Seeing the reactions of everyone in Class D, Hirata Yosuke couldn't help but look disappointed.
In his mind, this plan was perfect — not only could it help the weaker students improve, but it could also be a chance to bring the loner Hachiman Hikigaya into the "loving, united Class D."
Two birds with one stone.
"Alright, I understand…"
Good. You'd better understand.
A true loner doesn't need companions!
Just as Hikigaya was quietly celebrating his narrow escape from a major hassle—
A girl's unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind him, completely changing the situation.
"Um, I'd like to join."
Hikigaya instinctively turned around.
The speaker was a beautiful girl with long blue hair and a small beauty mark beneath her eye. Her features were delicate, though what drew the most attention was her… let's say, well-developed heart for humanity.
Wait—who are you?
Hikigaya stubbornly kept his eyes level, resisting the gravitational pull with sheer force of will.
No tricks—just muscle memory.
"Ehh~"
Haruka Hasebe's eyes flickered slightly. As a naturally attractive girl, she was painfully aware of the kind of attention her looks drew from men — attention she found deeply unpleasant.
This was the first time she had met a guy who looked at her without his gaze slipping downward.
Her impression of Hikigaya instantly improved:
So he really was protecting Airi earlier — not out of some perverted motive, but from genuine intention.
"Is that true, Hasebe?" Hirata asked in surprise.
"You're really willing to join the study group?"
He was shocked. That morning, both he and Kushida Kikyo had invited her and been flatly rejected.
So what made her change her mind?
"Of course. But—" Hasebe's lips curved into a playful smile as she winked. "—I'll only accept tutoring from Hachi~."
"???"
Hikigaya blinked, completely lost.
Who the heck is Hachi?
When did he get another nickname?
Still… compared to "Penguin Guy," "Dead Fish Eyes," or "Fish-Eye Boy," Hachi didn't sound half bad.
"Whaaaat?!"
Someone in the class screamed.
Immediately, Hikigaya could feel the wave of jealousy, envy, and frustration directed his way from several male classmates.
Seriously? Was this really worth getting that worked up over?
"A-ah, well, I'm… not really good at teaching others…" Hikigaya mumbled awkwardly.
He didn't even know this blue-haired, big-hearted girl!
No way was he falling for one of life's three greatest illusions—"She likes me."
He was about to find a polite excuse to refuse when—
As if predicting his move, Hasebe spoke up first:
"Sakura's joining too~~"
"Eh?!"
Airi Sakura, who had been secretly watching the situation unfold, let out a startled squeak.
"…"
Hikigaya's jaw dropped. The words of refusal got stuck halfway up his throat and went right back down.
"What's wrong, Sakura? Don't you want to study hard together with Hachi~?" Hasebe teased with a grin.
"I-I…"
Sakura's cheeks turned pink as her gaze darted away. Her fingers fidgeted nervously in front of her chest before she finally looked up with determination.
"I want to study too!"
You… call that studying?
I can't even bring myself to point it out.
Hasebe's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight.
"W-well then…" Hikigaya stammered.
"I'll accept the request… but I can't promise you'll actually learn anything… So, uh, don't expect too much from me…"
Damn it!
Why am I wavering like this?!
Inside, Hikigaya was mentally tearing his hair out.
Ooh~
A dead-eyed loner boy and a shy, socially anxious girl—what a romantic little youth drama this could turn out to be~~
Hasebe narrowed her eyes in amusement, looking like someone who'd just won the gossip jackpot!
"Kill him! Just kill him…!"
"Kiyotaka, let me go!"
"AAAHHHH! I can't stand this anymore!"
"Two girls from Class D, and he gets both?!"
Yamauchi and Ike wailed in agony, their faces twisted with jealous rage.
"Calm down, you two," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said flatly, holding both of them back by their arms with an iron grip.
He knew that in everyone's eyes, he was seen as part of "Yamauchi's little clique."
If he let them run wild now, he'd be dragged into the backlash too.
"Hikigaya, seriously, thank you!" Hirata said, placing both hands on Hikigaya's shoulders with a dazzling smile.
In one move, he'd managed to bring three of the class's outliers into the "warm, loving Class D family."
For Hirata, today was a massive victory!
While the guys were wailing in despair, the girls were equally shocked and intrigued.
"No way…"
"Sakura I can kind of get, but Hasebe too?"
Shinohara Satsuki looked utterly dumbfounded.
Unlike the shy and withdrawn Airi Sakura, Haruka Hasebe — with her striking looks and flawless figure — belonged to the top tier of the social hierarchy.
The girls' cliques in class had tried several times to invite her to join them, but she'd always refused.
Behind her back, many whispered things like:
"She's so cold."
"Does she think she's better just because she's got boobs?"
"Bet they're fake anyway."
No one had expected this: her supposed coldness only applied to them.
Turns out, Hasebe was perfectly capable of approaching guys on her own.
"Unbelievable… that's her taste?" Shinohara muttered.
"She turned down Hirata-kun but wants to study with that dead fish eyes?"
"She might be doing it to help Sakura," Matsushita Chiaki observed thoughtfully.
She'd noticed that when Hasebe first volunteered, Hikigaya had refused.
But the moment Sakura was mentioned, he'd changed his mind instantly.
"Nani, nani~"
"Don't tell me there's something going on between Hikigaya and Sakura?"
Sato Maya's eyes lit up — her gossip instincts awakened.
"Tch, that dead fish eyes is always pretending to be all deep and mysterious," Shinohara scoffed.
"Turns out he's just another brainless male who falls for a big chest!"
"…"
Kei Karuizawa stayed silent, her gaze shifting subtly between her own figure and those of Hasebe and Sakura.
She wasn't exactly small herself, but… compared to them… the difference was painfully clear.
Just moments ago, she'd been wondering if she should find an excuse to talk to Hikigaya — but in the blink of an eye, he'd already gotten close to two girls from Class D!
And here she was, standing still — the clown of the scene.
Damn it…
I was first…!
Why didn't Hikigaya make a move? After all, he'd already defended her earlier — couldn't he at least be a little more proactive and come talk to her?
***
Hachigoat strikes again 😭🙏