Chapter 66: If Other Classes Want to Get into Class A, Then Our Class Will Be in Danger
The pressure instantly shifted to B class, and it became clear that B class had to carefully consider their options.
However...
"Would A class really do something like that?" Kanzaki remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Then how do you think A class managed to only deduct 4 points in 6 days?" Hachiman asked. "If you observe the class evaluation scores of upperclassmen, you'll notice their scores aren't as exaggerated, meaning the special exam scores given by the school each month aren't that high."
"In other words, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If your class starts with a few hundred points behind, even approaching 1000 points, it might take five or six consecutive victories just to catch up."
"And do you think your class has the confidence to win five or six times in a row?"
"Of course, this is just the risk I'm pointing out," Hachiman continued. "A class doesn't have to choose to do this."
They didn't have to choose to do this, but what if they really did?
Could B class handle it?
Right now, they were in B class, but if they were really schemed against and dropped to D class, even if they tried hard, repeated failures would make the results unimaginable.
Moreover...
What Hikigaya had pointed out—if their score dropped and it took five or six times to climb back up...
The question was, could they really climb?
Or rather, they had just entered this school and hadn't fully realized that this was a meritocratic environment.
It wasn't until the day before yesterday, when their homeroom teacher explained the reality of the school, that they truly understood. Otherwise, they would have been kept in the dark.
On the other hand, A class...
4 points deducted in 6 days.
That was terrifying. It was as if they had already figured out the rules of the school from the start.
In an instant...
A sense of inferiority arose.
Thinking this way, the two B class representatives indeed became more cautious.
"Sorry," Ichinose said. "We underestimated you earlier."
Hachiman didn't respond immediately.
Because when faced with arrogant words, retreating was meaningless. What was needed was a direct, no-nonsense rebuttal!
"So, about the alliance, what do you need us to do? And of course, since it's an alliance, the students of D class can also assist us, right?" Ichinose said.
This meant that B class was now willing to form an alliance.
Although D class had a very poor setup, once they formed an alliance, it was highly likely that B class would support them.
At the beginning of the semester, the atmosphere in B class was very good, with a sense of everyone being little angels.
But it was only the day before yesterday when the teacher explained the rules of the school, and everyone hadn't really considered class rankings too seriously.
However, after hearing Hikigaya's description, it sounded terrifying. Because once A class attacked and dropped them down, both the class and the students might lose their chance to enjoy a good school life.
Although it hadn't happened yet, as long as there was a risk, they didn't want it to happen.
"If A class tries to hire us for some underhanded tactics, our class will refuse," Hachiman said. "And when you are in danger, we will also strike."
"The agreement has already been written."
Hachiman then looked at Horikita Suzune.
When Horikita arrived, she had been looking at her vocabulary book, but Kushida had noticed that she brought a folder.
And now...
The folder was opened.
She took out two contracts.
One was handed to Ichinose and Kanzaki, and of course, she kept one for herself.
Kushida could see the wording on the document.
[BD Alliance Agreement]
First, in various exam situations, neither side can attack the other class to reduce their points.
Second, when D class is in danger, B class must do their best to assist. When B class is in danger, D class must provide reasonable help.
Third, when the points of the two classes are very close, this alliance will be nullified.
The alliance contract was very simple.
And because of Hachiman's intimidation, both Ichinose and Kanzaki didn't want to take this risk.
However, after taking the agreement, both of them looked over it several times. Then, they placed the contract on the table. "Hikigaya-kun, Horikita-kun, Kushida-kun, your contract is really unreasonable."
"Why is it that when D class is in danger, B class must do its best to help, but on the other hand, you only provide 'reasonable' help?"
It was indeed very unreasonable.
"Is this what you're dissatisfied with?"
Hachiman didn't answer immediately.
"...It is this point," Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged glances, then both nodded at Hachiman. "If you change the second point, we can accept it."
"Fine, then let's change it to: When D class or B class is in danger, the other class will do its best to help."
Saying this, Hachiman looked toward Horikita Suzune.
Horikita then took out a new contract from the folder.
The only change was to modify the second point as Hachiman had just mentioned.
