Chapter 015 Nagumo: You Guy, You're Simply a Devil!
As Hachiman crossed the playground, he could feel gazes flooding in from all directions.
It wasn't because of him. At least, not entirely.
The aftershocks of Ryuen Kakeru leading Class C off the field were still vibrating in the air; the eyes of over three hundred people were still following that direction, and whispers rose and fell like the tide. Meanwhile, he was walking in the opposite direction of that tide—from the first-year area toward the second-years, and then toward the third-years.
He walked neither fast nor slow, his pace steady, his expression unchanging.
Ichinose Honami, as his assistant, followed half a step behind him as usual. A few strands of her strawberry-blonde hair fluttered in the wind, making her look as refreshing as a spring breeze. On Hachiman's other side walked Ryuji Kanzaki—the other Class B Vice Representative from the original story; his gaze swept over the surrounding stares, his expression composed and devoid of emotion. The three of them crossed the playground, passed the second-year area, and came to a halt at the boundary between the third and second years.
In the upperclassmen area, people were already waiting.
Standing at the front of the Second Year Class A queue was Nagumo Miyabi, hands in his pockets, his short blond hair shimmering in the sunlight.
His expression remained that nonchalant look, a faint smile hanging on the corners of his mouth, but the light in his eyes was a few degrees sharper than usual. Presumably, Ryuen had annoyed him. Standing beside him was a girl with long orange hair draped over her shoulders, a sunflower-shaped clip pinned in her hair, which made her beautiful face look a bit more lively and energetic. As Hachiman looked at her, she was also tilting her head, her gaze landing on the approaching Hachiman with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Asahina Nazuna.
Hachiman recognized her at a glance. Nagumo Miyabi's childhood friend—the one who, in the original story, developed feelings for Ayanokouji because he picked up her lucky charm, and who eventually leaked some of Nagumo's intel. Her gaze lingered on his face for a second before shifting slightly, as if she were sizing something up.
At the front of the Second Year Class C queue stood a tall male student. Hachiman had seen him before; this person was a member of the Student Council's discipline committee, the type of character who slacked off. Hachiman remembered his name was Nanpi Tohru. At the moment, Nanpi was standing with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Hachiman with a serious expression, though his eyes held a trace of curiosity. Even though he was a senpai, he was quite interested in this first-year kouhai.
And at the front of the Third Year Class A queue stood Horikita Manabu, posture upright and expressionless. Tachibana Akane stood half a step behind him. Even though this wasn't the Student Council and they were classmates, one could still feel the hierarchy of superior and subordinate in their positioning.
At the front of the Third Year Class C queue stood a thin, tall male student. He wore silver-rimmed glasses and his hair was combed neatly. He looked clean and efficient, the type who did things meticulously. His expression was calm, but his eyes flickered slightly when they landed on Hachiman.
Ninomiya Kuranosuke. Hachiman confirmed the name in his mind. The Class Representative for Third Year Class C. He had seen this name in the Student Council files before, but today was the first time meeting him in person.
Hachiman thus came to a stop, standing before the several upperclassmen representatives.
As Ichinose and Kanzaki settled behind him, the three of them formed a modest triangle.
On the playground, the distant sounds of discussion continued, but in this upperclassmen area, it was as quiet as another world.
"While I basically know your information," Hachiman spoke up proactively, "I should still introduce myself."
He raised his hand and pointed to himself.
"I am Hikigaya Hachiman from First Year Class A. I currently serve as the Vice President of the Student Council and am also the Class Representative for First Year Class A."
His gaze swept over everyone present, pausing for a second on Nagumo Miyabi and a second on Horikita Manabu before pulling back.
"Regarding the matter with Class C," Hachiman continued, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of regret, "I feel it is a pity. However, since things have turned out this way, we can only do our best to ensure the Red Team's victory."
When he said "do our best," his tone was very light, but every word was articulated clearly.
The playground fell silent for a moment.
Nagumo Miyabi leaned against the railing at the front of the queue, hands still in his pockets. The smile on his lips didn't change, but the light in his eyes flickered slightly. He looked at this "wicked" first-year kouhai in black-rimmed glasses, his mind quickly calculating.
"So," Hachiman's gaze fell on Nagumo, "can it be done? Nagumo-senpai?"
