Chapter 021 Club Selection
"Yeah, exactly, Mashima-sensei!"
"Hikitani was late too, why isn't he getting punished?"
Yamauchi and the other three voiced their protest. Being stuck in the mud themselves, they wanted nothing more than to drag as many people down with them as possible!
"What ' Hikitani '?
Can you not even learn basic respect?"
Mashima Tomonari furrowed his brows and gave Yamauchi and his group a cold scolding. Then, he explained to the class: "Student Hikigaya had a reason for his tardiness.
This morning on the track, a female student collapsed, and he carried her to the infirmary."
Mashima Tomonari had a habit of morning exercise himself; he had simply finished early and was resting nearby, happening to witness the scene.
Upon hearing this, the class immediately understood. Being late for a good deed was excusable by both logic and sentiment.
"There really was a girl!"
"Damn it! How is this dead-fish-eyed guy's luck with women so good?!"
Yamauchi and the others became even more jealous.
"Student Hikigaya, you may take your seat."
Mashima Tomonari's tone softened slightly, his eyes holding a hint of admiration. He had witnessed Hikigaya's entire run and was surprised to find that the student had excellent endurance. To finish ten laps and still have the strength to carry a girl to the infirmary was impressive.
In terms of physical potential, Hikigaya was definitely a "good seedling." If he persisted in daily exercise, he would surely achieve something in the future!
Under Mashima Tomonari's authority, no one dared to pull any stunts in English class. Even if the poor students couldn't understand a word, they had to force themselves to sit upright until the end of the lesson.
As Mashima Tomonari—who was like an asura of a teacher—left the classroom, the tension in Class D finally snapped. Hikigaya was no exception, collapsing onto his desk with an exhausted look.
"You went for a morning run today?"
Horikita Suzune cast a rare, curious glance his way.
"Yeah..." Hikigaya replied weakly.
"That's good." Horikita Suzune nodded, saying seriously, "My brother said you lack exercise. You really should practice properly."
"I don't want to get beaten up by your brother again... mgh!?"
Before Hikigaya could finish his sentence, she slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Hikigaya!
You promised. Last night's events must absolutely not be known by others!"
Horikita Suzune looked anxious.
'Oh, right.'
However, Hikigaya was actually referring to being pummeled by Horikita-senpai in his dream.
"Horikita-san, the man who marries you in the future is going to have a hard time.
He'll have to pass Horikita-senpai's fist test... Uh, I mean 'if' there is such a man, haha."
Hikigaya accidentally let his inner thoughts slip. Realizing it sounded wrong, he quickly corrected himself with a wry smile.
"..."
Upon hearing the first half, Horikita Suzune's eyebrows shot up as she prepared to snap, but she was quickly drawn in by the second half. A complex expression appeared on her face: "My brother... he isn't interested in my affairs."
'How is that possible? That glasses-wearing siscon!'
Even without the experience from his dream, Hikigaya could see that Horikita Manabu was a brother who cared deeply for his sister. Though Hikigaya couldn't agree with using physical force on her, the man's starting point was surely well-intentioned—he didn't want his sister staying in this school full of schemes and calculations.
"How do you know President Horikita doesn't care about you?"
"Don't act like you understand my brother so well!"
"I understand him better than you, at least."
"What did you say!"
Suzune's eyes widened in clear defiance. She was his blood-related sister. How could an outsider have the audacity to claim he understood her brother better than she did? What kind of logic was that?
"As the saying goes, 'the authorities are muddled, but the bystanders see clearly.'
Just think about it. If Horikita-senpai didn't care about you, why would he choose to meet you late at night to talk?
You have to realize he's a third-year student, right at the critical period for graduating from Class A.
If the other classes found out, they would surely use you as a breakthrough point to attack him."
Hikigaya's words were like a breeze clearing the fog in Suzune's heart. Her eyes regained their luster: "Is what you're saying true? My brother, he really..."
"If you want a definitive answer, why not go ask him yourself?"
"..."
"Why are you silent now?"
"..."
"Is it because you don't like it?"
Faced with Hikigaya's intentional teasing, Suzune's cold mask finally started to crack.
"Student Hikigaya, I imagine you must dislike dancing? After all, it requires producing even the slightest resonance with another person."
"On the contrary, I have very high standards for dancing—only dancing with a partner of equal stature can be called an enjoyment."
The dialogue between the two was drawn from Austen's Pride and Prejudice. H
owever, to the majority of Class D students who couldn't even read their textbooks properly, the literary depth was completely lost on them. They simply saw the two as eccentric loners.
Kushida Kikyo's brow furrowed slightly. She didn't want to see anyone around Horikita Suzune who could actually communicate with her, as it increased the risk of Suzune exposing her dark history from middle school!
'I have to find a way... to pry Hikigaya away from Horikita's side!'
.
.
.
Campus Broadcast:
"Attention all first-year students. Starting today at 4:00 PM, a club orientation will be held in the gymnasium. Students interested in club activities, please gather at the gym."
"Additionally, the Student Council is also recruiting new members. Openings are limited. Ambitious students are welcome to participate in the interview..."
Club activities had always been a vital part of Japanese school life, as well as a stage to celebrate youth.
"Yamauchi, don't you boast all day about being some amazing baseball player? Are you planning to join the baseball club?"
"Uh, well... what's a baseball club? I plan to join the Student Council! Hey Ike, what club are you joining?"
"Me? I have to see which club has the most pretty girls, heehee!"
"I'm in the 'Go Home Club,' but if there's a Video Game Research Club, I wouldn't mind."
"I'm joining the basketball club!"
Among Yamauchi's group, it seemed only Sudo Ken was serious.
"Horikita-san, do you have a club in mind?" Hikigaya asked casually.
"No. I believe club activities are a pure waste of time. I'd rather spend that spare time reading more books."
Horikita Suzune pulled a literary masterpiece from her desk to read. Normally, when she entered "reading mode," she would immediately cut off communication with the outside world.
Seeing this, Hikigaya tactfully dropped the topic. Surprisingly, this time, Horikita Suzune took the initiative to continue: "What club do you want to join?"
"Me? I haven't decided yet. I plan to go check it out first."
Given Hikigaya's personality, he normally wouldn't join any club. But recently, he had a new goal. He wanted to practice martial arts—mainly to strengthen his body and for self-defense.
It was definitely not for the purpose of smashing a certain glasses-wearing siscon!
Chapter 022 Sakura Airi Joins the Photography Club
After school, Hikigaya leisurely made his way to the gymnasium.
By this time, a large number of first-year students had already gathered inside. Everyone moved in groups of two or three; after all, "participating in club activities with friends" is considered a vital part of celebrating youth.
However, as a loner, Hikigaya believed that youth is a lie and a form of evil.
Those who celebrate youth constantly deceive themselves and those around them. They view everything in their environment through a positive lens. Even if they commit a horrific mistake, they treat it as a symbol of youth and record it as a page in their memories.
For example, if they participate in brawls or bully others, they call it "youthful indiscretion." If they fail an exam, they claim that school isn't just a place for rote learning. As long as they hold the banner of youth aloft, they can distort any common sense or social norms. To them, lies, secrets, sins, and even failures are nothing more than the seasoning of youth.
Furthermore, they find something special within those sins and failures. Thus, all their failures are counted as part of youth. But the failures of others aren't considered youth—they are simply failures.
If failure is the hallmark of youth, wouldn't people who can't make friends be at the absolute peak of youth? Yet, they wouldn't think so. To put it bluntly, they only pick the interpretations that benefit them.
That's basically deception, isn't it? Whether it's lying, cheating, concealing, or fraud, it must be condemned. They are evil. Conversely, those who do not celebrate youth are the truly righteous ones.
The conclusion is: All you normies should just explode!
In his head, Hikigaya drafted an excellent essay titled "A Retrospective on Middle School Life," though Hiratsuka-sensei probably wouldn't have liked it much. He suddenly thought of that middle school teacher who was approaching her thirties; he actually missed her a bit. He wondered if she had succeeded in her matchmaking sessions lately.
It seemed his current homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, shared a similar vibe—even their ages were the same. Maybe they graduated from the same university... just kidding.
"Yahallo~ Hikigaya-kouhai."
Someone tapped his left shoulder. Hikigaya instinctively turned his head, only to have his right cheek gently poked by a finger.
"Eh~ I'm over here~~"
A familiar greeting, a familiar movement.
"Good afternoon, Asahina-senpai."
A flash of surprise crossed Hikigaya's eyes before he gave a polite greeting.
"Eeeh~ No blushing or shyness? Kouhai-kun's cuteness level has dropped."
