Under Sakayanagi's smiling gaze, Hikigaya maintained an outward facade of calm—his face unflushed, his heartbeat steady—but in reality, he was struggling to even breathe properly.
Had Sakayanagi figured out his relationship with Horikita?
Stay calm!
This little white-haired menace was undoubtedly formidable. Her observational skills and analytical ability were top-tier.
But surely, she wasn't capable of telling at a glance whether Horikita was still… well, a virgin, right?
Hikigaya took a deep breath.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just accompanying Horikita-san to the infirmary. Did you misunderstand something?" he said coolly.
"Oh?" Sakayanagi's smile remained unchanged. "So merely accompanying our dear president to the infirmary was enough to make her attitude toward you do a complete 180?"
"Her attitude changed? In what way?" Hikigaya replied, keeping his voice steady. "She still doesn't care about a deadfish-eyed guy like me. She even snorted at me a few times. You saw that, didn't you?"
"That was just her being shy around you."
"Hah?"
"Hehe, Hikigaya-kun, you're quite impressive. It only took you a short while to completely tame our ever-so-stubborn president."
Sakayanagi's gaze sharpened with amusement.
"Even I would have a hard time pulling that off. After all, our school's Horikita President is famous for her unyielding nature."
"…Uh."
Hikigaya was speechless.
Did… Did he actually break Horikita?
No, no, no! That's impossible!
When they left the restroom, Horikita had been giving him nothing but sour expressions, repeatedly telling him that it was the last time, that they should both forget it ever happened.
She had even said—
She never wanted to see him again in this lifetime.
Sakayanagi's gaze never left him.
"For someone to truly win over our president through normal means… well, that would be far too difficult. So, allow me to make a bold hypothesis—"
Sakayanagi leaned forward slightly, her smile widening.
"Hikigaya-kun, did you and our president… accidentally do it?"
"?!?!"
Nani?!
Hikigaya's pupils shrank, his heart pounding. He stared at the white-haired girl in front of him, utterly in disbelief.
No way!
Did she really figure it out?
That's impossible!
Did Horikita slip up?
Horikita, dammit, how could you be so careless?! How did you even become student council president?!
Seeing Hikigaya remain silent, Sakayanagi's expression shifted slightly.
"…I was right?"
Hikigaya exhaled, trying to regain his composure. "Whatever's between me and Horikita… that's none of your business."
"Indeed, it isn't."
Sakayanagi responded serenely.
But in the next moment, her lips curled into a devilish grin.
"However… what if your girlfriend were to find out about this?"
"…Huh?"
Hikigaya stiffened.
"Hehe, my dear Hikigaya-kun, you wouldn't want your girlfriend to know that you and Horikita kissed, would you?"
"!!"
Hikigaya's mind went blank.
Dead. He was absolutely dead.
This little white-haired menace… she knew they kissed?!
Wait!
Kissing?
Uh… well, cough cough, he and Horikita had done far more than just that.
He instinctively glanced at Sakayanagi, who was watching him with an amused smile, waiting for his reaction.
Hikigaya took a deep breath. "How do you know I even have a girlfriend?"
Sakayanagi chuckled. "Isshiki-san told me. She shared quite a bit about you—especially the fact that your girlfriend is the famous Yukinoshita Yukino from Soubu High."
"That damn Isshiki…"
Hikigaya's eye twitched.
He should never have shown an ounce of sympathy for that backstabbing kouhai. He should have just let her trip and lose all her little pearls.
"…Fine. Yes, I did accidentally kiss Horikita."
After some thought, Hikigaya decided to admit it outright.
"But it was just an accident. My girlfriend is incredibly understanding—she wouldn't care about something trivial like that."
"Are you sure about that?" Sakayanagi's smirk deepened. "Because, from what I recall, Yukinoshita is an extremely possessive woman."
"…Wait, from what you recall?"
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
"You know Yukinoshita?"
Sakayanagi merely smiled without answering.
Meanwhile, just outside the room—
A certain someone, who had been stealthily eavesdropping, had her brows furrowed tightly.
"Sakayanagi… Arisu…"
Yukinoshita muttered to herself.
At first, the name hadn't rung any bells.
But as the conversation continued—
Something about it clicked.
"Sakayanagi… Sakayanagi?!"
Yukinoshita's expression changed.
"Wait… is it that Sakayanagi? Arisu-chan?"
The next second—
She hurriedly pulled out her phone and scrolled through an album she rarely opened.
Flipping through old pictures.
Searching.
Until finally—
She found it.
A picture from her first or second year of elementary school.
In the photo, two little girls—one with black hair, the other with white—stood side by side beneath a cherry blossom tree, both beaming with radiant smiles.
On either side of them stood two elegant women dressed in kimono, wearing warm, gentle expressions.
From left to right—
Sakayanagi's mother.
Sakayanagi-chan.
Yukinoshita-chan.
And Yukinoshita's mother.
"Ugh… It really is Arisu-chan."
Yukinoshita's heart swelled with emotion.
Memories came flooding back.
Sakayanagi Arisu's mother had been close friends with her own mother.
When they were children, Arisu often came over to her house to play.
But then Arisu had gone abroad for her studies, and over time, Yukinoshita had simply… forgotten.
Now, though—
"Hehe~ I've finally caught you, Hikigaya-kun~"
"…Sakayanagi, you're too close."
"My legs are a little numb. So, I'll be counting on you, Hikigaya-kun~"
"…You have a cane."
"A cane? That's nowhere near as convenient as you, Hikigaya-kun~"
"Hah??"
Their conversation drifted into Yukinoshita's ears.
She snapped out of her nostalgic daze.
Wait.
What were those two doing?
[Ding! Hikigaya Hachiman touched Sakayanagi Arisu's waist. Points +220.]
"…Huh?"
Hold on.
Just touching Arisu's waist gave him that many points?!
That's almost on par with what he got from Haruno!
Then if they actually slept together…
Wouldn't that be—?!
A crazy thought suddenly popped into Yukinoshita's mind.
Her childhood friend and her beloved husband…
Maybe… they should develop their relationship a little further?