"Can we buy answers too!?"
"Yes, technically you can," Chabashira replied, her voice calm, yet edged with something sharper. "But unfortunately, the 100,000 points you currently hold are far from enough."
Hikigaya's expression didn't change much, but there was a faint sigh beneath his breath. "So the purchasing power of 100,000 yen worth of points is that low, huh…"
"Don't get discouraged just yet." Her tone softened slightly. "You asked three questions. I'll make an exception and answer one for you."
That caught him off guard.
Her demeanor shifted. Not drastically—but enough for someone paying attention to notice. She had reviewed every student file in Class 1-D prior to the entrance ceremony. Every face, every grade, every behavior record. This wasn't just habit. It was survival.
One student had been slated for Class D originally, but a sudden family transfer overseas had opened a last-minute vacancy. Advanced Nurturing High School accepted students from across Japan, with selections secretly orchestrated well in advance through principal recommendations and covert evaluations. The open enrollment was just window dressing. The real decisions had already been made six months prior.
Then, just when the school was about to face a logistical snag, Shizuka Hiratsuka had made a call.
She recommended a single student.
Hikigaya Hachiman.
Chabashira remembered that name clearly—after all, she and Hiratsuka had once shared a classroom as students here. After graduation, their paths diverged. Chabashira returned to teach. Hiratsuka pursued her passion abroad. But even if they hadn't spoken often, the bond was still there.
And she knew Hiratsuka's judgment wasn't to be taken lightly.
The school pulled Hikigaya's file. Examined his history. Personality. Social tendencies. In the end, they deemed him a viable test case and slotted him into the newly open seat in Class D.
So when she'd said earlier that he didn't belong in Class D… maybe that wasn't quite accurate.
Maybe he wasn't just a convenient fill-in.
Maybe he was here for a reason.
Chabashira studied the boy in front of her. Quiet. Reserved. Watchful. A glint of intelligence behind the dead-fish stare. Not what she expected—but perhaps exactly what Hiratsuka had intended.
He had asked three questions:
1. Will students receive another 100,000 points next month?
2. Why did her phone show over six million points?
3. Can the points be converted into actual cash?
The first and second questions dug too close to the school's inner mechanics—topics restricted by her confidentiality agreement. Of course, those restrictions could be overridden… if someone were willing to pay the price.
The cost: around one to two million private points.
She would've paid it herself. Just once. Just to test the waters. To see what this boy, Hiratsuka's wild card, could do.
"I see," Hikigaya said, voice soft, almost reluctant. "You said I don't have enough points… so is that the price I'd need to pay for your exception?"
Oh?
Chabashira tilted her head slightly.
He understood the structure. Not just the surface-level system—but the game beneath it.
"It's true I'd be footing the cost, but it wouldn't be a few points. I've got six million, after all," she said.
She'd noticed earlier how his gaze had flicked to her phone during her explanation. He had spotted her point balance in a single glance.
He was observant. Too observant.
"So," she continued, "go ahead. Ask."
Now the real test.
If he chose question one or two, she'd have to bend the rules. Risk consequences. But she was curious enough to see what he'd risk.
She waited.
Hikigaya's lips parted.
She hadn't really looked at him closely before. But now, as he stood there—dead eyes, plain face, mouth slightly curved in a line of honest thought—she felt a small flicker in her chest. Not attraction. Something else.
Anticipation.
"I want to know," he said at last, "can private points be converted into actual cash?"
He paused, then added, "I'd like to send the money back home."
Chabashira froze.
Wait. That was… question three?
Of all the options, he picked the simplest one? The one that seniors learn during orientation? The one that costs maybe 100,000 points, max?
She'd been ready to spend two million.
And now she didn't have to.
Well. That saved money.
But…
Was this kid really just thinking about sending money home?
"I'm just a normal high school student," Hikigaya said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Usually I only get about 2,000 yen for pocket money. And that's per month. So when I suddenly saw this amount, it felt wrong not to do something with it."
He paused again, then admitted, "I have a younger sister. She's always saying her allowance isn't enough."
So that's it.
The little sister.
You see a windfall, and the first thing you think is how do I share it with her?
Chabashira gave him a long look.
In the back of her mind, a voice chuckled.
So that's it. You're one of those anime types. The "my sister is the cutest" kind.
She remembered when he'd introduced himself in class. Said he was from Chiba.
Chiba, huh.
Peanuts, sake… and sister complexes.
Maybe it was in the water.
"I can answer that," she said finally. "Yes, you can exchange private points for cash. But only upon graduation."
"It's not a one-to-one rate, though. More like 0.7 to 0.8 yen per point."
She watched him process it.
"If you're desperate, you can buy unopened electronics from the shopping area, take them outside, and resell them. You might lose about 10% of the value."
Hikigaya nodded, quietly soaking in every word.
"So we can't cash out during our time here?" he clarified.
"No."
"But what if I buy the right to redeem early?"
Chabashira blinked.
No one had ever asked that before.
It was possible, in theory. The system was built to accommodate flexibility. But no student had ever made that request.
She shrugged. "You don't have the points for that kind of purchase."
A moment of silence passed.
Then he looked at her again.
"So, Chabashira-sensei… what does the school want from us, exactly?"
The words came slowly, carefully.
"What are we supposed to do in exchange for everything we're given? Free tuition. Allowances. Guaranteed job offers."
He took a breath.
"Free is the most expensive."
That line hit like a silent bell.
"I don't think we'll get another 100,000 points next month," he added. "Which means the school has to give us ways to earn more."
His eyes narrowed.
"I want to know what those ways are."
And there it was.
Chabashira's attention snapped back.
This boy…
He might look plain. He might act like he doesn't care.
But he understood the system.
And more importantly—he wanted to play.
Maybe Hiratsuka had known this all along.
And maybe… just maybe… Class D wouldn't be the same this year.
***
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