Change is always associated with progress and development toward the better. Even though there is also change toward the worse, humans by nature prefer to link things only to their positive side.
However, people often overlook something important: people do not change that easily. Why do I say this? Because if humans could change that easily, then I would have changed.
I won't deny that I've changed a lot compared to who I was before. If Hikigaya Hachiman saw me five years ago, he would probably say: "Who are you, you brat?"
I still maintain a somewhat pessimistic outlook. I tend to expect the worst, and I find it difficult to express my thoughts in words. I no longer reject social interactions as I used to, although I still prefer my solitude because it suits me. But in any case, I've developed in one way or another.
In the past, I rejected change because I felt it was a betrayal of my former self, as if I hated who I used to be.
Now, for the sake of those who care about me, I don't mind changing a little.
Today is the first day after successfully carrying out the plan. I paved the way for Hirata to take the lead. What remains is whether his classmates will respond.
I know it's impossible for a major change to happen overnight, but as a start, we'll see how things develop. Students who are used to freedom inside the classroom—how will they act after what they learned yesterday?
I leaned against the wall outside the dorm, sipping Max Coffee while reflecting on my thoughts.
I didn't go straight to school because Yukinoshita and I agreed yesterday to go together. I didn't find a reason to refuse, so I agreed. Of course, it's not like the reason was that she had claimed my arm for herself, making me lose all sense of logic.
I woke up early today and went to get my coffee so I wouldn't be late and make Yukinoshita wait. But the opposite of what I expected happened—it seems I'm the one who has to wait.
I watched many students leaving the dorm, heading toward their classrooms, but the girl I was waiting for hadn't shown up yet. It's not like her to be late for her appointments or for class.
I took my phone out of my pocket to check the time. Only ten minutes were left before class.
Should I go to her room?
But I don't even know her room number.
I ran my fingers through my messy hair. It seems there's no option other than waiting.
Students kept pouring out of the dorm in large numbers from different grades, in groups and alone.
It seems even prestigious schools have loners. Well, there's no place we wouldn't exist.
I suddenly felt an itch on my cheek. I know that feeling well—the sensation of something invisible crawling on your bare skin.
During my years of isolation, I got used to people's stares, so I can easily recognize the feeling of being watched.
I slowly raised my finger to scratch my left cheek and carefully shifted my eyes to find out who was staring at me. You have to be cautious in this kind of situation—what if no one was actually looking, and I ended up being the one staring at someone else?
This time, there really was someone—a girl in a school uniform. Even though she wore the same uniform as the others, it looked especially fitting on her, particularly with her long black hair and blue eyes.
It was Yukinoshita. But why was she staring at me instead of talking to me? We were already running late. What is this? Did her classmates' behavior affect her, and she picked up some bad habits?
"Hmm… what?" A strange feeling of embarrassment washed over me, one I couldn't explain.
Yukinoshita cleared her throat before replying,
"I was looking at your eyes while you were observing the people around you… Hikigaya-kun, will you ever stop these strange behaviors?" She formed a sarcastic smile, paired with her usual cold gaze.
Yukinoshita-san, you're the one who shows up late and starts making sharp remarks—won't you stop these strange behaviors?
I kept that response to myself. I didn't want to spend the remaining time before class receiving all kinds of sarcasm. It might even escalate to violence… probably not.
Besides, just looking at people isn't strange. Isn't it what they call observing human behavior? Scientists do it and all. That makes me a scientist.
"So, why were you late?"
Yukinoshita looked away, as if trying to hide the reason.
"It's nothing… I just needed a bit more time today." Her blue eyes trembled slightly, as if trying to conceal something behind her uneasy words.
If she's fine, then a little delay is no big deal, I suppose.
"Then let's go."
I started walking at a moderate pace so we wouldn't be late, but also so I wouldn't leave Yukinoshita behind.
She nodded and began walking beside me. The distance between us shortened. We weren't used to walking this close, so I still felt a bit nervous. I was worried that I might smell bad because of the sweat caused by my tension.
I'll try to get used to this more in the future. I don't know if I'll become better, but I'll try.
We continued walking together in silence, neither of us saying a word. The only sound we heard was the soft tapping of our footsteps against the ground.
I never found this silence uncomfortable. It was always acceptable—more than that, it was fine. I assume Yukinoshita feels the same, since she didn't show any signs of discomfort or try to start a meaningless conversation, like talking about the weather or something, just to break the silence.
Things continued like this until the school building came into view. The distance between the dorm and the building wasn't very far.
Usually, I don't even notice the walk because I'm lost in my thoughts. But today, even with the silence and my blank, dull expression, I felt like time passed faster than usual.
