I walked slowly through the corridor on the second deck, the one that led directly to the theater Chabashira-sensei had asked me to come to through a text message.
I stopped in front of the massive doors behind which the theater was located. It had taken me quite a while to find it; if I hadn't asked the staff for directions, I probably would've gotten lost.
Why did she choose this place specifically? And since she already had my number, couldn't she have just told me what she wanted there?
I pushed open the heavy doors and found myself inside a gigantic hall filled with luxurious seats for the audience. At the front stood a large stage where a performance was already underway.
Even so, the hall was nearly empty. Apparently, no one wanted to watch a play about ancient Greek gods.
Though, I supposed it could be suitable for killing some time.
I took a step forward to locate Chabashira-sensei, but then I noticed someone else.
Ayanokouji was there as well.
Even more strangely, he was grabbing her by the collar as if he were some delinquent.
No...
Not even delinquents would treat their teachers like that.
What exactly was happening here?
Had she summoned him too?
I couldn't remember causing any trouble in the past few days that would warrant being scolded.
But seriously...
What could make him behave like that toward a teacher?
Ayanokouji had always been an irritating existence—whether it was his strange behavior or his attempts to extract information from you while maintaining an outwardly indifferent attitude. I had tried to avoid getting involved with him at first, but circumstances had repeatedly dragged me into his affairs.
And every single time, I became more convinced that he was a strange, abnormal person.
Perhaps it was time to redefine certain relationships and establish clearer boundaries.
I waited until he released her before approaching the two of them as though I had just arrived.
"Hikigaya..." Ayanokouji said, as if he hadn't expected me to be here.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to understand why he was present at this exact time.
It was difficult to believe this was a coincidence and that he had simply come to watch a play.
"Nothing," Ayanokouji replied with an expressionless face.
"I summoned Hikigaya as well. Come, take a seat," Chabashira-sensei said.
So she had wanted both of us here at the same time.
I sat in the same row as Chabashira-sensei, leaving an empty seat between us. Ayanokouji sat beside me.
The play seemed to be progressing quickly. There were special effects and stage equipment involved.
One of the actors had even started flying.
I didn't understand the context at all, but I decided to try following along and make sense of it.
"Sensei... isn't there any popcorn?" I asked while staring at her.
If I had come all the way here to watch a play, the least she could do was provide snacks.
She didn't answer me and merely glared in my direction.
Why was she angry?
Well, I didn't particularly want to watch this anyway.
Who cared about this play?
It was all just a waste of taxpayers' money.
I rested my arms on the armrests and waited for Chabashira-sensei to tell us why she had called us here.
"You probably already know that this trip isn't merely a vacation..." she said quietly, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear.
I turned to look at her.
What was happening?
Was she about to reveal some secret?
Ayanokouji didn't respond to her statement, so I chose to remain silent as well and wait.
"The school is always trying to create competition among its students..." Chabashira-sensei added, offering another vague hint.
I narrowed my eyes while watching the actors on stage.
I couldn't help but wonder how this play would end.
"Why don't the two of you cooperate to advance the class?" Chabashira-sensei said, as though what she was suggesting was the most ordinary thing in the world.
Cooperate?
I glanced at Ayanokouji.
He, too, was staring at her without saying a word.
I remembered her words on the rooftop about cooperation.
Perhaps she hadn't understood my point of view back then, so I decided to explain it again.
"Sensei, I think you've chosen the wrong people once again. People like Hirata and Kushida would probably be enthusiastic about those kinds of words," I said as I sank deeper into my seat.
"...Even Horikita is interested in moving up the rankings," Ayanokouji added, as if he were simply trying to participate in the conversation.
"Right, right... Look at Ayanokouji. He can't even hold a proper conversation. All he does is attend classes and stare out the window," I said while pointing a finger at him.
Chabashira-sensei merely stared at us as though we were a pair of oddballs.
"...Hikigaya nearly failed because of a mathematics exam," Ayanokouji said, pointing at me.
"Hey... you bastard, you're crossing the line."
Was he trying to make fun of me because getting a score of fifty came naturally to him?
That wasn't fair.
"Really..." Ayanokouji said, as if he genuinely hadn't expected that.
"Of course. Did you recently start learning sarcasm or something?" I asked jokingly.
"More or less," Ayanokouji answered with a serious expression.
"Huh...?"
I turned toward him immediately.
I hadn't expected that response.
Had he started imitating Horikita?
Her style of sarcasm was far too ruthless.
"I don't think there's any student who would mock his teacher like this..." Chabashira-sensei sighed after observing our entire exchange.
She had a point.
But then again, there also wasn't any teacher who summoned her students and proposed something like this after speaking only in vague implications.
This was madness.
Why exactly was I supposed to work together with Ayanokouji?
