Chapter 041 Unexpected Encounter at the Library
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
Hikigaya thought about it carefully; his score in Comprehensive Science was 45. Although it was above the passing line, it certainly couldn't be called a good score. In Class D, it was mid-range, but in terms of the whole grade, it was only in the lower-middle tier.
If nothing else, even the "show-off" Ayanokouji beat him—this was something Hikigaya couldn't accept!
Incidentally, in the last quiz, that guy scored exactly 50 in every single subject.
He was practically treating people like idiots! Or maybe he was just someone who wanted to hide his strength while simultaneously wanting people to notice he was hiding it, waiting for the day he'd be "exposed" to shock everyone?
Hikigaya found Ayanokouji's behavior impossible to understand.
"Then it's a promise.
We'll have lunch together to introduce you first."
Ibuki Mio was in a great mood. Introducing a friend to another friend—did that equal double the happiness?
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Class D Classroom
"Morning..."
"Morning."
The two exchanged their characteristic minimalist greeting.
Hikigaya recalled the events of his dream last night and couldn't bring himself to look Horikita Suzune in the eye. Who would have thought that she, with her serious exterior, would be so... once she took the dominant position...
Stop remembering!!!
"Hikigaya."
"Yes!"
"What are you so worked up for?"
Horikita Suzune gave him a strange look and continued, "I see your science grades aren't that great either. How about I tutor you in that as well?"
"No, no need!
I've already found someone else to tutor me."
Hikigaya hurriedly shook his head in refusal.
"What?!
You actually found someone else?
Are you saying I'm not good enough?!"
Horikita's eyes widened, and her voice suddenly rose, drawing the attention of everyone around them.
'You found someone else... Saying I'm not good enough...'
Everyone's gazes became peculiar.
"The way you put it is a bit much," Hikigaya's mouth twitched. He explained further, "Having you help me with math is already enough of a bother. Continuing to take up your private time would be too thick-skinned of me."
Another crucial reason was that Hikigaya didn't want to dream about "Hikigaya Suzune" every night. What if he actually fell in love with her?
"...You're right."
Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment, seemingly accepting his reasoning. Tutoring him in math for three hours every day was already long enough. If she taught science too... wouldn't she have to end up sleeping at Hikigaya's dorm?
"Oh, so it was just about studying..."
Upon hearing this, the students of Class D lost interest one after another.
'You guys could at least show a little interest in studying!'
"Whew~"
Sakura Airi, who had been watching secretly, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"So the math tutor Hachi found was that Horikita girl," Hasabe Haruka's eyes flashed with a hint of wariness. "Airi, you better be careful."
"Careful... of what?" Sakura Airi's eyes darted away.
"Careful of Horikita stealing your Hachi away, of course," Hasabe Haruka said with an "iron-not-becoming-steel" expression of disappointment.
"What do you mean 'mine'... um~ Hikigaya-kun and I aren't like that..." Sakura Airi's cheeks flushed as she stammered.
"Ehh~ really? Not at all?"
Hasabe Haruka teased her by poking her burning cheek, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Does that mean it's fine if I make a move on Hachi?"
"Stop it~!"
Sakura Airi punched her lightly in embarrassment, assuming she was just joking.
In addition to them, Kushida Kikyo was also watching secretly. She stared gloomily at Horikita Suzune's back, then glanced at Hikigaya Hachiman sitting next to her. A strange look flashed across her brow; it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
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.
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Noon
Hikigaya arrived at the cafeteria at the agreed-upon time, only to receive a text message from Ibuki Mio.
Ibuki: [Sorry! The gal group in my class suddenly picked a fight with me. Our meeting this noon is temporarily canceled!]
'That trio seems ordinary enough, but turns out they're real jerks.'
The Class C gal group... Hikigaya had heard of them. Their names were Manabe and some others?
Unlike the "fake gal" Karuizawa from Class D, Manabe and her group were notoriously aggressive and would foul-mouth others without hesitation. With Ibuki Mio's short fuse, it was only a matter of time before she clashed with the Class C gals.
Hikigaya: [Be careful then.]
Ibuki: [Are you worried about me? Hmph~ With my strength, I can take down all three of them!]
Hikigaya: [I meant you should be careful not to break them.]
Ibuki: [Idiot ￣△￣]
Closing his phone, Hikigaya ordered a random lunch and finished it alone. Having nothing else to do, he decided to head to the library to kill some time.
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The Library
He decisively bypassed the textbook and reference section.
Are you kidding? Tutoring after school, tutoring at night. Did they think he was some "King of Overachievers"? Rest time should be for resting.
Hikigaya originally wanted to check the light novel section. However, from a distance, he saw Yamauchi and his group huddling around a book titled Reincarnated as a Goblin, I Captured a Nun at the Start... they were letting out creepy, sleazy giggles from time to time.
Can't you guys read something a bit more decent? Like that popular masterpiece on the shelf, "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute."
Hikigaya had wanted to read it, but the thought of that group being there gave him a strange sense of deja vu—as if the moment he opened the book, Kirino would be "defiled" by their presence...
Forget it. Maybe next time.
Hikigaya shook his head and turned into the foreign literature section. It wasn't that he particularly loved foreign books; it was simply because it was quiet here and no one would disturb him.
He randomly picked a copy of Murder on the Orient Express. This was the famous work by the British author Agatha Christie, who held prestigious titles like the MWA Grand Master Award and the DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire).
Oh?
He discovered a small stool in a corner. Talk about good luck. Hikigaya sat down immediately and began to read.
The story took place on the famous Orient Express. The luxury train, traveling from Istanbul to Calais, was forced to stop in Yugoslavia due to a sudden blizzard, leaving the entire train trapped in the snow. At midnight, a scream echoed through the carriage. An American businessman named Ratchett was found dead in his compartment, stabbed twelve times. It so happened that the great detective Hercule Poirot was on the same train and, at the request of a friend, began to investigate the case...
It was supposed to be just a way to kill time, but the book was unexpectedly interesting.
"Even though it's a mystery novel, it manages to jump out of the framework of having the reader just look for a killer..." Hikigaya's eyes narrowed slightly as he fell into thought.
The victim in the book was a criminal who had escaped legal punishment, and the killers were instead the "heroes" who delivered justice.
"Do you think Detective Poirot should have handed the truth over to the police?"
"What truth? I wouldn't know."
In Hikigaya's view, the protagonist was just a hired detective whose task was to assist the police; he had no obligation to solve the case his own way.
Wait? Who just spoke to him?!
Hikigaya turned his head stiffly.
Before his eyes was a girl with long, silver-gray hair. She was currently sitting quietly on the floor, her pale purple eyes looking at him with curiosity.
Chapter 042 Shiina: I'll Demand Compensation from Hikigaya-kun in a Dream
When did this girl sit here...?
Hikigaya's brain stalled for a moment.
However, he quickly snapped out of it.
"Sorry! I took your chair."
Hikigaya hurriedly stood up.
In the most remote corner of the library, there happened to be a single chair; it was clearly one that someone had brought there for themselves.
"It's alright.
Usually, very few people come here to read."
The silver-haired girl smiled slightly, stood up, and patted her skirt. "Hikigaya-kun, nice to meet you. I am Hiyori Shiina from Class C."
"You know me?
Uh...Are you the Shiina-san that Ibuki mentioned?"
Hikigaya's expression froze.
This was truly unexpected!
Ibuki Mio had canceled their meeting at the cafeteria to go pick a fight, yet the two of them ended up meeting by chance in the library.
It made one instinctively think of a word—fate.
However, saying that word out loud would make him sound like he was hitting on a girl, so Hikigaya decided against it.
"Yes, it seems we have quite a bit of fate."
'Huh?
No, why did you say it?'
Hikigaya was stunned, but seeing her pure expression, he figured she was probably just an innocent person.
'I'm overthinking things again...'
"Hello, Shiina-san," Hikigaya greeted her formally.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun."
Hiyori Shiina extended her palm.
'This is way too formal...'
Hikigaya reached out and shook it.
He felt her palm was small and delicate—and very soft, with a slightly cool sensation.
"The Hikigaya-kun that Ibuki is always talking about... I've finally met you in person."
Hiyori Shiina's eyes blinked, as if her curiosity had finally been satisfied.
"Uh, you must be disappointed, right? It's not like I'm a handsome guy. Haha~"
Hikigaya laughed awkwardly.
