COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

"Hikigaya, you are quite an interesting person," Nagumo nodded in approval. "In fact, from our very first meeting, I had a good impression of you. You're the kind of guy who's willing to abandon dignity to climb to the top... While most people would despise that by societal standards, I respect it."

"...Thanks for the compliment."

Hikigaya felt that Nagumo had misunderstood him.

Sure, abandoning dignity wasn't a problem, but climbing to the top? Yeah, that wasn't his style.

Still, there was no need to correct Nagumo's assumption. It was better to let him stay in the dark.

"When the student council election comes around in the second semester, Horikita-senpai will be stepping down as president."

Nagumo's tone took on a slightly displeased note as he mentioned this.

Hikigaya had already heard about it, and for once, he shared the same sentiment as Nagumo.

— President, what are you doing?!

How could you retire at such a critical moment?

While it was tradition for the student council president to step down in the second semester to prepare the next president for the new students, President Horikita's authority in the council was absolute. As long as he chose to run, no one would dare oppose him.

If he wanted, he could remain president until graduation, and no one could stop him.

Sigh... The president is too stubborn.

Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If the goal was to delay Nagumo's reforms, they should stall his rise to power as much as possible.

That said, he could also somewhat understand President Horikita's reasoning.

It was precisely because he held such immense power that President Horikita was reluctant to use it recklessly, to avoid having a negative influence on the school's atmosphere.

"When I become student council president, I'll make sure to use you just as well as Horikita-senpai did, Hikigaya," Nagumo said with a smile.

"...Please go easy on me."

"Heh, don't worry. I won't make you work for nothing."

Even though the election hadn't started, Nagumo was already assuming the role of president and making promises.

"But before we get to that, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Who do you think would be suitable for the role of vice president? Of course, you're free to recommend yourself."

"Hmm..."

Hikigaya pretended to think it over.

In truth, he had no interest in the matter. Whoever became vice president wouldn't make a difference.

Don't think that becoming vice president would give anyone the leverage to counter Nagumo. In this school's system, power didn't come from empty titles.

"I would recommend Kiriyama-senpai."

"Oh? You think Kiriyama is a good fit?"

"At the very least, he'd be happy with it."

Though Hikigaya's answer seemed offhanded, dodging the question of suitability, the smile on Nagumo's face deepened.

"Very good. It seems you have a solid grasp of how this school's system works." Nagumo nodded, clearly satisfied. "Originally, I had planned for you and Kiriyama to share the vice president role, but if you have greater ambitions, I won't stand in your way."

He then added, "But I'll give you a word of advice. Right now, you're the only first-year student in the student council, but that won't last. You should prepare for stronger rivals ahead."

"...I have no such plans." Hikigaya shook his head slowly.

"Heh, well, I prefer stories of rebellion and unexpected comebacks over boring, straightforward victories. After all, I rose from Class B to the top myself."

Unfortunately, Nagumo didn't believe him at all.

After giving Hikigaya a pat on the shoulder and leaving him with the words, "I look forward to seeing what you can do," Nagumo left with his two companions.

"...Sigh."

Watching Nagumo walk away, Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh deeply.

That guy was really full of himself.

Is this what it would be like to deal with troublesome bosses after becoming a corporate slave? Ugh, I don't want to work.

Speaking of which, Kiriyama had been exposed after all.

According to President Horikita's plan, Kiriyama was supposed to be a secret weapon against Nagumo. But with his personality, that was never going to work.

And seeing Nagumo here today was no coincidence.

It was likely that Nagumo had complete control over every move the student council made.

Not surprising, though. Aside from Tachibana-senpai, the other members didn't have much of a personal relationship with President Horikita. It was more of a sense of awe.

In such a situation, it would be easy for Nagumo to win them over.

At least President Horikita had some self-awareness. He knew he was naturally solitary and couldn't form close bonds with the underclassmen, nor could he free them from Nagumo's influence.

That's why, even though Ichinose and Katsuragi both had the qualities to take on the role, President Horikita still rejected them.

"Huh... Does that mean I'm okay with this?"

As this thought crossed his mind, Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder.

He didn't particularly like Nagumo's methods, but in the end, that wasn't his problem. And as for the reform causing more students to drop out...

To be honest, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Is this really okay...?"

Once again, Hikigaya found himself realizing that Yukinoshita had been right about him.

It was as if he wasn't acting based on some belief in the ideals of the Service Club. At this moment, the only reason he hadn't refused President Horikita's request was out of a sense of debt.

But on the other hand...

Going with the flow didn't seem so bad, right?

After all, ninety-nine percent of the people in the world were like that. There was no need to regret not becoming part of the one percent.

Ding—

Just then, his phone rang. He had received a message.

Kushida: [Hikigaya-kun, it's almost Kokoro-chan's birthday. If you're free, could you help me celebrate it?]

The message was from Kushida, but what she wrote left Hikigaya puzzled.

First off, the main question: Who is Kokoro-chan?

Hikigaya: […Who?]

