[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 1305 hours]

"Let's see..."

Absentmindedly, she clicked her tongue.

"I get that you see a lot of evil in the world around you. So what does that have to do with all the stuff you do? Is it for survival?"

...

"Are you trying to, y'know, uh... counter evil with more evil?"

...

"Like, maybe you're trying to show people what genuine evil is like by outdoing them? Or something."

...

"Whatever it is, I disagree with the way you're doing things," she said. Her voice was calm and tinged with disappointment, not edged in any way. "Saki-chan too, of course. You understand, right? People don't change if you leave them alone. Society doesn't change if you join in. Or maybe you've given up already?"

...

"People live doing only evil, convinced that they're doing good. That's what you said, right? I disagree with that too. A good deed is a good deed as long as good is done. Intentions have nothing to do with it. Rather they should have nothing to do with it, because people are never sure about their own intentions. What's the point of being nice and doing nice things if you're unsure of yourself all the time? That's what I think, anyway."

...

"What does genuine good look like to you, Hikki?"

...

How the hell would I know?

I wanted to defend myself against this nonexistent assault. I wanted to scream in her face until I was satisfied. I wanted to justify myself: my thoughts, my existence, my ideology. Yet I instinctively knew that the moment I succumbed to these urges, I would lose the right to look myself in the eye ever again.

My back was up against the wall, but nobody was cornering me. I felt like all my sins were being laid out for all to see. For myself to see.

Genuine good? What on earth was that? I was familiar with genuine evil. I had bathed myself in it. I had crowned myself with it. To many, I was the insidious symbol of evil that polluted this prefecture. This school. I had seen the things that people could do, none of which was good.

A question lurked in the depths of my mind, under waves of turbulent thoughts and self-doubt. About this person standing in front of me.

When it came to her I had always wondered: why? She preached good and sympathised with evil; living solidly between the two, never lukewarm. She built people up as easily as she tore them apart. Surely she was familiar with genuine evil, yet she refused to acknowledge it. In stark contrast, here she was asking me about the very opposite.

The question rose steadily from the depths of my mind like a soap bubble in murky air, and I realised that it had nothing to do with why. The question of why had been irrelevant all along. She had always had such a conviction behind her actions because she knew she was right. In a world where black and white blurred together, this world that had caused me despair, she simply painted everything grey.

What did this girl see that I didn't?

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 30th June, 1000 hours]

"And that's pretty much the gist of it," Hiratsuka-sensei concluded, bringing her fist down on the teacher's table for emphasis. All well and good, if not for the fact that homeroom had started half a minute ago and the only evidence to work with was the words 'Workplace Visit' scribbled on the board in grey chalk.

"Get into groups of four, pick a location, class rep to inform me by the end of the day, so on and so forth. No questions, right? No? Good. Class dis-"

"Um, Sensei! I was just wondering if-"

"I said, no questions, right? Good. Class dismissed!" Shamelessly, she strode out with a flourish of her labcoat.

The class fell into the customary lull that always accompanied Hiratsuka-sensei's exits. In moments like these there just wasn't anything to say.

Then, like a switch had been flipped, the classroom came to life. With the precision of a ticking clock, students milled around with not one movement wasted. Friends were secured, acquaintances were reserved and ambitious invitations were tentatively attempted. This was a battleground where opportunities could be stolen in a fraction of a second, and I basked in the satisfaction of having created this stifling environment.

Hayama Hayato, Sobu High's pride and joy, headed straight for my seat.

"Tough day, isn't it? Hiratsuka-sensei must have forgotten to drink her morning coffee again." He casually planted both hands on my desk, fingers splayed starfish-style.

I shrugged. "Could've been worse."

"How so?"

"She could've remembered."

In situations like this it was not unusual for Hayama to approach a Group F student despite the rule against it. In the first place he was Hayama Hayato and hence could do whatever the hell he wanted, but this was a measure commonly used among Group S students; pick someone who couldn't care less to be your groupmate, and nobody would bother either of you. Win-win.

Performing a quick scan of our surroundings to ensure no eavesdroppers ('Sixth Sense', rated 6 out of 108 for convenience), I lowered my head into my arms to muffle my voice. "Report."

Smile adhered to his face, Hayama cast his eyes downward. "We only managed to tamper with about 46% of the power grid yesterday, even though I had the whole squad participate. A definite failure."

"Spring faction?"

"They attacked us all at once. They were all abnormally strong foot soldiers to begin with due to the body modifications, and I think they had an extremely competent commander coordinating them. We almost got a casualty."

I nodded. Owing to the intensive screening and training that every member was subject to, Hayama's elite squad had not suffered a single casualty since its formation.

"So we're inferior in terms of raw firepower... well. That's a secondary concern. What I want to know is how they caught wind of your actions in the first place."

Hayama looked genuinely lost. "We're looking into it, but no leads so far. I was about to ask you if you leaked any information, actually..."

"I did, but only when the operation was well underway. And the operation itself was tentative until I confirmed the order yesterday evening, right? There's no way the attack could've been preemptive in that case."

The problem here, I mused internally, was that battle strategies and the like were not up my alley. Crushing opposing forces underfoot wasn't a part of my personal policy. If you were capable enough, my reasoning went, there shouldn't be any opposing forces to begin with. And yet, we had rogue elements like this...

Information. I needed more information. More importantly, I needed to think.

The operation to tweak Chiba's power grid in our favour had been in the works for quite a while; after all, controlling the entire prefecture's flow of electricity would serve as great political leverage. Due to its importance I had put it on hold until the recent rebellion, in which a good portion of the autumn faction was causing trouble in the city centre. All the locations where the tampering would take place had been meticulously decided upon by none other than myself. Yet, the Spring faction had been ready to intercept us anyway.

"Just how bad was it?"

"They were waiting at every single rendezvous point. Maybe we have another insider-"

I exhaled, glaring at the surface of my desk. "After that round of intensive checkups?"

"It's almost like they're challenging us to find their mole," Hayama sighed, his face resembling a slab of stone. His bad mood seemed to alarm the surrounding students: almost reverently, they kept the volume of their energetic chatter to a minimum.

