COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

"Sorry to intrude."

Hikigaya knocked on the door of the student council office during lunch break. Inside, Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane glanced up from their paperwork.

"President, I need your advice on something."

He quickly recounted the events of the previous night. However, instead of pleading for action, his explanation was more of a summary, as if testing the waters.

Horikita Manabu listened attentively, his expression unreadable. After a moment of silence, he shook his head slowly.

"No, the student council cannot intervene in this matter."

The rejection, while not unexpected, still felt disheartening.

"Hikigaya, you should understand," Horikita continued, his tone measured but firm. "The student council's responsibility is to protect the students, but we can only act if there's concrete evidence. This is a sensitive situation. Unless the person involved directly files a complaint, we cannot step in on our own."

"Well… I was just asking," Hikigaya mumbled, his initial hope fading. 

If it was merely a letter, and unless Sakura herself came forward to label it as harassment, it would be near impossible for anyone else to judge. His concerns were subjective, based on what he perceived. Even if he reported the incident to the school, there was no guarantee they would take it seriously. A misunderstanding could lead to unintended consequences.

Clearly, relying on the student council wasn't going to work.

"Wait a moment, President Horikita, isn't there *anything* we can do?" Tachibana Akane suddenly spoke up.

This was uncharacteristic of her. In Hikigaya's experience, Tachibana was a loyal, steadfast assistant, never challenging Horikita's decisions. Perhaps this time, as a woman herself, she was more sensitive to the potential implications of harassment.

Or maybe it was a more universal reaction—most women wouldn't let even the slightest possibility of harassment go unaddressed.

"Akane, this isn't about whether we can or can't help," Horikita replied evenly, then turned his focus back to Hikigaya. "If you believe this to be a serious issue, let Sakura come forward herself. From what you've described, it all seems to be based on your assumptions."

"…Yeah."

"Being concerned for your classmates isn't wrong, but if Sakura doesn't take the step to seek help, the student council has no obligation to intervene."

"…I get it."

Horikita Manabu was known to consider any reasonable request from students seriously. But that didn't mean the student council acted as a proactive guardian. They assisted those who approached them, but they wouldn't seek out problems on their own.

Hikigaya began to wonder if he had overstepped. His motivation wasn't purely to help Sakura; it was also a way to repay a favor. But if Sakura didn't want assistance, was it really worth forcing the issue under the guise of doing what was best for her?

"The president could at least be more flexible… but Hikigaya-kun, you're also quite ill."

"Huh? Me?"

Hikigaya blinked, pointing to himself in surprise.

For some reason, after criticizing Horikita, Tachibana turned her attention to him. Her comment made no sense.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused. "I came to the student council because I couldn't handle this alone."

"That's not what I meant," Tachibana sighed, her frustration growing evident. "You need to convince Sakura to come to the student council herself."

"But I don't think I can…"

"Have you even tried?" she interrupted, her words cutting through his excuses.

Hikigaya hesitated, then shook his head.

"I thought so."

Tachibana let out a heavy sigh, her gaze softening as she looked at him. The pity in her eyes was undeniable.

Hikigaya found it baffling. What was she pitying him for?

"Anyway, Hikigaya, if you want the student council's involvement, you need to find a way to persuade your classmate to approach us herself."

Horikita's decision was final.

The problem was clear. To gain the student council's support, Sakura had to come forward willingly. But Hikigaya had come to them *because* he couldn't convince her to do so—this was a dead end.

With no solution in sight, the afternoon brought the usual physical education class. Students changed into their sportswear and gathered on the field to practice for the upcoming sports festival.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, how's it going?"

Matsushita approached him during a break, immediately bringing up the topic he had been trying to avoid.

"Uh… it's going."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "The president said that as long as Sakura files a complaint, we won't need to worry about it."

"Is that so? Wait… hold on!"

Matsushita suddenly realized what he had said.

"That's no progress at all! We're worried precisely because she won't file a complaint!"

"Actually, it's not 'we,' it's 'I,'" Hikigaya corrected her.

"What do you mean?"

"I really can't convince Sakura… but maybe you could." He attempted to sound confident. "Matsushita, why don't you try? Maybe she'd open up to you."