He wondered why Ibuki would talk about him in her free time.
"Not at all. Hikigaya-kun's face shape is actually very handsome."
He had heard that before. The key was always the next sentence, so Hikigaya took the initiative to provide the second half: "A pity about the dead fish eyes, though."
"What are 'dead fish eyes'?"
Hiyori Shiina tilted her head, looking thoughtful.
Then, her gaze shifted upward, making direct eye contact with Hikigaya.
"..."
"..."
'Well? What about the reaction? Where's the roast?'
"I don't quite understand it...
But I think Hikigaya-kun's eyes are very special."
Hiyori Shiina gave a sincere evaluation after some thought.
Hiss~
For the first time, someone didn't mock his eyes upon seeing them.
'If I were back in middle school, I probably would have fallen for this girl in an instant, wouldn't I?'
Hikigaya took a deep breath, suppressing the momentary flutter in his heart.
'Don't have delusions!'
"By the way, what does Hikigaya-kun think of this book?"
Hiyori Shiina's eyes shifted, bringing the topic back to the book.
"It's a very good novel.
The deduction process is eye-opening.
All twelve passengers in the carriage were the culprits."
Hikigaya gave it a high evaluation.
"Mm-hm! I think so too!"
Hiyori Shiina nodded vigorously, looking quite excited, and she began to talk more: "The first time I read it, I was looking for who the single culprit was. Everyone's testimony felt ambiguous and contradictory... I didn't think that 'there could be more than one culprit.' Hikigaya-kun is really amazing, guessing the truth on your first read."
"Uh... it was just a coincidence."
'By the way, Shiina-san, you're leaning in too close.'
Hikigaya performed a tactical lean-back.
"Ah~ sorry, I got a bit too excited for a moment."
Suddenly realizing she had unconsciously leaned in so close she was practically spitting in his face while talking, Hiyori Shiina took a bashful step back.
Even so, they were only a single step apart. Hikigaya could clearly smell a faint fragrance drifting from her, somewhat like lavender.
"I'm very happy to meet a friend with the same interests."
Hiyori Shiina placed her hand over her heart and spoke with total seriousness.
"Friends? Since when did we...?"
Hikigaya looked completely dazed.
"Eh~ Does Hikigaya-kun not want to be friends with me?"
A look of disappointment appeared on Hiyori Shiina's face.
This was different from Kikyo Kushida's "I want to be friends with everyone" facade; Hikigaya could tell Hiyori truly wanted to be his friend.
"Uh, if Shiina-san doesn't mind..."
Hikigaya could not refuse something genuine.
"That's wonderful!"
Hiyori Shiina's face cleared up instantly. She clenched her fingers slightly: "Actually, I'm not very good at making friends. In class, Ibuki is the only one I can really talk to."
"Oh, a friend of a friend. I get it!"
A look of realization dawned on Hikigaya's face.
"That's not right!
This has nothing to do with Ibuki-san."
Hiyori Shiina corrected him seriously and continued: "You and I, Hikigaya-kun, met by chance in the library."
"Is... is there a difference?"
Hikigaya looked puzzled.
"Anyway, it's just... different!"
Hiyori Shiina solemnly restated her point.
'This girl is also a bit stubborn, huh!'
"Umm~ I heard from Ibuki that Hikigaya-kun is looking for a study tutor?"
Hiyori Shiina hadn't forgotten what Mio Ibuki had told her.
"Yes, my science grades aren't very good."
Hikigaya answered truthfully.
"Then let me teach you."
Hiyori Shiina broke into a smile. Without any hesitation, she made the decision naturally.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you...?"
Hikigaya looked embarrassed.
'Wait. We haven't even started negotiating terms yet. Why did you agree so easily?'
"It's no trouble.
I usually help Ibuki with her English anyway."
Hiyori Shiina smiled slightly.
"That's different."
Hikigaya shook his head and said seriously: "I don't like getting something for nothing. Please, let me pay you in Private Points!"
"But...
Isn't Hikigaya-kun tutoring two girls from Class D?
Did they pay points too?"
Hiyori Shiina's eyes glimmered as she analyzed the situation.
"Uh, that..."
'How did she know? Ah, in the library... she saw us!'
"They... they've already... paid... in another place."
Hikigaya's eyes darted around as he spoke vaguely.
"In what place?"
Hiyori Shiina unconsciously leaned in again, clasping her hands with a look of "I'm very curious."
Hikigaya said with a straight face: "In a dream."
"Pfft!"
Hiyori Shiina burst out laughing on the spot!
Although the description was a bit crude, it was literal. Hikigaya received a "spray" reward... attack at close range.
"S-Sorry...
I didn't mean to!
Normally, I wouldn't laugh so ungracefully..."
Hiyori Shiina quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her shoulders still shaking uncontrollably, and the corners of her eyes flushed a faint red.
"..."
Hikigaya remained expressionless; he was currently cosplaying Ayanokouji.
After laughing for a while, Hiyori Shiina finally composed herself.
"Cough, cough~"
Clearing her throat, Hiyori Shiina widened her eyes and feigned a serious expression.
"How about this...
I'll just demand compensation from Hikigaya-kun in a dream, then."
Chapter 043 Post-Marriage Daily Life
Although Hikigaya's science grades weren't great, he still had a decent foundation.
With a little tutoring from Hiyori Shiina, learning wasn't particularly difficult.
The lunch break passed quickly...
"Hikigaya-kun, while focusing on your studies is a good thing, you should also remember to balance work and rest.
I recommend you read Tokuya Higashigawa's The After-Dinner Mysteries in your spare time. The writing style is light and humorous; reading it can help relax your brain."
Hiyori Shiina handed a mystery novel to Hikigaya.
Hikigaya actually wanted to say that in his free time, he preferred reading light novels like My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute or Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend.
However, meeting Hiyori Shiina's sparkling and expectant eyes, Hikigaya had no choice but to accept her novel.
"By the way, let's exchange contact information."
Hiyori proactively handed her phone over, smiling. "I don't really know how to operate this. Could you help me, Hikigaya-kun?"
'This feeling of déjà vu...'
"Alright."
Hikigaya took her phone and opened the contact list.
It really was true—there was only one contact: Ibuki Mio.
'This kid is way too lonely, isn't she?'
With a few taps, Hikigaya entered his own information into the contact list.
"Here...
Uh, what's wrong?"
Hikigaya handed the phone back, only to find Hiyori Shiina staring at him intently.
"Hikigaya-kun... you're surprisingly skilled at that.
Does Hikigaya-kun have many friends?" Hiyori analyzed.
"As if!"
Hikigaya immediately denied it. "In Class D, I don't even have a friend to go to the bathroom with."
He wasn't joking.
"Bathroom socializing" is the most important social method for modern students!
Never mind the likes of Yamauchi; Hikigaya had once extended an invitation to "go to the bathroom together" to a good student like Teruhiko Yukimura.
The result was a cold rejection!
The reason was that the other party despised students who "didn't focus on their proper duties."
That was a total misunderstanding!
One should know that Hikigaya studied during class, during lunch breaks, after school, and even at night for the vast majority of his time!
How was he not focusing on his duties?
When Hikigaya tried to press for more details, Yukimura just scolded him with nonsense like "spending all day and night worrying about romance."
Seriously, which bastard started that rumor?
"Hikigaya-kun, even though we are friends, going to the bathroom together is... still a bit difficult for me."
Hiyori Shiina pursed her lips, her expression subtle.
"No, no, no! Bathroom socializing is strictly for the same sex. It would be way too weird for different genders to go together!"
Hikigaya broke into a cold sweat.
He desperately wanted to slap himself. Why on earth was he talking about bathrooms with a girl?
It would have been better to chat about international news, like "perspectives on the situation in the Middle East." It sounds sophisticated, and girls might actually be interested in that, right?
"Alright, I'm just teasing you~"
Hiyori Shiina smiled charmingly and packed her things to leave.
She stopped at the library entrance, turned back, and gave a parting smile. "By the way, Hikigaya-kun.
Remember to pay me back in the dream~"
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Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack~
Hikigaya's vision flickered, and he found himself typing away at a computer.
He was writing a novel titled Classroom of the Elite.
'Is my identity this time a light novel author?'
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel his eyes light up.
Being able to work from home—this was actually a pretty good plan for a future career!
Looking around, it was another unfamiliar room.
