Hachiman Hikigaya, who returned from his studies after completing his training.

"What does the chairman mean?" Hikigaya asked tentatively. Chairman Sakayanagi had clearly told him something by revealing Ayanokouji's father's purpose.

“Go and defeat Kiyotaka.” For the first time, a serious expression appeared on Sakayanagi Shigemori’s face. “Although I still respect Atsuomi-sensei, his educational philosophy is too inhumane.”

“Father, this is not what we agreed on. I can bury this fake, artificial genius all by myself.”

Sakayanagi Arisu looked annoyed and impatient. The task of defeating Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was originally assigned to her by Sakayanagi Narimori, but now there's another small fry like Hikigaya.

"Yes, yes, just leave it to Sakayanagi-san. I'm just an ordinary person and can't handle geniuses, whether they're artificial or natural."

Hachiman didn't want to get involved in this mess. He figured whoever wanted to do this troublesome and pointless thing could do it; he just needed to make sure there were no problems.

"If you just defeat Hikigaya-kun first, then no one will be able to take it from you." Sakayanagi Narumi reached out and patted Sakayanagi Arisu's head with a kind expression.

Because Hikigaya was still there, Sakayanagi Arisu simply pushed her father's hand away and stopped talking, still maintaining that angry baby expression.

She's so cute that even Hachiman wanted to reach out and pinch her little cheeks.

Withdrawing his hand, Sakasaka Narimori looked at Hikigaya and smiled, "Your sister is still in her second year of junior high, right? I can reserve a spot for her when she graduates. You just need to prepare 20 million personal points in these three years and you can get her into Class A. Then she can attend any university."

"..." Hachiman was immediately moved. "Why is the chairman so good to me?"

Komachi's grades aren't top-notch, and she might not be able to get into a prestigious high school. This school, though a bit out of touch with the mainstream, has top-notch teachers nationwide, and with 20 million yen, Komachi's future is guaranteed.

"It's about Chabashira-sensei. I feel a little sorry, but she was once my student." Mentioning Chabashira, Sakayanagi Moriki showed a somewhat tired expression.

“I never expected her obsession with what happened back then would lead to this. I hope you can give her a chance. If you let her leave this school like this, I’m afraid her life will be trapped here forever.”

"Why should the chairman need to consider my opinion if he is willing?"

"Don't worry, I will fire her according to the usual procedure if you don't want to. I can tell who is right and who is wrong, and as a father, I have to set an example for Arisu."

Seeing the determination in Sakayanagi Narumi's eyes, Hikigaya believed that he would really do as he said, and the fate of the tea stalk was now entirely in his hands.

Before Chabashira Sae's outburst, he didn't have any issues with her. After all, she was beautiful, and Chairman Sakayanagi was approachable and spoke pleasantly. He didn't mind letting Chabashira off the hook this time.

Chazhu has lost its threat to him, and he can even use this to blackmail Chazhu into doing things for him. Changing the homeroom teacher might not necessarily be as effective as Chazhu.

“Then we’ll go with the chairman’s opinion, but I have another question.” Hachiman discovered a blind spot, “Ayanokouji and I are both in Class D, so how do we determine if we’ve defeated him?”

“That’s easy.” Sakayanagi Narimori smiled slightly. “We just need to transfer Kiyotaka to Class C.”

Chapter Thirty-Five: Inviting Shiina to Dinner

When I came out of the chairman's office, school had already let out. Chairman Sakayanagi's idea was for him to choose someone from Class C to switch places with Ayanokouji. He was to give me the choice as soon as possible, and if no one could choose, it would be random.

As for the candidate, Hikigaya only had one in mind, because he only knew Shiina Hiyori, the literary girl, in Class C, and Shiina's academic ability was also among the top in the grade.

After reporting to the student council, Ichinose also privately asked him what he and Sakayanagi were doing when they passed by Class B's classroom together during class time.

However, since he was unsure of Shiina's intentions and the matter was rather complicated, Hikigaya opted to evade the question.

"Awaited."

After leaving the student council, Hikigaya went straight to the supermarket to meet Horikita Suzune, whom he had arranged to meet. Tonight, he planned to have Horikita give him some cooking tips and also meet Shiina, whom he was hosting.

He wasn't sure if Shiina would be willing to transfer to Class D, but to show his welcome to her, he decided to cook some delicious food for her, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," just as Horikita tricked him with delicious tempura at noon, Hikigaya did the same.

"Has Shiina ever told you what you like to eat?" Holding a shopping basket, he walked with Horikita to the ingredient section, where the dazzling array of ingredients left him unsure of where to begin.

Turning his head to the side, Horikita wore a thoughtful expression. "If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be."

Although Shiina would occasionally ask her to read books together, it was always Shiina who initiated the conversation, and in most cases, she was the one answering Shiina's questions.

Horikita initially tried to befriend Shiina because of her brother's expectations. In the early days, she sometimes found Shiina a bit annoying, but she no longer feels that way.

This made her realize how wonderful time truly is.

