It's been more than four hours, and Yukinoshita still hasn't called.
Did something happen? Is she okay?
Or did she forget about me?
That's impossible… right? If that happened… I'd be a little sad.
It's only 9 PM. I'll wait a bit longer.
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to call her now—she might be busy—so I'll wait for her message.
After leaving the lake, I went to a restaurant and had a cheap meal.
Looks like I'll head back to the dorm. There's nothing to do outside.
Normally, I'd spend my time reading or playing video games.
I've read enough for today, and as for games… they require a device. I heard some guys in class bought theirs from the mall using points.
But I'm not going to spend my points on a gaming device. I've decided to save for now.
There are things I want to do… things that will require points.
I might also run low on points in the future, so I have no choice but to spend carefully.
I arrived at the dorm and stood in front of the elevator, waiting for the doors to open.
A guy stood next to me—I think I know him.
Wasn't he the one who spoke up on the first day?
Hirata, was it?
Now that I think about it, I didn't introduce myself back then. That means no one knows my name.
What a great start.
There's no reason to talk to him, so I'll ignore him.
Just then, the elevator arrived, and we both got in.
"Um… hey." he muttered with an awkward smile.
"Ah… yeah."
What is this awkward silence? Should I introduce myself?
"We're in the same class, right? I'm Hirata Yosuke."
How considerate. Instead of pointing out that he doesn't know my name, he reintroduced himself.
Alright, I'll accept your kindness.
"Hikigaya Hachiman…"
"Ah… nice to meet you. You didn't introduce yourself on the first day, so I've been looking for a chance to talk to you."
"Thanks."
I know exactly how to handle situations like this.
Keep your answers short.
The other person will think, "Wow, what a stuck-up guy," and leave you alone.
But this Hirata guy doesn't seem like he'll give up that easily.
Is he an idiot?
"Hikigaya-kun, if you ever have any problems, don't hesitate to talk to me. I want everyone in our class to get along."
He said it with such a bright smile, you'd think he was a source of endless positivity.
Suddenly, I felt a pain in my stomach. What is this feeling?
Why is this blond guy standing in front of me saying things like that?
Are they all this stupid?
No matter how much you try, people will never truly get along.
Why?
Because that's just human nature.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I didn't bother arguing. I already know how people like him think—you can't change them no matter how much you try.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, I walked out without giving him a chance to say anything else.
I don't have time to waste.
I don't have plans, but I have better ways to waste my time.
If he really cares about the class, shouldn't he deal with their behavior that's already getting out of control since the first lesson?
I opened my room using the card key. Honestly, cards are better than keys.
Easy to use, easy to carry—just keep it in your wallet.
After closing the door, I turned on the lights. Nothing had changed. The only thing I did earlier was put my clothes in the closet.
I'm planning to bring more books. I only brought a few novels, but I'll hold off for now.
Suddenly, I felt something vibrate in my pocket.
My phone.
I didn't give my contact info to anyone except Yukinoshita—it must be her.
I took out my phone and raised it to eye level.
As expected, the name Yukinoshita Yukino appeared.
So she didn't forget about me.
This doesn't stir any emotions in me… and this stupid smile on my face definitely doesn't mean I'm happy… got it?
I quickly pressed the button and heard her calm voice.
"Good evening, Hikigaya-kun."
"Yo."
"Sorry for calling so late. You're not asleep yet, right?"
"No, not yet."
Are there even people who sleep at this hour?
"Did you find any interesting clubs?"
She must've been delayed because of that, right?
"Not really. All the clubs were pretty normal. There was also an announcement about student council recruitment, but that's not what delayed me."
"I see…"
What could possibly hold Yukinoshita Yukino's attention for that long?
"Actually, a lot of students from our class were there—and of course, they were acting chaotically."
As expected from Class D.
"But… I met a girl who looked quite irritated. We talked for a bit, and I found out she's also trying to understand the system. So after the event, we went to a café and discussed what we found."
So even in our class, there are people who noticed something is off with this school.
That might be a good sign.
"She also mentioned that the boy sitting next to her seems suspicious of the system, though he doesn't share his thoughts. His name was… Ayanokouji, I think."
Silence filled the call.
If her classmate is Ayanokouji, then she must be that girl from the opening ceremony.
Not surprising. From his behavior earlier, I could tell he's looking into the system too.
But the girl… Horikita, was it? She didn't seem cooperative. How did she end up working with Yukinoshita?
"Yukinoshita, was her name Horikita?"
"Hmm… yes. Do you know her?"
"I've seen her. So, what did you conclude so far?"
I heard her clear her throat.
"It seems the school is currently evaluating students based on behavior. Upon admission, we were given full marks, which explains the 100,000 points. But judging by the teachers' behavior, the punishment will likely be a reevaluation—our scores will drop, along with our points."
She let out a small sigh—probably signaling she finished.
"Done?"
"Yes."
There's barely any difference between her conclusion and mine.
"Actually, I reached the same conclusion—but I think the evaluation works differently."
"What do you mean?"
"They're not evaluating individuals… but the entire class."
"I see… that makes sense. But it's also unfair."
Yeah. In that case, the whole class needs to work together.
Even one person slacking off affects everyone.
Fair—and unfair at the same time.
"I think there's more."
"Hmm." She signaled me to continue.
"The school probably divides us into ranks from A to D. There's likely competition between classes—each class trying to rise in rank."
There's still one missing piece…
"Hikigaya-kun, I understand… and I realized something else."
Looks like she found it.
"What is it?"
"The classes are likely ranked by collective points… and those determine the individual points we receive."
Yeah… that fits perfectly.
"That makes sense."
"Yes… but that means…"
She realized it—we're in the lowest class.
For someone like her, that must sting.
"Yukinoshita… are you upset about being in Class D?"
Silence.
Then, after a while—
"Well… it's a bit frustrating. But if this system is real, I won't settle for anything less than first place."
Her frustration quickly turned into determination.
"Then let's aim for Class A together."
"Yes… I'm counting on you."
Ah, I almost forgot.
"Yukinoshita, the announcement we got was misleading. Only Class A students get the privilege of choosing any university."
"I see. That makes the competition more logical."
"Yeah."
"But how will the competition work? I doubt it's just behavior evaluation."
"I'm not sure yet… but there'll probably be tests of some kind."
"…Yes."
Silence fell again.
Not awkward… but like we should say something or end the call.
"Hikigaya-kun, what will you do now?"
"Huh?"
"I mean… will you take action? Like informing the class? Though I doubt they'd understand."
She's right. Talking to them would be pointless.
"Yeah… I have an idea. But not now."
"Hikigaya-kun, just don't rush. We're in this together."
My heart suddenly started beating faster. My body felt warm.
Am I sick?
"…Yeah."
I need to calm down.
Oh, right.
"Don't tell me you became friends with her already."
"No. We just exchanged ideas."
Why does she sound annoyed?
"I'll rely on you… I should end the call now. Goodbye."
"…Goodbye."
I could sense her tension through the phone.
Ah… if you're embarrassed saying that, then I'll get embarrassed too.
That's bad for my heart.
"And… I'm counting on you too."
No response. She must've already hung up.
Good.
She didn't need to hear that.