COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

After returning to the classroom from the gymnasium, Hikigaya packed his bag as usual, preparing to head home. However, this time was slightly different. He deliberately lingered for a while, waiting until most of the students had left before he slowly made his way out of the classroom.

Descending the stairs, he approached the corner near the school's main entrance. As agreed earlier, Matsushita, who had gone ahead, stood there waiting, her face betraying a hint of boredom.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Hikigaya said, raising a hand in greeting.

"No problem at all—"

Matsushita's tone carried a subtle edge, a mix of annoyance and sarcasm. It seemed she was growing impatient. Hikigaya couldn't blame her; he hated waiting too.

"I apologize for not considering your feelings and calling you out like this so suddenly," Hikigaya said.

"Oh, come on, that's not what I'm upset about!" Matsushita chided, her voice tinged with mock frustration. "We could have just left the classroom together. Why make it so complicated? I had to find an excuse to ditch my friends."

"That would've been inconvenient for you, wouldn't it?" Hikigaya replied, trying to sound reasonable.

"What inconvenience?"

Faced with her pointed question, Hikigaya found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

Before he could formulate a response, Matsushita crossed her arms and huffed, "If you're going to use some excuse about drawing attention, save it. After all, you were the center of attention today, especially among the boys."

"Ugh, please don't remind me," Hikigaya groaned, rubbing his temples at the memory. "It's not like I wanted to participate in that three-legged race. I'd much rather have taken a break... and rested."

"But out of all the boys in our class, why did Kushida choose you as her partner?"

"How should I know...?"

Hikigaya felt a pang of guilt as he spoke. He couldn't completely deny it.

"And to be precise, it wasn't Kushida's choice. It just so happened that there were no other suitable partners, so I was dragged in to fill the spot."

"My, my, Hikigaya, your excuses are getting worse."

"Uh..." Hikigaya inwardly cringed, knowing his explanation sounded weak. But since Horikita had told him that, he decided to stick to it. Delving deeper into the matter felt like it would only complicate things and might make him seem self-important—a perception he was keen to avoid.

"Alright, let's drop it!"

Just as Hikigaya was contemplating his next words, Matsushita sighed deeply, but then, unexpectedly, her expression brightened into a smile.

"Since you're treating me this time, let's get going."

"O-okay."

Her mood swings caught Hikigaya off guard. Just moments ago, she'd seemed irritated, and now she was all smiles. Girls were terrifying...

Following Matsushita, Hikigaya made his way to the Keyaki Mall. He had braced himself for a pricey meal to make up for displeasing Matsushita, but to his surprise, she chose a simple family restaurant and ordered modestly—just some pasta and a drink. Was she being polite?

"Is that all you're getting?" Hikigaya asked.

"Yeah, eating too much at night makes you gain weight."

Matsushita's earnest reply left Hikigaya momentarily speechless. Though she might not have the same prowess as Ichinose or Kushida in certain areas, her slender figure was the envy of many girls in their class.

"I see… So this is what it looks like when a top student scores 99 on a test and still insists they didn't do well?"

"Heh, what a weird analogy," Matsushita chuckled, clearly catching the underlying meaning but not taking offense. Instead, she seemed rather pleased.

When did she become so thick-skinned?

As their food arrived, they ate while chatting casually. At some point, Matsushita brought up, "By the way, Hikigaya, you were acting a bit strange today."

"What do you mean?"

"You invited me out. I thought you'd wait for me to make the first move."

"Didn't you hint at it?"

"Hmm?"

Seeing Matsushita's puzzled expression, Hikigaya elaborated, "In the gym, you kept glaring at me."

"...Huh?" Matsushita blinked, then covered her forehead with her hand, waving off his comment. "Hold on, I think there's a misunderstanding here... but you know what? Forget it. Arguing about this suddenly feels silly."

As much as Hikigaya was relieved to avoid the argument, her words still stung a bit. They were quite dismissive.

"But speaking of the gym, what's up with Hirata?" Hikigaya asked, seemingly offhandedly. "I mean, even if Ike was expelled, his reaction was way over the top."

"Who knows? Everyone's pretty confused."

Matsushita twirled her pasta with her fork, looking utterly uninterested in the topic.

"I noticed your friend didn't comfort him. Did they fight?" Hikigaya pressed.

"My friend...? Oh, you mean Karuizawa? I didn't pay attention... Maybe she's just bored with him."

Wow, Matsushita didn't hold back, even when talking about her friends behind their backs. But Hikigaya was used to it by now.

"So, do you think Hirata's getting dumped?"

Hikigaya didn't care much about other people's love lives, but asking about Karuizawa directly would be too obvious. This seemed like a good way to bring her up.

"It's possible…" Matsushita rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. "Come to think of it, Karuizawa used to talk about Hirata all the time, but since the summer break, she's hardly mentioned him."