"There isn't one," I growled. "I made sure of that. It's more likely that someone out there saw through my tactics."

The subordinates are perfect but their commander is not. This taunt was directed at me.

Ever the perceptive subordinate, Hayama allowed me to stew in my anger for a few moments before speaking up. "Judging by the state of those soldiers-"

"Body modifications, right? But to what extent?"

"Bones replaced with metal, muscles reinforced with various textiles, spaces in their flesh to store hidden weapons, that kind of thing. Our new opponent has... how do I put it... no moral discretion whatsoever."

I nodded, despondent. Of course they had to be messed up. One wouldn't be able to predict my actions otherwise.

"Well," I sighed. "I'll deal with all this somehow. Let's handle the more pressing issue here..."

"More pressing?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei said groups of four, right?"

"...Right."

Anyone observant enough would have noticed that every single member of Group S had been tactfully refusing to form groups with any acquaintances or friendship hopefuls until Hayama gave his orders. Ensuring that I was definitely not looking at any of them, I surveyed the entire bunch.

"I recommend we take Tobe-kun under our wing," Hayama suggested drily.

I stared at him, making sure my dead-fish gaze bored into his very soul. "The backstabber."

"Yes. With me around, he definitely won't cause any trouble during the trip. Also, the rest of Group S know about his betrayal, so they'll know I'm not giving him any extra favour. Favouritism tends to breed resentment, you see. I'd like to avoid it as much as possible."

Oh, you normie. "Where's the fun in that?" I shot back. "Meritocracy is the foundation of quality. Besides, what's his role again?"

"Intelligence."

"And you think that putting him near me is a good idea? Where all it takes for him to figure out my identity is a single slip?"

"Right, right," sighed Hayama in the tone of a middle-aged man putting up with his elderly mother. "In that case, what about Ooka-kun? He's one of my most competent units. His skills are quite well-rounded-"

"That annoying guy? Pass."

"...I suppose you remember our hacker Yamato-kun? He is one of my most trusted-"

"Big help he'll be when something happens."

Wanting to make Hayama's life harder wasn't a reason for my actions per se, but this was a chance for me to scout one of my subordinates for promotion. I had to make it count.

"Come to think of it," Hayama said, "we recruited a new member quite recently but I'm not sure what area we want her to specialise in yet. I was thinking of introducing her to you..."

Is reading my mind that easy? Everybody seems to be doing it these days. "Perfect. Help me call her over, thanks."

A few crowded seconds passed, in the span of which a bespectacled brown-haired girl approached my table.

Her smile itself was natural enough, albeit seeming to be plastered onto her face. I liked the look in her eyes, though. Evidently dead inside, but with a spark within.

"This is Ebina Hina," Hayama announced, beaming. "Hina, Hikigaya-kun here is a very good friend of mine. I think both of you will get along splendidly."

My inner man retched and burst into laughter simultaneously. Keeping my face straight took a considerable amount of effort.

Instead, I nodded curtly at the new addition to our group. Group F students were supposed to be mavericks who couldn't care less about the system or any form of social interaction; acting otherwise would be a huge cause for suspicion.

"Nice to meet you," she chirped. "Let's get along!"

At this point of the introduction, the average Group S lackey would pretend I didn't exist and attempt to score brownie points with Hayama, but this girl continued to stare. Even while she spoke, her gaze darted about my visage, subtly analysing.

Body language is a dangerous thing. No matter how composed one may be, controlling the entire body is not humanly possible. The most I could do was stiffen my body to repress the majority of any subconscious movement. Feigning disinterest, I glared at the table and embraced my torso as tightly as possible: the classic position for defensiveness and defiance.

I had no idea how skilled Ebina Hina was at body language analysis, so I would have to maintain this posture throughout the entire field trip. Fifteen seconds into our first meeting and I was already impressed.

"Hmmmm," she said. "I think I get it now. Hayato-kun, are both of you dating?"

It took me two stunned seconds before I remembered to choke in exaggerated fashion, as any ordinary heterosexual teenage male would have done.

Hayama seemed horrified. By the look of it, Ebina Hina said stuff like this quite often. However, this did not mean he was used to it.

"Hina! You know it's not like that-"

"Ehhh~ But both of you look pretty good together! Dead fish eyes aside, he has a pretty good face..."

My thoughts exactly. She's pretty observant, yup.

"We don't... He's not... I mean..."

Oi. Why is your face red?

"I think you'll make a good bottom, Hayato-kun... oh my, just the very thought of it... buhaaa!"

Bleeding profusely from the nose, she collapsed. Hayama stared haplessly at her prone form as our classmates observed with interest.

She wasn't wrong, actually; technically Hayama did work under me. Ignoring the confused stares of my classmates, I snickered.

[Yuigahama Yui, 30th June, 1005 hours]

"Saki-chaaaaan! Team up with me!"

Some of my classmates whipped around in shock at the mere hint of a Group S student associating with someone from Group F, but upon seeing Yumiko and Hayato-kun's lack of reaction they turned back. Slowly but surely, Sobu High's situation was changing for the better.

I mentioned this to Hikki the other day and he had sneered something about the students having gotten used to my weird behaviour, and honestly that was probably closer to the truth, but I had said that I would believe in our schoolmates anyway. You are what you eat, after all.

Hikki had simply sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. Maybe he hadn't been eating well.

Saki-chan looked fairly annoyed. I could fully understand; we had just gotten close the previous day and were from opposite sides of the school caste. No matter how much affection she held for me, she wouldn't be able to show it in public... moved by my friend's plight, I shed a tear.

"It's alright, Saki-chan. I understand completely. From now on, just leave the PDA to me, okay?"

"Nobody's doing any PDA," she growled. "And if you understand, get off me already. You're hella heavy."

...Or maybe she was annoyed at me from waking her up from her nap by pouncing on her back?

Nahhhhh. I squeezed her tighter and she released a grunt that sounded more irritated than pained.

"Team up with me," I insisted.

"Sure."

I blinked. "Seriously? I had a whole convincing speech prepared and everything."

"I figured I'd just leave everything to you," she sighed. "You want to change society or something like that, right? I can't do much, but I'll help where I can."

