Chapter 176: Ichinose's Visit
Nagumo's authority had grown increasingly arrogant. In less than a month in office, his influence had already extended to the first-year students.
As planned, Hikigaya went to the Student Council. Since he was already a member, he didn't need Nagumo Miyabi's permission, almost like a leftover "kill move" from Horikita Manabu.
But once Hikigaya started participating in the council's work, he finally realized how much Sakura usually did. With the third semester underway, all third-year members had graduated. Though there were dozens of second-year council members, only Sakura and Hikigaya represented the first years.
The workload was enormous.
Fortunately, Hikigaya had experience as an overworked "corporate drone," and being in general affairs meant the tasks were manageable.
Nagumo asked, "Sakura, how are things going with the first years? We need to actively recruit capable people for the Student Council."
Sakura replied, "It's already underway, but…"
"But what?" Nagumo pressed.
Sakura hesitated. "If we recruit too aggressively, the quality of our evaluations could drop, and then…"
Nagumo waved off her concern. "Don't worry about that. Horikita Manabu's system is the past. The Student Council needs competent people now. Let's completely reform this school!"
Sakura didn't argue further. She picked up the documents and returned to her desk, while Hikigaya quietly observed.
If he tried to resist Nagumo now, he would face expulsion in various forms. With Nagumo's current influence, it would be effortless to spend tens of millions of points just to get a classmate expelled. Understanding this, Hikigaya knew acting rashly was pointless.
Most of the council's work was routine. Hikigaya didn't focus solely on general affairs; he spent most of his time studying Nagumo, his expressions, actions, and words, carefully noting every detail.
---
In the corridor, Hikigaya leaned against the gray wall, waiting for a girl's arrival.
"Asahina-senpai…"
"Why so formal? I'm not going to eat you."
Asahina looked back, and after confirming no one was watching, she smiled gently at him.
Hikigaya remained cautious, mindful of her childhood friendship with Nagumo. He had called her over for one reason:
"If Nagumo dates other girls, what would you think, Senpai?"
Asahina's smile vanished. She lowered her head, blushed faintly, then looked back up. "Aren't all men like that? They enjoy what's in the pot while looking elsewhere. Miyabi probably isn't an exception. Besides… we've been childhood friends, but we've never confirmed a relationship officially."
"They're all big pork trotters!"
Hikigaya was momentarily speechless.
Yet her answer lacked excessive possessiveness. Perhaps that explained Nagumo's recklessness.
Asahina seemed to sense Hikigaya's thoughts. She stepped closer, hands on her hips, and poked him lightly in the chest.
"Hikigaya-kun, you're the same, aren't you? Plenty of girls like you. Are you taking care of any of them?"
"Why do you think that? I'm not."
Earlier, Hikigaya would have answered confidently. But now… he had lost that certainty.
"Intuition!" Asahina declared.
"That's too abstract…"
She leaned even closer, smirking. "Don't underestimate a girl's intuition!"
Hikigaya realized for the first time just how cute she was when up close. The subtle proximity made him blush, and he quickly turned his head away.
Asahina noticed his reaction and blushed herself, stepping back.
'He's just a regular junior… Why does talking to him feel so comfortable?' she thought.
After regaining her composure, she patted his shoulder gently. "Just kidding. You're quite handsome, after all."
"That joke is truly over the top," Hikigaya muttered.
Her smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "About Miyabi… I know what you want to say. But I won't betray him. Even if he doesn't choose me, he helped me, and our past feelings won't let me betray him."
"Remember what I said last time? If possible, I don't want to become enemies with a junior as cute as you."
---
[In the chat group…]
[Ichinose: "I didn't expect Asahina-senpai to handle this so well…"]
[Kanzaki: "Growing up together, their past connection alone wouldn't let her act recklessly."]
[Kiriyama: "Unlike before, Nagumo has worked hard for a year. He's almost impossible to beat…"]
[Karuizawa: "Even so, the final outcome is uncertain."]
[Nagumo: "Hmph. Trying to find my weakness? That's ridiculous."]
[There was a moment of silence in the chatroom….]
[Sudō: "If it were that easy to find Nagumo's weakness, it'd feel like a trap."]
[Yukimura: "Exactly. Nagumo hasn't shown any glaring flaws so far. Even Asahina-senpai is indulging him…"]
[Horikita: "What a troublesome existence…"]
After a brief chat with Asahina, Hikigaya returned to his room as usual. But today was different, Ichinose was sitting in front of his door.
