The Four Classes Gather

"Uh… Hikigaya."

For some reason, Kamuro awkwardly walked over, her demeanor suggesting she wanted to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to speak.

"What is it?"

"W-Well, um… you know," Kamuro scratched the back of her head and turned away, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't think it was necessary or anything, but… thanks for stepping in earlier."

"It was nothing. I was just stating the facts."

Hikigaya's intent was simply to ease her burden, yet Kamuro responded with a sharp glare.

"When someone thanks you, just accept it properly. Stop with the unnecessary commentary!"

"…Sorry."

Wait—why am I the one getting scolded here?

Hikigaya felt baffled. He was only trying to be considerate, so why was he being treated like the bad guy?

Beside him, Hashimoto burst out laughing, slapping Hikigaya on the shoulder. "Hahaha! That's classic you. I've never seen Kamuro act like this before."

"Shut your mouth too!" Kamuro shot him a similar glare before crossing her arms. "So, how did the two of you end up together anyway?"

"Whoa, hold on," Hashimoto chuckled, shaking his head, "no need to make it sound so bad. Hikigaya and I are good friends, and we were just about to grab a bite. But if you keep talking like that, we might leave you out."

"As if I care." Kamuro rolled her eyes, then, without warning, grabbed Hikigaya's arm.

"Come on, we're going to eat."

"Huh?"

Before Hikigaya could even process what was happening, Kamuro dragged him into the restaurant. Hashimoto followed behind, flashing him a grin and gesturing playfully.

"Alright, time for the third wheel to make his exit. I'll just—oh?"

Hashimoto's words trailed off as something, or rather someone, caught his attention inside the restaurant.

His eyes lit up, and after a moment of thought, he followed Kamuro and Hikigaya inside.

The restaurant was packed—no surprise given that the exam had just ended. After a grueling week on the uninhabited island, the students were eager to enjoy a proper meal.

"Damn, no seats," Kamuro glanced around, spotting no available tables. She turned to Hikigaya. "What now? Should we find another place?"

"Uh…"

Just as Hikigaya was about to reply, Hashimoto chimed in.

"No need! Look over there—plenty of space." He pointed toward a corner of the restaurant. "Hikigaya, go ask if we can share the table."

Kamuro wrinkled her nose. "Why are you still here?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I was the one who made plans with Hikigaya first." Hashimoto grinned.

Ignoring Kamuro's irritation, Hashimoto looped an arm around Hikigaya's shoulder.

"Hikigaya, I'm counting on you. You're on good terms with that guy, right? Just ask if we can join. I've been craving the pasta here for ages."

"…Speak normally."

"Hehe, alright. I'm curious about Class C's exam results."

The guy in question was none other than Ryuen Kakeru. He sat alone at a large table, having only ordered a cup of coffee, yet he monopolized the entire space without any consideration for others.

Honestly, it was rude.

While most students were sharing tables to accommodate the crowd, no one dared to approach Ryuen. His reputation as one of the school's most notorious delinquents, coupled with the bandages covering his face—evidence of a recent fight—made him an unapproachable figure.

Then again, judging by the condition of those bandages, it looked like Ryuen had been on the losing end of that fight.

Regardless, no sane person would willingly involve themselves with someone like him.

Hashimoto, however, wasn't afraid of Ryuen, and Kamuro looked equally unconcerned. As for Hikigaya… well, he was more curious about what it felt like to get beaten up for no good reason.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot."

Feigning reluctance, Hikigaya sighed and led the group over to Ryuen's table. Without hesitation, he plopped down on a chair.

"Looks like this seat's free?"

Ryuen glared at him, but Hikigaya completely ignored the intense stare.

"Sorry, everywhere else is full." Though Hashimoto's words carried an apology, his expression was anything but sincere. He casually waved at Ryuen, smiling like he hadn't a care in the world.

Kamuro, even less concerned, didn't bother acknowledging Ryuen's existence. She simply sat next to Hikigaya, as if the delinquent wasn't even there.

To put it bluntly, Ryuen suddenly felt like these three were even more shameless than he was.

"Hey, dead eyes," Ryuen spat venomously. "Your eyesight that bad? Want me to gouge them out for you?"

