COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

When it came to the matter of sparring, Haruno readily agreed without a second thought.

In fact, from the tone of her voice, she seemed quite pleased, almost as if she was excited at the prospect of having a free punching bag to relieve her boredom with…

Her only condition was that they arrange a meeting with Kiryuuin this weekend.

That in itself wasn't too surprising, but the odd part was that she insisted Hikigaya tag along as well… What a hassle.

Sigh, I should've known better than to ask for favors.

Owing someone a favor is more troublesome than being in debt.

Hikigaya was realizing this for the first time and couldn't help but regret relying on Kiryuuin's help. It would've been easier to just pay a hundred thousand points instead.

Besides this, there were other issues at school that weighed on his mind.

Due to the upcoming sports festival, this month's class schedule has been altered, with a significant increase in the number of physical education classes.

For most students, this was probably good news.

After all, playing on the field was much more fun than sitting in a stuffy classroom, especially for the students in Class D.

But for Hikigaya, who considered himself a model student with a deep love for learning, it was a nightmare. Ever since elementary school, he had enjoyed staying in the classroom for lessons and even wished P.E. could be canceled altogether.

And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he always struggled to find a warm-up partner during P.E., often ending up paired with the gym teacher or some annoying person…

In any case, P.E. class only brought back unpleasant memories.

Lost in his thoughts, Hikigaya followed the crowd into the gymnasium, where preparations for the sports festival were in full swing. They repeatedly practiced the procedures from the entrance to the exit.

During the free activity period, Class D began testing their athletic abilities.

However, one person's condition was particularly worrying.

That person was none other than Hirata. Ever since Ike's expulsion, Hirata had been a shadow of his former self, with a dull, lifeless expression, responding to no one who tried to talk to him.

Though he showed up for classes every day, he was like a zombie, his eyes devoid of any spirit, a stark contrast to his usually cheerful demeanor.

To be honest, his behavior was rather abnormal.

Regardless of how close Hirata and Ike had been, most people would still see Ike's expulsion as his responsibility.

If people didn't know Hirata's character so well, they might have thought he was losing his mind.

During this P.E. class, Hirata was again dragging his feet, walking unsteadily, with several girls following him worriedly.

Huh? Is he still popular even in this state?

Realizing this, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel that the world was inherently unfair, though he quickly dismissed the thought.

The reason Hirata was receiving so much concern was because he had always contributed to the class, not simply because he was a handsome guy. But then again, if Hirata were ugly, would there be so many girls concerned about him?

…Never mind, it's better not to dwell on that.

After all, avoiding painful thoughts is a basic human instinct, and Hikigaya was no exception.

In fact, what's wrong with liking to run away?

Speaking of which, that girl, Karuizawa… She's supposed to be his girlfriend, at least on the surface, so shouldn't she be concerned? Yet, her lackeys were the ones showing more interest.

Could she have switched sides to Ayanokoji?

Hikigaya couldn't help but recall that night when, after hinting to Ibuki that she should start investigating Karuizawa, he immediately received a response.

Manabe and her group had some issues with Karuizawa.

But that didn't explain much; after all, this school was full of conflicts between people.

Still, it might have confirmed Hikigaya's suspicions.

There was likely something hidden behind Ayanokoji, Karuizawa, and Manabe's group, some secret that hadn't come to light yet.

"I borrowed the equipment. We can start now."

At that moment, Horikita approached with a grip strength meter she had borrowed from the school.

On the surface, there didn't seem to be any need for Class D to conduct these ability tests today. After all, everyone could sign up for the sports festival based on their preferences, with some consideration given to students who weren't as athletic.

But Horikita had still gathered everyone together. Her aim wasn't simply to win the festival but to gather intelligence on her classmates' abilities for future battles.

From this, it was clear that she hadn't given up.

"Alright, guys, just test your dominant hand. Then, tell me the number displayed. I'll record it for each of you. Who wants to go first?"

"Me, me, me! I'll go first!"

Sudo rushed to the front, eager to show off in front of the girl he liked.

Horikita didn't say much, simply handing him the machine.

"Watch closely, Horikita. This is my strength… Oh la!"

Sudo shouted with enthusiasm, gripping the meter tightly. The numbers on the screen rapidly climbed, surpassing fifty, then sixty… seventy…

Finally, the display showed 82.4 kilograms, drawing gasps from everyone around.

"This guy is insanely strong!"

"Hmph, I've been training regularly, so this is only natural!"

Considering Sudo was still a first-year student, this result was indeed impressive. Among the people Hikigaya knew, probably only the student council president could rival him.

However, Class D wasn't without competitors.

Aside from Kouenji, there was also… Ayanokoji, right?

With this thought in mind, Hikigaya glanced at Ayanokoji, who remained as expressionless as ever.

"What do you think, Horikita? Did you see that?"

"I've recorded it. Now, hurry up and pass it to the next person. Don't waste time."

Sudou's face lit up with excitement as he eagerly asked a question, only to receive a lukewarm response.

"Come on, can't you at least say something nice?" he muttered, a bit deflated, as he handed the grip strength tester to Ayanokoji.

"Hey, it's your turn."

"I'll pass for now. I'll do it later," Ayanokoji replied, seemingly searching for an excuse to avoid taking the test—a rare and unusual behavior for him. Hikigaya, standing nearby, couldn't help but notice something odd about Ayanokoji's hesitation.

