Chapter 112: Class A Becoming Class C or Something? No Way!
After returning to the ship, Hachiman felt that his sleep quality had improved significantly.
Of course, it wasn't that the beds on the ship were exceptionally comfortable, but rather that compared to those days on the deserted island, this was paradise. The days on the island had been pure hardship.
But hardship aside, he had ultimately obtained what he wanted. At the thought of the private points soon to be credited, Hachiman felt that all the running around, planning, and hard work on the island had transformed into very tangible private points.
Therefore, early the next morning, Hachiman didn't sleep in. Upon waking, he went straight to the desk in his cabin, sat down, and took out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket.
This wasn't for exam prep; it was specifically for bookkeeping.
He flipped open the notebook, his pen gliding lightly across the paper as he quickly listed his income.
First, naturally, were the gains from the deserted island exam.
The agreement with Class A was for 52.8 million points. He took half personally, which was 26.4 million. However, Class A would pay only 1.6 million per month, and half of that had to go to the class fund. Thus, he would personally pocket 800,000 points every month.
"800,000 a month... that's 9.6 million a year. In a little over two years—about 25 months—I can save up 20 million," Hachiman muttered, his pen never stopping as he recorded the next entry.
Then there was the agreement with Class C, totaling 46.2 million points. But this money couldn't all be counted as his; after all, the cooperation was achieved by selling Class D's base points. He had to pay Class D 800,000 points per month. After that conversion, he would receive 600,000 points per month from Class C.
Thinking of this, Hachiman paused and murmured to himself, "The reason I could acquire Class D's supplies so quickly and smoothly this time, leaving Ayanokouji no room to interfere, was thanks to the help from Horikita and those 'internal traitors.' I can't forget them."
Consequently, he decided to take 30% of the monthly Class C revenue and distribute it to those who helped. With this calculation, what he actually received from Class C each month was 420,000 points.
Next was the "Class Management Fee" for Class B. As the actual controller of Class B, as long as he maintained the class evaluation points above 1000, the class would fixedly give him a large sum of about 1.2 million points. This was also a stable income.
Finally, there was one last small item: Ryuen from Class C had borrowed 400,000 points from him before the exam started.
Though the figure wasn't huge, even a mosquito's leg is meat. Hachiman recorded the debt regardless; he had no intention of letting it go.
Once these accounts were clearly recorded, Hachiman put down his pen and let out a long stretch, his lips curling upward.
Every month, he could earn 800,000 + 420,000 + 1,200,000, totaling 2.42 million points. This was a delightful sum.
But he didn't lose his head and quickly calmed down.
He knew the rules of Advanced Nurturing High School very well; this was never a stable place. The risk of expulsion lurked everywhere.
He recalled the situation in Chabashira-sensei's class: in a situation where the class had to vote someone to be expelled, the class representative chose to self-expel, and the students actually agreed unanimously.
Right, back then only Chabashira opposed it, while everyone else was ready to vote out their representative! Granted, Chabashira's class at the time had been promoted from Class D, so it still carried the "dregs" of Class D.
However.
This was enough to prove that even a class representative didn't necessarily have a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. When it was time to be expelled, no one could escape.
Then there were the two representatives of Class A in the original story, Sakayanagi and Katsuragi. Katsuragi was eventually "bought" away by Ryuen with points, and Sakayanagi was manipulated by Ayanokouji into voluntary expulsion.
These events served as constant reminders that nothing was absolute in this school.
Even if you are the Chairman's daughter, if you're meant to be expelled, you will be!
Only holding points in hand provided absolute security.
"So, first save up 20 million for myself to ensure personal safety. That's a must," Hachiman muttered, his eyes turning serious, losing their earlier lightness.
But on second thought, he frowned—besides this 20 million safety reserve, he needed another 20 million points.
The reason was simple: he needed to find a girl willing to "date" him to teach him how to interact with women.
Of course, it didn't have to be a real relationship; a fake one would suffice. His goal was never to find love, but to learn how to conquer Yukinoshita Yukino.
But he was a "blockhead" himself, poor at dealing with girls. There were likely few girls willing to help him actively; even if there were, he felt he might not learn the experience truly needed to conquer Yukino from them.
Because he likely only attracted types of girls that were the complete opposite of Yukino's style.
Therefore, the optimal choice remained the one with max social skills who understood what all kinds of girls were thinking: Kushida Kikyo.
Unfortunately, he had approached Kushida before and was rejected. Now he could only look for other girls. He estimated that to move an excellent high schooler in this school, the amount required to completely shake their resolve would be 20 million points.
This was evident from Kushida.