Her reaction was immediate—an annoyed glare.

"Did you forget who poured cold water on me yesterday?"

"That doesn't count, does it?"

"Of course it does!"

Her indignation seemed a bit overblown, but Hikigaya decided not to press the issue further.

"I've always believed in your ability," he added, trying to sound encouraging.

In truth, he wasn't entirely optimistic about her chances. But as Tachibana had said earlier, they wouldn't know unless they tried.

Matsushita, after all, was more sociable than Hikigaya, whose introverted nature made delicate situations like this even more challenging.

"When you say that, at least look me in the eye."

Matsushita sighed, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "Fine. I already knew what kind of person you were. And I did promise to help you, so I'll give it a shot."

"That's not really what I—"

Before he could finish, Matsushita had already started walking toward Sakura.

Well, that was rude. At least let me finish talking!

It didn't take long for things to go south. Hikigaya watched from a distance as Matsushita exchanged a few words with Sakura. But soon, Sakura's head dropped, her body language stiffening. Within minutes, she made an excuse and quickly walked away, leaving Matsushita looking visibly frustrated.

"So… how did it go?" Hikigaya asked when she returned, though he already knew the answer.

"It went… fine," Matsushita muttered through gritted teeth.

"Hey, don't steal my lines."

Though they hadn't made any real progress, the encounter wasn't entirely meaningless. Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Sakura's demeanor wasn't just shy—it was as if she was hiding something deeper.

He had felt a similar unease during the incident with Sudou when Kushida had tried to pry information from her. It was likely that Sakura had more secrets than just a stalker.

"Anyway, it's far more important than the sports festival."

"Even if you say that, isn't that just your subjective opinion?"

Something felt odd... There was a strange tension between the two.

Hikigaya glanced at Matsushita, then at Kushida, completely clueless about what exactly they were debating.

Was the sports festival really that important?

"Well, it looks like there's no choice. We'll have to let Hikigaya-kun decide."

"Yes, I agree with that."

Before he knew it, the two of them had pushed the decision onto someone else.

Honestly, it felt like either option was fine...

Just as Hikigaya was about to speak, a voice suddenly cut in from the side.

"Hey, could you three stop standing around? If you're so free, could you help me out a bit?"

"Horikita?" Kushida turned around curiously. "What's going on? Do you have a problem?"

"I'm just trying to find Sakura, and I was wondering if you've seen her."

"Sorry, I haven't."

Kushida shook her head apologetically, while Matsushita seemed to wear a somewhat guilty expression.

"Uh, Horikita, why are you looking for Sakura?"

"Mostly because of the sports festival." Horikita's face showed a hint of frustration. "Based on Sakura's current athletic performance, she's likely to end up at the bottom of the year. I wanted to find someone to help her train, but when I spoke with her this morning, she seemed distracted, like something was bothering her. Now I can't even find her... I have no idea what's going through her head."

"Actually..."

Matsushita hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth. However, seeing no objection from Hikigaya, she recounted what had happened the day before.

"A stalker?"

Horikita and Kushida were both visibly shocked after hearing the story.

It wasn't surprising—Advanced Nurturing High had a reputation for being secure. Problems like this were unheard of.

"Are you sure? That's a serious accusation." Horikita frowned.

"That's why the key lies with Sakura. Those letters she received are the best evidence."

"Then what are we waiting for? She should go to the teachers or the student council."

Faced with Horikita's straightforward logic, Matsushita could only smile wryly.

"I tried talking to her earlier, but Sakura didn't seem willing to discuss it. She ran off after only a few words."

"…I don't understand." Horikita shook her head in disbelief. "If she's facing a problem she can't solve on her own, and the responsibility lies with the school, why wouldn't she just report it?"

Hikigaya glanced at her and couldn't help but ask, "You really don't get it?"

"Of course not."

"Then think about why you couldn't face your brother back then. Once you do that, you'll probably understand."

"…!" Horikita, who Hikigaya had expected to argue back, actually fell into thought.

"Hikigaya-kun… why do I feel like that's just sophistry?"

"Hm, I won't deny it," Hikigaya nodded slightly. "But the logic applies here. Aren't you trying to deal with Class B? Then try to understand Ryuuen's mindset. If you want to be an excellent hunter, you have to understand the prey. Similarly, if you want to be a capable leader, you need to understand what others in the class are thinking."

