As Hikigaya finished his brief conversation with Horikita, he sensed a lingering gaze from somewhere nearby.
Hikigaya shifted his eyes without moving his head.
Sitting by the window, near Horikita, was a boy with brown hair. Hikigaya had noticed him earlier but hadn't thought much of it. Now, though the boy's gaze felt deliberate—watchful, but unreadable.
"Is he just curious or actually waiting for an opening to join in?"
Hikigaya chose to keep an eye on him subtly, without making it obvious.
Something about him felt both unremarkable and unsettling. A presence that didn't demand attention yet remained impossible to ignore. Hikigaya couldn't put his finger on it, but there was an unease in the back of his mind. Still, he knew better than to judge someone based on a blank face and lifeless eyes. After all, he was used to being judged for his tired, dead-fish eyes and withdrawn demeanour. It was nothing new, people had been making assumptions about him his whole life.
"Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But still… definitely gives off loner vibes. Good-looking, sure, but his face seems permanently stuck in neutral. Expression paralysis? Emotional trauma? Or some miserable experience? Hard to say."
As Hikigaya thought about it, a glimmer of realization struck him.
"If he's a loner too, forming an alliance wouldn't be a terrible idea. maybe we can survive the horrors of gym class together—especially those painful partner exercises."
He pushed the thought aside, preparing to slip away silently before the students' excitement in classroom pulled him in. Everyone was buzzing about their newfound wealth, making all sorts of plans he had no interest in. But just as he was about to leave, a confident voice broke through from the podium.
"Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?"
Hikigaya hesitated but in the end decided to stay. A handsome student, exuding the air of an upstanding young man, had stepped forward—taking the initiative that the class had been silently waiting for since the teacher's exit.
"I'm Hirata Yousuke. Back in junior high, people called me Yousuke, so feel free to do the same! I love sports, especially soccer, and I plan to play here too. Since we're all starting fresh as classmates, let's introduce ourselves and get to know each other. We've got time before the entrance ceremony—what do you say?"
His words carried an easy confidence, making it hard to refuse. Hirata's easy-going nature quickly lifted the mood in the classroom. His natural charm made him approachable, and many students especially the girls were already drawn to him.
"Of course. The first person to speak always ends up running the show. Hirata, without even trying, had already secured the spotlight. Confidence? Check. Easy going smile? Check. Soccer enthusiasm? Sure, why not. And let's not forget the most crucial part—the kind of face that practically guarantees social success."
Maintaining his upbeat tone, Hirata continued,
"Well then, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves, starting from the front. Is that okay?"
With Hirata's encouragement, the students began introducing themselves. Some spoke confidently, while others hesitated, their nerves showing. Hirata and their classmates offered support, helping those who struggled to speak up, gradually easing the tension in the room.
Then, a blonde Gyaru named Karui-something stated her introduction, her tough-girl attitude was easy to notice for everyone. She and her group spoke casually, as if they had already settled into their place among the girls. Soon after, the rest of the female students followed with their introductions.
Then, the boys began their introductions. Among them were two standouts for all the wrong reasons—Yamauchi Haruki, who proudly declared himself as some kind of baseball prodigy, casually mentioning absurd feats from his past, while conveniently mentioning his ongoing recovery from an injury, and Ike Kanji, who seemed more focused on playing the part of a wannabe playboy, openly searching for a cute girl to date him.
An awkward silence filled the room as everyone stared at them with baffled expressions. while these two idiots remained unfazed, looking smug—completely convinced of their own brilliance.
Hikigaya didn't even try to make sense of it. The only thought that crossed his mind was. "This class is overflowing with weirdos from every direction. It's almost impressive to see so many gathered in one place."
After that, Hirata encouraged the red-haired delinquent to introduce himself. Instead, he scowled and raised his voice. "What, are we a bunch of little kids or something? I don't need to introduce myself. If people want to do that, fine—just leave me out of it."
After that, Hirata attempted to apologize for making him uncomfortable, but his fan girls quickly jumped in, turning on him instead. A brief argument broke out, and in the end, the red-haired delinquent decided to leave the classroom. Seeing the situation unfold, several other students got up and left as well.
Horikita was among them, but before stepping out, she cast a brief glance at both Hikigaya and the brown-haired boy and simply left the classroom.
"Well then, I'm next, aren't I?"
A cute, energetic short-haired blonde girl stood up and in a bright and cheerful voice she introduced. She was also the same girl who had helped out the elderly woman on the bus this morning.
"My name is Kushida Kikyou. None of my friends from junior high made it to this school, so I'm alone here. I'd like to get to know all of your names and faces right away and become friends as soon as possible!"
While most of the students had only said a few words of introduction, Kushida continued to talk.
"My goal is to be friends with everyone! After introductions, feel free to share your contact info with me. Whether it's after school or during vacations, I want to make great memories with lots of people—so invite me anytime! I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone better."
Hikigaya listened in silence, but the moment he heard her say 'friends with everyone' line with a big smile on her face. The alarm in his mind suddenly grew louder with every word she spoke after that.
He had seen this kind of act before. Too perfect. Too smooth. It reminded him of idols and politicians. Idols always said they loved all their fans. Politicians said they cared about every citizen. Both smiled the same way—friendly, inviting, and fake.
This Kushida was doing the same thing.
It wasn't real kindness. It was the kind that said what everyone wanted to hear. Words that felt good but meant very little. People like her always used the same trick—make others feel special by being nice to everyone. That way, no one could dislike them. It was a safety net, not a real connection.