It became an equal contract.
Eh!
So, was the original intention to show them an unreasonable contract at first?
"Sure enough, Hikigaya-kun might not be an ordinary person," Ichinose said. "Earlier, the bulletin board announced that Hikigaya-kun was deducted points for breaking the cameras."
"Now that I think about it, this might have been Hikigaya-kun's way of getting the school rules announced early."
"And thanks to you, B class is in a better position. Otherwise, with our previous attitude, we would probably have lost another two or three hundred points by the end of this month."
Saying this, Ichinose placed her hands flat on the table. "Then... from today until the agreement expires, our alliance is established. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Ichinose Honami from B class."
"Kanzaki Ryuji."
"Horikita Suzune."
"Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Kushida Kikyo."
Thus, on this day, the BD class offensive and defensive alliance officially formed, lasting for half a year.
However...
"Since we are allies, we will share this information with you."
Hachiman then looked toward Kushida.
Kushida immediately handed one of the three copies of the documents to Ichinose.
"This is..." Kanzaki seemed a bit confused.
"This is the class roster for the entire grade. Since we're in class competition, it makes sense to be familiar with all the students' information," Hachiman explained.
Ah.
As expected.
Kanzaki and Ichinose exchanged a glance. It seemed that their earlier underestimation of D class was indeed a mistake.
Because if they hadn't been paying attention, they might have had to worry not just about whether A class would make a move this month, but also about whether they themselves would fall.
...
Since it was a holiday, and Ichinose was a very busy person, she was quickly taken away by someone.
Kanzaki, who seemed a bit reserved, smiled awkwardly and left as well.
Now, in the café, only Hikigaya and his companions remained.
Since they were already in the store, the three of them ordered food.
After all, it was already close to noon.
During the waiting period, Hachiman noticed something strange about Kushida. That was, despite being everyone's little angel, trusted and relied upon by everyone, she had not been looking at her phone.
Clearly, she had 67 group chats on her phone.
"By the way, Kushida, didn't anyone ask you out today?" Hachiman asked.
"I posted on my chat app that I wanted to sleep in today," Kushida replied.
So, by default, you wanted people not to disturb you, but you still went out with them?
Well, that's impressive.
You must take them very seriously.
But if that's the case, it shows that Kushida's life is quite exhausting.
Being too popular means you don't have much leisure time.
And if your friends have various problems, you still have to help out.
However, Hachiman realized that Kushida was staring at him.
"Hikigaya-kun..." Kushida said. "Are you really that smart?"
Am I smart?
Horikita Suzune had been maintaining her cold demeanor.
She had just reflected on the negotiation process with B class.
She felt a bit regretful.
She hadn't been able to play an active role, and B class had even looked down on them.
However...
"Is it really possible for B class to drop and become D class?" Kushida asked.
"This is uncertain," Hachiman replied. "It's just a hypothesis. If I were in A class, I might do something like that."
"Because as long as a nearly 1000-point gap is created, it's very hard for the opponent to catch up."
"Also, during the behavioral assessment period, if you can induce the opponent to violate the rules, they will lose a lot of points."
"So this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Hachiman said.
I see.
Horikita and Kushida didn't say anything more.
After all, thinking about these things was less useful than focusing on how to prevent their own class's points from being heavily deducted.
After the meal.
Horikita Suzune probably thought that since they were already in the shopping district, she might as well visit the supermarket.
She needed to replenish some ingredients and also buy a pair of guest slippers, which she might need for Kushida.
So, does this mean Kushida now has permission to enter Horikita Suzune's dorm?
Well, isn't that a good thing?
But.
Kushida wasn't exactly thrilled about this.
Because Horikita Suzune was too demanding—she makes you work after drinking her water, and after wearing her shoes, you still have to do work for her.
The price isn't even that high, but she can do it without a second thought.
It's just ridiculous.
"Well, I'll be leaving now," Hachiman said. "I'll leave this information with you guys."
He handed one of the three printed documents from the student council to Ichinose and the others, kept one for himself, and left one with Horikita and Kushida.
