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

Using the excuse that he wanted to consult Horikita Manabu alone, Hikigaya stayed in the office until all the other students left, leaving only him and Horikita Manabu in the large room.

"I'm sorry for taking advantage of you without your permission. I will prepare a reward that will satisfy you."

When Horikita was reviewing the contents of the bet, Hikigaya was the first to apologize. Making a decision for someone else without their permission, regardless of the motive, is something that deserves an apology.

Most people would focus on the six million personal points in this bet, but Masayuki Nagumo is more interested in the second question, while the first question is actually Hikigaya's objective.

It's unacceptable to do something wrong and not apologize, whether it's to Horikita Manabu or Horikita Suzune.

"This is the only one, so don't let me down. I'm free at 4 PM tomorrow."

Without asking what the reward was or why he was so sure he would win, Horikita Manabu coldly read the bet and then put it aside.

"Understood, I'll be waiting for you on the playground, senior." Hachiman put away the bet.

As I walked out of the student council building, I saw Tachibana Akane standing by the door, her arms full of documents and a worried expression on her face. She was such a helpful senior.

"I've already apologized to the senior, so you don't need to worry, senior."

"Who's worried about you? If you cause trouble for the president again, I won't let you off the hook." Tachibana Akane raised her little fist. "And don't talk to me in that disgusting voice."

"It's clearly the gentle and kind voice of an older brother, okay?" Hachiman thought to himself. He realized that he lacked the energy of his younger sister Komachi and had just unconsciously used the tone he used when talking to her.

"Feel sorry."

"I always feel like you're not being sincere. Are you talking badly about me behind my back?"

"You're so difficult to deal with."

Realizing that Akane was about to unleash her girl-only, unreasonable skills, he used his painstakingly honed technique: the best of the thirty-six stratagems is to flee.

There weren't many students in the cafeteria at this time. After eating there, Hachiman took a walk around the dormitory to digest his food before heading straight back to his room. At the dormitory entrance, he spotted a cute figure leaning against the wall reading a book.

Wearing a red school uniform suit and a matching white pleated skirt, the girl with large purple eyes stood there quietly, her profile as clear as delicate white jade.

"Good afternoon, Shiina-san."

Realizing that Shiina must have brought him the books they had agreed on yesterday, Hikigaya quickly walked up to him.

"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun." Shiina closed her book and gave a faint smile. "I hope I didn't bother you. I just wanted to get it to you as soon as possible."

"No offense, I had some things to do at the student council, so I got back a little late. Sorry."

"I didn't make an appointment, so it's my responsibility to apologize."

The question of who should apologize seemed like it would never end if we kept going on like this, so Hikigaya quickly changed the subject, "This is Raymond Chantler's 'Goodbye, My Love,' right? I'll get it back for you after you finish reading it."

"You should also tell me your thoughts after reading it."

"of course."

After exchanging phone numbers, Shiina left with satisfaction, while Hikigaya took out his key card and opened the door. A girl was sitting at his desk playing on her phone.

To show his trust, Hikigaya gave Kikyo Kushida a spare key card for his room. She was going to his room this time mainly to report on Yosuke Hirata's class meeting.

"The situation is not bad. Hirata had garnered the support of many students beforehand during the break. Except for those two idiots, Yamauchi and Soemura, who bought handheld tablets and didn't have many points left, all the other students agreed to give points. Hirata and I made up for the shortfall out of our own pockets."

"Kōenji Temple also received it?"

In Hikigaya's memory, Rokusuke Koenji was an absolute genius, but also possessed the arrogance of a genius. He disdained to socialize with anyone and simply did whatever he liked.

"He gave it to me very readily, but according to my information, Hirata also contacted Koenji privately."

"I see. Hirata can do it if he wants to." Hikigaya put the book on the desk and lay down on the bed. "How about Horikita? Does he have any ambitions to become a leader?"

“No, but I didn’t object to Hirata assigning her the task of teaching other students who weren’t doing well in school.” Kushida swung her legs, which were clad in white pantyhose. “Why are you so concerned about her? Does it mean you like her?”

"Don't talk nonsense, how could she like someone like me?" Hachiman sighed, knowing how awkward and difficult he was.

"I didn't say I didn't like it."

"I don't like people who don't like me."

"A normal person would say that I only like people who like me."

He didn't know when, but Kushida had sat down next to him, her face still wearing that angelic mask. The pleasant scent of perfume, the full figure beyond her years, and the face that everyone would say was cute—such beauty was within his reach.

He knew it was all an illusion; a well-trained lone wolf wouldn't be fooled. The distance between him and her had never shrunk. Perhaps only when she could openly reveal the face hidden behind the mask in front of him without any reservations could he truly call her a friend.

"I'm sorry for being abnormal, I'm just a difficult person." He turned over, stood up, and walked to the French windows on the balcony. The clouds on the horizon had already turned black.