Asahina Nazuna stepped forward, staring at him meaningfully. "Or could it be that in just three short days, you've already met several girls and built up your resistance?"
"Uh..."
Hikigaya's expression stiffened. Putting aside whether he "met" them or not, his resistance to girls had indeed increased quite a bit.
"Eh? That reaction... did I hit the nail on the head?"
Asahina narrowed her eyes, her expression becoming somewhat stern.
"You better not turn into a playboy like Nagumo."
"How is that possible? I was ranked in the top three of the 'Most Hated Boys' list in my class!" Hikigaya spoke the truth with a straight face.
"No way? Seriously? Then the girls in your class have terrible taste." Asahina covered her mouth and giggled.
'This senpai... why does she seem to think so highly of me?'
According to one of the "Three Great Delusions of Life," a person would surely mistake this for her liking them. But Hikigaya wouldn't make that stupid mistake again.
"By the way, what club do you belong to, Asahina-senpai?"
Hikigaya shifted his gaze and noticed several club members behind her working hard to recruit newcomers. Asahina pointed to the booth behind her and explained with a smile, "This is the Photography Club. Oh, by the way, are you interested in joining, Hikigaya-kouhai?"
"No." Hikigaya refused flatly.
"Why the blunt rejection? Your photography skills are actually quite good!" Asahina expressed her confusion.
"Joining the Photography Club probably requires buying equipment at my own expense, right?"
DSLR cameras and gear easily cost tens or hundreds of thousands of points. The club wouldn't provide them for free, so members would have to buy their own. Although Hikigaya was currently quite well-off in personal points, he didn't have much interest in photography at the moment.
"And..."
Hikigaya scanned the area and saw that the members of the Photography Club were all girls. He didn't want to dive into a swarm of women.
"I see... I take it back. It seems Hikigaya-kouhai isn't the type to be swayed by lust." Asahina smiled broadly.
"I'm going to go check out other clubs. Please excuse me."
As Hikigaya turned around, he accidentally bumped into someone. To be more precise, the other person was walking with her head down and bumped into him.
"Ugh~"
The girl lost her balance and was about to fall backward.
"Careful!"
Hikigaya instinctively reached out to catch her. He originally intended to grab her hand, but the girl was clutching a camera tightly with both hands, completely ignoring her own fall. He had to lean down and wrap an arm around her waist to steady her.
"Eh?!"
The girl in front of him was none other than the unremarkable, plain-looking "megane" girl from his class, Sakura Airi. She blinked her large eyes, staring blankly at Hikigaya who was inches away, as a deep blush rapidly spread across her cheeks.
"Wow~ How romantic~~ It's a fated encounter~~~"
Asahina Nazuna clapped her hands together, looking like she enjoyed the spectacle.
"Sakura-san, are you okay?"
As soon as he helped her upright, Hikigaya immediately let go and took a few steps back.
"I-I'm fine..." Sakura Airi kept her head down, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
'Was she scared?'
It wasn't surprising. She was the type of socially anxious girl in class.
"You're here to visit the Photography Club, right?" Hikigaya noticed the DSLR camera she was clutching tightly.
"No, uh, well, yes..." Sakura Airi instinctively shook her head, then paused, and gave a small, cautious nod.
An onlooker would likely be confused, unable to tell what she meant. But Hikigaya could accurately read her inner conflict. Because he had experienced something similar in middle school—wanting to join a club but being too afraid to talk to people, ultimately missing the chance due to hesitation.
Perhaps because he saw his past self in Sakura Airi, or perhaps out of some bizarre, indescribable emotion, Hikigaya made a bold decision.
"Asahina-senpai, this is Sakura Airi from Class 1-D. She wants to join the Photography Club."
"Oh? Really?" Asahina looked surprised. The Photography Club was mostly made up of extroverted, fashion-forward people; it was hard to imagine this plain-looking girl being interested.
"Ah, wait... I haven't..." Sakura Airi waved her hands frantically, wanting to deny it, but she couldn't find the words to refuse.
After all, she truly loved photography; otherwise, she wouldn't have spent a fortune on that camera. She had come to the gym today specifically to look at the Photography Club, but her social anxiety had kept her from taking the first step.
"Anyway, it's like that... I'll leave Sakura-san to you. Please take good care of her, Asahina-senpai."
Hikigaya bowed to Asahina, and before anyone could say more, he greased his heels and made a quick exit.
"Mmm..."
Looking at Hikigaya, who had inexplicably made the decision for her, a troubled expression appeared on Sakura Airi's face. However, she was surprised to find that her heart didn't seem to repel this boy.
"Sigh~ What a strange kouhai. But don't worry, Sakura-san, Hikigaya isn't a bad person." Asahina expressed her own inability to understand Hikigaya's move.
Chapter 023 Martial Arts Club, Encountering Ibuki Mio Again
'Aaaah! This is so stupid!! What on earth are you doing, Hikigaya Hachiman!!! Why are you making decisions for Sakura on your own? Who are you to her anyway?'
Hikigaya mocked himself frantically in his mind. He knew very well that helping Sakura Airi wasn't out of pure kindness. Rather... the reason was too embarrassing; he didn't want to say it!
Hikigaya forced himself not to think about that all-too-realistic dream.
To clear the extra clutter from his mind, Hikigaya intended to do something to shift his focus.
"Excuse me, I'd like to ask about the Martial Arts Club."
Hikigaya arrived at the recruitment booth for the Martial Arts Club. The members were all tall, burly men; their sheer aura was enough to scare off most newbies.
"You want to join the Martial Arts Club?"
A senpai glanced at him expressionlessly. Unlike most clubs that enthusiastically recruited newcomers, the Martial Arts Club was a popular one on campus. It reportedly integrated a wide variety of martial arts including Karate, Judo, and Taekwondo, boasting one of the highest membership counts in the school.
"Yes."
Hikigaya nodded seriously. From Horikita Manabu's speech at the entrance ceremony mentioning that "our school excels in both literary and martial arts," one could see that Advanced Nurturing High School placed "physical prowess" on the same level as "academic ability."
This might sound absurd—what normal school encourages its students to cultivate combat skills? It felt like a "vocational school battle royale"...
However, Hikigaya saw something deeper in this. Perhaps the school didn't value "martial arts" itself, but rather was cultivating a competitive consciousness that broke away from conventional logic.
For example, business wars in TV dramas involve strategic games, spy infiltration, and complex capital operations. Real-world business wars: cutting the internet cables, climbing walls at midnight to steal files, or putting a sack over the opposing boss's head and beating them up.
It was hard to imagine a group of "good students" who only knew how to read books taking such crude and direct actions. Of course, the above was purely Hikigaya's personal speculation...
"Our Martial Arts Club has a relatively high threshold. Do you have any experience in training?"
The senpai scanned Hikigaya from head to toe. He was lean and had a slight slouch; he didn't look like an experienced practitioner.
"Experience? How should I put it... Although I haven't officially trained in anything, I should be able to fight... probably?"
Hikigaya didn't know how to explain it. He truly hadn't trained in martial arts, yet during his clash with Horikita Manabu, he had been able to take action skillfully, almost like muscle memory.
"What do you mean by that?
You haven't trained but you can fight...? Oh ho—are you saying you're naturally gifted and can fight well without practice?"
The senpai intentionally elongated his words, raising his voice to attract the other members of the club. A dozen burly men looked at Hikigaya with scrutinizing eyes, making him feel a wave of pressure.
"Interesting kouhai. Then tell us, what are you good at?"
The Club President, Mutou, looked at him with interest, showing no real hostility.
"Uh..."
Hikigaya froze for a few seconds. To ease the awkward atmosphere, he made a joke: "I know a little bit of everything?"
"..."
The members of the Martial Arts Club were stunned for a moment, then one by one they couldn't help but chuckle.
"Pfft!"
"Do you think I haven't watched Ip Man?!"
"Master Anonymous here, why don't you come up and show us a few moves?"
"Don't worry, the floor in our club isn't slippery..."
"Hahahaha!"
"What are you laughing at! Get serious!"
President Mutou gave the group a mock-angry glare, then smiled kindly at Hikigaya. "How should I address this kouhai?"
"First Year Class D, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Oh, so it's Class D. No wonder..." someone whispered in the club, and the eyes looking at Hikigaya gained a few more hints of contempt.
President Mutou did not look down on him, maintaining his kindness. "Third Year Class C, Mutou Kenjirou, President of the Martial Arts Club. If you don't mind, I would like to spar with you myself."
"I wouldn't dare."
