"You—you only took a few punches and recieved 100,000 points?"
Horikita Suzune looked indignant. "And didn't you kick my brother too?"
However, she had no idea that another 1.5 million points had quietly been transferred into Hikigaya's anonymous account.
If she found out, she'd probably jump in shock.
"What do you mean?"
"That was Onii-chan's own choice!" Hikigaya narrowed his eyes, speaking with misplaced confidence.
"Don't call me Onii-chan—it's disgusting!" Manabu interjected.
Horikita Suzune shivered, goosebumps forming as she heard that awkward nickname.
"In addition to hush money, this also includes…" Horikita Manabu gave him a meaningful look. "You understand, Hikigaya Hachiman."
…I'd really rather not understand, Hikigaya thought grimly.
He raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that a transfer of that size wouldn't come without strings attached.
"???"
Horikita Suzune was completely bewildered.
She wanted to shout, Could you two stop playing this weird telepathic game in front of me? I'm supposed to be the sister here!
"Suzune, what are you planning to do next?" Horikita Manabu changed the subject, his tone calm. "You don't need me to teach you, do you?"
"I—I know…" Suzune muttered. She lowered her head and lightly kicked at a pebble with her leather shoe, her embarrassment obvious.
"???"
Now it was Hikigaya's turn to be confused.
Can the Riddler just step aside for once?
As the night settled, the three of them finally left.
Moments later, a shadow stirred from behind the bushes. Under the faint moonlight, a calm and unreadable face appeared.
"I only followed to satisfy my curiosity about Hikigaya's behavior," Ayanokōji Kiyotaka murmured to himself, brushing a few leaves off his uniform. "But I didn't expect to see something this… interesting."
From the very first day of school, he had sensed that Hikigaya Hachiman was different.
Especially those sharp, dead-fish eyes—they looked as if they could pierce straight through any disguise.
"Although he's learned some fighting techniques, his physical strength is still average," Ayanokōji noted quietly. "So… he's probably not affiliated with the White Room."
Later that night, in the dormitory—
After taking a shower, Hikigaya was preparing to sleep, but the dull ache all over his body refused to let him rest.
Ironically, most of the pain didn't even come from Horikita Manabu's blows. He'd hurt himself trying too hard during his counterattack.
Embarrassing, truly the peak of youth.
"Bang bang bang~"
A sudden knock at the door startled him.
He glanced at the clock—10:20 p.m.
Who visits at this hour?
He sighed and stood, still wearing only his boxers. Out of caution, he called through the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me…"
The voice was deliberately low—familiar, but hard to place.
Hikigaya cracked the door open just a little to peek—only for the visitor to push it open impatiently.
"Hey, wait—!"
His eyes widened.
"Ah! Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
Standing there, equally wide-eyed, was none other than Horikita Suzune. Her gaze immediately fell on his bare torso, her cheeks flushing red. She quickly looked down—only to see him standing there in nothing but boxers, and… well, a tent.
"I'm in my own room," Hikigaya muttered defensively. "I can wear whatever I want, right?"
He hurried into the bathroom and threw on his pajamas.
"Horikita, what are you doing breaking into someone's room at this hour?" he grumbled.
If it had been any other girl, he'd already be facing a barrage of screams and accusations: "Pervert!" "Exhibitionist!" "Disgusting!"
But thankfully, Horikita Suzune was too rational for that. If she was in the wrong, she would admit it.
"I'm… sorry," she said quietly. "But it would've been worse if someone saw me here this late."
"So you knew it was bad, but came anyway?" Hikigaya sighed. "Alright, what did you need?"
"Hikigaya… just lie down for now."
Her voice trembled slightly, her expression oddly stiff.
"…Excuse me?"
"Don't get the wrong idea!" Horikita snapped, glaring.
"I didn't say anything wrong," he muttered. Then his eyes caught the small first aid kit in her hands.
He pieced it together instantly.
"You came here… to treat my injuries?"
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You really catch on fast. Saves me the trouble of explaining."
Normally, any guy would have misunderstood the situation. After all, she was attractive—and it was a late-night visit.
Part of her had even braced herself to reject a confession on the spot.
But Hikigaya completely defused her expectations, leaving her oddly… disappointed.
"Still, isn't President Horikita being a little careless?" Hikigaya asked. "Sending his sister to a guy's room at night?"
"It's fine," Suzune said calmly. "My brother knows you can't beat me."
"…You're not wrong," Hikigaya muttered, feeling the dull pain in his arms.
"Hmph." Suzune gave a small, proud smirk, then sat on the edge of the bed. She patted the spot beside her. "Don't waste time. Lie down."
Why does this sound way more suspicious than it should?
Grumbling, he lay down. The moment he moved, a sharp pain flared in his shoulder, making him grimace.
"It's just a muscle strain," Suzune observed. "Really now—how little do you exercise?"
She took an ice pack from the kit and pressed it gently against his shoulder.
"Hiss—" Hikigaya winced, though the coolness soothed the ache.
"Thank you, Horikita."
"No need to thank me. You were dragged into this because of me," she said quietly, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
She uncapped a small bottle of activating oil, poured it into her hands, and rubbed them together.
Hikigaya blinked. Do most girls just carry healing oil around?
"I told you, it's not your fault," he said. "I just couldn't stand seeing a brother hit his sister."
"So… you have a sister too?" she asked curiously.
"Huh?" Hikigaya looked up. "How did you know Komachi is the cutest sister in the world?"
Suzune sighed. "To say something that shameless with a straight face—you really are an incredible brother."
Still, there was a faint trace of envy behind her usual cool gaze.
Then, Hikigaya felt her cold, slender hands pressing against his shoulders.
"…Is this really necessary?"
"Don't misunderstand," Suzune snapped again. "This is an order from my brother!"
Good grief. Am I just part of their sibling side quest now?
As her fingers pressed and kneaded carefully, Hikigaya couldn't help but groan involuntarily.
"Ugh—ah—ahh…"
"No weird noises!" she warned, increasing the pressure.
"Yes ma'am…" Hikigaya shut his mouth instantly.
He tilted his head slightly and glanced up at her. Suzune's expression was focused; a few beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and a faint scent of shampoo hung in the air.
She actually has a gentle side, he thought, feeling oddly calm.
Her long black hair hung forward as she worked, occasionally brushing against his face—ticklish and annoying.
Unable to stand it, Hikigaya finally reached up, gathering a handful of her hair.
"Horikita," he said quietly, "has anyone ever told you short hair would suit you better?"