Haichiman's Super Strength

When Hikigaya Hachiman arrived in the classroom, a group of students from Class B had already gathered around Ichinose Honami, chatting animatedly.

It felt like some of them had glanced at me.

Don't worry.

I understand.

Hikigaya averted his gaze and walked to his seat. With a practiced motion, he put on his headphones, laid his head on the desk, and shut himself off from the rest of the world.

Once a small group is formed, it's difficult for an outsider to join.

The way Yukinoshita Yukino had treated him yesterday had already made it clear—they weren't interested in including him.

Don't worry.

Hikigaya Hachiman is not someone who troubles others.

Really.

No one bothered him after that.

Laughter and lively conversation continued to fill the air around Ichinose's group.

Hikigaya cracked one eye open and peeked in their direction.

Ichinose really was exceptional.

In just a single day, she had become the center of the class.

What was even more unbelievable was that she had managed to transcend the gender divide—both boys and girls surrounded her with equal enthusiasm.

With someone like her, Class B's promotion to Class A seemed inevitable.

How fortunate.

Hikigaya secretly felt relieved that she was in his class.

For people like Ichinose, saving up 20 million private points wasn't even a necessity. Her natural charisma alone would ensure a smooth rise through the ranks.

But for him?

He had to save up.

From childhood to now, he had always been alone.

No matter what happened, he faced it by himself.

While others leaned on each other for support, he dealt with everything head-on.

That was what it meant to be truly strong.

A faint smirk formed on Hikigaya's lips as he shifted his gaze elsewhere.

If Ichinose was the social nucleus among the girls, then Shibata was the male equivalent.

Even several girls were gathered around him, laughing at something he said.

At a glance, it was a truly sickening sight.

I refuse to watch any longer.

Compared to that nonsense, the real issue was how to get MAX Coffee into this school.

As the class bell rang, a middle-aged teacher walked in, and the students returned to their seats.

I have to admit.

Class B was impressive.

Even though the teacher seemed relaxed, almost everyone listened attentively. Only a few students slacked off from time to time.

Much better than me.

Of course, that didn't mean I was being lazy.

There were no separate liberal arts and science tracks in this school.

So, giving up on science subjects wasn't an option.

Naturally, Hikigaya listened carefully.

He only studied what was useful.

But subjects like Japanese literature?

Honestly.

He was confident in those.

Just throw in some poetic rhetoric and exaggerated praises, and you could always secure a good grade.

There was no need to waste time listening.

English Class: The Real Struggle Begins

English class.

Hikigaya could barely keep his eyes open.

Self-studying would be more effective than listening to this.

His eyelids grew heavy, and eventually, he drifted off to sleep.

In his dreamlike haze—

Something was poking his back.

Repeatedly.

Annoyingly.

Disgustingly.

Slowly, Hikigaya opened his eyes.

And realized that someone was actually poking his spine.

He turned around.

A girl with short white hair was holding a gel pen, poking him.

The moment their eyes met, she blushed and quickly looked away, staring at the floor.

I think I've seen her before…

Her nameplate had been removed, so he couldn't remember her full name.

But he remembered what others called her—Rina Haruki.

His eyes filled with resentment.

Rina hesitated, her face slightly red, and glanced at the floor.

Following her gaze, Hikigaya spotted an eraser lying in the middle of the aisle.

…So, that's what this was about.

Alright.

For a moment, I thought I was being bullied by some shy girl.

But.

I have bad memories of this sort of thing.

Back in elementary school, I once picked up an eraser for a girl.

She wiped it over and over with tissues, then started crying, saying, "Never mind."

I have no idea how I survived that.

I no longer have the emotional strength for such situations.

If Rina does the same, I might actually want to die.

So.

Hikigaya turned toward his deskmate instead.

I think his name is Himuro Yuki.

Let's call him Yuki.

Feeling Hikigaya's gaze, Yuki glanced sideways.

Hikigaya motioned toward the fallen eraser.

Yuki looked down.

Then looked up.

Then looked at the blackboard.

You're kidding.

Are you seriously pretending not to see it?!

Hikigaya was stunned.

What kind of heartless person refuses to pick up an eraser?!

A demon who enjoys stealing candy from children?

…Oh.

Right.

That's me.

Never mind.

With no other choice, Hikigaya sighed and bent down to grab the eraser.

He placed it on Rina's desk.

Thankfully, she accepted it with both hands, holding it close to her chest.

She gave him a small nod, her cheeks still tinged red.

Good.

If she had taken out a tissue, I might have cried.

But.

Rina, don't you drop your eraser a little too often?

Hikigaya deadpanned.

In just a single English class, she had dropped her eraser more than ten times.

And each time, he had to pick it up.

That's crossing the line!

Was this some new form of bullying?

It was tragic.

It was only the second day of school, and he was already getting bullied.

I want to die.

After class ended, Hikigaya collapsed onto his desk and shut his eyes.

If Rina kept poking his back like this, he was going to develop a nervous disorder.

But the real crisis?

No MAX Coffee.

I'm seriously dying here.

Unexpected Encounter

"Hikigaya-san, are you awake?"

An energetic whisper reached his ears.

Hikigaya tensed.

That voice.

It belonged to Ichinose Honami.

The same person who had been standing near Rina this morning.

This is bad.

Is this bullying?

It is bullying, right?!

Definitely bullying!

Rina must have called her accomplice to help torment me.

Rina…

I misjudged you.

You're far more vicious than I expected.

It's only the second day of school, and I've already offended the class's central figures.

My social life is over.

Hikigaya kept his eyes shut, pretending not to hear her.

If she asks me to follow her to the bathroom, I'm doomed.

I need to escape.

"Hikigaya-san."

Nope.

She wasn't giving up.

He felt a gentle shake on his shoulder.

…This is bad.

No choice, then.

As a fellow guy, I can't just let this happen.

Fighting back is the only option.

I've been bullied before—I know how this works.

The best defense is a good offense!

If they want to mess with me, I'll strike first!

Hikigaya shot up from his seat—

And prepared for battle.