Hikigaya quickly bowed. The term "sparring" was just a polite modesty.
The reason President Mutou was stepping up personally was likely out of fear that the other members might not know their own strength, thus avoiding an accident where a freshman got injured.
From this alone, one could see that President Mutou was a good-tempered person and handled matters smoothly. It was no wonder he could hold the position of President of the school's most popular club despite being from Class C. That wasn't something achieved through brute force alone.
And so, Hikigaya followed President Mutou and his group to the Martial Arts Club training room. Surprisingly, they found there was already a guest there...
"I want to join the Martial Arts Club!"
"Um, student... club applications should be done at the gym. Our President is there too."
"Why is it so much trouble? Can't you just let me join directly?"
The speaker had a very arrogant tone; it was a petite girl with short blue hair.
Hikigaya's eyes widened. Isn't this the 'stubborn blue-hair' I met this morning?
Good grief... she just fainted from overexertion this morning, and by the afternoon she's hopping around at the Martial Arts Club.
"Hey! Newbie, which class are you from? Don't you know any rules?"
The senpai who had mocked Hikigaya earlier was named Mizowaki. With a pair of gloomy, low-set eyes, he didn't look like someone who was easy to get along with.
"Huh? Fighting is fighting, what's with all these rules?" Ibuki Mio looked impatient.
"You!" Mizowaki pointed at her, about to lose his temper, but he was stopped by President Mutou.
"Mizowaki, stand down.
This kouhai-san is also here to join our Martial Arts Club, right?"
President Mutou scrutinized the girl. A flash of something different crossed his eyes; he clearly saw that she was an experienced martial artist.
"Hmph~ I haven't decided yet. I have to see the strength of your club first!"
Ibuki Mio crossed her arms over her chest, her chin tilted up with an arrogant look. Her grandfather was a professional martial artist, so she had been in contact with martial arts since childhood. In middle school, she was frequently involved in brawls, leading her troubled parents to send her to Advanced Nurturing High School to "rehabilitate." As for whether she had been successfully rehabilitated, that was a different question!
"You brat...!"
Ibuki Mio's arrogant declaration successfully ignited the anger of the Martial Arts Club members. A slightly plump senpai weighing about 150 lbs stood up, wanting to teach her a lesson.
"Wait a moment! I still have a guest here."
President Mutou pointed at Hikigaya.
"It's you?!"
Only then did Ibuki Mio notice Hikigaya standing behind the crowd. As if remembering something, her arrogant expression instantly became awkward. Her purple pupils glared intently at him, and a suspicious blush emerged on her cheeks.
"Hikigaya-kouhai, you two know each other?" President Mutou cast a gaze full of curiosity.
"I don't know her." Hikigaya shook his head. He really didn't know her; he didn't even know her class or name.
Ibuki Mio strode over to him, grabbed his collar with one hand, and said with a sharp look in her eyes: "First Year Class C, Ibuki Mio! Remember it well!!"
Chapter 024 Hikigaya: I Just Want to Crush President Horikita
Ibuki Mio glared at Hikigaya with a warning look, clearly not wanting him to mention the events of the morning.
'Excuse me? Miss Stubborn? Is there a possibility that I wasn't going to say anything anyway?'
Since even a simple run led to a confrontation with her, Hikigaya naturally had no desire to provoke such a troublesome girl.
"Hmph~ I'll give you a thank you for now... Hikigaya Hachiman!"
Ibuki Mio released his collar and gritted her teeth, offering a stiff and awkward thanks. She had actually gone to the trouble of investigating his name; she really was a pedantic one.
Hikigaya felt speechless and took the initiative to change the subject: "Um, President Mutou, can we begin?"
"Oh, anytime."
A look of disappointment appeared on President Mutou's face.
'Don't look like you haven't had your fill of gossip!'
"You know martial arts too?" Ibuki Mio looked at him curiously.
"I don't. I want to learn," Hikigaya said succinctly.
"Haha~ Martial arts isn't something you can master on a whim."
President Mutou chuckled, while also subtly trying to discourage Hikigaya.
The two stepped onto the mat. President Mutou took a casual stance and gestured with his hand that Hikigaya could attack at any time.
"Whew~"
Hikigaya took a deep breath, recalling the movements and postures from his dream spar with Horikita Manabu. He held his right hand flat with the palm facing outward, his left hand clenched into a fist against his waist, and his knees set in a bow stance.
"Tang Hand (Karate precursor)?" Mutou's eyes flickered.
"It's just an empty pose," Hikigaya spoke the truth.
"Strike me and let's see." Mutou suddenly became interested.
"Then, here I come..."
Relying on his body's intuition, Hikigaya stepped forward quickly and executed a leaping front kick. President Mutou parried with an outward block; his body remained as steady as a mountain. He nodded in evaluation: "The form and movement are good, but the power is a bit weak."
"That's why I need to practice...
Mutou-senpai, I don't know many techniques. Would you mind guiding me a bit?" Hikigaya spoke sincerely.
"Alright!"
President Mutou was a straightforward man. Seeing that Hikigaya truly wanted to learn, he naturally wouldn't be stingy. He swung a left hook. Hikigaya used a "Bong Sao" (Wing Chun-style parry) to brace against it. Feeling that the other person was holding back their strength, he immediately reminded him: "Mutou-senpai, you can use a bit more force. I can take it."
"Then be careful."
President Mutou suddenly delivered a downward knife-hand strike. Hikigaya crossed his arms to block; he felt the weight of the blow, which forced his body to bend slightly, but it was still within a bearable range.
"Eh? You're actually quite good at taking a hit..." Mutou said in surprise.
"Can't be helped. I'm used to being beaten up," Hikigaya said helplessly while defending.
"Haha! You were bullied and want to fight back? Now that's a real man!"
President Mutou threw a continuous series of punches. As the opponent's movements became increasingly rapid, Hikigaya had no breath left to talk and focused entirely on responding.
He parried a left hand downward, resisted a right push, and took the opportunity to counter with a front kick, pushing the caught-off-guard President Mutou back several steps.
"This freshman has some skills!"
"He can actually go back and forth with the President!"
The members of the Martial Arts Club were astonished. Hikigaya's performance far exceeded their expectations.
Suddenly, Hikigaya lunged for a wrist lock, seizing Mutou's arm, followed by a waist grab and a throw, attempting to bring his opponent to the ground.
"His techniques seem to integrate some Aikido as well?" Ibuki Mio watched with great interest from below; she knew her stuff.
Thud!
President Mutou supported himself with one hand behind his back to break the fall, while simultaneously launching a swift high roundhouse kick, knocking Hikigaya back several steps.
"Good fight! Let's keep going!"
President Mutou flipped back onto his feet with a kip-up. He executed a "question mark kick"—also known as a Brazilian kick—a tactical move that feints high to strike low.
Hikigaya blocked with his elbow. Mutou followed with a series of kicks. Hikigaya blocked again.
While defending, Hikigaya squinted his dead-fish eyes, concentrating his gaze to find a flaw in the opponent's movements. Spotting a gap while the other was mid-kick, Hikigaya delivered a powered-up straight punch to the abdomen, neutralizing President Mutou's fierce offensive.
"Cough, cough~ Let's end the spar here, President Mutou," Hikigaya quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Why surrender? You could have gone on for at least a bit longer!" Ibuki Mio, watching from the sidelines, expressed her dissatisfaction at Hikigaya stopping.
'If I keep going, I'm going to get injured!' Hikigaya rubbed his elbow, which was numb from the kicks.
"Haha~ I'm also a bit tired. Let's call it a draw; harmony is precious, after all!" President Mutou cupped his fists in a gesture of respect, playing the social game.
"Phew... President Mutou, may I take the liberty of asking you a question?"
"What is it?"
"I wonder, between you and Horikita-senpai, who is stronger?"
"Uh... that question is indeed quite a liberty." Mutou gave an awkward but polite smile. After a moment of thought, he answered: "Without considering weight classes, I would say I am slightly superior."
In a fight, one must consider weight. President Mutou was bulkier and heavier. Horikita Manabu was the lean, muscular type and lighter. In a regulated match, the two wouldn't even be in the same ring. In a casual spar, they would likely be evenly matched.
"Then how long does President Mutou think I need to train before I can defeat Horikita-senpai?" Hikigaya asked with some urgency.
"Aiming for President Horikita? You're an ambitious kouhai." A flash of surprise crossed Mutou's eyes.
"No, I just want to crush President Horikita," Hikigaya said with a serious face.
Mutou froze for a moment, his lip twitching: "Well, you're certainly spirited!"