"Horikita-san, Kushida-san, I think it would be best if you familiarize yourselves with it."
"This way, when you see students from the same grade, you should be able to tell their class and grade."
The information on this roster wasn't much—just the students' information from their student IDs.
It was also accompanied by photos.
But since the student council could sell it for a high price of 100,000 yen, it showed how cautious the school was with student information.
However.
Was making her memorize this information some kind of test?
Horikita Suzune didn't think so, so perhaps this was the case.
He hoped she would memorize it, so that when needed, she could identify students.
Though she felt Hachiman might be slacking off, Horikita Suzune, who had not played a role in the alliance earlier, honestly accepted the task.
However.
"It seems like Hikigaya isn't heading back to the dorm," Horikita Suzune said.
"Ah… right, that's true," Kushida replied, finally realizing. "He still has things to do."
"…"
But.
Horikita Suzune had been talking to Kushida, right?
This guy was really too much.
She would only talk to you when she needed information.
But now, Kushida had to respond to her since she had to build some rapport.
Being able to come to this school felt like a new beginning for Kushida, but she found it tiring to discover that she had classmates from the same middle school as her here, especially someone like Horikita Suzune, who was so difficult to deal with.
...
It was noon, 12 PM.
In a private room in the cafeteria on the third floor.
Today was the weekend, but Arisu Sakayanagi still came out.
However.
This lovely Sakayanagi wasn't wearing casual clothes; she was still in her school uniform.
"Oh, isn't this Hikigaya-kun? What's this? Do you want to have a meal together today?"
"But I don't have any intention of spending money for others today," Sakayanagi Arisu said.
She wasn't alone. Kamuro was sitting beside her, but there was a small orange cat, a little larger than the palm of her hand, lying on the chair next to her.
It was probably Sakayanagi's pet cat.
Hachiman also had a cat named Kamakura at home, so he didn't mind cats.
"Meow—"
Sakayanagi's cat seemed to be a bit of a social butterfly. Upon noticing someone entering, it immediately jumped off the chair and ran over to Hachiman.
"Meow—"
Its eyes were big and round, almost glowing.
And this kind of cat clearly wanted to be petted.
Unfortunately, Hachiman had been on a cat-free streak for a week now.
So, when the cat tried to climb up his pants leg, Hachiman picked it up and set it aside, then spoke to Sakayanagi.
"Actually, I'm here to sell some information."
"Since we're acquaintances, I've made a concession on the price. The usual 100,000 points, but I'll charge only 80,000 points."
"And I think you might need it."
Saying that, Hachiman placed the printed information in front of Sakayanagi Arisu.
The first page contained student information, which Hachiman had slightly modified.
[Name: Sakayanagi Arisu
Class: 1st Year, Class A
Student ID: 1450520]
There was also a one-inch photo of Sakayanagi Arisu on the side.
This was the information of Sakayanagi Arisu.
Though it wasn't particularly detailed, at most, it provided the name and class, like confirming who you are and what class you belong to.
But.
"..." Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Kamuro-san," Sakayanagi Arisu glanced at the information, then said.
Kamuro turned to look at her.
"Transfer the money."
"..." Kamuro.
Alright.
Kamuro hadn't said anything but had been listening intently.
The idea of buying and selling information wasn't rare for Class A. In fact, on the first day of school, they had gathered everyone's points and figured out the school's rules.
Now.
What Hachiman had brought was probably something like a roster of all the students in the entire grade.
Though the students in Class A were also gathering information on students from other classes, possessing this information would certainly be useful.
Currently, Class A was split into two factions: the Sakayanagi faction and the Katsuragi faction.
The remaining few neutral students had already chosen a side.
So, the two factions were now in a tug-of-war.
Although neither Sakayanagi nor Katsuragi seemed inclined to fight, their subordinates felt that to maintain Class A's standing and graduate as Class A, they needed to align with their respective leader's ideals.
But it's impossible for a class to have two different opinions.
Thus, a bit of internal conflict had emerged, with each faction wanting the other to follow their leader's ideology.
And acquiring the entire grade's information could naturally be seen as part of this power struggle.