Nagumo Miyabi was stunned for a moment.
But with his intelligence, he understood what Hikigaya was asking.
Hikigaya knew he had unified all of the second year except for Class B. Second Year Class C and Class D were both under his control. He could make Class C go all out, and he could also make Class D—the Class D on the White Team—throw the games and take fewer points.
So, he was actually capable of macro-management.
And this was in the interest of the Red Team. Second Year Class A was on the Red Team, and Second Year Class C was also on the Red Team. If he could reduce the score of Second Year Class D on the White Team, the Red Team's total score would relatively increase. Even if First Year Class C was dead weight, even if that bastard Ryuen really took his whole class to slack off, the Red Team still had a chance to win.
Nagumo Miyabi stared at Hachiman for two seconds.
Because this kouhai was even more direct than he had imagined. He didn't beat around the bush or play word games; he laid the chips on the table right from the start—can you do it?
Could he do it?
Of course he could. The representative for Second Year Class D was his man; with one word, he could have the other party manipulate the participation list. By arranging the strongest students for the hardest events to score in and the weakest students for key events, the rankings would naturally drop. There was no need for blatant throwing; it just required "reasonable arrangement."
He was even capable of producing the participation lists for three classes single-handedly.
But the question was—why should he do it?
Nagumo's mind spun quickly. Helping the Red Team was helping himself. Second Year Class A was on the Red Team; if the Red Team won, his class would gain 200 points. Those 200 points would be enough to widen the gap between Second Year Class A and Class B even further. He had already established an absolute advantage in the second year, and if he took these 200 points, Second Year Class B would lose all hope of a comeback.
Especially since Kiriyama had supported Sakayanagi in attacking him during the first-year off-campus exam, he had to suppress Kiriyama's arrogance further.
Looking at it this way... he really had to help.
So, Hikigaya-kun had likely anticipated this point. That's why he asked so directly—"can it be done?"
It wasn't a request, nor a negotiation; it was a confirmation.
'Damn.'
Nagumo was suddenly starting to doubt whether the recording of him and Ryuen that Sakayanagi produced last semester was really obtained by Sakayanagi from Ryuen's side.
Because just now, Hikigaya and Ryuen clearly had quite a tacit understanding.
Therefore, he suddenly felt: could this have been a trap set for him that far back?
Was it to show Second Year Class B's determination to continue climbing through that point, and then, in a grand-scale situation like this, force him to suppress Second Year Class B, effectively becoming Hikigaya's free laborer?
But thinking that far was too terrifying.
Nagumo quickly shook that scary thought away.
"I will naturally work hard to ensure Second Year Class A keeps up with all its strength," Nagumo added quickly.
Nagumo didn't mention Second Year Class D. He didn't mention "arrangements," he didn't mention "throwing," he didn't mention any specific operations. But Hachiman understood.
Nagumo had actually agreed.
Hachiman nodded and said no more.
He shifted his gaze from Nagumo Miyabi toward the third years.
Horikita Manabu stood there, upright and expressionless. He hadn't said a word from beginning to end, just quietly watching Hachiman walk over, quietly listening to the conversation between him and Nagumo, and quietly waiting for his turn.
"Regarding the third years," Hachiman spoke, "does President Horikita have any arrangements?"
Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses and said in a calm tone, "Although it is a group format, I believe that as long as all classes do their best, we will accept the results regardless of what they are."
Eh?
The playground fell silent for a moment.
Leaning against the railing, Nagumo Miyabi's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this. He looked at Horikita Manabu, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Standing behind Hachiman, Ichinose Honami was also slightly stunned. She had originally thought President Horikita might be more aggressive. After all, he was the representative of Third Year Class A, the Student Council President, and one of the strongest students in the school. She thought he would say something like "We must take first place" or "The Red Team must win."
But what he said was "as long as we do our best, we will accept the results regardless."
This was too conservative.
Too conservative to be him.
Ichinose's gaze fell on Horikita Manabu's face; there was no extra expression on that cold countenance. She suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Hachiman.
Hachiman's expression hadn't changed at all. He looked quietly at Horikita Manabu, his eyes behind the lenses showing no emotional fluctuations.
But he understood in his heart.
Ichinose and Horikita Manabu were actually the same kind of person.
