Chapter 095: What Kind Of Palace Drama Is This? It’s So Scary

Keyaki Mall, Karaoke.

After the movie, Hikigaya followed Juke to the karaoke box.

"By the way, it's already six o'clock. Why are we having a celebration party now? Wouldn't it be better to go home for dinner?" Hikigaya asked, feeling reluctant and tempted to head back home.

"Huh? How can you go back now?" Juke rolled her eyes and pulled him along. "I chose this time because after five o'clock, you can sing as much as you want at karaoke. It's worth it! Seriously, even outside school, you don't know this?"

"Sakurajima really is rich…" Hikigaya chuckled awkwardly. Even after school, they still indulge in endless singing. It's ridiculous.

He briefly considered writing a proposal to the student council to ban karaoke and other distractions from learning. And knowing this school, it might actually work... if it weren't for people like Horikita Manabu or Huko Nan Yunya. They're leaders, but also rivals.

"So, the celebration party won't run super late, right?" Hikigaya asked with a headache, dreading the possibility of being stuck here until midnight.

"About eight o'clock, I guess?" Juke responded, seeing Hikigaya's shocked expression and clarifying, "If it was just a girls' party, it might run late, but since it's for the whole class and Ichinose is organizing it, she won't keep it going for too long."

"But then what's the point of choosing a time when you can sing endlessly?" Hikigaya wondered aloud. "It's only two or three hours anyway. Why bother?"

"Hmm? Isn't that the thrill of getting your money's worth?" Juke tilted her head in confusion.

"Sounds like you've been completely brainwashed by consumerism." Hikigaya sighed. The kids in Class B were really something else.

Finally, they reached the box, and Juke let go of his hand to push the door open. Hikigaya sighed and followed her in, feeling out of place as usual.

"Yahoo!"

"Himen—ah, Juke-chan! Hikigaya-kun?" Ichinose greeted them with her usual bright smile before her eyes landed on Hikigaya.

"Huh? Juke, why are you with Hikigaya?" Other classmates looked over curiously, but most of their questions were directed at Juke.

"I just happened to bump into him. He was wandering around outside, so I brought him in," Juke casually threw him under the bus. Typical.

Not that Hikigaya cared. He nodded along, figuring if he hadn't run into Juke, he'd probably be wandering around outside, debating whether to walk into the karaoke place anyway.

"Okay, everyone! Now that everyone's here, the celebration party officially begins!" Ichinose announced cheerfully, and a round of cheers followed, making Hikigaya's head ache even more.

Last time, Ichinose had offered him a drink and he accepted it awkwardly. This time, it was just him and the drink table. Awkwardly, he walked over to pour himself a cup of soda.

Hikigaya sipped his drink and watched as the groups quickly splintered off. The girls were huddled at one end of the U-shaped sofa, while the boys were clustered at the other. Shibata, Kanzaki, Watanabe, Hamaguchi, and a few others were playing cards.

Strictly speaking, Hikigaya didn't know them well. Even after spending a semester in the same class, he rarely spoke to any of them. He knew that if he approached, they'd be polite but not particularly welcoming.

So, he grabbed a small stool, dragging it over to the boys' side of the sofa, but maintaining a slight distance. It gave him the appearance of being part of the group without actually being part of it.

"Phew." Hikigaya took a sip of his drink. His plan was simple: endure the atmosphere for ten minutes and then make an excuse to leave.

The karaoke box was quite large, enough to accommodate forty people. However, the tables were mostly covered with homemade snacks, a testament to Class B's frugality.

Hikigaya soon activated his observation mode to pass the time.

He noticed something fascinating about how the girls interacted. Class B was supposed to be friendly and united, but clear social distinctions still existed.

Whenever Asako Okakura or Chihiro Shiranami tried to sing with Ichinose, the other girls would automatically give up their microphones, even though they clearly wanted to sing.

They'd say things like, "Ichinose sings so well, let's hear her sing another one!" but they were obviously frustrated. Some girls would try to grab another microphone just to sing along with Ichinose, creating a situation where she became the center of attention.

It was like an unspoken rule: If you wanted to sing, you had to sing with Ichinose. Otherwise, you'd be left out.

But Ichinose seemed to be aware of this and would often invite others to sing with her, trying to balance everyone's interests.

"What kind of palace drama is this? It's terrifying," Hikigaya muttered. Girls' social dynamics were downright horrifying.

He couldn't help but wonder: Was Ichinose doing this intentionally? But no, it didn't seem like she was that scheming. Still, she had unintentionally placed herself at the center of Class B, making her the core of everything.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Juke. She was sitting on the couch, chatting and laughing with other girls. She looked comfortable and friendly, but Hikigaya knew better. That girl was a professional at pretending.

Their eyes met, and he noticed Juke's subtle glance toward the door. Oh, so she was waiting for him to leave first? That way, she could make her own exit without looking bad.

Well, too bad. If she wanted him to leave first, she could keep dreaming.

Ichinose eventually escaped the singing crowd and approached Hikigaya with a bag of cookies.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, want to try some cookies?" she offered with a bright smile.

"Uh, sure. Thanks." Hikigaya grabbed a couple of cookies and stuffed them in his mouth. They were actually pretty good.

"How do you feel?" Ichinose asked, sitting down beside him with her own small stool.

Hikigaya hesitated. "The cookies are decent."

Ichinose giggled. "I meant the celebration party, but thanks. I made those cookies myself."

"Oh… Uh, not bad, I guess. But I still prefer being alone."

"That's fine. As long as you get used to it."

"If you have to force yourself to get used to something, doesn't that mean you don't like it in the first place?" Hikigaya said with a hint of irritation.

"But if you never try, how would you know?" Ichinose said cheerfully. "If you're free next weekend, we can go to karaoke—just the two of us. And if you don't like it, we can find something else you enjoy."

Hikigaya blinked in surprise. Why were these people so stubborn?

"Uh… How long are you going to keep this up?" Hikigaya asked, feeling genuinely uncomfortable with how much effort Ichinose was putting into him.

"Until you consider us friends," Ichinose replied with determination.

"But I already—"

"That's for me to decide," she interrupted with a smile.

Hikigaya sighed. Dealing with Ichinose was beyond exhausting.

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