"Hikigaya-kun, today the results of what you did yesterday will start to show." Yukinoshita broke the silence.
"Hmm… yeah."
It's natural for the initial results to start appearing today, though I don't expect a major difference… I think.
"So, do you expect things to change?"
It's also natural for people to form expectations about the future, but I tend to expect the worst.
"Most likely, nothing will change. Things will stay the same."
No matter how much I think about it, I can't find a logical answer other than that.
"Do you still think there's no hope for them?"
"Yeah."
"But if people find motivation, they might at least try."
It's natural for people to be forced to change if they find the right reason, but nothing guarantees they'll respond, even if that reason exists.
"People don't change that easily." The words came out in a rough voice. I couldn't tell whether it was because of the weight of the words or how true they felt.
"If they put in effort…" Yukinoshita suddenly stopped, which made me glance at her.
She was covering her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter. What was so funny?
"What?"
"It just felt like we've had this kind of conversation before."
She let out a light sigh, as if recalling memories from the past.
I'm sure we've had these kinds of discussions many times, especially since we're both stubborn and it's hard for either of us to change our opinions.
We entered the school building and walked through the nearly empty hallway. Most of the students had already gone to their classrooms, and only a few minutes remained before class started.
Unlike usual, where you could hear loud student voices as you approached our classroom, things were much quieter.
Has the situation really improved?
I unconsciously quickened my pace, curiosity taking over as I wanted to see what the classroom looked like today.
Has there really been progress? Did they change this quickly?
I moved ahead of Yukinoshita because of my increased speed, passing other classrooms without even glancing at them, as usual.
I only stopped when I reached the wooden door.
The classroom wasn't silent—there were conversations among groups—but unlike before, it was much less noisy.
There were no oddballs in the back shouting their strange thoughts, nor loud voices from the girls' side. It was as if their conversations naturally drew you in, making you listen without realizing it.
"Impossible…" I heard Yukinoshita's voice as she looked inside.
It seems she had caught up while I was observing from outside.
It's natural to be shocked. You might think the class had been replaced with entirely different students.
Just yesterday, their voices could be heard from the hallway, and there were delays and skipped classes, with many empty seats.
Now, the classroom was almost full.
I quickly entered and sat down before the others noticed me.
Well, who would just stand there in front of the class looking shocked?
I adjusted my posture in my seat and observed what was happening around me.
Yamauchi and his group were as noticeable as usual, but they weren't being loud.
I suppose this kind of conversation outside class time isn't punished by the school.
They're not trying to stop interactions—just regulate them.
"Man, do we really have to be this disciplined all the time? This is kind of crazy." Yamauchi complained, clearly dissatisfied with the current situation.
"I know, but look—almost everyone is following the rules, so we don't have much of a choice," Sudou replied calmly.
I was surprised by his reaction. I didn't expect Sudou to be this disciplined. Or maybe he just doesn't want to be blamed and considered the reason for the class's failure.
"What if everything written in those documents is wrong?" Ike also expressed his doubts about what they learned yesterday.
It's natural for them to feel doubtful, even if the teacher gave them the documents, and even if people like Hirata supported them. They're probably still looking for a loophole to reject the idea and return to their old behavior.
But unfortunately, things are different now.
"Right? What if all our effort goes to waste and our monthly points don't increase?"
"Yeah, but if everything is wrong and there's no evaluation, then we'd get three years of freedom with 100,000 points every month."
Sudou seemed to fully understand what happened yesterday, along with all the discussions and interventions, unlike his friends.
Well, if he has good reasoning and some logical sense, all he has to do is stay disciplined, and he'll become a model student.
It seems the trio behind me is doing fine, so it's better to ignore them for now. Class is about to start.
The bell rang, announcing the beginning of a new school day. Immediately after, the classroom door opened, and a woman entered in her usual black suit and the same hairstyle.
Was she waiting outside for the bell to ring before entering? That seems strange.
The sound of her heels echoed throughout the classroom due to the heavy silence.
She walked to the podium and stood tall, scanning the entire class with her usual strict gaze.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise—she wasn't used to this silence and punctual attendance.
The corners of her lips moved slightly into a small smile—one the students had never seen before.
I've seen that smile before in the staff room. The least I can say about it… is that it's sinister.
She placed her hands on the desk in front of her and announced firmly,
"Alright, let's begin today's lesson."
Chabashira-sensei's words felt like a second announcement after the bell.
The silence continued in the classroom—discipline and full attendance from the very first day.
Did the problem really get solved this easily?
Did they really change just like that?