COTE: Hikigaya's Struggles as Fake elite Are Troublesome, Yet Expected

'Teenage boys are idiots. Loud, awkward, and desperate.

And before anyone gets the wrong idea, no, this isn't some lofty, holier-than-thou judgment. I'm not standing apart from them. I am them. I'm just… narrating it in third-person because that makes the cringe go down easier.

It's weird how fast boys can become friends over something dumb. One moment they're ignoring each other, the next they're laughing like old buddies just because someone said the word "boobs."

That's all it takes. They call it "guy talk." I call it what it is—just another excuse to act like creeps and pretend it's normal.

What really bugs me is how they all pretend like this is what being a man means. Making rude jokes, staring too long, slapping each other on the back like they've done something impressive. It's not cool. It's just sad and bit of cringe too.

And they hide it behind the word manliness. Like wanting girls or looking at them too much makes you strong or mature. But all I see is a bunch of scared boys trying too hard. Acting loud so no one notices how unsure they are inside. They say, "We're just having fun." But it's not fun when it makes someone else uncomfortable.

Especially when they turn girls into objects something to talk about, something to rate, something to laugh over. The worst part is when everyone expects you to join in. Like it's some sacred male ritual. If you're not laughing along, you're "boring." If you look uncomfortable, you're "gay." If you say something, you're "soft." There's no winning. Just pick your label and wear it till it sticks.

And yet… even when I roll my eyes at it, even when I sit apart from the group, pretending I'm not part of it — I still feel it. I still catch myself looking, just like they do. Still catch my heart reacting before my brain can shut it down. Sometimes, I even find myself looking forward to it.

So yeah, I hate it. I hate how everyone acts like this is normal. I hate how they use girls as tools to prove they're men. I hate how the worst behaviour gets celebrated like it's some rite of passage.

But most of all, I hate how easy it is to fall into it… even when you know it's all fake.

I tell myself I'm not like them.

But… am I really?

Sure, I get it. I've learned where to draw the line.

But does that make me any different? Can't say for sure.

That's why sometime I do wish everyone should just blow themselves up. Normies and Loners alike. Including myself too.'

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Before he could sink even deeper into that thought—

A sudden burst of excitement cut through the air.

"Broooo, today's the day, baby! The girls' swimsuits—I was so pumped last night just thinking about it, I couldn't sleep at all, man!"

Another equally loud voice followed. "Hahaha, me too! I'm so lucky to be attending this school! I've never felt so happy about school before. I love school!"

Their noisy enthusiasm suddenly snapped Hikigaya out of his spiraling thoughts. He blinked, the bitter taste of his internal monologue still lingering on his tongue.

Hikigaya sighed as he thought. 'Alright, calm down. No need to start fantasizing about mass destruction.'

He turned toward the voices.

Of course, it was Ike and Yamauchi, shouting like morons as always.

'Figures. They're the reason I even started monologuing that in the first place.'

The first week had come and gone before anyone even realized it, with everyone caught up in the fresh start of their new school life. But today felt different there was a clear excitement in the air, especially from the boys. Even those two idiots, who usually strolled in at the last minute, were early for once.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch and the start of the next class. But instead of calming down, the boys only got more excited.

The real question is: what kind of class gets high school boys this hyped.

"All right! To the pool Guyyys!"

The answer, of course, was swimming class. And not just any swimming class a mixed one, with girls joining in too.

This was the moment Ike and the others had so desperately been waiting for. without even trying to hide their excitement, everyone started heading towards School's indoor pool.

'Swimming class? In April? Isn't this way too early for this?' Hikigaya thinks, puzzled. 'Wait… could this be tied to the school's hidden class average assessment too?'

So far, he barely understands anything about the school's assessment system beyond its focus on self-discipline and hints of academic testing. But if there's one thing he's realized after a week of observation. It's that this school never does anything without a purpose.

Still, the thought lingers. 'Maybe they're trying to measure our physical ability… but wouldn't regular P.E. classes make more sense? We've barely had any of that. So then, why swimming? And why now?'

'Tch… maybe I'm just being paranoid again,' he thinks, jaw tightening. 'Not everything has to have some deeper meaning, right? …Right? Damn it. I'm seriously overthinking a swimming class. Can you believe that?'

Hikigaya trailed behind alone, lost in his frustrating thoughts, keeping his distance from the noisy groups of boys. He was the only one without a company even Ayanokoji had managed to find himself a group.

He glanced ahead and thought, 'So even Ayanokoji's joined the band, huh. Guess everyone finds their rhythm eventually... But seriously, do they have to keep shouting so much?'

The boys swarmed toward the Pool's locker room chattering nonstop about who they hoped to see in what kind of swimsuit.

Hikigaya followed quietly behind, unnoticed as always.