'Is this... have I dreamed of a new 'wife' again?'
"Waaaah~
Darling, are you staying up late writing your novel again?"
Walking out of the room was a silver-haired "wife" in pajamas, looking half-asleep.
"!!!"
Hikigaya's pupils shrank.
Even though he had a vague expectation in his heart, seeing her with his own eyes still made his heart pound uncontrollably.
"Shii... Hiyori."
This girl really did have "words that become law"—she walked right into his dream!
"Mhm~"
Hiyori hugged his neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"W-What is it..."
Hikigaya's expression stiffened as he forced himself to stay calm, pretending to be focused on typing.
"Nothing, I just wanted to hug you~"
Hiyori's voice was soft, her eyes half-closed as if she were enjoying the quiet.
"Hiyori, is there anything you want?"
Hikigaya remembered what Hiyori Shiina had said during the day about paying her back in the dream.
'Thoughts during the day, dreams during the night, I suppose?'
"Nothing. Having Hachiman is enough for me~"
As she spoke, Hiyori squeezed her arms a bit tighter around him.
'Hiss!
Stay calm!
This is a dream!
This is an illusion!!
Don't let it shake you!!!'
"Just... just say anything..."
Hikigaya just wanted to quickly repay the "favor" to Hiyori Shiina so she would disappear from his dream.
If she stayed any longer, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold out!
"Anything?
Hmm~ let me think..."
Hiyori tilted her head back and forth as she pondered. "Then, how about Hachiman carries me to the bathroom~"
"Huh?!
What kind of request is that?"
Hikigaya was stunned.
"Ten years ago, Hachiman even invited me to go to the bathroom together~~" Hiyori teased.
"That never happened! I clearly said that school bathroom socializing is limited to the same sex."
Hikigaya denied it immediately.
"Eh~ Hachiman remembers it so clearly?"
Hiyori puffed out her cheeks.
'Of course I remember it clearly; that was literally yesterday's experience!'
"Hmph~ I don't care~~
I want you to carry me there."
Hiyori switched into "unreasonable mode."
Then, she squeezed her legs together, her movements looking a bit fidgety.
"Hachiman, you'd better hurry...
Otherwise, I'm going to pee on you."
'Hey, hey, hey!
What kind of crude language is that?
Could you at least use a phrase like 'watering the flowers' instead?
The elegant and dignified Hiyori Shiina—the character setting is totally collapsing, isn't it?'
This is what people often call the "contrast" between life before and after marriage.
Left with no choice, Hikigaya bit the bullet and did as requested.
He picked Hiyori up and walked toward the bathroom.
A few moments later.
Hiyori walked out, her face completely flushed red.
"That was a mistake...
I just wanted to try one of those little games that other couples do.
I didn't think it would be so embarrassing!"
Hikigaya's expression was subtle, and the corners of his mouth were twitching upward uncontrollably. It seemed he had awakened to some strange new interest.
"Well, I thought it was quite fun.
How about starting tomorrow, I'll take you every morning to—"
Before he could finish, Hiyori covered his mouth.
"P-Please, don't ever mention this again!"
Seeing her face red and ears burning with shyness, Hikigaya's playful side took over. "No way! I'm going to hold this over you for a lifetime!"
"I hate you~"
Hiyori was genuinely flustered now, and she blurted out her most severe threat: "If you say another word... I won't eat any sausage tomorrow morning!" (if you know what I mean)
Chapter 044 End of the Month, The Past Exam Questions
Morning exercise on the track.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."
"Morning, Shiina-san. Have you eaten... uh, I mean, have you had breakfast?"
"Hmm? If not breakfast, what else would I be eating?"
Hiyori Shiina tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Nothing, it's nothing..."
Hikigaya hurriedly looked away from her soft, pink lips.
'Damn it!
It's all because of that weird dream last night!'
How could the elegant and innocent Shiina-san ever say such scandalous things?
Thump!
"Ow!"
Hikigaya was stepped on hard. "What was that for, Ibuki?"
"Hmph!
Who gave you permission to go see Shiina behind my back?"
Mio Ibuki glared at him with narrowed eyes.
"It wasn't 'behind your back.'"
"We just happened to meet in the library," Hiyori Shiina explained with a smile. "I didn't expect Hikigaya-kun and I to share the same interests. It's truly wonderful."
"But..."
Ibuki Mio started to say something but stopped.
She felt like something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Ibuki, weren't you the one who said you wanted to introduce me to Shiina-san?" Hikigaya asked, equally confused. "Why are you getting angry now?"
"I don't know!
I'm just inexplicably pissed off, hmph!"
Ibuki Mio gave him a nasty glare before picking up her pace and running ahead.
"Umm~ Ibuki-san, could she be jealous?"
Hiyori Shiina tapped her chin, looking thoughtful.
"I... highly doubt it."
An image of Ibuki Mio in a wedding dress with long hair and a smug smile flashed through Hikigaya's mind.
He immediately dismissed the unrealistic fantasy.
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.
.
Time quickly marched toward the end of the month.
There were only three days left until the midterm exams.
The "ape" demographic of Class D finally began to panic.
"W-What do we do?!"
"The exam is in three days, and I'm still failing four subjects!"
"It's all your fault, Ike! You kept asking me to play games with you."
"You're blaming me? It was clearly Ayanokouji's fault!"
"What does this have to do with me...?"
"Shut up! A lackey's job is to take the fall for the boss—that's common sense!"
The Yamauchi clique went around begging people for tutoring, but everyone looked at them with disdain.
'Now you care about studying? Where was this energy before?'
"As they say, 'it's never too late to mend the pen after the sheep are lost.' I will do my best to tutor you!"
Yosuke Hirata stepped forward.
'Seriously, dude?
Your willingness to help people is way too bottomless.'
Hikigaya truly couldn't understand Hirata's actual mindset.
"Um, I'll help out too..."
Kikyo Kushida had a smile on her face, but inside she was screaming.
However, to maintain her "Kushida the Little Angel" persona, she had no choice but to join in and help.
Hikigaya frowned as he watched.
But considering Kushida wasn't his friend, he felt it wasn't his place to judge.
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The next day.
Hikigaya noticed that the atmosphere in Class D had suddenly lightened up.
Yamauchi and his group had abandoned their panic from yesterday; they were all now brimming with confidence.
"What happened?"
Hikigaya looked at his neighbor, Suzune Horikita, whose face was grim.
"See for yourself."
Suzune Horikita handed over a test paper she was holding.
"This is...
A past exam paper from a previous student?"
Hikigaya realized what was happening at a glance.
"This morning, Kushida suddenly said she heard from an upperclassman that the school's first-year midterm exams use the exact same questions every year."
For a serious student like Suzune Horikita, getting the questions in advance was no different from cheating.
"I see."
Hikigaya nodded expressionlessly.
"Hikigaya, did you know about the exam questions from the very beginning?"
Horikita's eyes widened.
"I suppose so..."
Hikigaya didn't deny it.
A month ago, Captain Mutou had cryptically told him that "the content of the exam isn't necessarily in the textbooks."
Of course, that ambiguous sentence alone wasn't enough to reach a conclusion.
The key was that Hikigaya looked at the quiz results Chabashira-sensei had posted. There were so many students below the passing line; if the rule about being expelled for failing was strictly followed, wouldn't Class D lose half its population?
However, looking at the number of students in the upperclassmen's D classes, they hadn't lost nearly that many people.
This meant there had to be another way to pass the midterms—a loophole to exploit.
Most likely, this was a gap left intentionally by the school outside the formal rules.
They were purposely guiding students to find ways around the system.
"You... if you knew, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Horikita asked.
"Why should I have?"
Hikigaya countered.
He had no interest in the inter-class competition to begin with.
If others failed and got expelled, what did that have to do with him?
"Then why did you ask me to tutor you in math...?"
Horikita tutored Hikigaya for three hours every day.
She didn't mind it much herself; she mostly spent the time reading books in Hikigaya's dorm, only speaking to answer his questions after he finished his practice problems.
"Is it possible that studying is just a student's job?"
Hikigaya continued: "Besides, you can find a loophole this time, but what about the next exam?"
"..."
Horikita was stunned for a moment, then sighed. "I have to admit, what you're saying makes sense."
Changing the subject, she asked, "So, you don't plan on using these past exam questions?"
