COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 160: A Polished Exterior

Even after the first semester, Sakura still wasn't fully used to the school's harsh competition. Or rather... up until now, the so-called class competition had mainly been about academics, and the real intensity of it hadn't been fully revealed in other areas yet.

After seeing Hikigaya, Sakura noticeably relaxed. She also talked more than usual, and the camera hanging around her neck suggested she was planning to capture some beautiful moments from this luxurious cruise trip.

The two of them walked onto the deck of the cruise ship. The summer ocean breeze brushed against their faces, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.

It was Hikigaya's first time on a cruise as well. Staring at the endless sea ahead and the gradually fading city behind him, he slowly closed his eyes, letting himself unwind. For the first time in a while, he felt truly at ease.

Click.

A faint sound came from beside him.

Sakura had just snapped a picture of him with her camera. When she saw him looking at her, she blushed.

"Sorry, I just... thought it was a moment worth capturing."

"I see. I don't think I look that great in photos, though."

Sakura quickly took a few landscape shots of the ocean to ease the awkwardness.

"Um... Hikigaya-kun, could you... take a picture of me too? I... It's hard to do it by myself."

She looked nervous, as if asking this had taken all her courage. After all, asking a guy to take your photo felt like something only close friends would do.

"As long as you don't mind my terrible photography skills."

Hikigaya didn't think much of it. Whenever he went on trips, he was always the one stuck holding the camera, though Komachi would complain about his photos every single time.

They found a quiet spot on the deck, and under Sakura's guidance, Hikigaya took dozens of pictures of her. At first, she was stiff and awkward, but gradually, she started to relax. Eventually, she even struck a few daring poses, almost as if she had stepped into the role of a magazine model.

"Thank you."

Sakura's face turned red as she took the camera, quickly lowering her head. She had only planned to take some normal photos, but before she knew it, she had instinctively posed in more daring ways. Even she wasn't sure why—maybe because, at that moment, she thought, "Maybe this will make him happy?"

From a distance, some noise came from the deck. It turned out that a small island had come into view. That was probably their vacation destination, which explained why so many people were getting excited.

When Hikigaya and Sakura arrived, they saw that quite a few students were already there.

"Hey, Class D, move out of the way!"

A sharp, arrogant voice suddenly came from behind Hikigaya. Turning around, he saw it was a student from Class A—Totsuka Yahiko, someone he had met before during the student council interview. Behind him stood Katsuragi Kohei, looking as serious and stern as ever.

Katsuragi's demeanor was quite similar to Horikita Manabu's, but he lacked that natural sense of authority that made people instinctively take him seriously. Without a proper comparison, it might not have been obvious, but for Hikigaya, who had interacted with Horikita Manabu often, Katsuragi's presence felt... lacking, like an imitation that didn't quite work.

Still, some students were intimidated by Katsuragi's serious expression and Totsuka's aggressive tone. Sakura was one of them—she nervously grabbed onto Hikigaya's sleeve, trembling slightly.

Seeing how timid she looked, Totsuka laughed loudly.

"Yahiko, mind your manners."

Katsuragi frowned slightly as he spoke. Totsuka quickly replied, "Got it," but from start to finish, neither of them took Hikigaya or Sakura seriously. Or rather, they treated all lower-ranked students with the same condescending attitude.

It was as if they believed, "Because I'm from a top class, I can't let lower-ranked students drag me down." More than simple arrogance, it was a kind of attitude that was even more infuriating.

Back at the library, Hikigaya had already sensed Katsuragi's deep-rooted elitism. He didn't look down on others out of spite—it came from a firm belief in his own abilities. Because of that, he saw himself as superior to everyone else and naturally looked down on others from above. That was why his attitude felt so contradictory.

Like now—he scolded Totsuka, not because he disapproved of the insults, but because he thought Totsuka had lowered himself by behaving that way. He didn't care about the mocking itself. In his mind, Totsuka's mistake wasn't insulting others—it was failing to act with the dignity expected of a Class A student.

Even after being "scolded," Totsuka still had a smug, provocative expression as he looked at Hikigaya. They had barely interacted before, yet Hikigaya could sense clear hostility from him.

"What are you looking at?"

Totsuka was clearly annoyed that Hikigaya had dared to meet his gaze, as if it were an offense.

"I'm just looking at a stray dog with no leash."

Hikigaya replied calmly.

"You bastard! Who are you calling a stray dog?!"

Totsuka immediately exploded with anger and started shouting.

"Don't think you're something special just because you got into the student council! The fact that the student council rejected Katsuragi but accepted a defective Class D student like you proves how blind they are!"

Now Hikigaya understood why Totsuka had such a grudge against him. He wasn't mad at Hikigaya himself—he was mad that someone from Class D got into the student council while Katsuragi, a Class A student, didn't. It was something he just couldn't let go of.

"If you think the student council has no judgment, then yeah, sure. After all, if they actually accepted a stray dog like you, that would be the real mistake."

Hikigaya smirked.

Beside him, Sakura couldn't help but giggle. Hikigaya had basically just called them both "dogs in human clothing," and now, watching Totsuka bark furiously, the comparison seemed even more fitting.

"You—!"

Totsuka was so angry he could barely speak, about to start shouting again. But before he could, Katsuragi spoke in a cold voice.

"No matter how much you run your mouth, the gap between Class A and Class D is like an uncrossable canyon. As a Class A student, we are your goal—something you Class D students will never reach. That is the reality of this school."

Unlike Totsuka's meaningless insults, Katsuragi's words had weight. He knew how to steer the conversation in his favor. His logical, composed approach stood in stark contrast to Totsuka's easily provoked temper.

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