"I'm not like you, Ryuen, getting kicked around just for the fun of it. Bet it felt great, huh?"

"Hmph, you're the last person I'd take that from."

Ryuen wasn't fooled; Hikigaya was mocking him for the way he deliberately got himself disqualified, all to make Ibuki the leader. But Ryuen wasn't one to take a beating for nothing.

"Still," Ryuen sneered, though there was a flicker of doubt in his voice. "At least this time, I managed to drag you down with me."

He didn't sound as confident as usual. Maybe he wasn't entirely convinced of the outcome. Normally, Ryuen would be gloating, rubbing his victory in Hikigaya's face. The fact that he wasn't… It meant something was off. Perhaps he wasn't sure if Hikigaya had actually been involved or was just pretending.

"Ryuen, no need to talk like that," Hikigaya responded, seeing right through him. "It's just as you're thinking. I've never been interested in this whole class battle nonsense. You didn't catch me in anything."

The real target was someone else entirely.

If Hikigaya could, he would've loved to reveal everything on the spot. But for now, he couldn't.

"Hmph," Ryuen grunted, not bothering to argue.

That's when Hikigaya noticed something odd. With Ryuen's suspicious nature, it wasn't like him to back down so easily. Could it be that he had some other kind of evidence?

"Hey, Dead-Eyes."

As Hikigaya pondered this, Ryuen suddenly called out, shifting the conversation.

"You've been hanging out with those two lackeys of Sakayanagi. Don't tell me you've joined her pack too?"

"Ugh…" Kamuro scowled, clearly annoyed by Ryuen's jab.

Hashimoto, on the other hand, laughed it off, clearly unbothered.

Hikigaya merely responded calmly. "Relax, Ryuen. Your worst nightmare isn't coming true. If I were working for Sakayanagi, you'd already be finished."

"…Hah. You think highly of yourself, don't you?"

As expected, Ryuen fell silent for a moment, though his usual cocky demeanor persisted. Deep down, he knew the truth. Through this exam, Ryuen had already gauged the strength of Ichinose and Katsuragi, just as he had suspected. Neither was a real threat. Even though Ichinose's class seemed to come out on top, Ryuen knew that with the right opportunity, he could crush them anytime.

But Sakayanagi… was a different story, one that required careful handling. At least, that's what Hikigaya believed. At this point, Ryuen stood no chance.

"Well, since you went through all the trouble to find me, I'm guessing you want to talk about the results of the uninhabited island exam, right?"

"Oh? You're willing to discuss it?"

Now that Ryuen had finally brought up the main topic, Hashimoto perked up, clearly intrigued. Meanwhile, Kamuro continued flipping through the menu, occasionally asking Hikigaya's opinion, showing no interest in the conversation.

"Hmph. I don't mind sharing," Ryuen said, throwing a glance at Hikigaya, who seemed completely uninterested.

"All I need is for Dead-Eyes to answer one question."

"...What is it?"

A feeling of unease crept into Hikigaya. It seemed Ryuen's curiosity aligned with his own.

"You're aware of this, right? Before I dropped out last night, I asked Ibuki about Suzune's condition."

As expected, Ryuen's question hit on the very thing Hikigaya had been trying to figure out.

"She told me straight up that Suzune was fine. Energetic, even. The only reason she didn't catch up was because of a leg injury."

"Ugh…"

"So, what do you think? Was Ibuki lying to avoid punishment, or…"

Ryuen's gaze was locked on Hikigaya's face as if searching for a reaction. Hashimoto's expression grew serious as his mind raced with thoughts, while Kamuro remained absorbed in the menu.

"Or was Suzune's withdrawal really..."

Just as Ryuen was about to finish his sentence, a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Oh? What a rare group. Mind if Kanzaki and I join you?"

Ryuen's words were cut off by a newcomer's voice. When Ryuen saw who it was, a smirk crept across his face.

"Well, well… I never thought we'd get four different classes together in one spot. Should I be flattered, Dead-Eyes, for your influence?"

"...This has nothing to do with me," Hikigaya muttered, shooting him an exasperated look.

All Hikigaya wanted was to poke a little fun at Ryuen, but now things were getting out of hand. How had the situation spiraled into this?

Seriously… someone tell me why Ichinose has to get involved too!