"Of course not. Otherwise, wouldn't I be letting down the version of myself that worked so hard on those practice problems?"
Hikigaya nodded and then added: "And I'd be letting down the meticulous tutoring of Horikita-sensei."
"Hmph~ I guess that's acceptable!"
The frown on Horikita's brow smoothed out, and she gave a knowing smile.
.
.
.
During the lunch break.
Hikigaya and Hiyori Shiina met in their usual corner of the library.
Neither of them mentioned the past exam questions. One studied seriously, and the other taught seriously.
"It seems Hikigaya-kun is very confident about passing this exam on his own strength."
Hiyori Shiina seemed very pleased.
"It's alright. At the very least, passing won't be an issue."
"Sigh~ if only the people in my class thought the same way as Hikigaya-kun."
From her words, it was clear that Class C had also obtained the past exam questions.
Hikigaya's eyes flickered as he thought to himself: It seems the mastermind behind this didn't plan on keeping the benefit all to themselves. They probably made some kind of secret agreement with Class C...
As for Class A and Class B, everyone's average scores were high enough to pass a normal exam; they didn't need the "cheat" sheet.
Horikita said Kushida was the one who brought the papers out, but Hikigaya felt that, with her brains, she wouldn't have thought of the loophole herself.
His intuition told him this was related to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
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After school.
The old Class D study group was nowhere to be found.
Only Hikigaya, Hasabe, and Airi remained to continue their tutoring.
Haruka Hasabe declared boldly: "To make sure I don't waste all the hard work Hachi put into tutoring us this past month, I'm not going to use those exam questions."
"Right! Me too!"
"I'll take the exam fair and square along with Hikigaya-kun."
Sakura Airi looked determined, her confidence noticeably greater than before.
Chapter 045 Peaks to the Left, Mines to the Right—A Friendship Hug
Where the heart leads, day after day, there will surely be progress.
The exams began... The exams ended...
"Hikigaya-kun!
I—I finished all the questions!"
Sakura Airi looked ecstatic. Regardless of the accuracy for now, being able to finish every question meant her final grade wouldn't be too bad.
"It's all thanks to the reading comprehension and essay techniques Hachi taught us. I feel like this exam is in the bag!
Come here, let's have a friendship hug~~"
Hasabe Haruka was beaming with joy. To express her gratitude, she opened her arms and gave Hikigaya a quick embrace.
Although they maintained a slight distance, she clearly still underestimated her own "weight." Her peaks lightly brushed against Hikigaya's chest.
"Uh..."
Hikigaya's body went stiff. At a time like this, what kind of expression was he even supposed to make?
"Ahaha~~~"
Hasabe Haruka gave an awkward laugh, but she tried her best to feign composure. Seeing this, Sakura Airi hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to "A-click" (move in) as well.
However, her courage was ultimately lacking; she only dared to grab Hikigaya's arm, not daring to take another step forward.
'No way! I can't be the only one feeling awkward!'
Hasabe Haruka's eyes darted around. She sneakily circled behind Airi and gave her a forceful shove!
"Airi, you need to properly thank Hachi too~~~"
"Eya!"
Sakura Airi's body pitched forward, and she slammed head-first into Hikigaya's chest. A solid, full-impact hit!
"..."
Hikigaya felt as if his soul was being knocked right out of his body. His brain fell into a brief state of total stall!
"Muuu~"
Sakura Airi's face was beet red as she lowered her head. Her hands were pressed against Hikigaya's chest, yet she showed no intention of pushing away.
Seeing this scene, every boy in Class D looked like they wanted to grind their back teeth into powder!!
"Damn it! I want to be hit by a busty beauty too!!
And it was two of them!!
This is so unfair, aaaaaah!!!
Does having good grades mean you can just do whatever you want?"
The crowd erupted into a chorus of wails and howls. Even Teruhiko Yukimura, who was usually obsessed with studying, couldn't help but mutter under his breath: "My grades are clearly better..."
'So why don't any girls like me?'
He was too embarrassed to say the second half out loud. But the word "Envy" was practically carved into his forehead!
"Is this the 'desire' of a normal male?"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained expressionless, murmuring softly: "It seems I also need to study this emotion."
"What a boring farce."
Horikita Suzune was, as always, holding a foreign masterpiece. However, though the literature was usually interesting, she couldn't focus on a single word right now. Instead, an inexplicable sense of irritation bubbled up in her heart!
.
.
.
Afternoon — The remaining subjects were all finished.
"You really saved us this time, Kushida-san!"
"Yeah, if it weren't for the past exam papers Kushida-san gave us in advance, we would have been in real danger."
The Class D crowd swarmed around Kushida Kikyo, expressing their gratitude one after another.
"No, I didn't really do much.
I just spent a few Private Points to buy them from a senpai..."
Kushida Kikyo subtly made sure to highlight her own merit to the group.
"Really?"
"To use your own Private Points to buy them... what a noble spirit!"
"Kushida-san is truly an angel!!"
Predictably, Kushida's performance won the adoration of most of Class D. Only Hikigaya keenly noticed that while she was speaking, her gaze would inadvertently drift toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Just as I thought. The one pulling the strings from behind was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
That guy didn't look like the type to selflessly sacrifice for the collective good. What was his goal in doing this?
Hikigaya couldn't figure it out, and he didn't want to dig too deep into the secret. As long as it didn't affect him, he didn't care what that guy did!
"It's over, it's over, it's over..."
Amidst this atmosphere of laughter and joy, one person was clutching his head, his face filled with regret and panic.
"Sudo, what's wrong with you?"
Yamauchi and the others noticed their friend's abnormal behavior.
"Hey, don't tell me you blew the exam?"
Kanji Ike widened his eyes and shouted accusingly: "Kushida-san went through all that trouble to get us the papers. Don't tell me you couldn't even memorize the answers?"
"I... I didn't want this either...
There was basketball club activity yesterday. Komiya and Kondo from the club admire my skills so much, they kept begging me to teach them three-pointer techniques.
Before I knew it, we played until 7:00 PM. I was too tired when I got back, so I just fell asleep immediately... hee-hee!"
Sudo Ken scratched his head. When talking about basketball, his face still beamed with pride.
"Who cares about your basketball!
You didn't memorize the answers; aren't you dead meat now?"
Haruki Yamauchi's words were harsh, but they were the cold truth.
"It should be fine, right...?
I memorized some of them when I woke up this morning."
Sudo Ken's voice was clearly lacking confidence as he said this.
"Wait, Sudo..."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka spoke up, a rare occurrence. "These people you mentioned, Komiya and Kondo—which class are they in?"
"They're from Class C. They're in the basketball club with me. They're my good bros!" Sudo said, thumping his chest.
'This idiot... He doesn't even know he's been played.'
Hikigaya guessed the truth in an instant!
"..."
Though Ayanokouji's face remained a mask, a shadow of grimness flashed in his eyes. Clearly, he had also realized something was wrong!
However, the exam was over. Even if he wanted to arrange something else, it was too late.
.
.
.
A moment later. Chabashira Sae walked into the classroom, clutching a stack of papers, her high heels clicking on the floor.
"Quiet. I will now announce the results."
She projected the grade sheet onto the screen. The first things to catch the eye were a series of high scores. But except for elite students like Hirata, Horikita, and Yukimura—who truly earned them—everyone else's high scores came from memorizing answers.
Hikigaya hadn't memorized the answers. He scored over 90 in Japanese and Social Studies, and in the 70s for English. This was his normal performance—nothing special to note.
Math: 63 Science: 65
To be honest, these were scores Hikigaya had never achieved before!
"It seems my tutoring didn't go to waste after all." A rare smile appeared on Horikita Suzune's face.
"Thank you, Horikita." Hikigaya thanked her sincerely. In just one month, pulling him from an 11 to a 63— Horikita Suzune deserved massive credit!
"That said, the one who tutored you in science isn't bad either." Horikita's fox-like eyes narrowed slightly.
Specifically, seeing that Hikigaya's science score was higher than his math score gave her the feeling that she had lost to the other person!
"Uh, my science foundation was always a bit better than my math," Hikigaya explained.
"I see!" After hearing that, Horikita nodded with satisfaction.
In terms of tutoring, she won!
'Is this girl's competitive streak really that strong?'
Hikigaya found himself caught between laughter and tears.
Chapter 046 Failed English and Math!
"To be honest, I am surprised.
