Leaving the Student Council room, Hikigaya headed back to the classroom to grab his bag, only to find Ichinose and Kanzaki still there, chatting with their bags already on.
Are they for real? If you've got your bags on, just go home already.
Noticing his presence, the two approached him like old friends.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you okay?" Ichinose asked with a hint of worry. "Did the Student Council want something from you?"
"Nothing much," Hikigaya replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking out with his hands in his pockets. He added, "Just talked about the application; they asked me to join the Student Council."
The two hurried to keep up, momentarily stunned by his words.
"You were scouted by the Student Council?" Kanzaki blurted out in shock.
"It's not that big of a deal," Hikigaya said nonchalantly as he headed down the stairs. "Isn't Ichinose on great terms with them too? Joining should be a piece of cake for you."
To build such rapport with upperclassmen in just a few days—and even have them remember her name—Ichinose was the one who was truly impressive.
"It's not like that at all," Ichinose scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Actually, both Katsuragi from Class A and I were rejected by the Student Council yesterday."
So she's already acquainted with Class A, not just the upperclassmen? She really was something else.
"Huh?" Hikigaya glanced at her. "I feel like... I should say sorry."
By the way.
Why are you two walking so close to me? People might actually think we're friends!
He was now able to chat casually with Ichinose and the others, but he wasn't sure if this proximity qualified as "friendship."
Actually, probably not.
After all, he didn't even know the full names of Ichinose or "Hero" Kanzaki. He had probably heard them the day before yesterday, but they had slipped his mind immediately.
"No, no need for that!" Ichinose shook her head with a radiant smile. "It just shows I still have room to grow. On the contrary, the fact that Horikita-senpai took an interest in you, Hikigaya-kun, is what's truly amazing."
"Exactly," Kanzaki added, his tone filled with unexpected admiration. "To be honest, it's surprising that you were invited. You should know that aside from you, Horikita-senpai hasn't accepted a single person this year."
"Being recognized by Horikita-senpai is proof enough of your ability."
Inadvertently, Kanzaki's evaluation of Hikigaya rose another notch, though he remained inwardly puzzled. Aside from insight, he couldn't see what this socially awkward guy had that made him more outstanding than Ichinose or Katsuragi.
But Horikita Manabu's seal of approval was enough. Earning that was no small feat.
"I didn't join, though."
"Huh? Didn't you just say Horikita-senpai invited you?"
"I turned him down."
Hikigaya spoke flatly, as if mentioning a trivial errand, as the three of them walked toward the dormitory.
"Eh?"
Ichinose stared in shock, while Kanzaki, beside her, looked completely dumbfounded.
"Why refuse? I heard that joining the Student Council not only earns you higher evaluations but also grants extra Private Points every month. No one should be able to refuse that, right?"
"Well, there are many reasons."
Hikigaya felt it didn't matter. Since both Ichinose and Kanzaki were the type of people who knew how to read the atmosphere, he believed they wouldn't ask further if he didn't want to talk.
"Specifically?"
To his surprise, Kanzaki frowned and asked directly. He had seemed so kind and considerate before; for him to suddenly act like a different person was quite terrifying.
"Well." Hikigaya glanced at him and explained anyway: "I just don't want to sacrifice my private time to serve others. Isn't it better to spend that time playing in the dorm? Besides, that little blonde guy annoys me a bit."
Though he shouldn't have said it, Hikigaya let his tone become harsher to voice his true thoughts. He was just that petty. Nagumo Miyabi had already become an unforgivable object in his heart for daring to disparage MAX Coffee.
Hikigaya watched the path ahead, curious about how Ichinose and Kanzaki would view such a cynical companion.
Ichinose and Kanzaki fell into silence simultaneously. They hadn't expected the usually taciturn Hikigaya to speak so selfishly or to disparage the Student Council Vice President after only one meeting. Fortunately, only the two of them were there. If the rest of the class heard, his reputation would likely hit rock bottom.
Hikigaya observed them without speaking and walked silently toward the dorms. No matter what, these were his true feelings. While he wouldn't necessarily do anything to that blonde guy, the guy was definitely unforgivable. Come to think of it, that blonde guy—like Horikita Manabu—probably saw through his thoughts at first glance. The worst part was that he mocked someone's taste during their first meeting; clearly, he wasn't a good person and was best avoided.
"Well, well," Ichinose said, breaking the awkward silence. "Hikigaya-kun, could you accompany us to the Palette Cafe?"
"I'm not going. I need to go back and eat." Though he knew Ichinose was trying to ease the tension, Hikigaya had no intention of cooperating. He had only eaten the mountain vegetable set for lunch and was starving.
Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged a look.
"Then let's eat at Palette together," Kanzaki said with a nod. "As an apology for earlier today, I said I would treat you to a meal. I don't forget promises I've made, otherwise, it stays on my mind."
What a troublesome guy.
"That's right," Ichinose added with a smile. "Let's go together. We also wanted to discuss Class Points with you."
"If it's only for a little while." Hikigaya looked at them and reluctantly agreed.
Palette Cafe.
As soon as they entered the shop, someone greeted Ichinose. At the same time, Hikigaya felt several hesitant, scrutinizing gazes—seemingly questioning why Ichinose was associating with someone like him. This situation felt like a lady's social gathering where the accompanying male was a testament to her status. The "hero" Kanzaki was fine, but Hikigaya would only lower Ichinose's evaluation.
In Class B, Hikigaya only remembered "Little Black," "Little White," "Hero Kanzaki," the "normie" Shibata, and Ichinose; he had no impression of the others. However, since everyone in Class B greeted him proactively, he deduced these people must be from other classes. As expected of Ichinose and her excellent social skills.
"Karuizawa-san, Sato-san, Matsushita Chiaki, Yahoo~!" Ichinose waved and greeted several people. Kanzaki naturally joined the conversation; although he always had a cold face, his social skills were actually fine.
"I'll go grab a seat first." Before Ichinose or the others could speak, Hikigaya left those words and turned away. Palette was indeed a popular spot for girls; it took him a while to find a table large enough for three.
"Three pasta sets, please." He handed the menu to a nearby staff member. The cafe seemed to operate on a model where you order first and then pay with a receipt. It wasn't that he liked making arbitrary decisions or ignoring Ichinose's feelings; he intended to pay for himself. Kanzaki had only slightly questioned his words earlier; it wasn't enough to warrant a free meal. Most importantly, while a free lunch tastes best, he didn't want to accept such a favor. If he paid himself, the other party had no right to complain.
Not long after, Ichinose and Kanzaki found him. Looking at the three pasta sets on the table, they were somewhat confused.
"Is the pasta set okay?"
"It's fine."
"I actually quite like pasta~" The two sat across from him, showing no signs of displeasure.
"Speaking of which, I have something I want to talk to you about as well