"I'm becoming more and more curious about you."

"Don't say things that are so easy for boys to misunderstand." Hikigaya remained completely calm. "I'm going to form a study group and bring in Hasebe Haruka, Sakura Airi, and Karuzawai Megumi."

These three girls were all from Class D who didn't do well in school. Hasebe and Sakura were his former friends, and Karuzai Megumi was chosen because she would be Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's girlfriend in the future.

Although it's unclear how Kiyotaka Ayanokouji managed to win over this glamorous girl leader who held a certain status among the girls in his class, Hikigaya didn't mind speculating about his methods with the utmost malice.

Chapter Nine: Horikita, the Old Thief, Has Lost All Morals

The early spring sun was warm and gentle, and on the school's spacious playground, many sports clubs were conducting their own training sessions, creating a lively atmosphere even though it was Saturday.

"What a youth."

"What kind of old man's remarks are these?"

Holding the starting pistol borrowed from the track and field club, Hachiman walked towards the starting line of the 200-meter track, with Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary, standing beside him, accompanied by Horikita Manabu.

"If you had borrowed another gun, you could have shot Nagumo in the middle of the track, and he would have lost without a doubt."

"If the starting pistol can fire a bullet, I'll give you the first shot."

“I’m one of our own, why are you making things difficult for me, Secretary?”

Since Horikita Manabu did not object, the race between the two generals, organized by Hikigaya, had already started. Both were wearing sprint uniforms, and their strong physiques made them look evenly matched.

The racetrack was crowded with far more students than when Hachiman left. Horikita Manabu and Nagumo Masaru were exceptionally popular. Most of the girls cheered for Nagumo, while the boys mostly cheered for Horikita Manabu.

"We've borrowed the starting pistol."

As they approached the starting line, Hachiman raised his hand holding the starting pistol high. As the two racers took their positions in front of the starting blocks, the noisy sounds from the sidelines quieted down.

"three."

"two."

"one."

"boom!"

Like pressing play on a movie, a cacophony of sounds erupted like a tidal wave, growing louder as the two drew closer to the finish line, until it exploded like fireworks, resounding through the sky.

For the first 150 meters, Nagumo and Horikita were neck and neck, until the last 50 meters when Horikita pulled ahead of Nagumo and maintained that lead until the finish line.

"How many seconds?"

"Twenty-five seconds." Tachibana showed him the timer on her phone.

"If he were any faster, he could be an athlete."

Even though he had witnessed Horikita Manabu's lightning-fast movements during the sports festival, Hachiman still admired Horikita Manabu's strength. Although Nagumo was strong, Horikita Manabu, who had no girlfriend to hinder him, was even stronger.

After returning the starting pistol to the track and field club members and waiting for the crowd around Horikita Nagumo to disperse, Hikigaya dialed the phone of one of his classmates and put the phone back in his pocket, continuing the call as he walked over to the two of them.

Once the second condition of the bet is met, the next one is the first condition that remains unmet.

"You won. Six million personal points have been transferred to your account." Even though she lost, Nan Yunya remained calm and composed.

"That's really straightforward, no wonder you're the vice president."

Hachiman quickly judged him to be a big spender, "What's your answer to the first question: Who is the person Horikita Manabu cares about most at this school?"

"Don't underestimate me, Hikigaya. The answer is Horikita Suzune, right? Your sister."

Nan Yunya smiled broadly, because he felt that the answer Hachiman gave was not something as obvious as Tachibana Akane's. He had carefully checked the names of all the first-year students and easily obtained Horikita Suzune's photo after learning her name.

"Right, Horikita-senpai?"

"Ah."

Horikita Manabu maintained a serious expression, as if someone had just asked him if he had eaten, but such a simple question had already dealt a huge blow to the girl on the other end of the phone.

"But I didn't expect that the senior's sister was in Class D, even though her grades were among the best. Out of curiosity, I spent a lot of points to buy the interviewer's evaluation of her from the school, only to find out that she just looks like you."

“It’s better than me. Although she’s not quite there yet, she has potential that surpasses mine.” Horikita Manabu suddenly grabbed Hachiman’s shoulder, and Hachiman, who had been silently playing the role of an outsider, was also a little stunned.

"What's wrong with the president?"

"The task of protecting Lingyin's growth is now entrusted to you. You're the one who dragged Lingyin into this mess, so this is the only reward that will satisfy me."

"?" Hikigaya could only look on with a puzzled expression. His plan was to give all six million personal points he had won to Horikita Manabu as a reward. Now, Horikita Manabu was acting like he was entrusting his son to someone. What did he want?

"President, that's your sister, right? As her older brother, you should protect her."

"Just tell me whether you are responsible or not."

For the first time, Hikigaya saw a smile on Horikita's face. He figured he probably wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight; his stomach was churning terribly.

--------

I'm so sleepy, I'm going to die.

