Late at night, Hikigaya dragged his sore and aching body along the school path. With every step he took, he could feel the sharp pain from his torn and overworked muscles.
"Haruno, you absolute demon! Do you even see people as human?!"
Hikigaya grumbled under his breath, his resentment toward a certain someone almost materializing into a visible aura.
Right after school, before he even had a chance to ask any questions, Haruno had dragged him off to the gym. She claimed it was to "train his combat skills," but in reality, he had spent hours being nothing more than her personal punching bag.
"I told you before, I hold a rank in Aikido."
"I'll take on ten opponents! And by that, I mean you, Hikigaya!"
Even now, Hikigaya could still hear Haruno's devilish whisper echoing in his ears, sending a shiver down his spine.
"From now on, you're running two kilometers every morning—no slacking off! And don't forget to buy me breakfast!"
"Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you'll report to the gym for Aikido training. Also, call me Coach Haruno!"
A cute and lively girl coaching someone in martial arts—this kind of thing only happens in anime and light novels. Of course… it wasn't free!
To top it all off, Hikigaya had to cover the cost of the private training room at the gym. But that wasn't even the worst part!
After training, Haruno claimed he needed "proper nutrition and energy replenishment" and dragged him to a high-end Japanese restaurant.
"Why is there even a fancy restaurant like this on school grounds?!"
Hikigaya looked at the menu, his heart sinking as he saw the outrageous prices.
"Surprised? I was shocked too when I first found this place!"
Haruno casually picked up the menu and ordered with ease.
Silver cod tofu, pine needle yam, charcoal-grilled Biwa trout, crab roe vinegar jelly with perilla flowers, and an assortment of seasonal sashimi…
Hikigaya had no idea what any of these were, but the fancy names alone made him feel intimidated. His throat betrayed him with an involuntary gulp.
Wait—hold on a second!
By the time he realized what had happened, the waitress had already taken the menu and left.
"Miss Haruno, I'd like to know what would happen if someone dined and dashed here."
Now that they were in such an upscale place, Hikigaya subconsciously used polite language when addressing Haruno. He couldn't let people see through his country-boy roots from Chiba!
Haruno looked at his serious expression and burst into laughter. "Relax, this place isn't as expensive as you think."
A true top-tier restaurant would be completely out of reach for an ordinary student like Hikigaya.
"This place is actually meant for hosting visiting officials and guests. But since those occasions are pretty rare, it's also open to teachers, the student council, and some clubs. The prices here are about 60% cheaper than similar places outside—kind of like a hidden perk of this school. Hardly anyone knows about it."
Hikigaya listened in disbelief, but when he saw the smirk on Haruno's lips, he immediately realized—he'd been tricked!
"Haha, actually, you can put it on a tab here."
"…"
Seeing Hikigaya's despairing face, Haruno finally stopped messing with him. "But seriously, I wasn't lying. The prices here are much lower than outside, at least for students. That said, it's still expensive enough that most students can't afford to eat here, even if they know about it."
Hikigaya felt slightly relieved… and then deeply regretted it.
After all that exercise, his body was starving, and the delicate, fancy food wasn't nearly enough to fill him up.
In fact, the refined flavors only made his hunger worse!
So, under the bewildered gaze of the waitress and Haruno's uncontrollable laughter, Hikigaya ordered a large bowl of ramen and several rice balls.
Hikigaya swore that the Demon Queen had definitely brought him here right after intense exercise on purpose—just to see him embarrass himself!
"I'll tell you a not-so-secret secret: our vice president often brings different girls here for meals."
Haruno spoke with a meaningful look.
"Vice president? You mean the second-year Nagumo?"
Hikigaya blurted out the name without thinking.
"Looks like you've been paying attention to him too, huh?"
"It was a fifty-fifty guess. Besides, I don't think Kiriyama is the kind of person who would come to a place like this."
"Tsk tsk, so what you're really saying is that Kiriyama doesn't seem like the type to have girlfriends. Just like you, right?"
Haruno covered her mouth and laughed mischievously.
Hikigaya's face twitched at her words. This Demon Queen really knew how to hit where it hurt. So what if I don't have a girlfriend? I still have my little sister!
"Huh, eating ramen and rice balls at a fancy restaurant actually feels pretty nice."
Haruno took a bite of her rice ball, her face lighting up with surprise and delight.
