"Sensei, I had a doubt in that step... is this transformation valid when x tends toward a negative limit?"
Classroom went silent as many heads turned towards the source of voice that suddenly emerged. The chalk in Sakagami-sensei's hand screeched slightly to a stop.
Still facing the blackboard, he waved a hand casually.
"Wait, Hikigaya. Let me finish writing this out first. I'll get to your question shortly."
But then, he turned halfway—only to blink in surprise.
It wasn't Hikigaya standing this time.
"…Ah, it's me, sensei. Not Hikigaya-kun."
It was Hirata Yousuke
Hirata stood tall, one hand lightly gripping his desk, the other still raised halfway as though he wasn't trying to command attention, yet somehow doing exactly that. His voice had been smooth, calm, genuinely curious.
"Oh! My apologies," Sakagami-sensei adjusted his glasses, slightly surprised but not displeased. "That's unexpected… but alright. Good question."
A few audible gasps and murmurs passed through the classroom.
"…Hirata?"
"…Wait, did Hirata just ask such a simple question?"
"Why does he even need to ask anything? Isn't he always ahead?"
The teacher turned back to the board, now explaining the transformation in full. But the room was no longer focused on that. All attention shifted towards Hirata.
Hirata gave a small nod. "Thank you, Sensei."
Karuizawa, seated next to him, leaned slightly closer, her gaze narrowing with a playful smile on her lips. She couldn't help but tease.
"Hey, what's gotten into you? Getting all serious suddenly in math class, Hirata?"
Hirata returned a modest smile, scratching his head. "Ah, not really Karuizawa. It's just… Sensei's being so thorough with the basics. Even though we covered this in middle school, I thought it might be good to clear up any doubts now."
He glanced down, collecting his thoughts. "If we let these small things pile up, they can become bigger problems later on when the exams come.
Then Karuizawa spoke again, tilting her head. "You mean, like... the exams? They're still way off, right? Shouldn't we just enjoy things now and worry about studying later?"
A few murmurs followed.
"Seriously, we just started school," Yamauchi muttered with a frown. "Why are you acting like it's exam week already?"
"Yeah, man," Ike chimed in. "This school's being super chill with us. Free points, relaxed teachers… We should be enjoying it more."
Hirata kept his tone light as he replied.
"Yeah, I get that," he said, scratching the back of his head lightly. "I really do want to enjoy this time too, but that's why I think it's worth putting in a bit of effort now. It's not like we need to get all super serious or anything."
He looked around, making eye contact with a few of the students who'd agreed with Karuizawa.
"It's just... I think if we put in even a little bit of effort now while things are still easy, we won't have to stress out so much later."
He gestured gently toward the board.
"What Sensei's teaching right now isn't too tough. We've already seen it before, so it won't even take that much energy to review."
Karuizawa tilted her head slightly, looking at him sideways. "So, you're saying... just do the bare minimum early so it doesn't pile up later?"
Hirata nodded. "Exactly. Just the basics now, so we don't have to panic later."
"If we don't take advantage of how easy this part is, we'll regret it when things get tougher. I just… don't want to look back and feel like I wasted a chance when things were this simple, you know?"
There was a short silence. His words weren't loud, but they carried. The sincerity in his tone wasn't lost on anyone although some were bit reluctant. But many girls couldn't help but look at him admiringly.
Karuizawa, though still leaning against the desk, seemed to ponder his words. "Hm. Maybe it doesn't sound like a bad idea."
Sato agreed. "That kinda makes sense. I guess it wouldn't kill to at least review some stuff."
"Yeah," Shinohara mumbled as she joined in too. "It's not like we're doing anything too hard yet anyway."
More girls began nodding, their voices overlapping as they agreed. Karuizawa, already seen as the leader among the girls in class, had spoken first. So, once she gave her approval, the others naturally followed.
And with Hirata being well-liked for his calm and reliable nature, it didn't take long for most of them to go along with what he said.
