Chapter 67: The Aftermath of Rumors

After finishing my meeting with Takahashi, all that was left was to head back to the dorms. Stepping out of the café, I joined the sparse flow of students making their way home. 

As I approached the entrance, the automatic doors slid open. Just then, I spotted familiar long hair from the corner of my eye. 

"Oh? Hikigaya-kun?" 

"Hey." 

It was Asahina, her arms laden with shopping bags. 

Perhaps because of that half-serious confession she'd made before, she seemed a little awkward, avoiding direct eye contact. 

Neither of us spoke, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging between us. So, I decided to break the ice. 

"That's a lot of bags." 

"Ah, these? Well, I figured it's about time to stock up on summer clothes. Ended up buying way more than I planned." 

She was carrying about six large shopping bags. Just how many clothes had she bought? 

"Are you heading back now?" 

"Yeah. Just finished up some business." 

"I see~" 

The conversation abruptly died again. 

I noticed her hands were red from carrying all those heavy bags. 

"...Need help with those?" 

I couldn't just ignore it, so I offered. Asahina blinked in surprise before shaking her head. 

"No, it's fine! I can't ask you to do that." 

"But they look heavy." 

"W-well, maybe a little." 

"Then let me help. We're going the same way anyway." 

I held out a hand. 

After hesitating for a few seconds, Asahina finally relented with a small smile, handing half the bags over to me. 

"Are you sure? They're not too heavy?" 

"I'm fine… though they're heavier than I expected." 

I'd assumed clothes wouldn't weigh much, but these had some serious heft. 

"Sorry about that. I'll treat you to juice or something later." 

"Don't worry about it. I offered. Still, I didn't realize clothes could be this heavy." 

"I was really set on some of these. Girls' shopping trips are no joke, you know?" 

"I see. Good to know." 

"Yep, learn well~" 

She tilted her head and smiled. 

Then, she closed the distance between us slightly. Not enough to be awkward, but enough that our arms might brush if I moved. 

"I think I get why you're popular now." 

"I'm not popular." 

"Lying's bad~ How many girls have you charmed already?" 

She poked my cheek playfully with her index finger, seemingly enjoying the gesture enough to keep doing it until I gently stopped her. 

"But seriously, you might be as popular as Miyabi. Not many guys are this considerate." 

"Anyone would pale in comparison to the student council president. And I'm not even trying to be considerate." 

"...That's exactly what makes you popular, though~" 

Her muttered words left me at a loss for a response—until another voice cut in. 

"Asahina." 

"...Huh?" 

Asahina stiffened slightly at the sound of her name. 

Turning toward the voice, I saw a third-year girl sitting on a bench, wearing a confident smirk. She had one leg crossed over the other, arms spread lazily across the backrest. 

Matching her face and demeanor to the OAA records, I placed her. 

Kiryuuin, Class 3-B. 

"Kiryuuin-senpai? Did you need something from me?" 

Asahina's voice carried a hint of tension. They didn't seem particularly close. 

"Just saw you with an interesting underclassman. Couldn't resist saying hello." 

Her gaze shifted to me. 

"You're Hikigaya Hachiman, right? One of the two who aced that impossible math exam." 

"That's me, but..." 

Glancing at Asahina, who looked uneasy, Kiryuuin beckoned me over. 

"How about a little chat? I promise it'll be worth your time." 

"W-wait, Kiryuuin-senpai! He's with me right now. Can't this wait?" 

Asahina cut in before I could respond, her voice tinged with urgency. 

"Then join us, Asahina. I don't mind." 

"That's not the point!" 

"Keeping an interesting underclassman all to yourself is a bit selfish, don't you think?" 

"Ugh!" 

Their back-and-forth was going nowhere. 

"Asahina-senpai, if you have time, maybe we should hear her out? I can help with the bags after." 

Leaving things as they were seemed worse, so I stepped in. 

"Eh… but..." 

"Seems your junior here has more sense than you, Asahina." 

"Wha—?!" 

Before Asahina could react, Kiryuuin—who had somehow gotten up without us noticing—whispered something in her ear. 

I hadn't realized how tall she was—easily over 170 cm. 

According to the OAA, Kiryuuin had A+ in both academics and physical ability. In fact, she was the only student in the school with dual A+ ratings. Her social contribution was a solid C+, with only adaptive thinking as her "weakness." 

Her physique alone made her physical prowess obvious. 

I hadn't known a third-year like this existed. 

"Now then, standing around won't do. Let's sit." 

"Ugh..." 

"W-wait a second!" 

As Kiryuuin motioned toward the bench, Asahina scrambled after us in protest. 

I took a seat beside Kiryuuin, while Asahina sat on the opposite end. To an outsider, it probably looked like I was flanked by two beauties—an awkward image. 

"So, what did you want to talk about?" 

"Anything. I just want to know what kind of person you are." 

"Not much to find interesting about someone like me." 

"That's for me to decide." 

She smirked, crossing her legs and looking up at the sky. 

The arrogance reminded me a bit of Kouenji. 

"I'm very curious about you." 

"Why me? There are plenty of capable students." 

