A Transformation

Hikigaya stared at his reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the man who stared back at him. The glasses perched on his nose, the slicked-back hair—it all seemed foreign as if he were looking at a stranger.

"This can't be me," he murmured, frowning at the unfamiliar sight.

Even the signature ahoge, a family trait passed down through generations of the Hikigaya line, had been tamed, now lying flat and unassuming.

"I doubt anyone would recognize me like this," he added, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Kamuro, who had been watching from the side, nodded in agreement.

"Honestly, if you showed up out of nowhere like this, I probably wouldn't know it was you."

She stepped closer, reaching out to adjust his hair.

"Want me to fix it? I could make it look a bit more like the old you."

Hikigaya considered the offer for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, it's fine as it is."

After some thought, Hikigaya responded, realizing that his current look might be ideal for the situation. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being recognized.

Considering that Haruno was a teacher, they typically kept their interactions discreet to avoid any unnecessary attention. But today was different—it was her birthday, and a little deviation from the norm seemed acceptable.

"Alright then, I'll head out," Kamuro said. With everything sorted, she didn't waste any time lingering and moved to leave.

This time, however, Hikigaya was the one to stop her.

"Kamuro… you mentioned you were just returning a favor, but isn't there something else you wanted to talk about?"

Hikigaya asked, his tone hesitant.

Kamuro had a stubborn streak, and if he didn't bring it up, she might struggle to voice whatever was on her mind.

Though Hikigaya wasn't one to court trouble, Kamuro had helped him out all afternoon. Ignoring her now would be downright ungrateful.

As expected, Kamuro halted, sighed, and then sat back down on the bed.

"So, you figured it out… You're sharp in a way that's a little too much like Sakayanagi," she remarked.

"Uh, thanks?"

Hikigaya couldn't tell if that was praise or a jab, but he decided to thank her regardless.

"Alright, I'll get straight to it," Kamuro said, locking eyes with him.

"Regarding the bet with Sakayanagi… She wants you to go after Katsuragi's faction, right? And she mentioned that Hashimoto and I would be helping you."

"Yeah, that's right. Why?"

Hikigaya was a bit taken aback. He hadn't expected this topic to come up.

Wait a second… Could it be that she has a soft spot for Katsuragi—

"If you even start thinking along those lines, I'll end you!"

"Sorry!"

...Seriously, how does she always know what I'm thinking?

Hikigaya decided to focus and take her seriously.

After a brief pause, he carefully asked, "Are you… not okay with Sakayanagi's approach?"

"...I don't mind keeping tabs on things, but I don't want to get dragged into pointless infighting."

Kamuro's response wasn't a direct answer, but it was enough for Hikigaya to gauge her feelings.

"Understood," Hikigaya replied without hesitation.

"I'll come up with a plan on my own. Besides, Katsuragi's faction would likely be suspicious of you two anyway. Even if you were willing to help from the inside, it might just tip them off."

Whether Kamuro was simply trying to avoid trouble or genuinely didn't want to go against her classmates didn't matter to Hikigaya. He hadn't planned on relying on Sakayanagi's faction in the first place; working in teams wasn't exactly his forte.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll be off now… Oh, and don't forget to use the styling spray later."

With that final reminder, Kamuro left.

Hikigaya took another long look at his reflection in the mirror. He took off the glasses, put them back on, and repeated the process several times.

Damn, no matter how much I look, I just can't get used to this.

But maybe it's not so bad.

At least now, Hikigaya Hachiman might meet Haruno's definition of a "handsome guy."

"Can I really do this?"

Hikigaya shook the thought from his mind. There were more immediate concerns—like figuring out the exact time to meet tomorrow. Haruno had insisted they meet at the stroke of midnight on her birthday, which meant gathering on Sunday night.

Fortunately, their school had no curfews and didn't enforce bed checks, so students could stay out as late as they wanted. If not, this plan would have been nearly impossible to pull off.

He reassured himself that at such a late hour, the chances of running into anyone familiar were slim.

