Special Building, 5th Floor. Room [5-4].
It seemed there were plenty of empty classrooms—perhaps Commander Horikita Manabu wanted to minimize the impact of Hikigaya fleecing the school. There was no one on this floor, and no clubs were visible. The stairs were right next door. Hikigaya Hachiman arrived outside the classroom and took out a key to open the door. He had gotten it from the Student Council office at noon. Although the club wasn't officially established yet, the room could still be used—as long as he recruited two people by the end of April; otherwise, it would be reclaimed. This system seemed to give club founders time to prepare.
Additionally, clubs in this school didn't require a teacher as an advisor; everything was up to the students. But if needed, the school could provide coaches, nutritionists, team doctors, club managers, and so on. It was inhumanly wealthy!
He had finally truly understood this school. Most things were handled by students, with plenty of support provided. It was essentially simulating a small-scale society. Classes were like competing companies. It was absolute meritocracy. The purpose of establishing this school was likely to train students into elite corporate drones!
"How terrifying." Hikigaya walked into the classroom with a helpless sigh. He was being forced to experience life as a corporate drone before even becoming an adult; Japan really was a cruel country. How excessive!
But on the other hand, if your ability was sufficient, life at this school would likely be very comfortable. For a weakling like him, he had some self-awareness; he'd just do what he could and coast along. Slacking off at work was an essential skill for becoming an excellent corporate drone! Fortunately, his "President Ichinose" didn't seem like a black-hearted entrepreneur; she probably wouldn't fire employees randomly. Then he could slack off to his heart's content! If he could reach Class A like this and get the chance for free career choice, nothing would be happier than getting something for nothing! Being placed in Class B was simply too great! Hikigaya was full of expectations for his future life.
Inside the classroom, it was empty, with a few tables and chairs piled in the back. Other equipment would need to be requested from the school based on club activities, but generally, anything related to club activities would be approved. If the proposal is written well, the boss's praise will surely follow! However, any equipment—such as computers or game consoles—was strictly forbidden from being taken off campus.
Hikigaya moved the tables and chairs to the center of the room. To him, whether the "Wool-Pulling Club" was established didn't matter. There was no difference between being in the dorm or at school. It would just slightly improve his living conditions. He could get free nutritious meals, and if he didn't mind leftovers, he could even get all three meals for free, plus free computers, handhelds, and other entertainment gadgets. These were all within the scope of the club's activities. But they were all somewhat trivial.
Therefore, regarding finding people to join the club, he didn't care much. He'd let nature take its course; after all, the club already had two people now—he had to thank "Hero Kanzaki" for that. Besides, if the club were established, the Student Council seemed to perform random inspections; if one was frequently absent, the club might be canceled.
After tidying everything up, Hikigaya leaned back in his chair. He didn't regret what he did yesterday; if anything, it made him feel lighter inside.
"Knock, knock, knock." Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Hikigaya looked up in surprise. "Please come in!"
It seems...
Even in a top national institution with so many elite individuals, there are still many who, like him, want to slack off. Who wouldn't love a "Wool-Pulling" (Value-Extraction) Club?
As the classroom door opened, "Hero" Kanzaki and... Little Kuroko? appeared before his eyes.
"Are you for real?"
Himeno Yuki was a bit speechless; she hadn't expected Kanzaki to actually find him.
On the other side, Hikigaya Hachiman was even more surprised.
Why were they here? Could it be that "Hero" Kanzaki already had the awareness of being an official member of the Wool-Pulling Club and was proactively helping him recruit people? As expected of Hero Kanzaki!
"Have a seat."
Hikigaya moved chairs for the two, placing them on either side of the square table, and then excitedly rummaged through his backpack for application forms. He hadn't expected that the requirement for three official members would be met so easily. In his eyes, no one could refuse the temptation of "pulling wool" (getting something for nothing).
"Um..."
Hikigaya handed the application form to "Little Kuroko." He couldn't quite remember her name, so he quickly changed his tune: "The club has no real requirements. It's fine even if you don't show up usually."
Better if you don't come at all!
Hikigaya hinted frantically. Kanzaki clearly wasn't the type to actually attend club activities; he was just a ghost member. This way, Hikigaya could monopolize the club funds meant for three people and buy the things he wanted! Of course, sharing the funds for one person wouldn't be out of the question.
"???"
Himeno Yuki took the application form, her head full of question marks.
"Uh, Hikigaya-kun, I didn't bring her here to join the club," Kanzaki quickly explained from the side. "We came because we wanted to ask about Ichinose."
"What? You made me get excited for nothing." Hearing this, Hikigaya was somewhat speechless. This made Kanzaki freeze for a moment, beginning to understand what Himeno Yuki meant by him being "natural."
It felt like Hikigaya had become more direct. In fact, since laying his cards on the table with Ichinose, he had decided to stop caring about anyone else's feelings and just be his true self. On the other side, Himeno Yuki's eyes widened.
This direct?
"Talk about Ichinose?" Hikigaya asked doubtfully, "But I don't have much of a relationship with her. I probably don't know her as well as you guys do."
"That should be the case," Kanzaki nodded, not minding the comment. "It's just that we felt Ichinose seemed a bit depressed today. Do you have any thoughts? Or rather, what did you say to her after we parted yesterday?"
"I see..." Hikigaya muttered to himself. If that was the case, it likely did have something to do with him. He just hadn't expected that Ichinose wouldn't tell the others about those things and would instead endure it alone. If it was to protect his reputation within the class...
Although it might be a bit narcissistic, there was likely only that one explanation. She really was a kind and strong person.
"It seems you do know something." Kanzaki's expression became serious, and Himeno Yuki beside him also cast a scrutinizing gaze. If they had to choose between him and Ichinose, they would undoubtedly stand by Ichinose's side.
"Well, I suppose so." Having already decided to show his hand, Hikigaya no longer intended to put on any act. He took a deep breath and recounted the conversation he had with Ichinose yesterday.
"If it's just because of sympathy that she's being nice to me, I'd rather not have it," Hikigaya said in a low voice, staring at the table. He had already prepared himself to be scolded by Kanzaki and "that person" (Himeno); this was a price he had to pay.
"I see, so you told Ichinose those things. No wonder she's so depressed today." Kanzaki's expression was complex. After a moment of hesitation, he lowered his head and apologized: "Sorry, it was indeed a lack of consideration on our part that hurt you."
"Eh?" Hikigaya looked up slightly, never expecting the other party to be the first to apologize. Himeno Yuki, who was originally preparing to berate him, was also stunned. Shouldn't they be giving him a piece of their minds right now?
"However," Kanzaki's tone shifted as he looked up with a stern gaze: "Hikigaya-kun, you should realize that whether it was out of sympathy or any other reason, Ichinose absolutely did not intend to hurt you!"
That was true. Whether it was sympathy or pity, Ichinose definitely didn't mean to cause him harm.
"Um... I know." Hikigaya nodded and took a deep breath. "Don't worry, I'll handle it properly." While Ichinose didn't intend to hurt him, his words had undoubtedly hurt her, leading to her depression. Since he caused the problem, he had to be the one to solve it.