COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

Hikigaya rarely told others the truth outright.

After all, everyone had their own version of what they wanted to see and know. He had long since grown accustomed to guiding people toward the truth rather than simply handing it to them.

And yet, even though Hikigaya hadn't said much, Nagumo had already started overanalyzing things on his own.

Come to think of it, he and Hirata got along pretty well… Could they end up as kindred spirits in the end?

Well, probably not.

At least Hirata was technically Karuizawa's boyfriend in name, whereas Nagumo was nothing at all. Asahina had never even given him an affirmative response.

Hopefully, he had at least some self-awareness.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Nagumo genuinely cared about Asahina to an absurd degree, treating her as if they were already a couple.

Even though he didn't show much on his face, Hikigaya could still tell that he was feeling a bit anxious—gone was the usual air of smug arrogance.

Looks like Ayanokoji had put some serious pressure on him.

"Hikigaya, just how much do you know about Ayanokoji? Anything I've never heard before?" Nagumo asked in a low voice.

"Hmm… Most of what I know, I've already mentioned." Hikigaya thought for a moment before replying, "But if I had to say, that guy may look dull on the surface, but he's surprisingly good with words. Especially with girls. If it weren't for this incident exposing things, no one in our class would've ever realized he was in a relationship with Karuizawa."

And honestly, that wasn't even an exaggeration.

Even a straightforward guy like Hikigaya had almost fallen for Ayanokoji's psychological tricks. That alone spoke volumes about how skilled he was in persuasion and acting.

That was probably something he had learned from the White Room.

Nagumo looked like he was about to say something else when his eyes suddenly sharpened, turning toward the side.

Following his gaze, Hikigaya saw what had caught his attention.

Of all people, they had run into Ayanokoji himself.

What a coincidence.

Not only was Ayanokoji there, but he was also accompanied by Hirata, Karuizawa, and Satou… huh?

Wait a minute—was this a double date?

Seriously?

Hikigaya couldn't help but marvel at their audacity. How could they not feel the slightest bit awkward?

Especially Hirata—he was at a complete loss for words when it came to that guy.

Even if he himself didn't mind, the rumors that would spread wouldn't be so kind.

If it were Hikigaya in that situation, he'd probably just lock himself in his room and never step outside again.

"Everyone, wait a moment. I'm going to say hello to an acquaintance."

With that, Nagumo started walking toward Ayanokoji and his group.

He's definitely looking to pick a fight… Man, this is just embarrassing.

A senior shouldn't be doing something like this.

Hikigaya watched with mild amusement, and it seemed like the rest of the student council felt the same. The only exception was Asahina, who called out to Nagumo.

"Ya, what are you doing? They're first-years, right?"

"I'm just going to have a little chat."

Nagumo waved his hand dismissively and continued toward Ayanokoji's group.

"Hey, Ayanokoji, we meet again."

"…Yes, President Nagumo."

"You guys are free, right? Let's have a little talk."

The unexpected situation made Satou shrink back, and even Karuizawa looked visibly uneasy. As for Ayanokoji—his usual deadpan expression remained unchanged.

Hirata, on the other hand, was completely unfazed.

In a way, this guy was the strongest of them all.

He even took the initiative to deal with Nagumo.

"Hello, Nagumo-senpai."

"Hirata… are you hanging out with Ayanokoji?"

Nagumo looked baffled, his expression practically screaming his confusion.

"Haha, well, we're friends after all."

"…I see. Well, as long as you're happy."

Perhaps Hirata's response was too natural, leaving Nagumo momentarily at a loss for words.

While Nagumo was occupied, Kiriyama quietly approached Hikigaya and asked in a low voice, "What were you talking to Nagumo about just now?"

"Nothing much, just about Ayanokoji," Hikigaya replied casually.

"You… have you fully sided with Nagumo? You're even leaking information about your classmates to him."

Kiriyama's voice was so low that it was barely audible.

Hikigaya glanced at him and said indifferently, "I think you're overreacting, Kiriyama-senpai. He just asked, and since I happened to know, I answered."

"…Have you forgotten that it was Horikita-senpai who brought you into the student council?"

"I haven't, but he's no longer the student council president."

If Hikigaya had to guess, Kiriyama probably hadn't given up on his plan to overthrow Nagumo.