I didn't expect you all to achieve such high scores."
Chabashira Sae stood with her arms crossed. Though her words sounded like praise, a hint of coldness lingered in her eyes.
"I acknowledge your hard work, but..."
She raised a laser pointer and drew several red lines across the grade sheet on the projection screen.
"Regrettably, Sudo Ken, your grades are below passing."
The moment the words left her mouth, the person in question, Sudo Ken, stood up immediately and shouted, "Are you kidding me?! Why did I fail?!"
'Do you even hear yourself?
Why did you fail? Because your score didn't meet the passing line, obviously!'
Hikigaya's gaze fell on the class average marked on the grade sheet.
"Impossible!"
"I clearly remember the passing line for the last English quiz was 32 points. This time I got a 39!!" Sudo looked indignant.
"Who ever told you the passing line was fixed?"
Chabashira Sae's face twisted into a sneer as she explained, "The passing line for each subject is determined by the class average divided by two."
{Passing Mark} = {Class Average/2}
"The English passing line is 40, and Math is 45... You failed to reach the mark in either subject."
Hearing this, Hikigaya found it to be exactly as he expected.
Usually, passing marks for formal exams are round numbers like 40 or 60. A strange number like 32 clearly wasn't a permanent standard.
Because Class D had obtained the past exam questions in advance, most people memorized the answers and "earned" high scores. As the average rose, the passing line naturally followed suit.
"Though our time together was short, thank you for your hard work, Sudo-kun.
I will give you the withdrawal papers after school."
Chabashira Sae's cold, heartless words left Sudo standing frozen at his desk.
"How could this happen!
Chabashira-sensei, is there really no room for negotiation?"
Yosuke Hirata was the first to panic, his emotions exceptionally volatile.
"Sensei, could you give me Sudo-kun's test papers? I want to check them to see if there were any grading errors," Kushida Kikyo said with a look of pure kindness, attempting a final effort.
"You can, but I advise you not to waste your energy.
He missed English by one point, so perhaps you could find a mistake there. But Sudo's Math score is a full 4 points away from the passing line. The possibility of a reversal is almost zero."
As Chabashira Sae said this, she shot an interested glance at Hikigaya.
She had specifically looked at Hikigaya's math paper. Looking at the steps he took to solve the problems, it was clear they didn't come from a memorized answer key. In other words, he had achieved that 63 on his own merit.
Originally, he had scored an 11. Now he got a 63, which instantly pulled up the class average and, by extension, raised the passing line for Math.
The end result: Sudo Ken failed Math.
Hikigaya noticed Chabashira's gaze and roughly guessed what she was thinking.
'Because I did well in math, Sudo failed and is getting expelled...'
Hikigaya would never accept that kind of "bleeding heart" logic!
Bad at math? Then go study!
Hikigaya's foundation in math was arguably worse than Sudo's. Over the past month, he had crammed for three hours every single day, grinding through countless practice problems.
What was Sudo doing during that time?
He spent every day playing basketball. He couldn't even manage to memorize the answers to the cheat sheet he was given before the exam.
Who else could he blame?
In summary, Hikigaya believed Sudo Ken got exactly what he deserved. He wasn't worth an ounce of sympathy!!
"Today's homeroom is over.
If there are any questions, you can find me on the school rooftop."
Chabashira Sae seemed to intentionally leave an opening—she didn't go to the faculty office, but to the rooftop instead.
Unfortunately, Sudo himself wasn't bright enough to grasp the subtext and just slumped into his seat.
Yamauchi and the others gave him symbolic comfort. Hirata's face was pale, appearing deeply shaken. Kushida pretended to help check the papers, though in reality, she couldn't care less if Sudo stayed or left.
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji made his move, quietly standing up and walking out of the classroom.
Hikigaya gave a casual glance but didn't care.
"Hacchi~ thank you so much for this time."
"Let's hold a victory party!" Hasabe suggested, and Sakura Airi nodded in agreement.
"Well..."
Hikigaya was about to say it wasn't necessary.
But then he thought of Horikita Suzune and Shiina Hiyori, his tutors. They were the true MVPs of his success; he couldn't leave them unrewarded.
"Alright then.
Let's set the time for this weekend. As for the location..."
.
.
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The School Rooftop
Chabashira Sae was leaning against the railing, leisurely smoking a cigarette.
"Well? Do you need something?"
"Sensei, may I ask a question?"
Ayanokouji began his play: "Do you believe that modern Japanese society is equal?"
"That's quite a sudden question."
The corner of Chabashira's mouth quirked up, seemingly aware of his intent. "What meaning is there in me answering that?"
The subtext was: What does this have to do with you?
"It has great meaning. Could you please answer me?" Ayanokouji maintained his usual stone face.
"Based on my personal experience, society is, of course, unequal."
Chabashira Sae turned her back to him and took a deep drag of her cigarette.
"I thought so too. Equality is nothing more than an illusion.
However, we humans are animals capable of thought."
Ayanokouji continued his indirect approach.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Chabashira was growing impatient.
"Any rule or clause should, at the very least, appear equal..."
Ayanokouji stepped forward and opened his phone to show his private points: 62,110.
"Please sell me one point for Sudo's English score and four points for his Math score."
Hearing this, Chabashira Sae couldn't help but laugh. "Hehehe... you really are an interesting fellow. To think you'd try to buy points from a Sensei. Do you think that's reasonable?"
"Didn't the Sensei say on the first day of school?
In this school, anything can be bought with points."
Ayanokouji's words signaled that he, too, had seen through the core of the S-System.
"Interesting. It seems that unlike a certain 'dead-fish-eyed' student who refuses to reveal his name, you, Ayanokouji, actually have some ambition regarding the class."
Chabashira Sae narrowed her eyes, locking onto him.
'A certain dead-fish-eyed student who refuses to reveal his name...'
Wasn't that basically saying the guy's name out loud?
Ayanokouji's heart stirred.
"Your idea is good, but unfortunately, with the points you have on hand, you are far from being able to buy those marks."
"Then how many points is it?"
"100,000 points per mark."
"Chabashira-sensei is making things quite difficult."
"This is the school's rule. Individual strength alone cannot change the current situation. Do you... understand?"
Chabashira Sae looked at him meaningfully.
She wanted to see just how much potential this mysterious student—whose personal records were hidden by the school—actually possessed!
Chapter 047 Sudo Ken's Breakdown
100,000 points per mark. Five marks would be 500,000.
Clearly, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka alone could not afford such a sum. He had no choice but to relay this information to Yosuke Hirata. Upon hearing there was a way to save Sudo, Hirata was overjoyed.
"Everyone, listen to me!
There is a way to keep Sudo-kun in school.
We can buy marks with Private Points to make sure Sudo passes English and Math!" Hirata announced excitedly.
"Really?"
"That's great!"
"How many points will it cost?"
Like a drowning man catching a literal straw, Sudo Ken's eyes lit up.
"Five..." Hirata's lips moved.
"50,000?!
I don't have enough!
But if you guys lend me some, we should be able to scrape it together."
Sudo instinctively turned his gaze toward Yamauchi and the others.
"Uh..."
Yamauchi and his group looked at each other, their faces filled with reluctance. However, for the sake of their "friendship," they felt too awkward to refuse him to his face.
"It's not 50,000..."
"It's 500,000." Hirata looked helpless.
"What?!"
"It takes that much...?!"
Class D immediately erupted into chaos.
Eyes flickered as everyone processed the possibility; one by one, their faces darkened.
Heh~ Everyone gets sharp pretty quickly when it comes to this, Hikigaya thought, taking in the expressions of the crowd.
Even a group of "god-tier" eccentrics would see their IQ spike when their own interests were at stake!
"500,000 is quite a lot..."
"But if we combine the strength of the whole class, and everyone contributes a little over 10,000 points, we can reach it," Hirata suggested earnestly, a proposal that made everyone's face pale.
The Class D classroom instantly fell into a deathly silence.
"Hey... why did everyone stop talking?
Is this class seriously unable to scrape together a measly 500,000 points?!"
The anxious Sudo Ken, overwhelmed by emotion, slammed his fist onto his desk.
Well, great... he successfully increased everyone's resentment toward him!
Seeing the situation turning sour, Hirata quickly tried to soothe him: "Sudo-kun, I know you're anxious, but please don't be. Everyone is trying to think of a way for you..."
