Chapter 5

"Good morning Yamauchi!'' '

"Good morning Ike!''

When I arrived at school at the same time as usual a week after entering the school, Ike and Yamauchi, the problem children in my class, were greeting each other with big smiles.

It's been a week since school started and the two of them weren't late, but it was still creepy because they came every day at the last minute.

"Oh no, I was so excited about the class that my eyes were wide open. I guess I couldn't sleep."

"Hahaha, I get it . I'm the same after all. This school is the best. I've been swimming since April. A class will be held!"

By the way, swimming class started today at this school. And it's co-ed. In other words, male students can legally see female students in school swimsuits.

But these guys... they always say that they want a girlfriend, or that real people and good-looking guys should die, but don't they understand that it's better not to say such things out loud?

If you think about it normally, that's probably the reason why they can't do it. In fact, most of the girls in the class were looking at the two as if they were looking at cockroaches.

Although I was taken aback by the two's behavior, I sat down honestly, spread out the chess board, and began playing chess problems. I can't calm down unless I do this...

While thinking that, I moved the pieces for a while...

"Hey, Hikigaya."

Ike is calling my name. When you look up, he beckons.

If you look, most of the boys in the class are around Ike and Yamauchi.

Honestly, I don't want to get involved, but it would be troublesome if I ignored it, so I'll just listen to what they have to say and get it over with quickly.

I sigh and head towards them.

"what is it?"

"Actually, right now we're going to bet on the size of the breasts of the girls in our class"

"Sorry I decline. Please don't talk to me for the rest of  our school days. I'll greatly appreciate it.''

"Wait, wait! Aren't you curious? Everyone voted! "

"I'm not interested."

Actually, the girls are already staring at me and I don't want to get involved.

"What the hell? You're... Ah! I see! You like small breasts! I'm sure you're not interested!"

Ike nods as if he understands, and Yamauchi also nods as if he sensed something, but...

"Why do you think I like small breasts?"

I don't understand that. To be honest, I don't care if she has small breasts or big breasts, I'm fine with any girl who is beautiful and can support me.

"Huh? Because Sakayanagi-chan, who is good friends with you, has small breasts, and Shiina-chan isn't that big either."

If Sakayanagi heard that line, Ike would probably be dead.

Due to Sakayanagi's personality, she will probably try to crush them with a sneer instead of breaking them into small bread crumps.

I'll happily put the flower pot on his desk myself.

As for Shiina...she won't get angry and will react as usual. Actually, I can't imagine Shiina getting angry at all.

I sometimes see her laugh, but Shiina generally has less emotional ups and downs than I do.

However, To be honest, I'm not interested in the breasts of the girls in my class, and what's more, if Sakayanagi finds out that I made that bet, I'm sure she'll make fun of it.

In the end, I ran away from the bet and resumed playing the chess problem.

After school that day...

"So the student who won first place in swimming received 5,000 points."

I'm playing chess with Sakayanagi in the library and talking about what happened today.

Usually, we talk with Shiina who is reading a book, but today she is showing her face to the tea ceremony club.

"5000 yen is a lot for a class competition. By the way, how did you rank, Hikigaya-kun?"

"9th place out of 17 boys."

"It's exactly in the middle. By the way, are you in perfect condition? Or are you not in perfect condition after seeing a girl in a school swimsuit?"

"What do you think I am? I'm in perfect condition. Actually, most of the girls in my class slacked off."

More than 15 people slacked off because of Ike and Yamauchi's vulgar comments.

"Well, I don't care about that. The problem is that the gym teacher said something strange."

"Is it strange?"

"Yeah. He kept saying over and over again that I would be able to swim by summer, and that it would be useful later."

It might be possible for a passionate teacher to say this, but it's such a connotative way of saying it that it doesn't make sense to me.

「...…」

Sakayanagi also seemed to feel uncomfortable with my words, as she put her hand on her chin and appeared to be thinking.

However, in an instant, her expression returned to normal and she began to move the knight's pieces.

"I haven't heard it directly, so I can't say anything, but if Hikigaya-kun thinks so, I'll take the warning. But well, I can't swim though."

Come to think of it, Sakayanagi can't exercise at all. So, talking about swimming in front of her seems like spreading salt on her wounds. I should stop talking now.