He stepped in quietly behind them, slipping past the chaos unnoticed. He picked a locker near the corner away from the crowd unlocked it, and started changing with a lightning speed.

By the time the others were still arguing about who would be "queen of the pool," Hikigaya was already out the door.

Hikigaya stepped into the pool area, and his eyes widened slightly.

It was a massive fifty-meter indoor pool, the biggest he had ever seen. The clean, clear water sparkled under the lights, and everything their looked brand new.

'So, this is a fifty-meter pool, huh…? Kinda amazing.' he thought, quietly surprised. 'Compared to this, my old school's pool might as well have been a giant bathtub.'

A moment later, the Ike and the other boys started to arrive as well, equally amazed by the sight of the pool.

"What about the girls?" Ike looked around, sniffing the air like a dog. "Aren't they here yet?"

'Please stop acting like this is some rare wildlife documentary,' Hikigaya mentally pleaded, already exhausted by hearing their mindless blabbering.

He sighed, internally exhausted before the class has even begun. The worst part? Even he couldn't fully escape the mood. Despite his disapproval, despite everything he knew, a tiny, shameful part of him was… curious too.

Just a little.

A flicker of teenage brain betrayal.

And maybe that's why he silently wished that their swimming classes were held separately. For the sake of decency, decorum, and whatever was left of his self-respect.

He glanced around the pool, hoping to shake off the thoughts but then he suddenly noticed them once again.

Surveillance cameras.

Tucked into corners, perched high near the ceiling silent, unblinking. He hadn't paid them much attention before, but now they felt more obvious.

'Of course… they are even here too.'

His eyes flick up toward one, and for a brief second, he stares back at the cold lens.

His eyes widen.

A sudden realization punches through his thoughts. His head snaps quickly towards the group of boys nearby specifically Ike, Yamauchi, and the others.

They were laughing, loud and carefree. Ike was practically bouncing and his voice was also way too loud.

"Man, I can't wait to see Kushida in a swimsuit," Yamauchi shouted, barely able to contain his excitement. "You've seen her chest, right? Those things are legit. It's gonna be insane."

Ike let out a low whistle. "Forget the swimsuit—I just wanna see those curves. Her body's unreal. Like, I'd sell my soul to—"

Hikigaya's thoughts kicked in, alarm bells ringing. 'Wait a sec if they—'

"Is something wrong Hikigaya?"

A calm voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Hikigaya blinked and turned to see Ayanokoji standing beside him, his expression as unreadable as ever, but with a slight hint of curiosity.

"You looked kind of tense," Ayanokoji added, following Hikigaya's gaze for a second then pausing.

"…Also, is wearing that even allowed during class?"

Hikigaya blinked again, then looked down at himself.

Unlike the other boys who were in standard school-issued trunks, he was wearing a full-sleeved black rash guard that clung to his skin like armor.

"It is," he said plainly. "As long as you get permission from the teacher in advance."

Ayanokoji continued "I see. If you don't mind me asking… why wear this? Personal preference?"

There was a pause. Barely a second, but just enough.

"…Yeah," Hikigaya replied. "Let's just say I have some skin-related issues and leave it at that."

He gave him a convenient answer close enough to the truth, but far from the whole of it.

Because the real reason? That was a bit messier.

Afterall some things were easier to hide than explain. His body carried more scars than he liked to admit some faint, others not so much. Reminders of injuries he would rather not recall. They weren't stories he wished to tell, just memories better left buried.

The last thing he wanted was anyone's gaze lingering where it didn't belong.

"I see. Alright then," Ayanokoji said simply.

He didn't press any further. He just gave that small, unreadable nod of his and turned his gaze back toward the pool.

Hikigaya let out a quiet sigh, His eyes stayed fixed on the surface of the water, but his thoughts weren't really there.

"…So, Ayanokoji." he said finally, "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be off with your new friends."

Ayanokoji tilted his head slightly, almost like he was considering whether to answer or not.

"I was," he said at last. "But they seemed pretty absorbed in their own thing. I doubt they even noticed I walked off."

Hikigaya gave a noncommittal grunt. "So, you ditched them and came here out of boredom?"

Ayanokoji shook his head. "Not really. I just noticed you were the only one sitting alone and you looked… kind of lonely Hikigaya."

Hikigaya scoffed under his breath. "Heh. And what, that triggered your overwhelming sense of pity?"

Ayanokoji's expression didn't change. "No, I just thought I should look out for a fellow classmate."

Hikigaya blinked. The words weren't dramatic or emotional, and yet… something about the way Ayanokoji said them made him pause.

'That was… unexpected. I mean, anyone saying that to me would feel strange. But him? It feels like he means it… at the same time there's more to his concern than it seems on surface. Or maybe I'm just overthinking a simple gesture. Yeah, that sounds like me.'

