The bus departing from the station was nearly empty.
This was understandable, as it had just arrived and was preparing to pick up passengers.
I sat in the fourth-to-last row, reading a book.
Opening the window, the gentle spring breeze felt pleasant against my cheek.
At this rate, I might fall asleep.
After reading for a while, more passengers gradually boarded.
Looking around, I saw office workers, high school girls in sailor uniforms, and mothers with children. Though seated separately, they all glanced at me.
But my uniform was too conspicuous to ignore.
Deliberately ignoring their gazes, I flipped open my book again... when someone gently tapped my shoulder. I looked up.
"Um... can I sit next to you?"
Standing before me was a silver-haired girl with a soft, gentle aura.
And she was wearing the same uniform as me.
I glanced around. Besides me, there were only two empty seats left... Ah, now there's only this one.
Having a girl sit next to me is such a hassle... Oh well. "Go ahead."
"Thank you! Ah, I'm Hiyori Shiina. Since we have the same uniform, we must be classmates. If we end up in the same class, please take care of me."
"...Hachiman Hikigaya."
After inwardly sighing and acknowledging her, she thanked me and sat down.
A pleasant fragrance drifted over as I focused on my book, simply giving my name.
But Shiina, my seatmate, was studying the book in my hands with great interest. Suddenly, she leaned closer.
"A Study in Scarlet? Hikigaya-kun likes Conan Doyle?"
"Ah, um..."
Caught off guard, I nodded instinctively.
"Really? I love him too!"
She pulled out a copy of *The Sign of Four*.
Unlike my Japanese translation, hers was the original English edition.
This girl's a hardcore bookworm.
"It's rare to find someone our age who reads these days. I'm so happy to meet a fellow enthusiast!"
She smiled, her face so close I could almost feel her breath, yet her eyes held no trace of condescension.
Is this what a "natural" girl is like...?!
"It's true, hardly anyone read books in middle school..."
Mobile games and manga were everywhere, but the bookworms—including me—could be counted on one hand.
Actually, I stopped reading at school after being ostracized for something in middle school, when my personal belongings kept getting vandalized.
As I was thinking this, the bus slowly started moving.
Throughout the ride, Shiina kept chatting about Conan Doyle, leaving me no choice but to force myself to respond.
To be honest, I was dying of nervousness, but her gentle demeanor made it impossible to refuse. Besides, her eyes held none of the contempt I'd endured in middle school, so I managed to keep up a conversation.
"...You love reading so much. Are you planning to become a librarian after graduation?"
"That's one option, but since I got into Advanced Nurturing High School, I want to explore other possibilities."
That made sense. The Advanced Nurturing High School that Shiina and I had gotten into was one of the top schools in the country, guaranteeing college admission and employment.
With such a secure future, it was natural to consider various paths.
But for me, the most important thing was the rule: "After enrollment, communication with the outside world is prohibited except in special circumstances, and students are not allowed to leave the school grounds."
In middle school, I had been forced to join a club, and every day from my second year until graduation had been hell.
The club members constantly pressured me to apologize and hurled insults at me. The advisor teacher would resort to physical violence at the slightest provocation. My classmates spread rumors and slandered me. My younger sister sided with the club members, urging me to apologize. My parents, swayed by their biased accounts, threatened to kick me out.
I only escaped that ordeal by threatening to report them to child protective services and the police.
When I applied to Advanced Nurturing High School, my parents were overjoyed.
I, too, desperately wanted to escape my family, making it a win-win situation.
For the next three years, I could finally find peace.
I would avoid trouble, focus on my studies, graduate into a good company, and marry a woman who could support me while I became a stay-at-home husband—that was my dream.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you have any career aspirations?"
"Ah—not yet. I came here because of the school's guaranteed future prospects."
I gave her a perfunctory answer.
To be honest, I didn't want to talk to girls—or anyone, for that matter—but Shiina was just too adorable.
She'd definitely be a popular figure at school.
If I treated her badly, I might end up incurring the resentment of others.
That would go against my pursuit of a peaceful life.
From now on, I planned to adhere to the principle of "never initiating conversations, responding politely when spoken to, and never interfering in troublesome matters unless they directly affected me."
Looking out the bus window, I saw a luxury sedan approaching ahead. Suddenly, a dog darted onto the road.
Wait a minute... could that car and the dog...?
*Thump!*
"S-Sable!"
In the brief moment the bus passed the sedan, the sound of impact was followed by a familiar cry of alarm.
Perhaps fearing trouble or because there was a car behind us, the bus didn't stop and continued on its way.
"Poor thing..." Shiina murmured, her face filled with sorrow.
The other passengers whispered among themselves.
That guy... hasn't learned from his middle school entrance? Keep your dog on a leash!
I felt a deep sense of despair at Yui's lack of learning ability.
Counting the middle school entrance ceremony and the mall incident, this was the third time—as the saying goes, "third time's the charm." Poor Sable, stuck with such a foolish owner.
As the bus rattled along, I silently mourned for Sable and prayed that my upcoming high school life would be peaceful.