Hikigaya, it's clear you have a talent for martial arts. As long as you build up your physical strength, surpassing President Horikita isn't impossible."
President Mutou didn't give a definitive answer, only saying his "future looks promising." After all, martial arts depends on the individual; who can judge so easily?
"How about it? Hikigaya-kouhai, would you like to join our Martial Arts Club?"
President Mutou extended a sincere invitation, adding: "Once you become an official member, you can receive 20,000 personal points every month."
After a brief thought, Hikigaya made his decision: "I agree."
Training while getting points—this was a win-win!
"Welcome to the Martial Arts Club!" President Mutou shook his hand enthusiastically, not forgetting to tease: "I look forward to the day I see you crush President Horikita!"
"It will happen," Hikigaya said with absolute determination.
"I want to join too!" Ibuki Mio cut in again.
"Orange, you go try her out. Remember to hold back," Mutou gestured to the slightly plump senpai.
"Hmph! No need to hold back, bring it on!" Ibuki Mio was very defiant.
And then... she was beaten into a pulp!
"Pah! This little blue-hair is pretty tough," the plump senpai spat out some blood, a bruise on her lip. Clearly, her victory hadn't been easy either.
"Sigh..." President Mutou looked like he had a headache. Knocking a freshman flat during a recruitment event meant he'd have to write several pages of reports for the Student Council.
"I... haven't... lost yet." Ibuki Mio struggled to stand, clutching her chest, gasping for air while still being stubborn!
Hikigaya felt like a stampede of "grass-mud horses" was running through his heart. This girl wasn't just stubborn; she was a complete bonehead!
"Hikigaya..." President Mutou cast a pleading look at him. It was as if to say: Please, just carry this crazy woman away!
"Sigh, I'll take her to the infirmary." Hikigaya understood immediately, feeling even more helpless.
Twice in one day, taking the same girl to the infirmary. What kind of bizarre experience was this?
Chapter 025 This Dead-Fish-Eyes is Actually Quite Attentive
"Hey, Hikigaya...!
What do you think you're doing?!"
Ibuki Mio looked panicked as she felt Hikigaya place one hand under her back and the other behind her knees, lifting her up directly.
"The President told me to take you to the infirmary.
In this situation, you wouldn't want me to carry you on my back, would you?"
Hikigaya's words were pointed as his gaze subtly swept over the slight protrusion of her clothes on her chest.
"Wha...?"
Ibuki Mio was stunned for a moment, but then something clicked. Her eyebrows arched, and a slight smirk played at the corners of her mouth that she couldn't quite suppress: "Hmph~ I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman."
'If he carried me on his back, my chest would press against him. This dead-fish-eyes is actually quite attentive!'
Hikigaya: "???"
He felt like she was misunderstanding something. His point was that she had taken a heavy blow to the chest from that plump senpai; lying prone on his back would definitely be painful.
Besides, it wasn't like she was particularly well-endowed anyway; even if there was contact, there wouldn't be much of a "sensation"...
"What kind of rude things are you thinking about!"
Ibuki Mio keenly caught Hikigaya's gaze and immediately narrowed her eyes into a death stare.
"Nothing. I just think you're quite light."
Hikigaya quickly changed the subject. For a girl, that should be a compliment, right?
"You'd better be talking about my weight."
"What else could it be besides weight?"
'Hard to guess, isn't it? (Laughs)'
"..." "..."
The Martial Arts Club activity room wasn't far from the infirmary. They didn't run into any Class D classmates along the way; otherwise, the rumor that "Hikigaya is hooking up with girls from other classes" would be set in stone.
"My, my~ Hikigaya-kun has finally seen the light, has he~~?"
Seeing the two walk into the infirmary in a princess carry, Hoshinomiya Chie had a beaming smile on her face, but a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"Ibuki-san, getting injured twice in one day... you aren't doing this on purpose, are you?
Using it as a chance to get close to Hikigaya-kun."
Hoshinomiya Chie teased.
"Ha? Why would I want to get close to this dead-fish-eyes?"
Ibuki Mio glared and immediately retorted.
"Eh~ Is that not it? Ibuki-san quietly allowed herself to be princess-carried, after all."
Hoshinomiya Chie chuckled mischievously.
"That, that was... because Hikigaya was shy and didn't dare carry me on his back!" Ibuki Mio argued righteously, placing a hand over her chest.
"Ah, yes. I was shy."
After placing Ibuki Mio on the bed, Hikigaya let go without the slightest hint of lingering.
"See, he admitted it." Ibuki Mio lifted her chin triumphantly.
'Is this girl an idiot?'
Hoshinomiya Chie's lip twitched.
"Hikigaya-kun, I see the two of you get along quite well. Why don't I leave the task of applying the ointment to you?"
Hoshinomiya Chie winked at Hikigaya. On the surface, she was encouraging him, but in reality, she was testing him. She had to consider whether the contact between these two was based on some connection between Class C and Class D.
"That..."
Ibuki Mio's eyes widened. The injuries on her limbs were one thing, but how could she let a male handle the bruising on her chest?
Just as she was about to refuse, Hikigaya beat her to it!
"No. Professional tasks should be left to professionals. Please handle the ointment, Hoshinomiya-sensei."
Hikigaya saw through Hoshinomiya's attempt to probe his relationship with Ibuki. Given her role as Class B's homeroom teacher, her motives weren't hard to guess.
'This guy... he rejected it so bluntly.'
Ibuki Mio pursed her lips, feeling a faint, inexplicable sense of annoyance deep down!
"Eh~ but doing it all by myself is so tiring for a teacher."
Hoshinomiya Chie pressed her hands together and looked at Hikigaya expectantly.
'Heh. How pretentious'.
Hikigaya wasn't falling for it.
"Indeed. As the school nurse, Hoshinomiya-sensei seems very concerned about the health of students from every class."
Hikigaya pointedly looked toward the desk where a thick stack of papers sat. The top sheet was the personal file of a student from Class D.
'Shouldn't Class B be focusing on guarding against Class C first? Why are they so interested in the 'gods' of Class D instead?'
"..."
Hoshinomiya Chie's expression stiffened for a split second as she discreetly and quickly swept the documents into a drawer.
'This dead-fish-eyes has some sharp observational skills!'
"Since Hikigaya-kun is unwilling to help Ibuki-san with her medicine, I won't force you."
'Such a clumsy subject change, who would—'
"Hikigaya, are you disgusted by me?"
Ibuki Mio stared straight at him.
'Wait, did you seriously take the bait?'
Hikigaya felt utterly speechless.
"Silence means consent."
Ibuki Mio's face instantly darkened. "And here I thought we were kindred spirits."
'Wait, since when did I become your kindred spirit?'
Hikigaya was bewildered, unable to follow her train of thought.
However, in Ibuki Mio's view, they had raced together and joined the Martial Arts Club together; therefore, they were "kindred spirits." In the path of martial arts, bumps and bruises are inevitable. As fellow practitioners, helping and supporting each other is only natural, right?
To put it simply, Ibuki Mio cared about "bro-code."
Hikigaya didn't get it. He just felt Ibuki's gaze was like a scene from a Yakuza movie where the protagonist is wounded and his "brother" refuses to bandage him... Where was this bizarre sense of déjà vu coming from?
'Sigh. Truly, people can never understand one another.'
Hikigaya couldn't figure it out, so he gave up thinking altogether.
"Ibuki-san, if you don't mind, I can help you with the medicine."
They were going to be in the same club after all. Lending a hand wasn't a big deal.
"Hmph~ That's more like it!"
The clouds on Ibuki Mio's face vanished, replaced by a sunny expression. She kicked off her sneaker, revealing her left foot clad in a white sock. A wave of warmth accompanied by a slightly thick scent of sweat wafted out.
Hikigaya accidentally inhaled a bit and was startled, though it wasn't as foul as he had anticipated.
"That fat woman stepped hard on the bridge of my foot... Please use an ice pack and some safflower oil. Thanks!"
'Brother, excuse me? You really aren't holding back at all, are you?'
Hikigaya's eyelid twitched as he turned his gaze to Hoshinomiya Chie, who was watching the show.
"Hikigaya-kun, I'll leave Ibuki-san's foot to you. I'll handle her front. Or, we could swap places if you'd like~~"
Hoshinomiya Chie gave a kind smile.
"No thanks..." Hikigaya looked pained.
Ibuki Mio wagged her left foot, urging him impatiently: "Hurry up, Hikigaya! The sooner the bruise is treated, the faster it heals. Once I'm fully recovered, I'm definitely going to have a real match with you!"