Was she an anime enthusiast like Hiratsuka-sensei?
"I see, Sai-chan. What are you doing here?"
Suddenly, I heard a cheerful voice approaching us from behind.
Chabashira-sensei turned around immediately, as though struck by lightning.
"Chi-chan..."
Huh?
Did she just call Chabashira-sensei "Sai-chan"?
This was the first time I had ever heard someone address her that way.
I had never imagined Chabashira-sensei could be close to someone.
I quickly turned around to see who it was.
Approaching us was a woman who appeared to be around the same age as Sensei, with long brown hair and a pink short-sleeved blouse.
"Are these your students? What are you doing with them here? Sai-chan, don't tell me you're leaking information to them. Hehe~"
The woman invaded my personal space while wagging her finger playfully in front of me.
I instinctively stepped backward, distancing myself from her.
However, the woman suddenly stopped and stared at me for a moment.
"Hmm... you're awfully cautious."
Who wouldn't be cautious if a beautiful woman suddenly appeared and started acting this casually?
And what information was she talking about?
I doubted Chabashira-sensei was leaking school secrets.
Personal information, perhaps.
"Chi-chan... stop it," Chabashira-sensei said, trying to regain her composure and restrain the woman.
For the first time, I was grateful that she was so strict.
"Hehe, why? I'm just having a little fun," the woman replied as though she were still a high school girl.
Who exactly was this woman?
And why was she behaving this way toward Chabashira-sensei?
As if she had understood my questioning gaze, she placed her hands on Chabashira-sensei's shoulders and introduced herself.
"I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class B. I'm also Sai-chan's close friend. We were classmates back in high school. We even call each other by our first names."
Class B's teacher?
Maybe that explained why she gave off the same energy as her students.
A friend of Chabashira-sensei?
Wait...
She had been in high school once?
I had always assumed she had been born wearing a formal suit and had immediately become a teacher.
I couldn't imagine her as a teenager.
"Stop..." Chabashira-sensei attempted to interrupt her, but Hoshinomiya-sensei's enthusiasm overwhelmed her.
"So, what are you doing here with Sai-chan? Since you're her students, you must be exceptional if she's treating you this way."
Wait, wait.
Someone stop her.
What special treatment was she talking about?
Besides, one of us was still suffering because of a mathematics exam.
I looked toward Ayanokouji to see his reaction.
He, too, was staring at her, unable to respond.
"I think you've misunderstood. They're merely troublesome and rude," Chabashira-sensei said while massaging her temples.
Was she referring only to Ayanokouji as troublesome because his expression itself was irritating?
Well, I agreed with her.
Still, she shouldn't say such things publicly.
"Sensei, I understand that Ayanokouji is troublesome, but you shouldn't say it to his face like that," I said while shaking my head dramatically.
"Hikigaya..."
"Hmm?"
"You're the troublesome one," Chabashira-sensei replied without hesitation.
Why...?
Well, I didn't want to be rude either.
I simply pouted in protest and chose not to argue.
"Hahahahaha!"
Suddenly, Hoshinomiya-sensei burst into laughter, seemingly enjoying our exchange.
"I've never seen Sai-chan interact with students like this before. You two must be special... Hikigaya and Ayanokouji, was it?" she said while narrowing her eyes at us, as though committing our names to memory.
That was unsettling.
"You're Hikigaya from the Student Council, aren't you?"
"Hmm... yes."
Why did everyone suddenly know I was part of the Student Council?
"Neh, neh, Sai-chan..."
She grabbed Chabashira-sensei's blazer with her slender fingers and gently tugged at it.
"Why don't you give me one of them?" she said, feigning sadness.
She was talking about us as if we were kitchen utensils.
Was she really a teacher?
"I said stop... You two, leave now."
Chabashira-sensei dragged Hoshinomiya-sensei away before turning toward us and ordering us to leave.
"Come on~ let's have some fun together! I want to talk with them more!"
Hoshinomiya-sensei struggled to break free and approach us again, but to no avail.
As a student of Class D, I would respect my teacher's orders and follow them.
It was time to retreat.
I quickly stood up from my seat and headed toward the exit.
Ayanokouji followed calmly as we made our way to the door.
"Let's meet again!" Hoshinomiya-sensei called out while waving at us after being released.
My feet came to a halt.
Even Ayanokouji had passed me and stopped at the doorway.
Hoshinomiya Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class B.
She reminded me of Yukinoshita Haruno.
The same cheerful impression, coupled with a darkness beneath the surface that suited her perfectly.
The difference was that Haruno did what she did out of love and concern.
As for this woman...
I saw nothing but darkness within her.
I turned away and resumed walking toward the exit.
And for the first time...
I found myself grateful that Chabashira-sensei was our homeroom teacher.