Chapter 81: Swapping Names Is Just Too Stupid
[Yuihama said with a cheerful smile: "Hikki, you're a total sister-complex guy, aren't you?"]
[Hikigaya nodded, not denying Yuihama's words.]
[Then he looked up, fixing his gaze on Yuihama: "But let me clarify—I only care about Komachi."]
[Yukinoshita covered her forehead, expression calm: "Hopeless. Utterly hopeless. By the time we noticed the patient's condition, it was already terminal."]
[Miura, equally speechless, muttered: "Someone who can so easily admit to being a sister-complex guy is truly beyond saving. I'm curious what kind of person Komachi is."]
[Yuihama: "Komachi, Komachi's a super lively, cheerful, and talkative girl! Totally different from Hikki."]
[Yukinoshita placed a hand on her chin, striking a thoughtful pose: "She's probably good at housework too. I bet Hikigaya-kun leaves all the chores to his little sister Komachi."]
[Miura had a sudden realization. In her mind, she'd always assumed Komachi was like Hikigaya since they were siblings. But from the two girls' words, she realized that wasn't the case. Rather than siblings, Komachi seemed more like an angel sent to watch over Hikigaya. Though, even saying that, Hikigaya probably wouldn't deny it.]
[Isshiki: "I haven't met Big Rice yet. If I get the chance, I want to meet her. Senpai's so fun, so his sister must be fun too, right?"]
[Hikigaya: "Hey, Iroha, I'm not a toy, and neither is Komachi. What's with 'Big Rice'?"]
[Isshiki said with a mischievous grin: "Because Komachi is Big Rice…"] (Akitakomachi is a rice variety name.)
[Boring pun…]
Before the summer break began, Sakayanagi had sought out Hikigaya during lunch break.
Hikigaya was, as usual, eating lunch alone, and Sakayanagi's appearance took him by surprise.
After the pool incident, he thought his connection with Sakayanagi would finally come to an end. After all, he no longer had any value for her to exploit.
But this girl showed up out of nowhere, wearing that familiar smile.
"Little Hiki-kun, I knew you'd be here."
"Well, there aren't many places in this school that can tolerate someone like me."
Sakayanagi let out a light laugh and walked up to Hikigaya, but he instinctively took a step back.
"Oh? Are you that afraid of me?"
Hikigaya thought to himself, 'After what you said last time, it's hard not to be wary.'
"Your goal's already been achieved, hasn't it? No need to come looking for me anymore."
"Goal? I've never had any ulterior motives with you."
Hikigaya sensed the deception and deliberately looked away from Sakayanagi, saying: "That's easy to say, but it's a lie. If you had no purpose, you wouldn't have gone through all that scheming to approach me in the first place. The fact that you're still here just means you're not satisfied with the status quo."
Sakayanagi smiled and nodded.
Indeed, saying she had no purpose was like the punchline to a century-old bad joke.
"What, wasn't your goal to sabotage the alliance between Classes B and D?"
"From start to finish, that kind of thing didn't matter. I just happened to break the alliance along the way."
"You say it so casually, but you really are that kind of monster."
"Calling me that, Little Hiki-kun, that hurts my feelings. Besides, aren't you the same? We're all monsters here."
"So, why are you approaching me?"
He knew that no matter how much he asked, this girl wouldn't tell him the truth, but Hikigaya couldn't help but voice the question in his heart.
"No purpose at all. Everyone in this school combined isn't worth a fraction of you to me."
"Even if I don't have friends, that's a bit too absolute. At the very least, I've never thought I haven't received help from others."
"You'll understand later. Everything I do is for you."
"I'm tired of hearing such selfless nonsense."
"Maybe I really am that selfless."
"Not exactly humble, are you?"
Sakayanagi gave a slight smile and said: "I won't be participating in this special exam, and I won't be sending anyone to secretly protect you either. Right now, Class A's leader isn't me, so I don't have that authority. Maybe this way, you'll realize just how much my protection has meant."
Hikigaya: "The final exams are already over…"
Sakayanagi gave another faint smile, as if she'd already seen through everything about this school, and said: "I'm looking forward to your perfect performance, Little Hiki-kun."