Kushida: [Eh?]

Kushida: [It's me, Kushida Kikyo! You didn't delete my contact, did you?!]

Hikigaya: [...]

Was it just his imagination, or was Kushida acting dumber than usual?

She had performed so brilliantly during the VIP exam, tricking the other classes into circles... Wait, did she use up all her brain power then, turning into a fool afterward?

Kushida: [Hikigaya! You dead-eyed fish! Did you delete my contact info?!]

Hikigaya: […I'm asking who Kokoro-chan is.]

After sending the message, it felt like ages before a response finally came through.

Kushida: [Honestly, Hikigaya-kun, how could you forget a classmate's name?]

Kushida: [I'm talking about Inogashira-san. Remember? She even thanked you on the uninhabited island last time.]

Hikigaya: [Oh.]

Now that she mentioned it, two people had indeed thanked him back then. If he wasn't mistaken, it had been Kokoro Inogashira and Wang Meiyu—both close friends of Kushida.

Hikigaya: [How much should each person contribute?]

Kushida: [Huh?]

Kushida: [No, no! I'm not asking you for money!]

Wait? Hikigaya had no idea what was expected for birthdays in class, having never been invited to one. The only exception had been Yui's birthday, but even then, that had technically been a Service Club event, suggested by Yukinoshita to encourage Yui.

Well, whatever. Usually, for these kinds of things, you just chip in and buy a gift together.

Hikigaya: [Is five thousand enough?]

Kushida: [I told you, it's not about money!]

Kushida: [Also, don't spend that much! You're not that close to her!]

Hikigaya: [Then what do you want me to do?]

Kushida seemed unusually worked up, even losing her usual polite demeanor. Typically, even when messaging, she maintained the pretense of being the sweet, polite girl.

But this... this was refreshing.

Kushida: [What I meant is that you should pick out a gift yourself. That way, it shows your sincerity.]

Hikigaya: [Huh?]

Hikigaya: [But you just said I wasn't that close to her.]

From what he remembered, Inokashira was a quiet and unassuming girl, not unlike Sakura, with few friends in class. A gift from a guy she barely interacted with might just make things awkward.

Had Kushida lost her mind? Her vaunted social skills were being wasted here.

Just as Hikigaya was about to settle for transferring money, another message pinged through.

Kushida: [Haha, you're just making excuses because you don't trust yourself to pick a good gift, aren't you?]

Hikigaya: [...]

He couldn't deny it, but having her spell it out like that irked him.

Kushida: [But don't worry! I'll help you decide!]

Hikigaya: [Oh, just let me know how much it costs then.]

Kushida: [I told you, it's not about the money!!!]

Whoa, whoa. At this rate, her "perfect girl" image was going to crumble completely.

Hikigaya noticed that Kushida's mood seemed volatile today. Was it... that time of the month? Girls sure had it tough.

Kushida: [Anyway, the gift needs to be chosen by you! That's just basic decency!]

Hikigaya: [It's not that serious, is it?]

Hikigaya: [So, what exactly do you want me to do?]

Feeling that this back-and-forth was going nowhere, he decided to cut to the chase.

Kushida didn't reply for a while, and Hikigaya began to wonder if he'd been left hanging again.

Kushida: [How about we go pick it out together?]

Kushida: [After all, you have no idea what Kokoro-chan likes, and I don't really trust your judgment.]

Kushida: [If you pick something bad and upset her, it'll be a disaster!]

Hikigaya: [...You sure type fast.]

How could she send three messages in five seconds? The power of the extrovert, perhaps.

Going shopping together, though... that didn't sound appealing. Walking around with someone as popular as Kushida was bound to draw attention, and on top of that, it was way too hot out.

Right now, all Hikigaya wanted was to head back to his dorm and enjoy some air conditioning.

Unfortunately, Kushida did have a point—his gift-picking skills were non-existent. If this were just about a classmate's birthday, he wouldn't care, but when it came to Komachi, there was no room for error.

Hikigaya: [Are we going to the Keyaki Mall?]

Hikigaya: [When?]

Again, no response for a long time.

Did I just get played? Hikigaya wondered. Just as he was about to chalk this up as another embarrassing moment in his life, his phone pinged.

Kushida: [When are you free?]

Kushida: [I'm free whenever these days, so just pick a time.]

Hikigaya hadn't expected that. For someone as sociable as Kushida, he figured she'd be swamped with plans. Meanwhile, he was drowning in student council work, even having to work overtime in the middle of summer.

But since she offered, he figured he might as well take advantage of it.

Hikigaya: [How about right now?]

Kushida: [Right now?!]

The reason for his suggestion was simple—he didn't want to have to make another trip out. He was already out of the dorm, so it made sense to get it over with in one go. Whether or not Kushida was available, though, was another story.

Luckily, she quickly agreed, and they arranged to meet at the mall in half an hour.

When they finally met, instead of a greeting, the first thing out of her mouth was a loud complaint.

"Why are you wearing your school uniform?!"