"...Since summer break?"

Hikigaya quickly asked, "Are you sure it was during the summer break?"

"Yeah, after the trip. I was glad she stopped being so annoying."

Setting aside Matsushita's sharp tongue, Hikigaya realized this meant Hirata and Karuizawa started drifting apart before the second semester even began. Could something have happened between them on the ship?

If what Manabe and the others were hiding was connected to Karuizawa, and at the same time, she had a falling out with Hirata, could it be that Hirata knew something about the situation?

Even though this was just a wild guess, Hikigaya felt it was worth pursuing. Unfortunately, Hirata was currently in a deep funk, and there was no telling when he might snap out of it.

"Why are you suddenly interested in this?" Matsushita teased, her tone playful. "You never cared about gossip like this before. Do you have an ulterior motive?"

"No, I'm just curious about Karuizawa's sudden closeness with Ayanokoji," Hikigaya said, letting that bit of information slip intentionally.

He wanted to see how Matsushita would react, but she only frowned slightly.

"Ayanokoji? Who's that?"

"...At least remember the names of your classmates."

"Is he really in our class? Oh, you mean the guy who's always hanging around Horikita, right?" Matsushita finally recalled.

"Yeah…"

Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. Despite how much Ayanokouji seemed to be deliberately lowering his presence, it was hard to believe he could be so inconspicuous.

Hikigaya had tried to boost Ayanokouji's visibility in various ways. Even aside from the pool incident, there were other notable actions—like manipulating Yamauchi on the deserted island, devising the "rabbit team" strategy only to lose to Ichinose, and performing second in class grip strength tests. These were all significant behaviors, yet why did everyone continue to ignore him?

To Hikigaya, it seemed that no matter how capable Ayanokouji was, just bringing him into the spotlight could at least reduce his threat by fifty percent. Instead of engaging in a battle of wits and intelligence, it would be better to make the reputation of this "top masterpiece" known throughout the school. That would be the best strategy.

"You say that Kei-san and Ayanokouji-kun have become closer?"

Seeing Hikigaya nod, Matsushita couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head vigorously.

"That's impossible! Even if she broke up with Hirata-kun, she wouldn't be interested in someone as unremarkable as Ayanokouji."

"I'm not talking about romance."

Hikigaya couldn't see Ayanokouji being interested in anyone in that way. It was hard to imagine Ayanokouji having romantic feelings for anyone.

"Or could it be that Ayanokouji is quite impressive?" Matsushita mused, half-serious. "Otherwise, I can't find a reason for Kei-san to get close to him."

"...It's possible."

Hikigaya nodded slowly, surprised to find that Matsushita shared his thoughts. He was initially concerned that his views were biased, but it seemed everyone shared this suspicion. Following this line of thought might eventually reveal the truth.

"Heh, don't think too much about it."

Matsushita seemed to have misunderstood, probably due to her preoccupation with her thoughts. She smiled slightly and placed her hand gently on the back of Hikigaya's hand.

"Regardless of how impressive Ayanokouji is, to me, Hikigaya-kun is the most remarkable!"

"...Why are you insulting me?"

"Eh?!"

Comparing him to Ayanokouji was more unpleasant than he had imagined. The atmosphere grew awkward, and Matsushita quickly changed the subject.

"Ah, right! Hikigaya-kun, I want some dessert after dinner."

"Aren't you worried about gaining weight?"

"It's okay. Desserts go into a different stomach."

"What kind of nonsense logic is that..."

Even so, as a devoted fan of sweets, Hikigaya was tempted as well. They each ordered coffee and strawberry sundaes, with Hikigaya opting for the coffee flavor.

"Hikigaya-kun, doesn't your coffee sundae taste bitter?"

Matsushita pointed at his coffee sundae with curiosity.

What was she talking about...

Was there a rule that coffee had to be bitter? Who would even want a bitter coffee sundae?

"Not at all."

"Really? Let me try a bite."

Matsushita flipped her hair, opened her mouth slightly, and made an 'ah' sound.

...Seriously, what a glutton.

Hikigaya hesitated for a moment before smiling wryly and shaking his head. He took a new spoon from a nearby box, scooped up some sundae, and handed it to her.

"Mmm—!"

Matsushita puffed up her cheeks, looking somewhat dissatisfied.

Come on... Are you going to eat it or not? Holding your arm up is tiring!

If not for his inner frustration, Hikigaya was sure his face would have been as red as Matsushita's. Although he often saw this kind of behavior among the popular crowd and thought it was no big deal, actually doing it was embarrassingly awkward.

Seriously, Matsushita. Please don't do this next time!

After dinner, they took a short walk nearby before heading back to the dormitory.

"Thank you for treating me today, Hikigaya-kun."

"It's nothing."