Even if the school was not willing to change, one person here was well on her way. I nodded sagely at my inner-Hikki, who massaged his temples in response. Even in my head, Hikki was such a disagreeable person.

"Thanks, Saki-chan. I really appreciate it. But I was referring to the workplace visit.."

She averted her gaze from mine and nodded: that easily-embarrassed side of hers was cute too. "Right. I'll just go write our names on the board then-"

"-but seriously, can't you refuse just a little more?"

"Huh?"

"I prepared a reaaally long speech, you know? I was gonna spend twenty minutes about how I value you as a dear friend and how I want to be with you for the rest of my life and how I want you to make miso soup for me every morning..." I took a huge dramatic breath, then released it in one huge wail: "And it's all gonna go to waste!"

"What's your problem?" she growled. Her cheeks were noticeably red now. "That's clearly a marriage proposal!"

"Marry me, Saki-chan! I'll give you an onion ring later!"

"So cheap!"

Across the classroom, Hikki watched as Saki-chan dragged me across the classroom to write our names on the board. Beside him stood a blushing Hayato-kun and Hina-chan, who was pressing a handkerchief to her bleeding nose. I could probably hazard a guess as to what was happening down there if I tried, but something told me that I shouldn't.

In the same way, I hadn't thought about the mastermind of Sobu High and his relation to the Autumn faction, even though it felt like the pieces were more or less all in place. Maybe I was losing my drive. Maybe I was being afraid for my own safety. Or maybe, all the signs were pointing to Hikki and I didn't want to believe that he was involved in all this.

But it wasn't the end of the world! Hikki seemed to be pretty high up in the Autumn faction (maybe even Komachi-chan was involved too) but he could definitely be convinced out of it. Just like Hayato-kun and Saki-chan, Hikki was a human being with a conscience and was probably being controlled by other people higher up. If this was the case, finding his chain to the Autumn faction and breaking it would be my mission. If it wasn't...

Anyway, I had some things to ask him.

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 5th July, 1400 hours]

The shrilling of cicadas filled the clubroom. Beams of afternoon sunlight struck the floor, weaving a patchy quilt of bright spots and shadows. The air was arid and the sun was merciless. More irritating than the buzzing of insects outside were the shouts of students performing their club activities in the scorching heat: they seemed to believe that the added enthusiasm would drive the fatigue from their minds.

In short, not a good atmosphere for reading.

I folded my arms and prepared for a long afternoon of relaxation, and it was at that very moment that the clubroom door burst open with a timing and force I could only associate with Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Oh, Hikigaya. Just you today?"

I inclined my head semi-respectfully. Since Sensei wasn't the kind of person who would notice the respect, neither would she be aware of the semi. "Yukinoshita and Yuigahama haven't showed up in a week."

She squinted at the closed volume in my hands. "Reading up, huh? As your Literature teacher, I am pleased. Which?"

"Arthur Conan Doyle," I said. This was translated from English so it wasn't exactly Japanese Literature, but surely she should know-

"Oooooh, that's a great one! I used to read that one all the time as a kid!"

...As a kid? All the time?

"Sherlock Holmes," I clarified.

"Oh." She squinted at the book again. "Wait, that's not manga."

Should've known. "Detective Conan has a Japanese name, Sensei. No matter how you look at it you were way off-"

"Shuddap," came her automatic response. "It was a... moderate amount of time ago, alright? And I'm not growing senile or anything!"

Sometimes it was hard to accept that this lady was supervising a rebellion against my perfect system. My only remaining hypothesis - the last straw that I was clinging to - was that she was the type that worked better under pressure. Much better.

"Whatever you say, Sensei."

She shot me a suspicious glance, perhaps actually gauging my sincerity. "Did Yukinoshita and Yuigahama tell you anything? Yukinoshita contacted me, but Yuigahama just upped and disappeared last week."

"At least Yukinoshita told you what was going on," I sighed, cracking a wry smile. "I've been sitting here wondering what happened all this while."

Sensei sniffed. "Something about mourning a family friend, she said. I dunno, maybe it's one of those long traditional funerals that go on for weeks... or maybe she's just playing hooky."

Probably the latter. I could not imagine Yukinoshita mourning anybody for a whole week; finding the cause of this unfortunate individual's death and hunting it down -be it anything from hitmen to lung cancer- suited her more. Knowing her, she was probably using the free time to prepare her next course of action against Sobu High instead. Normally this would have thrilled me, but I had so many things on my plate at the moment that the thought only served to pile up on my ire.

To make matters worse, I could not keep tabs on her like I did for Yuigahama. The Yukinoshita estate was heavily guarded, and we suspected the family had ties to both the Winter and Spring factions.

Yuigahama, as my sources had informed me, had locked herself in her house for the past week or so. Given the contents of Kawasaki's report, this presented reasonable cause for worry.

On the topic of that report, to say I was disappointed in Kawasaki's performance was an understatement. In fact, if she had been any more replaceable I would have put her down on the spot. Under her watch Yuigahama had been exposed to highly classified information that was kept from even my head of intelligence. She had seen and manhandled Komachi. She put my sister in range of a firing squad.

Yuigahama was still a bit of a mystery to me, but the kind of mystery I couldn't be bothered to solve. The question of why she did what she did the way she did had been long overshadowed by the notion that she was not intelligent or capable enough to get in my way to a significant extent. Even if she put all the pieces (of which she had a lot) together and identified me as Sobu High's mastermind, the most she could do was report it to Yukinoshita.

In that case, I would probably have to find other more roundabout ways to break them. Try as she might, Yuigahama's best efforts would ultimately present a mild inconvenience, nothing more.

Who would have thought that the girl who triggered the turning point of my life would turn up to stop me at the peak of it? While I did not blame her for anything that had happened to myself or Komachi, this turn of events was undeniably poetic. Ironic, even.

Was her interest in me spurred by suspicion or infatuation? The former seemed likelier, but she sure didn't act like it.

While I was immersed in my train of thought Hiratsuka-sensei had taken a seat at the other end of the table. In her hands was a dog-eared volume of - big surprise - Shounen Jump.

"Sensei, what do you think of Yuigahama?"

Her head snapped upwards. "What, you wanna know what happened to her? Cuz I don't know either-"

"Nah. Just about her in general."

