A Second Encounter with Sakayanagi Arisu

Although the spy tailing him was quite skilled, Hikigaya had, through diligent practice, honed his counter-surveillance abilities to perfection.

In just the blink of an eye, he managed to completely shake off the person following him, whose presence he had detected at some point.

He could almost picture the spy's frustration, stomping in anger after losing him.

The thought filled Hikigaya with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Even though he knew evading the spy had little real consequence, part of him was curious—if he completely ditched the pursuer, would Sakayanagi Arisu still manage to find him later that afternoon?

It was oddly exciting to think about.

With this on his mind, Hikigaya lost his appetite for lunch and instead headed for a vending machine, planning to grab some milk and bread to tide him over.

As he made his way there, he noticed Ayanokoji, Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, and Sudo Ken huddled together as usual.

They appeared to be checking out Ike's newly purchased PS game console. Hikigaya recalled that back in middle school, someone had boasted about owning one, with the price tag being several tens of thousands of yen.

So that's where they've been spending their points.

Shaking his head, Hikigaya approached the vending machine, ready to make his selection. That's when he noticed a free option—mineral water, marked with a special button.

Tch. This school is full of hidden messages, but people always seem to miss them.

Or perhaps they're blinded by the collective mindset...

For the first time, Hikigaya felt a strange sense of superiority in being a lone wolf. It wasn't anything particularly remarkable, but at least outsiders like him weren't swayed by groupthink.

After all, loners—often shunned by the majority—rarely had to spend points on socializing.

Meanwhile, the students at the center of the social sphere were likely blowing through their monthly ten thousand points at a dizzying pace.

Tch. This place was getting more and more irritating by the day.

Was this "meritocratic" school teaching something about human nature?

...

As soon as the final bell rang that afternoon, Hikigaya made himself scarce, slipping out of the classroom at lightning speed.

Determined to avoid being found by the Class A spy, he hurried to the student council room, where he found Student Council President Horikita Manabu and Secretary Tachibana Akane.

"I didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic," Horikita commented, surprised to see Hikigaya arrive so early.

"Hehe, seems like we've got a promising recruit," Tachibana said with a smile, clearly pleased by Hikigaya's punctuality.

Hikigaya, however, had no reasonable explanation for his actions. He couldn't exactly tell them that he'd rushed over just to escape being tailed.

Horikita assigned him a series of tasks, which Hikigaya completed with ease.

Even he was amazed by his efficiency—he was practically the Superman of office work.

"The first-year midterms just ended, right?" Horikita suddenly asked. "How do you think you did, Hikigaya?"

"Eighty-five," Hikigaya answered calmly. "I'm sure the last three questions were impossible."

"That's a standard result," Horikita replied without surprise.

But Hikigaya found Horikita's response oddly intriguing.

Was he asking about someone else?

After a brief hesitation, Hikigaya added, "Horikita Suzune probably did the same. I don't think she answered the last three questions either."

"I see."

This time, Horikita's expression softened slightly.

Good grief. This guy's an even bigger siscon than me, Hikigaya mused inwardly.

"Hehe, the president scored a perfect mark on the first-year midterms back in his day," Tachibana said, beaming as if she were boasting on her behalf.

"Well, there might be some first-years who manage a perfect score this year too," Hikigaya replied with a vague smile. "Not just in Class A. I think there's even someone in Class D who could do it."

"Really?" Tachibana looked surprised as if she didn't believe him.

Horikita, however, remained composed. "I'll investigate."

This guy doesn't waste any time, does he?

Hikigaya had said that specifically to provoke Horikita into looking into Class D, particularly Ayanokoji, who was lurking in the shadows.

While Hikigaya didn't have any personal grudge against Ayanokoji, he felt it was necessary to test his classmate in some way. A small probe, from one kindred spirit to another.

Once his student council work was done, Hikigaya quickly exited the room, cautiously checking his surroundings to make sure he wasn't being followed.

And so, time ticked by until six o'clock.

Hmm? Where's the demon king?

Hikigaya glanced around the empty area, suddenly feeling like all his previous tension had been unnecessary.

But then, his phone rang, and the unexpected sound made his hair stand on end.

"Hikigaya-kun, where are you right now?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's calm voice came through as soon as he answered.

"You don't know?"

Hikigaya responded with a question of his own.

"I don't, actually," she replied with a knowing smile in her voice. "Anyway, I'm at a café in the shopping district. I hope you'll accept my invitation."

And with that, the call ended.

Hikigaya stared at his phone, momentarily dumbfounded.

That's it?

Was that all the demon king could muster?

Doubts swirled in Hikigaya's mind. Surely, this wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Still, meeting with Sakayanagi could be dangerous. Who knew what kind of trouble might come of it?

Then again, if he didn't go, the consequences might be even worse. His peaceful life in Class D could be at risk.

"Ugh…"

Realizing he was probably destined for the thankless life of a corporate drone, Hikigaya trudged toward the shopping district, each step heavier than the last.

"Over here!"

As soon as he arrived, the familiar sight of the white-haired, deceptively cute Sakayanagi greeted him, her arm waving confidently. Her expression was playful yet calculated, making it impossible to read her true intentions.

Beside her stood three unfamiliar faces—two boys and a girl—all of them likely from Class A.

"I won the bet," Sakayanagi declared, smiling at the group.

"Bet?" Hikigaya asked, thoroughly confused.

Sakayanagi's smile widened as she explained, "We were betting whether Kamishiro could successfully follow you and whether you'd come to meet me after receiving my call. I'm the only one who guessed both outcomes correctly."

"What?"

"As the stakes, each of them owes me 20,000 points. All thanks to you, Hikigaya-kun."

"Well, this is…"

He hadn't expected Class A to be so bored that they would place bets on his actions, let alone that Sakayanagi Arisu had perfectly predicted his every move.

Hikigaya felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite put into words.

"Are you living inside my head or something? How do you know me this well?"

On the other side, Sakayanagi's followers looked visibly conflicted, clearly not expecting to lose twice in a row.

They were now grappling with the harsh reality of losing 20,000 points out of nowhere—a loss they were finding hard to accept.