'Then maybe you shouldn't recover so quickly...'
Hikigaya sighed helplessly. Finally, he pinched his nose and quickly pulled off Ibuki Mio's white sock.
A delicate size 36 foot was exposed to the air. Due to her frequent exercise, the contours of the veins and tendons were clearly visible.
Hikigaya's eyes stilled, and his mind went blank for a brief moment.
'It's the same size as Komachi's foot. I have to give that a thumbs up.'
"Hey... what are you dazing off for?"
Ibuki Mio's cheeks heated up slightly, and her toes instinctively curled.
Chapter 026 We Said No Way, So Why Are We Married?
There was a dark bruise on the bridge of Ibuki Mio's foot.
Hikigaya took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and began to treat it.
"..."
Ibuki Mio stared blankly at the boy in front of her, who was so seriously treating her injury. For some reason, an unprecedentedly strange feeling welled up in her heart.
"It's not a major issue. Try to avoid strenuous exercise for a week... What's wrong?"
Hikigaya looked up and met her somewhat peculiar gaze.
"Nothing...
I just think your technique is unexpectedly skillful."
Ibuki Mio looked away, discreetly pulling her foot back.
'Is her reflex arc a bit long? Feeling embarrassed only now?'
"Well, my younger sister is quite clumsy."
Hikigaya had extensive experience taking care of his sister.
"So you have a sister..."
Ibuki's expression relaxed, but she quickly reacted: "Wait, are you implying I'm as stupid as your sister?"
"Not at all!"
Hikigaya denied it solemnly, explaining with a straight face: "Even if Komachi is a dummy, it's part of her charm!"
"Huh?"
Ibuki Mio furrowed her brows, pondering the meaning behind his words. After a moment, a flash of realization appeared in her eyes, as if she had found the answer: "Are you... complimenting me on being cute in a roundabout way?"
'No, no, no, I just think you are purely a dummy.'
Hikigaya complained inwardly. However, to avoid unnecessary entanglement, he had no choice but to go along with it, nodding expressionlessly: "Ah, right, right, right. I think Ibuki-san is very cute."
"Shut up! I treat you like a bro, and you want to hit on me? No way!!"
.
.
.
"Dun-dun-da-dun~ Dun-dun-da-dun~"
The Wedding March.
So.
Why is this happening?
Hikigaya stared blankly at the blue-haired woman in front of him, dressed in a pure white wedding dress.
"Hmph~ Are you stunned by my beauty, Hachiman?"
With long blue hair reaching her waist, the woman winked at him with a triumphant look.
'This stupid look... is it really you?'
Hikigaya's heart skipped a beat.
'Didn't we say 'no way'? Why are we married now!'
"Mio, and... Hachiman.
Congratulations."
The person wearing the bridesmaid dress was a silver-haired girl. But why was she looking at him with such a resentful gaze?
Hikigaya was completely bewildered.
As the wedding progressed...
Hikigaya saw many familiar faces, high school classmates from Advanced Nurturing. For some reason, the way some girls looked at him was... strange.
-
-
-
"Ring ring ring~"
Alarm-kun, you are far too timely!
Waking up, Hikigaya had a lingering expression of fear on his face. In the dream, the wedding actually turned into a brawl, and the scene became uncontrollably chaotic!
"Phew~ Thank goodness it was just a dream..."
Hikigaya finished his morning routine and headed out early. From today on, he would wake up early every day to go for a morning run and exercise.
The school track.
Hikigaya saw a familiar figure.
"Horikita-san?"
"You really came, Hikigaya. It seems yesterday's morning exercise wasn't just a whim."
Horikita Suzune offered a greeting and went back to her warm-up stretches.
Excellent. The conversation died. This was very much in line with Horikita Suzune's usual style.
Hikigaya had no intention of striking up a conversation either. After a simple warm-up, he chose the outermost lane to start running alone. Horikita Suzune ran on the innermost lane. Their speeds and rhythms were different, so they had almost no interaction throughout.
'This is fine as it is...'
Hikigaya thought that this way, his dreams wouldn't produce any more "Hikigaya Suzune" fantasies. At the thought, a sense of regret and reluctance involuntarily surfaced in his heart.
But upon realizing these emotions, Hikigaya felt a deep self-loathing! Dreams are illusions; dreams are fakes.
The morning exercise ended as it neared class time. Hikigaya and Horikita Suzune stepped into the Class D classroom one after the other. Even though they didn't speak, in the eyes of others, they came to school together.
If it were anyone else, there would be no shortage of teasing and jeering. But facing the "moving iceberg" Horikita Suzune, no one dared to joke. They had to settle for focusing their jealous glares on Hikigaya.
Kushida Kikyo's eyes flashed with a cold light: Their relationship is indeed unusual! This dead-fish-eyes kept saying they were 'ordinary neighbors,' he was clearly fooling me!
Faced with the unfriendly gazes from his surroundings, Hikigaya was long accustomed to it, but he still found it annoying.
'What a bunch of busybodies!'
The first period was Biology, but today's lecture was mostly about the theories of the origin of life. Hikigaya listened to it like a "story," treating it as light torture.
Second period was Chemistry. Looking at the blackboard full of chemical formulas, Hikigaya felt dizzy—medium torture.
Third period was Physics. Various mechanical calculations made his scalp tingle—severe torture.
Fourth period was Math. For Hikigaya, who only scored 9 points in middle school math, this was ultimate torture!
Hikigaya had to use the "Mind Wandering in Space" meditation method to combat the math teacher's hypnotic spell. But for some reason, the teacher today kept calling on him specifically to answer questions.
"Sit down, Hikigaya.
If you have the leisure to play with girls from other classes, you'd better put more focus on your studies."
Sakagami Kazuma spoke meaningfully.
The students of Class D immediately burst into gloating laughter.
"..."
Hikigaya was momentarily silent. He remembered that Sakagami Kazuma was the homeroom teacher for Class C. Those words were clearly a warning not to get too close to Ibuki Mio.
'Seriously, according to school rules, teachers are theoretically not allowed to interfere in inter-class competition. But whether it's Hoshinomiya from Class B, Sakagami from Class C, or Chabashira from Class D, they are all trying to find loopholes.'
Only Mashima-sensei from Class A showed no signs of interfering yet. Or perhaps, he felt Class A was excellent enough that he didn't need to...
-
-
-
After class.
"Though it feels like Sakagami-sensei had an ulterior motive, his scolding wasn't wrong.
Hikigaya, your math is terrible. You should do more practice problems."
Horikita Suzune spoke up with rare criticism; usually, she wouldn't meddle.
"You're right, but instead of doing practice problems, I'd rather memorize a few more poems to hone my essay-writing skills."
Since the college entrance exam calculates the total score anyway, as long as his liberal arts scores were high enough, he could completely compensate for his deficiency in the sciences.
"You're escaping!"
"So what if I am? Even Horikita-senpai must have one or two things he isn't good at."
"Impossible! My brother is a perfect person!!"
"See, as a brother, he can't handle the relationship with his sister well. Isn't that a flaw?"
"That is my problem, not my brother's!"
"A sister's problems are all the brother's responsibility!"
"!!!"
Horikita Suzune's eyes widened, she was instantly stunned. At this moment, she actually had the illusion that Hikigaya was more of a "brother" than her own brother.
Realizing this, Horikita Suzune's face turned bright red in an instant. Her expression was filled with panic and embarrassment, her purple-red eyes staring fixedly at Hikigaya.
She didn't say anything, but at this moment, the girl's "attack power" on his heart reached its peak!
'Not good!'
Hikigaya's heart shook violently, and he quickly avoided her gaze. If he looked one more time, he would be dreaming of "Hikigaya Suzune" again tonight.
Chapter 027 One Month Later
Noon, at the school cafeteria.
Hikigaya ordered a deluxe steak meal plus a bottle of electrolyte replacement functional drink. The reason he was eating so well wasn't to satisfy his appetite, but to meet the nutritional requirements for his physical training.
"My, my~ Hikigaya-kun, aren't you eating with Horikita-san today?"
'So, is this the reason you've been following me since school ended, Kushida Kikyo?'
"Horikita usually brings her own bento. If you're looking for her, Kushida-san, you can check the classroom."
Hikigaya dismissed her casually.
"Hee-hee~"
Kushida Kikyo took the initiative to sit opposite him, her large eyes blinking playfully. "Hikigaya-kun doesn't mind me sitting here, does he?"
'If I said I minded, would you leave? Seeing as you've already sat down before asking me.'
"The cafeteria is a public area; anyone can sit here."
