Chapter 154: Sakayanagi Arisu: So what did I come to this exam for? Hikigaya Hachiman: Probably... to gain experience.
Thoughts flashed through Kushida Kikyo's mind.
"So," Matsushita Chiaki tilted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with a certain insightful light, "did you two go on a date together?"
Kushida took a deep breath, struggling to keep her tone calm. "It was just business."
"Oh—" Matsushita elongated the syllable, wearing that "I get it" expression.
Kushida looked at her and felt suddenly speechless. However, being GPS-tracked by someone wasn't something she could easily ignore.
Kushida stared at Matsushita, her gaze turning sharp.
"Matsushita," Kushida said, intentionally infusing her voice with a hint of disbelief, "You... GPS-tracked me?"
Matsushita blinked, her face wearing an innocent expression. "I just happened to see it. I'm on your friends list too, Kushida-san."
Kushida: "..."
She stared at Matsushita Chiaki, momentarily speechless. This girl—the most stylish and seemingly smartest in Class D—actually...
"Matsushita," Kushida took a deep breath. "You've been corrupted."
Matsushita chuckled softly, turned back, and continued looking at the glasses.
"Just curiosity," Matsushita's voice was gentle, yet carried a faint, lingering smile. "After all, there aren't many people who can get Kushida-san to meet them alone."
Kushida fell silent.
Kushida had many friends, but Matsushita's phrasing was interesting. It implied that the event of Kushida Kikyo meeting a boy one-on-one was exceedingly rare. This was natural; because she was so sensitive to the atmosphere, Kushida knew many boys liked her "kind-hearted angel" persona, and it would be a huge hassle if they actually confessed to her in private.
Therefore, she basically never met boys alone.
Kushida looked at Matsushita's profile. Matsushita's delicate face held a shallow smile, her eyes focused on the glasses as if the preceding conversation were just casual small talk.
But Kushida knew Matsushita Chiaki was absolutely not simple. This girl was much more perceptive than she appeared. Hikigaya's choice to pick her as the pillar of support after Horikita leaves Class D was indeed farsighted.
And—
Kushida looked at the men's non-prescription glasses Matsushita had chosen, and a thought suddenly popped into her head. This girl is actually seriously considering how to make Hikigaya look better.
This level of thoughtfulness...
Kushida suddenly didn't know what to say. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly spoke, "Do you think those glasses suit him?"
Matsushita nodded. "Thin black frames, minimalist and low-profile. They match his aura well. Plus, they'll hide those dead fish eyes, making it easier for people to notice his facial features."
Listening to her serious analysis, Kushida's mouth twitched. "You certainly think things through."
Matsushita smiled slightly. "If we're going to collaborate, I have to understand my partner better."
Partner, huh?
Kushida looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds. "He told me about that. If Horikita really leaves Class D, you will become her successor." Kushida sighed softly.
"Fine," Kushida said. "Take your time. I'm going to find Horikita. This is the point card Hikigaya asked me to give you. There's 1 million points on it." She handed one of the cards to Matsushita Chiaki.
Matsushita took the card, maintaining her smile. She knew Kushida-san had finally acknowledged her. She nodded. "Okay."
Kushida turned and walked toward the exit. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back.
"Matsushita."
Matsushita looked up.
Kushida met her gaze and said slowly, "Those glasses... you might as well buy them and try. They might actually suit him."
Matsushita was momentarily stunned, then the corners of her mouth curled into a slight arc.
"Thanks."
Kushida said nothing more and left the accessories area. She still had to find Horikita Suzune to give her the remaining card worth 6.6 million points.
6.6 million! That girl Horikita actually has 6.6 million! Hmph!
Not long after Kushida left, Hikigaya Hachiman stepped out of the elevator. His gaze swept over the dazzling array of shops, his brow furrowing slightly.
