Chapter 74 Ichinoses Smile
First-Year Class B – September 1st
The start of the new semester arrived, but for Hikigaya, it felt no different from the usual. He rested his left arm on the desk as a makeshift pillow and sprawled across the surface, the weariness of the summer break still lingering.
Over the vacation, Hikigaya had spent most of his time holed up in the dormitory, occasionally venturing out for curry to break the monotony of dorm food. When watching movies, he deliberately avoided the bottom-right corner of the screen to dodge distracting subtitles.
The most exasperating part of the break, however, was Shiina Hiyori's relentless enthusiasm. She would occasionally ask him for his impressions of the books he had read. Initially, he'd dismissed her questions as simple curiosity and answered with little thought. Yet, to his surprise, Hiyori resonated with his perspectives.
The two discovered they had much in common. Both preferred solitude shied away from social interactions, and were admittedly not the best communicators. Hiyori, while better at socializing than Hikigaya, still struggled in her own way.
Hiyori's love for mystery novels—and even what Hikigaya deemed "junk literature" like Goodbye, My Love—was coupled with her longing for meaningful friendships and romance. With her, there was no need for forced conversation. Even moments of silence were comfortable, a rarity Hikigaya deeply appreciated.
As a result, the second half of his summer vacation was spent meeting at the library every four or five days. They returned books and shared their thoughts about them. It was a simple, pleasant routine. Still, Hiyori's enthusiasm could be overwhelming. There were moments when she even showed up at his dormitory door to return or exchange books. Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder just how much this girl adored literature.
Now, back in the classroom, Hikigaya lay on the desk, occasionally casting a glance at Ichinose and the others chatting nearby. The class had seemingly accepted his lone-wolf tendencies, and no one bothered him unnecessarily. The familiar environment was comforting.
When afternoon came Hoshinomiya Chie stumbled into the classroom, using the wall for support, the faint smell of alcohol trailing behind her.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, you drank again last night, didn't you?" Ichinose sighed, her expression exasperated.
This wasn't new. Hoshinomiya was hungover at least 60% of the time, yet somehow managed to keep her job. Hikigaya couldn't help but think the school's standards were astonishingly lax. If anything, this woman would probably remain in her position long after graduation. It was almost impressive.
"It's fine," Hoshinomiya waved dismissively, still visibly groggy. "I had a nap at noon, so there's nothing to worry about now." She clapped her hands together with forced cheer. "Alright, everyone! Today marks the start of a new semester. For the next month, from September to October, we'll be preparing for the sports festival."
The mention of the sports festival made Hikigaya grimace. Memories of being forced to participate in junior high gymnastics due to a lack of volunteers surfaced—a truly unpleasant experience.
Hoshinomiya handed out the new schedule and sports festival information. "Here are the details. If you have questions, feel free to ask me~"
Hikigaya skimmed the documents with disinterest, passing the extras to Yukimura behind him.
The sports festival rules were straightforward:
Grade-wide Red vs. White Groups
Class A and Class D formed the Red Group.
Class B and Class C made up the White Group.
Individual Competition Points
1st place: 15 points
2nd place: 12 points
3rd place: 10 points
4th place: 8 points
Points decreased incrementally beyond 5th place.
Team Competition Points
Winning team: 500 points
Recommended Participant Points
1st place: 50 points
2nd place: 30 points
3rd place: 15 points
4th place: 10 points
The class quietly reviewed the details, accustomed to Hoshinomiya's lackadaisical teaching style. Hikigaya, however, found himself dreading the impending physical activities. Sports festivals were never his thing, and this one didn't seem any better. The sports festival rules were clear enough, but Hikigaya skimmed through them with disinterest.
Individual Competition Points
1st place: 50 group points.
2nd place: 30 group points.
3rd place: 15 group points.
4th place: 10 group points.
Below 5th place: Deduct 2 points. (Points for the final relay race would be tripled.)
The losing group across the grade would have 100 points deducted from their total, distributed equally among the classes in that group.
Annual Rankings Impact
1st place class: 50 class points.
2nd place class: No change.
3rd place class: -50 class points.
4th place class: -100 class points.
Rewards for Individual Competitions
1st place: 5,000 personal points or 3 written test points.
2nd place: 3,000 personal points or 2 written test points.
3rd place: 1,000 personal points or 1 written test points.
Last place: 1,000 personal points deducted (or -1 written test point if personal points are insufficient).
Additional Rewards
Top overall scorer: Hundreds of thousands of personal points.
Top 3 scorers in each grade: 10,000 personal points each.
Other rules prohibited violence during events, but that detail seemed like an afterthought. After skimming the details, Hikigaya quickly dismissed the idea of excelling in the festival. Winning wasn't an option for him—not that he cared. He neither needed the written test points nor had any interest in competing. His grades were average, ensuring he wasn't at risk of expulsion. To him, the sports festival was pointless.
