COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 39 - : The Freedom to Fly

Hikigaya had already expected tough competition for the student council. He knew this school had its own unique system, and that being labeled as part of "Class D" put him at a huge disadvantage.

As for whether he could get in, he wasn't too concerned. To him, just putting in the effort was enough—he would leave the results up to fate.

Haruno had mentioned the possibility of an "outside trip," which was tempting. Seeing Komachi would definitely make him happy. But that didn't mean he absolutely had to do this.

"I can help you get into the student council."

Haruno's words caught Hikigaya off guard for a moment. Then, he shook his head and let out a small chuckle, refusing her offer.

"I know how tough the competition is, so I'm not too fixated on the outcome. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. If not, I won't force it."

"That's a surprisingly laid-back attitude."

Haruno stirred her coffee, watching as it swirled into a tiny whirlpool. "But is a life of just going with the flow really okay? Someone else's words, someone else's decisions... are you fine with letting other people shape your life?"

Hikigaya couldn't see her expression clearly, but he could sense something off in her tone. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Maybe. I think everyone has imagined 'turning their life around'—living exactly how they want. But as we grow up, we realize we're already tied down by so many things."

"There are always people more talented than you, richer than you, more powerful than you. We all live in this huge web called society. There are good and happy things, but there are also bad things we can't avoid. Sometimes, all we can do is accept it."

Haruno looked up at the dead-fish-eyed boy sitting across from her.

But instead of seeing someone who had given up, she saw someone standing firm, like a rock in the middle of a storm.

"Just like you now? You could take action and grab more for yourself, but instead, you keep building walls, letting things happen to you, getting pushed around. In the end, you'll just be a bird with broken wings."

Her words were sharp and filled with emotion.

But Hikigaya wasn't angry. Instead, he simply sighed.

"Haruno, I don't know how you define freedom, and I'm not here to lecture you. But I admit—I'm a pessimist. I believe that as long as we live in society, true freedom doesn't exist. To me, freedom isn't about being able to do whatever I want. It's about having the power to say no."

Haruno suddenly fell silent, then burst into laughter.

"Haha, you just don't want to owe anyone a favor, yet you still come up with such a lame excuse. Hikigaya-kun, you're really something else!"

Hikigaya's face stiffened, and he stayed quiet.

"What a surprisingly clear-headed perspective. No matter how much you struggle, as long as you're part of society, true freedom is impossible."

Haruno then looked at Hikigaya with a bright smile. "But I do like one thing you said—freedom is the ability to say 'no.'"

She paused for a moment before adding in a softer tone, "So, you turned down my offer because you don't want to lose your freedom."

Hikigaya's eyes flickered, but he didn't answer. Which, in a way, was already an answer.

"You really are the most cunning liar."

But instead of being upset, Haruno looked genuinely pleased—almost as if she had found a kindred spirit.

"Well, if you're not interested, that's fine. Unlike you, Hikigaya-kun, I do know how to have fun."

She sighed dramatically. "But sometimes, I do prefer clueless, innocent little boys."

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Oh, so you mean ones that are easy to toy with, huh?

Hikigaya thought to himself, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes.

"Hikigaya-kun, are you thinking something rude right now?" Haruno narrowed her eyes.

"N-no! Absolutely not!"

Haruno hummed suspiciously but didn't press further. The two of them seemed to silently agree to drop the topic of the student council. One good thing about talking with Haruno was that there was never a shortage of conversation.

"One more week, and it'll be a full month," Haruno said with interest. "Wanna guess how many class points the other classes will have left next month?"

Seeing Hikigaya hesitate, she chuckled. "What's there to worry about? Class points aren't exactly a secret to some students. And don't forget, in this school, points can buy you *anything*~"

"You mean... buying information from the teachers?"

Hikigaya immediately caught on, his brow furrowing. Since the start of the school year, the school and the teachers had deliberately hidden the truth about the S-System, clearly to test the students' abilities.

If that was the case, the teachers wouldn't just hand out information easily. To prevent them from "cheating," there must be rules and restrictions in place. Otherwise, the entire hidden test would be meaningless.

"Exactly. This school has plenty of sharp-eyed students. Sooner or later, someone was bound to figure it out. That's why buying intel from the teachers is basically an unspoken rule."

"I see... but I bet it costs a fortune, huh?"

"Of course." Haruno nodded. "And even if you pay for information, there are still certain things that are off-limits."

Hikigaya couldn't help but be impressed. As expected of Class A, they had no shortage of smart and perceptive students.

At that moment, an image popped into his mind—a petite girl with white hair, Sakayanagi Arisu. He also recalled Katsuragi, the student he had met during the student council interview.

From the way Haruno spoke, it was clear that she wasn't the only one in Class A who had figured out the truth. The only difference was *when* each student had caught on.

"Class A and Class B..."

Hikigaya muttered to himself.

Among the students who attended the student council interview, aside from himself (an obvious exception), only Class A and Class B had representatives. Class C? Not a single person. That already said a lot.

"Which means that starting next month, the gap between classes will only get bigger."

Even though Hikigaya had mentally prepared himself and had no expectations for his own class, he still couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Seeing other classes shine like stars while his own was as dull and worthless as a rock in the gutter—it stung.

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