"I'm the one getting expelled, not you! It's easy for you to say!"
Sudo snapped at Hirata and then turned his target for help toward Kushida Kikyo: "Kushida, Kushida-san!
You... you'll help me gather them, right?"
'Shit! This dog!'
Kushida cursed Sudo eight hundred times in her head. However, to maintain her "Little Angel" persona, she still had to speak: "Yes, I will do my absolute best to help you..."
"As expected of Kushida-tenshi!"
Sudo was elated and immediately looked at the "bros" he usually hung out with.
"Yamauchi, Ike, and Ayanokouji—how many points do you guys have left? Hand them all over first!"
His intention was to have his best friends set an example to motivate the others. He never expected to hit a wall at this very first step!
"Listen, Sudo, you know how it is. I bought that game console last month; my points were gone ages ago!"
"Yeah! To save points, I've been eating the free mountain vegetable set for two weeks straight!"
"..."
Ayanokouji hadn't even opened his mouth yet.
Sudo Ken started shouting again.
"Are you two even my brothers?
You won't even help during a life-or-death emergency?"
Haruki Yamauchi stiffened his neck and argued back: "I want to help, but how can I give you points I don't have?"
"Then sell your game console!"
"And you, Ike—you bought a mountain of imported chocolates. No girl is going to accept them anyway, so you might as well sell them!"
The fact that Sudo Ken could think of liquidating goods for points was probably the intellectual peak of his entire life!
"I..."
Yamauchi's face flushed red, seemingly surprised by that logic.
"By... by what right?
Why should we sacrifice our things to save you?"
Kanji Ike had his embarrassing secret of "buying chocolates to woo girls" exposed to his face, and he instantly became flyblown with shame and anger.
"What did you say!"
Sudo Ken's eyes widened, glaring at him intensely.
Seeing that Sudo was resorting to physical threats because he couldn't get the points, the disgust on the faces of the Class D students grew even stronger!
However, because Sudo was on the verge of a rampage, most only dared to be angry in silence.
"I really can't watch this...
Red-haired boy, the way you're barking and whining here is truly hideous."
Koenji Rokusuke didn't fear the fuming Sudo at all, provoking him recklessly: "Just you being here makes even the air less beautiful. Just get expelled already!!"
"Koenji, I'll **** your mother!!!"
Sudo Ken flew into a rage and lunged at him without a second thought.
"Stop!"
"Sudo, if you use your hands now, it's all over!!"
Hirata grabbed him from behind, still refusing to give up on verbal persuasion.
"Let go of me!!
Watch out or I'll beat you too!!!"
Sudo struggled frantically.
Despite Hirata's strength, he couldn't completely suppress Sudo's movements due to the difference in their builds. Sudo's limbs flailed wildly, knocking books and stationery off the surrounding desks.
Unfortunately, Sakura Airi's seat was nearby. She was nearly hit by his arm and scrambled to dodge in a panic.
BAM!
Hikigaya suddenly moved. Without a single wasted word, he landed a direct punch to Sudo's face!
"You motherf— pffft!"
After taking a punch, Sudo instinctively started to curse, only to be met with a second.
BAM!
"You— pffft!"
Hikigaya delivered three quick punches right out of the gate, leaving Sudo's head ringing!
"Hikigaya-kun, please don't use violence!!"
'When you say that, shouldn't you look in a mirror first?'
Hikigaya gave Hirata a strange look. He saw veins popping on Hirata's forehead, a flash of ferocity appearing on his handsome face.
"This isn't violence; it's using force to stop conflict."
Hikigaya stated his stance, continuing: "There are some people you just can't talk sense into. You have to beat them first."
"Damn you, Hikigaya... I'll settle this score with you sooner or later!"
Sudo had calmed down slightly, but his mouth remained stubborn.
"Don't worry about 'sooner or later.' You're being expelled right now.
By the way, with your academic standing, I doubt any high school would be willing to take you in.
You'll have to go to a vocational school. You can get into fights every day there; wouldn't that be great?"
As they say: a lie isn't scary, but the truth is a sharp blade!
Hikigaya's words pierced Sudo's heart, and Sudo's mental defenses crumbled instantly.
And then... he cried!
"Waaaah~ I don't want to go to a vocational school...
I won't go, not even if it kills me!!"
The emotionally broken Sudo Ken began to spill the story of his miserable life. The content involved him being born in a vocational school restroom, his mother running away, and his father ignoring him—which was why he hated such schools so much.
Originally, with Sudo's middle school grades, no high school would have accepted him if it weren't for the invitation from Advanced Nurturing High School...
Hikigaya listened in silence, feeling speechless.
One could only say: "a pitiful person must have a hateful side."
He didn't want to be expelled, yet he wouldn't study.
He was begging for help, yet he couldn't stop being aggressive.
Who could he blame for the result he faced today?
Chapter 048 Hikigaya's Demonic Whisper
Sudo Ken's self-exposure elicited a small amount of pity from the students of Class D.
But only a small amount.
After all, his previous behavior had been utterly loathsome. It was difficult for anyone to genuinely want to save him.
"Hikigaya, do you... have some kind of method?
One that can prevent Sudo from being expelled?"
Hirata Yosuke suddenly turned his hopeful gaze toward him.
Hikigaya was momentarily stunned and instinctively countered, "Why would you think that?"
"No reason, just a personal hunch. I just feel like you're very smart, Hikigaya..."
Hirata gave an awkward smile before shifting the tone: "… and you didn't seem to deny that you have a way."
"Hirata, what are you talking about?
How could this guy possibly..."
Haruki Yamauchi instinctively began to belittle him.
"There is a way."
Hikigaya nodded, not denying it.
"Really?!"
Hirata's eyes instantly lit up. Even Sudo Ken, who was crouching on the floor sobbing, immediately stopped crying and looked up.
"Isn't the method very simple?
As long as everyone agrees to pool their private points."
Hikigaya was brief and to the point.
"Isn't that just nonsense?
We already said we can't scrape together 500,000!"
Kanji Ike argued righteously.
"I'm not talking about the 500,000. I'm talking about the fact that everyone agrees to pool them."
Hikigaya narrowed his dead-fish eyes and said meaningfully, "As long as everyone in Class D agrees, I have a way to persuade Chabashira-sensei to lower the price for buying marks."
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. They looked at Hikigaya in disbelief.
There's a move like that?
"Hikigaya, do you really have a way to persuade Chabashira-sensei?"
Like a drowning man seeing a life raft, a spark of hope ignited in Sudo Ken's dim eyes.
"Of course I do. The prerequisite is that you can convince the entire class."
Hikigaya glanced at the latter expressionlessly.
"Everyone, please help Sudo!"
Hirata bowed to the crowd, keeping his posture very low.
Kushida Kikyo suppressed the disgust in her heart and said with a gentle face, "I don't want to see Sudo-kun get expelled."
"Well..."
"Since Hirata said so, I agree."
"We'll listen to Kushida."
Anyone with eyes could see that most people were only agreeing due to the combined prestige of Hirata and Kushida.
This was not the result Hikigaya wanted!
"Koenji, everyone else has agreed. You wouldn't happen to have an objection, would you?"
Hikigaya suddenly aimed his spearhead at the blonde young master sitting on the sidelines.
"Haha!"
"Fish-eye boy, I don't know what you're planning. But I am who I am, and I hate ugly things!!"
Koenji Rokusuke carelessly toyed with his nail clippers, making his uncooperative attitude crystal clear.
"You...!"
Sudo Ken was instantly enraged, instinctively clenching his fists. But remembering Hikigaya's heart-piercing words from earlier, he held back. He lowered his head, agonizing over what to do.
Hikigaya took the opportunity to remind him: "Sudo, if you're asking for a favor, you should have the attitude of someone asking for a favor... How about starting with a dogeza?"
"Okay... wait, what?
What did you say?!"
Sudo Ken looked at Hikigaya in total shock.
"According to Japanese tradition, kneeling isn't exactly something unacceptable, is it?"
Hikigaya spoke light-heartedly, uttering words that made people's skin crawl: "As long as you kneel and dogeza to every single person in this class, I think everyone will agree, right?"
Koenji Rokusuke stopped fiddling with his nail clippers. He shot Hikigaya a surprised look, and after a brief moment of reflection, he burst into a fit of clapping and laughter: "Hahahaha! Interesting! Truly interesting!