However, something about the grouping irked him. Class B, his class, was in the White Group alongside Class C. This meant they'd be competing against Class A, led by Commander Horikita and Nagumo Miyabi—the star vice president. No matter how hard they tried, they wouldn't stand a chance. Hikigaya saw no point in even attempting. The sports festival events were divided into two categories:
Events for All Participants:
100-meter race.
Hurdle race.
Reverse pole contest (men only).
Netball contest (women only).
Tug-of-war (men's and women's divisions).
Obstacle race.
Two-person three-legged race.
Horseback riding.
200-meter race.
Recommended Events:
Borrowing objects competition.
Four-way tug-of-war.
Mixed three-legged race for boys and girls.
Joint 1,200-meter relay for all grades.
Hikigaya sighed deeply as he glanced over the list. A mandatory sports festival? This school was relentless. It wasn't just inconvenient for people like him who were bad at sports—it was outright humiliating. However, if everyone struggled equally, it would only highlight the athletic stars, turning the rest into background players. While he fantasized about feigning illness to avoid participating, the class's collective interest outweighed his personal grievances. Pretending to be sick would inevitably impact the class's performance, and Hikigaya disliked causing unnecessary trouble.
"Any questions?" Ichinose asked, her usual cheerful tone breaking through the murmurs.
The response was unanimous. "Let's leave it to Ichinose."
"Yeah, if there's anything we need to decide, just let her know!"
"I'm fine with that too~" The girls quickly deferred responsibility to Ichinose, who accepted the role without hesitation. With that, Hoshinomiya Chie exited the classroom, leaving the students to their own devices.
Hikigaya mused briefly about whether this sports festival might be part of some special examination. But he quickly brushed it off. Whether it was or wasn't, Ichinose's approach would remain the same: she'd encourage everyone to give their best. The outcome wouldn't change either way.
The next step was deciding who would participate in which events. Two obvious methods came to Hikigaya's mind: volunteering by raising hands or being assigned based on ability rankings. The classroom's attention turned toward Ichinose as the decision loomed. Hikigaya slouched further into his seat, bracing himself for the inevitable assignments.
Ichinose paused for a moment, scanning the room thoughtfully. Her gaze finally landed on Hikigaya, and she smiled warmly. "Hikigaya, is there any event you'd like to participate in?"
"Eh?" Hikigaya blinked, caught off guard. Me? Why are you suddenly asking me?
Then it clicked. Feeling the weight of Class B's collective attention on him, Hikigaya quickly pieced it together.
From a logical standpoint, it wasn't unusual for someone to volunteer for an event, especially if personal points were at stake. But in Class B, where Ichinose managed everyone's points, such disputes over individual interests didn't exist.
Participation here was more about personal preferences, with Ichinose having the final say. The surprise lay in him being asked.
"Uh..." Feeling like a fish out of water, Hikigaya scratched the back of his head and replied cautiously: "Don't worry about me. I'll just fill in wherever there's a spot."
With his mediocre athletic record, he knew his capabilities were unremarkable. He wasn't at the bottom of Class B, nor was he exceptional. Across the entire school, he was likely just average. Sure, earning personal points wasn't entirely out of reach. But doing so would require an effort level he simply wasn't motivated to put forth. The old saying came to mind: A journey of a thousand miles begins with giving up halfway.
Better to resign himself to being a filler participant than to embarrass himself on stage. No one had ever asked for his opinion before, after all. He was usually left to fill whatever gaps remained at the end. The fact that Ichinose and the others were even considering his input now was mildly unnerving.
"Got it..." Ichinose regarded him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she smiled again, almost mischievously.
"I seem to recall that your athletic performance has always been pretty good, Hikigaya, right?"
"No!" Alarm bells rang in Hikigaya's head. He immediately denied it. "Totally average—hovering around twentieth place, tops." It wasn't a complete lie. Sometimes he put in a little effort; other times, he slacked off. His results fluctuated enough to keep him comfortably forgettable.
"That's perfect, then!" Ichinose chirped, ignoring his protests. "It's about the same as mine. Leave it to me—I'll handle it." She turned her attention back to the rest of the group, leaving Hikigaya flustered and muttering under his breath.
Ichinose continued, "I think we should decide based on everyone's interests. If there are any overlaps, we can sort it out together. Sound good?"
A chorus of agreement erupted from the group. Completely different from how I'd have handled it, Hikigaya thought.
But he had to admit, her method made sense. People naturally performed better in activities they enjoyed. Passion drove effort, and effort usually led to results.
On the flip side, constant failure could crush interest, and Ichinose's approach avoided that entirely. She'd probably make a great mom someday, Hikigaya mused idly. As the thought crossed his mind, Ichinose suddenly glanced his way again, meeting his eyes with another radiant smile. For some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
Why's she smiling at me? Hikigaya shivered involuntarily. Doesn't she realize the effect of her smile on me? Damn it woman"