COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

For students who had to stay in dorms for three years without being able to go out or contact the outside world, weekends were just another kind of prison—especially if there were no entertainment facilities. 

Movie theaters, shopping malls, karaoke rooms—should these kinds of entertainment really exist in a completely closed-off school? 

What's the point of doing this? They even provide students with a large amount of private points to use. Anyone with common sense would see something wrong here, right? 

But for students who had already indulged in pleasure and excess, their subconscious had long rejected that possibility. After all, people are always drawn to beautiful things, to sweet candy. And when it comes to bad things, to bitter consequences, they instinctively turn away. 

For most of Class D, that's exactly what happened. 

Even though it was the weekend, Hikigaya was still dressed in his uniform, walking along the quiet school paths as usual. Before long, he reached the academic building where the teachers' offices were. The student council office was on the fourth floor. 

The moment Hikigaya stepped into the hallway, several gazes immediately focused on him. 

There were four students in total—three boys and one girl. Judging by how they were seated, they were probably from two different classes. One of the boys, a bald and serious-looking student, had his eyes closed as if resting. Another boy seemed impatient and restless. 

Across from them sat a boy and a girl. The boy was quiet, but his posture was upright and composed, and his sharp gaze was surprisingly intense. 

As for the only girl in the group, Hikigaya found it hard to put her into words. 

Her long pink hair flowed like a waterfall, framing a face so stunning it felt as if it had stopped time itself. But what truly left Hikigaya speechless were her eyes—clear and pure, like sunlight accidentally spilling onto the rippling surface of a lake, reflecting dazzling colors that were bright, radiant, and breathtakingly beautiful. 

For a moment, Hikigaya was frozen in place. 

If a certain "superhuman devil" was as lofty as a towering mountain and as cold as the moon, an ice fortress that made people hesitate to approach—then the girl in front of him was like the sun, shining even brighter than any sunny day. 

She was the kind of warmth that made people want to get closer, yet without the burning heat. 

Of course, for someone like Hikigaya, she was exactly the kind of person he hated the most. 

He hated her. Hated that while he was stuck in the dark, she remained as bright as ever. 

Hikigaya, you're seriously way too gloomy. 

The dead-fish-eyed boy cursed and criticized himself in his mind. 

"Tch, Class D students… You're all the same, every single one of you. Absolutely disgusting, dead-fish eyes." 

A sudden, mocking voice interrupted. 

It came from the impatient-looking boy, his tone filled with contempt. 

To an outsider, Hikigaya must have looked like one of those pathetic guys who couldn't take his eyes off a pretty girl. And maybe it was just his imagination, but Hikigaya thought he saw a flash of hostility and jealousy in the boy's gaze. 

"Yahiko, watch yourself." 

The bald, serious-looking student suddenly opened his eyes. 

"…Sorry, Katsuragi-san." 

The student named Totsuka Yahiko, who had been acting all arrogant just a moment ago, instantly deflated like a popped balloon the second Katsuragi spoke. 

It was clear who was in charge. 

And even though Katsuragi was scolding his own teammate for being rude, he never actually told him to apologize. 

Anyone could see the unspoken message—it was the kind of silent arrogance that looked down on others from above. 

But Hikigaya didn't seem to notice. Or rather, he just didn't care. 

Especially after seeing that radiant girl. 

Compared to that, being insulted or ignored didn't even cause a ripple in his heart. 

Once you've seen the brilliance of the sun, would you really care about the dirt on the ground? 

Even Hikigaya himself was a little surprised by this sudden moment of enlightenment. 

But it seemed like no one else noticed the subtle change in the pink-haired girl. 

Especially when Katsuragi scolded Totsuka—the way he spoke, the way he carried himself—it made the girl frown deeply. 

Just as she was about to stand up and say something, the quiet boy beside her reached out, gently pulling her back. 

He shook his head.

"Ichinose." 

The girl named Ichinose froze for a moment, then put on a look that said, *Sorry, I'll apologize later*, and stood up without hesitation. 

The boy sighed and covered his forehead, looking as if he had seen this coming. 

Her sudden action caught everyone's attention, but just as someone was about to speak, the student council office door swung open, and a teasing voice came from inside. 

"Oh? What a lively crowd!" Haruno smiled as she looked at everyone. 

"I was planning to wait a little longer before coming out, but our president is very strict about time, so I didn't have a choice. So, who's going in first?" 

Haruno's sudden appearance disrupted the group's rhythm, and everyone's expressions changed. 

Totsuka looked excited and seemed ready to step forward but hesitated after glancing at Katsuragi. In the end, he sighed and held back. 

Katsuragi, on the other hand, frowned deeply, looking like he had something to say but stopped himself. Combined with his bald head and mature face, he looked more like a middle-aged man than a student. 

Meanwhile, Ichinose remained calm. Next to her, a boy named Kanzaki Ryuji seemed surprised at first but quickly regained his composure. 

Hikigaya also looked calm. From the moment he didn't see Haruno earlier, he had already sensed that something was off. But even though he was mentally prepared, Haruno still managed to catch him off guard. 

As expected, the final boss was still the final boss—always full of surprises. 

"Tsk tsk, we have people from Class A, B, and D here. Looks like only Class C is taking it easy. Well, they are busy trying to take over the world, after all." 

Haruno grinned and then looked at everyone. "What's wrong? Still haven't decided? You have thirty seconds left. If you miss the time limit, our student council president—who is known for being super strict—will think less of you. Maybe he'll even eliminate all of you right away!" 

The room fell silent. 

"Twenty seconds left." 

Haruno crossed her arms and watched them. 

"Wait, why does Yukinoshita know something like this…?" Totsuka quickly asked. 

"Ten seconds." 

Ichinose and Hikigaya remained still, while Katsuragi silently stared at Haruno, lost in thought. 

"W-Wait! We'll go in first!" Totsuka suddenly shouted. 

Haruno smiled. "That's the spirit, Totsuka! Good luck~" 

"Th-Thank you, Yukinoshita! I'll do my best!" 

Totsuka looked like he had just been injected with pure adrenaline. Before stepping inside, he even glanced at Hikigaya with a look that was clearly meant as a challenge. 

一 一 一 一 一

You can read 30 advanced chapters on

pat reon.com/GMadman

一 一 一 一 一