Without waiting for him to ask, she smiled gently and spoke first: "Hikigaya-kun, you look unusually worn out."
"Can't be helped. Lately, the troubles have been… unusually numerous."
Ichinose didn't plan on standing. She leaned against his door, speaking in a teasingly oblivious tone.
"Troublesome matters? You mean… spying on me?"
Talking about that here, in the corridor! If no one was around, Hikigaya would have seriously considered jumping right then.
Ichinose waited for his reaction with a mischievous smile.
Hikigaya's cheeks flushed. He didn't know what to say. Denying it would sound like a lie, yet the truth…
'Although I truly didn't see anything…'
He decided not to rush. He sat down next to her, leaning against the door. Their legs bent, separated by only a fist's width.
Sitting outside in the cold midwinter would look crazy to anyone else, but Hikigaya would rather endure the chill than risk another awkward encounter.
"Aren't you going to deny it?" Ichinose asked.
"No matter how I deny it, you'll find a way to make me speechless," he replied.
Ichinose paused, almost wistful. "I wish it were that simple for you to accept me."
Hikigaya glanced at her. She was staring off into the distance, seeming lost for a moment.
He removed his jacket, stood, and draped it over her shoulders.
"Thank you…"
Her skirt offered little protection against the cold, and as a girl, she naturally felt it more.
"You used to do this in the past too.," Ichinose said softly. "Hikigaya-kun… you haven't changed at all."
"…."
She looked past him at the door, then smiled, relief in her voice. "But I've changed. My position in your heart… it's different now."
"…."
"I never doubt your sincerity. I've always remembered your kindness. Others might think I'm gentle, but really… the gentle one is you."
"…No, I can't compare to you…"
Ichinose exhaled in relief and gently rested her head on his shoulder. They sat like that, enduring the whistling winter wind.
Then, she asked softly, almost mischievously:
"Hikigaya-kun, how many people have you been… intimate with?"
Hikigaya froze.
'Is that even something you ask? And why "how many" instead of "who"?'
His body twitched visibly. Ichinose, however, stayed perfectly calm, head resting on his shoulder as if she expected this.
"Why are you so sure I've been with other girls?" he asked, curiosity overtaking embarrassment.
Ichinose pouted, gently closing her eyes. "If I said it was intuition, you'd dismiss it. So…"
She opened her eyes, those clear, watery pupils staring straight at him, blinking seductively twice.
"You guys are abnormal, Hikigaya-kun. Even if ordinary people wouldn't notice, I… someone who likes you and used to lead a class, I notice everything. Are you underestimating me?"
Once the leader of Class B, Ichinose now saw the positions of their classes completely reversed. Her eyes demanded honesty. Hikigaya sighed softly and confessed.
"Three."
"Three!?"
She bristled, puffing out her cheeks, glaring at him.
"Wait, I want to know how many girls you thought I was with…"
"One, maybe two at most."
'It's over… miscalculation…'
Ichinose hadn't expected so many already had a head start. Her gentle expression now carried a subtle intimidation in Hikigaya's eyes.
She didn't enforce a strict punishment like Yukinoshita would have. Instead, she turned, leaning forward, hands framing his face.
"Who are they?"
"Um…"
"Let me think. It must include Kamuro, right?"
"Why are you so sure?"
"It's already strange that she, a student from Class A, would lower herself to blend in with us, especially during the forest training camp. Her behavior was completely for our class, nothing like a Class A student…"
'If you put it that way… not surprising.'
Ichinose's expression shifted as she added, "Kushida, Sakura…"
"…."
Hikigaya wanted to ask how she figured it out, but that question would be as good as admitting it.
"Before, I dismissed small oddities as accidents. But during the forest camp, when Karuizawa was dissatisfied, those two covered for Kamuro the most…"
Hikigaya sighed. Today, it seemed impossible to hide anything from her.
"Fine…"
"So, you admit it?"
"I'm not running from responsibility. There are reasons this happened, but… I don't want to make the same mistakes again."
His meaning was clear: he was sitting there, confessing, taking responsibility, fully aware Ichinose understood.
Ichinose's expression went slightly blank, she hadn't expected Hikigaya's words.
She forced a smile and turned away, no longer looking at him, but her teasing tone remained.
"Seems like your girlfriends get along quite well. They don't fight over you and even cover for each other."