"Haha~ Hikigaya-kun, you say the most interesting things."
'Really? I didn't know I had a humorous bone in my body.'
"The steak is delicious."
"..."
'Why did you stop laughing?'
Hikigaya silently forked a piece of marbled beef and started chewing. Kushida Kikyo looked at her own tray containing boiled broccoli and a single poached egg; her appetite vanished instantly.
"Hikigaya-kun is eating such a lavish meal."
"Yeah."
"..."
And? Just a 'yeah'? Normally, a boy would ask "Do you want to try some?" Although she wouldn't easily accept food from a boy, once she politely declined, it would naturally lead to a new topic of conversation.
'Can you even hold a conversation, you jerk?'
Hikigaya truly didn't care. He only felt that Kushida Kikyo was testing him, intentionally or otherwise. Until he figured out her true intentions, Hikigaya chose to remain silent.
(￣～￣) Chew, chew, chew...
Kushida took a few bites of her rice, but it felt like chewing wax; she really had no appetite to finish. She had no choice but to put down her chopsticks and pretend she had a small appetite and was already full.
"By the way, is it really okay for Hikigaya-kun to spend so much?"
Hearing this, Hikigaya glanced at her with a hint of surprise. It seemed Class D wasn't entirely made up of idiots. Kushida Kikyo had likely realized there was something fishy about the "100,000 personal points every month" and had started consciously controlling her spending.
"Is there a problem? We'll get more points next month anyway."
Hikigaya feigned confusion, pretending to be completely in the dark.
'This dead-fish-eyes seems to be a fool too...'
Kushida Kikyo had excellent social skills. In just the first four days of school, she hadn't only become a familiar face in the first-year groups but also had contacts among the upperclassmen. Although the school had issued a gag order to the senpais, Kushida had managed to extract some information through various bits and pieces of conversation.
"Uh, it's nothing... ah~"
Kushida looked down at her phone, then pressed her hands together in apology. "Hikigaya-kun, Shinohara and the others are looking for me. I can't stay with you any longer."
'I never asked you to stay.
Besides, don't you get tired of wearing a mask in front of everyone every day? The pressure is bound to explode sooner or later...'
Hikigaya watched Kushida's retreating back, feeling like her steps were a bit heavy. However, since this was the lifestyle Kushida had chosen, he, as an outsider, had no right to judge.
During the lunch break, Hikigaya went to the library to pass the time.
After school, he went home... No, he went to attend club activities. For Hikigaya, who had been in the "Go-Home Club" for all three years of middle school, this was definitely a novel experience.
"Huh?"
He felt like someone was secretly following him. Through the reflection in a glass window, Hikigaya saw a pair of red twin-tails exposed behind a corner.
Sakura Airi... What was she following him for?
Forget it... I shouldn't be too self-conscious.
Upon reaching a turn in the hallway, Hikigaya immediately sped up and shook off the little tail behind him.
-
-
-
At the Martial Arts Club.
"Welcome, Hikigaya-kouhai," President Mutou greeted warmly.
"Good afternoon, President," Hikigaya replied politely.
"No need to be so stiff, just call me Mutou."
"Yes, Mutou-senpai."
"Sigh~ You really are a serious guy... fine, let's start training." Mutou didn't push it.
Hikigaya's school life gradually became regular. The teaching building, the Martial Arts Club, and the dorms—a three-point line every day.
It's worth mentioning that Hikigaya still dreamt every night. The things in those dreams were truly too embarrassing to mention... so let's leave it at that!
In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed since the start of school. Since Hikigaya had sold the information about the S-System, Classes A, B, and C had been very restrained, doing their best to avoid behaviors that would violate the "behavioral test."
Class D, however, was as self-indulgent as ever—tardiness, sleeping in class, littering, and even people playing with balls in the classroom and breaking a surveillance camera...
Hikigaya seriously suspected that when the final points were tallied, Class D's score might be deducted directly into the negatives!
But none of that had anything to do with Hikigaya. He had already earned 3 million from selling intelligence and another 1.5 million from President Horikita. Even if Class D stayed at zero points for the next three years, it wouldn't affect his personal life in the slightest.
-
-
-
May 1st.
Hikigaya woke up early as usual for his morning exercise on the track. On the way, he ran into Ibuki Mio, who had long since recovered.
"Hey, Hikigaya. You received the personal points from the school too, right?"
"Yeah, I got them."
"Mine is 81,000 points. What about yours?"
"Zero."
"Zero... are you sure you're not joking?"
Embarrassment aside, the shock was real. Personal points were tied to class points, which meant Class D's score had dropped all the way to 0?
"Since things have come to this, why don't we go grab breakfast first."
Hikigaya's expression was normal; this was all within his expectations. The only thing he felt lucky about was that the S-System didn't have a negative point mechanism; otherwise, having personal points deducted would have been very painful!
"Your reaction is way too calm..."
Ibuki Mio looked at him in surprise, a bit of admiration appearing in her gaze. "As expected of the Martial Arts Club's Rookie King, what nerves!"
"What 'Rookie King'... can you please not use that name?
It's too cringy."
Hikigaya covered his face in protest.
Since joining the Martial Arts Club a month ago, his combat skills had improved rapidly, even allowing him to win against some second-year senpais in the club.
Chapter 028 Not Admitting Defeat Until the Bitter End
In the cafeteria, Ibuki Mio bought him an extra-large serving of tonkotsu ramen.
"How much?"
"Don't worry about it, my treat."
"How can I accept that?"
"If I tell you to eat, just eat. Why so much talk?" Ibuki shoved the chopsticks into his hand with a look of feigned anger.
'Is this girl under the impression that I don't have any points to spend?'
Class D got a big fat zero. It was predictable that for the vast majority of Class D students, this month was going to be miserable. Of course, that didn't include Hikigaya.
The corner of Ibuki's mouth twitched upward. "What? Are you so moved you're about to drop a few tears?"
"Ibuki, you'll make a fine woman who knows how to run a household in the future." Hikigaya said with a straight face.
"Ba-Baka!
What on earth are you blathering about!!" Ibuki's face turned bright red.
'Is this what they call 'embarrassment turning into rage'?'
"Hmph! I treat you like a bro, and you actually want to marry me and take me home? No way!!" Ibuki raised her fist, making a gesture as if she were going to pummel him to death.
"Yes, yes, I was just joking..." Hikigaya quickly raised his hands in surrender.
As expected, the gentle and considerate "Ibuki Mio" from his dreams did not exist.
"Hikigaya, why are you still taking your sweet time eating breakfast?"
The person who approached was none other than Horikita Suzune. She immediately grabbed his arm to pull him away. "Come with me for a moment; I have something to say to you."
"Hey! Are you acting like I don't exist?"
Ibuki Mio delivered a swift knife-hand strike, knocking Horikita's hand off Hikigaya's arm. She glared at the latter with an unfriendly gaze.
"..."
Hikigaya secretly thought to himself that this was bad. These two had extremely incompatible personalities; in his dream, they had fought until they were both bloody!
"Who are you?" Horikita Suzune was somewhat surprised; the strength the other girl used was clearly not that of an ordinary student.
"Before asking someone else's name, identify yourself first. That's basic manners." For some reason, looking at the black-haired girl in front of her, Ibuki felt a natural sense of repulsion.
"I have no obligation to tell you my name, nor do I wish to know yours. This is an internal matter for Class D. Please leave!" Horikita Suzune similarly disliked the blue-haired girl, sensing an inexplicable hostility.
"Who cares about your class?" Ibuki arched an eyebrow, pressing one hand firmly on Hikigaya's shoulder. "This guy is eating my noodles. No one is taking him away until he's finished!"
'What kind of logic is that?' Horikita Suzune frowned and cast an inquiring glance at Hikigaya.
"Wasting food is a shameful act," Hikigaya said, continuing to slurp his noodles.
Seeing this, Horikita had nothing more to say and could only stand to the side waiting. Ibuki Mio didn't leave satisfied until she personally confirmed that Hikigaya had slurped up the very last noodle and drank every drop of the broth.
"Hi... Hachiman, I'll treat you again tomorrow." Before leaving, Ibuki didn't forget to cast a provocative glance at Horikita Suzune.
'Wait, why did she suddenly start using my first name at the end?'
"That girl... she's from Class C, right?" Horikita Suzune's brow was tightly furrowed as she stared deeply at Ibuki's retreating figure.
"She's Ibuki Mio from Class C, a member of the same club as me," Hikigaya explained succinctly.
"You certainly get along well with girls from other classes..."
'What does that have to do with you?'
