The end of my first day at Shuuchin Gakuen was surprisingly calm. My last classes had ended and I was about to make my way to the law and justice club until I was cornered by my classmates. Spearheading their little reconciliatory envoy was Chiasaki Yoshiko herself, who was toying with a lock of her free-hanging golden hair. "Say Hikigaya, would you like to come along with us to check out our clubs? I'm sure that you'll be a good fit." Nice try you selfish rotten little bitch who if I confessed to would probably tell all of her friends and then laugh at me.

"No, I'm already part of a club. See you later, Ms. Yoshiko." I smiled at her crestfallen expression, playing my part as an uninterested classmate. She was going to get it at home if she mentions that she pissed off the student sponsored by Gan'aan Shinomiya. The lecture that she would receive would probably be legendary.

I exfiltrated the room quickly, waving goodbye at Shinomiya and Fujiwara; then wandered down the hallway. I entered a large lecture room with a spattering of students in the ornate rows of handcrafted desks.

The teacher, a timid-looking man with sandy brunette hair, readjusted his glasses and crept over to me. "Hikigaya, I hope that your first day has been pleasant." I smiled, treating him like a cat you're trying not to scare off. He turned to face the room. "Everybody!" He raises his voice as loud as it could go, about a normal person's outdoor voice. "This is Hikigaya, he will serve as a club advisor and expert resource. If you have any questions regarding Japanese law go to him."

He thought for a moment and then added, "Hikigaya, I want you to meet Iino, she's a top mind in our organization." A brown-haired girl preened, while her clubmates rolled their eyes. "Iino, why don't you come up here and talk with Hikigaya?"

Her eyes widened and she trudged towards the front of the room like a prisoner facing their execution. She looked nervous so I decided to do her a favor and not let her humiliate herself publicly. I smiled, being perfectly friendly. "You're Judge Iino's daughter aren't you? He's a good man and really does the robes, justice." I made a bad pun, and she snickered but did seem happy at the praise I offered to her father.

Well, a drop of water could chip away at stone.

~/~

Hachiman Hikigaya had me conflicted.

I stared at the bathroom mirror and fixed a flyaway strand of my ebony hair. Outside in the hall there he and Chika would be waiting. He would probably watch patiently as Chika rambled on about something to him. Or he would ignore her while doing a task on his phone and then when called out on it would repeat word for word everything she had said.

It was an amusing event whenever it occurred and made me smile slightly. But he still had me on edge, I couldn't be sure that he wasn't an agent of my father's but couldn't afford to push him away either.

Oh, what is a girl to do, besides grin and bear it?

I schooled my expression and opened the door.

~/~

"Thanks for the recommendation." I was stopped in the hall while walking to the law and justice club by the white-haired girl that I had spoken to earlier.

"Yeah, no problem, us scholarship kids need to stick together." I gave an easy smile. This girl was cute and kinda reminded me of my sister. "Have you managed to make any friends yet?"

Her eyes widened and her surprise proved my deductions to be accurate. "How did you know?"

I responded dryly, "Magic."

She giggled and offered a handshake. I guess she caught on to the behaviors expected for introductions here. "I'm Kei Shirogane, it's nice to meet you."

I laughed a little as well, more relieved than anything to have someone not walk on eggshells around me: "I'm Hachiman Hikigaya, the pleasure is mine."

She waved goodbye and walked away. I walked down the hall. A little bit happier than before

~/~

I had always been a social butterfly.

When people looked at Chika Fujiwara they saw a friendly girl.

But that easy social connection that I had with people was beginning to fall away. My friendship with Hikigaya and Shinomiya made that harder. They were cold and unapproachable at times. They had no patience for social climbers and so, people didn't like to approach them.

Then, by extension people were warier of me. Also, as I spent more time with Shinomiya and Hikigaya the less I had to maintain relations with other students. But they were better friends and better allies so sacrifices had to be made.

~/~

Hayasaka was working on a laptop in the library. I decided to approach her. I had been enjoying the time that I spent with her and wanted to spend more.

I looked over her shoulder and saw that she was writing code in python. I ran through some of the lines in my head and used my father's old textbooks on computer science for reference. "You have two syntax errors and one critical logic error." I pointed out.

She stiffened and swiveled her chair to face me. "Hello, Hachiman, also there's no possible way that you could know that."

"Try compiling it, see what happens." I smirked when she did so and the software corroborated my analysis.

"How did you know that?"

"I read a few books on software design." I said, not that interested in going over the story of my life again.

"No kidding." She frowned at me. "That's all it took for you, please tell me that you at least struggled a little with it."

I winced. "Not particularly. I mean my hands got sore if that counts."

She laughed. "Oh, woe is you. God forbid that your hands get sore."

"I know right." I agreed, being intentionally obtuse.

Hayasaka giggled.

She stood up, "My legs are falling asleep. I'm going to take a walk in the gardens, would you care to join me? And tell me about all your epic struggles with hand cramps."