Although he was rejected immediately when he spoke, Hachiman saw clearly that he hadn't mentioned the "20 million points" then. Had he said it, Kushida would have certainly wavered instantly.
After all, that was 20 million private points—the channel every student dreamed of to directly promote their class.
For the few students not planning to change classes, it was the equivalent of 16 million yen in cash. For a mere high schooler—even himself—there was no absolute resistance to such a massive sum of money.
This made him think of his old school, Sobu High. If Sobu High were like this school—a place where strength is paramount and points are king—he would definitely have given it his all, aimed for 200 million points, and then completely "slacked off."
With 200 million in hand, even if he weren't kept by a rich woman later, it would support retirement for him and his sister. He'd be set for life, never having to work again.
By then, he might even be able to shout with full confidence, "I love humanity!"
"Pity, there are no 'ifs'," Hachiman sighed softly with a hint of regret, but he soon regained his good mood. It didn't matter if Kushida refused; there were plenty of "problem girls" in this school. He could take his time looking. Eventually, someone would be moved by 20 million points.
Aside from that, he had another thought. He wasn't alone in this school; he currently had a "little pet."
So, even if he planned to bail in the future, he had to make some preparations for her.
Therefore, he needed points—more points.
Having finished his calculations and clarified his future plans, Hachiman's mood was completely refreshed. He felt invigorated, finding even the air to be cleaner. He stood up,
adjusted his clothes, and picked up the camera on his bedside table. He intended to go for a walk, catch the sea breeze, photograph the ocean scenery, and relax his long-tensed mind.
.
.
.
The ship sailed steadily across the sea, the gentle breeze carrying a light scent of saltwater. There were many students on the deck, mostly relaxing after the exam. Some were chatting, some sunbathing, and others gazing at the distant sea.
Perhaps because his performance in the island exam was too eye-catching, Hachiman found that almost everyone he encountered along the way would stop to greet him. There were acquaintances from Class B, faces from Class C, and even "background character" students he had never seen before who couldn't be distinguished as Class A or D. Hachiman mostly responded with polite nods or perfunctory replies.
To be honest, his social network wasn't like this. These students' actions were likely because the story of how he got 0 points but earned nearly 100 million points in the island exam had already spread throughout the entire first-year.
Ignoring their gazes, he raised his camera and aimed it at the seagulls flying in the sky. The gulls circled in the blue sky, occasionally diving to skim the surface of the sea, picking up fine spray in an elegant, agile manner.
Click, click— Hachiman pressed the shutter, recording these moments.
The last time he took photos on the deck, he encountered Class A's Morishita Ai and was pestered by her for a while. This time, Morishita didn't appear, but he ran into someone unexpected—Kamuro Masumi.
Kamuro stood alone in the quietest corner of the deck, her back against the cold railing. She gazed at the vast, boundless sea, her expression low, her brow clouded with a lingering sense of fatigue and regret. For her, this deserted island exam was undoubtedly an utter failure.
Before the exam, she had specifically eavesdropped on Hachiman's inner thoughts, intercepting a lot of exam intel. She had turned around and told Katsuragi, even letting him arrange manpower on the ship in advance to observe the island's terrain and spot distribution. Relying on this intel, Class A indeed seized the most spots and thought they would secure a high score. In the end, Class A's spot points were only 120, and they ended up with a monthly debt of 28,000 points.
This filled her with regret, a sense of failure lingering because the mission wasn't completed perfectly. However, Katsuragi's leadership ability was now being questioned by the whole class—which was likely exactly what Sakayanagi wanted to see.
Kamuro thought silently, her gaze darkening.
However, the crisp sound of a camera shutter abruptly broke her train of thought. Kamuro turned her head and saw that "dead-fish-eyed" boy from Class B. He was holding a camera and photographing seagulls, a casual, relaxed smile on his face as if none of this concerned him.
Kamuro frowned, feeling somewhat speechless.
She felt that this guy didn't seem affected by the exam at all; instead, he was living quite comfortably. In her eyes, her own performance was terrible and she hadn't helped Class A, filling her with self-reproach. Yet Hachiman was here leisurely taking photos.
Of course, she also knew he had the capital to be carefree. After all, Class B had won big, and he personally had made a fortune, becoming the wealthiest student in school. He certainly could afford to be leisurely.
As Hachiman pressed the shutter, he noticed Kamuro's cold gaze. He lowered the camera, glanced at the stone-faced, low-pressure Kamuro, and began transmitting his inner thoughts to her.
After all, they say you don't hit a smiling person, right?
'Kamuro-san is actually quite pretty. Tall, well-proportioned, good face, fair skin, delicate features.
