COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 165: You are the real Tarzan.

"This should be the place."

Hikigaya scanned the area carefully and soon spotted a ladder hidden in a blind spot near the cliff. If he hadn't known about this place beforehand, he might have missed it entirely.

"Hikigaya-kun, this is..."

Sakura, slightly out of breath, spoke from behind him. Traveling quickly through the forest was much harder than walking on flat ground. Even though Hikigaya had advised her to start training ten days ago, there was only so much she could improve in a short time.

"Follow me."

Hikigaya didn't explain much and climbed down the ladder.

At the bottom, a secluded beach house came into view!

This was something he had noticed earlier during the cruise's island tour—a "scenic spot with significance."

The house was well-hidden. If you didn't already know about it, you probably wouldn't find it.

Sakura carefully climbed down the ladder, but her legs gave out just before she reached the ground. She had used up too much energy.

Luckily, Hikigaya had been keeping an eye on her and caught her just in time!

"Are you okay?"

Hikigaya quickly asked.

Sakura assured him she wasn't hurt, but her face turned bright red.

That's when Hikigaya suddenly realized... he had accidentally touched something soft.

Awkwardly, he let go of her right away.

Hiss—

Hikigaya suddenly clutched his left arm.

Sakura panicked and rushed to him, lowering her head in guilt.

"S-Sorry!"

"It's just a slight strain. It'll be fine in a day or two."

Hikigaya felt a bit helpless. He hadn't expected to get injured like this—how embarrassing.

But to be fair, Sakura was a bit heavy...

"Oh? Did I come at the wrong time~?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts, and Hikigaya turned to see an unexpected figure stepping out of the beach hut.

"Koenji?"

Hikigaya's eyes widened in shock. Why was this guy coming out of the hut? And how did he even know about this place? Did Koenji also discover it during the yacht trip around the island? Or...

"Bingo. I saw the island map you drew in the room, Pochi Boy."

Koenji answered his unspoken question directly. "That special mark you made caught my interest. As expected, Pochi Boy isn't ordinary."

That explained it.

Hikigaya was aware of Koenji's physical abilities, but he hadn't expected them to be this extreme. Being physically strong didn't necessarily mean someone could handle a forest environment, but judging by Koenji's athletic wear and his relaxed demeanor, he had no trouble at all.

Not only that, Koenji had arrived at the beach hut before him and had already checked out the place. That meant he must have been here for a while.

Hikigaya walked up to the hut. There was an electronic device installed at the entrance, which suggested that this was one of the bases Chabashira-sensei had mentioned.

Peering through the wooden door, he saw several fishing rods and some basic supplies. None of them seemed used. These were likely provided by the school for whichever class managed to claim this base, saving them a good amount of points.

"There's a first aid kit inside. You can use it for your injury, Pochi Boy."

Hikigaya was surprised to hear something that sounded like concern coming from Koenji. If there was anyone in Class D who could be considered the most eccentric, it was definitely him.

No one could predict Koenji's actions or thoughts. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Even people like Hirata and Kushida couldn't control him.

Over time, everyone just started unconsciously "ignoring" the narcissistic, muscle-bound blond.

But deep down, they all knew the truth—this so-called "ignored" weirdo was actually top-tier in both academics and physical ability. It was just his personality that made him so difficult to deal with. That was probably the main reason he ended up in Class D.

Suddenly, Hikigaya turned to look at the unpredictable guy.

"Koenji, can I ask you something? How long did it take you to get here from the dock after we got off the boat?"

"Less than ten minutes. For someone as magnificent as me, this little distance was so easy."

Koenji said it casually, but Hikigaya was a bit stunned.

By his estimate, a normal student would take at least thirty minutes. But Koenji had made it from the dock, through the forest, and to the beach hut in less than ten? Was that even possible for a high school student?

Hikigaya thought for a moment before speaking.

"Koenji, you can see that my hand is injured. Can I ask you to head back and buy a medium-sized first aid kit worth 15 points from Chabashira-sensei and bring it here?"

Koenji narrowed his eyes slightly, studying Hikigaya's face, trying to read something from it. But all he saw was a pair of dull, emotionless dead-fish eyes.

"Pochi Boy, I just told you there's already a first aid kit inside."

"100,000 points."

Hikigaya didn't hesitate.

Koenji stared at him, his gaze growing sharper.

Then, the next second, he grinned, and his grin turned into laughter.

"Deal!"

"If possible, I'd like it within 15 minutes."

Hikigaya added, "I know that's difficult, so I'll pay extra."

"Hahaha! Pochi Boy, you underestimate the power of my beautiful, nature-loving self! Right now, I'm bursting with energy!"

Koenji flipped his golden hair with a dramatic flourish and chuckled.

"Consider this my way of returning the favor for that map."

The moment he finished speaking, Koenji disappeared into the forest in a flash.

Hikigaya barely had time to react before he spotted Koenji climbing a nearby tree. In the blink of an eye, he was leaping from branch to branch like some kind of jungle Tarzan.

Within moments, he was gone, leaving nothing behind but the echo of his laughter in the woods.

Hikigaya and Sakura were both frozen in shock, staring at where Koenji had just been.

Now he finally understood how Koenji had managed to cross the forest so fast.

So this guy... was actually a real-life ape!

"Sakura, I need your help."

Hikigaya turned to the still-dazed Sakura.

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. In a bit..."

At the same time, he started making some arrangements inside the hut.

Before long, a familiar hearty laugh rang out from outside. Hikigaya knew Koenji had returned.

He checked his watch—only ten minutes had passed?!

He had to carry a first-aid kit through the forest in that time!

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