COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

The large swimming pool was set to open at nine in the morning, but staff members were required to arrive an hour earlier for preparations.

"Ugh... I'm so tired," Hikigaya groaned as he rubbed his eyes and hurried toward the school.

He had resolved to get an early night, but with his disrupted sleep schedule, falling asleep was a challenge. In the end, he had managed to procrastinate until two a.m., finally succumbing to sleep in a daze.

But that's the life of a high school student during summer vacation—late nights and endless play are just part of the deal!

…Or so he hoped.

When he arrived at the pool, he found several people already busy with preparations.

This wasn't just a facility opening. The school had also granted permission for the upperclassmen to set up stalls selling a variety of freshly made snacks, like hot dogs and fried noodles. The scene resembled a small summer festival.

Among the bustling activity, Hikigaya spotted a familiar face.

Horikita Manabu, dressed in a blue work uniform and with a headband securing his hair, was meticulously flipping noodles on a griddle with a stern expression.

What is the president doing here?

The sight was so unexpected that Hikigaya was momentarily stunned, forgetting to offer a greeting.

Horikita Manabu noticed him and waved him over. "Hikigaya, come here."

"W-what is it?" Hikigaya stammered, unsure of how to react.

A smile was definitely out of the question. If he tried to suppress the curve of his lips, it would only result in a comically forced expression.

"You look like you just rolled out of bed," Horikita Manabu said, shaking his head slightly. "You're on time, which is commendable, but you should have taken a bit more care with your appearance. Your hair's a mess."

"Uh, that's just my ancestral ahoge."

"Don't argue. Just look in the mirror and you'll understand."

"…Is it really that bad?"

Hikigaya touched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. In his rush this morning, brushing his teeth and washing his face had been the extent of his grooming.

"Then I'll go to the locker room."

"Not so fast."

Horikita Manabu's sudden intervention halted Hikigaya in his tracks. He quickly stir-fried the noodles, transferring them into a paper box and handing it to Hikigaya.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, so take this."

"Huh? How much do I owe you?"

"No charge. This is just a trial run before the official opening. Consider yourself a taste tester."

"…Thank you. I'll enjoy it then."

Hikigaya accepted the noodles, pondering Horikita's unique method of beating around the bush. He found an empty seat nearby and began to eat.

The noodles were a bit bland and overly soft, but they were cooked.

It's said that the president has hidden talents… maybe he could tackle Takoyaki next time.

As Hikigaya finished his breakfast, savoring every bite as per his principle of not wasting food, Horikita Manabu approached him without his noticing.

"Hikigaya, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's up?"

"Ichinose from your first-year Class A has been recruited into the student council with Nagumo as her backer. She'll officially join us after the summer break."

"…Oh."

"Don't seem surprised?" Horikita Manabu raised an eyebrow. "Did you know about this already? Did Nagumo or Ichinose inform you?"

"Well… it's more than that."

Hikigaya set aside his noodles and sighed heavily.

"President, did you know that Nagumo-senpai contacted Ichinose back in May?"

"…Is that when I rejected Ichinose's application to join the club?"

Realizing this, Horikita Manabu's face grew slightly distressed. He had deliberately turned down Ichinose's application to prevent top first-year students from being influenced by Nagumo, only to find out that Nagumo had secretly gathered information and recruited Ichinose anyway. It seemed his efforts had backfired.

"Not only that but Ichinose was tricked by Nagumo into revealing why she was assigned to Class B."

"I see… That sounds exactly like something Nagumo would do."

Horikita Manabu, familiar with the school's class division rules, understood the implications of Hikigaya's words. He was being warned to be cautious of Nagumo, and also indirectly asked for assistance.

Although Ichinose's decision to share her personal history was her responsibility, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for Hikigaya to hold Horikita Manabu somewhat accountable.

However, Horikita Manabu was not about to let Hikigaya's words undermine him.

"It seems like you and Ichinose are close?"

"Huh?" Hikigaya was puzzled by the sudden change in topic. "We were discussing Nagumo-senpai's actions."

"Since Ichinose was tricked into revealing her past, how did you know about it?" Horikita Manabu pressed on.

"Well…"

"I don't think it was Nagumo who told you. The only person left is Ichinose herself, so the question is, why would she…"

"Stop!"

Hikigaya cut off Horikita Manabu's line of questioning, desperate to avoid further discussion.

"Anyway, there's no point in dwelling on this matter! As for the task, I asked you to do… don't tell me you haven't completed it yet."

"…It's more difficult than I anticipated."

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, a rare hint of frustration in his voice.

"I've never done anything like this before. I don't know where to buy it or even where to put it."

"Why not just check with the sellers on Amazon?"

Hikigaya had already done some research. There are car-mounted GPS trackers with recording functions that activate when they detect nearby conversations. They're about the size of a USB drive, have a standby time of nearly 8,000 days, and cost only a few thousand yen.

The challenge, however, was finding a discreet place to install it.

"By the way, President, you might consider asking your senior for advice."

"My predecessor?"

Horikita Manabu looked puzzled. As a third-year student, he didn't have seniors left in the school.

But then he realized.

"You mean… Yukinoshita-sensei?"

"You said it, not me."

"…Why don't you go instead?"

"How could I possibly ask a teacher for help? But your relationship with her is that of a senior and junior, so it's different."

Hikigaya's confident response left Horikita Manabu speechless. He was genuinely reluctant to seek Yukinoshita's assistance, fearing it might lead to complications.

