Over the next few days, Hikigaya discovered sothing.
He seed to have... gotten used to it.
Every morning when he arrived at the classroom, Sakuraba was basically already there. She would be sitting at her desk flipping through a textbook or looking down while eating sothing.
During class or breaks, when their gazes occasionally t, she would give a small smile and then continue with her own business.
Saeki, in the seat in front of him, was also always sitting there quietly. Occasionally, she would turn around to borrow notes, ask about a specific problem in the howork, or casually chat about a novel she'd been reading lately.
Everything had beco ordinary.
However, Hikigaya could still sense so subtle changes.
For instance, with Sakuraba Ema's bento, she used to eat alone, but now she would sotis bring an extra small snack that would "accidentally" be left over, asking him if he wanted it.
"Hikigaya-kun, this... I can't eat any more."
For instance, during breaks, if she went to get water, she would casually ask him if he wanted any.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you want so water?"
For instance, during group activities, she would naturally stand next to him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Taken individually, these small things were nothing, but combined, they felt a bit... off.
Hikigaya wasn't blind to the gazes of the other girls in class. During breaks, he could occasionally hear hushed whispers.
"Is Sakuraba-san perhaps..."
"Shh, keep your voice down."
"But she only seems to talk to Hikigaya?"
"Not really, doesn't she talk to others too?"
"But look at the way she looks at Hikigaya."
"But I rember Saeki was also quite close to Hikigaya, wasn't she?"
"I don't know what kind of charm this gloomy guy has..."
The voices were low, but Hikigaya could hear them. He decided to continue pretending he hadn't.
.
..
.
During Friday's lunch break, he headed to the courtyard as usual. The early spring sun already felt sowhat warm against his skin. He found a spot on so steps shaded by trees near the flower bed and sat down, taking out his yakisoba bread and MAX Coffee.
Two people were sitting on a bench by the flower bed—Sakuraba Ema and Saeki Miria—whispering about sothing.
Hikigaya took a bite of his bread. As usual, he couldn't make out what song the radio club was playing; only fragnts of the lody drifted over.
"Hikigaya-kun, bread again today?" Saeki Miria's voice drifted over from the bench.
"Mhm."
"You'll end up malnourished."
"...Mind your own business."
Sakuraba Ema let out a soft laugh beside her.
After a while, Sakuraba Ema stood up, walked over, and sat down next to him. She held a bento box containing an exquisite al—tamagoyaki, fried chicken, and cherry tomatoes, all neatly arranged.
"Hikigaya-kun," she said softly, "this... I can't eat any more."
She pointed to the fried chicken in the bento box.
"Oh."
"Do you want it?"
Hikigaya looked at her. Her pink eyes were earnest, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"...Whatever."
Sakuraba Ema used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of fried chicken and placed it on his bread wrapper. Her movents were very careful, as if she were afraid of making a ss.
"Thanks."
"...For what?"
"Nothing." She smiled, then looked down to continue eating her bento.
Hikigaya looked at the piece of fried chicken, hesitated for a mont, then picked it up and ate it.
It tasted good—better than the yakisoba bread.
Saeki Miria watched them from the bench, saying nothing.
-
-
-
The afternoon classes passed one by one.
The sound of pen nibs scratching across paper mixed with the teacher's lecture, forming a sort of constant background noise.
When the final class before dismissal ended, the classroom beca lively. Hikigaya checked the duty roster; today it was him and Tobe.
He stood up, preparing to get a broom.
"Hikigaya-kun."
Saeki Miria turned around.
"What ti are we going to Leblanc tomorrow?"
Hikigaya thought for a mont.
"...Two in the afternoon, I guess."
"Mhm." Saeki Miria nodded. "See you tomorrow, then."
She turned back to pack her bag, zipped it up, stood up, and left.
"See you tomorrow," Sakuraba Ema also said softly.
Hikigaya nodded, suddenly feeling that sothing was slightly off, but at the sa ti, a large hand slapped heavily onto his shoulder.
"Yo, Hikitani!"
Tobe appeared out of nowhere, interrupting his thoughts.
By the ti he snapped out of it, Saeki Miria and Sakuraba Ema had already left the classroom.
