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

Class D leader Hachiman scored full marks on the exam, was physically stronger than him, and most importantly, his judgment defeated Sakayanagi, whom he himself thought was inferior, in this deserted island exam.

Although Ryuen from Class C had worse grades than him, his initiative and the audacity to use violence to control the class were unmatched.

Unlike Ryuen, who had a mixed record, Ichinose from Class B was his complete replacement.

This is also why he didn't volunteer. He was anxious about the current situation in Class A, but he knew his own limitations.

"I don't think I'm capable enough; at most, I can only be a deputy to a leader."

"Me too."

A girl who was lying on the table with her arm as a pillow and looked a little sleepy raised her hand.

"Nobody nominated you, Morishita-kun, you can keep sleeping." Machida complained. Although Morishita Ai was also a neutral party and her studies were only slightly worse than Sanada's, she was always sleepy and her communication skills were poor.

"It's Machida Koji who misunderstood. What I meant was that I also have the same talent as Sanada-kun to be a deputy and can assist the next leader."

"Who cares about you?" Machida muttered, giving up on arguing with Morishita.

"Who wants to be the next leader?"

After the meeting room fell silent again, Katsuragi asked the question again, but still received no answer.

"How about we each vote for one person and see who gets the most votes?" Morishige Takuro suggested.

"It's not enough to just elect a leader, Morishige. It's meaningless for someone who isn't even willing to step forward to become a leader."

Katsura frowned. This was different from electing a class monitor. Even if the elected candidate was unwilling, they could still fulfill the simple job of class monitor. But the responsibilities of the school leaders were not as simple as those of a class monitor.

"So you still want to cling to this position, even though you've failed repeatedly?"

“I will step down if anyone other than Sakayanagi steps forward to become the leader, but if no one is willing to step forward, I will continue to hold this position. You can call me shameless or scold me, but this is my responsibility.”

Katsuragi stood upright, looking at the A-class students with their various expressions. Even though he had made his intentions clear, Sakayanagi in the corner remained silent.

Sakayanagi, who was once surrounded by admirers, now only has Kamuro and Yamamura supporting her. Even Kito has left her due to his disappointment with her willfulness.

"I agree that Katsuragi should temporarily act as leader."

"I agree, but Sanada-kun, you'll have to keep a close eye on him."

“I agree, but Totsuka can no longer be entrusted with such important responsibilities.”

The students in Class A faced two choices: either not let their leader die, or hope that Katsuragi could regroup and rebuild. They made the choice they truly wanted to make, rather than choosing the first option.

As for Sakayanagi, whose willful and reckless behavior led to their crushing defeat, they didn't even consider letting her continue to be willful. They weren't her maids; one mistake was enough, and they couldn't give her a second chance.

"From now on, I will be the temporary leader of Class A. Sanada and Morishita will be in charge of supervising and helping me with strategies." (This is a fragment of a sentence and doesn't translate directly.)

Amidst the lively discussion, Ge Cheng decided on the formation of the next leadership team for Class A.

Unlike others who looked down on Morishita, who was always sleeping and lazy, Katsuragi had a general idea of ​​the abilities of his students, and he believed that Morishita's judgment was stronger than Sanada's.

He had previously asked Morishita for help, but Morishita had refused. Now that the opportunity had come knocking, he wasn't going to let it slip by.

After the students from Class A left the meeting room, only three girls remained.

"Why are you still following me? I've already told you that you're not my friend, and neither is my friend Yamamura."

Sakayanagi looked at Kamuro and Yamamura with some confusion. She had lost her leadership position and was still saying hurtful things, so why hadn't these two left yet?

"I will no longer threaten you about that matter, Kamuro."

"Besides, Yamamura-kun, didn't you also say that you don't like doing things like stalking Hachiman?"

Upon hearing Sakayanagi's words, Yamamura's eyelids drooped even lower, while Kamuro showed an angry expression.

"You think I've been following you because I'm afraid of your threats? Don't be ridiculous. I'm joking. Even if you drop out of this school, it won't affect me at all. It's infuriating."