From his seat, Hirata looked around at the changing mood and smiled, his tone quiet but warm.
"I'm really glad you all understand," he said, his voice still calm. "I know we all have different priorities right now. If anyone feels awkward asking questions in class or just needs someone to go over stuff with, feel free to ask me. I'll help however I can."
But not everyone was impressed. Several boys exchanged looks, clearly less enthusiastic.
But Yamauchi slumped forward, groaning. "Man, now everyone's getting on board just 'cause' it's Hirata."
Ike grumbled beside him, arms crossed. "Tch. Guess we're the only ones who actually wanna enjoy life around here."
Even Sudo, who had been half-asleep, shouted with scowl. "Don't act like you know everything, man. Just cause you're good at this crap doesn't mean we gotta follow your order."
Sakagami-sensei, who had been quietly flipping through his textbook, glanced up at the murmurs across the classroom. He adjusted his glasses with a small sigh. Even though he wasn't obligated to interfere, he still decided to give a response, just enough to acknowledge the shift.
"Well, I wasn't planning to go over this in so much detail," he said, voice neutral, "but since there seems to be some interest, I don't mind slowing down a little."
He paused, his eyes briefly settling on Sudo and then Hirata.
"That said, it might be wise to at least listen to what your classmate Hirata is trying to say."
And then Kushida, who had stayed quiet until now, spoke up with her usual bright smile. Seeing that most of the girls were already on board and that Hirata had taken the lead, she decided to support the idea too.
"I think it's great that Hirata-kun's thinking about the class already. Helping each other out like this is what makes a supportive class, right?"
Her smile was as sweet as ever, and as usual, well-timed. She wasn't exactly leading anyone but her popularity among both girls and boys alike made her voice hard to ignore.
Even many of the boys who had seemed uninterested at first began to agree, some quietly nodding or murmuring in support. It was surprising how just a few words and one question from Hirata and interference from Kushida had shifted the whole atmosphere of the classroom.
But still not everyone was caught up in the growing wave of agreement.
From his seat near the back, Hikigaya rested his chin in his hand, his expression unreadable as he lazily watched the scene unfold.
"There it is," Hikigaya muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on the subtle shift in the classroom. "That effortless change in mood."
He leaned back slightly, sighing.
"It seems Hirata had finally activated his ultimate ability… 'The Zone'."
For those lucky enough to have never encountered it, let me explain.
'The Zone' was a unique skill only the truest of riajuu possessed, and its main feature was the ability to control one's surroundings. Unlike those shallow riajuu who hung around and showed off to their idiotic peers, true riajuu were genuinely satisfied with the real world. Because of that, they didn't look down on anyone they were even nice to people who were looked down upon.
His basis for deciding between the two types of riajuu was: 'Are you nice to Hikigaya Hachiman?'
By that measure Hirata easily made the cut. He treated Hachiman like a normal classmate talked to him naturally, without mockery or didn't have any ulterior motives.
To sum it up... "The Zone" was just that weird aura only nice, charismatic people had.
'If I were being nice about it, I'd say they're the kind of people who can read the atmosphere and adjust accordingly.
But if I were being honest? They just don't have their own opinions and avoided taking strong stances.
And if I were being a full-blown asshole, which let's face it I usually am, I'd call them cowardly trash who can't stand going against the flow.'
But even with that mindset, he couldn't quite lump Hirata in with the rest. Hirata didn't just move with the flow he guided it just now. Gently, naturally and without ever making it about himself.
That, in itself, was probably what made people like him dangerous and admirable at the same time.
'With everyone suddenly paying attention, I don't have to carry the burden of asking all the questions by myself anymore. I can still stay mostly under the radar, just... not as much as before. Still, it's easier to keep up when the class is actually engaging for once.'
Hikigaya's gaze drifted back across the room.
More students seemed to be paying attention now, with some of the girls even starting to interact with the teacher. Sakagami-sensei looked mildly irritated by the disruptions, but even he seemed somewhat pleased that his teaching was finally getting through.