He looked back at Tobe. This guy already had his bag on and looked so excited he was practically ready to take flight.
From the start of the term until now, he hadn't gotten the na right once. Hikigaya was already too tired to correct him.
"We're on duty today, right? I've got so urgent business, so I'm heading out first!" He spoke while backing toward the door. "The club suddenly said we have to et today, super urgent! You know how it is, club stuff!"
Hikigaya looked at him. Hadn't this guy not joined a club? Usually, he ran off faster than a mber of the Going Ho Club.
"Next ti! I'll definitely make it up to you next ti! I'll buy you a drink!" Tobe had already reached the door and waved his hand. "I'm counting on you, Hikitani!"
And then he was gone.
"Try calling by the right na before you ask for a favor next ti."
Hikigaya shook his head helplessly and picked up a broom.
He had heard phrases like "next ti" far too often; it belonged to the sa dinsion as "let's grab a al soti"—sothing that exists in a tomorrow that never arrives.
The classroom was more than half empty. The remaining few people left one after another, and the noise gradually faded away.
Just as he reached the third row, the door was pushed open and a girl walked in.
Hikigaya instinctively looked up.
Then, he froze.
'Yamato Nadeshiko.'
The word popped into Hikigaya's mind—the kind of word you only see in books to describe the perfect woman.
Long black hair cascaded down to her waist, strands like ink shimring in the evening sun.
Neatly trimd bangs covered her brow and eyes just enough; beneath them was a pair of eyes with a very unique color: blood-red pupils, like so kind of gemstone, sharp and carrying a hint of cold scrutiny.
A dark red flower was pinned in her hair, its petals unfurled, echoing her hair and eye color. It was sothing one couldn't help but notice instantly—exquisite yet cold and elegant.
She stood there, her gaze scanning the classroom as if confirming sothing.
Her gaze landed on the duty roster, paused for a mont, then moved to him.
"Where is the other person?"
"...Gone."
She frowned slightly, then walked to the back to pick up another broom.
Hikigaya was stunned.
"What are you doing?"
"Sweeping." She didn't even look up. "For a task ant for two people, how long would it take for one person to do it?"
A total stranger, just passing by, sees this and cos in to help?
He had only ever seen this sort of thing in ethics textbooks. In reality, eting such a situation, a normal person would at most say "Good work" and leave—more often, they'd simply pretend not to see.
But she had already started sweeping.
Hikigaya continued sweeping his side, but he couldn't help stealing another glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
That profile looked exceptionally exquisite in the evening sun. Her fair skin and deep red pupils ford a strong contrast, adding a touch of the ethereal.
Realizing he had been staring for several seconds, he quickly looked away.
The two swept for a while, the only sound in the classroom being the shasha of the brooms.
"What's your na?" She was the first to speak.
"...Hikigaya."
"Hikigaya. Then the one who skipped out is Tobe?"
"Correct by process of elimination."
She glanced at him but didn't respond.
"...Is he always like this?"
"I don't know."
"You aren't reporting him to the teacher?"
"What would reporting him do?"
"At least he would be reprimanded."
"And then?" Hikigaya countered. "After the reprimand, he'll just do it again next ti."
She stopped her broom and looked at him.
"So you just keep doing the work of two people by yourself?"
"I'm used to it."
She looked at him and said no more.
When they finished sweeping, she put the broom back in its place and patted her hands.
"Done."
She walked to the door, stopped, and looked back at him, those dark red eyes eting his.
"Which seat do you sit in?"
Hikigaya blanked for a mont and pointed to the second-to-last row by the wall.
She looked over. Her gaze lingered on that spot for a mont before moving back to his face.
"That person in the seat next to yours—you'd better stay away from her."
The movent of Hikigaya's hands halted.
"...What do you an?"
But she offered no explanation. She simply pulled the door open and left.
Hikigaya stood in place, staring in the direction she had vanished.
He looked at Sakuraba Ema's seat, then looked back at the door.
Did she know Sakuraba Ema?
And that tone—it didn't sound like a casual piece of advice; it sounded more like she was stating a fact.
Hikigaya thought for a while but couldn't make sense of it.
He picked up his bag, closed the windows, and walked out of the classroom.
He still had to go to Leblanc tomorrow.
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