There is something wrong with Hikigaya’s classroom of the Elite, as expected

Chapter 6: Strangers Cross Paths

As he left the cafeteria, Hikigaya grew even more puzzled.

Some upperclassmen were actually using the free meal option.

Why?

With 100,000 points per month, how could someone be so broke they had to rely on free food?

This school covered tuition, dorm fees, utilities—everything. So what was the real purpose of personal points?

Hikigaya refused to believe the government would just hand out money for free.

He did some quick math:

With 480 students, that meant 48 million points per month.

576 million per year.

That’s INSANE.

And based on the upperclassmen’s conversations, there were “special exams,” “midterms,” and “class point rankings.”

What the hell is this system?

Something is seriously wrong with this school.

For most Asian countries today, there is an increasing inclination toward Western culture. Aspects such as cuisine and holidays are becoming more Westernized, while native cultures are gradually declining, even being forgotten.

“A teahouse?”

This was a nameless teahouse. According to the convenience store clerk, the shop might have specialty products from Chiba. With a curious mindset, Hikigaya entered, only to be surprised. Contrary to the dimly lit, old-fashioned decor he had imagined, the place had neither a solemn atmosphere that made one instinctively use formal speech nor an air of traditional austerity.

Instead, the teahouse was so ordinarily decorated that it couldn’t be more ordinary. Hikigaya’s first impression was that it was simple and spacious, followed by a sense of relaxation.

The most eye-catching items in the teahouse, aside from tea cakes, were peanut-based products, a specialty of Chiba. Nearby, he indeed found the MAX Coffee he had been longing for, sold at the exact same price as in Chiba!

Well, for the sake of MAX Coffee, Hikigaya didn’t bother questioning why a Japanese teahouse was committing the “blasphemous” act of selling coffee.

After paying, Hikigaya, satisfied with his bag full of MAX Coffee, was about to leave when he nearly bumped into a girl entering the shop. He reacted quickly to dodge, but in doing so, his shopping bag fell to the ground.

“Oh no, sorry, sorry! I didn’t pay much attention since I thought hardly anyone knew about this place, but who would’ve thought… Eh, MAX Coffee? So there really are people who like drinking this overly sweet coffee! I always thought it was just an urban legend!”

That teasing voice sounded oddly familiar. Hikigaya instinctively looked up and froze in place. His face turned pale as if a bucket of ice water had just been poured over him, sending chills down his spine.

Yukinoshita… Haruno?!

Hikigaya stared in disbelief at the girl in front of him, who looked much younger than he remembered. In that instant, memories he had locked away—of his time in another world with this very girl—flooded his mind.

“Ha-Haruno-san?!”

He blurted out the name instinctively before hurriedly covering his mouth. But it was too late—the girl had already heard him and now wore a puzzled expression.

“Hmm? You know me?”

Crap!

That familiar smile on her face—this was the terrifying smile of the great demon king! Hikigaya had suffered plenty from it in the past.

The Yukinoshita Haruno before him looked younger and more cheerful than he remembered, but the dangerous aura surrounding her remained unchanged.

Wait a second!

Hikigaya belatedly realized that she was wearing the same school uniform as him. That meant… The thought sent cold sweat dripping down his back.

Haruno’s expression gradually turned serious as she scrutinized the boy before her. Her first impression of him was that he was gloomy, antisocial, and an outcast. However, his appearance was unexpectedly decent—if only it weren’t for those dead-fish eyes.

“You’re not a student from my class, right? I have a pretty good memory, so don’t even think about fooling me. I don’t recall ever meeting you before, because those eyes of yours are way too recognizable. If we had met…”

Haruno flashed another harmless-looking smile, but her sharp, predatory gaze completely betrayed her true thoughts.

Hikigaya was momentarily dazed. So, as expected, this Haruno didn’t recognize him. The dead-fish-eyed boy found himself conflicted—part of him wished she would say, “You’re Hikigaya,” while another part resisted that very idea.

“Wait a minute! Dead-fish eyes… Oh! Now I remember!”

