Chapter 324: Toyokawa Shouko: I’m counting on you, Hikigaya-kun~

"Are you serious?"

Hikigaya looked thoroughly dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief.

Handsome?

Him?

"Komachi wasn't wrong. Hikigaya-kun really does look cool now. I almost didn't recognize you," said Hoshino Ai with a cheerful smile.

"She's right," Toyokawa Shouko added with a light laugh. "Sure enough, once you put on those glasses, Hikigaya-kun, your whole vibe changed."

"Huh? You guys…"

Hikigaya's face was full of suspicion as he pinched his own cheek.

They had to be pitying him.

That had to be it.

Sure, he fantasized about being a cool guy, but come on—Hachiman? No way he'd actually become one.

"Oh, right. The glasses."

He promptly took off the glasses and handed them back to Toyokawa Shouko.

"Hikigaya-kun, did you feel any discomfort while wearing them?"

Shouko took the glasses back and asked with genuine concern.

"Not really. Barely noticed anything."

He shook his head.

"My brother is actually a bit nearsighted," Komachi explained helpfully.

"I see."

Toyokawa Shouko blinked and then smiled at him. "Maybe you should get a pair for yourself? I think they really suit you."

"Yeah! Hikigaya-kun, you look super cool with them on~" Hoshino Ai nodded enthusiastically.

"Eh?"

He already had those dead fish eyes.

And now with glasses? Great. He'd become a four-eyed frog. No, worse—a four-eyed dead fish!

With a shiver, Hikigaya rejected the idea outright:

"No thanks. I'm not into wearing glasses."

"But Hikigaya-kun…"

Toyokawa Shouko looked like she wanted to say more.

"Shouko-nee, just let it go. My brother's always like this—once he's made up his mind, he's stubborn as a mule and won't listen to anyone," Komachi sighed.

"Well, alright then."

Toyokawa gave in with a helpless smile.

Seeing her best friend looking so disappointed, Hoshino Ai's eyes briefly flashed with a strange light.

Hikigaya turned to leave.

"Where are you going, Onii-chan?"

Thinking he was heading out, Komachi quickly asked.

"To the bathroom."

"…I'll come too."

Komachi followed along.

"Komachi, Hikigaya-kun, wait a sec after you're done—I've got some concert merch to give you guys!" Hoshino Ai called out, as if afraid they'd vanish.

"Got it, Ai. I won't let my brother sneak off that easily," Komachi assured her.

Hearing that, Hoshino finally relaxed and smiled.

Once the siblings had gone, only Hoshino Ai and Toyokawa Shouko were left in the room.

Shouko smiled first. "Ai, you were amazing today. Your singing was beautiful."

"Thanks~! With all my besties in the crowd, I had to give it my all, of course~"

Ai responded with a sweet smile, her eyes drifting—perhaps unintentionally—toward Shouko's lips.

Since both of them loved music, they began chatting casually about the songs in the concert.

A few minutes later—

Hoshino Ai, unable to hold it in anymore, finally asked, "So… did you and Hikigaya-kun accidentally kiss just now?"

Shouko didn't avoid the question. "Mm… There was a little accident."

Ai narrowed her eyes. "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Shouko nodded. "It was."

"And you're okay with that?"

Ai looked at her seriously. "I mean, that was your first kiss. It's kind of a big deal for you, right?"

"It's fine. It's just a kiss," Shouko replied, shaking her head. "It's not something I'm too hung up on."

"…"

Ai fell silent for a moment, then asked again:

"Is it because it was with Hikigaya-kun?"

"Eh?"

Hearing that odd tone in Ai's voice, Shouko looked surprised. Just as she was about to respond—

"We're back~!"

Komachi's voice rang out from nearby.

Shouko looked toward them and smiled. "Komachi, Hikigaya-kun~"

Ai held back whatever she had been thinking and smiled too. "Welcome back. Come to my dressing room—I've got some little gifts for you."

"I want an autograph from Ai-chan herself!" Komachi said excitedly.

"Of course~"

Ai giggled.

The three girls walked ahead, chatting and laughing, while Hikigaya trailed silently behind.

Now and then, he glanced over his shoulder.

He didn't know why, but something felt… off.

Like danger was creeping up on him.

A few minutes later—

They left Hoshino Ai's dressing room with her gifts in hand.

"Shouko-nee, are you heading home alone later?"

Hearing that Toyokawa Shouko had come by herself, Komachi immediately looked concerned.

"Yeah, the trains are still running, so I should get going."

Shouko checked the time, getting ready to leave.

"But it's already late. A girl walking alone at night is dangerous. Want my brother to walk you to the station?"

Komachi suggested, glancing at Hikigaya. He visibly flinched.

"Eh? Isn't that too much trouble?"

Shouko asked hesitantly.

"There are creeps out at night. Ai's run into one before—right?" Komachi looked at Hoshino Ai.

"Uh… yeah," Ai forced a smile, then turned to Hikigaya. "Hikigaya-kun, could you walk Shouko back? It really is risky for her to go alone."

"…Fine."

With everyone insisting, Hikigaya had no choice but to agree.

"Thank you, then… I'll be counting on you, Hikigaya-kun."

Shouko quickly expressed her gratitude.

"No big deal."

He shrugged indifferently.

Off to the side, Hoshino Ai's eyelid twitched as she watched the two of them grow more familiar with each other.

Sigh… She was starting to regret it now—if she'd known things would turn out like this, she never would've introduced the two of them in the first place. Seriously, what was she thinking?

The group soon said their goodbyes.

Since Komachi lived close by, it wasn't a big deal for her to head home alone.

Hikigaya, meanwhile, accompanied Toyokawa Shouko to the train station.

But—

They hadn't gone far before Hikigaya turned around and looked behind him.

The street behind was pitch black, deathly silent.

"What is it, Hikigaya-kun?"

Shouko asked.

"…Nothing."

Weird.

Ever since he came out of the bathroom, he'd felt this cold chill on his back.

And now it was back again.

Was it just his imagination?

Hisss…

Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that something was following them.

Something dangerous.

Something monstrous.

---

Meanwhile…

At the corner of the street, Nagasaki Suyo stood silently, face expressionless, mumbling what sounded like curses under her breath.

She kept scraping her nails with her fingers, digging at them mercilessly—as if trying to tear them off one by one.