COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

"There's no chance at all! Damn it!" 

The next day, Hikigaya went to school intending to talk to Hirata and warn him about the school's rules. But what he didn't expect was that his biggest obstacle wasn't the act of approaching Hirata—it was the crowd of girls constantly surrounding him! 

Whether it was on the way to school or during breaks, Hirata was always surrounded by girls, leaving Hikigaya with no chance to get close. 

In just two days, Hirata Yosuke had already become the unofficial leader of Class D. With his sunny appearance and gentle personality, it was no surprise that the girls held him in such high regard. 

Even among the guys—who typically disliked people similar to themselves—his helpful nature won him plenty of respect. Of course, the idiot duo didn't count. 

This alone proved that Hirata Yosuke wasn't some two-faced hypocrite. He genuinely treated both girls and guys the same way. 

"Damn normies…" 

Hikigaya sighed, making it clear that he was absolutely not jealous. Not! At! All! 

Luckily, these girls weren't crazy enough to follow Hirata into the bathroom, so Hikigaya finally found a chance to talk to him. Casually, he brought up the issues of school rules and private points, but Hirata's response made Hikigaya frown. 

"Private points? Hikigaya, are you worried about spending too much? Don't worry, I'm pretty frugal, so I don't have a lot of expenses. If you ever need help, just let me know." 

"As for classroom discipline… yeah, it's a problem. I already talked to sensei about it, but there's no good solution for now. If the other students are bothering you, I apologize on their behalf." 

Wait… what? 

Why the hell are you apologizing for other people's mistakes?! 

Hikigaya almost lost it. 

He was so good-looking—so why was his brain so stupid?!

"Hirata, don't you think there's something strange about this school? The class points, the private points—it's way too generous to the students. A hundred thousand yen per month for each person? Does that even sound possible? Could there be something else hidden behind all this? And the teachers' attitudes are just too suspicious. Can they really guarantee a 100% graduation and employment rate while letting students do whatever they want?" 

Hikigaya's words were blunt, not even a subtle hint—he was outright saying that this school had serious issues. But surprisingly, Hirata remained completely calm. 

"Actually, Hikigaya, I've noticed it too. I've thought about it for a long time." 

Hikigaya's face lit up. See? There's no way a popular guy like him could be that clueless! 

"But for me, the most important thing is that everyone in class gets along. Right now, everyone is happy every day, and seeing those smiles is enough for me. Also, I really appreciate you, Hikigaya. You've shown me that there are others in class who worry about these things too. That's really great. It makes me happy." 

Watching Hirata look like he was about to be moved to tears, Hikigaya fell silent. 

Was he not being clear enough? 

Or was Hirata just an idiot? 

Hikigaya had a feeling that Hirata actually understood what he was trying to say, but he was deliberately avoiding it. 

Was he afraid to face the truth? Or was there another reason? 

"As expected, Class D is full of problem kids." 

Hikigaya had originally thought Hirata was one of the more competent and normal students in Class D. But now, something felt off. He let out a sigh. 

If even Hirata was a dead end, then who else in Class D could he talk to? 

Surely not the ice queen sitting nearby? 

"You've been staring at people all day. It's really annoying," Horikita said, looking visibly irritated. 

"I was just curious about the number of security cameras in the classroom and all over the school. With how bad the classroom discipline is, doesn't anyone worry about getting caught on camera? And the teachers, too—they don't even try to do anything about it." 

"Is that really so hard to understand? The cameras are there to prevent students from breaking rules. And as for classroom discipline, even little kids know how to behave in class. Do teachers really need to remind them? That's just a waste of time. If they get punished by the school, they have no one to blame but themselves!" 

Horikita's words were sharp and unforgiving. Even Hikigaya could feel the irritation in her voice. 

Clearly, she was just as frustrated with the chaotic classroom atmosphere. She had barely been holding it in, but now that Hikigaya had brought it up, it gave her the perfect chance to vent. 

It was obvious from the way she spoke that she had completely given up on the class. She had decided to just focus on herself and let the rest of them crash and burn. 

Hikigaya twitched at her response. The difference between Hirata and Horikita was like night and day. If Hirata had even a fraction of her principles and toughness, maybe Class D wouldn't be such a mess. 

"Uh… what exactly do the private points and class points mean? Giving students such a huge privilege for no reason—it just feels suspicious and unsettling." Hikigaya decided to give it one more try. 

"You know…" Horikita narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Is this really such a hard thing to understand? Also, I have zero interest in high school romance." 

With that, the ice queen turned away, leaving Hikigaya standing there, completely dumbfounded. 

Well… actually, Hikigaya was used to being misunderstood by girls. At this point, it didn't even faze him. 

—Like hell it didn't! 

Even though he had expected this, the result was still disappointing. But then again, it made sense. He was the bottom of the social ladder in class. Who would actually listen to him? 

Honestly, even the two class idiots probably had more influence than he did. Reality was just that cruel. 

In most cases, people in power don't actually want advice from those below them. They just want obedience, so they can maintain their authority and status. 

Even if Hikigaya told Hirata everything, there was no guarantee he'd accept it. In fact, he'd probably just see Hikigaya as someone trying to stir up trouble and ruin the class harmony. 

This was the ugly side of group dynamics—the voice of an individual was weak, and the power to shape the group was always in the hands of a few. That was exactly why Hikigaya had long since given up on believing in "community." 

It was also one of the reasons loners existed. 

Yeah, trying to discuss this with the class was a complete mistake from the start. 

This class is hopeless. Might as well just let it burn.

一 一 一 一 一

You can read 30 advanced chapters on

pat reon.com/GMadman

一 一 一 一 一