Before leaving the cafe, besides the "I'm not like Horikita" farewell, Chabashira-sensei had left him with one more instruction—
"By the way, when you leave later, go to the clothing and accessories area on the B1 floor. I had the staff set something aside for you... as a celebration for rising to Class A, and a thank you for freeing me from my past obsession."
Hikigaya had been stunned at the time, but she had already walked away. So, he had to come here.
The B1 floor was much less crowded than the upper floors; most students were still enjoying the sun and food on the deck. A few scattered customers moved between shops, making it exceptionally quiet.
Following Chabashira's directions, Hikigaya quickly found the accessory shop. It wasn't large but was exquisitely decorated. Glass cases displayed various accessories—necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches—and an entire wall of glasses.
As he pushed the door open, a clerk immediately greeted him.
"A friend left something here for me to pick up," Hikigaya explained quickly.
"Certainly. Are you Mr. Hikigaya?" The clerk seemed to have a record.
Hikigaya nodded.
The clerk smiled and took a small gift box from behind the counter, handing it to him with both hands. "This was left for you by Ms. Chabashira."
Hikigaya took the box and thanked her. Standing by the counter, he unwrapped it.
Inside was a pair of glasses.
Thin black frames, minimalist design, the lenses reflecting a faint sheen under the lights. He picked them up and checked—no prescription, just plain lenses. They also had a blue-light filter.
Hikigaya was slightly taken aback.
Non-prescription glasses.
He suddenly remembered back at Sobu High, he had given Yukinoshita Yukino a pair of blue-light glasses. At the time, he thought she looked a bit more intellectual than usual wearing them. He hadn't expected to receive a similar gift himself.
"Sir, would you like to try them on?" the clerk suggested with a smile. "I think they would suit you very well."
Hikigaya was silent for a second, then nodded and put on the new glasses.
The frames felt very light, almost weightless. He looked up at the mirror behind the counter.
The person in the mirror made him pause.
The thin black frames perfectly masked those perpetually half-lidded dead fish eyes, making his whole face look much more energetic. The contours of his features were more defined, and that original lazy, decadent aura had mostly dissipated.
"They suit you perfectly," the clerk praised sincerely. "You look very sharp."
Is that so?
Hikigaya stared at his reflection for a few seconds; it felt like looking at a "terrible corporate slave" image, but he still nodded slightly.
"Thanks."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the accessories area.
Matsushita Chiaki was still standing in front of the glasses display, holding the black-framed non-prescription glasses, hesitating whether to buy them. Her conversation with Kushida echoed in her mind.
"You're that interested in him?" "Those glasses... you might as well buy them and try."
Kushida's words made her feel an inexplicable sense of guilt.
She did have feelings for Hikigaya Hachiman—she wouldn't deny that. But that feeling was admiration, curiosity, and the thought that "this person is interesting." As for whether to take it further... she had some ideas, but Hikigaya-kun was very resistant. Even though she felt she was being quite proactive, he didn't seem to share the thought. It seemed Hikigaya-kun was hard to "conquer," but she didn't dislike a challenge.
At the very least, she truly thought these glasses would suit him.
Matsushita took a deep breath, preparing to check out, when she caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.
She whipped her head around.
At the entrance of the accessory shop, Hikigaya Hachiman was standing by the counter, receiving a small gift box from the clerk.
Matsushita froze. Why is he here?!
She instinctively stepped back, hiding behind a row of display cases, peeking out to observe the situation.
Then she saw Hikigaya open the box. He took out a pair of glasses.
Thin black frames. Minimalist design. Almost identical to the ones in her hand.
Matsushita's eyes widened. She saw Hikigaya take off his usual glasses and put on the new ones.
Then she saw the face reflected in the mirror, and her breath hitched.
The black frames perfectly masked those dead fish eyes, making his whole face look much sharper. The lazy, decadent aura had largely vanished, replaced by a feeling she couldn't quite name.
Handsome. He's actually really handsome, Matsushita thought to herself.
