"Of course. We won't let you work for nothing, Kei. During your time here as an exchange student, you'll receive compensation for your work in the student council."
"Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Hikigaya. My tuition, room, board, and living expenses are already fully covered during the exchange..."
Realizing Hachiman had probably brought this up because he knew about her family's financial situation, Shirogane Kei blushed slightly but still tried to explain in a quiet voice.
After coming here, she had discovered that many people had come because of Komachi, Hachiman's little sister.
Chika's younger sister, Fujiwara Moeha, had come to Komachi's school as an exchange student together with her, while Chika herself and Student Council President Shinomiya had gone to Hachiman's school.
She had heard that Hachiman maintained close and friendly relationships with important figures among the elves, dragons, merfolk, oni, snow women, and other demi-human races, enough to influence the peaceful coexistence between humans and demi-humans.
But before this, she hadn't known any of those inside details.
She had simply come here as an exchange student because of Shuchiin Academy's generous financial aid...
"So it doesn't cost you anything to study here? That's fine. Komachi's school receives plenty of donations anyway. They have more than enough money. If you don't take it, it'll just go to waste."
Looking at Kei, who had been persuaded so easily, Hachiman shook his head and didn't give her a chance to refuse.
"Of course, if you don't want to accept the exchange student allowance, you can also work as a part-time maid like Nanami did."
"This is a privilege reserved just for students like you, Kei. Even Kaguya and Chika don't have it."
He liked Kei quite a bit, a good little sister who was frugal, cool on the outside but warm-hearted inside.
In the original story, aside from Hayasaka Ai, Kei was probably his favorite character.
Though the scene he remembered most vividly was actually the one where Kei discovered her father earning money from livestream donations. Taking advantage of him stepping away for a moment, she advised the viewers to save their money instead of spending recklessly, only for them to shower the stream with even more donations, earning in a single day more than she made from a month's worth of part-time work and completely shattering her worldview.
"A privilege even Chika and the others don't have... Thank you, Mr. Hikigaya... I'll do my best to help Komachi manage the student council."
After hearing Hachiman leave her no room to decline, Kei finally gave up trying to refuse.
However, after returning to Komachi and Shion's side and noticing them silently watching her, her fair cheeks suddenly grew hot. She bit her lower lip lightly and muttered in a small voice,
"Shion... I think I understand why you admire Mr. Hikigaya so much."
Ever since coming here, she had often heard Shion praising Hachiman in one way or another.
Shion looked cold and didn't talk much, but whenever Hachiman came up, she couldn't seem to stop herself. She admired someone who looked, no matter how you looked at it, incredibly flirtatious.
But perhaps everything Shion had said hadn't been forced praise at all.
Perhaps it had all come from the bottom of her heart.
After spending only a short time with Hachiman, Kei's impression of him had changed dramatically.
First he had arranged the part-time maid job for Nanami Aoyama.
Now he was helping her receive additional living expenses.
There was no doubt both were special forms of help for girls struggling financially.
Back then, when Shion had run away from home and had nowhere to go, how had she felt when Mr. Hikigaya had offered help while asking for nothing in return?
If it had been her...
She probably wouldn't have been able to resist someone like Mr. Hikigaya appearing before her like a savior.
"Of course. This is Hachiman-onii-chan, after all."
Shion smiled proudly, as if sharing in the honor, while gazing lovingly at Hachiman's back as he stood not far away, surrounded by different girls.
Even though Hachiman would have helped her regardless of whether she gave him everything she had, even now she still believed the decision she made back then had been the right one.
If Komachi hadn't brought her home, if she hadn't met Hachiman, she couldn't imagine what her future would have become.
Because she remembered so clearly the confusion and helplessness of having nowhere to go, when she saw someone as promising as Shirogane Kei, she also wanted...(for Hachiman-onii-chan) to give Kei a warm and dependable home.
Actually, her thoughts were a little different now than they had been before.
A beautiful girl like Kei wouldn't have only Hachiman willing to help her.
No matter how difficult Kei's life was, she would eventually get through it.
But if someone was destined to help Kei, and Kei would come to like that person because of it.
Then why couldn't that person be Hachiman?
There were already so many outstanding girls surrounding Hachiman at Sobu High.
Even if she herself wasn't qualified to say anything, she still had to help Komachi.
Only by making their little group larger could they ensure Hachiman spent more time with them.
Thinking this, Shion quietly moved closer to Kei and whispered into her ear.
"If you really feel guilty accepting all this, then next time, call him Hachiman-onii-chan like I do."
"Then you won't have to worry about the exchange student allowance or earning money as a part-time maid. It's perfectly normal for an older brother to give his little sister some spending money, isn't it?"
"Whether it's me, Komachi, Mio, Yukiri, or Maria, Hachiman-onii-chan treats us all equally. If I have something, everyone will have it too. And if everyone has something, your share won't be missing either."
If she became Mr. Hikigaya's little sister...
