COTE: Hikigaya's Struggles as Fake elite Are Troublesome, Yet Expected

The next day, Hikigaya Hachiman arrived early again and quietly took his usual seat near the back of middle row. As he watched the classroom slowly fill with students, a familiar sense of distance settled in like he was there, but not really part of it.

He had yesterday decided not to say anything. The generous point system, the strange rules, and the way teachers avoided clear answers all felt suspicious, but he chose to keep it to himself.

Even so, some part of him couldn't quite let it go. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe he just wanted to know if anyone else was paying attention too.

That chance came yesterday in the washroom of all places.

He couldn't help but remember the interaction he had yesterday after classes were over.

Hikigaya was at the urinal, trying to enjoy a rare moment of peace when he suddenly noticed someone had joined him. Glancing sideways, he saw none other than Hirata Yosuke, the most popular boy in Class 1-D, standing right next to him.

Seems like, even the bathroom wasn't safe from unexpected encounters.

"Ah, it's Hikigaya," Hirata greeted smoothly.

Hikigaya blinked. "Uh... Yo," he said, caught slightly off-guard. "Didn't expected... company."

"Sorry," Hirata said with a soft smile. "I didn't mean to bother you. Just figured since we're both here..."

"It's fine. This is just... not usually where people open conversations with me."

"Well," Hirata said, tone as smooth as ever, "I guess there's a first time for everything then."

"Yeah... I guess," Hikigaya replied, eyes still forward. "Didn't expect it to be this kind of first, though."

Hirata's voice softened with concern. "I was wondering, are you doing alright, Hikigaya?"

"Yeah. More or less." Hikigaya said, and continued in his tone of indifference. "What brought this on?"

"I saw you today," Hirata said after a moment, "during the break. You were... asking around for help, weren't you? You also looked a bit tense in class."

Hikigaya didn't answer right away instead he decided to take a chance. He zipped up, washed his hands, and as they both stood at the sink, he glanced sideways.

"Hey, Hirata," he began, quietly. "Don't you think something's off about this school?"

Hirata blinked. "What do you mean?"

"A hundred thousand per person, every month? The way teachers act in class, all of this feels way too convenient. Don't you think?

"...Yeah," Hirata said quietly, "I've noticed that too actually."

"But..." he continued, "even if that's true, the most important thing for me right now is that everyone in our class can get along well."

"...What?"

Hikigaya turned his head slowly, staring at him. "So even if something's wrong, we pretend it's fine as long as nobody cries?"

"That's not what I mean," Hirata said gently. "I just... believe people do their best when they're at ease. Even if there's something strange going on, panic helps no one. And I think we all have our own way of protecting this class."

He smiled again, warm as ever. "Like you. I didn't realize it until recently, but you're the kind of person who worries quietly. That's important too. So, thank you, Hikigaya. Really."