"Then why do you still follow me? I also have my own awareness that I am sometimes a bit willful and selfish."

For some reason, Sakayanagi felt a little guilty and looked away from Kamuro's face.

"Just a little?"

Kamuro, taking advantage of the situation, moved closer to Sakayanagi and grabbed her cheeks; she had always wanted to pinch Sakayanagi's cheeks.

"Then why haven't you left yet?"

"Because I don't hate being with you, and I won't want to steal things for thrills when you're ordering me around. Just as you need me, I need you too."

Kamuro pinched Sakayanagi's cheek and stretched it out, making her make a cute face. This was her punishment for telling Sakayanagi that she wasn't a friend.

Even if Sakayanagi doesn't consider her a friend now, she will definitely become her friend in the future.

Chapter 88 A Visit to Ichinose That Evening

"I don't dislike Sakayanagi-san, but posting anonymous posts... please don't do it again. I feel that Hachiman-san is very angry about this."

After Kamuroku, Yamamura also quietly expressed her reasons for not wanting to leave, her hands nervously clasped together in front of her chest.

“…I understand.” After a moment of silence, Sakayanagi slapped Kamuro’s hand away from her cheek and looked at Yamamura. “I will reflect on my recent actions.”

"Sakayanagi should reflect on his actions, but let's go to a spa together to relax first."

Kamuro stretched lazily. She had accumulated a lot of fatigue from seven days of camping on the deserted island, especially on the last day. Now she desperately needed to relax.

"Spa!?"

"That's good, it's been a long time since I've done this, I need to relax a bit."

Yamamura's eyes widened. Could she really accept something so exciting? But since Sakayanagi had agreed, she was also somewhat tempted. And what if she refused Kamuro and he disliked her?

I don't think I need to take all my clothes off, right?

Is there a way to do it without having to take off your clothes?

The massage staff probably won't talk to her, right?

She prayed for the mountain village as she slowly followed behind the two, her dark blue side ponytail swaying back and forth.

------------

Is it evening yet?

Feeling much better after taking the medicine, Hachiman sat up in bed and turned on the bedside lamp. There wasn't a single patch of scorching yellow light on the curtains.

He fumbled for his phone and saw that it was already past 8 p.m. He had received several messages, mostly inviting him to a celebration party that evening.

"No one would go. If I went, it would be a complete disaster."

Not wanting to make himself or others uncomfortable, after refusing everyone's requests, Hachiman put on his slippers, turned on the room light, and planned to wash up and then go find something to eat.

He hadn't eaten for over ten hours and was starving.

"Dong dong."

Less than ten seconds after the room's incandescent light was turned on, a knocking sound came from inside the room.

"......"

No one's going to be lying in wait to drag me to a party, right? And how would anyone else know I'm here? Chashu wouldn't be so loose-lipped, would he?

She opened the door with a huff, only to find Ichinose dressed in casual clothes, instead of Hirata or Sudo as she had imagined.

Under her fair, snow-white arms, she was carrying a small thermos under her light pink halter dress.

"You must be hungry after sleeping for so long, Hachiman."

With a smile on her face, Ichinose held up the thermos in front of her. "There's some vegetable and meat porridge that I packed from the restaurant. I also put some pickled radish in case you don't have an appetite."

"Please come in, and thank you."

After opening the door to let Ichinose in, Hikigaya went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. When he came out, the insulated box on the glass table in the room had been opened, and the food was ready for him to sit down and eat.

Alas, it has come to this.

"Isn't Class B supposed to have a victory celebration banquet tonight? Why are they here? How can things work if the leader isn't here?"

Sitting opposite Ichinose, Hikigaya scooped a spoonful of meat porridge into his mouth. Judging from its warmth, the porridge had been in the thermos for some time.

Hirata told him that all three classes were having celebrations tonight, and this should be the liveliest time of the gatherings.

"Because I'm worried about Hachiman, and we didn't do much for this special exam."

"What do I have to worry about? It's just a minor cold. I feel much better now."