"…Great. Now I just feel pathetic," Hikigaya muttered, running a hand through his hair. "When someone with a detached expression like yours thinks I need company, it really makes you question how far you've fallen."

Ayanokoji didn't flinch at the sudden insult. If anything, he looked thoughtful, like he'd just heard something curious rather than insulting.

After a brief pause, he turned his head slightly.

"…Do you really think someone like me is a detached person, Hikigaya?" he asked, voice as calm as ever.

Hikigaya hadn't expected the question to come back his way, but after a brief pause, he chose to answer anyway.

"From your expression? Yeah, kind of. You've got that blank stare that makes it hard to tell what you're actually thinking… Like your face is on autopilot."

He glanced at Ayanokoji for a second, then back at the water.

"But whether you really are detached or not?" Hikigaya continued, "That's something only you would know. People are rarely the same on the inside as they look on the outside. Sometimes the ones who seem coldest are just the ones trying the hardest not to be seen."

Ayanokoji watched him in silence, once again Hikigaya had deflected the conversation not with lies, but with vague truths that were hard to pin down. He hadn't answered the question directly, yet the way he spoke carried a subtle understanding… and distance.

'So that's how he sees me… or rather, how he chooses not to see me fully,' Ayanokoji thought. 'He's very instinctively cautious, even with his honesty. Always pulling back just enough so you can't reach the core.'

Still, the words lingered. Despite his deflection, Hikigaya had shown a brief flicker of insight and it made Ayanokoji all the more curious.

"…You might be right about that," he said at last, voice quiet. "But even so, I still wanted to know your opinion, Hikigaya."

Hikigaya didn't respond right away. His gaze stayed fixed on the rippling surface of the water.

"…I can't really have a real opinion about something I don't know enough about, Ayanokoji." he continued. "At best, it would just be me projecting and I've done that before. It doesn't end well usually."

He gave a faint shrug, as if brushing the weight of his own words aside.

"I guess I just try to observe what's on the surface and besides you don't give people much to work with, Ayanokoji."

'So even now, he avoids stepping too deep…'

And before Ayanokoji could say anything more, Ike's voice called out to him.

"Oii, Ayanokoji! What are you doing over there, man? Come on! The girls are coming. let's enjoy the view together!"

Ayanokoji blinked, barely reacting outwardly, though internally he found the call oddly ridiculous. 'Enjoy the view together? Seriously…? What a strange thing to announce so proudly.'

There was no real appeal in it. Still, something about the weirdness of the moment felt… oddly appealing to him.

Before he could respond, Hikigaya's voice cut in, dry and indifferent.

"Go on Ayanokoji. Wouldn't want to miss your chance to bond over shared stupidity."

Ayanokoji gave a small nod. "…Okay. See you around, Hikigaya."

Then he walked off, heading toward the idiot duo and the group of boys with them, all of whom were just standing around nearby.

For some reason, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel relieved that their interaction was finally over. The whole thing had felt a bit strange almost like Ayanokoji had been trying to probe at something beneath the surface, without ever actually saying it.

A few minutes after the boys had arrived, a girl's voice echoed across the pool. The girls had finally started showing up, prompting Hikigaya to turn his attention toward the inevitable commotion brewing around the Idiot trio group.

"Hasebe isn't here! Wh-what's going on, Professor?!" Ike cried.

The Professor, who had been watching the class, was now in a panic.

Standing on the second-floor observation deck, he scanned the room. Ike and the others also looked around. At this height, the Professor's beady, bespectacled eyes should have spotted his prey instantly. However...

He couldn't find the girls anywhere. He looked to his right and left, as if in disbelief.

"B-behind you, Professor!"

"What?!"

Ike pointed and shouted. The situation had become clear. Hasebe stood behind the Professor on the observation deck. One by one, the rest of the girls appeared, until they'd all emerged onto the second floor.

It seemed many of the girls had chosen to opt out of the swimming class, leaving only a few in attendance.

"Wh-what's going on? How did this happen?"

"I've been looking forward to this since last night… why is fate so cruel so me?"

Ike and the other boys slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands, shaken by this unbelievable turn of events.

"Aw, but I thought I'd get to see big tits! Big tits! I thought this was my chance!"

"No fair! I wanna see Hasebe's boobs too! Why is this happening?" Yamauchi cried out, his eyes wide with disappointment.

Ike appeared to be contemplating suicide. His wails of agony reaching towards girls.

A chorus of awkward mutters erupted from the girls witnessing their behaviour.

"Ew… gross."

"Seriously, what is wrong with them?"

"Perverts…"

The girls, visibly weirded out, took a few cautious steps back, whispering to each other while casting disgusted glances at the boys below.

Hikigaya glanced once at the surveillance camera above the deck, then at the boys below, his jaw tensing.