Ding!
"Your private account has received 80,000 points."
Hachiman checked his phone.
Sakayanagi was quite straightforward.
"However," even though she paid the 80,000 points immediately, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem bothered. "Hikigaya-kun, how did you suddenly start engaging in selling information? Yesterday, I told you to take the class competition more seriously."
"That's the second purpose for me being here today," Hachiman said. "Class D and Class B have formed an alliance."
"I just wanted to tell you this news," Hachiman added, watching Sakayanagi Arisu closely.
However.
"Don't expect to see anything from my face," Sakayanagi Arisu pointed out, seeing through his intentions.
" Easily beating Class B seems interesting," Sakayanagi Arisu remarked. "But if that happens, school life will get boring again."
Class B was at least a class that posed a challenge to Class A, and if they were defeated quickly, the class competition would lose its suspense.
And for Sakayanagi Arisu, that would make things boring.
Clearly, Sakayanagi Arisu, this little lolita, prioritized her personal interests over the class competition.
But she couldn't show dissatisfaction, as there was nothing she could do.
After all, she came from a prestigious background.
The opponents were too weak.
So, she couldn't be bothered to take action.
But this also meant that while she didn't act, her subordinates did.
The behavioral regulations exam was still ongoing.
So if something went wrong at this stage, they could lose significant points.
It was unlikely that the students from Class A would act personally.
And Class D, where Hachiman was, hadn't received any specific information. This meant that it was likely that Class C, which they hadn't paid attention to before, might take action.
If Class C acted, it meant that, aside from Class B's relatively innocent students, the other three classes were... all trying to challenge Class A.
And then... Class D, where Hachiman was, would likely bear the brunt.
...
Monday.
Physical Education class.
"800 meters..."
"1000 meters..."
"That's too devilish!"
The students were having physical education class, and Class D was starting with long-distance running.
"Your physical ability isn't bad."
The girls' team had already finished, and most of the girls who were out of shape were sitting on the grass resting.
The first group of boys also reached the finish line and could rest now.
Hachiman walked over to the quiet, black-haired fox-eyed girl who was sitting, and Horikita Suzune looked over.
She gave him a compliment.
Did she think Hachiman's physical ability was good?
No, his performance was quite average. In fact, was his physical ability actually quite poor in Horikita's eyes?
Don't underestimate the physical fitness of a shut-in boy who usually stays at home.
He can run quite fast too.
Hmm.
When chasing a mischievous cat that runs around everywhere.
"Among the girls, my physical fitness is not bad, Kushida's is alright, but there's one girl who needs to be paid attention to," Horikita Suzune said. "Her name is Onodera, and she probably participated in some sports club in middle school. Both her starting posture and running form seem to have been corrected."
Hmm.
Hachiman thought to himself, someone determined to rise to Class A is definitely different; Horikita-chan is doing a good job now.
She's voluntarily gathering intelligence.
However.
Onodera.
Hachiman observed the girl with slightly tan skin and short hair, who had finished the 800-meter run with ease.
"If it's Onodera, she actually joined the track and field club in middle school, but she preferred swimming. Now, she seems to be hesitating in high school," a cute voice came from beside him.
First came a glimpse of golden, tousled hair, then the adorable figure of Kushida Kikyo from Class D.
Alright.
Kushida-chan, you've come to chat today too.
But he hadn't been talking badly about her to Horikita.
"However, the most outstanding athlete is still Sudo," Kushida continued to provide information, though everyone already knew this.
Because Sudo was like an overpowered character.
The boys who hadn't finished the 1000-meter run looked despairingly at the tall boy with red hair who was far ahead of them.
"But it's not just Sudo," Kushida continued to add.
Because, from the line of sight, it could be seen that Sudo had already reached the finish line, but was now provocatively looking at a boy with golden hair and red eyes.
"Koenji!"
"Run properly!"
"Though I lost to you in swimming, I will never lose to you in running!"
Sudo was provoking Koenji Rokusuke.
Koenji had easily beaten Sudo in swimming class.
So Sudo was quite dissatisfied.
