COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

Chapter 161 - 161: A Sign of Maturity  

Hikigaya and Katsuragi didn't have any major conflicts. In fact, they barely talked to each other.

But sometimes, conflict starts right from the beginning—just because of opposing positions.

On top of that, Hikigaya, a student from Class D, had joined the student council. Katsuragi never said much about it, but as someone who also applied for the student council at the same time, it became his first "stain" since coming to this school.

So, it would be a lie to say he didn't care at all. But Katsuragi hid his thoughts well. No matter how well he hid them, though, he was still just a high school student, and someone who had been by his side all this time—Totsuka—naturally noticed.

Because of that, Totsuka had a clear bias against lower-ranked classes, especially Class D.

You could say this was just Totsuka acting on his own. But in reality, wasn't it also a reflection of Katsuragi's subconscious approval?

That's why the conflict between Hikigaya and Katsuragi was never going to be easily resolved.

At that moment, Hirata suddenly appeared out of nowhere and managed to defuse the situation. But everyone knew it was just temporary. As long as they remained in this school, conflicts between classes and students would never stop. In fact, the school seemed to enjoy watching it all unfold.

After Katsuragi and Totsuka left, Hirata turned around, looking at Hikigaya with a helpless smile before apologizing.

"Hikigaya, do you think it's frustrating to have someone like me as Class D's leader, always trying to 'make peace'?"

Hirata clearly understood that stepping in like this had prevented an immediate conflict, but it also made many people unhappy. After all, he was still a Class D student. Even if he wanted to play the mediator, he shouldn't have to lower himself so much. It made others look down on him, and it also embarrassed his own classmates.

People often joked about Hirata being "too nice," but behind his back, guys like Yamauchi and Ike would call him a "pushover."

Of course, part of that came from their frustration and resentment toward him. But it still showed that, even if they didn't say it out loud, deep down, many people were unhappy with Hirata's approach.

As a leader, it was fine to be gentle with your own people. But when dealing with outsiders, you had to be strong. The problem was, Hirata only had the "gentle" side. He completely lacked the "tough" side.

Hikigaya understood Hirata—but that didn't mean he agreed with him.

"Yeah, sometimes your way of doing things is really frustrating," Hikigaya said, not trying to comfort him. Instead, he continued,

"Being overly kind can be a kind of poison, too. I get where you're coming from. At our age, most people are impulsive and competitive. Hardly anyone can be as 'humble' as you."

Hirata's face darkened slightly.

"But what I want to say is—Hirata, out of everyone in Class D, and among all the guys I've met so far, you're one of the most mature."

"Mature? Me?"

Hirata had expected more criticism. Instead, he was surprised to hear Hikigaya call him mature.

"Well, you're not perfect," Hikigaya said, patting his shoulder.

"But there's no denying that you're a mature man."

"A sign of an immature man is that he's willing to die heroically for a cause," Hikigaya continued.

"A sign of a mature man is that he's willing to live humbly for one."

Seeing the confusion in Hirata's eyes, Hikigaya smiled.

"That's a quote from Wilhelm Starker," he explained.

"Of course, he's just a fictional character. He's from *The Catcher in the Rye*."

"Thank you. I'll make sure to read that book when I have time."

Hirata's mood seemed to lighten.

At the same time, he found himself replaying Hikigaya's words in his mind. His chest felt tight for some reason, and he wiped at the corner of his eye.

After Hirata left, Sakura—who had been quietly standing nearby—finally spoke up. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya-kun, what you just said was... really amazing."

But Hikigaya didn't look pleased at all. Instead, as he watched Hirata walk away, he let out a small sigh.

What he had just said was true.

Hirata really was a "mature" man.

But was the cause he was so devoted to really worth it?

Was it really worth sacrificing so much... even lowering himself to such an extent?

Hikigaya had no answer.

Only Hirata himself could decide that.

Just then, an announcement echoed through the cruise ship.

"Good morning, first-year students. We'd like to inform you that if you have time, please gather on the deck. We are about to arrive at our destination island, and we believe you will witness a very meaningful sight."

The announcement repeated twice.

It sounded like a simple introduction to the island.

But anyone with experience—or sharp instincts—would notice something off.

This school never did anything without a purpose.

From the speeches given by the homeroom teachers at the start of the year to every other event so far...

It was never just for show.

If this is an important announcement for all students, there might be a hidden message from the school.

That's why more and more students started showing up on the deck. But most of them were just excited and curious about the island trip, not realizing that there might be something hidden in the announcement.

Hikigaya, however, recalled Nagumo's "hint" from before and Sakayanagi from yesterday. So, is there something special waiting for them on this island trip?

The only possible explanation would be some kind of test.

After all, in this school where strength is everything, the competition so far had only been based on academics. Other aspects had yet to be revealed, and maybe this time, they would finally get a glimpse of what lay beneath the surface.

As they got closer to the island, something unexpected happened—the cruise ship didn't dock at the pier. Instead, it continued circling the island at high speed, as if they wanted the students to get a good look at the entire place.

"There's definitely something going on."

With the announcement earlier, Hikigaya quickly realized what the school was trying to do. They wanted them to "pay attention" to something.

The island was about 0.5 square kilometers in size—actually a bit bigger than Vatican City. But just looking at its area wasn't enough to judge its actual scale. The dense forest on the island had to be considered as well. Still, for over a hundred students, it wasn't exactly small.

Hikigaya squinted and carefully observed the island. At the same time, he noticed Katsuragi from Class A doing the same, looking extremely focused. Totsuka stood beside him like a loyal guard, making sure no one disturbed his leader.

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