And she's not loud like those 'gals.' Although she has a cold personality and doesn't like to talk, she's quite easy on the eyes when she's standing there quietly.'
Er.
Kamuro instantly heard his inner thoughts.
Indeed.
They sounded like words of praise for her.
But her lip couldn't help but twitch.
Did this guy's criteria for judging girls consist only of "gal" and "non-gal"? His praise for her was entirely centered around "she's not a gal." What kind of praise was that?
"......" Kamuro was silently speechless, wondering how terrible his previous environment must have been. Were there nothing but "gals" around him? Otherwise, why use such a strange standard to judge girls?
Mentioning "gals," Kamuro subconsciously ignored those thuggish, low-quality Class C gals—those people looked unreliable and lacked manners. But the Class D gals were different, especially the leader of the gal group, Karuizawa Kei.
Karuizawa managed to get the Student Council chore position; based on her own performance, it was impossible to gain President Horikita's approval. So... there must be something fishy going on.
Wait...
Kamuro hesitated for a moment before asking suspiciously, "Is Karuizawa Kei your little dog?"
Little dog?
Hachiman was a bit surprised. Had Kamuro learned bad habits from Sakayanagi? Using that kind of terminology right off the bat.
However, there was nothing he couldn't answer about this question. Many people had likely guessed his relationship with Karuizawa anyway.
So he admitted it frankly, "I suppose so. But it wasn't my idea; it was Sakayanagi's suggestion.
She suggested I keep a pet.
And I have to say, keeping a pet like her is quite convenient. For many things, I don't have to act personally; she can handle them for me."
In his view, exposing the transaction and parasitic relationship with Karuizawa would be bad for her, but using the "little dog" phrasing was much more euphemistic.
While keeping a "little dog" wasn't exactly honorable, since Sakayanagi suggested it first, pushing this dishonorable matter onto Sakayanagi made her take the blame.
He remained the "pure as ice" Hikigaya Hachiman, at most just "seduced" by Sakayanagi.
After hearing this, Kamuro was even more speechless.
She understood now: Hachiman and Sakayanagi were truly a match made in heaven. Both were equally "black-bellied" and viewed people as tools.
And by telling her this, wasn't he treating her as Sakayanagi's "little dog"?
Damn it.
Pet this, pet that—she had told him she, Kamuro Masumi, was no pet!
Despite the internal complaints, Kamuro suppressed her emotions and shifted to Class A's current situation, her tone heavy: "The atmosphere in Class A is terrible right now. Everyone's mood is low after the exam failure. Katsuragi-kun's state has completely collapsed; he's in a daze, and the whole class is dead silent, lacking any vitality."
However.
She thought Hachiman would gloat upon hearing this. After all, Class A was Class B's competitor. A poor state for Class A was undoubtedly good for Class B. But to her surprise, Hachiman just shook his head. "What is there to worry about? Class A just owes a bit of
money; they haven't completely collapsed. Current Class A is still Class A, still number one in the year. The foundation is still there. As long as the state is adjusted, you'll recover by the next exam."
He paused and added, "If I really intended to make you collapse, I would have specifically kept another Class B student on the island and followed Ayanokouji's method of changing the leader at the last minute. Then your Class A would be in real trouble."
In his view, although Class A failed this time, losing points and incurring debt, their class evaluation score actually increased, and their rank didn't drop.
So they were panicking over this?
If Class A became Class B, then C, and finally D, wouldn't they just explode?
No wonder Class A in the original story showed no signs of recovery after dropping to Class C. Your mentalities collapsed long ago.
But Hachiman was kind enough not to transmit this part of his thoughts to Kamuro.
Even though Hachiman felt he was being kind enough, Kamuro was stunned. She hadn't expected Hachiman to offer such comforting words. She thought he would wish for Class A to collapse completely.
Moreover, his previous sentence hid an even more terrifying possibility—he had actually thought about following Ayanokouji and changing the Class B leader at the last second? If that had happened, Class A wouldn't have gotten the 50 points for guessing the leader; they would have been docked 50 points. Then Class A's score wouldn't have been 120, but 120 - 50 - 50 = 20 points!
The monthly debt would have become 38,000, and the gap with Class B wouldn't even be 100 points.
That would indeed... make one feel like it was over.
Kamuro felt that... because he didn't do it, she was actually... somewhat comforted.
Just as Kamuro was feeling moved by the comfort, Hachiman suddenly shifted the topic. He looked at her with a playful gaze and asked, "By the way, Kamuro-san, if I gave you 20 million points, would you betray Class A and come to my side?"
Eh?