"Hehe, let's hang out again next weekend."

Matsushita's ability to casually invite a guy out was impressive. Hikigaya could never manage to do something like that.

Unable to refuse directly, he resorted to polite social phrasing.

"Well... if there's an opportunity."

"Then it's a date!"

Wait, who agreed to that?!

Can't she hear that this is a polite rejection?!

But looking at Matsushita's happy face, Hikigaya found himself unable to contradict her.

Sigh... Hopefully, she'll forget by then.

As they entered the dormitory lobby, they unexpectedly spotted a familiar yet unfamiliar silhouette.

"Eh? That looks like Sakura-san, doesn't it?"

Since the preferential treatment exam, Matsushita had exchanged a few words with Sakura, but their relationship was minimal. Sakura appeared oddly out of sorts, standing idly in front of the mailbox.

Usually, students at ANHS don't receive external mail, and nowadays, everyone communicates via their phones, so the mailbox rarely gets used.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as in anime, where girls slip love letters into the mailboxes of their crushes with pink hearts... Ugh, let's not think about that.

There might also be commercial flyers or other such items.

Though there were many promotional messages, Hikigaya wished they would stop sending them. Clearing the mailbox weekly was quite a hassle.

"Hey, why do you think she's just standing there?" Matsushita asked, sounding concerned for Sakura despite their limited interaction.

Even though their relationship wasn't close, they were still classmates.

"I'll go and ask her."

"Okay."

Matsushita walked over, leaving Hikigaya behind to watch from a distance. Considering Sakura's shy nature, it was better for another girl to approach her, rather than risk startling her further.

"Good evening, Sakura-san."

"Ah—?!"

Matsushita's approach startled Sagara, causing a stack of letters she was holding to fall to the floor.

Hmm? A stack?

Hikigaya felt a bit curious. The letters didn't seem to be flyers but rather individual envelopes—about a dozen from the looks of it.

What's going on...

Could they all be love letters?!

It seemed unlikely that a man's love letters would succeed, as women might find this method outdated. Some might even flaunt these letters to friends, turning the whole thing into a joke... Better not dwell on it.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I didn't mean to."

Matsushita, surprised by the large number of letters, quickly bent down to help pick them up.

"It's... it's okay!" Sakura's voice was a bit frantic. "It's not Matsushita-san's fault. I'll handle it myself, so just leave me alone."

"Eh? But..."

"It's fine!"

Sakura insisted on handling it alone, her urgency revealing that she was hiding something.

"…I understand. I'm sorry."

Seeing this, Matsushita gave up on insisting and returned to Hikigaya's side.

"Hikigaya-kun, something feels off."

"About the letters?"

"Yes, exactly." Matsushita's expression was serious. "I noticed that all the envelopes were identical, with no addresses or names written on them. So I suspect..."

"...A stalker?"

While there was no solid evidence, it couldn't be ruled out.

It wasn't that the possibility was high.

Externally, Sakura seemed unremarkable, but stalkers often target those who appear weak and passive. Strong personalities are less likely to be targeted.

"Should I go ask her again?" Matsushita suggested.

"Do you think it will be successful?"

"I don't think... so."

Matsushita agreed, realizing the difficulty of the task. Sakura had few friends in class, only occasionally speaking with Kushida. Even if Kushida asked, it would likely yield no results.

During the boat trip, Hikigaya had noticed Sakura seemed troubled... Could she have already been dealing with a stalker issue back then?

Why didn't she mention it earlier?

Hikigaya had advised her to contact the student council anonymously if she needed help.

...Could this just be a misunderstanding?

He pondered, unsure.

If there was indeed a stalker, Sakura could report it to the homeroom teacher or other staff... No, that was a naive thought.

Hikigaya quickly dismissed it. Perhaps the real issue was that the school was not a particularly supportive place.

It wasn't that ANHS didn't care, but the atmosphere of 'weakness is a sin' made it difficult for students to seek help, especially those who were shy. They'd rather endure hardship alone than trouble others.

"Matsushita, for now, don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

"...Alright, I'll leave it to you."

Matsushita seemed a bit unhappy, but there was nothing more to be done.

In the absence of clear evidence, Hikigaya didn't want to escalate the situation. Even if it was just a remote possibility, there was a chance of misunderstanding.

A single misstep could have the power to unravel a person's entire life.

Regardless of what happens, tomorrow at noon, when I visit the student council, I need to share this matter with the president. I should seek his advice before deciding on the next course of action.

***

A/N: Hey, sorry for the long wait! I've started my final semester of college, and things have been pretty crazy. I've been focused on upskilling, job hunting, and of course, there's a lot to do as a software guy. Plus, my final year project and internship are keeping me busy. But don't worry, I'm not dropping this! I'll try to post two chapters a week from now on. Thanks for your patience!