'Are they seriously not stopping? Can't they see how clearly disgusted the girls are?'' he thought, exasperated. 'Are they even more shameless than I gave them credit for? What the hell is wrong with these idiots? It's like they've gone completely blind with lust. Dammit... seriously, dammit.'

'This is the worst kind of behaviour a student can display, and if this keeps up—

Hikigaya was hoping from the beginning that when the girls showed up, they would at least try to keep it subtle and not make their behaviour this obvious—if only to save face among themselves, but of course, that was giving too much credit to a bunch of monkeys in heat.

Instead of retreating, Ike and Yamauchi were practically thriving in their delusion.

"Ike, don't be sad! Come on, there are still tons of girls out there for us!" Yamauchi cheered, throwing a fist toward the sky.

"Y-yeah, that's right. You got a point. I can't get down in the dumps now!" Ike cried, fired up.

—it's going to become contagious. If the rest of the boys start acting like this too, it could deal a massive blow to the class average.'

"Bro!" Yamauchi and Ike reaffirmed their manly bond of friendship, clasping their hands together.

Their display fired up the rest of the boys, who started getting excited as well.

Meanwhile, Hikigaya grew even more frustrated. 'Dammit… I wanted to stay out of this one. But I can't let these idiots ruin all my hard work. I have to do something.'

Hikigaya narrowed his eyes and began moving toward them.

On the surface, this might seem like nothing more than a slight deduction to the Class Average. But their behavior was going to have far more severe consequences than anyone could realize.

First and most obvious it would cause a sharper decline in the Class Average than even their habitual slacking off during lessons.

Second, it would forge a dangerous kind of unity among the boys. A shared sense of rebellion that would strengthen their resistance to any positive change within the class. Until now, their separation had made it harder to slack off when others weren't. But if they banded together under this foolishness, that dynamic would collapse.

Worst of all, this moment would give idiots like Ike and Yamauchi a voice—some twisted sense of relevance among the boys. Right now, everyone just sees them as clowns: they laugh at what they say and then ignore it. But if their behavior started to seem normal, even acceptable, they'd end up encouraging others to follow suit.

And it wouldn't stop here. In every swimming class, the boys would act the same way, causing disruptions across the board. That would mean repeated penalties and a sharp drop in the class average every single time.

In short, everything Hikigaya had worked to build in Class D could be undone in just a day or two.

'Like hell I am going to allow that.'

'But what the heck can I even do to stop this?' Hikigaya thought grimly, moving toward the group of idiots.

Just as he was weighing his options, a new wave of excitement suddenly swept through the pool area.

"Bro! There are still more girls coming out!" Ike shouted.

"Yeah! We haven't even seen Kushida yet! This day is far from over!" Yamauchi continued.

Their cries acted like a signal flare. Several of the other boys joined in, whistling and cheering.

Hikigaya, standing among them, narrowed his eyes as the situation escalated. That's when it hit him—there was something he could do.

'Desperate times call for… desperate solution, I suppose. If I want to stop this, I need to make things so awkward, so uncomfortable, that these guys become painfully aware of how they're acting. And to do that...'

A bright, cheerful voice suddenly interrupted the chaos.

"What are you guys doing? That looks like fun."

"K-K-Kushida-chan?!"

Kushida showed up between the two of them. She was clad in her school-issued swimwear, which nicely showed off her voluptuous figure. In an instant, nearly all of the boys' eyes were glued to Kushida's body.

'When it comes to acting and playing awkward and being shameless, I'm in a league of my own! It's precisely because my talent is so astonishing that I had to seal it away until today. Seems like the moment has arrive to finally unleash it.'

Hikigaya cast a quick glance toward her, 'I'm really sorry, Kushida… and whoever you are, Miss Hasebe. For what I'm about to do.'

Before anyone could respond to Kushida, Hikigaya still standing with the group spoke up quickly in a deliberately casual tone.

"Oh, Ike and Yamauchi here were just enlightening us all about how much they absolutely adore yours and Hasebe's boobs." he said flatly, as if reciting from a weather report. "They even had an in-depth discussion with everyone about your possible sizes and, uh, structural integrity. Something about… optimal firmness."

He didn't just stop there.

"Ike also mentioned he'd sell his soul just to get a taste of your—beep beep beep beep."

"Not only that Yamauchi expressed his passionate desire to—beep beep beep beep."

"On top of that both of them agreed yours—beep beep beep and also—beep beep beep.

And just like that, Hikigaya with his utter shamelessness unleashed a nuke of second-hand embarrassment with surgical precision upon all of them.

Everyone was silent for a moment, stunned by what they'd just heard.

Then—

"WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!"

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

"YOU SAID WORSE!"

"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT IN FRONT OF KUSHIDA?!"

The next moment, everything descended into chaos.

Hikigaya folded his arms, couldn't help but think.

'We Teenage boys truly are idiots. Loud, awkward, and desperate.'