Hachiman Hikigaya is a virgin.
This is an indisputable fact.
Of course, there is nothing strange about this.
Everyone in this room is a virgin.
After all, being a virgin is not something shameful, nor is it a sign of a lack of charm.
On the contrary, Hikigaya believes that an unmarried virgin should cherish themselves and respect others.
In fact, being a high school virgin is the greatest moral correctness!
Virgins of the world, unite.
You have nothing to lose but your—actually, never mind.
To be honest, Hikitani-kun—a virgin—never knew what it felt like to be interrupted when the two-person spellcasting was almost at the final step.
But today, Hachiman Hikigaya may have understood this pain.
The feeling of having fangs already pressed against Yuzuru’s fair, tender arm—so close he could taste the sweetness of her blood beneath the surface—only to be forced to stop…
It cannot be called just torture.
It can only be called a living hell.
Metaphorically speaking, he added quickly.
Purely metaphorically.
About the blood.
Nothing else.
Fortunately, Hikigaya’s self-control was not bad.
He let go of Yuzuru Yamai’s arm, and after taking two deep breaths—in through the nose, out through the mouth, do not think about the blood—he retracted his fangs and red eyes.
Human again, he thought.
Well.
Human-ish.
“Please come in.”
After confirming that Hachiman Hikigaya had returned to normal—or as normal as he ever got—Yukino Yukinoshita turned her head and responded to the classroom door.
“Ex-excuse me!”
It wasn’t Teacher Hiratsuka.
So who would come to this strange club?
Judging by the voice, it seemed to be a female voice—sounding a bit nervous, with a somewhat shrill tone that suggested someone who had worked up the courage to knock and was now regretting every life choice that led to this moment.
The door suddenly opened—just a small gap—and a girl quickly squeezed through.
What speed!
Hikigaya blinked.
Is she a thief?
It is absolutely not because he is angry about being interrupted, oh no.
Hachiman Hikigaya is not that kind of shallow person who would take his anger out on innocent bystanders.
…He’s mostly not that kind of person.
The girl had tea-colored hair.
It looked permed and dyed—carefully styled, the kind of hair that required product and effort and caring about things—with a curved arc.
The hair tied up swayed like a dumpling when she walked, bobbing with each nervous step.
Looking at her attire, it was very much in the style of current high school girls: a deliberately shortened skirt, unbuttoned buttons, various shiny little accessories catching the light.
In short, her whole look was a gyaru style that probably violated at least three school regulations.
Normie, Hikigaya’s brain supplied.
Danger.
High social functioning.
Avoid eye contact.
She looked like someone who belonged to a normie group.
But judging by her aura, she didn’t seem like a core character—more like a peripheral follower or atmosphere maker.
The kind who laughed at the popular girl’s jokes and nodded along to conversations she wasn’t really part of.
But anyway, she belonged to the normie category.
A person from a completely different world than Hikigaya—the kind with whom it was impossible to have any interaction.
Explode, you normies!
“Eek!”
The moment the girl’s wandering gaze met Hikigaya’s, she recoiled as if she had been shocked.
Her whole body flinched backward, like a cat encountering a cucumber.
Is he that scary?
Hikigaya admits that he is not in a good mood right now.
His fangs had been right there.
Yuzuru’s blood had been right there.
And now this tea-colored haired stranger had barged in like a wrecking ball.
But it shouldn’t be to the extent that he could scare away enemies with just a look, right?
Huh, he realized.
Unwittingly, have I already classified this girl into the ranks of the enemy?
Well, that’s not wrong.
Normies are the enemy!
“Hikitani-kun.” Yukino’s voice cut through his internal monologue like a scalpel. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“I can understand your dissatisfaction, but please do not scare others.”
“Don’t pin labels on people.” Hikigaya crossed his arms.
“I haven’t scared anyone.”
“Why is A-ki here?”
The tea-colored haired girl said words that one couldn’t understand.
A-ki?
Who is A-ki?
Hachiman Hikigaya didn’t know anyone with such a strange name.
It sounded like a nickname for someone who played baseball or sold vegetables at a market stall.
“Who are you?”
Compared to the gentle whispers when speaking with Yuzuru—friend, his brain supplied, she is your friend—Hikigaya’s current attitude could indeed be described as cold and fierce.
He was not in the mood for normie nonsense.
This woman looked like a second-year student as well, as indicated by the red ribbon on her uniform.
Her figure was…
comparable to Yuzuru’s.
To a degree that the fierce Yukinoshita could not compare at all.
Not that he was looking, Hikigaya added hastily.
Purely observational.
Scientific.
“Hikigaya-kun.” Yukino’s voice was ice.
“Do not observe others with such lewd eyes.”
“You really can read minds, right?”
Is it a snow woman’s superpower?
he wanted to add.
I should warn you about using superpowers to cheat like this.
There are irrelevant outsiders here.
But he buried those last two sentences in his heart, where they belonged.
“Um…” The tea-colored haired girl looked between them, confused.
“Yui Yuihama, right?”
Yukino Yukinoshita pointed to an empty stool with practiced grace.
“There is a stool over there. How about you sit down and talk first.”
“Y-you actually know me?” Yui Yuihama looked a bit flattered—eyes wide, cheeks slightly flushed.
