COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

"What a disgusting feeling." 

Suddenly, Hikigaya felt a strange chill run down his spine. He followed his instinct and looked toward the back row by the window—where he briefly locked eyes with a stone-faced guy. Their gaze met for only a moment before quickly shifting away, like a meaningless glance between strangers. 

But that moment was enough. 

That feeling was disgusting… and dangerous. 

For just a second, Hikigaya felt like he was being hunted.

This guy with a blank face is really dangerous! 

It wasn't just Hikigaya's instincts telling him this—it was because he had felt the same kind of gaze from someone else before. 

As a loner, Hikigaya was highly sensitive to the "looks" people gave him. He had experienced the complexity and cruelty of social interactions firsthand. His dead fish eyes could see through most people's true nature, and he even jokingly named this ability "Human Observation A." 

This blank-faced guy—he was observing. 

He was watching the other students in class! 

His gaze was cold and emotionless, like a hunter scanning for prey, sizing up the students as if they were goods on display, judging their usefulness. 

"He's a nasty piece of work," Hikigaya muttered to himself, then scoffed. "But what does that have to do with me, an outcast at the bottom of the food chain?" 

If human society had a food chain, most ordinary people would be in the middle. They needed to fit in with others to survive, forming groups and moving forward together. But this blank-faced guy was clearly at the top. Hikigaya also considered people like Hayama and Haruno to be the same—born predators. 

As for himself, or someone like Zaimokuza, they were obviously at the very bottom of this social food chain, mere producers or outliers. 

Hikigaya understood well that his world and theirs were like oil and water. They would never mix. To be exact, no one would want to associate with an "outcast"—unless they wanted to be labeled as one too. 

"Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment?" 

While the class was still buzzing over the surprise 100,000 yen, a boy with the demeanor of a model student stepped up to the podium. Standing in front of everyone, he showed no nervousness at all. Instead, he flashed a bright, sunny smile and introduced himself. 

This boy, named Hirata Yosuke, was trying to bring the class together. Using the idea that "we'll be living together as friends for the next three years," he encouraged everyone to introduce themselves. He wanted to turn this group of strangers into a real class. 

You had to admit—it took courage and a lot of confidence to pull that off. Judging by how smoothly he did it, he must have had experience with this kind of thing in middle school. Hikigaya knew for sure that he could never do something like that. 

Looking at Hirata Yosuke, Hikigaya was reminded of a popular internet term—"warm guy." 

Like a central heater, this "warm guy" effortlessly lifted the class atmosphere with just a few words, earning quite a bit of goodwill. And with his natural "warming presence," plenty of girls were already staring at him with dreamy eyes. That might sound like an exaggeration, but it was pretty close to the truth. 

In a class still in chaos, the first person to step up and speak always drew a lot of attention. Without even trying, Hirata Yosuke had already established himself as a leader. 

Brave, confident, a sunny smile, a love for soccer—and, most importantly, a really handsome face. 

Handsome and athletic—the perfect normie package! 

For teenage girls, it was practically unfair! 

Unfortunately, Hikigaya's mind immediately linked Hirata Yosuke to someone he absolutely couldn't stand—a guy who was nice to everyone and never turned anyone down! 

Under Hirata's gentle encouragement of "no pressure, just introduce yourself if you want," the students began their introductions. 

First up was a blonde, strong-willed gyaru who acted tough but seemed a little soft on the inside. 

Next were a few girls around her, already forming a small friend group. 

Then came a blonde, muscle-bound narcissist who kept staring into his pocket mirror and randomly threw in weird English words while speaking. 

Following him was a loud, red-haired delinquent and a pair of monkey-brained idiots. 

One of them, Yamauchi Haruki, claimed he had been a national-level ping pong player in elementary school, boasting about his Zero Serve and curveball serve—earning himself the title "The Empire's Refrigeration Robot." 

He also said he had played baseball in middle school, wore the legendary number 4 jersey, was a dual-role pitcher and batter, and could throw a 152 km/h fastball. People supposedly called him "Little Sho-Time of Mutsu", and he was already scouted by the LA Dodgers. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during a high school game and was now in recovery. 

The classroom fell into a strange silence. 

Honestly, Hikigaya didn't even know where to begin picking that apart. Judging by the weird looks on everyone's faces, neither did they. 

Meanwhile, Yamauchi sat there looking smug, convinced that everyone was just too awed by his glorious past to speak. 

"Alright, I guess it's my turn next." 

The next student to stand up was Kushida Kikyo—a cute, cheerful girl with short golden hair. She greeted everyone in a bubbly voice and introduced herself. 

She claimed she had no friends after entering this school and wanted to become friends with everyone. 

"Ehehe!" 

A cute face, a well-proportioned body, a soft, sweet voice, and a smile as sweet as candy. 