Suddenly, Haruno pointed at Hikigaya as if having an epiphany.

“That’s why you seemed familiar at first glance. So you’re—”

Hikigaya was stunned. Could it be that Haruno really remembered—

“You’re the late guy!”

“…?”

“This morning, you were the freshman running across the sea bridge to school!”

Haruno suddenly grinned. “Judging by your speed and the time, you were definitely late. Seeing your face now, I must’ve been right—late guy!”

Hikigaya froze before realizing that his earlier hunch had been correct. The person in that Limousine was—

“Heh.”

Hikigaya let out a dry chuckle, subtly concealing the tinge of sadness and loneliness in his heart.

Then, Haruno changed the subject, staring straight into his eyes as if trying to see through him. “But that still doesn’t explain how you know me. So… where exactly did you learn about me?”

Countless excuses flashed through Hikigaya’s mind, only to be rejected one by one. Even though this Haruno was a “youthful version” of the demon king, a demon king was still a demon king. If she sensed anything suspicious, Hikigaya swore on his MAX Coffee that he would suffer a miserable fate! Absolutely!

And also… Haruno-san, you’re standing way too close!

“Yukinoshita Haruno, student council president of Sobu Middle School. It’d be hard not to know you. On the other hand, someone like me? It’d be strange if you knew me,” Hikigaya replied, his tone seven parts relaxed, three parts bitter. At the same time, he instinctively took a step back.

Haruno noticeably paused at the mention of “Sobu Middle School.”

“You’re from Sobu Middle School too?”

“What else? The sports festival, the cultural festival, extracurricular activities—you were everywhere, Yukinoshita. Even someone as unsociable as me often heard your name being praised.”

Everything Hikigaya said was true. In this timeline, he and Haruno were actually schoolmates, making her one of the only two people he was familiar with. However, he had never dared to approach or bother her.

“I never expected to run into a Sobu classmate here. This must be fate!” Haruno beamed, seemingly convinced by his explanation.

Lies.

Anyone else might have been fooled by her smile, but Hikigaya knew better—it was merely a mask.

“I have something urgent to do, so I’ll be going now.”

Just as Hikigaya was about to escape, a soft sensation wrapped around his arm. Haruno pouted, pretending to be upset. “Late guy, you’re so unfair! You know all about me, but I don’t even know your name yet. That’s not fair at all!”

Hikigaya felt his whole body go numb, like being shocked by electricity. A girl who knew how to use cuteness, whining, and even physical touch—this was a formidable opponent for any teenage boy!

“H-Hikigaya Hachiman.”

After hesitating for a moment, Hikigaya finally responded, though he avoided making eye contact. He also tried to pull his arm away but was met with an even tighter squeeze!

Hiss!

He sucked in a sharp breath, though his face remained expressionless. However, if one looked closely, they would notice that the tips of his ears had turned red. Fortunately, Haruno seemed deep in thought and didn’t notice.

“And your class?”

“Year 1, Class D.”

“You’re in… D Class?”

Though subtle, Hikigaya caught the slight change in Haruno’s expression. Seizing the opportunity while she was distracted, he abandoned the remaining MAX Coffee on the floor and bolted from her grasp.

Haruno chuckled as she watched his fleeing figure, but the smile quickly faded.

“Have you seen enough?”

A petite silver-haired girl, wearing a beret and holding a cane, emerged from behind a screen with a mischievous smile. “You knew I had trouble moving around, so you came early, right? As for eavesdropping, well, I’m not particularly interested in people’s secrets.”

Seeing the girl’s cane, Haruno’s usual gentle smile returned. “Oh, it’s you, Sakayanagi. I almost mistook you for a little mouse sneaking around.”

The silver-haired girl chuckled. “I was just joking, Haruno. But speaking of that boy… wasn’t he in D Class?”

Haruno stretched lazily and laughed. “A Class, D Class—it doesn’t matter to people like us. After all… we already know our futures are set in stone. So, I just want to enjoy these three years of freedom.”

The silver-haired girl merely smiled knowingly.

Liar.