"Hm." She stared out of the window, hands fumbling about in her pocket. Experienced fingers pulled out a packet of cigarettes.

"You're not allowed to smoke in here, you know."

"Ahhhh, shut it. Whaddaya think I came here for in the first place? To see your grumpy mug?"

What a terrible role model. If I weren't already a manipulative, psychopathic killer you'd really be leading me down the wrong path, Sensei.

The clubroom was silent save for the click of her lighter.

"I think Yuigahama is a strong and sincere girl," Sensei said in between puffs of smoke. "Yukinoshita would disagree, but she's not here, which means I'm right."

'Strong' and 'Sincere' weren't exactly descriptors I would pick to fit Yuigahama, especially if I had Yukinoshita as a base for comparison. I voiced this disagreement to Hiratsuka-sensei in a moment of foolhardy bravery and got a derisive snort for all my valiant effort.

"If that's what you really think, you're looking down on both of them."

Was she implying that my analysis was inaccurate? "I understand that different individuals have different strengths," I said.

"And I'm saying that you got both their strengths wrong," she sneered. "Especially Yukinoshita. You got a crush on her or something? Is that why you're putting her on a pedestal?"

The notion that my sense of purpose and rivalry had been reduced to a hormone-driven phenomenon irked me, but it was too stupid to merit a rebuttal. "Yukinoshita is one of the most strong-willed individuals I have met. Surely you must agree that it takes guts to run a rebellion."

"She has guts, yes. But a strong will stems from the awareness of one's own weakness."

Did this lady even understand what she was saying? I didn't. I suppose that's Japanese Literature for you.

"You're saying she doesn't have it?"

"Not yet. But she's learning. You know, at the start she genuinely thought she could run this whole operation by herself."

It was supposed to be a two-man operation, Sensei. Or are you admitting that you're slacking off?

"That's why," Sensei continued, taking another long whiff of her cigarette, "I'm glad you and Yuigahama joined this club. Really."

"We're not doing much to alleviate her workload though." If anything we were both adding to it, each in our own ways.

"You really aren't cute at all," Sensei sighed. "Anyway, don't go around underestimating people. Or forcing your expectations on them. You'll regret it someday."

Going by raw statistical probability, Hiratsuka-sensei's advice was not to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, even a stopped clock is right two times a day.

"I'll try my best."

"Yup. Drag this rebellion to victory, Hikigaya. Can't expect too much from a person like you, but I'm counting on you anyway."

Those right there are the two things you just told me not to do...

As Hiratsuka-sensei finished her cigarette pack I contemplated my current situation. My feud with the Service Club, no matter how one chose to splice it, was a whim of mine with no real consequence. But if I was taking the trouble to go along with it anyway, I was obligated to do it properly. Internally, I made plans to sort things out with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama as soon as I could.

But before that, the workplace visit.

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 0800 hours]

Happiness is a zero-sum game. Humans derive it in various ways, but elsewhere there is always pain and misfortune to balance it out. Man's inherently pleasure-seeking nature strips us of the will to take the suffering of others into consideration while we trample over their feelings. Or perhaps it is our nature to derive pleasure from the suffering of others?

Like a good Samaritan gaining self-satisfaction from performing deeds of kindness, unaware of the mortification of beneficiaries who have no other choice. Like a couple succumbing to feelings of true love, bringing conflict and misery to themselves and their children down the road. Like a fujioshi verbally fantasizing about her male classmates having sex with each other when they are stuck with her for the entire day.

Ebina Hina was in heaven.

"I can't believe two guys so suited to be your bottom existed, Hikitani-kun! And they're both so different too! It's like, what's it called... you know, when you put two things side by side and appreciate their differences? Jus... Justification?"

Don't butcher my name like that, c'mon.

"I think it's 'juxtaposition', Ebina-san," Totsuka Saika said. His face was bright red, but even this level of mortification wasn't enough to stop him from being helpful. Hayama trudged along beside him, face buried in his hands.

"Hayato-kun can be the charming serious boy who gets easily flustered and Sai-chan can be the cute Bishounen- Oh! Maybe... we could even have a threesome! Buhahhhh!" As her stream of words came to an end a stream of blood was born forth from her nose.

"Please stop," Hayama mumbled through his fingers, but his heart wasn't in it.

Honestly, this was way too lively for a group of four.

My role here was to assess Ebina Hina's capability to perform as a member of Hayama's squad. Under normal conditions, this would be conducted by Hayama and would involve placing her in a controlled situation where she would prove herself. Needless to say, these were not normal conditions.

Totsuka sidled up to me, smiling nervously. Maybe he still remembered the time I almost emotionally blackmailed him into giving up on his club and possibly his dreams. Stuff like that tends to leave an impression.

"It's been a while, Hikigaya-san. Have you been well?"

"Well enough," I replied. "How did regionals go?"

"Fifth place," he laughed sheepishly. Traces of guilt lined his face. "Not exactly the best result. The entire club got pulled down to Group C."

"I see," I said. Totsuka did look thinner than the last time we had spoken. From the creases on his face it was evident that he had been frowning -maybe even crying- a lot more too. The tennis club's predicament was something I had engineered to challenge the Service Club and I couldn't care less now that the fiasco was over, but this was a sure reminder that even the most whimsical of my actions had deep-rooted consequences.

Perhaps I was obligated to remind Shiromeguri-senpai to undo the demotion. Undeserved punishment would cause people to lose faith in the system, after all.

"Um, Hikigaya-san?"

Totsuka's gait had been unsteady this whole time. I had assumed it was due to physical fatigue, but his voice betrayed no small amount of nervousness.

"Whassup?"

"Do you think..." He cast a glance at Hayama and Ebina who were walking ahead of us, engaged in (one-sidedly) animated conversation. "Do you think there is a reason Hayama-kun chose us to be in his group?"

"It's common, right? A guy from group S picks a lower ranked guy to be in his group and-"

"I can see how that works for you," Totsuka mumbled, "and I really don't want to doubt Hayama-kun like that, but... I'm in Group C, right? Do you think he needs something from me? Or maybe... another demotion? I'm not even sure what I did to earn the first one..."

