Chapter 8 Busy life after school
The bet was simple and didn't allow for a tie.
The first question: Who is the person Horikita Manabu cares about most at this school?
The second question: In a 200-meter sprint, is Horikita Manabu faster than Nagumo Miyabi?
The winner would be decided by whoever got the second question correct.
The first question was just an appetizer aimed at Nagumo. The second was the carefully prepared main course selected by Hikigaya.
Having already conquered his own year, Nagumo had fallen into a state of aimless searching. Naturally, Horikita Manabu, the student council president praised as the most outstanding and brilliant student at Advanced Nurturing High School, became his new target.
Despite all of Nagumo Miyabi's provocations, Horikita Manabu had never responded. Since the special exams were usually separated by grade levels, Nagumo had no way to challenge Horikita Manabu directly.
"Hikigaya, you really are an interesting person," Nagumo said, closing his eyes for just three seconds before signing his name. "Don't disappoint me."
"I'll handle it with the president. Once the time is set, I'll let you know."
"Then I'll look forward to it."
"…"
Using the excuse that he wanted to ask President Horikita something privately, Hikigaya stayed in the office until everyone else had left. In the now-empty room, only he and Horikita Manabu remained.
After giving the contract to Horikita he said:
"Sorry. I used you without permission. I'll make sure to prepare a reward that satisfies you."
As Horikita Manabu read through the bet details, Hikigaya spoke up first to apologize. No matter the reason, making decisions for someone without their consent was something that required an apology.
Most people would focus on the six million personal points involved in the bet. Nagumo focused on the second question. But the first question was Hikigaya's true goal.
You can't just not apologize when you've done something wrong — whether to Horikita Manabu or to Horikita Suzune.
"This is a one-time exception. Don't let me down. I'm free tomorrow at four in the afternoon."
Without asking what the reward would be, or why Hikigaya was so confident in winning, Horikita Manabu simply maintained his composed demeanor, finished reading, and set the contract aside.
"Understood. I'll be waiting for you on the field, President." Hikigaya retrieved the bet contract.
As he stepped out of the student council room, he found Tachibana Akane standing by the door with her arms full of documents. Her face wore a look of concern. What an easy-to-read upperclassman.
"I've already apologized to the president, so you don't need to worry either."
"Who said I was worried about you? If you cause trouble for the president again, I won't let you off so easily." Tachibana raised her little fist. "Also, stop using that gross voice when you talk to me."
It's a gentle, kind big brother voice, isn't it? Hikigaya rebutted internally. She reminded him of his younger sister Komachi, and with a lack of Komachi's point lately, he had unconsciously slipped into the tone he used when talking to her.
"Sorry."
"You don't sound sincere. Are you badmouthing me in your head right now?"
"You're really hard to deal with, you know."
Realizing that Tachibana was about to unleash her signature female irrationality move, Hikigaya deployed his ultimate skill: retreat.
.
.
.
There weren't many students in the cafeteria at this hour. After dinner, Hikigaya took a walk around the dorm building to digest, then headed back to his room—where he found a familiar, cute figure leaning against the wall reading a book.
Wearing a red blazer school uniform and matching white pleated skirt, a girl with large violet eyes stood quietly. Her profile was sharp and delicate like finely carved porcelain.
"Good afternoon, Shiina-san."
Realizing she was probably here to give him the book they had discussed yesterday, Hikigaya quickly walked over.
"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun." Shiina closed the book and smiled softly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I just wanted to give it to you as soon as possible."
"Not at all. I just got back late because of some student council stuff. Sorry."
"I didn't make an appointment either, so I should be the one apologizing."
Realizing that if they kept going back and forth over who should apologize, it would never end, Hikigaya quickly changed the subject. "This is Raymond Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely, right? I'll return it to you once I'm done reading."
"You'll share your thoughts with me too, right?"
"Of course."
After exchanging contact info, Shiina left satisfied. Hikigaya pulled out his key card and opened the door to his room, where he found a girl sitting at his desk playing on her phone.
As a sign of trust, Hikigaya had given Kushida Kikyo a spare key card. This time, she had come to report on what happened during Hirata Yosuke's class meeting.
"It went well enough. During breaks, Hirata secured support from a lot of students. Apart from Yamauchi and Sotomura, those two idiots who spent all their points on handheld consoles and tablets, everyone else agreed to contribute. Hirata and I filled in the shortfall from our own pockets."
"Even Koenji contributed?"
From what Hikigaya remembered, Koenji Rokusuke was an undeniable genius with a prideful arrogance to match, someone who avoided socializing and simply did as he pleased.
"He gave his share quite readily. But from what I've heard, Hirata also approached Koenji privately."
"I see. If he really tries, Hirata can pull it off." Hikigaya placed the book on the desk and lay down on his bed. "What about Horikita? Any signs she wants to step up as a leader?"
"No, but she didn't refuse when Hirata assigned her to tutor students who aren't doing well academically." Kushida swung her legs in their white tights. "Why are you so concerned about her? Do you like her or something?"
"Don't say stupid stuff. There's no way she'd like someone like me." Hikigaya sighed. He knew how difficult and awkward he was.
"But she didn't say she doesn't like you."
"I don't like people who don't like me."
"Most people would say they only like those who like them."
At some point, Kushida had moved to sit beside him, still wearing her angelic mask. Her perfume was pleasant, her figure unusually mature for her age, and her face would be considered cute by anyone. Such beauty was within arm's reach.
But he knew it was all a facade. A trained lone wolf doesn't get fooled. The distance between them had never shortened. Only when she could show him the face hidden behind the mask without hesitation could he consider himself her friend.
"Sorry for not being normal. I'm just that difficult of a person." He stood and walked over to the balcony's glass doors. The clouds in the sky were already turning dark.
"You're making me more and more curious about you."
"Don't say things that could be misunderstood by guys." Hikigaya remained calm. "I'm forming a study group. I want to bring in Hasebe Haruka, Sakura Airi, and Karuizawa Kei."
All three were girls from Class D who weren't good at studying. Hasebe and Sakura had once been his friends. Karuizawa Kei was selected because, in the future, she would become Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's girlfriend.
Hikigaya didn't know how Ayanokoji had managed to win over the girl who held a high position among the class's gyaru, but he didn't mind speculating with maximum cynicism about Ayanokouji's methods to accomplish that.