---

It was now 9:30 PM on Sunday.

In just two and a half hours, it would be Haruno's birthday.

But if Hikigaya could go back in time, he'd gladly give his naive self from the day before a hard slap for agreeing to this.

"Hey, isn't that guy over there kind of handsome?"

"He is! Is he a student here? I don't think I've seen him before."

"He must be an upperclassman, right? Or maybe he works at one of the stores?"

"Should we go say hi?"

Hikigaya felt the weight of the whispers and stares around him and had to use every ounce of self-control to maintain his composure.

—Why did she choose the mall as the meeting place?!

And on top of that, she's late! Is this some kind of twisted joke?!

She couldn't possibly be hiding somewhere, laughing at me, could she?

Hikigaya mentally screamed. Ever since he had left his room, he had been bombarded by glances from girls—sometimes even from guys. To make matters worse, every time he messaged Haruno, her response was always, "I'm almost there," without ever specifying when she'd arrive.

What am I supposed to do? I don't think I can hold out much longer!

Just as Hikigaya was trying to distract himself with random thoughts to avoid the uncomfortable reality, a girl started walking toward him.

Wait… could it be…?

"Uh, excuse me, I noticed you've been standing here for a while. Are you waiting for someone?"

"…Yes."

—This is bad, really bad.

Hikigaya tried to remain calm on the outside, but inside, he was panicking.

The girl who had just approached him was none other than Sato Maya, who often hung out with Matsushita.

Why aren't you back in the dorm sleeping by now?! Good girls shouldn't be out this late!

"If it's not too much trouble, could you do me a favor?" Sato asked, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.

"I'd like to take a picture with my friend. Could you take it for us? It'll only take a moment."

"…Sure."

Hikigaya breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he hadn't been recognized, and she wasn't here to hit on him.

It's not like something that convenient could happen… right?

Just as Hikigaya began to relax, Sato excitedly dragged her friend over.

"Matsushita, come on! Let's take a picture together."

To Hikigaya's dismay, the friend she mentioned was Matsushita herself.

This wasn't entirely surprising, considering the two were close friends.

"What? Why do you suddenly want to take a picture?" Matsushita asked, looking puzzled. However, when she noticed Hikigaya, her expression turned even more confused.

"Wait… aren't you…"

"Uh…" At that moment, Hikigaya's heart was in his throat. He feared being recognized.

Unlike Sato, whom he rarely interacted with, Hikigaya saw Matsushita almost daily and spoke with her frequently in class. If she recognized him, it wouldn't be surprising at all.

"Haven't we met somewhere before?"

Luckily, Matsushita didn't seem to immediately recognize him. She just felt like he looked familiar.

Sato, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

"Come on, Matsushita! That's such a cliché pick-up line. People will make fun of you."

"That's not what I meant! I feel like I've seen him somewhere," Matsushita quickly explained.

Sato nudged her in the side with her elbow, smirking.

"Alright, alright. You don't have to explain it to me. But I get it."

She then leaned in closer to Matsushita, lowering her voice while sneaking a glance at Hikigaya.

"After all, this guy is way more handsome than that dead-eyed Hikigaya you're so obsessed with."

"Uh…"

Hikigaya graciously decided to pretend he hadn't heard that.

"What—! Sato, stop making things up! I've already told you, Hikigaya-kun and I aren't like that!"

Matsushita's face turned bright red, likely out of frustration.

It's late. Shouldn't you two be heading back to the dorms to sleep…?

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

Just then, Hikigaya's savior arrived.

"Huh? Yukinoshita-sensei?!"

Both Sato and Matsushita immediately recognized Haruno and let out shocked exclamations.

"Sorry, but he has plans with me."

"Ah, I see…"

Haruno looped her arm through Hikigaya's, smiling sweetly at Sato, who immediately backed off.

Is this the legendary battle between women? Terrifying.

Hikigaya, trying to distance himself from the situation, focused on ignoring the soft sensation against his arm.

Seriously though, could you please let go already?