They were the type who were willing to compromise to protect their companions.
In the original story, to protect her classmates, Ichinose would rather shoulder all the pressure herself and sacrifice her own interests than let anyone fall behind. As for Horikita Manabu—he had been Student Council President for three years and experienced countless special exams. To protect his classmates, to keep the current class in Class A without losing a single person, he had made countless compromises. Consequently, his sharp edges had long been worn smooth.
It was a matter of degree.
It wasn't weakness; it was maturity.
It was knowing that in this school where merit is everything, some things are more important than winning or losing.
Hachiman pulled back his thoughts and looked at Horikita Manabu again. He was silent for a second before speaking slowly.
"After the exams ended last semester, our first-year students have a certain amount of points in their hands."
Horikita Manabu's eyebrows moved slightly.
Hachiman continued, "So, it's hard to guarantee that First Year Class B might not use those points in this exam."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"For example, bribing the students of Third Year Class C to throw the games in this exam."
The representative of Third Year Class C, Ninomiya Kuranosuke, suddenly snapped his head up. A flash of panic appeared in his eyes behind the silver-rimmed glasses. He took a step forward, his voice higher than usual.
"We in Third Year Class C will not be bribed!"
His tone was firm, but Hachiman noticed his posture wasn't quite so upright.
Clearly, if money was offered, they could be swayed.
After all, they were about to graduate; who cared about gaining 200 points? Getting points directly was the most practical.
So Hachiman looked at him, remained silent for a second, and then gently shook his head.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if Third Year Class C is bribed," Hachiman added.
Everyone was stunned.
Nagumo Miyabi, leaning against the railing, leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowing. Horikita Manabu's eyebrows moved again, a flash of thought appearing in his calm eyes. Tachibana Akane, standing behind Horikita, had a look of confusion on her face. Meanwhile, Asahina Nazuna tilted her head, her gaze lingering on Hachiman's face for a second, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Ichinose and Kanzaki both looked at Hachiman with the same confusion in their eyes.
Hachiman didn't look at them. His gaze remained on Ninomiya Kuranosuke of Third Year Class C.
"Third Year Class C can throw the games," Hachiman said. "Then, Second Year Class D can simply throw the games accordingly. This way, the Red Team's score can still be maintained at a high level overall."
The playground went quiet.
That silence wasn't ordinary silence; it was a dead silence where even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.
Nagumo Miyabi stared at Hachiman for two seconds, then suddenly understood something.
His pupils contracted slightly.
This guy, Hachiman Hikigaya—he wasn't worried about Third Year Class C being bribed. He was saying that if First Year Class B spent money to bribe Third Year Class C to throw, the Red Team could conversely let Second Year Class D of the White Team throw. You spend your money, I move my people. You make the Red Team score less, I'll make the White Team score less too. One offset by the other, the impact is neutralized, and the Red Team's total score won't be heavily affected.
But the points spent by First Year Class B would be truly gone.
In short, they would have bought a whole lot of nothing.
Nagumo Miyabi leaned against the railing, pulled his hands out of his pockets, and crossed them over his chest. He looked at this first-year kouhai in black-rimmed glasses, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes.
Hachiman Hikigaya.
This guy didn't just want to win.
He wanted First Year Class B to spend those points and get nothing in return.
This was eroding the opponent's reserves.
It was a war of attrition.
It was carving meat with a dull knife.
Nagumo Miyabi let out a soft breath.
He recalled the first-year transcript he had seen in the Student Council office earlier—Class A 1266 points, Class B 825 points, Class C 550 points, Class D 130 points. Although Class B had fallen, they still held the points accumulated from the Island Exam and the VIP Exam. Those points were their capital for a comeback.
What Hikigaya Hachiman wanted to do was to deplete that capital bit by bit.
Not through direct confrontation, but by letting the opponent spend money on useless things themselves.
Looking at Hachiman's profile, a thought suddenly popped into Nagumo's head.
This kouhai was scarier than he had imagined.
Not the flamboyant, sharp kind of scary. But an introverted, quiet, water-like kind of scary that slowly permeates. You have no idea what he's thinking, and by the time you react, you've already stepped into the pit he dug.
Seriously, this guy is super dangerous.
He's simply a devil!
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