Hikigaya couldn't help but think of Airi. She not only managed Student Council duties but often mediated between the three of them. Minor conflicts happened, but only in private.
When it came to serious matters, they acted responsibly. Perhaps that was the advantage of a gentle, sensible woman.
Still… if they were called girlfriends…
Hikigaya sighed. "Although we've been… intimate, I don't have an official girlfriend."
He lowered his head, almost self-deprecating.
Ichinose, however, had spotted a blind spot. It was already absurd enough that three girls shared the same guy, and they all deliberately avoided the topic. But that didn't mean an outsider couldn't intervene.
"In that case… be my boyfriend, Hikigaya-kun."
Though Ichinose's confessions weren't unusual, this kind of direct request was new. Hikigaya, mid self-deprecation, froze.
She didn't wait for him to respond. "Even though you've seen my body, I can't force you into a relationship. I don't ask for much, just be my boyfriend."
"I haven't properly repaid you for saving me from Nagumo-senpai. Since that's the case… I won't pursue the fact that you already have three girls you're close with. How about that?"
Hikigaya blinked.
'Uh… that's a bit explosive.'
Ichinose had anticipated his refusal and launched a preemptive strike, cleverly binding him with her proposal. Though it seemed simple, it carried subtle nuances.
"Ichinose-san… there are so many excellent guys in this school. Why me?"
She shook her head. "I didn't fall for you because you're excellent. You know I used to be a shoplifter. It's definitely not that."
"Then why?"
"Hikigaya-kun, you're cunning. You already know the answer."
The distance between them remained ambiguous. Despite the conversation, neither made a move to close it.
Then, Kamuro Masumi appeared. Hikigaya was startled, but Kamuro was even more so.
Seeing Hikigaya and Ichinose sitting like that, she had no idea what madness had overtaken them.
Kamuro looked at Hikigaya coldly.
He waved casually. "Just chatting."
Her expression softened into a teasing smile.
"So the little fox spirit is trying to seduce a man?"
Ichinose didn't flinch.
She returned the gaze with a knowing smile. "Oh? Then Kamuro-san, why are you here?"
Kamuro realized she couldn't reveal her connection with Hikigaya, "I… came to talk to Hikigaya about serious business."
Ichinose tilted her head: "Serious business… that needs to be discussed in bed?"
Kamuro instantly blushed, feeling completely exposed. Ichinose, unusually aggressive, had pushed her far outside her comfort zone.
Hikigaya, unsure what to do, finally said slowly: "Alright, Kamuro. Nothing happened between her and me. And Ichinose… stop pretending. I know you guessed, but please don't tell anyone."
Ichinose nodded gently, "You're surprisingly protective of her. As expected of Kamuro-san."
Kamuro, confused, asked, "Know what? What's your relationship with Ichinose? My mind… is scrambled."
Hikigaya tried to push himself up to explain, but before he could, a strong force pulled him closer. In an instant, he found himself lying on Ichinose's lap.
She sensed him looking at her and leaned down. Her eyes were as clear as the sea under the sun.
The sweet scent of her enveloped him, and his view was entirely filled by her ample chest. Hikigaya's mind raced.
'This plot development is moving too fast…'
Pink hair, blue eyes, and an incredible figure, this combination was overwhelming. An irresistible tide of emotion surged inside him.
Seizing the moment, Ichinose stopped looking at his eyes and pressed her lips to his in a passionate, intimate kiss.
Kamuro clenched her fists, a cold smile on her face. A fiercely competitive girl, normally restrained by Sakura, today could do nothing.
Ichinose's smile turned sharp as she faced Kamuro, "Didn't you ask about our relationship?"
"We're boyfriend and girlfriend. The only ones," she replied firmly.
Kamuro laughed coldly. "Oh? Then let's see if you're worthy."
Ichinose smirked. "I don't think you, who rely on force, can compare. After all, Hikigaya-kun will choose me himself."
"Then we'll see if you're capable," Kamuro replied, narrowing her eyes.
The girls stared at each other. Hikigaya couldn't intervene anymore. He hadn't expected Ichinose, so normal yesterday, to act like this today. If he hadn't been used to forceful kisses, his heart would be racing uncontrollably. Even so, the memory of the kiss left him with lingering warmth.
Indeed, Asahina-senpai was right: men notice both what's in the pot and what's outside.
But even so… There was a bigger problem now.
Ichinose finally said softly, breaking the tension: "How about we go inside? Honestly… I'm freezing."
(End of this chapter)