Watching the girl limp away, Hikigaya instinctively stepped forward to help her back to Class A.
"No need this time. Just remember what I said—take care of yourself."
Hikigaya froze for a moment. From start to finish, she never turned back, yet she saw through everything he was about to do.
As Sakayanagi disappeared from his sight, Hikigaya let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps Sakayanagi Arisu really was a complete and utter monster.
Even now, Hikigaya couldn't figure out what she was after.
…
The summer break had been going on for a while. Like most schools, classes were no longer held once summer break started, and the school's assigned tasks were significantly reduced. Summer break was the perfect time to rest, and it was Hikigaya's favorite time.
Through a semester of frugal living, the points in his phone had accumulated into a small fortune. Even in the entire class, there were probably few who had more points than him.
Aside from spending 10,000 points to trade information with an upperclassman, Hikigaya had barely used his points, which made him itch to spend some during the summer break.
Books weren't a priority, as most could be borrowed from the library. What Hikigaya wanted was a PS5, so he could clear some games during the break.
But whether it was fate favoring his points or preventing him from spending them, the very day Hikigaya planned to go shopping, he received a notification from the school.
"Luxury cruise experience?"
Looking at the message on his phone, Hikigaya was momentarily puzzled.
But since it was mandatory for all first-years, there was probably no escaping it.
Anyway, he'd just pack light.
Like, say, water—something humans can't live without.
Of course, when he actually stood in front of the cruise ship, he was completely stunned.
It wasn't that he hadn't seen the world, but this ship was just too massive. Even from the shore, he could feel its overwhelming presence.
Too big. Way too big.
"Too big. Way too big."
Sudō's voice echoed in his ear.
How much money did it cost to rent a ship like this? Where did the school get that kind of money?
Hikigaya's heart was still reeling from the shock. If he could contact Komachi, he'd take a few photos to keep as memories and send them to her to brag. But sadly, he hadn't even seen this world's Komachi before coming to this school.
So, he put his phone away, deciding to etch this scene into his memory forever.
Sudō: "Bro, how much do you think the school spent to rent this ship?"
Hikigaya: "They probably bought it."
Sudō: "You mean it's not rented?"
Hikigaya: "We're not the first batch of students. Maybe every year, students get invited to this ship."
Sudō: "That makes sense. Buying it might actually be cheaper. But man, the school's got some deep pockets…"
Hikigaya nodded. This wasn't something an ordinary school could pull off.
In his past 17 years, he'd never heard of anything like this. He couldn't be sure if the school bought or rented it, but either way, the cost was astronomical.
After a brief assembly, Classes A, B, C, and D stood in front of the ship, waiting for Class A's homeroom teacher to announce the instructions before boarding.
Oddly, Hikigaya didn't see that silver-haired little gremlin in Class A. Her leg condition might make things difficult, but it reminded him of what Sakayanagi had said during the lunch break after the final exams.
Aside from Sakayanagi's absence, Hashimoto, Kitō, and Kamuro were all in the lineup. The current leader of Class A was probably the stern-looking bald guy standing at the front.
Feeling a strange gaze, Katsuragi quickly turned to scan the other classes for the source.
Luckily, Hikigaya reacted fast and lowered his head, relying on his naturally low presence to avoid detection.
'What a cautious guy. Is everyone in Class A, aside from Kamuro, a monster like that?'
Hikigaya muttered to himself, shifting his gaze to Kamuro in the distance.
As if sensing something, Kamuro looked up, and for a moment, their eyes met. But the next second, she lowered her head with a guilty expression.
Since the last incident, Kamuro had clearly distanced herself from him. Though she still followed him sometimes, he always rushed back to the dorms after class, so they hadn't spent much time together—or rather, they hadn't exchanged a single word.
Sometimes, Hikigaya tried calling her name, but she acted like she didn't hear, giving no response and staying out of sight, even though she was clearly standing at the stairwell.
In situations like this, Hikigaya was at a loss. He'd never been good at handling these kinds of issues.