Choosing Totsuka as the last member of our group had been my idea, actually. And there was no particular reason for it; I just wanted someone whom I was somewhat familiar with.

Now that I could take a clear look at him, Totsuka really was a pure individual. He was a victim of the system - possibly subject to the resentment of his club members - and yet he tried to be helpful and friendly wherever he could. Under his (justified) paranoia was concern for his clubmates that could come to further harm.

I could definitely use this.

"You're pretty sharp," I grunted. "Yeah, that guy has business with you."

"Hayama-kun does?" Totsuka's eyes were two shining orbs of concern. "Did he tell you, Hikigaya-san?"

"Yeah," I sighed. Perhaps it was a little too late to give off a maverick-ish impression, but I figured it was worth the effort. "Damn that guy. Who does he think I am, his errand boy?"

To his credit, Totsuka waited patiently for me to continue. A normal student would have slapped me silly in pure desperation at this point. A message from Hayama was just that important.

"He said something about undoing your demotion," I continued. "You'll have to earn it, of course."

"What about my team? He'll promote them too, right?"

Good answer. Humans are despicable, but to vastly varying extents. For what it was worth, Totsuka was not the kind of trash that would abandon his teammates for personal gain, which made my decision to revoke his demotion a little less unbearable.

"Prolly," I drawled. "In the first place they got demoted cuz of you, right?"

For what it was worth, Totsuka still looked troubled. "Alright, but it's not... unethical, is it?"

I hummed. "What if it is?"

"Then I'll pass, thanks."

Again, this was a good answer; not because of his moral compass, but because he was sticking to his ideals. Seriously, what the hell are you doing in this school?

Humans are all rotten creatures, but some are less rotten than others. Or at least less explicitly rotten.

I lowered my voice slightly to give a feeling of confidentiality. "I'm not sure if you would call it unethical. Look, it's tough being in Group S, right?"

"I... yes?"

"With swarms of lower-ranked guys trying to get in your good books 24/7, anyone would go mad, right?"

Totsuka glanced at the groups of students milling around ours. It was no exaggeration to claim that all of them had chosen this location to be in close proximity to Hayama. "Yes...?"

"With that in mind, Hayama needs a bit of a delay in our group so that the other groups can go on first. All you need to do is hide yourself for a bit over lunchtime so that we can waste time searching for you."

"Oh, that's not too bad. But lying to people is still wrong... umm..."

Oi, don't tell me you're actually thinking of refusing! Even an elementary school kid would jump at this opportunity. Just how straight is your moral compass?

Honestly, for such a straight-laced guy to come under my system and still do reasonably well by his own merit was travesty. First rebels, and now this? Just where did I go wrong?

"If it's to help Hayama-kun out, I... guess I don't mind," Totsuka concluded, voice laced with uncertainty. "And I suppose this is for my club's sake too..."

An angel. This guy wasn;t human. That was the only explanation.

[Yuigahama Yui, 6th July, 1200 hours]

A tour is never complete without a map. Ignoring Saki-chan's scowl, I squinted at the floor plan that I had painstakingly drawn by hand. There was no directory in the area for reference, so all the information here was second hand, but the map was probably around 60% accurate.

"Hmm. The second floor looks nice. Wanna go there next?"

"Yuigahama."

"Cos there's nothing much on the ground floor 'cept for this really cool looking water fountain..."

"Yuigahama, for goodness' sake."

"Maybe they'll give us access to the top floor if we ask nicely?"

"We're in an office building," Saki-chan groaned, making a show of clawing at her face: "on an educational trip! Stop embarrassing us, please!"

Beside me, Yumiko bristled. "Hey. I've been overlooking this for a long while now, but aren't you being a bit too rude to Yui? There's a basic level of respect to be held here, capiche?"

Upon hearing this an outsider would assume Yumiko was referring to basic human decency, but to the students of Sobu High this line held a very different weight, especially coming from a Group S student. Naturally I disliked rank-pulling like this, but I couldn't blame Yumiko for it; there was a hierarchy, and upholding it was her job. And technically she was doing it for me...

"Now, now," I said, putting on my goofiest smile. "Let's all get along, okay?"

"You too!" Yumiko snapped, whipping around to funnel her scorching anger at me instead. Frankly, it was adorable. "Stop letting people walk over you, no matter how close you are! And on that note, choose your friends wisely!"

Bottom text: Like it or not, you're a high-class student, so act like one.

"Don't act like you know about friendships when you've never had a proper one," Saki-chan sneered. For a brief moment, in the space behind her, I saw the image of a white hawk staring its prey down.

"Ah? Come again?" And in the space behind Yumiko arose the image of a viper, glaring defiantly at its natural enemy. In my mind I tried inserting all sorts of cute animals between the two predators in the hopes of calming them down. It didn't work.

Tobe-kun, who had been assigned as the last member of our group, stood forlornly a full five metres away from the three of us, not saying a word.

In short, this was awkward.

"You think you're so high and mighty, defying the system like that," Yumiko sneered, "but why do you think people follow it so fearfully? Because we enforce it?"

"You don't know why I do what I do," Saki-chan growled. "So shut up."

"It's because they see miscreants like you," Yumiko snarled. "Rejected by all, with no place in the school. You think everyone likes being dragged around and being forced to drag others around? As messed up as it is, we go along with it because we understand its stake in our future. But you. You people drift along with no care for the future. You can't make connections or assert yourselves. People-"

"-follow the system because they don't want to be like us, right?" Saki-chan snorted. "I am aware."

"You are aware, but you couldn't care less!," Yumiko snapped. "If you don't like this system, grit your teeth and bear with it like everyone else! Your selfish actions are only making this whole thing worse!"

"Don't wanna hear that from you," Saki-chan drawled. "Little Miss frog in the well."

The air around Yumiko heated up rapidly, or so it seemed. Tobe-kun's face paled so much that I noticed it from five metres away.

"You-"

"I think it's alright," I blurted out.

"Huh!?"

"What!?"

And suddenly, I was the centre of attention.

"Everyone deals with this in their own way," I said slowly, shying away from their scary glares, "and I think that's fine. I mean, no matter how you look at it it's clearly the system that's wrong, right? We just need to get rid of-"

"Yui," barked Yumiko. "Don't say anymore."