When this topic came up, Kamuro was stunned again.
What nonsense was this guy saying? Testing her with 20 million points? A mere 20 million... wait, 20 million points was enough to graduate safely from Class A, enough for high consumption for three years. Even a pampered little princess like Sakayanagi couldn't spend 20 million in three years.
20 million... Kamuro couldn't deny it; this number was a fatal temptation for anyone in this school, enough to make many abandon their bottom line and shake their resolve.
But Kamuro quickly snapped out of it, a flash of determination in her eyes. She shook her head and said firmly, "I won't. I am a Class A student. No matter what difficulties Class A encounters, I won't betray it. Even if you give me more points, I won't change my mind."
In other words, she held her bottom line.
Others might just be tempting her or making empty promises, but Kamuro knew Hachiman could truly produce 20 million.
But she still couldn't accept it.
It was a matter of principle.
"Is that so?" Hachiman nodded, showing no surprise. He had guessed Kamuro wouldn't easily betray Class A. Although her personality was cold, she was loyal to the bone.
Just as he praised Karuizawa as a "good dog," he could actually use "good dog" for Kamuro too!
He wanted to verbally praise her for having backbone and a bottom line, but on second thought, he gave up. He knew Kamuro liked eavesdropping on his heart, and in the upcoming VIP exam, the school would likely modify the rules to increase point values. More importantly, girls from other classes mostly liked eavesdropping on his heart too.
Now that he had figured this out, whether they heard him, and whether what they heard was truth or lies, was entirely up to him.
This was an excellent weapon for exams—even if Sakayanagi herself participated, she would still be fooled by his inner thoughts!
Because Hikigaya Hachiman had learned how to lie!
Of course, the prerequisite was to let them continue believing his inner thoughts were true. Thinking of this, Hachiman intentionally slowed his thoughts and transmitted them to Kamuro again.
'Kamuro-san still has a bottom line. Even in the original story where she faced a draw with Yamamura-san to choose one to be expelled, she bravely stepped forward.'
Is that so?
Kamuro's heart sank. She heard Hachiman's inner thoughts, but the content was her fate in the second year—the news that she would be expelled. And it was a choice between her and Yamamura-san.
Now, not just the time of expulsion, but even the scenario of expulsion had become so specific, making her heart tighten.
'But the traitor back then was Hashimoto. Speaking of which, in the original island exam, the one who betrayed Class A was Hashimoto; in the exam where Kamuro gets expelled, the one betraying Class A should still be him.' Hachiman continued the transmission.
Kamuro: "..."
Hearing this, Kamuro could barely contain herself.
Because of Hashimoto? Hashimoto's betrayal again?
She recalled this island exam. The reason Class A lost so badly and had their spot points cleared was that Ryuen produced his reasoned answers. But Sakayanagi had mentioned to her before that she predicted Hashimoto would betray them in this exam.
As a result, Hashimoto indeed betrayed them, but she couldn't find evidence.
But Hachiman's inner thoughts said that Hashimoto not only betrayed them this time but also in the exam where she would be expelled in the future!
Hashimoto... Anger and frustration surged in Kamuro's heart. A fire seemed stuck in her chest, almost impossible to suppress.
After a long while, Kamuro finally managed to calm her emotions. She looked up, her eyes fixed on Hachiman, and asked urgently, "Hikigaya, did you know the identity of Class A's leader all along and then told Ryuen?"
Hachiman didn't answer but continued the transmission. This time, it contained false parts.
'Kamuro is quite sharp. But she definitely doesn't know that I'm not omniscient. In the original story, Class A's leader wasn't Yahiko Totsuka. Although I am a 'transmigrator,' it doesn't mean everything will follow the original story exactly. So, of course, I didn't know how Katsuragi arranged things.'
Hmm?
'So I didn't know that intel.
I learned the news of Hashimoto's betrayal from Ryuen, and then we filled in Class A's leader information together.'
Hearing his inner thoughts, Kamuro's doubts eased slightly.
So that was it. Although Hachiman was a "transmigrator" who knew much of their background like a spectator, he wasn't omniscient.
Since he was in this school, his existence itself had already changed many things—for example, without him, Class B could never be this strong. Since there was a variable, like the butterfly effect, everything naturally couldn't develop step-by-step according to a script.
Even so, Kamuro still found Hachiman terrifying. He wasn't omniscient, yet he achieved such horrific results in the island exam.
He was truly formidable.
Speaking of which, Kamuro recalled the inner thoughts she heard from Hachiman during the island exam. She remembered this guy seemed to want others to call him by his name, rather than "Hikigaya-kun" or "Hikigaya." That tone, filled with a bit of expectation, was a complete contrast to his usual loner, black-bellied self.