In contrast, Kanzaki and Ichinose enthusiastically waved at him, as if the alliance issue had never happened—just without the alliance itself.
Ryūen's class, on the other hand, had a lifeless air. Ever since Ishizaki and the other two were expelled, there hadn't been any more trouble. But while Ryūen's class was subdued, that didn't mean Ryūen himself was. Until he was thoroughly defeated, he'd remain that king.
Led by their homeroom teachers, the four classes boarded the luxury cruise ship in order.
The luxury cruise, Speranza.
Only when you stepped aboard could you truly feel its grandeur.
The interior was filled with Western-style architecture, with countless magnificent structures.
Despite being a cruise ship, the deck was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight—almost unbelievably clean.
The ship boasted top-tier restaurants, a grand theater for plays, a pool, and a wide array of entertainment facilities, even including the legendary high-end spa.
Now Hikigaya realized just how shallow his single bottle of water was.
If someone privately rented this ship for a trip, it would cost at least a few hundred thousand. Yet the school was being this generous.
Not only were swimsuits rented out for free, but most entertainment facilities were also free for students. Aside from food expenses, there were almost no other costs.
If this was just for students to enjoy, it was far too extravagant—on par with the 100,000 points the school gave out at the start. Combined with Sakayanagi's words, there was probably another special exam on this ship.
Sudō, Yamauchi, Ike, Kushida, and Karuizawa stood on the deck, marveling at the charm of the blue sky and white clouds, filled with emotion.
Sudō: "Good thing you two didn't get expelled, or you wouldn't be able to experience this."
Yamauchi: "Yeah, yeah, if even the heavens are looking out for us, what can we do?"
Ike: "Heh heh, I knew it. I got a sudden burst of inspiration during the exam and got the answers right. The heavens wanted me to come enjoy life on this ship."
Only when these two spilled the truth did Horikita realize how unreliable they were and what insane luck they had to just barely pass.
Ike: "A summer sea, an endless blue sky—I'm in the middle of the Pacific. This is paradise on the water!"
Wearing sunglasses, he spoke excitedly.
Caught up in the mood, Karuizawa couldn't help but marvel too.
"The scenery's just too perfect."
Kushida: "It's really spectacular. So beautiful!"
The sea breeze gently rustled their clothes, making their hair float.
Karuizawa: "The school's really splurging, bringing us on a cruise like this."
Horikita: "Yeah…"
Hikigaya: "Pretty rare."
Horikita: "Yeah…"
Hikigaya: "Hey, you."
Horikita: "?"
Hikigaya: "Normally, you'd say something like, 'I'd rather stay in the dorms and study.'"
Hearing Hikigaya's words, Horikita gave him a side-eye and said directly: "Since the exams are over, relaxing a bit isn't a bad thing. Plus, it's a rare opportunity."
Hikigaya was momentarily stunned by her response. There was no way words like that could come from her mouth—it was simply unbelievable.
But people change. Perhaps Hikigaya had never truly understood Horikita Suzune, so these assumptions were meaningless from the start.
If anything, Hikigaya hated this feeling of assuming he knew someone well.
Sakura Airi: "H-How about we go to the pool?"
Sakura, still a bit shy, offered a great suggestion. Everyone paused for a second or two before breaking into faint smiles.
Kushida: "Sounds good!"
Karuizawa: "I'm in."
Horikita: "Sure, why not? I didn't go to the pool last time."
Ike: "Hell yeah!!"
Yamauchi: "More pool time with all the white swimsuits."
Sudō: "What do you say, bro?"
Hikigaya hadn't expected such a response from Sudō. He froze for a second, feeling the expectant gazes of everyone around him directed his way.
'Hey, why's the decision suddenly on me? I can't exactly say no and ruin your excitement, can I?'
"Then, let's go."
A cheer erupted from the deck. Kamuro was watching the group from a higher deck, unable to hear what they were saying, but they seemed to be having a good time.
Katsuragi: "Kamuro, the exam's about to start soon. We need to be in top condition."
Kamuro's gaze shifted back from the distance, and she gave a faint nod.