After realizing that the meat porridge wasn't hot at all, Hachiman picked up the metal bowl full of porridge and ate it quickly, spoonful by spoonful; he was really hungry.

"Did Hachiman and Hoshinomiya-sensei have a fight?"

"Probably, and it's the kind of situation where there's no room for maneuver."

Hikigaya didn't look at Ichinose's face. Based on his judgment of Hoshinomiya, she probably wished she could disappear immediately.

Although it was only a small difference, the gap between Class D and Class A has undoubtedly been narrowed.

Chabashira is happy when Hoshinomiya is unhappy; these two are truly a pair of bickering lovers.

"...What should I do, Hachiman?" Ichinose's voice was somewhat dejected.

After even Hoshinomiya confirmed there was no room for maneuver, no one in Class B now supports her being with Hachiman. The ideological conflict, though bloodless, is even more dangerous.

Then you can just keep listening to Hoshinomiya.

Hikigaya, who was eating porridge with his head down, had something to say: the fact that Ichinose had initially approached him at Hoshinomiya's urging was a thorn in his side.

However, Ichinose seemed to care about him just now, so there's no need to go to such lengths to play along.

Moreover, given that everyone in Class B hates him, it's the best option for Ichinose to distance herself from him.

"There's nothing I can do about this; that's the only way to solve it right now."

Ichinose preemptively blocked his attempt to break up with the other person. Given the current situation in Class B, nothing he did would make a difference; he was human, not a god.

He has confirmed that the ruling philosophy of Class D is that the most capable will be rewarded, and the strongest will rule over all.

This isn't something that can be changed just like that, and he doesn't want to change it either.

"Yes...that's true..." Ichinose murmured softly before falling silent.

After finishing the whole pot of meat porridge, Hachiman was about 80% full. After cleaning up the dishes, Hachiman wanted to see his guest off. It was almost 9 o'clock, and he felt a little uncomfortable being alone with a woman in a room.

"I'm planning to take a shower and then go back to sleep. If there's nothing else, Fanbo, do you want to go back first?"

Hikigaya lied, he's slept for over eight hours and is full of energy, he doesn't want to sleep at all, he'll probably be even more energetic after taking a shower.

After Ichinose returns, he plans to finish reading the book he and Shiina read together on the deserted island tonight.

"I have something to do, I'll talk to you after Hachiman finishes his bath." Ichinose lowered his eyelids.

"You can tell me now, it's okay if I wash it later."

The buttocks that had just left the seat sat back down.

While there's no risk of the bathroom in a luxury private room being seen by the people in the room, the sound of water will definitely reach the room, and it would be so embarrassing for Ichinose to hear it.

"I'm still hesitating whether to say it or not. Hachiman, you should go take a shower first."

"I'll wait a bit, it's fine. I just ate and need to rest."

"But I can't calm down when I look at Hachiman's face."

"......All right."

After finding a change of clothes, Hikigaya picked up his phone, went into the bathroom, opened a music app, played a song, turned the volume up to the maximum, and then started taking a shower.

Although I don't know if anyone lives next door and whether it will disturb others, there's nothing I can do about it.

Even when Ichinose took a hard line, there was nothing he could do. Ultimately, it was Ichinose's casual actions that gave Sakayanagi an excuse to make matters worse, which made Ichinose's situation in Class B even more dire.

Sakayanagi has received the punishment he deserved, but the trouble he caused will not disappear anytime soon.

Chapter 89 The Attack of Ichinose

The water, mixed with shampoo foam, hit the ground with a dull thud, and Hachiman's somewhat agitated emotions gradually subsided.

After rinsing the foam off his head, he walked to the bathroom mirror. The boy in the mirror looked pretty good; his face was more radiant after the shower, making him look even more handsome than usual.

His eyes are sharper than before, and he unconsciously adopts a serious expression.

As Hikigaya dried his hair with a towel, he looked at himself in the mirror. His lifestyle had changed dramatically; he was now a dictator, relentlessly training his martial arts skills, and surrounded by an ever-growing number of people.

I can now have good conversations with people who were once unapproachable, such as President Horikita and senior Kiryuin.