The Early Worm Catches the Bird

The next morning, as the first light of dawn crept through his window, Hikigaya woke up, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all. His mind had been restless all night, plagued by thoughts of Kushida and the upcoming bet with Sakayanagi.

He dreaded what outrageous demands she might make.

No, he corrected himself. If it's Sakayanagi, there's no need to hope for something reasonable. She'll make outrageous demands.

"Oh, this is so annoying," Hikigaya muttered to himself.

The thought of facing his inescapable fate made life feel utterly meaningless. Not only did he have to endure Sakayanagi's teasing at lunch, but he also had to prepare study materials for the afternoon.

His day was already packed, leaving him with no free time. Am I becoming popular or something? he briefly wondered before dismissing the idea. No, that's ridiculous.

Unable to sleep any longer, Hikigaya decided that getting up early and going out might help clear his head. Unfortunately, he quickly regretted this decision.

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun," came a cheerful voice as soon as he stepped outside.

"...Good morning," he replied, recognizing the voice of Kushida Kikyou.

The angelic girl from Class D had already returned to her usual self, her beautiful smile masking any traces of the turmoil from the night before. If only, Hikigaya wished, it had all been just a dream.

But as soon as they stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, Kushida's tone turned cold.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

"...You mean the study session?"

"Obviously. What else would it be?" She replied sharply.

So it wasn't a dream, Hikigaya thought with a sigh. At least he was becoming more accustomed to this side of Kushida.

"My plan is simple," he said nonchalantly.

"We'll just slowly torture those guys."

"Torture?" Kushida frowned, not understanding what he meant.

"They'll never learn," Hikigaya continued calmly.

"As the other students' grades improve, the passing score for the class will rise. Those guys will watch their scores inch closer to the red line, powerless to stop it... I'm looking forward to seeing their expressions."

"You're...disgusting," Kushida muttered, recoiling slightly.

"That's the last thing I want to hear from you."

The elevator reached the ground floor, and Kushida quickly masked her cold demeanor with a bright smile. Her ability to change expressions so swiftly was truly remarkable.

"Well, Hikigaya-kun, I'm off to meet my friends. See you in the classroom later!"

She chirped before hurrying off.

Hikigaya watched her go, feeling his energy drain away. What a way to start the morning, he thought wearily.

"Ah, isn't this Hikigaya-kun? Why are you sighing so early in the morning?" came another familiar voice.

"...Is this happening?" Hikigaya groaned as he turned to see Sakayanagi Arisu approaching.

Of all the people he could run into, she was arguably the worst.

In a sense, Sakayanagi was even more troublesome than Kushida.

At least with Kushida, Hikigaya knew where he stood.

With Sakayanagi, he was never sure.

"What's wrong?"

Sakayanagi asked with a sweet smile.

"This is the first time we've met since May. Are you not happy to see me? Or would you prefer to see Masumi-san instead?"

"Why is Kamuro's name being brought up?"

Hikigaya wondered aloud, trying to suppress the urge to flee. But he knew that running away would only make things worse.

However, as a wise man once said, "Fate is but a sleeping slave."

Come on, Father Sakayanagi! Hikigaya steeled himself.

"Eh? You don't want to see Masumi-san?"

Sakayanagi feigned surprise.

"If she knew, she'd be heartbroken. She mentions your name every day, you know."

"This is impossible. Please don't change character settings when the person in question isn't here," Hikigaya shot back, refusing to believe her nonsense. Kamuro wasn't some love-struck girl, and they certainly weren't in that kind of relationship.

By the way, Kamuro was still investigating the Katsuragi faction. Hikigaya wondered how that was progressing.

"Hehe, let's not talk about that for now," Sakayanagi said, brushing the topic aside.

"Since it's a rare opportunity, why don't we walk to school together?"

Her tone was more of a statement than a question, leaving Hikigaya with little choice.

Hikigaya thought for a moment and then said, "If you cancel lunch today, I'll walk with you."

"Oh my, you've learned how to bargain," Sakayanagi remarked, covering her mouth in mock surprise.

"Huh, I can grow up too, you know."

Instead of engaging in pointless struggles, it was better to aim for maximum benefit. There weren't many people on the streets right now, so walking to school with Sakayanagi wouldn't cause too much of a stir.

But if she did show up in his classroom at noon, Hikigaya's life would be anything but peaceful.

There was no other choice—he had to pick the lesser of two evils.

But on second thought, it seemed like Sakayanagi was a nuisance no matter what he chose.

"Haha, very well then," Sakayanagi smiled.

"The lunch appointment is non-negotiable, but we will meet in the cafeteria. Also, you have to answer a question for me now."

"...What question?"

"Who do you think is the most special person in Class D?"

Sakayanagi clearly had a specific person in mind when she asked the question.

It couldn't be someone too obvious; otherwise, there would be no point in her inquiry.

Given that Sakayanagi's father was the chairman of the board, it was highly likely that she had access to inside information. The person she was referring to had to be someone exceptional, yet inconspicuous—a person who didn't draw too much attention to themselves in daily life.

The answer became clear to Hikigaya: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

There was no one else in Class D who fit that description. Certainly not someone like Koenji.

Ayanokouji was the only one who stood out for his ability to blend into the background despite his extraordinary capabilities.

Furthermore, according to Haruno, she had once been invited to join a secret organization, and it was possible that Sakayanagi, being a genius herself, had been invited as well. If that were the case, she might have met Ayanokouji there.

So, how should he respond?

There was only one option: play dumb.

Hikigaya stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment before finally speaking up.

"If I had to choose, it'd probably be Koenji. Normally, I'd never get the chance to interact with someone from such an obscenely wealthy background."

He felt confident that his answer was spot-on. After all, if anyone stood out as special, it was certainly Koenji—perhaps even too special.

But then, Sakayanagi turned to Hikigaya, her expression softening into the kindest smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Hikigaya-kun," she began sweetly, "I'll give you one more chance. If you dare lie again, I'll make you confess to me in the middle of a crowded shopping mall. How does that sound?"

"…Is it Ayanokouji?"

"Haha, I do appreciate smart and obedient boys."

Sakayanagi's smile grew even more satisfied.

——Tsk!

Hikigaya cursed inwardly at the hateful, flat-chested, white-haired pseudo-Lolita standing before him.

From now on, he swore to himself, he would never get up early again!