Fish-eye boy, so this was your plan from the very beginning...
Very well! I accept. As long as the red-haired boy kneels to me, I agree."
Hearing this, Sudo Ken trembled with rage, his hands tightly balled into fists.
People around him instinctively backed away, fearing he would suddenly snap and go on a rampage.
Just as Sudo's face was shifting between light and shadow, and his heart was locked in a fierce internal struggle.
"Sudo, you don't want to get expelled and end up in a vocational school, do you?
Ah~ who knows, you might even get to contribute to Japan's declining birthrate in a restroom there..."
Hikigaya's demonic whisper completely shattered Sudo Ken's psychological defenses.
Thud! He dropped to both knees, his head hitting the floor with a heavy sound.
"Koenji, I beg you!!!"
The words were powerful and resonant.
"Though you're still ugly, as the saying goes, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. This time, I'll consider you passed."
Koenji Rokusuke raised an eyebrow, the contempt in his eyes toward Sudo fading slightly.
Next, Sudo Ken knelt and kowtowed to every person in the class one by one.
"Well~ there was no need to go that far..."
Seeing the tall and imposing Sudo Ken kneeling before her, Karuizawa Kei breathed a sigh of relief. The fear of "violence" hidden deep in her heart was slightly alleviated.
'Taming a violent person...'
Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but steal a glance toward Hikigaya.
"I really dislike you, but for the sake of this determination, I'll agree."
Horikita Suzune's cold face showed a hint of emotion.
"I-I'll listen to Hikigaya-kun..."
Sakura Airi was still a bit afraid of Sudo and instinctively grabbed Hikigaya's hand.
"Same here."
Haruka Hasabe avoided Sudo's dogeza, having absolutely no interest in the latter.
"..."
Sudo Ken went silent for a moment before dogeza to Hikigaya three times in a row.
Seeing this, a micro-expression flickered across Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's mask-like face. He was now starting to suspect whether Hikigaya was someone from the "White Room."
Just like that, Sudo Ken made a full lap, kneeling to everyone in Class D!
Through this act of kneeling, the class's resentment toward Sudo Ken basically vanished into thin air. They were classmates, after all, and there was no deep-seated blood feud. If someone goes as far as kneeling and dogeza, what is there left to be angry about?
Conversely, the way the crowd looked at Hikigaya was now filled with a genuine sense of dread!
'This guy is a monster, isn't he?'
"Hikigaya, is this enough?"
Hirata looked at him with a complex expression. Given his "nice guy" way of doing things, he clearly couldn't understand Hikigaya's cruel methods.
"Yeah, in that case. Leave the rest to me."
Hikigaya got up and left the Class D classroom to negotiate with Chabashira Sae.
Sudo Ken waited with bated breath.
After only ten minutes, Chabashira Sae returned and announced that Class D only needed to pool 200,000 private points to prevent Sudo Ken's expulsion.
The price had dropped from 500,000 to 200,000—a 60% discount!
Spread across everyone in Class D, they only needed to contribute 5,000 points each to reach the total.
Although there were still some faint murmurs of complaint, considering Sudo's dogeza just now, it wasn't unacceptable.
"Congratulations, Sudo-kun. You have successfully passed the exam."
Chabashira Sae manually altered the grade sheet on the spot, raising Sudo's English and Math scores above the passing line.
"I... I don't have to leave?!"
Sudo Ken burst into tears of joy; his kneeling hadn't been in vain!
"Hikigaya, how on earth did you do it?"
Horikita asked curiously. The people around them also pricked up their ears.
049 Ryuen Kakeru's Calculation
"Hikigaya, how on earth did you do it?"
Horikita Suzune's question was exactly what everyone in Class D was curious about. Haggling down from 500,000 to 200,000—that was some incredible bargaining!
"It's simple: an installment plan.
Sudo will bear the remaining 300,000 points himself.
For every month moving forward, Sudo must pay back 10,000 points... or contribute an equivalent amount of class points."
Hikigaya explained nonchalantly.
Sudo Ken breathed a sigh of relief. As a regular member of the basketball club, he received 8,000 Private Points a month. As long as the class points weren't zero, he should be able to scrape together 10,000 points with whatever the class was issued... As for food and expenses, the school provided free sets anyway. As long as he didn't starve, it was fine.
"Installment plan?"
"There's actually a move like that?"
The crowd was dumbfounded.
"Wait a minute?
You're actually making Sudo pay this debt himself?" Yamauchi Haruki's eyes widened.
"Otherwise?
Shouldn't he take responsibility for the mistakes he caused himself?" Hikigaya countered.
"What gives?
When you said you'd help Sudo earlier, I thought you were going to front the 300,000 yourself!" Ike Kanji said sarcastically.
"Heh! I think you're still dreaming."
Hikigaya let out a cold laugh. He had the points, but why on earth should he be the one to pay?
He wasn't Sudo's father!
"Then you didn't help at all, did you? What's so great about that..."
"Yamauchi, you can't say that! If Hikigaya hadn't taken the initiative to negotiate with Chabashira-sensei, we wouldn't have this result. Negotiating is a major contribution!" Hirata Yosuke righteously rebuked Yamauchi's comment.
Chabashira Sae watched the scene with interest. This wasn't something achieved through negotiation alone!
Hikigaya had to act as a guarantor for Sudo's loan. If Sudo couldn't repay the debt, the former would have to pay it himself. Furthermore, Hikigaya had paid her an extra 20,000 points as "hush money" regarding the specific details of the negotiation.
What was this? Doing a good deed without leaving a name?
But when she thought about how he forced Sudo to kneel to the entire class... could you really call this guy a "good person"?
Chabashira Sae finally understood the evaluation her old classmate gave Hikigaya: A brat with a kind heart but a twisted personality.
Earlier, she had contacted an old classmate teaching in Chiba and surprisingly discovered that the school Hikigaya attended in middle school was the same class her classmate taught! Talk about a coincidence.
Taking that opportunity, Chabashira Sae scouted quite a bit of personal information about Hikigaya. After understanding his character, she was even more certain: Hikigaya was definitely Class D's hidden ace!
"Regardless, Hikigaya.
I owe you one for this.
Thank you..." Sudo Ken bowed solemnly to Hikigaya.
"..."
Hikigaya's expression was odd. This guy took three punches from him and was forced to kneel, yet now he was thanking him?
"Don't thank me. Even without me, you probably wouldn't have been expelled anyway."
Hikigaya said it as if it were an afterthought.
Sudo Ken was stunned for a moment, then gave a goofy smile. "You're way too humble, man."
It's not humility.
Hikigaya shook his head but didn't explain.
"Hey~ do you think that counts as being 'tsundere'?
The 'cold on the outside, warm on the inside' type?"
"Looking closely, Hikigaya actually looks alright."
"Except the eyes are a bit... errrr."
Within Karuizawa Kei's circle of girls, the evaluation of Hikigaya rose slightly.
"Wouldn't have been expelled... I see. So he saw through that too."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained expressionless.
Class C
"Don't worry, Ryuen-kun."
"We did exactly as you ordered. We kept Sudo tied up all day yesterday.
We played ball for five whole hours!"
"With that kind of high-intensity exercise, there's no way he had the energy left to memorize books."
"He probably collapsed and fell asleep the second he got back to the dorm, haha!"
Komiya and Kondo were both members of the basketball club—the "good bros who admired his skills" that Sudo had mentioned.
"It seems the plan went smoothly."
"There's no way those idiots in Class D could gather enough points to buy marks for Sudo."
Ryuen Kakeru's eyes were sharp, and a mocking smirk curled on his lips.
"I say, Boss, is it really necessary for us to spend so many points to protect that Sudo guy?" Ishizaki Daichi asked, puzzled.
"That big idiot's athletic ability isn't much different from Albert's."
"If used properly, he'll make an excellent pawn!" Ryuen sneered.
He intended to step in and fish Sudo out at his moment of absolute despair, making it natural for the dog to submit to him!
"BOSS, do you need me to make a move?"
"There are a few guys with decent skills in Class A and Class B." Albert was cracking his knuckles.
"No!"
"Our class points are too high. Dragging everyone down together would just be a lose-lose situation."
Ryuen frowned, suddenly feeling a sense of annoyance.
On the second day of school, he had bought information about the S-System from a certain bastard merchant. Ryuen had strictly regulated the behavior of everyone in Class C, ultimately achieving the highest record for a Class C in the school's history: 810 points!
