The Gamble

"Sorry, I have plans," Hikigaya interjected. "I've already made an appointment with a friend."

"Friends?" Sakayanagi echoed, her tone laced with amusement. "Hayama-kun, your sense of humor is surprising. With your personality, it's hard to imagine you making friends... Unless they're imaginary?"

Her smile was sweet, but her words cut deep, leaving Hikigaya seething. He had to retaliate.

"Take a look for yourself," he said, pulling out his phone and displaying his contacts. "These are the names of my friends. We text each other often."

The "friend" Hikigaya referred to was Matsushita, the only classmate whose number he had. Though their exchanges were rare, they were frequent enough to maintain the illusion.

Girls, it seemed, enjoyed chatting through text and using emoticons. Yuigahama had been the same back in Sobu High, leaving Hikigaya constantly puzzled over how to respond appropriately—neither too eager nor too indifferent.

"Yeah," "Oh," or "..."

Navigating the social minefield of texts was, in its own way, a science.

"You're not lying..." Sakayanagi's eyes widened in genuine surprise.

This girl is incredibly rude.

"Well then," Sakayanagi said with a regretful shake of her head, "I suppose we'll have to postpone our outing. But don't worry, I've already memorized your name, Hayato Hayama from Class 1-C."

"Ah, I see."

Hikigaya kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Thank you, Matsushita! You're my hero!

Who would have thought that Matsushita, who only knew a bit of his darker history, would come in handy here? Life truly is unpredictable.

"Then I'll take my leave," Hikigaya said, turning to go. "You should head back too; it's getting late."

"It's fine. Someone will be here to pick me up soon."

Just as Hikigaya was about to make his escape, the door swung open, and someone strode in.

The newcomer glared at Sakayanagi, his face clouded with irritation. "Hey, Sakayanagi, stop bossing me around... Wait, Hikigaya what are you doing here?"

"Hehe, Masumi-san, you're..."

Sakayanagi's words froze mid-sentence. Hikigaya felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Of all people, why Kamuro?

"Hikigaya? Is that his name?" 

"Yeah, isn't he Hikigaya? I'm pretty sure I remember correctly," Kamuro replied, scratching her cheek in confusion.

The room fell into a heavy silence. After a long, uncomfortable pause, Sakayanagi turned slowly, her expression eerily vacant, as she stared at Hikigaya.

"Uh, well, my friends are waiting for me, so I'll just... go," Hikigaya stammered, the pressure too much to bear as he prepared to bolt.

But in her haste to stop him, Sakayanagi's crutch slipped, and she pitched forward.

"Hey! Be careful!" Hikigaya caught her just in time, his heart pounding. Thankfully, no harm was done.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a tug at his chest. Sakayanagi had grabbed his shirt.

"Thanks for catching me," she murmured, leaning close to his ear. "But now the surveillance cameras will capture us like this. What do you think would happen if I screamed, Hikigaya-kun?"

"That's ridiculous," Hikigaya replied coolly. Sakayanagi might be smart, but sometimes she asked the dumbest questions.

On one side was a suspicious-looking high school boy with a history of shady behavior. On the other, a small, delicate girl who appeared vulnerable. It didn't take a genius to figure out who would be believed in a situation like this.

I'm not bragging, but I've been on the losing end of this kind of thing more times than I can count!

But with his wealth of experience, Hikigaya remained calm, even in this precarious situation, and chose the best course of action.

"Alright, I admit it. I lied."

He lowered his head without hesitation.

"Please forgive me."

Once again, Hikigaya was struck by how much the gods seemed to hate him.

...

As the library was about to close, the three of them moved to a quiet café to continue their conversation.

Or rather, Sakayanagi continued lecturing Hikigaya.

"Really? It's hard to believe that someone like you would do such a thing to a girl you've just met," Sakayanagi said, her tone dripping with irony.

"Yeah, that's it," Hikigaya mumbled, scratching his head. "My mom told me not to give my name to strangers, you know?"

"Oh? Then why did you tell Masumi-san? Are you rebelling against your mother?"

"Well..."

"Hehe, I didn't expect Hikigaya-kun to be the kind of bad boy who treats girls differently."

Sakayanagi's smile was sweet, but there was a darkness behind it. Clearly, she was not pleased about being deceived.

"I'm sorry, Hikigaya," Kamuro chimed in between bites of spaghetti.

"I seem to have caused you trouble... but this pasta is pretty good."

