Chapter 095: Want to Protect Kushida? Then Teach Her How to Make Money!
The representative of Class D was Ryuen Kakeru. Although Hikigaya had never met him directly, he had gathered information about Ryuen through Kushida and other sources.
Ryuen's class had a stronger overall configuration than Hikigaya's class.
But they also had more problems.
Because many of Ryuen's classmates were delinquents.
Either the top fighter from one middle school or a former delinquent girl from another.
Hikigaya had already confirmed this when gathering information on Karuizawa.
And now—
Ryuen, who had fallen to Class D, had sent them a provocative message.
Did this mean that in the next exam, they would be under attack?
However—
"Hirata didn't get a message?" Hikigaya asked.
So far, the people who had received Ryuen's spam message were him, Horikita, and Kushida.
But Hirata, who was also aiming for Class A, hadn't received one.
Hirata was excellent in many aspects and acted as the glue of the class. Logically, he should have been targeted as well.
Yet, he hadn't come over to mention anything.
"Hirata probably didn't get a message," Kushida said.
"Or rather, even if he did, he's not checking right now."
That made sense.
Hikigaya glanced over at Hirata.
After the exam, Ike and Yamauchi were excitedly hugging Hirata.
It seemed like they were responding to Hirata's earlier text about gathering everyone for a celebration.
Since he was being embraced by two guys, Hirata was quite busy at the moment.
There was nothing surprising about this. Before class competitions, Hirata prioritized his classmates.
And with his gentle demeanor, Ryuen had probably judged him to be harmless.
But based on what Hikigaya had learned from Hirata's own accounts, Hirata's mother, despite her mild appearance, had a violent side. Back in middle school, she had even used force to dominate her class.
So if it came down to a fight between Hirata and Ryuen, who would win?
Ryuen was undoubtedly a dangerous person.
Not just because of how he controlled his class, but also because of how he handled the Sudo incident before—he was someone who would use any underhanded tactics necessary.
So having someone in their class who could actually fight was reassuring.
After all, someone like Sudo—who looked aggressive on the outside but was actually weak inside—wasn't very reassuring at all.
.
.
.
"We don't need to pay attention to Ryuen's message," Hikigaya said. "However—"
"Kushida, can I entrust this to you?"
"What is it?" Kushida asked.
"For this exam, Ryuen's class probably didn't get the test papers in advance."
"But despite that, he still dares to make such bold claims."
"So, I suspect he's already obtained information on next month's special exam."
Hikigaya paused.
His words carried intention, and his listeners took note.
Horikita began thinking.
Meanwhile, Kushida maintained her usual angelic expression.
"You mean… you want me to go to the upperclassmen to gather information about next month's special exam?" Kushida asked sweetly.
She sounded so considerate.
"Yes," Hikigaya nodded.
"..." Kushida.
"This concerns the interests of our class," Hikigaya said. "If Ryuen already knows about the exam and we don't, we could be at a disadvantage."
"When you put it that way, it does seem necessary," Kushida admitted. "Alright, I'll take care of it."
She even cutely blinked as she said it.
Still—Hikigaya had a feeling that Kushida wasn't actually happy about this.
Was she annoyed that she was being assigned a task?
But Kushida, don't you see?
This is for your own protection.
Because when someone is busy, they don't have time to dwell on their feelings.
This was his way of protecting her—so she wouldn't get bored and start kicking fences again, only to be caught by someone.
If Kushida's true nature was exposed to other classes, it would put Hikigaya in a difficult position as well.
After all, if she didn't want to drop out and didn't want to be exposed, she would inevitably become a spy for other classes.
.
.
.
And so—
The special written exam ended.
All the students were free again.
The library, once packed with students, was now nearly empty.
It wasn't just the first-years—upperclassmen were the same.
Initially, the second- and third-year students didn't care when the first-years' test papers were leaked.
But that changed.
After Sakayanagi Arisu stirred up trouble at the student council, the upperclassmen finally realized that it might not have been just the first-years who could suffer from leaked exams.
Observing his surroundings, Hikigaya noticed that while the second-years remained relaxed, the third-years had looked nervous before their exams, some even studying in the library.
That meant the third-years had been affected too.
Now that the exams were over, Hikigaya could see the third-years around campus finally looking relieved.
However—
Neither Sakayanagi nor Hikigaya would actually leak the upperclassmen's test papers.
There wasn't enough time for the school to prepare alternative exams that most students could pass.
So the upperclassmen could afford to stay stubborn and refuse to make deals with Sakayanagi.
But—
If they couldn't even figure that out, or if they didn't dare to bet that Sakayanagi wouldn't leak the tests, it suggested that the third-years weren't as capable as they seemed.
Did that mean even someone like Horikita's older brother, the third-year Class A leader, wasn't as outstanding as people thought?
With these scattered thoughts, Hikigaya wandered through the second-floor bookshelves, turning back and forth.
The school held special exams every month, some of which could result in expulsions.
But in terms of material resources, Advanced Nurturing High School was undeniably top-tier.
The library was vast and grand, with an enormous collection—perhaps even reaching a million books.
"Excuse me, are you looking for a book?"
As Hikigaya wandered through the library, someone spoke to him.
It was an exceptionally beautiful girl with long, silver-white hair cascading past her shoulders and down to her waist, giving off a refined, elegant aura.
Her skin was pale and flawless, almost like a snow maiden.
Yet, unlike a snow maiden, she wasn't icy—there was a hint of warmth to her.
Hikigaya felt like he had seen this girl somewhere before.
Just a faint impression.
