Chapter 64: The Power of Shadows

  After leaving the ramen shop, Hikigaya gave a few words of advice to Shizune-sensei about safety, only to be met with her compint: "You’re just a high school student, yet you nag like my mom!"

  Shizune-sensei swung her fists in the air, cutting through the air with a whoosh, and hummed in response, “Heh, the ones who should be careful are those blind fools!”

  Alright… Hikigaya admitted he was overthinking it, and Shizune currently lived in the teacher’s dormitory, so there was no real need to worry.

  After parting ways with Shizune, it was around 10:30 PM. Unknowingly, he had spent nearly an hour and a half chatting with her.

  In Tokyo, the May nights were a bit cooler, with a chill that lingered in the air as he walked down the empty school path.

  Looking back, over a month had passed, and Hikigaya had started to get used to this enclosed school life. His dislike for the school had lessened a bit, but he still couldn’t completely embrace the school’s "might makes right" principle.

  He looked up at the dim sky, the moon hidden behind thick clouds, and the night felt even darker, almost as if the streetlights along the path had dimmed too.

  Today’s ramen dinner with Shizune-sensei, chatting away, seemed very self-indulgent and unreasonable at first gnce. But Hikigaya knew she was doing it out of concern for his well-being. She probably worried about his mental state, especially since he was still dealing with the "adolescent syndrome" in his mind.

  "Sigh, who knows what will happen over the next three years."

  What happened at the library today was just a snapshot, a beginning. As time went on, competition between csses would intensify, and with the disparity in individual abilities, css conflicts and divisions were inevitable.

  Survival of the fittest!

  Hikigaya could already foresee all the backstabbing and scheming that would unfold over the next three years. Even if he didn’t want to be involved, this environment would gradually assimite and change him.

  On his way back to the dorm, Hikigaya started to feel thirsty and took a detour to buy a drink. But as he was nearing the dorm, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.

  "President?"

  Horikita Manabu? Why was he near the first-year dorm so te?

  Though the dorms for all three years were in the same area, the distance between them was still quite far. There were also plenty of pnts separating them, so unless they deliberately crossed paths, students from different years rarely encountered each other.

  Hikigaya thought about it but didn’t pn on getting involved. Just as he was about to walk away, another figure caught his eye, and he couldn’t help but stop.

  The Ice Princess?

  Unfortunately, Hikigaya wasn’t paying attention to Horikita’s presence, but rather the man sneaking behind her!

  Ayanokouji Kiyotaka!

  Hikigaya squinted as he observed the scene. If it were just a brother-sister meeting between Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune, Hikigaya might have ignored it. But the addition of Ayanokouji, who appeared to be "up to no good," made the situation seem far from simple.

  The dark night served as Hikigaya’s perfect camoufge, and with his own innate "Breath Concealment B," no one noticed the lurking figure of the "dead fish-eyed" boy.

  In the small path behind the dormitory, Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune seemed to be having a conversation.

  "Suzune, it’s been a long time. It must have been almost three years. I never expected you would end up at this school."

  "I’m no longer the useless person you knew back then. To catch up with you, I’ve come to this school."

  "D-Css, that’s the css you’re in now, right? Just like three years ago, you’ll always be chasing after my shadow. Haven’t you realized your fws yet? You shouldn’t have chosen this school, Suzune."

  "I will work hard to move up to A-Css, to prove myself to you, brother..."

  "It’s impossible. You don’t have the ability to reach A-Css."

  The argument between the siblings seemed to grow more intense, and to Hikigaya’s surprise, Horikita Manabu even raised his hand against his sister. Hikigaya thought about stepping in, but just then, Ayanokouji suddenly made his move, and before Hikigaya knew it, the two men were fighting on the small path. Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune colpsed in a corner, her eyes bnk.

  Shouldn’t someone shout "Stop fighting!" at this moment?

  To an outsider, it might seem like two men were fighting over a woman. But upon closer inspection, it was unusual to see the normally cold and composed Horikita Suzune in such a helpless state. This was the first time Hikigaya had seen her like this.

  The contrast was so extreme that Hikigaya couldn’t help but wonder: Is this woman falling apart?

  Both Horikita Manabu and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka seemed to have trained in martial arts like karate or boxing. Their movements weren’t like ordinary street fighting; instead, they exchanged calcuted attacks, testing each other’s abilities. It seemed that Horikita Manabu had the upper hand, while Ayanokouji was on the defensive.

  Though Hikigaya didn’t understand combat, his sharp observation skills allowed him to see that Ayanokouji, though on the defensive, wasn’t flustered. His breathing and steps were in perfect rhythm, and he repeatedly predicted Horikita Manabu’s movements without losing his cool. Hikigaya was certain that Ayanokouji was hiding his true strength.

  How many "isekai pretend to be weak novels" has Ayanokouji read? He loved acting like a pig to eat a tiger? A true "Power in the Shadows" kind of guy, huh?

  "Your moves and stance are pretty good. You're the first one in this school to dodge my attacks so easily. It looks like you’ve had some martial arts training."

  Horikita Manabu finally stopped attacking, adjusted his gsses, and asked.

  "Sorry, no, not really. If I must say, I’ve only studied piano and calligraphy. When I was in elementary school, I even won a national piano competition."

  "You’re also in D-Css? Suzune, it seems there are quite a few special talents in your css."

  Horikita Manabu turned to look at his sister.

  At this moment, for some reason, a certain image of Hikigaya appeared in Horikita Suzune’s mind. Was her brother referring to him?

  "How much longer are you going to hide?"

  Suddenly, Ayanokouji turned his gaze toward the dark corner not far away. Hikigaya, realizing he had been spotted, decided to step out of the shadows, secretly impressed by Ayanokouji’s keen observation skills.

  As Hikigaya emerged from the shadows, all three of them looked at him with surprise.

  Bckghosts