"By the way, Hikigaya-kun. I've been wondering for a while, but you don't have any friends in your class, right?"

"It's quite sudden...but what's wrong with that?"

"No. I've never seen Hikigaya-kun talk to anyone other than me and Shiina-san."

"We only talk to the bare minimum. We're not even friends."

"So, am I friends with Hikigaya-kun, who plays chess like this after school?"

"Don't make jokes. To you, I'm just a toy called a friend, right?"

While saying this, I move the pawn and Sakayanagi shakes her head.

"Not really. I won't deny that when I first met you, I thought you were an interesting toy."

I guess that's what you were thinking. I don't dislike that blunt attitude, but I have no intention of becoming a toy.

"But I don't deny that I enjoy spending time together like this."

"...Thank you for that."

I thanked her, feeling a little heat on my cheeks.

Sakayanagi has a dark heart, but at the same time she can be blunt. Considering the situation, it wasn't just a lie to find out, but rather a blunt statement.

"You're welcome...let's finish this now. Check."

Well, it looks like the bad luck is coming to an end. Once you are checked by Sakayanagi, all you can do is run away.

Even with this in mind, I worked hard to find a breakthrough, but in the end, I was unable to find one and ended in defeat.

__________

"A drink after playing chess is the best."

"It's because you keep winning. For someone like me who keeps losing, it tastes like tears."

"You can't do that. I'm sure you're just exasperating it.'"

"No, I was really serious."

At 7pm, I'm drinking coffee with Sakayanagi at a cafe.

She has been asking me out since I first entered the school, and at first I refused, but since I can't run away from her at all, lately I don't really resist anymore.

Getting used to it is scary...

"By the way, you asked me a while ago about whether I have friends or not, but do you have any friends?"

I'll ask you something that I've been curious about for a while. Considering Sakayanagi's potential, there are already people who admire her.

However, I'm curious if they have genuine friends rather than a master-servant relationship.

"Of course, I won't be friends with someone who will just listen to everything I say, but someone I can trust wholeheartedly...Well, I can trust Hikigaya-kun and Shiina-san.''

"Trust? Shiina aside, me too?"

"Yes. Hikigaya-kun and the others may tell you the truth in a matter-of-fact manner, but they don't offer overt flattery, so I feel at ease."

"There's no benefit to me just saying that."

That kind of thing should be done by the characters around them, and people like me never come into contact with the real group.

Actually, Sakayanagi just asked me if I had any friends, but it's unlikely that I'll be friends with anyone in my class in the future.

The reason is that multiple groups have already been formed in the class.

Kushida, who professes that she wants to get along with everyone, occasionally talks to me, but I don't want to actively interact with Kushida, who is wearing a mask, so I always give a random reason and brush it off.

"By the way, are there any characters like that in your class?"

"There are, but he's not a follower of me. There's a boy named Katsuragi-kun in my class, and he has a certain amount of trust from his classmates."

"So that Katsuragi guy has an entourage? But from your facial expressions, he seems quite boring."

Sakayanagi smiles when I say that. Her reaction makes it seem like she's not interested rather than hating.

"Yeah. It's only been a week since he entered the school, but I don't find him interesting at all. Well, maybe I doesn't find him interesting because I met a person with an impact like Hikigaya-kun on the first day of school."

"What is it about me that makes an impact?"

"I think you will have an impact if people are evaluated as having a double-cross within a week of entering the school."

"Don't say that. Or rather, you're the cause, aren't you?"

"Oh? Then isn't Shiina-san the same way?"

"I've already given up on Shiina because she's a natural, but you're definitely a convicted criminal."

During lunch break or after school, Shiina and Sakayanagi sometimes come to my classroom, and at those times Sakayanagi comes with a teasing look on her face.

The other day, when she confidently asked me,  "Would Hikigaya-kun like to go to my room and play chess with me tonight?'', I thought I was going to beat her up.

When it comes to Shiina, she shyly ask me out in class D, saying things like, "Would you like to visit a bookstore at a shopping mall on your day off?''

Thanks to that, I was completely recognized as a two-timing bastard.

"Yeah, I'm a convicted criminal."

Sakayanagi smiles refreshingly. This girl is seriously annoying.

Even though I thought so, I didn't yell and just let out a sigh. I guess I'm kind of used to it...

And I couldn't deny that there were people out there who enjoyed this type of interaction.