"Are you kidding me? Don't waste time!" Sudou snapped, directing his irritation towards Ayanokoji, though it didn't really matter.

Reluctantly, Ayanokoji took the grip strength tester from Sudou. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Sudou, what's the average score for high school students?"

"Huh? Around sixty, I think?"

"Sixty, huh..."

Just as Ayanokoji was about to start, a soft chuckle escaped from Hikigaya.

"What's so funny, Hikigaya?" Sudou asked, perplexed.

"I'm laughing at how confidently clueless you are," Hikigaya replied with a deadpan expression. "Sixty? That's middle school level at best. I even remember a particularly strong kid in my fifth-grade class who could manage that."

"Really? Now that you mention it, I think I remember something like that too!" Sudou's expression lit up with sudden realization.

Hikigaya was sure Sudou was just talking nonsense, mainly because he had made up that fact on the spot.

[T/N: This is pure evil! Hikigaya!]

This isn't a world of superhumans like Baki the Grappler or Kengan Ashura. It's absurd to think you'd run into an elementary schooler who could grip that hard.

Yet, someone seemed to be taking it seriously.

Ayanokoji calmly gripped the handles, and unlike Sudou's quick burst of strength, the numbers on the display gradually climbed, finally stopping just above seventy.

"…I can't squeeze any harder," Ayanokoji stated in a calm, almost detached manner as if he hadn't used all his strength.

"Ayanokoji, you're at 70.7?" Horikita asked, surprised.

"That's all I've got. I wasn't holding back, I swear."

"No, that's not what I meant," Horikita replied, shaking her head in confusion as she recorded the result.

Ayanokoji finally began to realize something was off. Just as he was about to ask, Hikigaya walked over.

"Horikita, mine's 55.2."

"Got it," Horikita nodded, jotting it down. "It seems like you haven't been slacking off, Hikigaya. You've been training, huh?"

"Couldn't avoid it... thanks to a certain devilish coach," Hikigaya sighed.

"Huh?"

Their conversation left Ayanokoji completely baffled.

"Wait a second, Hikigaya, didn't you just say that sixty is middle school level?"

"Yeah, but I'm only at elementary school level."

"Uh..." Ayanokoji felt a pang of frustration at Hikigaya's unapologetically smug attitude.

Seeing the situation, Horikita couldn't help but smile slightly, then sarcastically added, "Ayanokoji, it sounds like you got tricked. Or maybe you're slacking off just like you do in exams?"

"Yeah," Hikigaya chimed in, dripping with sarcasm. "Good thing I didn't say a thousand, or you'd have broken the machine."

"...No, that's my actual strength," Ayanokoji insisted, though his tone betrayed a hint of defensiveness.

In the end, aside from Sudou, Ayanokoji's score was the second highest, which shocked many of the others. The rumor of his score would likely spread quickly to the other classes.

Hikigaya felt a brief sense of satisfaction at having messed with Ayanokoji, but that feeling didn't last long.

"Hikigaya, aren't you going to sign up for any of the recommended events?" Horikita asked suddenly.

"Nope, not interested," Hikigaya replied flatly.

There were four recommended events: an item scavenger hunt, a four-way tug-of-war, a mixed-gender three-legged race, and a 1,200-meter mixed relay race. These events were typically for students who weren't academically or athletically strong, to help them avoid ending up in the bottom ten of their year.

The item scavenger hunt, in particular, was largely based on luck, so even those with no athletic prowess could potentially win.

"I understand your reluctance," Horikita sighed softly. "But the problem is, we don't have enough volunteers. You know these four events are held last, so stamina will be a major issue by then."

"I see..."

It was true. The first nine events were mandatory for everyone. Even though one could slack off in the group events, it was still exhausting for those not in good shape.

In that case, forcing oneself to participate in the recommended events would likely result in a poor performance, which would even cost the class points.

"I won't ask you to overexert yourself. There's just one event where we're short a participant. You just need to fill in," Horikita pleaded.

"Sigh... fine," Hikigaya relented. If Horikita was reasonable and her request wasn't too demanding, he usually couldn't refuse.

In his mind, he guessed they were short for either the four-way tug-of-war or the 1,200-meter relay, both of which required more physical ability than the other two.

Hikigaya hoped for the former, thinking it might be less strenuous.

However, what Horikita said next was completely unexpected.

"Great, then I'll sign you up for the mixed-gender three-legged race with Kushida."

"...Huh?"

Before Hikigaya could fully grasp what was happening, Horikita quickly wrote his name on the sign-up sheet, giving him no chance to back out.

Wait, what's going on here?

Setting aside why it had to be the mixed-gender three-legged race, how could Kushida of all people not find a partner?

Every boy in class would jump at the chance to be paired with her!

For a moment, Hikigaya was utterly dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation.

Just then, Kushida approached Horikita.

"Horikita, did you find a partner for me?"

"Yeah, Hikigaya's available... is that okay?"

"Yes, of course!"

Kushida turned to Hikigaya with her usual bright smile.

"Hikigaya, we'll be working together from now on," she said, pumping her fist with enthusiasm. "We'll need to practice every day, even on weekends, so no slacking off!"

"Wait... every day?"

Kushida's words sent shockwaves through the group.

In the blink of an eye, Hikigaya found himself the target of every male classmate's envious, murderous glares.

Whoa... this is no joke.