"Never mind. I'll get it done before the holidays."

In the end, Horikita Manabu didn't confirm if he would consult Haruno for help, but he seemed determined to handle it on his own.

"And you should finish your noodles quickly. The event is about to start. Go change into your work clothes first."

Horikita Manabu tossed Hikigaya a key.

The school allowed students to enter the swimming pool facility without wearing uniforms, but members of the student council and stall vendors had to wear designated work clothes, changing back into them afterward.

Oh, what a hassle.

Hikigaya sighed as he headed to the locker room.

ANHS, with its wealth, provided dedicated locker rooms for each grade. His locker was at the far end, next to a ventilation vent.

This location didn't inspire confidence. In horror movies, monsters often emerge from vents.

After changing and tidying his hair in front of the mirror, Hikigaya went to the entrance to greet the students.

"Wow… so many people."

Though it wasn't opening time yet, a sizable crowd had already gathered outside, creating a lively atmosphere.

How much do these students love swimming?

To make matters worse, Hikigaya spotted several familiar faces in the crowd.

Ayanokouji, Yamauchi, Ike, Kushida, Wang Miyu, Inogashira, and even Ichinose from Class A with her three friends—this group had come together.

Great… just the people I was hoping to avoid.

Especially the one who was first in line.

"Hi, junior. Long time no see."

"Well…"

"Oh? Not even a greeting for your senior?"

"…Good morning, Kiryuin-senpai."

Hikigaya hadn't expected Kiryuin to be at the front of the line, and alone. Swimming solo—this senior was impressive in her way.

Hikigaya's troubled expression amused Kiryuin.

"If you sigh this early, you'll miss out on happiness. It's tough for student council members to watch others have fun."

"It's fine to watch, as long as there's no trouble."

"Haha, if you run into any issues, just call me. After all, we still have that agreement."

Hikigaya almost forgot about that agreement. Thankfully, Horikita Manabu was present. Although he wasn't officially part of the student council today and was only running the noodle stall, he was still available if needed.

Hikigaya had no intention of seeking Kiryuin's help, feeling it would only backfire.

Before long, the clock finally struck nine.

"Well then, I'm heading in," Kiryuin said, waving a casual hand at Hikigaya before walking off. She was clearly in a hurry, eager to get started.

Not long after, Ayanokoji and his group arrived, their presence drawing the attention of Hikigaya. Though Ike and Yamauchi made a deliberate effort to ignore him, Kushida and Ichinose approached with friendly smiles, forcing the others to follow suit.

Honestly, Hikigaya would have preferred being ignored.

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun. Are you here on student council business?" Ichinose asked, her tone light and inquisitive.

"...Yeah," Hikigaya replied, trying to keep his voice neutral.

As the group of beautiful girls clustered around him, they attracted a fair bit of attention. Hikigaya was just about to find a way to get rid of them when Kushida chimed in, "Oh, so that's why you turned me down when I invited you out yesterday. I didn't expect we'd run into each other here, though."

...Wait, what?

A wave of unease washed over Hikigaya as he processed her words. Sure enough, the murmurs around them quickly escalated into a chorus of surprised exclamations.

"Hold on a second! Kushida-chan, why would you invite Hikigaya of all people?" Ike exclaimed, his face a picture of disbelief.

Kushida merely blinked innocently in response, as if she didn't understand what the fuss was about. "Huh? Why wouldn't I? Does anyone need a reason to hang out together?"

"But... but..." Ike stammered.

"Honestly, I just want everyone to get along," Kushida continued, her tone laced with gentle reprimand. "You're overreacting, Ike-kun."

"Y-Yeah... Sorry," Ike muttered, the wind taken out of his sails. He had no choice but to bury his doubts and convince himself that there was nothing more to it.

Yes, that's right—Kushida-chan was just that kind-hearted! She would even look after someone like Hikigaya!

There was no way they had anything special going on between them!

"Sigh, I'm a bit envious."

At that moment, Ayanokoji leaned in close to Ike's ear, speaking quietly yet mischievously.

"To think Kushida was the one who invited Hikigaya. We've never had that kind of attention, have we?"

"Damn it! Ayanokoji, could you not say unnecessary things?"

Ike couldn't help but cry out, "I was trying so hard to forget about it!" Yamauchi, noticing his friend's distress, gave Ike a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"It's alright, Kanji. Soon, we'll experience something that'll make us feel like we're in heaven. It's a sight Hikigaya will never see in his entire life."

"Y-yeah, you're right!"

At the mention of this, Ike's mood brightened immediately. He shouted eagerly, "Alright, everyone! Let's get changed! If we don't hurry, we'll miss it!"

Although Hikigaya had no idea what they were going to miss, he certainly didn't want these guys hanging around him any longer.

He was about to join in on the conversation when something unusual caught his eye.

"Hey, Ike, what have you packed in your bag? It looks like you're carrying a lot of stuff."

What started as a casual question immediately caused Ike and Yamauchi's expressions to freeze.

"Really? I didn't notice anything," Ike stammered, attempting to downplay the situation.

"What do you mean you didn't notice? It's your bag, isn't it?"

Hikigaya furrowed his brows, feeling something was off.

Sensing the tension, Ayanokoji tried to smooth things over. "They're probably planning to cause some mischief at the pool, maybe with some props or something."

"Is that so…"

Even with that explanation, Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but with so many girls around today, it was odd that Ike and Yamauchi were behaving so unusually restrained.

Had those two suddenly turned over a new leaf?