The next day.
After school.
Palette Café.
"Is this really okay? Even something a bit more luxurious would've been fine."
Hikigaya said as he looked at Tsube Hitomi sitting across from him.
He had lost the skiing competition during the school trip and originally intended to treat Tsube Hitomi to a proper meal. He hadn't expected her to order nothing more than a few pieces of cake and coffee.
Although all of his individual points had already been transferred to the class—leaving him with only thirty thousand points as monthly pocket money, which wouldn't increase to fifty thousand until after the second year—a meal was still well within his means.
What a considerate person.
"Honestly…"
Tsube Hitomi rolled her beautiful eyes, looking a bit speechless.
"Is Hikki the type who thinks the more expensive something is, the better?"
"Isn't that how it works? You get what you pay for, right?"
Hikigaya tilted his head in confusion.
"And price represents sincerity to some extent, doesn't it?"
"Hmm, I see."
Tsube Hitomi smiled casually.
"But I like this place, so it doesn't matter."
"That's good then."
They chatted casually for a while before Tsube Hitomi suddenly asked,
"Hikki, do you like your current life?"
"Hm? That's a pretty broad question. Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing special. I just really like my current life. I'm very happy being with everyone in Class B, so I wanted to know how you feel."
"I like it too."
Hikigaya nodded naturally.
"My current life is something my past self could never have imagined. There's no reason to dislike it…"
"Does that include Honami, Yuki-chan, and the others?"
"Well… I don't dislike them."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hikigaya still nodded.
Having many friends, a harmonious class atmosphere, and being surrounded by beauties like Ichinose—his sense of fulfillment was more than satisfied.
Over time, he'd grown used to it. He even liked it quite a bit.
"I see…"
Tsube Hitomi nodded happily.
"Then what if—just hypothetically—another girl were to confess to you? What would Hikki do?"
"Hm…"
Hikigaya frowned.
To be honest, he wasn't sure himself.
He did have some interest in Nanase Tsubasa. After all, who wouldn't like a beautiful kouhai who was also extremely loyal?
But actively trying to approach her felt… difficult.
"I don't know."
"Eh? You don't know?"
"I guess so."
Hikigaya let out two dry laughs to hide his embarrassment.
"Saying I have no interest in beautiful girls would be a lie, but I'd still need Honami and the others' consent first."
"But that feels like pushing all the responsibility onto them, which is kind of shameless. So I really don't know what I'd do."
In the end, I'd probably just go along with it.
"That alone proves I'm a fickle scumbag with no confidence in my lower half."
Hikigaya took a sip of black tea.
Recently, Sakayanagi had been forcing him to learn how to appreciate black tea, and surprisingly, it wasn't bad.
He spoke with some emotion.
"I honestly don't know what Honami and the others see in me."
"Hmm…"
Tsube Hitomi rested her snow-white chin on her hand.
It felt like walking forward through thick fog.
"So what do you plan to do in the future?"
"Oh, you probably don't know this yet."
Hikigaya didn't seem too concerned.
"Arisu's father is Chairman Sakayanagi of this school. I'll probably marry into the family in the future and work to support everyone."
"If I get dumped, then I'll just do my best to get into a good university and either find a solid job or start a business."
"There's always a way."
Fortunately, Sakurajima's welfare system was still quite decent.
Even if material comfort couldn't be guaranteed, supporting a family wouldn't be too hard. Losing status and position might make it harder to face relatives, though.
"Hmm…"
Tsube Hitomi nodded, looking a little surprised.
"Hikki, you've never once thought about breaking up with Honami and the others, have you?"
"That's not an option."
Hikigaya replied flatly.
That was something he had never even considered.
"Since they entrusted me with the most important things and always look out for me, I absolutely can't betray their expectations."
"Though maybe that's just possessiveness."
Either way, the result was the same. There was no need to draw a clear distinction.
"What does it matter…"
Tsube Hitomi smiled gently.
"Even if you're a bit fickle, at least your attitude of taking responsibility until the very end is praiseworthy."
"No need to comfort me. I understand myself pretty well."
Hikigaya shrugged.
"I'm just surprised. I didn't expect you to like talking about topics like this, Hitomi."
"Eh? Just casual conversation. Sorry—does Hikki not like it?"
"Not at all."
"Then what's the thing you want to do most right now?"
"Hm…"
Hikigaya thought for a moment.
"There isn't really anything I desperately want to do. The top priority is preventing expulsions—and then rising to Class A."
"And if you can't reach Class A in the end?"
"Then it can't be helped. If Arisu allows it, I'll try to find good jobs for everyone. If not, all I can do is apologize."
His gaze was firm.
Avoiding expulsions was absolutely Class B's highest priority.
If they still failed in the end, then they failed.
However, as long as what the school promised was true, that possibility was extremely low.
"Hikki really is quite free-spirited."
The topic drifted like falling leaves. Tsube Hitomi nodded, as if recalling something.
"I heard from Airi that you hired Ryuuen because of a promise with Horikita-senpai. So at the very least, you have to crush Class D, right?"
"It's just that during the school trip, Class D seemed very united. Is this method really going to work?"
"It will."
"Eh? Why are you so sure?"
"You can tell just by looking."
Hikigaya turned his gaze toward the inside of the café, and Tsube Hitomi followed his line of sight.
With the final exam of the second semester approaching, Palette Café wasn't very crowded. Most students were probably studying in the library or elsewhere.
Most of the customers were first-years, with a few Class A, Class C, and third-year students mixed in.
Tsube Hitomi frowned.
"What do you see? I don't see anything."
"There aren't any people from Horikita's class."
Hikigaya calmly took another sip of his black tea.
Even though he hadn't memorized them before, he now knew everyone listed in the OAA by name and face.
Just by paying a little attention to daily life, it was obvious.
Aside from Karuizawa Kei, Hasebe Haruka, Koenji, Ayanokouji, and a few others, members of Class D had already become rare sights at Keyaki Mall.
By observing daily behavior—and looking at tardiness records kept by the Student Council—Class D's condition was clear.
That was why—
Hikigaya was confident.
Class D was already on the verge of collapse.