Kei's heart skipped a beat at Shion's suggestion. She couldn't help looking at Komachi before finally shaking her head and quietly refusing.
"Um... I think I'll pass. I only met Mr. Hikigaya today. It wouldn't be appropriate to suddenly say something like that."
She no longer doubted Mr. Hikigaya's character.
But if she wanted to become his little sister immediately after receiving his help, wouldn't that make her look like she was only interested in the benefits?
What if Mr. Hikigaya misunderstood and thought she was sticking close to him because she saw something to gain?
Kei's family was poor, but not to the point where, like Shion, she desperately wanted to escape without hesitation.
She didn't have the same lost and anxious need to cling tightly to Hachiman that Shion once had.
"Don't worry. You're so cute and sensible, Kei. Onii-chan won't refuse."
Seeing Kei hesitate, Komachi inwardly felt speechless, but she still comforted her.
"You probably don't know how Shion, Yukiri, and the others usually get along with Onii-chan. It's better to understand first, so you won't misunderstand things later."
She had been the one who recruited people into the student council.
How had all the credit ended up going to her brother instead?
No one had even thought about her.
Still, without her having to say much, Kei's opinion of her brother had already improved greatly, and her brother had noticed Kei as well.
That saved her a lot of explaining.
Out of all the transfer and exchange students, why had she specifically invited Shirogane Kei to join the student council?
Naturally, it was because she had noticed Kei's family circumstances in her application.
Despite attending an elite school like Shuchiin Academy, she had remained honest and innocent while maintaining excellent grades and relationships.
In the future, she would definitely become someone like Shion, someone who would tirelessly support her brother.
Although her brother no longer had any need to worry about the rest of his life, she still preferred making friends who could support him for a lifetime.
Still, her brother spent all day running around throwing parties.
She hadn't expected him to have the time to notice such a small detail.
She honestly couldn't tell whether he cared more about her... or about pretty girls.
"A way of getting along that might cause misunderstandings..."
Looking at Shion, Yukiri, Narsue Mio, and Narsue Maria beside Komachi, Kei's face suddenly turned bright red.
What kind of relationship could Shion and the others have with Hachiman-onii-chan that would make her misunderstand?
'Umm... Wouldn't that mean... Aside from Komachi, everyone...'
If Shion's family situation had been far worse than hers, then after living with Komachi's family it wasn't surprising that she had become Hachiman-onii-chan's little sister.
And if she wanted to repay him in an even more devoted way, that was understandable too.
But what about Narsue Mio, the Demon Lord candidate?
Or Yukiri, the snow woman?
Why had they become Hachiman-onii-chan's little sisters?
"Hehe!"
Narsue Mio blushed from Kei staring at her, while Narsue Maria instead gave Kei a meaningful smile, lightly licking her lips as she eagerly anticipated seeing Kei's embarrassing side after she joined them.
Master-nii really was wonderful.
Even without awakening her demonic essence, simply being surrounded by the constant desires and excitement generated around Master-nii made her feel that he was the dream master of nightmares like them.
Hachiman, on the other hand, wasn't thinking nearly as much as Komachi, Shion, or Kei.
If Kei really threw herself at him, he'd absolutely take a bite without hesitation and slowly cultivate their relationship afterward.
But his usual actions weren't all for that sort of thing.
He simply wanted to do them.
Compared to Kei, whose family circumstances merely needed some financial help, he was actually more interested in the other girls who had greeted him.
Perhaps all the girls with more mature figures had been sent to Sobu High.
Most of the beautiful girls sent to Komachi's side were the petite type.
Kuroba Ayako was one.
Shirakiin Ririchiyo and Roromiya Karuta were the same.
Although their potential couldn't compare to the heroines from the hidden world, Fujiwara Moeha and Shirogane Kei were still among the best.
"Lord Hikigaya, Lady Sakura, the oni shrine maiden, introduced us. We hope we'll have the chance to receive your favor."
Seeing Hachiman's gaze remain on her instead of immediately moving away, Shirakiin Ririchiyo's heart stirred. She lowered her head and took the initiative to explain.
"There's no need to be nervous. I don't think I look that frightening."
Looking at the cautious Ririchiyo, who didn't dare show him the slightest disrespect, Hachiman shook his head with a smile.
"It's not because of you, Lord Hikigaya. It's my own problem..."
Sneaking glances at Hachiman's expression, Ririchiyo replied quietly.
She wasn't afraid of offending him.
According to the intelligence gathered by all the different factions, as well as what Komachi and Shion had said, Hachiman was a gentle and considerate person. Even if she accidentally offended him with her words or actions, nothing serious would happen.
What she was truly afraid of was being excluded by the people around him and losing the chance to obtain the Awakening Essence needed to awaken her bloodline through her own efforts.
Whether it was developing magical girl potential or awakening a demi-human bloodline, neither was something that came easily.
She could be described as a demi-human with an incomplete bloodline awakening.