"But I-"

"I don't care how you feel. Remember your position, will you? Especially now that there are people here," she shot a piercing glare at Tobe-kun who cowered immediately, "that would be interested in what you say."

"I just-"

"Yui."

What are you, my mom?

Not like she didn't have a point, though. I sighed. "Right. Sorry, Yumiko."

"What will I do with you?" Yumiko sighed, patting my head. "If only you weren't so cute. But you agreed to join Group S, and you have to understand there are responsibilities that come with it."

I nodded, albeit a little sullenly.

"Of course, what you do outside our official duties is none of my business," Yumiko said, winking. "Just make sure you don't get caught, alright?"

"Mhmmm," I mumbled. Of course I didn't like being treated like a child, but Yumiko's headpats were too good to pass up on. "I'm already taking action. Gonna talk to Hikki later."

"...Er. Who's that?'

"That's fine, right? Saki-chan."

Beside us, Saki-chan stared with her mouth agape. "You..."

"I'm not exactly asking for your permission," I said. "But I just wanted you to know. I need to do this much to move forward, see."

Saki-chan rolled her eyes. "What're you being so considerate for? You should be fearing for your life, since you're confronting that guy. And it's not like anything I do will stop you now, right? More importantly..."

With genuine respect in her eyes, she turned towards Yumiko. "You tamed her? Can you teach me this power?"

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Yumiko threw back her head and laughed. Five metres away, Tobe-kun heaved a sigh of relief.

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 1300 hours]

It took everyone half an hour to realise Totsuka had been missing throughout the course of lunch. That meant that we could not search for him without sacrificing some of the time meant to be spent on the workplace visit.

Hayama sidled up to my side. "Is this your doing?"

"I need to be left alone for a while," I said, cheeks stuffed with store-bought tuna onigiri. "Guide your flock away, won't you?"

"Roger," he grunted, easing himself off the floor and addressing his congregation. The multitude of rising protests were immediately silenced, I assumed, by a glare from Miura.

The stage had been set. Sure enough, I spotted a blob of pink hair from the middle of the disgruntled crowd slowly approaching.

"Hikki..."

Yuigahama started, then paused, then stopped.

One look at her expression was enough. Both of us knew what was coming. I could tell she had spent the past week preparing herself for this very moment; deflecting or evading this inquiry was out of the question now.

But much as I hated to admit it, I had been looking forward to this encounter too.

"Let's take it outside," I sighed, slowly detaching myself from the cool marble floor. "If it's all the same to you, I'd very much prefer the courtyard."

"Eh? Oh. Yeah, sure."

The crowd of our schoolmates watched as I strode away, Yuigahama scurrying behind in tow. Their interest, however, did not last long in the face of a death glare from Miura.

The sound of my own footsteps echoing around the spacious lobby served to heighten my nervousness, which was in itself inexplicable to me. Just what was wrong with me? Perhaps Yuigahama had found me out, and depending on how this conversation went Yukinoshita just might too. That was all. That was the worst case scenario. It was nothing I couldn't clean up within half a day- no, half an hour.

A week of convincing myself that all this was nothing in the grand scheme of things had come and gone, but now that we were actually getting down to it a strange fear was arising in me, like a large stone edging its way up my abdomen. Maybe I had gotten too used to the status quo.

"I would've picked the courtyard too, actually," Yuigahama laughed sheepishly. "The fountain's design is really nice."

In spite of myself, my face broke out into a wry smile. "That's what I thought too, but Hayama said I have no artistic sense."

"Guess we're both hopeless, then!" she laughed. The tension in her voice rebounded off the marble pillars and thickened the air around me... or so it seemed. I took a breath to steady myself, then realised I was nervous.

Yuigahama and I had never held a normal conversation like this, I realised, despite being in the same club for around half a year. I had written her off as a one-dimensional character, not worth the effort to manipulate or perceive as an opponent. What she liked, what she disliked, what kind of personality she flaunted, what kind of personality she hid underneath: all that had gone over my head. And now here I was, with my back to the wall.

Perhaps this was how Kondo-san had felt all those months ago when facing me: a textbook schoolboy, dripping with blood and rancor.

The doors of the office building slid open and I stepped out slowly. It felt like exiting a convenience store. Like walking down a predetermined path, the road ahead clearing like clockwork. Like embracing a new change. Leaving something important behind.

"Let's get this over with," I said.

Would her expression be one of affection for Hikigaya Hachiman? Would it be full of hate for the mastermind of Sobu High? Would it be a blank mask? I turned around and, for the first time, possibly ever, took a proper look at Yuigahama Yui's face.

And blinked.

It was a smile.

As expected of Yuigahama. A smile. Of course.

Yet, the uneasiness in my heart only grew.

Her smile wasn't amorous or lovelorn. It wasn't bitter. It wasn't warm or cold. It wasn't sour. There was no hint of forgiveness. There was no hint of hostility. There was no hint of fear. It was neither complex nor conflicted. It was neither pure nor simple.

Just a smile.

The realisation hit me: Yuigahama's smile had been cultivated, the product of countless hours of training in front of a mirror. It was the first thing one would notice. The ability of her face to express emotion had long been beaten down, weathered away to nothingness.

All this time, I had been looking at her smile. Not knowing what she was thinking, just like everybody else...

Her eyes.

Sure enough, rather than an expression of love or hate, the flame of resolve was burning deep within her pupils. Fear arched through my body, as if salt had been ground into a festering wound. This was something that I hadn't seen in a long time, and it shook me to my core.

This was hope.

[Yuigahama Yui, 6th July, 1305 hours]

"Hikki," I said. "Or maybe you'd prefer Hikigaya-san? I never got the chance to ask you."

Hikki simply stared. We both knew that I was at an overwhelming disadvantage, yet I didn't feel like I would lose.

His eyes.

They were empty.

"Let's get straight to it," I said. "I want you to join me."

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 1305 hours]

During negotiations, a good first impression is impetal. For a deal to have any chance of ending favourably, your negotiation partner must see you as an equal or more. This is a basic concept in business, psychology and common sense. Regardless of how unreasonable an offer is, your first priority is always not to offend.