Though he wanted to say that, Hikigaya understood a bit of social etiquette. "My relationship with you is also... alright?"
Just kidding.
"..."
'Wait, why didn't you deny it?'
Horikita's eyes flickered slightly before she chose to skip the topic.
"Regarding the personal points the school distributed today, what do you think?"
"What do I think? I looked at them on my phone." Hikigaya waved his student terminal.
"Don't give me that nonsense!" Horikita's face turned cold.
"I expect Chabashira-sensei will provide a detailed explanation during homeroom later." Hikigaya was too lazy to say more.
.
.
.
In the Class D classroom, the whole place was in an uproar. The decibel level of the noise was higher than ever before. Everyone was complaining; they had spent all their personal points, so why hadn't the school transferred the next batch yet?
'Seriously, guys? 100,000 a month and you actually dared to spend every last bit?'
Hikigaya didn't even want to comment.
"Good morning, Horikita-san and Hikigaya-kun." Kushida Kikyo gave her usual enthusiastic greeting.
Of course, her main target was Horikita; Hikigaya was just an afterthought.
Usually, out of politeness, Horikita would at least return a "morning," but today she was weighed down by her thoughts. She didn't even bother with a perfunctory response and ignored Kushida entirely, walking straight to her seat.
Kushida's expression stiffened, so she turned her gaze toward Hikigaya. "By the way, Hikigaya-kun, did you receive points from the school today?"
"Yeah."
"I see, it seems nobody else... Eh?!" Kushida hadn't expected much from the question, so the answer caught her off guard. Her eyes widened. "Hikigaya-kun, you really received them?"
"Didn't the text message from the school say the transfer was confirmed as completed?" Hikigaya felt the answer was obvious.
"But my account balance hasn't increased by a single point, and everyone else..." Kushida stopped mid-sentence as her expression shifted.
Was it possible that the points had been distributed, but the amount was...
In fact, most people in the room hadn't entirely failed to realize this. They were just clinging to a shred of hope, unwilling to puncture the fantasy.
'What a bunch of fools who won't admit defeat until they see the coffin!'
Hikigaya was actually looking forward to seeing what kind of magnificent expressions would appear on the faces of these "gods" when they faced the cruel reality.
'Must... hold it in! I can't laugh out loud!'
"The corners of your mouth are curling up, Dead-Fish-Eyes boy~~"
Koenji Rokusuke, sitting in the front row, was holding a small mirror and meticulously grooming his hair. He spoke words that were hard to decipher: "Have you finally begun to feel pleasure?"
'Are you Gilgamesh?'
Hikigaya ignored him, propping his chin on his hand and pretending to look at the scenery outside. He happened to lock eyes with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka diagonally across from him, who had also turned back to look at him.
"..."
Speaking of which, this dangerous guy who felt like a "pseudo-human" hadn't made a single move in the month since school started. He had even voluntarily joined Yamauchi's small group to become his lackey. Ayanokouji's presence was even lower than his own.
Hikigaya always felt the guy was plotting something, like those background characters in detective novels who seem insignificant at the start but turn out to be the mastermind behind everything! But as long as it didn't affect him, why care?
"Ring ring ring~"
The school bell rang. Chabashira Sae stepped into the classroom precisely on time as usual. However, today the sound of her black-heeled shoes clicking on the floor felt heavy. Her naturally cold face was now covered in a thick layer of frost!
Quite a few people in Class D sensed an atmosphere different from the norm and gradually grew quiet. Of course, one should never overestimate the level of self-awareness of some of these "gods."
"Sae-chan-sensei, you didn't miss your period, did you?"
"Ah ha ha ha ha~!"
Ike Kanji spoke like a washed-up comedian, telling a joke that wasn't funny in the slightest. At this point, it wasn't even a joke anymore; it was arguably sexual harassment.
Hikigaya truly couldn't understand this guy's logic. He constantly talked about "recruiting a girlfriend," yet in reality, he did the very things that would make girls despise him.
'Do you really think you're being humorous?'
Chabashira Sae completely ignored Ike's clownish remark. She spoke expressionlessly: "Everyone, return to your seats. We are starting a class meeting.
Before that, I imagine you have many questions. Let's take them one by one.
I will answer every single one of them!!"
By the end, Chabashira's icy eyes narrowed slightly, like a final verdict being delivered in a courtroom.
Chapter 029 A Heaven-Defying Score Gap
"Um, this morning when I went to the convenience store to buy supplies, I found my account balance was insufficient. Wasn't it agreed that on the first of every month, the school would distribute personal points? I couldn't buy my cola, and I'm really anxious..."
Sotomura Hideo was genuinely worried. Well, one could tell he really loves his "fat otaku happy water."
"Sotomura, as previously stated, personal points are credited on the first of every month. To ensure nothing is missed, the school sends a confirmation text message to every student," Chabashira Sae explained matter-of-factly.
"But, the reality is we just didn't receive them!" Yamauchi Haruki expressed his defiance. "Chabashira-sensei, you didn't embezzle our personal points, did you?"
Look, another "godly" comment.
Chabashira Sae looked disgusted, as if her "intolerance for stupidity" was flaring up. For such a moronic question, if she replied even a single word, she would consider it a loss.
"I will say it one more time: the points have indeed been deposited into your individual accounts. This is a 100% confirmed fact...
Do not hold onto naive fantasies."
Chabashira Sae felt she could no longer be said to be "hinting"; the clear answer was laid out on the table.
Yet, someone's IQ still failed to make the grade: "So, why exactly is that?!"
Chabashira Sae laughed out of anger, her words venting malice without reservation: "You really are a group of utterly foolish students!!!"
The students of Class D were stunned by Chabashira Sae's sudden outburst, but then a burst of loud laughter suddenly rang out in the classroom.
"Hahahaha~ What a funny performance I've just witnessed."
Under this atmosphere, the only one who could laugh so unscrupulously was the "blonde young master" of the class, Koenji Rokusuke. This guy always loved to mix in a few English words; in the eyes of others, wasn't his behavior also "funny"?
Hikigaya grumbled inwardly.
"Koenji, you seem to already know the truth. Why don't you tell everyone?" Chabashira Sae's eyes lit up, intentionally trying to guide him to step forward.
However, Koenji Rokusuke clearly saw through her intention and wasn't buying it: "I have no obligation to explain things to commoners."
Then he shifted his focus: "Fish-Eyes boy, aren't you going to say something?"
'Eh~? Who is Fish-Eyes boy? Is there someone like that in this class?'
Just as Hikigaya was about to pretend he didn't know and look around... he suddenly realized that everyone in Class D had instinctively focused their gaze on him.
'Wait... That's clearly a nickname Koenji Rokusuke made up on a whim. Why have you all decided that 'Fish-Eyes boy' is me!'
He would rather be called "Hikitani"!!
Also, the "cute-since-she-was-little" Horikita-san next to me—if you keep holding back your laughter, be careful or I'll call you "Hikigaya Suzune" and we can all explode together!!!
"Hey, Hikigaya, do you know something? Hurry up and speak!" Yamauchi Haruki urged impatiently.
This was the first time the guy had called him by his correct name. Which meant he had been calling him "Hikigear" on purpose all along!
"Um~ I'm not quite sure what you mean..." Hikigaya still wanted to play dumb and try to gloss over it.
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand; it's enough that I do." Koenji Rokusuke propped his feet up on the desk, striking the pose of an "overbearing CEO."
'Is this guy really some kind of young master?' Hikigaya was utterly speechless.
By the way, how did he know? He hadn't spoken to Koenji even once.
Wait, could it be...
When he first entered the classroom, in order to brush off Kushida Kikyo, Hikigaya had casually mentioned "the fact that personal points were confirmed to be distributed."
His intention was to tip her off so she would speak up in homeroom and naturally gain everyone's attention... that way, she wouldn't bother him.
Koenji must have overheard it then.
"I understand now!
Since the teacher said the points are confirmed to be distributed, there is only one truth—the points we received this month are zero."
Kushida Kikyo's sudden statement attracted the attention of the entire Class D.
"It's actually zero points..."
"As expected of Kushida-san, she actually figured it out."
The Class D crowd came to a realization. After a round of brown-nosing praise, they continued to ask: "Then does Kushida-san know why we are at zero? Wasn't it agreed we'd get 100,000 every month?"
Kushida Kikyo enjoyed being the center of attention, but faced with the follow-up question, she really didn't know.
"For this question, let's let Fish-Ey—cough, Hikigaya-kun explain."
'Tch! You big-chested, brainless woman! Can't you even figure this out?'