This score wasn't far behind Class A and Class B. It was difficult for Ryuen to use harassment tactics to drag the other two classes down because the reality was that A, B, and C were all on the shore; the only one underwater was Class D.
"Ryuen, I've got the Class D grade sheet you wanted." Sakagami Kazuma printed a copy of the Class D results at his request.
Ryuen took it and frowned deeply. "Everyone passed? How is this possible!"
Specifically, regarding Sudo Ken's grades, two subjects sat exactly on the passing line—it was hard to believe that was a coincidence.
"Half an hour ago, Class D submitted an application to buy marks," Sakagami said grimly.
"That... how is that possible?"
"Sudo clearly told us he didn't get along well with the people in Class D."
"He was always fighting and offending people. Why would Class D agree to pool points for him?" Komiya and Kondo, acting as scouts, had long since figured out Sudo's social standing.
"In other words, someone unified Class D?"
Ryuen narrowed his eyes, immediately grasping the key point.
"Who? Hirata or Kushida?" Ishizaki immediately thought of the two representative figures of Class D. The handsome boy and the beautiful girl were friendly and quite famous throughout the grade.
"Hmph! A goody-two-shoes and a bitch..." Ryuen had some understanding of those two as well.
But based on intuition, he felt that the person dominating Class D from behind was someone else entirely.
"I suppose I underestimated those Class D failures."
Ryuen appeared rough on the outside, but he was actually meticulous. While he aimed to push upward against Class A and B, he wouldn't give up on suppressing the lower-ranked Class D.
"By the way, I heard Ibuki is quite close with someone from Class D.
How about letting her spy on them for some intel?" Ishizaki had a clever spark of inspiration.
050 Victory Party, Five Girls and One Boy
Dorm Room 404.
"I'm not against a victory party, but why does it have to be in my room?" Hikigaya said, looking utterly speechless.
Currently entering the room were Horikita Suzune, Sakura Airi, Hasabe Haruka, Ibuki Mio, and Shiina Hiyori. How should he put this...? It just so happened to be entirely girls. Anyone who didn't know better would think Hikigaya was building a harem!
"You don't even know how to host guests. Forget it...I'll make the tea."
Suzune Horikita was the only guest present wearing slippers. She walked naturally to the kitchen to boil water and prepare the tea. This caused the eyes of the other girls to widen in surprise!
"Ahem~Horikita used to come over every night to tutor me in math. So, I prepared a specific pair of slippers for her," Hikigaya explained earnestly.
"Hmph, prepare a pair for me next time too!" Ibuki Mio kicked off her sneakers and stepped on Hikigaya's foot with her sock-covered foot.
"Every? Night?
No wonder Horikita-san is so familiar with the place... she's almost like the lady of the house!" Hasabe Haruka teased with narrowed eyes and a meaningful tone.
"Haruka, stop joking around." Sakura Airi pulled her hand to sit down, her eyes curiously scanning the room.
"Hikigaya-kun, may I look at the books in your room?"
"Uh, help yourself..."
Even though it was Hiyori Shiina's first time there, she wasn't shy at all. In fact, she was quite familiar, picking up a book and sitting directly on Hikigaya's bed to read.
"..." Haruka Hasabe was startled. She thought to herself that none of these girls were pushovers! She had to do her best to help Airi!!
"Speaking of which, the reason Airi and I were able to pass the exam smoothly is all thanks to Hachi's careful tutoring~"
Hachi? The exceptionally intimate nickname drew the attention of all the girls in the room.
"It was nothing... just a small effort," Hikigaya said dismissively.
"It might be a small effort for Hcchi, but for Airi and me, it saved us from expulsion.
Let me think, how should I thank you properly?" Haruka Hasabe rested her chin on her fingers, feigning deep thought.
"How about... another friendship hug?"
"Wait, Haruka... didn't you already hug him earlier?" Sakura Airi reminded her in a small, blushing voice.
'Nice, Airi! Great coordination!'
Hasabe Haruka secretly gave a thumbs-up and continued her teasing: "Aww~ just once isn't enough, is it? As dear friends, we should hug more often~~"
As she spoke, she opened her arms, making a move as if to embrace Hikigaya.
"Hey! I said that's enough, you. Can't you see Hikigaya is troubled?" Ibuki Mio blocked Haruka's path.
"Oh? Is Hachi troubled?" As Hasabe Haruka spoke, she pulled Airi Sakura to her side. There was no need for extra flirting or ambiguity. Just by standing there with their heads held high and chests out, the two of them were enough to look down upon the rest!
"De-despicable!" Ibuki Mio's face turned red with anger. She turned to look at Hikigaya and noticed that even though he had turned his face away, his eyes were uncontrollably drifting back in their direction.
"Hikigaya, look at me!" Ibuki Mio cupped his face with both hands and forcibly moved it back toward her. "Don't forget! I'm the one who introduced Hiyori to you."
'Introducing a man to your best friend? What kind of crazy move is that?' Haruka was stunned. Sakura Airi shot her a subtle, unreadable look.
"The black tea is getting cold." Horikita Suzune picked up a teacup and took an elegant sip.
"Thank you, Horikita-san." Shiina Hiyori seemed completely unaffected by the girls' war of words, quietly reading her book.
As a fellow book lover, Horikita Suzune couldn't help but strike up a conversation: "It's nothing. By the way, Shiina-san, what kind of books do you usually like to read?"
"I like mystery novels and some classical literature."
"I prefer philosophy and some foreign masterpieces."
Their interests overlapped to an extent, and they surprisingly hit it off quite well. During the victory party, everyone drank tea, chatted, and ate snacks; it could actually be described as a harmonious atmosphere.
However, with a group of five girls and one boy, the conversation inevitably focused on Hikigaya.
"Hey~ Hachi~~ What type of girl do you like?" Hasabe Haruka cupped her cheeks with both hands and playfully dropped a bombshell.
"!!!" The girls in the room stared at Hikigaya in unison. The atmosphere suddenly felt frozen.
"Liking... is a subjective emotional consciousness.
However, subjective emotions are vague and blurry things.
What 'type' of girl I like is, in itself, a 'pseudo-thing'.
Rather, the type of girl I end up liking is the type I like.
What I pursue is the 'genuine-thing'... uh!"
'Not good!' I accidentally started long-winded philosophizing again! Hikigaya's mouth twitched awkwardly.
"That, uh, I was just talking nonsense."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
W-what? Why is everyone silent? Hikigaya was momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Clack!
"Sorry, I just remembered I have something to do. Please excuse me..."
Hasabe Haruka suddenly stood up and ran out of the room as if escaping.
"Eh? Haruka??"
Sakura Airi's eyes widened. She bowed slightly to the others and then chased after her.
"Uh, did I say something wrong?" Hikigaya scratched his head, looking bewildered.
"Hikigaya, you... it's better to say words like that less often." Horikita Suzune looked at him with a complex gaze.
"I understand now." Shiina Hiyori closed her book.
"???" Ibuki Mio looked confused the entire time.
'No, what exactly are you guys talking about? I don't understand, aaaaah!!'
"No-go, Ibuki. For you right now, this level is still too high.
It's better not to dive too deep for the time being." Shiina Hiyori gave a gentle smile and reached out to pat Ibuki's head.
"W-what? Don't treat me like an idiot...
I-I understand it too, okay!" Ibuki feigned composure.
"Yes, yes~
It's getting late, let's head back first." Shiina Hiyori pulled her hand to leave together, not forgetting to offer a blessing before she left: "Goodnight, Hikigaya-kun. Have sweet dreams~~"
"Horikita, aren't you leaving?" Hikigaya's expression was wooden.
"I'll leave after I clean up." Horikita Suzune tidied up the tea sets and snacks, and finally packed up all the trash in the room to take with her.
Everything seemed so natural.
Around the corner, Hasabe Haruka was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, her chest heaving. Through the reflection in the glass window, she saw a beautiful face and a stunning figure—almost exactly the type all men like!
But she knew very well that those people liked "beauty + figure," not " Hasabe Haruka" If it were anyone else with the same look, they would like them too... which was the "pseudo-thing" Hikigaya spoke of.
Hasabe Haruka placed her hand over her pounding heart, a strange daze flashing in her eyes as she murmured to herself: "The real thing... does it truly exist?"