Her smile never broke. Her voice never shook. She looked like someone who had said these words many times before and knew exactly how to make them sound natural.
Hikigaya didn't hate it. He understood why people did it. If you want to survive in a group, acting friendly to everyone is safer than being honest. But that didn't make it any less fake.
He kept his thoughts to himself. Maybe she truly meant it. Maybe she was just a kind person. But in his experience, people who said they wanted to be friends with everyone were usually the ones hiding the most.
Idols, politicians, influencers and now… her.
All of them smiled too much.
And smiles that never fades were the ones he trusted the least.
"Just going to put her in watchout list for now." With that thought, Hikigaya shifted his attention back to Kushida as she effortlessly greeted both male and female students, quickly winning them over.
Soon after, the narcissistic blonde from the bus, Koenji, introduced himself as the heir to the Koenji conglomerate, declaring that he would help lead Japan into the future. He then made a bold statement, warning that he would mercilessly punish anyone who made him uncomfortable and expressing his disdain for ugly things.
Hikigaya silently assigned Koenji a spot in his prestigious "Certified Weirdo" hall of fame an exclusive category with ever-growing membership.
Following him, a pink-haired girl named Sakura with thick glasses introduced herself nervously, her voice wavering with slight stutters. Hikigaya felt a pang of sympathy for her as he had been like that once too.
Then Hikigaya realized—it was his turn. In an instant, he found himself under the gaze of almost every student in the classroom. And Hirata in his warm and polite tone asks him to introduce himself too.
"Really! It's my turn already?!"
He briefly considered skipping, but that would only make him stand out more.
Reluctantly, he stood up, scanning the faces of his classmates.
Most of them had barely noticed him all this time, completely absorbed in their Interactions.
That worked in his favor.
When it was finally his turn, he gave the simplest introduction possible in the history of mankind.
"Yo Hikigaya Hachiman and I just exist." With that, he took his seat again, unfazed by the silence that followed. A few students blinked, trying to process his words. Hirata hesitated briefly, caught between confusion and politeness, before offering a small, appreciative smile and thanking him anyway.
Some murmurs soon followed—"gloomy," "depressed loner." He ignored them. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before.
Among them, he heard a laugh from Koenji, who, without even glancing his way, let out a short, theatrical laugh, as if entertained. "How amusing, ghost boy! To merely exist and to declare it so proudly! Truly, you are a rare specimen indeed—parading such mediocrity with such spirit! Ha ha ha!"
Hikigaya didn't flinch. He simply narrowed his eyes, neither denying nor reacting to Koenji's words. Without even looking directly, he muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard, "Whatever gets you through the day, golden boy."
Koenji responded with another brief, amused chuckle. Then, as if from nowhere, he pulled out a small hand mirror and began admiring his reflection with the utmost seriousness.
"Well then, time for the next person. Can you introduce yourself?" Hirata asked the last remaining student—a brown-haired boy who looked as though he had been suddenly caught off guard.
"Uh… I'm Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. I don't really have any particular strengths… Uh… I'll work hard with everyone. Please take care of me."
His introduction was forgettable in every sense simple, awkward, utterly unremarkable. It was the kind of introduction that barely registered before slipping from memory, except for the lingering embarrassment for the one who spoke, as if their own words had backfired.
This was what unnerved Hikigaya—Ayanokoji's reaction was something he hadn't anticipated. As he analysed him further, a single thought surfaced.
"This isn't normal and He's no ordinary guy." That was Hikigaya's first thought after watching him.
It wasn't that his introduction was bad—it was too perfectly forgettable.
There were no unnecessary details. No real enthusiasm. No nervousness.
That should have made it uncomfortable for him. It should have caused some reaction—a slight hesitation, an awkward shift in posture, maybe even the faintest twitch of regret for choosing such words. Hikigaya knew this from experience, having suffered through enough lackluster and embarrasing introductions in both middle and elementary school.
But Ayanokoji remained completely neutral. There was no shift in his demeanour.
Not a single muscle in his face moved, not a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes.
In fact, the only people who could pull that off were either terrifyingly self-disciplined, utterly detached from their surroundings, or so deep into playing dumb that they made breathing look like an afterthought.
Whichever it was, one thing was obvious to Hikigaya by now — Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was not what he appeared to be.
"A guy like that isn't just shy or socially awkward. He's calculated. Otherwise, this level of inconsistency in a person wouldn't make sense."
And if the rest of the class bought his harmless, awkward act without a second thought... Well, they were about to get eaten alive.
Hikigaya sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair.
"Alright. Noted. If something weird starts happening, I'm keeping an eye on that one."
Hikigaya silently assigned Ayanokoji another spot in his prestigious "Certified Weirdo" hall of fame an exclusive category with ever-growing membership since he entered this class.
And just like that, the introductions came to an end. Hikigaya left the classroom, rubbing his temples as a familiar wave of disappointment settled over him—his new school, his new class, all of it felt just as exhausting as he'd expected.
So far, nothing had surprised him. The usual mix of overenthusiastic optimists, oblivious fools, and a few oddballs had made their appearances. And then, of course, there was Ayanokoji—an anomaly disguised as an afterthought.
Hikigaya exhaled sharply.
"Just great the first guy I noticed in class was secretly a final boss disguised as a tutorial mob. Maybe I need to start grinding my defense stats early too and need to figure out what's going on here soon."