But there were still many students who were slacking off, though even they seemed a bit affected by all this.
And it wasn't just math.
In the following classes, the same quiet pattern emerged. Hirata would speak up here and there, always calm and collected, while Hikigaya occasionally filled in gaps or asked the most basic or childish questions that others wouldn't. It wasn't flashy, but it worked.
Teachers began responding with a little more patience, a little more effort. The classroom wasn't transformed, but it felt… more alive.
And just like that, the first half of the school day passed.
Lunch break arrived.
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"Thanks for going along with my suggestion today, Hirata,"
The words came out quietly as Hikigaya focused ahead, eyes on the wall above the urinal. Not exactly the most dignified place for a conversation. Again.
"…You know," he muttered, "we really need to stop having these weird talks here. This is starting to feel like some kind of routine."
Hirata gave a small laugh from beside him. "Yeah, well… no one bothers you here. It's kind of peaceful, in its own way."
'Peaceful huh?'
'Figures this is the only place he can talk to me without someone hanging off his arm. Is he trying to make me jealous or something? Like, 'look how popular I am, but don't worry, I still have time for you… during bathroom breaks.'
"For you, maybe. I'm starting to think you just like holding deep conversations next to toilets."
Hirata chuckled, unfazed. "Well, you're not exactly the easiest guy to catch outside class, Hikigaya. In fact, I've never even seen you outside the classroom anywhere. It's like you disappear the moment class is finished."
Hikigaya gave a small shrug, eyes still forward. "I just prefer not being seen. Makes my life quieter."
They moved over to the sinks.
"But seriously, Hikigaya," Hirata continued, glancing over with a serious face, "I should be the one thanking you."
"…Huh?" Hikigaya blinked.
"What you said yesterday… about how some students might need help but don't ask for it. That really stuck with me. And now that I think about it, you were right. A lot of people seemed more engaged today. Even the teachers looked more relaxed during class."
He hadn't told Hirata everything. Not about the discipline warnings tied to grades, or how their class average could drag everyone down. Not even about the way teachers were already starting to give up on them.
All he suggested yesterday was something vague. Just that there were students who might need help but wouldn't speak up. That if no one stepped in now, it could come back to bite the whole class later.
It wasn't a lie. Just... not the whole truth and Hirata had taken that small piece and done far more with it than he expected.
"…It's not a big deal," he muttered. "I just didn't want to be the only one stuck asking questions and doing all the heavy lifting."
Hirata glanced at him in the mirror. "Yeah. I thought it was something like that too."
Hikigaya dried his hands "You're oddly okay with people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons."
"Maybe. But if it helps people feel a little closer, then I think it's worth it. I just want our class to be a place where no one feels left out and everyone can get along with each other."
Hikigaya paused, blinking at the mirror for a moment before turning away.
'There it is again. That impossibly nice answer.'
There was something strange about how easy going he was. Like he was always patching things up before anyone even noticed something was wrong. That is the reason why he didn't told Hirata about the Discipline assessment or speculation about Class Average system.
So far, it felt like this guy had an almost compulsive need to avoid conflict. As if maintaining the class's shallow peace meant more to him than actually confronting anything real.
'It could be that he's emotionally dependent on group harmony, or maybe something similar to that?'
Because of that suspicion, he had only indirectly asked Hirata to help out.
He held back from saying anything more. "…Right, Good luck with that then."
With that, Hikigaya gave him a small nod and pushed open the door. "Later, Hirata."
"Yeah. See you around, Hikigaya."
He stepped into the hallway, heading back to the classroom while mentally bracing himself for another exhausting round of engagement.
He was halfway there when a voice called out from behind.
"Excuse me!"
He paused and turned around.
It was Kushida who approached him with her usual radiant smile, with Wang Mei-yu quietly trailing behind her.
"You must be Hikigaya-kun, right? Do you have a moment?"
He blinked, "Huh?"
The word slipped out awkwardly before he could stop it.