The "mysterious alumnus who did not want to reveal his name" that Hikigaya Hachiman had mentioned to Hayato Hayama transferred 250,000 yen for the repair of the Sobu High football field to the school's public account. Professional maintenance personnel soon arrived and began their work.
"Although I'm not very rich right now, I've found that problems that can be solved with money are really not that big of a problem," Hikigaya Hachiman said, sitting on the sofa in his apartment while Haruno peeled a giant mango in her hand.
"Junior, I feel that you truly have the temperament of an idealist," she replied. "The football field at Sobu High has been abandoned for nearly ten years, but because of your arrival, it's being revitalized again." Yukinoshita Haruno was, naturally, the mysterious alumnus. Hachiman's money had been transferred to her first, and she then connected with the school.
"An idealist should know that it's impossible to do something but still do it. Restoring a football field to its original state is just a piece of cake. How can that be called idealism?" Hachiman said as he took a plate full of freshly cut mango from Haruno.
"Before you entered Sobu High, there were many people who were dissatisfied with the football field and had the ability to do this. Why didn't they?" Yukinoshita Haruno handed a fork to Hachiman and said, "Because they thought that the football field was a lost cause, and it would be useless even if the lawn was repaired."
"Are you one of those capable people, Senior?" Hachiman asked curiously, putting a piece of mango into his mouth.
"Hikigaya-san, I do have a lot of pocket money," Haruno said with a hint of annoyance, "but if I had to invest 250,000 yen a month in something that yielded no return, you wouldn't be able to eat this mango right now." She added that the mango Hachiman was currently eating was one she had bought from a fruit store near the school, and its price was not particularly affordable.
"Well, I am a bit of an idealist, but that doesn't matter," Hachiman said. "I just wanted to build a platform for Hayama to show his talents. He's often helped me before, so I'm helping him. That's all." Mango is a fruit with a very smooth texture, so Hachiman finished the plate quickly while he was talking.
"Junior, you make me sound a little inhumane when you say that," Yukinoshita Haruno said jokingly. Of course, she didn't really feel guilty. It had become one of her habits to treat those who admired her as tools.
"By the way, junior, will your novel The Newcomer start its serialization this month? I haven't read a single chapter yet. Isn't it time for you to show some appreciation?" Haruno looked at him with an expectant gaze.
"Ah... that's so troublesome," Hachiman said, feigning laziness. "I don't have it saved on my phone. I'll find it and show it to you later, Senior."
"No! Junior, I want to read The Newcomer now! I can't wait any longer, please bring it to me," Haruno insisted. While speaking in a coquettish manner, she used her little feet in their white socks to playfully fiddle with Hachiman's thighs.
"You started it, Senior. Don't blame me for being rude." After saying that, Hikigaya Hachiman grabbed Haruno's ankle, and the two began to playfully wrestle on the sofa.
Yukinoshita Yukino had been in a depressed mood recently. After her request to set up a club was ruthlessly rejected by Ms. Hiratsuka, she had fallen into a cycle of thinking of solutions, mentally trying them out, and then giving up.
Helpless, Yukino had gone to the school alone on the weekend to find Ms. Hiratsuka, who was on duty, hoping to get some help from her.
"Yukino, you've only been in school for a week. Don't be so anxious. You're still not familiar with many things here yet," Shizuka Hiratsuka said, hiding the copy of Disintegration of the Causes she was reading. She looked at the stubborn student in front of her with some helplessness.
"How about this," she offered. "I will use my privileges to find you an empty classroom to use as a club activity room. How does that sound?"
"Is this... not too much trouble for you?" Yukino asked, seeming a little worried. She didn't like to cause trouble for others, especially acquaintances.
"Don't worry. There are still many empty classrooms at Sobu High. This school is very large, but there aren't that many students," Hiratsuka said, before adding a threat. "However, you and that kid must work hard according to your plan, otherwise I can take that classroom back at any time." She knew that Yukino's proposal was half for self-realization and half to find a place for Mr. Hachiman to spend his two hours of club activities.
Originally, Hiratsuka would never have made such a concession, but after staying up late to read several of Hachiman's novels, she had to admit that he was indeed a genius. Giving him more time to create would benefit all of mankind.
For a club, having an activity room is much more important than having an official name. As long as you can hang a sign outside the classroom, you don't have to worry about attracting visitors.
"I understand, Ms. Hiratsuka. I will be sure to pass on the message," Yukinoshita Yukino said, bowing sincerely to her teacher.
"Oh, one more thing. You need a concise and easy-to-understand name for the club so you can post it outside the door," Hiratsuka reminded her.
"I will call this club the 'Ministry of Service'," Yukino replied.
"...it's a neat name, but is it understandable?"
"To serve, to perform a service without compensation, is the very definition of service. I believe this aligns with the original intention of establishing this club." Yukinoshita Yukino had looked up the word in the dictionary to name her club.
"Okay, now that you've decided, you can go and order the doorplate. Come on, I'll take you to the classroom. You'll have to figure out how to clean it yourself."
Walking home, Yukinoshita Yukino felt that her steps were much lighter. After solving the biggest problem of finding an activity room, her future felt much brighter.
I have to tell Hikigaya-san about this as soon as possible...
With this thought in mind, she walked into the elevator, rode it up to the eleventh floor, and walked in the opposite direction of her own home. She stood in front of another apartment's door and knocked.
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