Just like last Friday morning, Hachiman walked into the classroom and sat down with dark circles under his eyes. He slept until noon on Saturday after returning from the playground, and unsurprisingly, he suffered from insomnia again last night despite having slept well.

A few minutes before morning class, just as Hachiman was about to close his eyes and rest, a classmate walked up to his desk and handed him his phone.

"Is this you on the forum? I heard you won millions of personal points from the vice president of the student union."

The student's name is Kanji Ike, and like Haruki Yamauchi, he is known by other students as one of the "Three Idiots of Class D".

Chi Kanji's phone displayed a post on the school forum, which stated that Nagumo Masaru admitted that he lost to the first-year student council secretary, Hikigaya, with six million personal points in a race against the president. A photo of him holding up the starting pistol and looking like a half-baked handsome guy was also included.

“Hachiman, we’re friends, right? I’m almost out of points, can you lend me a few tens of thousands?” Haruki Yamauchi turned to the side in his seat and looked at him with a fawning expression. “I even got thrown by Horikita a couple of days ago while standing up for you.”

Hikigaya was speechless. He was a little curious about how Yamauchi, who had only spoken to him twice, had the nerve to say such a thing. However, due to lack of sleep, he just wanted to get rid of the two of them as soon as possible and let them go play somewhere else.

"The photo is photoshopped; it's just a rumor."

“I don’t believe you unless you show us your phone and tell us how many people have points,” Yamauchi retorted.

"You don't believe me? I'll still say you're my friend? Don't bother me."

After moving Ike Kanji's phone to the side, Hikigaya crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and lay face down on the table.

Nan Yunya's counterattack was faster than he had imagined, and the idiots in Class D were easier to incite than he had judged. Just as Nan Yunya had become a notorious scoundrel in his eyes, he had now become a notorious scoundrel in the eyes of the students in Class D.

Fortunately, the fact that he collected two million personal points as an information fee from Class D has not yet been exposed. Hirata had already informed him that the points were collected under the pretext of purchasing them from the school. It is unclear whether Nagumo knows about this or not. To prepare for the worst, the plan to transfer classes needs to be accelerated.

The students in Class D are a mixed bag, making them difficult to unite. In the confrontation with Nagumo, they will only hold him back. Right now, Horikita Manabu is still at the forefront, drawing Nagumo's attention. Once he graduates, Nagumo's mind will probably be focused on him, Horikita Manabu's designated successor.

That old scoundrel Horikita is utterly depraved. He only wanted to reconcile the two siblings, how did he end up getting himself into this mess?

Chapter 10 Hoshinomiya Chie

Karaoke is the most popular form of entertainment among modern people.

Hikigaya had always thought he wouldn't step into such a popular place, but today one of the people he invited to the conspiracy was a little different. He couldn't call her to his dormitory for a private talk, so he had no choice but to accept Kushida's suggestion of a karaoke room.

"Chie, Hachiman is having a lot of trouble right now."

Honami Ichinose looked at her homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya, with a helpless expression. A cute woman in the strange age range of twenty-five to thirty was standing next to a student with dead fish eyes, poking his cheek with her finger without any politeness.

"I just want to get closer to Hachiman-kun." Hoshinomiya's voluptuous body pressed against Hachiman. "After all, Hachiman said he wanted to be my student."

Of the four homeroom teachers in the first year, Hoshinomiya is the least teacher-like. The other three are all serious, suit-wearing types, while she is the only one who is unconventional and likes to wear cute clothes.

There were four people in the room. Besides Ichinose Hoshinomiya, there was also a boy named Kanzaki Ryuji with a sour face. Being a man of action, he pulled Hoshinomiya aside and rescued Hikigaya.

"The condition is that I want to gain decision-making power over Class B." Hikigaya sat down a little further away from Hoshinomiya. "Ichinose, you must support me to become the leader."

Unlike Class D, which was divided into factions, Class B had only one absolute center, Honami Ichinose, whose unparalleled personal charm was admired by all the students from the bottom of their hearts.

Class B, with its strong cohesion, is both powerful and weak, because without Ichinose, they are like ants without their queen.

"I disagree." Kanzaki, a big fan of Ichinose, had his own ideas. Like the other students in Class B, he hoped that Ichinose, whom they admired, would lead them, rather than Hikigaya, the outsider who was transferring to the class.

“Ichinose-kun is no good. This school simulates society to a greater extent than you imagine.” Hikigaya looked at Ichinose. “You’re too kind. You can’t get into Class A without the resolve to drop out of other classes.”

Unlike Kushida, who is a fake angel, Ichinose's personality is kind from the inside out, and her moral standards are far beyond those of ordinary people. She would not use despicable means and is also powerless against the despicable means of others.

"Hoshinomiya-sensei, you must have the same judgment as me, since you were a student at this school before. The special exam is not child's play; it's a life-or-death struggle."