"That girl... what do you like to eat?" Hikigaya felt that Horikita probably wouldn't be able to answer the question he originally wanted to ask.

"Me? I prefer something lighter, like scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which I often make."

"Forget about this, tomatoes are so cute, why would I eat them?"

Hachiman took the tomato Horikita had just received and put it back in its place. He could accept fries with ketchup, but he disliked them being cooked or eaten raw.

This isn't because he's a picky eater; he just can't stand seeing tomatoes suffer.

"What kind of reason is that? He's even picky about tomatoes. What a pathetic man."

Upon hearing Hikigaya's nonsense, Horikita's cold expression vanished, replaced by a smile, and he locked onto Hikigaya's gaze.

Judging from her appearance, Horikita is undoubtedly the most beautiful girl in her grade, with her long, slender legs encased in black over-the-knee stockings, showcasing her absolute territory. Her smooth, long black hair cascades down her back, with a small braid tied in a bow on the right side. Her delicate face has slightly upturned fox-like eyes with a hint of smugness.

"Can you please stop only laughing when you're mocking people? You're so beautiful." Hachiman couldn't help but speak his mind.

"Thank you for the compliment, but this is just me." Horikita picked up a carrot still covered in mud from the vegetable section, her expression returning to normal. "Carrot stir-fried with meat?"

"Okay, let's order one dish first."

Hachiman took the carrot and put it in his shopping basket. He felt comfortable around Horikita and didn't get the illusion that she liked him, so he didn't think he would fall in love with her.

After strolling around for half an hour and deciding what dishes to make, the two returned to their dorm. Under Horikita's guidance, Hikigaya began cooking and waited for Shiina to arrive.

I was teased by Horikita several times while cooking because I wasn't very skilled, but I managed to cook a few dishes without burning them.

He used to be in charge of cooking because his parents were too busy to come home. But his world's cutest little sister, Komachi, took over his job after she grew up, causing his cooking skills to decline.

"You think you can be a stay-at-home husband?" Horikita continued her sarcastic remarks.

"I want you to manage."

It was a foolish thing to bring up his past dreams to Horikita. Hachiman opened the door for Shiina, who happened to be knocking, feeling depressed. Shiina was dressed in casual clothes.

The girl wore a light blue collared short dress with a bow tied with a thin blue ribbon. Her small feet, encased in gray stockings, were adorned with light-colored leather shoes, exuding the unique charm of a young girl.

"it's beautiful."

Just as he praised Horikita's beauty today, Hikigaya also praised the bright and charming Shiina in front of him.

"Thank...thank you..."

Unlike Horikita, who had a calm reaction, Shiina's body even visibly trembled. She half-covered her face with the book she had brought and barged into the room like a little rabbit seeing a big bad wolf.

Thinking to himself, "When did Shiina become as easily embarrassed as Sakura?" Hikigaya silently closed the door.

After Horikita helped set out the food, Shiina still seemed a little hesitant to look at him, but kept chatting with Horikita, mentioning that today's dishes were sweeter than the ones Horikita had made last time, which she liked better.

"This time it was Hachiman who did it."

Horikita's words surprised Shiina. "Did Hachiman make this? I'm sorry, I didn't expect Hachiman to be such a good cook."

The invitation given to Shiina Ichirogi was just a dinner invitation without mentioning who cooked it. Because Horikita cooked it last time, she assumed that Horikita cooked it this time as well.

"I only know a little bit; it's all thanks to Horikita's guidance," Hachiman said modestly. "Eat more if you like."

"Ah."

After they had finished their meal, Hikigaya brought up the matter of asking Shiina to transfer to another class, because he wasn't sure if she would be willing, and he didn't want Shiina to eat his cooking with a bad attitude.

The specifics of the deal with Chairman Sakayanagi were not mentioned. It was only stated that he must now select someone from Class C to exchange classes with Kiyotaka Ayanokouji from Class D. If no one is willing, the school will randomly select someone from Class C.

"Then choose me." Shiina looked a little lonely in response to his invitation. "The other classmates all have their own close friends, but I don't. I can't separate them."

Shiina should have been happy to accept his offer, but the reason Shiina gave made him a little sad. Even though he didn't have any good friends with her, Shiina clearly still felt a little reluctant to leave Class C.

"I'm sorry, but it's also because someone from Class C has to switch classes with Ayanokouji."

Although Chairman Sakayanagi felt that there were too many talented people in Class D, he wouldn't take action without a reason. Hachiman provided him with a motive.

"How did you do that, and why Ayanokouji?" Horikita's expression turned serious. Hikigaya had only asked Shiina for a favor, but hadn't mentioned that her deskmate was going to be moved to Class C.

"That's a secret, but one of the reasons for choosing Ayanokouji is that he's very strong. You can think of him as an enhanced version of your brother. The school wants to weaken Class D's fighting power."

"Impossible! My brother is known as the strongest student council president in history. How could he be inferior to Ayanokouji?"

