After leaving the classroom, I tried to quicken my pace to reach Hirata before he moved further away from the school building.
His destination might be known, but I didn't want to bother him or his clubmates again.
It didn't take long before I spotted Hirata walking slowly along the path.
"Hirata," it's better if I call out to him; I don't want to keep chasing him.
It seems he recognized my voice, as he quickly turned, his expression showing a hint of confusion.
A bright smile spread across his face.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun."
"Yes, hello."
I'm not great at communication, but even someone like me can show gratitude.
It's not a big deal—it's just a gesture of thanks, right?
So why does this feel so difficult?
"Umm… I just wanted to thank you for your effort in class. That's all."
Hirata seemed pleased with my words.
"No, no, I should be the one showing gratitude. Without your help, I wouldn't have had the chance to assist my classmates. Thank you."
"No problem. Without you, most of my work wouldn't have had any meaning."
If Hirata hadn't intervened to guide the students, most of them would have fallen into confusion, and opinions would have split further, making things worse.
But with his guidance, it seems the plan is moving in the right direction.
Even Kushida contributed to this, but I won't thank her—I don't want to get involved with her right now, though I am grateful.
Since I've finished here, I'll be going.
"Anyway, goodbye, Hirata."
I turned my back, trying to leave.
"Hikigaya-kun, I want to ask you a question."
Hirata's face showed the same puzzled expression I had seen when I called out to him.
"Alright… go ahead."
I wouldn't know what he wanted to ask if he didn't say it.
"How did you manage to convince Chapashira-sensei? I don't think she's the cooperative type at all."
Ah… well, anyone could notice that Sensei is always in a bad mood, frowning with sharp eyes.
You wouldn't imagine she would cooperate with you at all.
But most students hadn't paid attention to what she said on the first day, or they didn't understand the full meaning.
From the phrase "you can buy anything there," some would interpret it as anything in stores, shops, or anything inside the school.
It's hard to grasp its full meaning literally: everything.
I won't tell him that I paid her for this.
"You could say I have my own methods."
For now, that's all I'll tell him.
"Ah… Hikigaya-kun, you really… are amazing."
Hirata said sincerely.
"Ah… no, well, thank you."
It feels strange to be called "amazing."
I don't like being addressed that way, but there's no time to argue.
"It's club time, goodbye."
Hirata smiled before leaving toward his club.
"Alright, goodbye."
It seems I'm done for today.
I feel tired; it's better to return to the dorm.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and turned to head back.
"Ah! You startled me!"
When I turned, I found a girl standing behind me, her blue eyes staring at me.
It seems Yukinoshita had sneaked behind me while I was watching Hirata leave.
"Overreacting, Hikigaya-kun. I wonder how it would feel if you saw eyes like mine."
Yukinoshita seemed in a good mood, smiling. She's really kind.
"No, I just didn't expect…"
I started scratching my hair. Every time she looked at me like this, I felt my face heating up.
"So, what's up?"
"Nothing, I just followed you to talk. It seems you're busy with your partner."
I had previously told Yukinoshita about the deal with Chapashira-sensei, but I didn't tell her about Hirata.
"How did you know about Hirata?"
"Not just Hirata. Even Kushida, they seem to have anticipated the situation and acted accordingly."
Even though I hadn't told them what I was going to do, they showed a good reaction.
"Alright, we needed someone to guide the students… you also intervened, didn't you?"
At some point, even Yukinoshita got involved in guiding the class's thoughts more effectively.
"Okay, now I understand the situation. I decided to participate."
Yukinoshita is smart, so it's easy for her to understand what's needed and act accordingly.
"So, will you tell me why you volunteered? Until now, you haven't said anything directly."
I hadn't told Yukinoshita my reasons yet. We had discussions in which I hadn't mentioned any real reason.
"Well… weren't you also looking for a plan?"
Even if she didn't say it, I'm sure Yukinoshita was planning. Once she understood there was competition, I didn't expect her to accept losing.
"You may be right, but do you suddenly want to win? What inspired you to aim for advancement?"
I have personal reasons. Naturally, it's hard to admit them, but as long as they're true, I'll reveal them.
"Um… do you remember before entering this school, you said something about it being an opportunity for us to build our future together… well, you could say this is my motivation."
I don't know if Yukinoshita understood the meaning behind my words, but it's really embarrassing.
I still find it hard to talk about these matters.
I think the most important thing I'll learn is to start—and this is the beginning.
"You mean… this is for us?"
Yukinoshita lowered her head while walking beside me.
I couldn't help but notice her ears turning crimson.
I could see she was embarrassed too.
I don't know what to say now.
We remained silent for a long time—a really awkward silence.
"So…"
After a long while, only feeling the passage of time, Yukinoshita finally spoke.
She looked up at me.
She moved her hand quickly and grabbed my arm, then hugged me.
It was a sudden warm feeling; I think it affected my perception.
"So, let's do this together, for us."
Yukinoshita looked extremely happy. I didn't know whether to respond to her or not, and how I should respond.
I still don't know the school's standards, but I know very well that Yukinoshita doesn't deserve to be placed in Class D.
I will prove by any means that this is wrong.
For her… for us.
Yes.
We continued walking, and Yukinoshita held onto my arm. I wasn't used to it yet, so it felt really awkward.
"So, what's the success rate of this plan?" Yukinoshita asked.
The real results will show at the beginning of next month, so everything I say now is just speculation.
"You don't need a percentage. If it fails and nothing changes, it's better to return to Chiba."
If all this doesn't bring any change, it will just be a waste of time.
I'd rather waste time in Chiba than with Yamauchi and Iiki.
"Seems… logical. If they don't improve after all this, there's no hope for them."
Alright, now they got the idea.
I expect that in the future, self-assertion conflicts will begin—fights to see who leads the class.
No one wants to be labeled as useless, right?
That's true as well.