Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

"Where's Hikigaya?"

"How would I know!"

Miura shot Kawasaki a glare, clearly annoyed. She had just finished a few laps when Kawasaki stopped her.

"That's strange. Where could he have gone?"

Ignoring Miura's irritation, Kawasaki mumbled, "He's not on the field or in the gym…"

"..."

Miura's face remained expressionless as she retorted, "Heh, still claiming you don't like him? Yet your mind's full of Hikigaya."

"Wha—who likes him?!"

Kawasaki's face flushed red, and she immediately snapped back, "I already told you, this is all for Yukinoshita! I'm supervising Hikigaya on her behalf!"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Miura added, "I think I saw him earlier walking with Kasumigaoka."

"What?"

Kawasaki's face changed drastically. She tugged at her hair in frustration.

"Hikigaya was with Kasumigaoka?"

Miura raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Pausing for a second, Kawasaki huffed, "Fine, I'll tell you. Kasumigaoka has been getting really close to Hikigaya lately. I suspect those two might have something going on!"

"What?!"

Miura's brows knitted tightly.

Kawasaki, too preoccupied, ignored Miura and hurried off to continue her search for Hikigaya.

Miura remained in place, silent.

Reflecting back, she had to admit that Hikigaya and Kasumigaoka had indeed been spending a lot of time together lately.

They were often seen chatting and laughing during breaks.

Could it be that those two were…?

Her heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, Miura realized she had completely lost interest in her running routine.

For some inexplicable reason, the thought of Hikigaya being with another girl left her feeling deeply unsettled.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha… She always dresses so provocatively, doesn't she? Just like Kirisu-sensei, always in black stockings..."

In terms of looks, Miura believed she was on par with Kasumigaoka.

But when it came to figure…

She had to admit defeat.

Kasumigaoka's body was just too alluring!

Her seductive curves didn't belong on a high school student—they were more fitting for a mature woman!

"Could she really be some sort of vixen?"

With that thought, Miura felt a pang of unease.

If Hikigaya had fallen for Kasumigaoka's charms...

What would she do?

Ahem.

No, no, what would Yuigahama do?

Regardless of the scenario, there was no way she could let another woman make the first move!

For the sake of Yukinoshita's master plan, she couldn't allow this!

Miura abandoned her training entirely, resolved to track down Hikigaya as well.

---

As gym class neared its end, behind the school building:

The zipper of a short skirt slid into place.

Kasumigaoka straightened her slightly wrinkled gym uniform, then stretched lazily.

Her S-curve silhouette was irresistibly seductive, like a perfectly ripe peach inviting a bite.

With a warm smile, she leaned her head against Hikigaya's shoulder.

"Air-kun, love you~~~"

"!!"

Hikigaya stiffened, his voice steady but low.

"Let's go. Class is about to end."

"Hehe~"

Kasumigaoka chuckled softly but didn't argue.

As they walked back toward the locker rooms:

"Slow down, Air-kun. Your pace is too fast for me to keep up~"

"Uh…"

Hikigaya stopped and turned to look at her.

He noticed something off about the way she was walking.

"Senpai, are you… okay?"

"Hehe, I'm fine."

Kasumigaoka smiled, shaking her head.

"You know how it is with women. Just give me five minutes, and I'll be back to normal."

Ah, that makes sense.

Another piece of peculiar knowledge filed away.

Hikigaya nodded in understanding.

"But…"

Kasumigaoka pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Air-kun, you're different today."

"Different?"

"Mm. Stronger than before."

"??"

Hikigaya's face flushed.

It seemed his nightly training sessions were paying off!

As expected, running was essential for guys!

"Still…" Kasumigaoka smirked, her tone teasing.

"Even if you're stronger, so what? In the end, the victor is still me! Weren't you the one who surrendered at my feet?"

"..."

Hikigaya fell silent, a trace of surprise flickering in his heart.

Strange.

He'd begun to notice something unusual about Kasumigaoka.

Could it be… a sense of competitiveness?

To be honest, Hikigaya wasn't particularly invested in winning or losing.

But from her reaction, it seemed Kasumigaoka was quite fixated on the idea of victory—especially in certain areas.

As realization dawned, Hikigaya started to formulate a strategy to deal with her.

"Where have you two been just now?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Turning, they saw Miura standing there, her brows furrowed.

Surprised, Hikigaya and Kasumigaoka exchanged glances.

Miura cleared her throat and explained coolly, "I was just curious. As the class rep for gym, I need to know where everyone is."

"Ah, I see…"

Kasumigaoka responded smoothly, a gentle smile on her lips.

"I was tutoring Air-kun."

"Tutoring?"

"Math, of course. Air-kun is terrible at it. As his study group leader, it's my duty to give him extra help."

"Ohhh, I see."

"Is there a problem with tutoring Air-kun during gym class?" Kasumigaoka asked, feigning innocence.

"No, not at all."

Miura shook her head, then reminded them, "But during gym, it's better to focus on physical activities. Studying all the time isn't great for your health."

"Got it," Kasumigaoka replied with a radiant smile.

"Next gym class, I'll make sure Air-kun gets plenty of exercise. Does that work?"

"Good."

---

Meanwhile, in Class 3-J:

As the class ended, Yukinoshita rested her head on her desk, mumbling softly:

"Hikigaya-kun was amazing today…"

Her legs pressed tightly together as she adjusted the red glasses on her face.

Still replaying the earlier scene in her mind, she forgot to remove the glasses even after the bell rang.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai guiding him during the day, Miura guiding him at night…"

Too bad Miura's guidance was still limited to running. Such a pity.

Ahem!

Startled, Yukinoshita shook herself out of her daze, patting her cheeks and removing the glasses.

Stay calm. Stay rational!

Both were necessary for maximizing Hikigaya-kun's growth!

And to prevent him from becoming too smitten with Kasumigaoka!

Yukinoshita took a deep breath, comforting herself.

For the sake of Hikigaya-kun's future happiness, she had to focus on getting Miura on board.

The goal? To create a perfect balance: guided by Kasumigaoka during the day and by Miura at night!

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