"Uh, hell no," I said. "Is your head all right?"

Yuigahama actually looked bummed by my refusal. "Oh. I thought it was a pretty good deal..."

"Look, to begin with I don't know what 'joining you' entails..."

"Oh, right! I forgot!"

Was this girl always this airheaded?

"I'm not asking you to quit being a criminal or the mastermind's lackey or anything. Just work with me as a double agent!"

She stared at me expectantly. This quickly turned to bafflement in the face of my completely blank expression.

"Uh. I'm assuming you work for the mastermind directly, right? Just like Hayato-kun."

I nodded slowly, head racing.

Mastermind's lackey? In spite of all the evidence, she still doesn't think I'm the final boss? Is it due to my underwhelming presence?

At least things hadn't gotten out of hand yet. By the sound of it she intended to keep all incriminating information about me away from Yukinoshita's prying ears, so if I played my cards well my standing with the Service Club should remain the same... hopefully.

In the meantime, this was a good opportunity for me to take Hiratsuka-sensei's advice and finally acknowledge this enigmatic opponent of mine.

"You're assuming I was forced to live this way," I said.

"Hmmm," came the reply. Yuigahama was immersed in the sea of thought. "But you're in the Autumn faction, right? Saki-chan told me that as a general rule the members can't leave their lives of crime without forfeiting their lives..."

"That's not really a rule, just a natural trend. Anyway I'm high up enough to be an exception." No matter where I cast my gaze I could feel Yuigahama's eyes fixed on me, and her rapt attention made me nervous. Speaking was something I did too often, but seldom did people actually listen. "Kawasaki too. She can leave anytime, but she needs the money."

"Oh. What about her parents?"

"Suicide."

"Oh."

For a brief moment, Yuigahama seemed downcast. Was this due to regret that Kawasaki had not confided in her or the usual farcical sympathy?

"Then... if you're happy where you are, would you mind telling me why? I'd like to understand your way of thinking."

I nodded. "It boils down to personal philosophy, I suppose. While we're at it, I'd like to hear yours as well."

This was a girl who saw the best in people, yet trampled upon them to achieve her selfish utilitarian goals. Just what kept her going?

"I believe all humans are rotten, plain and simple," I said, barely refraining from curling my lips upward into a sneer. "I facilitate the existence of the Autumn Faction and Sobu High's caste system because they are the most explicit representations of this rottenness."

"Ah. That's a pretty common belief."

A twinge of irritation sprung up within me; there were few things I hated more than being associated with normalcy. "That's because it's true."

"I believe that's only on the surface," Yuigahama said, with the same tone one would adopt when talking about the weather. "But just as how people are capable of selfishness, they are capable of kindness too."

"The kindness that you speak of is a farce," I sneered. "Primitive self gratification. But what shows on the surface of man's heart has to be a product of what is within. Get a load of them, for example."

I jerked my head in the direction of the office building. Through the glass doors we could see our schoolmates, reluctantly resuming the office visit without Hayama and Miura. Despite this arrangement they periodically cast furtive glances over their shoulders, desperately searching for a chance to get close to the two members of Group S.

"In an environment like that of our precious school, where all principality is stripped bare, not a shred of your alleged kindness exists. Just look. The desire to get ahead of others weighs heavily on their minds like an addiction, maybe even a lifelong obsession. It swallows them whole. Revolting, wouldn't you agree?."

"Yeah, I don't like it either." Yuigahama's eyes were not filled with annoyance or anger, merely understanding. For some reason, this irritated me much more than any alternative. "But you seem pretty happy about all this, despite what you're saying."

"Of course I am!" I chucked. "The way I see the world, people have always been this revolting. But the fact that this rot has been brought out in such a way that everyone can see it without a chance of denial brings me so much satisfaction. You wouldn't get it even if I told you. It's-"

I stopped myself; instinctively, I knew that rambling on too much would render me emotionally vulnerable. Besides, I was probably making an unsightly face.

"I suppose it all depends on the lens you see the world through, then," Yuigahama hummed, somewhat uncertain. She cast her gaze toward the office building. "The way I see it, those guys seem pretty relieved that they've lost their chance to talk to Hayato-kun and Yumiko."

I squinted. No matter how I looked, I just couldn't bring myself to view it that way. "Relief that others don't get a chance either, you mean."

Yuigahama laughed. It was simple, yet I could not understand the emotions behind it. I could not, in fact, figure out what she was feeling at all.

Few things annoy me more than the inability to know.

"Do you really believe in such a thing?" I asked. "That all people are inherently capable of good?"

"It's not that hard to understand, right?" she pondered, staring skyward. "It's just like how you believe that people are inherently bad."

"I'm basing my beliefs on concrete observation," I shot back. "But it seems to me that your views are purely... faith-based."

"I've seen it time and time again," she said. Her tone was patient, as if explaining a basic moral concept to an infant. "Under the right conditions, people are capable of kindness."

A part of me bristled at the perceived condescension that I detected in her tone. But was it possible, I wondered, that she could see something that I didn't? Curiosity overwhelmed my irritation.

"Under the right conditions anyone can do anything," I insisted. "A baby born with psychopathic tendencies can be a normal member of society, given proper upbringing. A miser will give up his wealth if he starts to prioritise emotional gratification. Even the most hardened individual can mellow out with age."

Even as the words spilled out of my mouth, I knew I was cooking them up as I went along. Even Yuigahama seemed to notice. The truth was, I had never thought about the concepts of good and evil this seriously before.

But... I don't get what you don't understand. Just look, Yuigahama. Look at the world around you. What is it, if not rotten?

Swallowing my unease, I pressed on. "People are capable of doing good things, yes. Be that as it may, good deeds are ultimately performed with self-serving intent. There is no good deed without some sort of pretense. There-"

"Pretense?"

"Oh. Er." The fact that I wasn't talking to Yukinoshita had slipped my mind somewhere along the line. "I mean it's all fake."

"Hm. Let's see..."

Yuigahama simply stood there, processing my every word. The courtyard was silent save for the trickling of the water fountain. How ironic, I mused, that I had spent my whole life getting frustrated that nobody was willing to go along with my selfishness, yet now that someone was finally listening I was at a loss for words.