But he was highly perceptive when it came to people he had actually met.
So if he only had a vague impression, that meant—he had probably only seen her in documents.
In other words, she was likely a first-year.
Previously, he had printed out the first-year student directory from the student council. He hadn't memorized all the names, but he had skimmed through it—after all, he needed to know what Ryuen looked like.
And this girl…
If his memory was correct, she was also from Ryuen's class.
But whether it was the name or something else, they didn't match.
Moreover—
Hachiman focused on her left hand.
She was holding a book, Scarlett.
Likely a literary girl.
"I want to find a book about controlling emotions," Hachiman said honestly.
The girl looked like someone who spent a lot of time in the library, so asking her might provide some useful information.
However—
"Can I take a picture of you?" Hikigaya asked.
"..." The silver-haired girl.
The silver-haired girl blinked lightly. "Why?"
"It's probably the first time I've met such a beautiful girl," Hachiman said. "I want to keep a memory of it."
That statement was a bit rude.
"That's the first time I've heard someone say that," the silver-haired literary girl replied. "Sure."
She said—
"I like reading, and I don't think people who like looking for books are bad."
Is that so?
So she's looking for a book buddy.
Hachiman then took out his phone and took a picture of the girl.
While he was taking the photo, she seemed to smile slightly, looking graceful and poised.
"As a fair exchange, do you want my photo in return?" Hikigaya said.
"No need." Probably thinking that Hikigaya's approach was rather surprising, the literary girl gently shook her head.
"Rather, why are you looking for a book on controlling emotions?"
"Did something troublesome happen to you?" the literary girl continued.
"Sometimes, I can't control my emotions," Hachiman said. "I want to vent, but I'm worried people will see me as a weirdo."
"..." The literary girl.
No, you're already a weirdo.
"If you're under a lot of psychological stress and need to vent, I think you can take a 'fight poison with poison' approach," the literary girl said. "For example, keeping yourself busy."
Is that so?
So her thinking was similar to his—if one stays busy, they won't have extra energy to think about other things.
However—
Simply being busy could also lead to exhaustion, so this "keeping busy" approach needed improvement.
Was there a way to stay busy without getting overly tired, something that could even be beneficial?
Then—
That night.
Kushida returned to her dormitory.
Today, she had approached a senior and obtained some information. It seemed that in the third month after enrollment, students would go to an island affiliated with the school for an exam.
In other words, they could leave the school!
However, she couldn't get more details yet—she needed to make further contact.
But then—
"Beep beep!"
Kushida noticed a message on her phone.
Hmm.
She had set a special notification sound for this sender—not because she particularly cared about him, but… she had no choice.
Because it was a message from her classmate, Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya had seen her true face.
And in exchange for not exposing her, she had to help him move up to a higher class—and, when necessary… betray her class.
Still, even after two days, Kushida was feeling nervous.
So if he sent an order, she couldn't refuse.
But betraying the class… what if this was a trap, and the moment she betrayed them, he immediately reported her? She would be completely doomed.
Even so—
Kushida still checked Hikigaya's message.
[I found a way for you to vent your emotions.]
[Kicking railings and cursing is dangerous. I suggest you stop.]
[Instead, I recommend focusing on one thing and using it as an outlet. Of course, to maximize the benefits, I think this thing should also be useful to you.]
[So, I signed you up for the art club. You're going to learn how to draw, Kushida.]
[Drawing can help you get rid of stress, and if you master the skill, you won't have to worry about your future.]
—By Hikigaya.
[It's guaranteed to make money.]
???
Kushida's eyes widened in shock.
Because—
Hikigaya, what the hell are you doing?!
He wanted her to learn how to draw… and make money? If it was so profitable, why didn't he do it himself?
Exactly.
As for his reasoning that drawing could help vent emotions, Kushida didn't believe it.
…
Two days of vacation passed in the blink of an eye.
Even though she hadn't done anything, time had slipped away just like that.
Students returned to the classroom.
When Hachiman entered, he could feel a tense atmosphere.
In other words, it was time for the exam results to be announced. That's why everyone was anxiously waiting for Chabashira-sensei to arrive.
Click!
The sound of high heels echoed as Chabashira Sae, dressed in a black office lady outfit, walked in with her long legs clad in black stockings.
At the same time, the students of Class C looked like prisoners awaiting judgment.
Holding their breath, they stared at the cylindrical poster tube in Chabashira's hands—
Inside it were their results.
"Phew!"
Chabashira placed the tube on the podium and slowly opened it.
As she did, the students' breathing grew heavier.
Although they had already confirmed during the test—
Confirmed that the exam questions matched the five sets of test papers they had memorized.
And they had spent time thoroughly memorizing the answers.
Still, when the moment of truth arrived, they couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Honestly,"
Chabashira held the poster tube up, covering her face, leaving only her golden eyes visible as she scanned the Class C students. "You guys really surprised me this time."
"Gulp."
As the students swallowed nervously, Chabashira finally unrolled the tube completely and posted the results on the blackboard for everyone to see.
"Oh!"
"Amazing!"
"Someone actually got a perfect score?!"
When the full results of all five subjects were displayed, many students stood up and cheered excitedly.
A whole row of perfect scores.
Something they had never dared to imagine before.
And Hikigaya understood why.
"You're really something else," the fox-eyed girl sitting next to him suddenly said.
Because—
Hikigaya himself had ranked first in all five subjects.
A full 100 points in every subject.
Hmm.
For the first time in his life, he had achieved a perfect score in every subject.
This rare chance to act like a ridiculously brilliant student…
Hikigaya just couldn't resist.