On the darkened street,
The girl clung tightly to the boy's arm, their shadows stretching long under the dim streetlights.
"Hikigaya-kun, would that be alright?"
Nagasaki Soyo asked with a kindly smile.
"Uh…"
Hikigaya hesitated. "Nagasaki-san, you're a friend of Toyokawa-san's, right? It should be… pretty easy for you to get her contact info yourself, shouldn't it?"
"Ahh, Shoko's been avoiding me lately, so…"
"Avoiding you?"
That immediately put Hikigaya on alert.
"Anyway, I just want to get her contact details and clear a few things up. I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out, Hikigaya-kun, okay?"
Soyo kept her sweet smile as she pressed her request.
"..."
Hikigaya fell silent.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"Sorry. I can't do that."
"Eh?"
Even as she responded, Nagasaki Soyo's smile didn't falter.
"You can't?"
"Giving out someone's contact info without their permission… That's kind of rude, don't you think?"
Hikigaya's gaze shifted evasively, doing his best not to meet the girl's eyes.
…Well, except for Hayama's contact info. That one was fair game.
"Hmm… Yeah, you're right."
To his surprise, Soyo nodded, agreeing with him.
"You're absolutely right, Hikigaya-kun. Sharing someone's info like that would be impolite. I'm really sorry for bothering you like this. I'll just— Ow ow ow…"
Just as she started to push herself away, her body tilted toward him again—
And leaned right back into him.
"Na-Nagasaki-san?"
Wait, what the—? This girl's figure… seriously?!
"Sorry, sorry… My leg still really hurts…"
"That scrape from earlier?"
"Yeah. Um… Hikigaya-kun, do you think you could walk me to the station?"
She looked at him apologetically.
…There's definitely something shady about this, right?
Still, she was an injured girl. He couldn't just leave her like this.
Resigned, Hikigaya sighed. "Fine. I'll carry you on my back."
"Eh? You'll carry me? Are you sure? I might be heavier than I look…"
"I get the feeling you're probably lighter than you think."
Hikigaya gave her a once-over, mentally estimating her weight.
"Well, I'll be counting on you then."
…Wow, you're not even gonna pretend to be shy about this?
Letting a guy you barely know carry you home at night… Aren't you worried I might just take you home instead?
Hikigaya knelt down silently.
"This is my first time being carried by a boy, you know."
Soyo rested herself against his back.
"Then I'm honored to be the one to carry a beauty like Nagasaki-san."
With her thighs gripped securely, Hikigaya began walking toward the station.
"Hehe, you're too kind, Hikigaya-kun. I'm nothing compared to Shoko~"
"..."
Hikigaya didn't reply.
Calling her "Shoko" so casually like that…
You're not in love with Toyokawa, are you?
Well, not that it mattered to him. Girl drama wasn't something he wanted to get involved in.
Right now, all he wanted was to drop this cursed goddess off and head home—
So Komachi could sit on his back while he did push-ups.
Cough cough. He meant his sister sitting on his back while he trained. That was a damn good workout, okay?
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun~"
Soyo's voice, soft and sweet, drifted over his shoulder.
A shiver ran down his spine. There was something cold and unsettling about it.
"Want me to go faster? I could jog us there if you want."
"Eh? You can run with me on your back?"
"Of course. Wanna see?"
"Absolutely not—!!"
Soyo twitched, immediately stopping him.
"I wouldn't survive it…"
"If you'd prefer it slow, that works too."
Sigh… But I like it fast, though.
"Eh?"
Soyo blinked. Something about that didn't sit right, but she couldn't figure out why.
"So, was there something you wanted to say?"
"Oh! Right, I almost forgot."
Soyo composed herself, her smile turning sugary again.
"Hikigaya-kun, you've done me a huge favor today, and I don't even know how to thank you. So how about this: why don't you give me your contact info? That way I can properly repay you sometime."
"Ah?"
Hikigaya jolted so hard he nearly dropped her.
"Hikigaya-kun, steady~ steady~"
"S-Sorry, my bad."
"You gripped a bit tight there, but it's okay."
Glancing at her slightly squashed thigh, a strange look passed over Soyo's face.
Hikigaya coughed and adjusted his grip.
"This really wasn't a big deal, Nagasaki-san. No need for thanks or anything."
No way in hell was he giving his contact info to someone this sketchy.
"'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,' Hikigaya-kun. Since you helped me, I have to return the favor. Otherwise I'd feel terrible."
Soyo's tone turned serious.
"It's already late tonight, and I can't thank you properly right now. But next time, I will make it up to you. Please, Hikigaya-kun~"
As she spoke, she locked her arms tightly around his neck.
Chills ran down his back. He got the distinct impression that if he refused, she might just strangle him right then and there.
No—he definitely had that feeling.
"…Fine. I got it."
Hikigaya sighed.
"What's your number? I'll save it right now~"
Soyo beamed, pulling her phone from her bag.
"It's…"
And so, Hikigaya reluctantly gave her his contact info while carrying her on his back.
However—
Just then, a sudden voice cut through the night.
"Hikigaya—who… who is she?!"
"Huh?"
Both Hikigaya and Soyo flinched. They looked up and saw a blue-haired girl with a single ponytail approaching them, a stunned expression on her face.
She stared at the girl on Hikigaya's back with sharp suspicion.
"Kawasaki?!"
Hikigaya blurted out.
"What the hell is going on?"
Kawasaki asked, her gaze never once leaving Soyo.
"She's…"
Hikigaya trailed off.
Soyo tilted her head curiously.
"Hikigaya-kun, is she your girlfriend?"
"Eh?!"
Both Hikigaya and Kawasaki's expressions shifted.
Kawasaki quickly waved her hands.
"No! I'm not. I'm just his classmate."
"Oh, just classmates then."
Soyo smiled pleasantly and introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Nagasaki Soyo, a student at Tsukinomori Girls' Academy, and a friend of Hikigaya-kun's~"
"Tsukinomori? I see… I'm Kawasaki Saki. I go to Sōbu High like Hikigaya…"
Even as she introduced herself, Kawasaki's eyes were fixated—on the girl's chest.
The longer she stared, the more her restraint began to crack.
"Nagasaki-san, could you, uh… move back a little? Your chest is, like, practically smushing his face."