It seemed that in her eyes, being recognized by Yukino Yukinoshita was an amazing thing.
Like being acknowledged by royalty.
“Because Yukino is very smart,” Yuzuru said cheerfully, shattering Yui’s fantasy in real time.
“She remembers almost everyone in the school. Super amazing, desu!”
Beautiful, Hikigaya thought.
Simple.
Ruthless.
Master Yuzuru.
Truly worthy of being Hikigaya’s best friend.
“I agree.” Kaguya nodded from her corner.
“In terms of intellect, Yukino is indeed outstanding.”
Kaguya’s attack power still needs improvement, Hikigaya noted.
Next time, be more careful to verbally abuse others fiercely.
I believe in you.
“Speaking of which…” Yukino’s gaze shifted between Yui and Hikigaya.
“This Yuihama-san, if I remember correctly, you should be in Class F.”
She looked at Hikigaya—a pointed, meaningful look.
Hikigaya’s brain took a moment to process.
Then his eyes widened.
Hachiman Hikigaya was also in Class F.
Doesn’t this mean…
He turned slowly to look at the tea-colored haired normie girl standing nervously by the door.
This normie girl in front of him…
Was actually his classmate?
…Huh.
“I’m sorry,” Hikigaya said flatly, “but I have absolutely no memory of you.”
Yui Yuihama’s expression crumbled.
“That’s so mean, A-ki!”
“Stop calling me A-ki!”
“Although I think the possibility is relatively low,” Yukino said, her tone carrying the weight of someone who had already resigned herself to disappointment, “I will ask anyway. Hikigaya, you should know that this is your classmate, right?”
“Don’t know.” Hikigaya shrugged.
“Completely don’t know.”
Yui Yuihama looked a bit sad—her lower lip jutting out, her eyes slightly downcast.
It was the kind of expression that made Hikigaya soften his heart again, despite his better judgment.
How did that saying go?
Even if it is an enemy, one needs to show a certain amount of mercy towards them.
Well, there was no such saying at all.
This was something Hikigaya made up randomly on the spot.
But Hikigaya did understand the sadness of not even knowing your own classmates better than anyone else.
He had lived that sadness.
It was practically his roommate.
“Just kidding.” He exhaled, the fight draining out of him.
“I’m just not in a good mood, so I don’t really want to talk to people. Yu, Yu…”
“Yui Yuihama.”
Yuzuru Yamai, who was still by Hikigaya’s side—still close, still warm, still not helping his heart rate—provided an assist with the enthusiasm of a sports commentator.
“Right.” Hikigaya nodded.
“Yuihama-san. I do know you.”
“You don’t look like you know me at all!” Yui’s voice rose in protest.
“Too terrible, A-ki!”
“So who exactly is A-ki?” Hikigaya’s eye twitched.
“I don’t remember having such a disgusting name.”
“Is it possible,” Kaguya Yamai said from her corner, delivering her words with the precision of a surgeon, “that she is calling you a shut-in?” She tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Speaking of which, the nickname A-ki and shut-in are almost indistinguishable.”
That is too much.
Hachiman Hikigaya’s dream is to become a great househusband—to surpass everyone and become the strongest househusband.
This is completely different from a shut-in who doesn’t work and relies on their parents.
They are two completely different species!
One is ambition, he told himself.
The other is surrender.
There’s a difference.
…A small difference, but a difference nonetheless.
However, with this conversation—as annoying as it was—Hachiman Hikigaya did recall some things.
It seemed that there was indeed such a person as Yui Yuihama in the class.
She hung out with those guys from the soccer club, the ones who laughed too loudly and took up too much space in the hallway.
Honestly, Hikigaya had a very poor impression of that group.
Of course, this was also because Mr. Hikigaya was best at speculating about people with the greatest malice—a skill honed through years of being on the receiving end of casual cruelty.
That group of normie men and women always gave him a feeling of blue approaching transparent.
(Note: Almost Transparent Blue is the debut work of Japanese writer Ryu Murakami, describing a group of young men and women indulging in a dissolute, hedonistic life. Hikigaya felt the comparison was apt.)
Of course, stereotypes are the most harmful thing in the world.
Hikigaya knew this.
He had been victim to them more times than he could count.
And looking at it now…
at least the gap between this Yui Yuihama and Hikigaya’s impression was quite large.
She wasn’t loud.
She wasn’t cruel.
She wasn’t dismissive.
She was just…
nervous.
And maybe a little lonely, in her own way.
Not that I care, Hikigaya added quickly in his head.
I’m just observing.
Objectively.
Scientifically.
“So,” Yukino said, steering the conversation back on course, “Yuihama-san. What brings you to the Service Club?”
Yui fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, her tea-colored hair swaying.
“Well… I heard that this club helps people with their problems, and I…”
She trailed off, looking at the floor.
And I…
Hikigaya waited.
Yuzuru waited.
Kaguya waited.
Even Yukino waited, though her patience was visibly thinner than everyone else’s.
“I need help,” Yui finally said, her voice small.
“With something.”
Help, Hikigaya thought.
From a club whose members include a snow woman, two Spirits, and a vampire who can’t summon his own Familiar Beasts.
This should be interesting.