"In that case, what does genuine good look like to you, Hikki?"

[Yuigahama Yui, 6th July, 1330 hours]

"At least you seem to be alive," Saki-chan teased, hugging me in a rare show of generosity as I collapsed into her arms. "How did it go?"

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Ignoring my exhaustion, I took the chance to bury my face in her chest. It was Heaven on Earth.

"I'm so tired," I mumbled. "But I've never been more relieved in my life."

After a year or so of floundering and grasping at straws, I had made solid progress. Finally, the mastermind was within reach.

"Leave some space for me," chuckled Yumiko, patting my head. Forget Earth, this was just Heaven. "Anyway, what was that about? A confession? If you want to date him you'll have to promote him first, don't forget."

"It's not like that," I grumbled, burying my face deeper into Saki-chan's chest to hide the blush spreading across my face. "We just... made a deal."

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 1315 hours]

"In that case, what does genuine good look like to you, Hikki?"

I blinked.

"Well. I suppose that would be a good deed that is performed with no ulterior motive-"

"-but whatever the case is there's always a possible ulterior motive that you can point to, right?"

She was right.

She was right, but.

"Exactly," I said. "Genuine good does not exist in this world."

Yuigahama hummed. "So on a grand scale it's not the fault of people?"

"I never said it was," I shot back. "It's simply the way we're structured. Maybe evil is so entrenched in the human condition that we can't understand what genuine good looks like."

"Then... if you know everyone has it, why are you trying so hard to draw it out?"

"I..."

I swallowed. This was dangerously close to emotionally vulnerable territory.

"I hate hypocrisy. People live their lives comparing ideals and morals without knowing how much their actions impact others. They refuse to believe that they are inherently evil. They live life justifying their actions, even while their actions change like the direction of the wind to suit their selfish desires. They cook up morality. Ethics. Ideals clash and nobody picks either side. If I don't show them that they're all equally rotten, who the hell will?"

Fatigue blanketed my body as soon as I spat out the last word. I understood that all this was necessary for Yuigahama to understand my motivations, but a thought was beginning to worm its way out of a traitorous corner of my mind: that all of this was meaningless to begin with. Pitifully so. That I, who had gone along with all this while knowing full well that I didn't stand to gain, was the most pathetic one here.

Did everything I had done have to make sense? Did everything I did have to align with my philosophy? In spite of the monster of logic that I struggled to be, for a brief moment, I embraced the hypocrisy that my very ideals opposed, and hated myself dearly for it.

"I see."

Like a clap of thunder, Yuigahama brought her hands together.

"I see! I get it now, Hikki!"

As if desiring to add to my shame, I flinched. "What?"

"You're not a bad person after all!"

What part of that self-righteous spiel led you to believe that? Even I felt sick saying it.

"What do you think I am, then?" I spat, the sharpness of my voice surprising even myself.

"Confused!"

The breath in my lungs expelled itself with a single exhalation.

I tried to summon a retort, only to find that all energy had fled my very being. Doing things Yuigahama's way was a bad idea; I had placed my personal philosophy out on the table, ranted to the point of breathlessness and endured the nonsense spewing out of my own mouth for minutes... only for Yuigahama to form her own conclusions at the end.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Yuigahama added at the sight of my lethargic expression. 'We're all trying to make sense of the world and where we fit in."

I couldn't even claim, with conviction, that she was wrong.

"If you say so," I said.

"Man, what a relief!" she grunted, stretching her cramped arms skyward. "I was so worried you were the mastermind, thank goodness I was wrong."

"Is that so," I said.

"It is! You have a heart, after all. You can't possibly be that ruthless guy who has the whole school on a string, right?"

"Right," I said.

Even for all her perceptiveness, Yuigahama's feelings for me were clouding her judgement. Or perhaps it was faith in my potential for goodness?

"But you work for him, right? What kind of guy is he?"

"I can't even understand half the stuff that goes on inside his head," I sighed. I had no qualms about lying to Yuigahama, but sadly enough this wasn't a lie; our conversation had left my head reeling for all the wrong reasons.

"Hmmm. So it looks like I can't convince you to join me, huh?"

"You can try," I snorted.

Yuigahama brought her palms together, as if in prayer. "Alright! How about a bet?"

We're gambling? On something like this?

"If I can show you that genuine good truly exists, you'll team up with me against the mastermind. Then we can finally start handling this as a club! Without mentioning that you've been working for him this whole time, of course. I don't think Yukinon would be very happy about that."

It probably sounded reasonable to her, but to me it was a tall order. If it ever came to that, I would lose all purpose in this fight regardless of my position getting exposed. She was telling me to stake my resolve.

Or... maybe she understood that already?

"Sounds interesting," I said, spreading a grin across my face. This was the grin that compelled politicians to kneel down and lick my shoes, but in the face of it Yuigahama only looked slightly amused. Context has a large part to play in such scenarios, I supposed. "Then. If you give up on convincing me, quit the Service Club."

Yuigahama gave me a wry smile, almost like she had expected this all along. "Got it. I'll demote myself to Group F-"

"No," I said.

"No?"

"You'll stay in Group S, without causing any more problems. Until you graduate."

You made your choice to fight your way up the ladder in order to oppose me, so live with the consequences of your sins, Yuigahama. If my resolve wins out against yours... as punishment for wasting my time, the regret of needlessly ruining a multitude of lives will cling to you for the rest of yours.

"Man, you're harsh!"

Yuigahama laughed, a loud laugh that betrayed her exhilaration. Faintly, I felt my blood pump. Fear? Excitement? Whichever it was, it seemed that my body was recognising the impending change: that things between us would never stay the same again.

Obliviously, the fountain slaved on in the background...

[Hikigaya Hachiman, 6th July, 1325 hours]

Unfortunately, adrenaline fades rapidly.

The next few seconds were stuffed with awkward silence. Bravely, Yuighama ventured to break it.

"Uh. I can... go back first, maybe?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sure."

"Great. See you... around, then."

"Yep."

Not exactly the most thrilling showdown sequence in existence, but that was how it went.