"...Is that a problem?"

Hikigaya tilted his head, genuinely confused about why Kushida was upset. He didn't think the school uniform was that bad, though he had to admit it was a bit uncomfortable in the summer heat. Plus, it stood out in public.

But it wasn't like he had much choice—he needed to wear it to get onto campus, and he hadn't bothered to change afterward.

Unlike him, Kushida didn't have that problem. She was dressed casually in a light short-sleeved top and skirt. This was the first time he'd seen her in casual clothes, and it was... kind of refreshing.

"Ugh, whatever," she muttered, sounding unusually lethargic.

Was she suffering from heatstroke?

"Anyway, let's head inside," Hikigaya suggested. "It's too hot out here. I need some air conditioning."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

Even though the streets were relatively empty, Kushida didn't even bother putting on her usual cheerful facade. She really must've been feeling the heat.

The mall had all sorts of shops, selling just about everything.

The first place that caught Kushida's eye was a cute, pastel-colored accessories store—the kind that only girls visited. The store clerk was a fashionable, beautiful older woman.

To be honest, it was the kind of place no guy would ever enter alone unless he had the guts for it. Hikigaya certainly didn't.

"Hikigaya-kun, this is our first time going out together, isn't it?"

"...Yeah, it is."

Perhaps influenced by the store's atmosphere, Kushida's mood brightened quickly. She chatted animatedly with Hikigaya, occasionally picking up small items from the shelves and asking for his opinion, clearly enjoying herself.

Ah, girls really do love this sort of thing.

Although Hikigaya felt that it was perfectly fine to just pick out something randomly, Kushida's enthusiasm was hard to dampen. Besides, he needed her help picking a gift for Komachi.

However, he didn't want to rely entirely on someone else.

If possible, Hikigaya wanted to choose a suitable gift for Komachi himself.

But after scanning the store briefly, he found nothing but plush toys, keychains, and ribbons. While these would be fine for a girl, they seemed too impersonal. He was hoping for something more unique.

"Ah..."

Just then, Hikigaya's eyes landed on a particular stuffed animal, and he was immediately drawn to it.

It was a small panda toy with a somewhat fierce expression, adorned with a yellow scarf around its neck.

Hikigaya couldn't resist picking it up.

This panda toy was quite famous; anyone who had been to Disneyland would recognize it... It was someone's favorite.

"Oh wow, isn't this Mr. Pan? How nostalgic."

Kushida noticed his interest and came over with a smile. "I remember the last time we went to Disneyland was in the second year of middle school. I didn't expect to find it here at our school's shop. Are you thinking of getting this as a gift, Hikigaya-kun?"

"...No, I'm just browsing."

"But I think this is quite nice. Komachi-chan would probably like it too."

As she spoke, Kushida reached out to take the Mr. Pan toy from Hikigaya's hands. However, Hikigaya pretended not to notice and quickly put it back on the shelf.

"I want to look around a bit more."

"Eh—well, that's fine too."

Kushida dragged out her tone, her expression a bit odd.

Then she suddenly broke into a smile.

"But you know, I've decided to buy this one!" Kushida declared, hugging Mr. Pan to her chest. "You take your time choosing, Hikigaya-kun. I'll go pay for this now."

"Hey..."

Hikigaya hadn't expected Kushida to be so sudden. Was she always this impatient?

Well, it worked out for him.

At least he could contribute to Mr. Pan's sales.

However, Hikigaya soon found himself in a dilemma. While Kushida quickly finished selecting her items, he still had no idea what to choose.

Maybe a phone case would be simpler...

As Hikigaya was on the verge of feeling overwhelmed by the choices, Kushida returned after paying, carrying a gift wrapped meticulously in black and white ribbons.

Hmm? Why those colors?

Given that the gift was for a girl, pink would seem more appropriate... But then again, this might be gender bias.

And considering that Mr. Pan was a panda, the black and white wrapping actually seemed quite fitting and thoughtful.

Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for Kushida. It was no surprise that she always managed to play the role of the popular girl so effortlessly in front of everyone. It was these little, thoughtful gestures that often left a lasting impression.

"Hey, Hikigaya… could you come here for a moment?" Kushida's demeanor had suddenly turned somewhat suspicious, and her tone was oddly off.

She glanced around at the nearby female guests before pulling Hikigaya into a quiet corner.

"What's up?"

"Well… this is for you." Kushida hesitated for a moment, then, as if gathering her resolve, she handed him a gift box with both hands.

"Eh?"

Hikigaya was momentarily stunned as he looked at the box in front of him.

"There's no need to be so surprised!" Kushida spoke quickly, her words tumbling out. "I know it's a bit late, but it was just so inconvenient on the boat, and… and… Anyway, it's a birthday present. I saw you staring at that panda earlier, so if you like it, just say so. I won't make fun of you."

"Ah… thank you."

— This is truly a disaster.

What he said out loud was in stark contrast to what he was feeling inside.

Hikigaya wasn't sure what expression to put on his face at this moment.