Horikita looked indignant. In her eyes, her deskmate, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, was just a gloomy student who was hiding some of his strength. How could he possibly be comparable to her brother?

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Tea Pillar Admits Defeat

Perhaps fearing that he might not take Ayanokouji seriously, Chairman Sakayanagi gave him a brief introduction to his abilities.

For example, in terms of academic ability, it is described that even now he could easily get into the best university in the country, and in terms of martial arts, he could easily defeat more than a dozen adults.

Upon hearing this, Hikigaya could only say that his respected student council president was no match for Ayanokouji, this monster.

"This is what the school determines, just like they determine that you are a student in Class D."

Horikita Hikigaya, who was indignant, looked at Shiina but didn't know what to say to comfort her. He couldn't very well say that transferring Ayanokouji to Class C was a good deal for Class C, but rather a good one.

"Feel sorry."

"It's not Hikigaya's fault, don't apologize." Shiina shook her head. "I don't care about Ayanokouji either. I just want to ask if you're happy that I'm in Class D."

He was happy. How could he not be happy? After all, Shiina was a lovely girl who excelled in both character and academics, and also his good book friend.

"Of course," Hachiman patted his chest and assured him, "I'd be so happy I'd cook for you every day without a problem."

"Then I'll grant Hikigaya-kun's wish." Shiina whispered, lifting her beautiful silver hair to cover most of her face, "I'll come every day."

You actually agreed?!

Shiina, I didn't expect you to turn into a bad kid too. Hikigaya feels like he shot himself in the foot, but a gentleman's word is as good as his bond.

"Then I'll submit my name now." Hachiman took out his phone and opened his chat with Arisu Sakayanagi. "Should I send it?"

"Send it." Shiina turned her head away from him.

After sending the name to Sakayanagi, Shiina said goodbye and left in a hurry before receiving a reply. Horikita, who was torn between her brother and Ayanokouji, also left.

...........

Next Monday morning, Class 1-D will welcome their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, who is wearing a 'pain mask', back to class after a long absence during the morning self-study session.

"Is Ms. Kozae on her period? Why does she look so pale?" The audacious Kanji Ike dared to make such a reckless remark, which almost made Hikigaya burst out laughing.

The seat where Ayanokouji was sitting was now empty. He didn't quite know what Chabashira-sensei was feeling, having only been warned and notified by the chairman to transfer to another class at the very last minute, but it certainly wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Shut up, you idiot." Chabashira glared at Ike Kanji with a demonic expression. The idiot had no idea what was going on.

Class A: 1080

Class B: 1040

Class C: Nine Hundred

Class D: 830

After the midterm exams, the classes that passed all received an extra 100 class points. Because of Hachiman's information selling, even Class A, which had the highest points, only had a little over 200 more points than Class D.

She could catch up with this small gap by winning two special exams, and there was also an exceptional genius like Kiyotaka Ayanokouji in her class who could be of use to her advantage. She had never had such a wonderful start.

Although there are quite a few students with poor academic abilities (E and D), there are only slightly fewer students with academic ability (A) than in Class A, and even more students with physical ability (A) than in Class A. It's hard to know how we can lose.

She was about to open the champagne halfway through the event when she was suddenly told that her beloved Ayanokouji was gone, and her disobedient and lazy second son, Hikigaya, had also been offended by her.

If she could, she even wanted to go down and slap Ike Kanji a few times to show him her anger.

"Everyone is here. Before we start studying, I have something to announce."

"Chabashira-sensei, Ayanokouji-kun hasn't arrived yet." Hirata Yosuke, who had been keeping an eye on his classmates, raised his hand to speak. Chabashira's statement that everyone was present gave him an ominous feeling.

"Everyone is here now." Chabashira repeated what he had said before turning to the classroom door. "Shiina-kun, you can come in now."

As the classroom door opened, a calm, silver-haired, purple-eyed beauty walked onto the podium, surveying the students of Class D without flinching, until she saw Hikigaya looking at her, at which point she gave a faint smile.

Hikigaya mouthed "Go for it!" back at Shiina's smile.

Chabashira had a deadpan expression on his face. "Because of a mistake when we enrolled, the school has reassigned Ayanokouji back to Class C, and Shiina, who was originally in Class C, will also be transferred to Class D."

"Why!?"

"How can we accept the school's explanation!"

Hirata and Sudo were both very agitated, especially Hirata, who abandoned his usual gentle demeanor and stood up, staring intently at Chabashira. "What is this?"

Each student in Class D is unique to him; there's no such thing as simply replacing one if one is missing. Besides, the excuse of making a mistake when he enrolled is just too far-fetched.

Even if there was a genuine mistake, the school would usually just let it go, not make such a big fuss like this. Hirata believed there was definitely something fishy going on.

"Sit down!" Chazhu slammed his hand on the podium. "If you're not satisfied, you can apply to withdraw from school right now."

Equally angry, she was now somewhat resigned to her fate. Just because Hirata was angry didn't mean she wouldn't be? She was the one who should be the most angry.