The café offered a variety of light meals, all popular with girls. The dishes were aesthetically pleasing, in simpler terms, social media post's worthy, but the portions were small—gone in a single bite.

Hikigaya would never come here alone, as it wouldn't fill him up.

By the way, he was paying for this meal, so he deserved every bit of this misery.

"But to think you managed to fool Sakayanagi. I'm starting to have a new respect for you," Kamuro added, a hint of glee in her voice.

She had been following Sakayanagi for days, and though she wasn't thrilled about it, she had to admit the girl was sharp and manipulative. But this time, Sakayanagi had stumbled!

Just imagining the day Sakayanagi might show up in Class 1-C looking for Hayato Hayama made Kamuro want to laugh.

"Masumi-san, could you please be quiet?" Sakayanagi's smile grew tense, the air thick with the pressure she was emitting. Hikigaya, fearing for his own safety, frantically signaled Kamuro to stop.

"Hey! If you want to die, go ahead, but don't drag me down with you!"

"You deserve it for being so clever!"

Unfortunately, their silent exchange only seemed to infuriate Sakayanagi further, and she turned her ire toward Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya-kun, are you really reflecting on your actions?"

"Yes, I've reflected deeply," Hikigaya replied, vowing to himself that if he ever saw Sakayanagi again, he would find a way to avoid her at all costs.

"I thought you were a kind person," Sakayanagi said with exaggerated disappointment. "But it turns out you're just a natural-born liar who's good at deceiving women."

"No, that's a bit..."

Good at deceiving women? What a terrible thing to say about someone.

Hikigaya looked at Sakayanagi. To be honest, she was really cute. Her delicate features were doll-like, and her rare silver hair was particularly eye-catching. It was easy to like her at first sight.

But to say she was a woman... something felt off.

"Loli" would be more appropriate.

"...Hikigaya-kun, do you have a death wish?"

"What?!" Hikigaya was startled. Could she read his mind? Or was she still upset about the lie?

It was such a small matter. Why hold a grudge?

What Hikigaya didn't realize was that Sakayanagi wasn't angry about being lied to, but about being deceived by someone she underestimated.

As the only daughter of the chairman, Sakayanagi had been dealing with people from all walks of life—politicians, business leaders, and their children—since she was young. She was used to their games of temptation and suspicion, confident in her ability to see through lies.

She prided herself on being able to judge whether someone was lying by observing subtle details like their breathing, gaze, and blinking.

Yet, Hikigaya had given a fake name without a single tell. His acting skills were truly worthy of praise.

But after the deception was revealed, Hikigaya had done something that threw Sakayanagi off balance—he admitted his lie.

This was not the action of someone who was caught but of someone who knew how to manipulate the situation to his advantage. Sakayanagi was frustrated, unable to shake the feeling that she had been played.

As someone who enjoyed wielding control over others, she was not used to being on the receiving end. Hikigaya's actions intrigued her, but they also made her cautious.

What was even more unsettling was that this didn't appear to be the result of deliberate training. It was as if Hikigaya was a natural-born liar, which is why Sakayanagi labeled him as such.

Though it might have seemed like a harmless joke at first glance, Sakayanagi recognized the potential threat. In a more critical situation, such as a class confrontation, being deceived once could lead to a significant failure later on.

As someone naturally competitive, Sakayanagi couldn't stand the idea of being outmaneuvered.

She had to reclaim her pride.

"Hikigaya-kun, I've been deeply hurt by you," Sakayanagi said, her tone suddenly serious. "So, I ask for compensation."

Kamuro looked at Hikigaya with a mix of pity and amusement as Sakayanagi's request hung in the air.

Hikigaya, however, was unfazed. After years of being targeted by unreasonable demands—especially from formidable opponents—he had grown used to dealing with the whims of others. As long as Sakayanagi didn't go too far, he could handle whatever she threw at him.

"Tell me what you want, as long as it's something I can do," Hikigaya replied, resigned to his fate.

"Hehe, I promise you can."

Sakayanagi's mood seemed to lift, and a smile once again graced her face. But Hikigaya could sense that whatever she had in mind was anything but innocent.

"I want to make a bet with you."

"A bet?" Hikigaya echoed, his suspicions deepening.

"Yes, let's see who can collect the most points. The loser must fulfill one request from the winner."

Hikigaya's heart skipped a beat. This person was definitely up to something.

But if I refuse, she'll just keep hounding me...

Seeing no other way out, Hikigaya reluctantly agreed to play along.

"So, what's the deadline?" he asked, bracing himself for what was to come.