"Is this girl… an idiot?"
Hikigaya caught the unconscious Ibuki before she hit the ground. Her face was flushed and drenched in sweat. Upon closer inspection, her features were unexpectedly delicate—sharp eyes, defined cheeks, and a petite frame that hinted at an athletic build. The streamlined muscles in her thighs reflected the beauty of someone who trained hard.
"Um, does anyone know her?" Hikigaya asked, glancing around at the others on the track field.
No one responded.
"Is this guy showing off or something?" someone muttered as they passed by.
From an outsider's perspective, the two of them had been running side by side for so long that it seemed obvious they knew each other. Naturally, no one felt the need to intervene in someone else's business.
Hikigaya caught the meaning in their looks and sighed.
He had just gone out for a morning run and somehow ended up in a one-sided competition with a stubborn stranger. Still, leaving her there felt too heartless.
"Alas~ What misfortune…" Hikigaya sighed helplessly.
Resigned, he crouched down, lifted the blue-haired girl onto his back, and started walking toward the infirmary.
"Someone fainted this early in the morning? You guys are really something…"
The nurse—or rather, the teacher inside—had long, softly curled brown hair and immaculate makeup. Her hands rested on her hips as she puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance.
"Why not a princess carry? You're so unromantic," she teased with a playful tone that sounded both gentle and mischievous.
Her coquettish voice and cute, approachable demeanor reminded Hikigaya of someone. It took a moment to click—Kushida Kikyo.
"Teacher Hoshinomiya, this student fainted from overexertion on the track," Hikigaya explained as he carefully laid Ibuki on the infirmary bed.
He'd seen the nameplate earlier when he visited Chabashira Sae's office, so he knew this was Hoshinomiya Chie, Class B's homeroom teacher.
Advanced Nurturing High School valued competition above all else—not just among students, but among the teachers as well. And Hikigaya seriously doubted someone like Hoshinomiya was just a simple, carefree woman.
"Really? Let me take a look," she said, kneeling beside Ibuki. After a brief examination, she smiled. "It's fine. She's just exhausted. She'll be okay after some rest."
"Oh. Then I'll be leaving." Hikigaya turned to go.
"Wait a second! Aren't you going to leave your name?" Hoshinomiya tilted her head playfully. "It's easy to gain favor when you help a cute classmate, you know~"
"No."
Hikigaya's tone was flat. He wasn't about to fall for some cliché that only happened in cheesy romance dramas.
"Don't be so cold~" she pouted, stepping forward and wrapping her arm around his.
The soft contact made Hikigaya freeze for a split second, but he quickly regained composure. He'd faced greater pressure before. The overpowering perfume, though, made him frown.
"Sorry, I'll be late," he said calmly, pulling his arm free.
"What's the big deal? Being late once or twice isn't the end of the world~"
You're a teacher—should you really be saying that?
"Come on, sit down and talk with me for a bit."
She stepped in front of the door, blocking his exit.
"…"
Hikigaya had no idea what her angle was, so he simply waited in silence.
"Eh? Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" she pressed.
"I'm sorry, I'm shy. Not good at talking to women."
"Ah~ So you get nervous around pretty teachers? Hehehe~ how cute."
"…"
After trying multiple approaches and getting nowhere, Hoshinomiya finally gave up.
As Hikigaya left, her playful expression vanished. She turned to her computer, logged in with her teacher credentials, and pulled up the student database.
"First Year D Class… Hikigaya Hachiman."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"A student from Class D? I thought he might've been from Class A or C…"
She leaned back in her chair, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"To stay calm even when being toyed with—definitely not an ordinary student. I hope Sae doesn't plan to use him as a bargaining chip…"
Her tone was sweet, but her eyes carried no warmth.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya walked briskly toward the main building, muttering under his breath. "There's something seriously wrong with that teacher."
This school, for all its prestige, seemed far more interested in scheming than actual academics.
The bell rang.
As expected, Hikigaya was late.
When he entered Class D, four others were already standing outside: Haruki Yamauchi, Kanji Ike, Ken Sudo, and Hideo Sotomura.
The students inside looked at him with a mix of amusement and gloating.
Horikita Suzune glanced over, mildly surprised. She didn't take Hikigaya for the type to lose track of time.
"Yo, Penguin-kun! Welcome to the club!" Yamauchi called out cheerfully.
For once, their tone sounded friendly—but it was the kind of "friendly" offered by people already stuck in the mud, eager to pull someone else down with them.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Hikigaya said dryly, "but I'll have to decline."
"What?"
"Acting cool already, huh?" Sudo glared at him.
"Yeah," Ike scoffed. "You're late too, so stop pretending you're better than us."
Sotomura sniffed exaggeratedly. "Wait… this guy smells like girls. More than one, actually."
Seriously? What are you, a bloodhound? Hikigaya thought.
"What?!" Yamauchi and the others exclaimed in disbelief.
Just as they were about to swarm him for details, the English teacher snapped.
"Quiet!"
Mashima Tomoya's deep voice thundered across the room. "You're late and still think you can fool around? If you don't want to study, then get out! Don't disturb the rest of the class!"
The outburst froze Yamauchi and the others instantly.
"Um… we're just a few minutes late, there's no need to—" Ike began, only to be cut off.
"I don't care how lenient other teachers are. In my class, no one is late!"
Mashima's towering frame—nearly 190 centimeters tall—radiated authority. Even the hot-headed Sudo didn't dare talk back.
"Haruki Yamauchi, Kanji Ike, Ken Sudo, and Hideo Sotomura! Stand up and hold your textbooks!"
He barked the order like a drill sergeant.
Then Yamauchi's eyes widened. "Wait—what about the Penguin?"
***
Webnovel is currently down…ill be uploading everything at once, once webnovel is back up 😵💫