Hikigaya cursed her uselessness inwardly. Being stared at by so many pairs of eyes in Class D, Hikigaya knew he couldn't easily bluff his way through. His eyes darted around as he organized his lines.
"I remember on the first day of school, Chabashira-sensei said the school measures students by merit. 100,000 personal points was the school's initial evaluation of us..."
Hikigaya paused, then continued with a straight face: "Then on the second day of school, Hirata-kun received news from a certain information broker. Among that news were listed important details about class competition. Since it's a competition, there must be some sort of criteria... Based on our performance this month, the school's evaluation of us has dropped to zero."
The crowd was struck with realization.
"This..."
"That intelligence from that day was actually that important!"
"If we had known, we should have pooled our points to buy it."
Every one of them in Class D showed a look of extreme regret. But Hikigaya knew that even if these people were given another choice, there was a high probability they wouldn't be able to scrape together the one-million-point information fee.
"Exactly as Hikigaya said. In the first month of enrollment, a behavioral test is conducted.
A total of 98 instances of tardiness or absence, 211 recorded instances of idling or using phones in class, 77 instances of littering..."
The records were precise down to the single digits. Only now did everyone belatedly look up at the surveillance cameras on the ceiling, finally understanding everything.
"In addition, because Yamauchi and Sudo were playing with a ball in the classroom and broke a camera, an extra 100 points were deducted!"
Chabashira Sae turned to the blackboard and wrote out a list of data:
Class A: 985 points
Class B: 940 points
Class C: 820 points
Class D: 0 points
"How can this be..."
"The gap with the other three classes is actually this large!"
Seeing this heaven-defying score gap, Horikita Suzune, who had managed to stay calm until now, finally broke.
"Given that Classes A, B, and C obtained information about the S-System starting from the second day, all three classes have broken the record for the highest score in the first month of any previous year...
Conversely, our Class D has achieved the lowest score in the history of Advanced Nurturing!!"
As Chabashira Sae reached the end, she couldn't help but grit her teeth. Class D getting zero was within her expectations—one could even say it was a result she had deliberately allowed. Her goal was to strike a heavy blow to Class D's laziness, create a sense of crisis, and seek a breakthrough by "finding life in a dead end."
However, what she never expected was that an information broker would appear out of nowhere and let Classes A, B, and C take flight instantly!
Faced with such a staggering class point gap right at the start, she really didn't know how Class D could possibly play the game now.
Chapter 030 I Hate Working
As the saying goes, both happiness and despair are derived through comparison. It wasn't scary that Class D had 0 points; what was terrifying—and utterly hopeless—was that Classes A, B, and C had all secured hundreds of points!
"Aaaaah! How can this be? We're the worst class!"
"No personal points... how am I supposed to survive this month?"
Watching the Class D crowd sink into sorrow, Hikigaya felt not a single shred of pity. Instead, he felt a refreshing sense of "you got what you deserved."
The corners of Hikigaya's mouth curled upward involuntarily.
He thought to himself: Perhaps this is the "pleasure" Koenji Rokusuke was talking about.
"Wait, Chabashira-sensei! I don't recall us ever receiving an explanation that things worked this way..."
As the recognized leader of Class D, Hirata Yousuke stood up to protest.
"Heh! Hirata, don't you think what you're saying is ridiculous?"
Chabashira Sae's red lips curled with coldness as she continued her mockery: "Isn't following school rules and classroom discipline a matter of course for a high school student?
Why would that need a special announcement?
Do you think you're still in elementary school!"
Faced with Chabashira Sae's logical rebuttal, Hirata Yousuke was momentarily speechless.
"Horikita, Yukimura, don't look so indignant."
Chabashira Sae specifically named the two: "I know you have good grades and are among the few in Class D who actually listen in class.
But for a student, those are just the most basic expectations.
Simply doing well yourself is not enough to earn extra class points."
Her words implied, inside and out, that the two needed to shift their perspective from "individual" to "class."
"I don't accept this! Why should I have to pay for other people's mistakes?"
The bespectacled boy named Yukimura Teruhiko remained defiant.
"..."
Horikita Suzune, however, fell into deep thought. From time to time, she glanced at Hikigaya, a look of realization flickering in her eyes.
Chabashira Sae was also surprised by this.
Originally, she thought that with Horikita's stubborn, straightforward mind, she would never figure it out and would insist on pestering her with nonsense like "I don't recognize myself as being in Class D," "I am excellent," or "I will report this to the school."
It seems someone has changed her?
The isolated Yukimura Teruhiko tried to seek validation from Horikita, a fellow "honor student": "Hey! Horikita, say something! Do you actually accept being in this garbage-like class?"
'Good grief, another one with low emotional intelligence.'
Unsurprisingly, Yukimura's ruthless "stepping" on the class successfully triggered the hostility of everyone in Class D. He was showered with insults like "Loser four-eyes," "A block of wood who only knows books," and "Pretentious creep."
"It's true that by normal rules, I don't believe there is any reason for me to be assigned to Class D.
However, I've thought about it. Can a 'normal' student get free tuition, free housing, and 100,000 personal points a month for unrestricted use?"
Horikita Suzune's sharp insight caused the noisy atmosphere in the classroom to go quiet.
"Since I have received the benefits of this school, I must accept the school's rules, even if they are unreasonable.
I'm not wrong, am I, Hikigaya-kun?"
'We were doing so well, why did you have to drag me into this at the end?'
"You perceived the school's unreasonable rules from the very first day of enrollment.
You didn't complain or protest; you accepted the result naturally and took action accordingly..."
Horikita Suzune recalled her meeting with her brother, where he pointed out Hikigaya's behavior—taking free items at the supermarket and gathering information from upperclassmen.
"Ahem~ well, I'm just a realist."
Fearing she might inadvertently expose more about him, Hikigaya quickly cut in to change the subject: "It's like being a corporate drone. You work overtime and pour your heart into a project, but because of a colleague's mistake, the project gets rejected. The boss won't look at your hard work; they'll just call the whole team useless, and naturally, your bonus goes down the drain..."
'Uh, why is everyone silent? Did I say something I shouldn't have?'
"Hikigaya, that analogy... it was a good one. Just don't use it again."
Such a realistic critical hit was too much for students who hadn't entered society yet. Even Chabashira Sae, who had been in the professional world for years, felt her mental defenses slightly cracking!!
"Fish-Eyes boy, it seems you have quite a talent for management.
Interested in coming to work at my company after graduation?"
As expected of the "Overbearing Young Master," he started a CEO-direct recruitment right on the spot.
"No. I hate working the most."
Hikigaya refused without a second thought.
"Haha! Those who hate work often end up throwing themselves into it in the end. Fate is just that cruel."
'Is this guy cursed?' Hikigaya's face darkened.
"Back to the original topic. Do you have any other questions regarding this class meeting?" Chabashira Sae felt the conversation was drifting.
"Um, could you at least tell us the detailed items for class point increases and decreases?" Hirata Yousuke was a responsible leader. Even now, he hadn't given up on Class D, which had fallen into the mud.
Hikigaya admitted he wasn't as great as the other guy; he had given up on Class D at the very first opportunity.
"That's impossible. According to school regulations, detailed audit contents cannot be made public.
Just like when you step into society and start working, personnel evaluations won't tell you the specific criteria."
Chabashira Sae's icy words extinguished Hirata Yousuke's last glimmer of hope.
Then, she added a meaningful supplement: "Even if you change your issues with tardiness, absences, and classroom discipline now, the class points deducted this month won't come back. The only thing worth being happy about is that the S-System doesn't have a negative point mechanism. In other words... no matter how many things you do now that would normally result in deductions, it won't affect the class points. Interesting, isn't it~~"
"How can it be like this..." Hirata Yousuke's expression turned grim.
Chabashira's last sentence was practically encouraging Class D to continue rotting!
However, Hikigaya read a very important piece of key information from it.
'No matter how many things result in deductions, it won't affect the class points...'
Doesn't that make them "Invincible Persons"?
As the saying goes, those with bare feet don't fear those wearing shoes. As long as they played their cards right, Class D could use this chance to threaten the other three classes and extort massive benefits.
Hikigaya wouldn't resort to such underhanded methods. Of course, whether others would or not was a different matter.
Hikigaya noticed that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—the "low-profile pseudo-human" sitting diagonally across from him—had a flicker of unknown coldness in his emotionless eyes.
As for why Hikigaya saw it... it was purely his imagination.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's disguise was perfect; no one could delve into his true thoughts. Hikigaya was simply biased, having already labeled the guy as an "Evil Uchiha."