bells went off.
He halted in his tracks, taking a cautious step back.
Aoki didn't react to the shift.
He walked ahead a few more steps, then stopped and turned around to face Hachiman again.
"Since joining the band, I've been pouring all my time into practice for a competition held by a record label in two months. To focus on that, I quit my part-time job. Which means..."
"If I don't win something two months from now, I'll probably have to start surviving off grass or something. And as my best friend, you won't just stand by and do nothing, right?"
"..."
Hachiman's mouth twitched.
Well... he did have some leftover allowance most of the time, and technically he had the time to spare.
So, though he looked extremely done with this conversation, he still gave a reluctant nod.
Only for Aoki to casually wave him off with one hand.
"Borrowing money just to eat is ridiculous. I was joking."
"Oi... you bastard..."
Hachiman twitched again, this time his whole eye twitching with irritation.
But deep down, he was a little concerned.
'He's not actually serious about this, right...?'
'Giving up his job just to throw himself into some contest with a band...?'
'That's like something out of a hot-blooded manga protagonist's arc...'
Their conversation ended as Aoki headed upstairs toward the Service Club.
Hachiman left for home.
Aoki walked into the clubroom alone.
Though Aoki currently considered Yukinoshita Yukino his enemy, the two of them could still share a room in near-total silence for extended periods.
Yukino read quietly while Aoki focused on studying materials both in and out of the curriculum.
Just like Shizuka Hiratsuka had said, the Service Club had no active requests at the moment.
The only club activity now was to quietly wait for someone to show up asking for help—like rabbits waiting under a tree for fruit to fall.
Truly the modern version of what people back in the days called doing nothing.
Aoki sat reading a study guide titled "100 Everyday English Idioms."
When he reached the phrase "get on a gravy train," his mind wandered, drifting off in a spiral of unrelated thoughts.
Then, a voice snapped him back to reality.
Cool and sharp, with an edge like an icy blade.
"Aoki-san, please stop staring at me. If you keep looking any longer, I'm going to call the police."
Snapping back to awareness, Aoki realized his gaze had been unintentionally locked on Yukino's legs.
Everyone's probably had that moment.
When you're thinking deeply about something and your eyes unconsciously settle on... wherever's most comfortable to stare at.
It's not deliberate. It just happens.
So let's be clear—Aoki hadn't meant to ogle her legs.
Still...
Looking at Yukino's legs, covered in dark stockings, Aoki found himself analyzing them for a moment.
'Pretty thick stockings... probably at least 60 denier,' he thought.
But even those couldn't fully hide the subtle allure of the "absolute zone" between the hem of her skirt and her thigh-highs...
(That particular bit of trivia came from a random pop-science book Aoki once read. Learning that, too, was purely accidental.)
He stopped himself from thinking any further.
Before Yukino could say another word, Aoki prepared to explain himself.
But just as he opened his mouth, something interrupted again.
The "Love-Obstacle Simulation Game" had gone live once more, presenting him with three choices:
————————————————————————
[Yukinoshita Yukino has questioned your actions. As someone innocent, naturally you must respond. You say—]
[Option 1]: Ignore her and look confused, hoping to brush it off.
(Reward: Advanced Tea Ceremony Skills)
[Option 2]: She's your rival in academics—an enemy. Explaining is admitting guilt. Backing down is surrender. So instead, launch a stylish counterattack!
(Reward: Language Proficiency Talent)
[Option 3]: You're innocent! Explain sincerely and apologize, hoping to earn her forgiveness.
(Reward: 200 points)
————————————————————————
Aoki stared at the options for a moment.
Then, without hesitation, made his choice.
Forget the rewards—Option 2 had the right philosophy.
Backing down was pointless.
Explaining himself would be as good as admitting guilt.
And Yukinoshita Yukino? The top-ranked student in school? She was Aoki's one true rival.
And when dealing with an enemy... mercy is the last thing you need.
Taking a deep breath, Aoki raised his head and said with perfect calm,
"Yukinoshita-san, I have absolutely no interest in your body, which is as flat and underdeveloped as a kindergartener's. Please have some respect for me."