In negative terms, he was "in heat."
In positive terms, this guy was actually quite lonely, wasn't he? He didn't even have friends who called him by his name.
Moreover, if she wanted to hear Hachiman's inner thoughts, she had to maintain a certain level of contact with him and couldn't be too far away. In that case, should she try calling him by his name? To build up some favor?
After all, this might allow her to hear more useful information and better understand this guy, preparing for Class A's future exams.
Thinking this, Kamuro took a deep breath. Her lips moved, trying to call out Hachiman's name. "..."
But when the words reached her lips, she got stuck, only making one sound.
"Ha...?" Hachiman heard the vague sound, stopped what he was doing, and looked at her strangely.
"Kamuro-san, what did you say?"
Kamuro then realized her face had turned bright red. Her heartbeat quickened, and even her breathing was a bit erratic.
She never expected that simply calling someone's name would make her feel so ashamed and awkward.
From childhood to now, she had never casually called someone by their name, especially the opposite sex. To her, calling someone's name casually was an intimate act, which would inevitably be embarrassing.
Furthermore, this guy Hikigaya usually looked so black-bellied and wise; she really couldn't bring herself to call his name calmly.
"No... nothing." Kamuro quickly lowered her head, avoiding Hachiman's gaze, and spoke stiffly. She felt that her appearance just now must have been very shameful.
Or rather, are other people that amazing? Can they call people by their names casually without feeling awkward?
The more Kamuro thought, the more frustrated she became. She was dissatisfied with her own lack of backbone and dissatisfied with this guy Hikigaya for making her feel these strange emotions.
Finally, she took a deep breath, looked up, gave Hachiman a cold glare, and without another word, turned and left the deck without looking back, leaving Hachiman standing alone.
Hachiman watched Kamuro's hurriedly departing back, his face blank with confusion.
He thought for a long time but couldn't understand why Kamuro's expression suddenly changed. In the transmitted thoughts just now, he had only mixed in one lie—intentionally saying he didn't know the Class A leader was Yahiko Totsuka.
Kamuro clearly hadn't noticed or gotten angry just now, so why did she suddenly flip and leave?
Hachiman: "..."
"As expected, girls are truly too hard to understand." Hachiman shook his head helplessly and gave up thinking about the issue.
He picked up the camera again and aimed it at the seagulls in the sky, his face returning to its previous relaxed smile. Seagulls were so easy to understand; as long as you gave them some fries, they would even let people touch them. Unlike girls, whose minds were impossibly difficult to guess.
Wait, who exactly fed these seagulls so much? Looking at their round bodies, they were clearly overstuffed; they couldn't even fly properly. The photos were losing their agility.
What he didn't know was that after leaving the deck, Kamuro didn't return to her cabin. Instead, she found a secluded spot, leaned against the wall, and calmed her emotions. Her face was still very red, and her heart was still pounding. The panic and shame from just now hadn't faded for a long time.
"This is so embarrassing," Kamuro cursed in a low voice, her heart full of annoyance. She never expected she would lose her composure like that just trying to say Hachiman's name.
Moreover, she had just heard Hachiman's inner thoughts and learned that the culprit behind her future expulsion was indeed Hashimoto.
Pity she couldn't catch Hashimoto's betrayal this time.
After all, Katsuragi had arranged for separate accommodations for boys and girls, and it had rained for several days on the island.
She was stuck in the cave and couldn't go out at all, so she naturally didn't know when or how Hashimoto betrayed them.
Otherwise, if she got the evidence, Sakayanagi could take the chance to counterattack. Then the one to be expelled should be Hashimoto, not her.
"But... is calling a name really that hard?" Kamuro muttered to herself, trying to open her mouth again to say "Hachiman." Her lips moved, but the words still wouldn't come out.
"As expected, calling a name is still too hard." She sighed softly. Just as the words left her mouth, she saw a figure with purple-blue hair approaching—it was Morishita Ai, who had woken up early to feed the seagulls like they were ducks.
"Is it hard? I think it's quite simple." Morishita Ai seemed to have overheard her whisper, her face holding a hint of a smile, her tone casual.
"However, it seems our relationship isn't good enough yet to call each other by name, right? But since we are classmates and in the same faction, it's necessary to get closer."
Kamuro looked at her strangely, not understanding what she meant.
"Oh! Indeed, I'm being a bit too familiar. Then..." Morishita Ai said, "Masumi, do you want me to call you that?"
"......" Kamuro's face instantly darkened with annoyance.
Not at all!
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