But once Horikita graduated, Kiriyama would lose his biggest supporter. He would only have one year left, and Class A would still be out of reach.

When that time came, would he still have the same determination?

Hikigaya wasn't willing to bet on it.

Besides, he had never trusted Kiriyama to begin with—whenever faced with setbacks, he'd just blame others.

So no matter what, Hikigaya would never work with him.

"I'm a member of the student council. Naturally, I follow the president's orders," Hikigaya said with a faint smirk. "If you become the president, Kiriyama-senpai, I'd gather information for you too. But unfortunately, the election system has already been abolished."

"Hmph…! Don't get cocky just because you're a first-year!"

Kiriyama scoffed and walked away, clearly irritated.

Hikigaya sighed internally.

Man, the seniors these days are getting worse and worse.

He never considered Kiriyama a reliable force, but he was still a little disappointed in him.

Getting angry over a few sarcastic remarks? Seriously?

And bringing up seniority as if that meant anything… You were just born a year earlier, why act like that makes you superior?

Unfortunately, that's just how Japan is—obsessed with hierarchy.

Even in this so-called meritocracy-driven school, the culture still lingered.

Speaking of which… how long was Nagumo planning to make them wait?

Standing around like idiots at the entrance of the karaoke lounge wasn't just inconvenient for others—it was freezing cold outside!

"Damn it… why am I suffering like this?"

Hikigaya suddenly regretted coming.

He should've just used the class gathering as an excuse to get out of this.

But Class D had already held a dinner gathering last night, and Christmas Eve was left as free time for everyone.

Though Kushida and Matsushita had invited him to join them, he had no real friends in the class. If he went, he'd just end up sitting in the corner, eating in awkward silence.

That would be even more miserable.

At least in his dorm, he could enjoy instant ramen in peace.

Just then, Ichinose tugged at his sleeve.

"Hikigaya-kun, look over there. I think that's Kushida and her friends. Want to go say hi?"

"No."

He rejected her outright.

It wasn't just Kushida—it was an entire group.

Along with Wang Mei-yu and Inogashira from Class D, there were also students from other classes.

All of them had one thing in common: they were "Kikyo-chan's friends."

Seriously, her social skills were ridiculous.

"Ah, Kushida noticed us."

For some reason, Ichinose's tone sounded like an execution announcement.

But nothing dramatic happened—Kushida simply waved lightly in greeting, smiling as she acknowledged them.

Though… maybe it was the distance, her eyes didn't seem to be smiling at all.

Wait.

That had to be a trick of the light… right?

Hikigaya turned away as if he hadn't noticed anything.

Now that he looked around, more and more people were showing up.

There were even several students from Class 1-C, probably also here for a Christmas celebration.

After all, karaoke was a popular pastime for high schoolers.

But Ryuen was nowhere to be seen.

Not surprising.

After getting his face smashed in by Ayanokoji, showing up in front of his subordinates would only make things worse.

"Sorry to interrupt your date. See you next time."

Nagumo finally wrapped things up.

Before leaving, Hikigaya noticed Ayanokoji deliberately glance in his direction.

…Forget it. He ignored it.

He still had to deal with his annoying boss—he had no time to worry about unrelated people.

...

Although he had long known he wasn't good at these kinds of activities, it wasn't until Hikigaya actually experienced it that he realized—he had been far too optimistic.

Saying he wasn't good at it was an understatement—it was like trying to solve the last question on a math exam.

This wasn't something effort alone could overcome!

"Sigh… so annoying… just how many hours do they plan on singing?"

Using a bathroom break as an excuse, Hikigaya slipped out of the private room to catch his breath.

For the record, he didn't hate singing. He didn't hate karaoke either.

There were times when he would come alone, pick a song, scream his lungs out, and then… get caught in the act by the staff delivering drinks. That embarrassment still haunted him, filling him with the urge to restart his life.

Even so, coming to karaoke alone was nice.

No need to worry about someone stealing the mic, no need to care about others' gazes—he could simply indulge in his emotions in this private space.

However, karaoke with a group was a completely different story.

It turned into a trial.

To put it bluntly, only those with high social skills would enjoy coming in groups. For them, this so-called trial was as easy as a casual outing.

And yes, that was exactly what Ichinose was like.

Even when surrounded by upperclassmen, she handled herself with ease, without the slightest hint of nervousness.