"I think the rice balls in the school cafeteria that only cost 100 points are pretty good too."
Hikigaya muttered resentfully, grumbling in his head—of course, the ones here are good, they cost 1,000 points each!
"But in the cafeteria, could you comfortably sit and have a meal with me?"
The restaurant had a private, spacious Japanese-style room with elegant traditional decor. The soft tatami mats, the faint floral scent seeping through the curtains, and the distant view of a carefully arranged dry landscape garden—it was more than just a meal; it was a feast for the senses.
Compared to the noisy, crowded school cafeteria, this place was on a completely different level. One of the reasons upper-class people favored such restaurants, besides the food, was their privacy. It made them perfect for secret meetings or confidential discussions.
"So basically, what you're saying is that us commoners can only be worthy of dining with Miss Haruno if we come to a place like this?"
Hikigaya sneered.
"So, commoner-kun, are you upset?"
Haruno wasn't offended at all. Instead, she smiled cheerfully.
"No!"
"Doesn't my first time deserve more appreciation from you? So sad~ As expected, after getting what they want, men always change~"
The dramatic lady put on a pitiful act, pretending to sob softly.
"S-Sorry!"
The waitress who had just walked in to serve dessert stiffened, quickly put the dish down, muttered an apology, and left in a hurry.
"..."
"What I meant was, this is my first time having a meal with a boy. At school."
Haruno giggled behind her hand.
…
Even now, just thinking back on it made Hikigaya's face go pale. Yukinoshita Haruno was truly a devil!
The dinner had ended up costing a whopping 200,000 yen—the most expensive meal Hikigaya had ever had in his life. If Komachi found out, she'd definitely call him a reckless spender and beg him to take her next time.
There was a time when he couldn't imagine himself ever spending that much on a meal, but now? He barely felt a ripple. Money really does make people indulgent.
That said, the food was absolutely worth the price. Just recalling the dishes made him instinctively swallow.
People do need a bit of luxury every now and then. Even though the cost of the meal pained him, the emotional satisfaction it brought was undeniable.
"Ugh! So annoying!"
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out, followed by a loud *clang*.
It was past 10 p.m., and the campus road was deserted under the cold moonlight. The sudden outburst made Hikigaya jump.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating! I'm so pissed off. Damn it, damn it!!! That awful woman—why won't she just go die?!!!"
A furious female voice, filled with resentment, echoed in the night, occasionally accompanied by the sound of someone kicking a railing.
Blonde delinquent girl with a violent streak?!
The first image that popped into Hikigaya's mind.
"Tsk, this has nothing to do with me."
Even though he said he wouldn't get involved, his body betrayed him as he curiously crept toward the source of the voice.
"As a student council member, checking on students staying out late is totally normal."
Then, Hikigaya spotted an unexpected figure—Class D's little angel, Kushida Kikyo.
It was hard to believe that the deep, resentment-filled voice had come from this energetic girl, whom so many people saw as a "little angel."
A flash of shock crossed Hikigaya's face, but he quickly returned to a look of "Ah, so this is what you're really like." He even started to feel a little excited—what could have pushed Kushida to finally drop her mask?
"Acting all cold and aloof, but there are still idiots kissing up to her. Pathetic! That's right, they're all the same kind of trash! Damn you, Ike, you piss me off so much!!!"
Huh, she didn't mention a name, but Horikita immediately came to Hikigaya's mind.
"Ugh, so annoying. I hate her! That woman!! That damn woman!!! Horikita, I hate you! I seriously hate you!!!"
This is getting interesting.
Peeking into someone's secrets might be unethical, but the thrill of it was surprisingly addictive. Maybe that's why, despite all the warnings, people kept doing it.
Kushida didn't just curse at Horikita—she raised her foot and kicked the railing in front of her. The loud banging echoed through the night. Honestly, she might even be angrier than that explosion-loving kid.
Hikigaya's eyes twitched as he accidentally caught a glimpse of a certain forbidden zone.
Uh… thanks for the eye candy, but I should really get out of here.
The next second, a ringtone suddenly blared from the pocket of a certain dead-fish-eyed boy.
He froze on the spot, cold sweat running down his face as he stared at the girl who had just turned around. Forcing an awkward smile, he said, "Uh… the moon is beautiful tonight?"
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