Chapter 48: A Maiden’s Love Talk
"Are you sure about Hikigaya contacting Horikita-senpai, Honami?"
"Yes. They've been interacting frequently lately. And it seemed like Horikita-senpai was the one actively approaching Hikigaya-kun."
At night. Ichinose, now a pawn under Nagumo, was faithfully reporting Hikigaya's movements—monitored as per Nagumo's request—over the phone without omitting a single detail.
"Horikita-senpai approached him? That's strange... Any other information?"
"Nothing else in particular, but... Oh, after the graduation ceremony, I think Tachibana-senpai was also there with Horikita-senpai and Hikigaya-kun."
"...I see. Good work. You won't hear from me until April, so take some rest."
"Understood. Goodbye."
After confirming Ichinose had hung up with a polite farewell, Nagumo furrowed his brow.
"Hikigaya Hachiman... He's not a particularly noticeable student, but Horikita-senpai has had her eye on him for a while now."
The image that came to mind didn't carry the aura of a formidable figure, but Nagumo considered that there was something elusive about his demeanor.
"Maybe I'll take a look at the student council records tomorrow. Either way, he's destined to play my game."