"As for Koenji, his academic abilities are also very strong," Horikita Suzune remarked.
Alright.
Horikita-chan is also contributing information, but clearly, her focus is different.
Could it be that she's a little dissatisfied?
But this is really peaceful.
Hachiman looked at his classmates in Class D, who were weak in sports and academically mediocre.
From his estimation, even though Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't keen on taking action, for the other students in Class A, this month was a rare opportunity to increase the point gap with Class B.
Originally, they could have taken advantage of the other classes not knowing the school's substantial point deductions and let Class A benefit.
But now the school's rules had been announced in advance.
So as long as the restrictions were enforced, the deductions for all four classes would be reduced.
This weakened Class A's advantage.
So, could the students of Class A remain calm?
According to Hachiman's guess, Class A could hire Class C to act on their behalf.
It was unlikely that Class C would directly attack Class B, so they might first test out Class D.
But for now, everything was calm.
And soon, the right moment came.
...
After school.
At the shopping street, in an electronics store.
"Are you sure this is correct? This is your camera," the clerk in a red uniform said, handing the camera to Hachiman. "Please check it, and if everything's correct, please sign here."
And the only reason Hachiman came here was simple.
After school, he received a message from the electronics store staff saying that the camera had been repaired and was ready for pick-up.
Previously, because he noticed something wrong with the clerk, he, as a representative, had fabricated a name and left his phone number.
Now, it was normal for him to come pick it up.
The process was simple, and after confirming the camera worked fine, Hachiman left the store.
But he didn't walk far. He turned towards his right and saw a girl who appeared to be quite nervous.
Her outfit was slightly plain, and she had a low presence.
But, this was Sakura Airi.
She seemed very anxious.
She was walking in small circles by herself.
And murmuring to herself.
"I have to tell Hikigaya-kun later..."
"Thank him..."
"Should I treat him to a meal to thank him..."
"Then... demonstrate it, Hikigaya-kun..."
"Hikigaya-kun, please come have a meal with me..." Sakura was practicing.
"Sakura?"
And Hachiman walked over.
"Eh?"
Sakura seemed a bit dazed for a moment, then...
"Ah!" She seemed startled. "Uh, did you hear that?"
"Hmm?" Hachiman showed a puzzled expression.
"Uh, no, nothing," Sakura quickly said, as if relieved.
But not only did he hear it, he also saw the way she was practicing.
This girl was really cute.
Hachiman thought to himself.
Then, he handed her the camera.
"Please check it, I'm not very familiar with cameras. I can only confirm it turns on without any issue," Hachiman said.
"Mm, thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
Sakura quickly expressed her thanks but didn't immediately inspect it.
"Actually, that clerk got fired," Hachiman said. "So don't worry, he was reported for secretly taking photos and is no longer allowed at the school."
"Eh, really?" Sakura, as the camera's owner, had come to pick it up, but she wasn't very good at dealing with that clerk who made her uncomfortable.
That's why she stayed outside the store.
"Hmm," Hachiman said. "After we submitted the camera for repairs, he was reported, and the school expelled him. Now, all the staff working at the electronics store are women."
"Really... like that."
Although she said this, Sakura seemed noticeably relieved.
However.
"Sakura, do you always have such strong intuition about likes and dislikes?" Hachiman asked.
"Eh..."
"My... intuition?" Sakura blinked her eyes lightly.
"Something like a sixth sense," Hachiman said.
Sakura didn't talk about her past as a former idol, so Hachiman also kept quiet about the fact that the clerk was a perverted fan of hers.
After all, if that was revealed, Sakura would immediately know that Hachiman had seen her selfies.
But logically, Sakura didn't know the clerk was her obsessive fan, yet she was still so averse to him.
Her instinctive ability to discern was too strong.
"This...?"
"How should I say this..." Sakura raised one hand and placed it on her chest. "My sixth sense is sometimes very accurate."
"And... actually, I feel a little uncomfortable today."
Uncomfortable?
"Originally, I planned to go to the experimental building to take photos today," Sakura said. "But I feel like it's better not to go there."
I see.
So, you feel something might happen there?
Then what do you think will happen there?