She even shared her contact info with the class and warmly invited both boys and girls to add her as a friend. 

No doubt about it—after Hirata the "warm guy," Kushida Kikyo was the next student to win over the class. 

Looking around, most of the boys were already completely mesmerized by this friendly, adorable girl. 

 Just like Hirata, Kushida Kikyo was on a totally different level compared to these teenage boys. 

Because let's be honest—what guy wouldn't like a cute, sweet, and kind girl? 

That's a lie. 

A certain dead-fish-eyed loner thought to himself. 

If reality is cruel, then kindness is just a well-crafted illusion.

So kindness is a lie! 

Because to them, kindness is just a social skill! 

And this blonde girl in front of him, the one who "wants to be friends with everyone"—Hikigaya's first impression of her was that she was cheerful and cute. But when he looked closer, he could feel something off, something fake. So behind this so-called mask of "kindness," what kind of lie was she hiding? 

The forty self-introductions were almost over, and next was the guy with a blank expression who made Hikigaya feel uncomfortable. 

"Uh... I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. My skills... I don't really have any. Um... also, I'll do my best with everyone. Nice to meet you." 

It was simple and gave the impression that he wasn't good with words. There was nothing special about it, and the moment he finished speaking, people had already forgotten about sixty or seventy percent of it. It didn't catch anyone's attention at all—completely different from what Hikigaya had expected! 

Was he overthinking things? Hikigaya started to doubt himself. 

"Horikita Suzune. Nice to meet you." 

A long-haired, cold-looking girl. Her short introduction matched her personality—distant, unapproachable, and giving off a strong "stay away from me" vibe. Almost everyone could tell she wasn't easy to get along with. 

Horikita Suzune, the ice queen that not even the warmth of the ever-friendly Hirata could melt. 

Hirata Yosuke still had his usual sunny and gentle smile, showing no signs of disappointment or frustration. Then... his "mom-like" gaze landed on Hikigaya. 

"..." 

Crap! Is it my turn already? 

Hikigaya only now realized that he was the last one left. The entire class was staring at him. 

If there was one thing he absolutely hated, self-introductions would be at the top of the list. 

Not only because of two past disasters but also because the atmosphere was filled with an unspoken rule—"Refusing means you don't belong." 

He knew that no one could go against this kind of atmosphere. People were forced to act against their will. 

Because "everyone" said so. Because "everyone" did it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be part of "everyone." 

Like that shy girl at the start, Inogashira Kokoro. Like the socially anxious girl sitting to Hikigaya's right, acting like an ostrich. A few other quiet, introverted students were also reluctantly following along. 

At some point, self-introductions had turned into a way to compete for status in the class. Just from a first impression, you could determine your place in the hierarchy. 

People like Hirata and Kushida, who were cheerful and friendly, naturally became the center of attention—the top of the class food chain. Most students, who didn't stand out, ended up in the middle. 

And then there were people like Hikigaya, destined to be the "sacrificial offerings" for others to step on and boost their own status! 

Hikigaya wasn't all-knowing, but at least he was self-aware. That's why he hated this kind of ignorance! 

Being part of it, having no control over it—even he wasn't immune to making mistakes. 

No matter how much he disliked it, no matter how much he looked down on it, his body still stood up on its own. 

Even after all the embarrassing, even traumatic experiences, and despite swearing he wouldn't compromise again, deep down, a small part of him still held onto the foolish hope that maybe this time, things could start over. That maybe he could fix the social failures of his past. 

This kind of pathetic self—he really despised it. 

Taking a deep breath, Hikigaya tried to maintain a friendly expression. 

"Hello, everyone, I'm Hikiga—" 

"Attention, first-year students! The entrance ceremony is about to begin. Please gather at the first gym on the west side of the school within fifteen minutes." 

"Repeating the announcement..." 

The sudden announcement immediately caught everyone's attention. It played three times, and soon, footsteps could be heard in the hallway as other students started heading toward the gym. The rest of the class also began leaving. 

As for Hikigaya... 

Sorry, who's Hikigaya again? 

Meanwhile, his "seatmate," the ice queen who had managed to avoid the awkward moment altogether—why was she looking at him with pity?! 

Noticing his gaze, Horikita remained cold and indifferent, then walked out of the classroom without a second glance. 

Wait... was I just ignored?! 

Hirata Yosuke, ever the kind and considerate guy, apologized to Hikigaya with a guilty look. He said it was his fault for not keeping track of the ceremony's schedule, leading to this "accident."

"No problem." 

…Yeah, right! 

Hikigaya said with a blank expression. 

He really shouldn't have expected anything from the start! 

No expectations, no disappointment. No attachments, no pain! 

Hikigaya, you're such a clown! 

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