But in the next second, she snapped out of it. Wait. Who sent those glasses? Why did someone beat me to it?! Was it Kushida-san? No way, Kushida-san!
Matsushita stared at Hikigaya, a wave of complex emotions rising—surprise, curiosity, and an unidentifiable trace of frustration. She watched Hikigaya nod to the mirror, put away his old glasses, and turn to leave.
Matsushita quickly pulled back her head, pretending to look at the nearby accessories. But her heart wouldn't stop racing.
Hikigaya Hachiman. Non-prescription glasses. Someone beat me to it.
She bit her lip, suddenly feeling like the glasses in her hand were burning her palm.
Hikigaya walked out of the shop with the gift box. He looked down at it, then up at his surroundings. His eyes landed on a familiar figure.
Matsushita Chiaki.
She was standing not far away in front of a display case with her back to him, seemingly looking at something. But her shoulders were slightly tense, her posture rigid—the kind of rigidity that says "I'm pretending not to notice you."
Hikigaya was silent for a second, then walked over.
"Matsushita-san."
Matsushita Chiaki stiffened. She slowly turned around, forcing a smile. "Hi... Hikigaya-kun... what a coincidence."
Hikigaya looked at her. "Yeah, quite a coincidence."
Matsushita's gaze fell on the gift box in his hand, then quickly darted away. "What's that?"
Hikigaya looked down. "A gift from someone."
"Oh—" Matsushita elongated the word, her tone carrying a subtle emotion. "Who sent it?"
Hikigaya thought for a moment. "Chabashira-sensei."
Matsushita's eyes widened. Chabashira-sensei? The Class D homeroom teacher? Her teacher? Sending Hikigaya glasses? Why?
She had assumed it was Kushida's handiwork, but it was actually Chabashira-sensei!
Could it be that Hikigaya-kun's lack of interest in her—even his slight rejection—was because of Chabashira-sensei? Does he actually like mature women?
A complex mix of surprise, confusion, and a hint of jealousy she didn't want to admit to surged in Matsushita's heart.
"Chabashira-sensei..." she murmured. "Why would she send you glasses?"
Hikigaya was silent for a second. "Consider it a gift for the class promotion."
"Oh..." Matsushita responded again. She looked down at the glasses in her hand that she hadn't put back yet, suddenly feeling very awkward.
Hikigaya followed her gaze and saw the glasses. Thin black frames. Minimalist design. Almost identical to the ones in his hand.
Hikigaya was silent for a second. "You like this style too?"
Matsushita's cheeks instantly turned bright red. She opened her mouth to explain but found her voice stuck.
"I-I was just looking casually..." She hurriedly put the glasses back on the shelf. "Nothing special..."
Looking at her like this, Hikigaya suddenly felt like laughing. But he didn't; he just nodded slightly.
"I see." He paused, then added, "I'll be going. I have some things to do."
Matsushita nodded frantically. "O-okay... see you."
Hikigaya turned and left. Matsushita stood there, watching his back disappear into the elevator. Then she slowly crouched down, burying her face in her knees.
Aaaaah—so embarrassing!
She was caught red-handed holding glasses identical to his! And she wasn't even the one who gave them to him!
Matsushita looked up, staring at the glasses on the shelf with a trace of frustration. Chabashira-sensei... Chabashira-sensei... but why her? Even Kushida would be okay, but Chabashira-sensei... did I actually lose to Chabashira-sensei?
Whatever. Next time. Definitely next time.
Thinking this, she turned to walk the other way. But after a while, she felt that since she'd spent so much time choosing them, she might as well buy them.
As Hikigaya walked out of the store area, he reflexively put the new glasses back on. The black frames resting on his nose felt fresh. He instinctively adjusted the frame, his gaze passing over
the glass windows of the corridor—the reflection made his steps falter. That face was indeed quite different.
The lenses hid the eyes that were always half-lidded, and the contours of his face became clear. The lazy, decadent aura was mostly gone, replaced by a feeling he couldn't name. Of course, he recognized that feeling—his mother was like that; it was the aura of an elite corporate slave. In other words, he had indeed inherited his parents' potential, but it was also something he desperately wanted to escape.
