Эпизод 4

Hachiman walks in on his sister, Komachi Hikigaya, reading a teen magazine. As he cleans up after her he subsequently starts to ponder what having a little sister in real life really means. On they way to school, they talk about the car accident Hachiman had been involved in where he saved a dog (belonging to Yui, although he does not know it.) At school, Hachiman is once again reprimanded by Shizuka for his "Workplace Visit Survey" where he tries to justify becoming a "house-husband," although he is left pondering on who he would group with for the visit. Arriving late for the Service Club meeting, he exchanges cell phone numbers with Yui for convenient contact and makes it known that he texted girls in middle school, although as Yukino points out, from the story he gave, girls were afraid of him and hence ignored his texts. At that moment, Yui and Hachiman receive a mysterious chain text implicating 2F's Kakeru Tobe, Ōoka, and Yamato as delinquents. At this time, Hayato enters the club room and requests that the Service Club help him stop the text from circulating without necessarily exposing the culprit. While requesting their help, Hachiman narrates that Hayato uses his charismatic personality as a popular person (which he calls "The Zone") to inadvertently cause people to flock to him. Being a victim of slanderous chain mails before, Yukino accepts the request. They realize that the texts are connected to the upcoming grouped Workplace Visit which has only three people per group while Hayato's clique has four people meaning that one person is spreading the rumors to get someone knocked out of the group. Yukino has Yui and Hachiman gather information on the three suspects, but Yui, unable to be subtle asks Yumiko and Hina Ebina for information, but they utterly misunderstand, with the latter of whom spewing a fujoshi fantasy about the suspects. Hachiman takes a turn and decides to instead observe the group, noticing that when Hayato is around they are all lively. While observing he is interrupted by the Saika who asks about the upcoming group event and hints at grouping with him. Hayato then approaches Hachiman and asks of his progress, just as Hachiman observes that the clique is now quiet and awkwardly checking their phones now that Hayato is no longer with them. Realizing the situation, Hachiman explains to everyone at the Service Club, that he doesn't know who the culprit is, but is indeed one of the three. Since their behavior when Hayato isn't present suggests that they are not close friends but instead are only acquaintances, with Hayato being their mutual friend, therefore they are literally competing for his attention. He solves the case by suggesting that Hayato have the three of them group and have a chance to get to know each other better, which seems to work. As thanks, Hayato groups with Hachiman along with Saika for the Workplace Visit. As Saika asks Hachiman when they should have their visit, he ponders if that social situation is "friendship" before everyone crowds around Hayato wanting to visit the same place as him.