Or as a half-yokai whose ancestral traits had resurfaced.
Most demi-humans had their own racial traits.
Those with more unusual forms could freely switch to a human form and live normal lives without inconvenience.
But demi-humans like her, who transformed into a yokai form only for battle, faced many difficulties.
Although incompletely awakened demi-humans were everywhere, for example, Princess Meroune of the merfolk previously lacked a human form and couldn't even walk upright on land, yet still possessed sufficient status, some places placed great importance on bloodline and strength. Demi-humans with impure blood who couldn't awaken their power were looked down upon.
The Shirakiin conglomerate she came from was one of those places.
"So, Lady Sakura introduced Shirakiin Ririchiyo. What about you, Shizuri? Were you introduced by Sakura too?"
Hachiman stopped dwelling on Ririchiyo's situation and looked thoughtfully at the white-haired Sister Knight, Kasugaya Shizuri.
Because purifying corruption constantly absorbed other people's negative emotions and continuously increased her burden, Sakura Mafune could hardly control herself whenever she came near him. As a result, she rarely appeared before him, and whenever she did, they always ended up fighting.
He hadn't expected Sakura to be quietly keeping such a close eye on what was happening around Komachi.
"I was recommended by Lady Yasha."
Kasugaya Shizuri shook her head and answered softly.
"Lady Yasha told me that if you ever wanted to hold a private convention, Lord Hikigaya, she could provide a suitable venue."
"A suitable venue provided by the Kijou Group? A hot spring?"
Hachiman looked a little surprised.
The Kijou Group specialized in tourism, so the first thing that came to mind was naturally hot springs.
Though holding a convention at a hot spring...
Wouldn't that be a little strange?
"Yes. The Kijou Group has recently been acquiring another batch of struggling hot spring inns. They're all located deep in the mountains, where hardly anyone goes, so there won't be outsiders disturbing us. With teleportation magic, it'll also be very convenient for us to travel back and forth."
Kasugaya Shizuri nodded as she explained.
"Of course, Lady Yasha was only making a suggestion. If you don't want to hold the convention at a hot spring inn, that's perfectly fine."
"A hot spring convention... Lumilia, Marin, what do you think? Would holding it at a hot spring inn work?"
Hachiman thought for a moment before looking at Marin Kitagawa and Lumilia, the two organizers of the private cosplay convention.
He rarely visited mountain hot spring inns himself.
Taking advantage of the convention to relax in one sounded pretty good.
"It actually sounds really fun! We can soak in hot springs and cosplay at the same time!"
After thinking it over, Marin immediately threw the Rurikawa family's mansion out of her mind and became excited about the upcoming hot spring convention.
The Rurikawa estate was enormous and beautifully landscaped, making it great for photos.
But they'd already held one event there.
Trying a new venue sounded nice.
Besides, with cleaning magic, they didn't need to worry about their costumes.
Cosplaying while soaking in the hot springs with wet clothes somehow sounded pretty fun.
"No problem. We'll just need to adjust the schedule a bit and decorate the hot spring inn."
Lumilia had also just thought of an interesting way to hold a hot spring convention.
Although the rooms would be smaller, magic and Lala's technology meant they didn't need to worry too much about the space.
Everyone could stand behind translucent sliding doors in their distinctive cosplay outfits, striking poses.
A few people would go in at a time while the Savior guessed both the character they were cosplaying and their real names.
The smaller rooms might actually make the atmosphere even better.
"Hachiman, are we still continuing the game we were playing earlier?"
Seeing that Charlotte, La Folia, Falma, Nina, and the others were no longer clinging to Hachiman, Lala suddenly asked.
"The game? What game?"
Komachi looked at Lala in confusion.
"The One-Day Fiancee Game. We agreed everyone would take turns being Hachiman's fiancee. Right now only Charlotte and La Folia have fulfilled their responsibilities as fiancees. Everyone else failed."
Lala tapped her lips with a finger as she looked troubled while watching Falma, Nina, and the others.
She still remembered that she was supposed to act as the judge and score everyone.
She just hadn't expected Falma and the others to stop halfway through.
"..."
Komachi, Shion, and Momo and Nana behind Lala exchanged glances, all feeling equally helpless.
The One-Day Fiancee Game...
There was no need to guess.
It had to be one of those Service Club games that couldn't truly be understood without experiencing it firsthand.
Although Iris, the elf princess, would probably end up the same way if she were there, Lala was most likely very seriously evaluating all of Hachiman's one-day fiancees according to her own standards.
Naruse Maria, the silver-haired twin-tailed shorty, silently watched Hachiman embracing girls on both sides right in front of his fiancee, and admired her master even more.
She had originally thought that, as a nightmare from the Demon Realm, she was probably the most depraved-minded person in Master Brother's household.
But the longer she stayed with him, the more she felt that a little nightmare like her simply didn't know enough. She needed to keep studying all kinds of new ways to play.