By all accounts, as a member of Sakayanagi's faction, she didn't have to follow this guy's orders. But before the exam started, Sakayanagi had told her to obey him and not cause trouble deliberately. It was strange.
Compared to Class A, her thoughts were entirely on Hikigaya's Class D.
She couldn't quite put a name to the feeling, but this undeniable emotion was starting to take root in her heart.
Hikigaya and the others had already chosen their swimsuits and arrived at the pool. Seeing everyone having fun, Sakura Airi seemed to gradually blend in, and Hikigaya genuinely felt happy for her.
Since boarding the cruise, he hadn't let his guard down to fully immerse himself in the fun. But he also didn't want to ruin their high spirits, so he followed along.
Looking at the familiar, large, pristine pool, Hikigaya fell into thought until Ike's words snapped him back to reality.
Ike: "I've decided—I'm going to confess to Kushida!"
Yamauchi: "Huh? You're not joking, are you?"
Ike slowly stood up, clenching his fists tightly and saying: "If you don't try, you'll regret it. How lame would that be?"
He gently took off his sunglasses, striking a cool pose.
Sudō, clearly moved by his determination, covered his mouth… to hide his grin.
Hikigaya: "I support you."
Yamauchi: "Even if you get rejected, I'll always have your back."
'Wait, you're already assuming he'll get rejected? Is this guy Tobe's reincarnation or something?'
With the support of the three, Ike Kanji marched forward without hesitation, calling Kushida, who was having a blast in the pool, to step aside.
At that moment, Karuizawa was still a bit stunned, while Horikita and Sakura's gazes shifted from the pool to them.
Hikigaya shrugged, signaling that this had nothing to do with him. Horikita could only sigh helplessly, while Sakura turned her attention to Kushida and Ike.
Kushida: "What's up, Ike?"
Ike's hands were trembling, his face turning red. Facing the adorable girl in front of him, Ike Kanji finally mustered his courage.
"Kushida!"
"Hm?"
"Uh, uh… I… Can I, right now, call you by your first name?!"
As if betting his life on it, Ike tightly shut his eyes. Under the daylight, his flushed face was even more noticeable.
Hearing the boy's words, Kushida responded in a gentle, calm tone: "Is that what this is about?"
Okay, Ike chickened out—halfway, at least.
If he couldn't even call her by her first name, how could he ever become her boyfriend? So, if they could call each other by their first names, maybe there was still a chance.
At least, that's what Ike thought in his heart.
"Is… Is it okay? Can I call you Kikyō…?"
The boy looked up, gazing at the girl with anticipation.
Kushida gave a slight smile, as if breaking through the last of Ike's defenses, and said: "Then I'll call you Kanji, okay?"
For a moment, Ike Kanji froze in place, as if he'd stopped breathing entirely.
"Kanji?"
Thud!
Ike's legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, causing a loud noise on the deck. Raising his hands high, as if grasping the blazing sun, he shouted in adoration: "AHHHHHHH Kiky!!!!"
"Kanji…"
To be honest, even Kushida was a bit embarrassed by Ike Kanji's dramatic display.
Horikita: "What an idiot…"
Sakura: "Haha, that's probably just how Ike-kun is."
Horikita: "Still an idiot."
Sakura, curious, asked: "Horikita-san, what would it be like if someone called you by your first name?"
Horikita: "Probably nothing special. I don't have any friends close enough for that."
Hearing Horikita's response, Sakura said: "I haven't called any classmates by their first names either—not even Hasebe. And with Hachiman, we haven't really swapped names either. He hasn't called me Airi, but I'm already happy just calling him Hachiman."
Sakura continued with an innocent expression: "So, if you want a friend to call you by your first name, Horikita-san, just tell him. I'm sure he wouldn't refuse."
Listening to Sakura's words, Horikita's face started to flush as she imagined the scenario, but her tone remained firm: "Idiot, no way. Swapping names is just too stupid."
She crossed her arms, her face showing disdain.
In the distance, Hikigaya let out a loud sneeze, as if someone were talking about him behind his back, sending a chill down his spine.
(End of this chapter)