He stared at his reflection for two seconds, then looked away and continued forward.
Whatever, it's just a pair of glasses.
He turned the corner toward the elevators, completely failing to notice two girls leaning by a shop entrance on the other side. One was holding up her phone, the lens pointed right at him.
Click—
The faint shutter sound was masked by the footsteps in the corridor.
Morishita Ai lowered her phone, looking at the photo on the screen, a flash of astonishment in her violet-blue eyes. She stared for several seconds before turning and handing the phone to Yamamura Miki beside her.
"Yamamura, look at this."
Yamamura Miki leaned in, her gaze falling on the screen. The boy in the photo wore the school uniform, his black hair slightly messy, but his face was framed clearly by the black glasses. He was walking toward the elevator with a steady, composed pace.
"We have a boy like this in the first year?" Morishita Ai's tone was full of surprise. "I feel like he could make the rankings."
She looked back at the photo, her brow furrowing slightly. "By the way, why haven't I ever seen a boy who looks this sharp and reliable?"
Yamamura Miki stared at the photo, her eyes, usually hidden behind her bangs, blinking slightly. She gently tugged Morishita Ai's sleeve.
"Morishita-san," she whispered hesitantly.
"Hmm?" Morishita was still looking at the photo. "What is it?"
Miki pointed at the person in the photo, her voice as quiet as a secret. "That's... Hikigaya Hachiman from Class B."
Morishita froze instantly. Eh?
She snapped her head up to stare at Miki. "What?"
"That's Hikigaya Hachiman," Miki repeated, still quiet but quite certain.
Morishita looked back at the phone screen. She stared at that face for several seconds, then looked toward the end of the corridor—it was empty.
"Hikigaya Hachiman?" she asked in disbelief. "Ah? Hikigaya Hachiman?"
She blinked, her mind quickly flashing back to the face she had seen before. Dead fish eyes, a lazy expression, perpetually drooping eyelids—she couldn't connect that image with the person in the photo at all.
"I can't recognize him at all..." she murmured. "Is that really Hikigaya?"
Yamamura Miki nodded gently.
Morishita stared at the photo, not knowing what to say. The fact that she actually found Hikigaya—the "big villain" who caused their class to drop—handsome made her question her life.
Half an hour later, in the Class A rest area.
The class had already dropped, and they would return to school as Class B, but they now had a direction to work toward. Since it was rare vacation time, Katsuragi hadn't demanded students stay to discuss anything.
However, Sakayanagi and Kamuro were still there.
Sakayanagi Arisu sat in a single sofa by the window, quietly reading. She was reading the same book Shiina Hiyori had borrowed—Gone with the Wind—though she seemed to read much faster; she was already on the second part, Scarlett (though it wasn't by the original author).
She was frowning slightly, feeling that many characters were out of character, especially Rhett, who felt like a different person. But she acknowledged that if the sequel had followed the original Rhett's trajectory, it probably couldn't have been written at all. The original work featured character growth, psychological shifts, an unyielding attitude toward poverty and suffering, and reflection on war. The sequel just had Scarlett desperately trying to win back her love.
It felt like the scope had suddenly shrunk. As Sakayanagi, she didn't particularly care for such romantic fluff.
Morishita Ai walked in quickly, wearing a strange look of excitement. Yamamura Miki followed behind her, still maintaining her low presence, head down.
"Morishita, what's with that face?" Kamuro Masumi raised an eyebrow. "Been stalking students from other classes again?"
"What do you mean stalking?" Morishita sat on the sofa, sounding a bit dissatisfied. "It's an investigation. Knowing more about students from other classes helps with future exams. This is something I can do."
Kamuro gave a non-committal "Hmm" but didn't argue.