In truth, Horikita had indeed made some progress in this area.

At the very least, she recognized that Class D was losing motivation due to their debt problems and was trying to resolve it rather than blindly pursuing victory.

"But…"

Just as Horikita was about to ask more questions, someone interrupted from the side.

"Suzune, can I borrow you for a moment?"

"I've told you before—don't call me by my first name so casually."

Horikita's expression immediately soured, her annoyance directed at none other than Sudou.

"Why not? What's so bad about me calling you by your name?"

"That's your opinion. Please, don't use my name without permission."

Horikita was merciless when it came to Sudou, while Matsushita and Kushida exchanged gossiping glances nearby.

Although Sudou tried to hide it, anyone could tell what was on his mind.

But considering Horikita's deep attachment to her brother, and the fact that Sudou was nothing like the student council president...

It seemed like this relationship would wither before it ever bloomed.

However, Sudou was not the type to give up easily.

"Alright, how about this—if I score the highest points in Class D during the sports festival, you'll let me call you by your name?"

"Sudou, were you even listening during the class meeting?" Horikita replied irritably. "It's great that you're motivated, but as long as you don't finish in the bottom ten, you're fine. Besides, with your abilities, there's nothing to worry about. I don't have time to focus on you right now... Well, actually, there is something you can do."

"Really? What is it?"

"For this sports festival, if you help our classmates avoid finishing in the bottom ten, I'll let you call me by my name."

"Huh?"

Sudou was stunned by Horikita's request.

"You want me to train them? But didn't Hirata just step back in? Besides, this doesn't really suit me." Sudou mumbled in response.

This morning, Hirata had returned to class in high spirits, even apologizing to everyone.

His sudden transformation had surprised everyone, but aside from joy, no one thought much about it.

Hikigaya was curious about what Hirata had been through. It couldn't have been a simple epiphany.

But that wasn't really his concern. As long as Hirata was back, everything was fine.

"Do you think Hirata alone can handle training everyone?"

Horikita first posed a rhetorical question, then shifted her tone.

"Sudou, Hirata is indeed a better leader overall, but when it comes to athletic ability, everyone acknowledges your skills. You shine when the spotlight is on you. If you get serious, others will take your advice seriously too."

"…Alright, I'll help train them for the sports festival."

"Good. Then start with Sotomura."

"S-Sotomura?!"

Even with love clouding his judgment, Sudou knew how challenging it would be to train Sotomura.

Along with Sakura, these two were the worst performers in the class when it came to athletics. No wonder Horikita was worried.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

At that moment, Kushida suddenly leaned in close, speaking in a hushed tone. "The thing you and Matsushita were talking about earlier, is it about the stalker situation with Sakura?"

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to want others to know the details." Hikigaya replied, feeling a bit helpless.

"Honestly, she should've come to me." Kushida offered eagerly. "I'm really close with Sakura. If I ask her, I bet she'll open up!"

"…Really?"

Hikigaya highly doubted that the two were as close as Kushida claimed. Sakura had only agreed to exchange phone numbers with Kushida because she couldn't refuse such a social butterfly.

"Of course! I can't just leave a classmate in trouble."

Kushida's words sounded insincere, but Hikigaya decided not to burst her bubble.

"By the way, Hikigaya-kun…" Kushida's tone suddenly grew shy.

"If I succeed, what reward will you give me?"

"10,000 points. No more!"

[T/N: Bro bargained like she is a cheap slut!]

"Who's talking about money?!"

If money could solve a problem, then it wasn't a problem at all.

Hikigaya was slowly learning that lesson.

"Anyway, if I succeed… you'll let me call you by your first name from now on!" Kushida quickly blurted out.

"…What?"

"But don't get the wrong idea! I just thought it'd be fun since Sudou suggested the same thing to Horikita… Anyway, it's settled!"

Before Hikigaya could respond, Kushida dashed away.

—Wait, no one agreed to that!

Hikigaya stretched out his hand in vain, watching as Kushida disappeared into the distance.

Why was everyone so obsessed with calling each other by their names?

So strange.