For Hikigaya, though, this was a nightmare. If he wasn't being teased by the seniors, he was being dismissed with a casual "just joking" whenever he retorted. Sometimes, they even turned it around on him, accusing him of not being broad-minded enough.

It almost made him feel like he was back in middle school.

"What's wrong? Still not used to dealing with seniors?"

A voice suddenly came from behind.

It was Nagumo.

Looks like he had been gone a bit too long, enough for Nagumo to come check on him—yeah, right.

There was no way that guy would do something so considerate. He was probably just here to use the bathroom.

"Nothing. It's just a bit noisy in there, so I stepped out for some peace and quiet."

"Yeah, everyone's in high spirits. It is Christmas, after all."

Even though they were already in the restroom, Nagumo didn't seem in any hurry to do what he came for. Instead, he started chatting with Hikigaya.

"How's the student council been lately?"

"…What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean, is there a lot of work? Any difficulties?"

"When it comes to work, the less, the better."

"Haha, sounds like things are going smoothly." Nagumo chuckled before continuing, "Hikigaya, ever since I started working with you, I finally understood why Horikita-senpai brought you into the student council. You're just as capable as Honami."

"You're overpraising me. A D-Class student like me isn't even qualified to be compared to Ichinose."

Even as he said that, Hikigaya subtly raised his guard.

Being complimented for no reason was never a good sign.

Nagumo waved his hand. "No need to be humble. This is just what I've personally observed. Even in front of Honami, I'd say the same thing. But… you do have one major flaw."

Ah, the classic routine—praise first, then criticize.

"As a matter of fact, I've been considering passing the student council president position to you after I graduate."

The president was usually decided through a school-wide election.

But under Nagumo's reforms, the next president would be selected internally, and the recommendation of the previous president would carry significant weight.

"That said, there's one issue. While it's an unwritten rule, every student council president so far has been from Class A. So you'll have to work hard."

So that was what this was about.

For Hikigaya, this was actually a relief—he had never been interested in the president's position to begin with.

"But that's not something effort alone can achieve," Hikigaya replied with deliberate helplessness. "Our class is over a thousand points behind Class A. And besides, I'm not cut out to be president. Ichinose is a much better choice."

"Honami, huh? She's still lacking in some areas. And besides, there's more than one way to get into Class A, isn't there?"

Nagumo gave a meaningful smile.

And just like that, Hikigaya understood immediately.

This guy had gotten so used to making grand promises to the second-years that he now wanted to do the same to him.

The purpose behind this was self-evident.

To be honest, Hikigaya had no interest in dealing with this self-important blond. The guy's arrogance was almost amusing—almost.

Twenty million? He acted as if that was an unattainable sum.

Ryuuen was aiming for eight hundred million.

The difference in scale was obvious.

Yet, ignoring him wasn't an option either—his presence was downright nauseating.

Just then, Hikigaya noticed someone passing by nearby—someone he actually knew.

Immediately, he put on a serious expression. Seeing this, Nagumo quickly asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"…Someone's there," Hikigaya replied in a low voice before tiptoeing toward the restroom entrance.

Driven by curiosity, Nagumo followed him. Soon, they spotted a boy and a girl hidden in the corner, seemingly meeting in secret.

"Whoa, whoa, Hikigaya, I didn't take you for the type to be into this kind of thing," Nagumo teased, his expression amused and a little suspicious.

"It's not what you think. Just listen, and you'll understand."

Hikigaya didn't bother explaining further—he wasn't entirely sure himself.

He had only heard about this from Ryuuen and agreed to investigate out of curiosity. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered with someone else's personal matters.

"Tokito-kun, why did you ask me to come here? I'm supposed to be singing with my friends."

Hikigaya wasn't unfamiliar with that name.

Back during the Preferential Exam, this guy was always stirring up trouble. Ryuuen had even cryptically referred to him as a "secret weapon."

And now, looking at the situation, maybe he was a secret weapon—just not Ryuuen's.

As for the girl he had called out… Hikigaya recognized her too.

What a coincidence. Everyone here was an acquaintance.

"I know, just give me five minutes."

Tokito glanced around cautiously before turning back to the girl in front of him.

"Manabe, there's something I need to ask you, no matter what… How long do you plan on following Ryuuen's orders?"