The old lady thanked him softly before taking the seat that Hikigaya Hachiman had just vacated.
As expected, doing a good deed didn't win him any favor. In fact, the looks he got made him seem like a fool.
But that was normal.
After all, the short-haired, busty girl and the blond pretty boy had been negotiating over that seat for several minutes already. A real good person would've given it up from the start. Waiting until now just made it look like he was pretending to be kind.
And, in truth, Hikigaya agreed. He hadn't given up his seat because of goodwill toward the "energetic elderly." He'd simply wanted to avoid a dangerous creature.
"Well, thank you so much for what happened just now," said the short-haired girl with the impressive figure as she approached.
"No, it's nothing. I just felt carsick from sitting too long, so I wanted to stand for a bit," Hikigaya replied casually, deflecting.
"Are you okay, classmate? Do you need any help?" she asked again, blinking her large, concerned eyes.
"No."
He quickly dodged her reaching hand. What a joke.
Didn't she notice the death glares from the guys nearby?
Especially those two who "didn't look very bright" earlier — their faces were practically green with jealousy now. If looks could kill, Hikigaya would've been a chalk outline on the bus floor.
Unfortunately for them…
He turned his dead fish eyes toward the window.
The bus rolled onto a massive cross-sea bridge, revealing a vast, man-made island ahead.
Beyond it stood the towering gates of Advanced Nurturing High School, decorated with marble pillars that gleamed beneath the morning sun — a sight almost too majestic to belong to a mere school.
Hikigaya frowned. Something about this place already felt wrong.
When the bus arrived, students poured out, shouting excitedly as if stepping into paradise.
"Starting today, I'll be stuck in this school for three years, huh…"
Hikigaya slouched, his posture radiating decay. His dead fish eyes somehow looked even more lifeless.
No way.
Not seeing Komachi for three years? That was worse than carrying a bag of rice up several flights of stairs — Payne-level suffering.
At least in prison, family visits were allowed.
He briefly considered the pros and cons.
"I looked this depressed on the first day, yet they still let me in. What kind of interviewer passes someone like me?"
In protest of his parents' total disregard for his wishes — and their unauthorized application — he had intentionally sabotaged his interview.
When asked about his goals for high school and his dreams for the future, Hikigaya had said he looked forward to the high-quality women at the school. Then he proudly announced that his dream was to become a househusband and find his future wife here.
He could still remember the interviewer's horrified face. He'd been certain he'd blown it.
Ninety-nine percent chance of rejection, easy.
He hadn't cared, anyway. His entrance exam scores were good enough for Sōbu High — why not stay close to home? Maybe he'd even find someone real there.
Though the odds were slim… miracles existed, right?
Yet somehow, he'd been accepted into Advanced Nurturing High School — despite that trainwreck of an interview.
You couldn't tell him it wasn't deliberate. Maybe the school wanted a "diverse ecosystem," throwing in weird specimens like him to make things realistic.
Then a voice came from behind — cold, sharp, and feminine.
"By the way," the black-haired girl's cold voice cut through his thoughts, "why were you looking at me on the bus?"
If you didn't look at me, how would you know I was looking at you?
He didn't say that. Getting into an argument on the first day sounded exhausting.
"If I made you uncomfortable, I'll apologize," he said instead, his voice soft but detached.
"That's not what I meant…"
Her sharp tongue faltered at his disarming humility.
"Then why did you give up your seat to that old man earlier?" she asked again, this time with a hint of curiosity. "You didn't seem like you intended to. So why did you do it?"
"Then what's your reason for not giving yours?" Hikigaya countered.
"I didn't give up my seat because I had faith," she said firmly.
That… sounded worse, somehow.
But surprisingly, he understood her logic.
What is evil? Anything that comes from weakness.
Nietzsche's words echoed in his mind — morality, strength, and the rejection of pity.
"And judging by the outcome, I was right," she continued. "That old woman was walking perfectly fine. She didn't need help."
"I see," Hikigaya replied flatly. "I don't really understand what you're talking about, but maybe I just wanted to stand up."
The girl blinked, visibly thrown off by his answer. She hesitated, then muttered, "Did I… misjudge you?"
She must've noticed that his eyes had lingered on the book in her hands earlier — probably mistaking curiosity for interest.
"Forget it. It seems you and I are not the same kind of people. I hope we have nothing to do with each other from now on."
"I agree completely," Hikigaya said without hesitation.
He wasn't expecting a romantic youth story where he meets a beautiful girl, becomes friends, and starts dating.
That was the stuff of fiction. Reality was far less forgiving.
Also… wasn't the number of security cameras around the school way too high?
He glanced at the nearest one.
***
First-Year, Class D.
Noisy.
Loud.
Unbearably lively.
It felt like walking into a kindergarten.
Even if it was the first day, was this level of chaos really necessary?
Other classes he'd passed weren't nearly as loud.
"Hey, the girls in our class are amazing!"
"Yeah, total god-tier quality!"
"Bro, you're a man of culture!"
"You know it, hehe!"
The two idiots from the bus had already found each other — clearly united by shared stupidity.
"Ugh, boys are gross."
"Wait, look at that guy! He's kinda cute."
"Should we go talk to him?"
"No way~ I'll get embarrassed~~"
A small group of loud, extroverted girls giggled near the window.
"Xiaomei, you're an international student? That's so cool!"
"Kushida-san was so nice helping that old lady on the bus earlier."
"No~ Just call me Kikyo."
"Kikyo-chan~ You're adorable!"
Led by the same short-haired girl with the big bust, a crowd quickly gathered around her — proof that her "good girl" act had worked flawlessly.
The rest of the class was already splitting into cliques, while loners scrambled to fit in.
Hikigaya decided not to bother. Just the thought of pretending to smile and keep up small talk made him tired.
Moving like a ghost, he slipped between groups and settled into a seat near the back — second to last row. Unfortunately, not by the window.
There goes his dream of staring at the scenery and zoning out during class.
And… wait.
It can't be that kind of coincidence, right?