Morishita leaned back, resting her chin on her hand, her violet-blue eyes dazed. "But seriously, once a person changes, they can become so different. It's clearly the same person, but with a change in image, I almost didn't recognize him."
Kamuro glanced at her. "What are you even talking about?"
"It's just..." Morishita chose her words carefully. "I saw someone on the B1 floor just now wearing black-rimmed glasses, and his aura was incredible. I didn't recognize him at first, but then Miki told me it was Hikigaya Hachiman."
Kamuro's brow twitched. "Hikigaya?"
"Yes!" Morishita pulled her phone from her pocket. "Look, I took a photo."
Kamuro took the phone and looked down. The boy in the photo stood in the corridor, black hair, black glasses, clear facial contours, composed posture. Her gaze lingered on that face for a few seconds, her brow furrowing.
"We have such a handso—" She stopped mid-sentence.
She stared at the face, zoomed in quickly, zoomed out, and then looked at Morishita with a complex expression.
"Hikigaya?" her voice was filled with disbelief.
"Right?!" Morishita clapped her hands. "I couldn't recognize him at first. Or rather, I didn't dare think in that direction."
Kamuro stared at the photo for a few more seconds, then silently handed the phone to Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi, look at this."
Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been bored with her book, turned her head slightly, her eyes falling on the screen. The boy in the photo was framed clearly by the black glasses.
Sakayanagi's fingers paused. Her gaze lingered on that face for one second, then two, before she shifted her eyes back to her book as if nothing had happened, flipping two pages.
"I thought you'd be more concerned about the rumors of a Sports Festival exam," Sakayanagi said calmly. "Instead, you're getting worked up over this."
Morishita blinked. "Sakayanagi-san, I was just mentioning it..."
"Changing one's image slightly isn't special," Sakayanagi said very indifferently. "Anyone can do it. It's not worth such a fuss."
Seeing Sakayanagi's calm demeanor, Morishita felt a sense of admiration. "Sakayanagi-san really has high standards. Such small matters aren't worth noting." She stood up and brushed off her knees. "We'll be going then."
Sakayanagi nodded gently. Morishita Ai and Yamamura Miki turned and left the rest area. The room became quiet again.
Kamuro Masumi stood there, looking at Sakayanagi's profile in silence. To her, Sakayanagi's "calmness" felt a bit off. Based on her knowledge of Sakayanagi—
As expected.
Sakayanagi pulled her phone from her pocket, the light reflecting on her face as a flicker of emotion crossed her violet-blue eyes. Her finger tapped the screen, composing a message, then clicked send.
Kamuro's gaze fell on Sakayanagi's screen, catching the recipient's name:
Hikigaya Hachiman.
[Do you have time right now?]
After the message was sent, Sakayanagi placed the phone on the table and seemed to zone out.
Kamuro looked at her and suddenly didn't know what to say. Sakayanagi Arisu—the always proud and composed young lady—was currently staring at her phone screen, waiting for someone's reply.
Whatever. Some things are better left unsaid; it would be impolite.
Meanwhile, in the corridor.
Hikigaya was on his way to the deck when the phone in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out and tapped the screen. It was a message from Sakayanagi.
[Do you have time right now?]
Hikigaya stared at the line for a few seconds, thought about it, and typed.
[Yes. What is it?]
After sending it, he stood there waiting.
The reply came quickly.
[There are some things I'd like to discuss with you. Regarding this exam, and... the next one.]
Hikigaya stared at the words for a second.
[Okay. Where should we meet?]
Sakayanagi replied almost instantly.
[The cafe on the third floor. In ten minutes.]
So urgent?
[Okay.]
Hikigaya put away his phone and continued walking. After a few steps, he stopped and looked down at himself. Same clothes, same face; the only difference was the new glasses on his nose.
He adjusted the frame and let out a soft sigh. He had just run into a classmate who didn't recognize him. Clearly, this look was a bit too unexpected.
Sakayanagi probably won't recognize me either.
So, he took the glasses off and put them back in his pocket.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting