After school, Hikigaya slowly made his way to the gymnasium.
At this hour, many first-year students had already gathered inside. Most were walking in groups of three or four, chatting brightly. After all, "joining club activities with friends" was considered one of the essential rites of youth.
However, as a loner, Hikigaya Hachiman firmly believed that youth was a lie — and a sin.
Those who praised youth often deceived not only others but themselves. They viewed everything around them through rose-colored glasses. Even if they made mistakes or acted cruelly, they'd call it "a youthful phase" and cherish it as a precious memory.
Get into fights? "Youthful recklessness."
Fail an exam? "School is about more than studying."
As long as they flew the banner of youth, they could twist even common sense to suit themselves. Lies, secrets, sins, even failures — all became seasoning in the stew of adolescence.
To them, failure was part of youth.
To everyone else, it was simply failure.
If failure truly symbolized youth, then people who couldn't make friends should be at the peak of it, shouldn't they?
Of course, no one would ever think that way.
In the end, people only accept explanations convenient for themselves. That's cheating, plain and simple.
Lying, deceiving, hiding — all deserve condemnation.
Thus, those who refuse to glorify youth are the only righteous ones.
Conclusion: "Let all that fake youth blow up."
***
Hikigaya imagined himself submitting this as an essay titled "A Review of My Middle School Life."
Though, Ms. Hiratsuka probably wouldn't appreciate it.
He found himself remembering his middle school teacher — a woman nearing thirty. He actually missed her a bit.
Hopefully, her blind dates were going well.
His current homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, shared that same serious air — and probably the same age, too. Maybe they even graduated from the same university.
…Just kidding.
***
While checking out the clubs Hikigaya suddenly heard a cheerful voice.
"Hello~ Hikigaya."
Someone tapped his left shoulder. When he turned, a playful finger poked his right cheek.
"Hey~ Over here~"
The voice was familiar — and so was the teasing.
"Good afternoon, Asahina-senpai," Hikigaya greeted politely, a faint surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Oh~ No blushing or stammering this time. You've gotten less cute, Hikigaya."
Asahina Nazuna stepped closer, smiling meaningfully. "Or maybe you've already made friends with several girls in just three days? Built up some resistance, huh?"
"…"
Hikigaya's expression stiffened. Whether or not they were actually "friends," he did feel oddly more resistant to girls lately.
"Eh? That reaction — don't tell me I'm right?"
Asahina narrowed her eyes and warned, half-serious, "Don't turn into a playboy."
"Impossible," Hikigaya replied flatly. "I ranked in the top three most disliked boys in class."
"No way! Really?"
"Then the girls in your class are too short-sighted," she said, laughing behind her hand.
Why was this senior so optimistic about him?
He recalled one of life's three great illusions: "She might actually like me."
But Hikigaya wasn't foolish enough to fall for that again.
"By the way, what club are you in, Asahina-senpai?"
He glanced past her and saw several club members enthusiastically recruiting first-years.
"This is the photography club," she said, gesturing proudly behind her. "By the way, Hikigaya, are you interested in joining?"
"No."
He rejected her offer without hesitation.
"Why so cold? You seem like you'd make a great photographer!" she said, half-pouting.
"If I joined, I'd have to buy my own equipment, right?" Hikigaya countered.
SLR cameras cost tens of thousands of points — sometimes hundreds of thousands. The club didn't provide them. Students were expected to buy their own.
Though Hikigaya had plenty of personal points saved up, he had zero interest in photography.
"Besides…"
He glanced around. Every single club member was a girl.
He didn't want to be surrounded by women.
"I see…" Asahina smiled knowingly. "I take it back. You're definitely not someone easily swayed by girls."
"I'll check out the other clubs. Excuse me."
As Hikigaya turned to leave, he accidentally bumped into someone.
Or rather, someone walking with their head down bumped straight into him.
"Wah—!"
The girl lost her balance, tilting backward.
"Careful!"
Hikigaya reacted instantly, reaching out to steady her. But she was clutching a camera tightly with both hands, refusing to let go. He had no choice but to catch her by the waist to stop her fall.
"Huh?!"
The girl he caught was none other than Sakura Airi — the quiet, plain-looking girl from Class D who always wore glasses.
Her wide eyes blinked rapidly, and her face flushed a deep red as she realized how close they were.
"Waa~ So romantic~"
"This is destiny!" Asahina clasped her hands dramatically, clearly enjoying the show.
"Sakura, are you okay?" Hikigaya asked after helping her stand straight again, stepping back immediately.
"Y-yes… I'm fine…" she mumbled, voice barely audible.
Shy, nervous, almost trembling — typical for her. No wonder.
She was the kind of girl who suffered from social anxiety.
"Are you here to check out the photography club?" Hikigaya asked, noticing the camera she was gripping.
"N-no, um… well…"
Airi shook her head, then hesitated and nodded weakly.
Most people would've been completely lost by that response, but Hikigaya understood perfectly.
He'd been there before — wanting to join a club but too anxious to speak up, hesitating until the chance slipped away.
Maybe he saw a bit of his past self in her.
Or maybe it was something else he couldn't quite explain.
Either way, Hikigaya made a sudden decision.
"Asahina-senpai, this is Sakura Airi from Class D. She'd like to join the photography club."
"Huh? Really?"
Asahina blinked in surprise. The photography club was known for its outgoing, fashion-forward members — Sakura didn't exactly fit that mold.
"Ah, w-wait! I didn't—"
Sakura tried to deny it but faltered halfway. Deep down, she really did love photography — otherwise, she wouldn't have spent so many points on that SLR camera.
She'd come here intending to check out the club but couldn't bring herself to approach them.
"Anyway, that's that," Hikigaya said. "I'll leave Sakura in your care, Asahina-senpai."
With a polite bow, he turned and left before either could protest.
"Hmm…"
Sakura watched him go, her expression mixed between confusion and curiosity.
For some reason, she didn't dislike what he'd done.
"What a strange junior," Asahina said, smiling. "But don't worry, Sakura. Hikigaya isn't a bad person."
Even she couldn't quite explain his actions — and that made him all the more interesting.