"Instinct. My gut told me you weren't ordinary the moment I saw you." 

No logic, just pure intuition. 

The resemblance to Kouenji was uncanny. 

"Are you aiming for first place in the upcoming island exam?" 

"Who knows? I haven't even formed a group yet." 

"Same here. Though I plan to go solo." 

With her abilities, she might actually pull it off. 

"You could probably take first place solo, Kiryuuin-senpai." 

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. I just want enough private points to get by. Class points mean nothing to me." 

She wasn't interested in class rankings—just the immediate benefits of private points. 

"No interest in class competition?" 

"None. But that doesn't mean I'm indifferent to people. If someone catches my eye, I'll approach them. I've done the same with Nagumo and even the former student council president, Horikita Manabu." 

"So I've earned your interest too, huh?" 

"Quick on the uptake, aren't you? I've known your name for a while, but only recently decided you were worth observing." 

"...? How did you know my name before the math exam?" 

Her wording stood out. She'd known about me *before* the exam? 

"You don't know? There were rumors about you circulating among certain students last year." 

"Rumors about me?" 

I'd never heard of any. 

Then again, maybe they just hadn't reached my grade. 

Seeing my confusion, Kiryuuin looked genuinely surprised for the first time. 

"To be clear, these rumors have died down by now. And their accuracy is questionable. Asahina, you've heard them too, right?" 

"Ah, yeah. But they're probably just nonsense." 

Asahina gave an awkward laugh. 

What kind of ridiculous rumors were these? 

"The rumors said— 

Horikita Manabu is infatuated with you." 

"..." 

My brain short-circuited. 

I was experiencing, in real time, the phenomenon of being utterly speechless. 

The sheer absurdity of the claim left me frozen. 

"To be specific, they claimed things like: 'Horikita sulks when you don't reply to his texts,' 'He visibly reacts to everything you say and do,' and 'He feeds you food with an 'Ah~''—all exaggerated, of course." 

"Ahaha, I was shocked when I first heard it too. No way it's true, right?" 

"Uh… that's beyond slander. None of that happened." 

What kind of insane rumor was this? I was still reeling from the sheer audacity. 

"At one point, people even said you two were dating." 

"Absolutely not. We're just senpai and kouhai." 

...Now that I thought about it, something similar had happened before. 

My flustered response seemed to amuse Kiryuuin, her eyes glinting mischievously. 

"Oh? Then what *is* your type in girls?" 

She smirked, abruptly changing the subject. Asahina, opposite her, was watching me with keen interest. 

"No reason to answer that." 

"Suit yourself. But in my mind, you're now Horikita's lover." 

"Wait, why—? That's not—" 

Just as I was about to protest, Asahinatugged at my sleeve a few times, grinning. 

"I'm curious too~ Come on, clear up the misunderstanding!" 

"Fufu. Well said, Asahina." 

I hadn't expected Asahina to side with Kiryuuin. They'd been at odds earlier—why team up now? 

...Fine. Answering was easier than dealing with this. At least I already knew my own preferences. 

"Alright, I'll say it. My type is... older women." 

"Eh... Seriously?" 

"Hoh." 

Kiryuuin remained composed, but Asahina looked genuinely shocked. 

...Now that I thought about it, this could easily be misinterpreted as flirting. 

Kiryuuin studied me for a moment before standing up. 

She turned back with that same confident smirk. 

"Today was enlightening. My interest in you has only deepened." 

"...Is that so?" 

I couldn't imagine what part of me warranted that. 

"Let's see how you fare in the next exam. Whether my interest wanes depends on your performance." 

"If anything, I'd prefer it if your interest *did* wane." 

"Interesting response. I'll look forward to our next encounter, Hikigaya." 

With one last glance, she walked away gracefully. 

This strange encounter with a third-year left me with one certainty: if I aimed for the top in the exam, I'd have to defeat Kiryuuin. 

...On a personal note, though, she was exactly my type.

.......

After Kiryuuin left, I returned to my original task—carrying Asahina's bags to the girls' dorm. 

But right now, I was drowning in regret. 

"Heeh~ So you like older women, huh?" 

"Please drop it." 

Asahina had been giving me strange looks and comments ever since, always emphasizing the words "older women." 

"Didn't expect that from you~ Never pegged you as the type." 

"It's just a preference. Doesn't mean it's my ideal." 

"Semantics." 

"It's not semantics." 

At my nonsensical deflection, Asahina giggled, amused. 

"Fufu~ So does that mean I fit your type?" 

She poked my cheek again. 

"...Maybe." 

"...I see~" 

I couldn't give a straight answer, so I dodged the question. Asahina suddenly stopped walking. Without realizing it, we'd already reached the girls' dorm. 

"Thanks for today! Really saved me!" 

She took her bags back, flashed me a bright smile, and waved enthusiastically. 

I half-heartedly waved back as she happily skipped into the dorm. ...Were her ears red, or was that just my imagination? 

"Guess I should head back too." 

At that moment, I had no idea. 

That the careless admission of my "preference for older women"—now known to both Asahina and Kiryuuin—would come back to haunt me in the most disastrous way possible.

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