If you're enjoying Hachiman's journey through the Elite Classroom, please consider supporting the story with your Power Stones!
Every vote helps the novel grow and reach more readers.
Thank you for your support! 🙏😊
★★★
"It seems there was a Class where even the Teacher went on strike for a month." Horikita Suzune said.
"…" Hachiman.
Alright, Horikita, please don't say such terrifying things outside.
Because you know what you're talking about, Kushida's dark past?
Having learned about Hirata's past, Hachiman confirmed that Kushida's dark past, similar to Hirata's, was quite serious.
And Horikita Suzune, don't you understand a little now?
But this is the girls' dormitory, and Kushida is right next door to you.
Although she's not in the dormitory right now, you shouldn't casually say such terrifying things.
Otherwise, the Kushida bomb is going to explode.
So Hachiman interrupted her.
"How do you spell the English word 'abandon'?" Hachiman said.
"…" Horikita Suzune.
"Are you deliberately testing me?"
Horikita Suzune said, "Abandon."
"Are there any other words?" Hachiman asked.
"Give up."
Okay.
That's enough, Horikita.
Please don't bring up anything related to your middle school.
…
20 minutes later.
After showering and changing, Karuizawa also blow-dried her hair.
Of course, she didn't have a change of clothes here, so she borrowed Horikita Suzune's.
Of course.
According to Horikita Suzune, she just needed to wash it and return it to her.
In other words, Horikita Suzune would lend things to girls who asked.
This left Hachiman feeling a little disappointed.
Only.
"Then, Horikita, please wait here a little longer." Hachiman said.
"…" Horikita Suzune.
So what happened today?
It was her own room, but she kept being kept outside.
But there was nothing that could be done.
Because.
Although Karuizawa told Hirata about her past, it was to seek help.
Hirata merely passed this request for help over.
And Hachiman, through his own observation, induced Karuizawa to reveal it herself.
But this kind of past, just as Karuizawa feared, was not something that could be casually told to others.
So Horikita Suzune could only wait outside the door for now.
Thus, Hachiman walked into the room.
Karuizawa had already finished her shower, with a slight mist of water around her.
Speaking of which, she smelled so good.
She was clearly using the same body wash as Horikita Suzune, or rather, she was using Horikita Suzune's body wash.
But it made her smell even better.
Moreover.
This was also the first time Hachiman had seen a girl after a shower.
Sure enough, Kushida's provocation had no effect at all.
Hachiman felt a little shaken.
But he quickly calmed down.
Because he noticed that after Karuizawa showered, she sat obediently, but her eyes seemed a little uneasy.
Yes, she was a little scared, because all her secrets had been revealed.
"If you feel uneasy, then I can also offer one of my secrets in exchange." Hachiman said.
"That won't be necessary."
But Karuizawa's demands didn't seem to be high.
"Can you promise to protect me?"
"Since Hirata told you my secret… that means you have his trust." Karuizawa said.
"It shows you have strength, so can you protect me?"
Oh.
I see.
So realistic.
However, her willingness to cooperate was excellent.
Rather, she sought help from Hirata in the first place to get protection, didn't she?
She had become very timid.
Even her current strong exterior was just a disguise.
To protect her inner self, which had already become weak.
"My goal is to lead Class C to Class A, and you know the situation with the classmates, so when aiming for Class A, it's necessary to control the Class when needed."
"I already have the assistance of Hirata, Kushida, and Horikita."
"So, if you are willing to assist, then I will do my best to protect you in all aspects…"
Actually, the word 'protect' shouldn't be used casually.
It's usually only said by those with power, and only to those they cherish.
But just now, Hachiman really wanted to say it.
It was probably sympathy.
Karuizawa's experience was terrible, and if he were in her shoes, he probably wouldn't have fared better than her, perhaps even worse.
So.
Hachiman said his middle school was pretty good.
But for people like Kushida, Hirata, and Karuizawa, their middle schools were outrageous.
It no longer felt like mere bullying.
It felt more like a crime.
But.
If he were in Karuizawa's situation, facing bullying, he would probably do something.
For example.
There could be several ways to handle it.
For example, if Karuizawa was bullied in the past, violence could be used to deal with it.
Similar to Hirata's way.
But unfortunately, she probably wasn't good at fighting.
However, not being able to use violence doesn't mean there are no other options.
For example.
She was clearly being bullied, yet the school turned a blind eye to her situation, and her parents only told her to endure it, even her friends abandoned her out of fear of being bullied along with her, leaving her isolated and helpless, so she resigned herself to enduring it.
This situation is terrifying.
And if it were Hachiman, he would probably adopt other solutions.
If the world abandoned him, then he would become the god of a new world.
The simplest thing would be to directly record their crimes and then send them to their parents.
If the other party pretends to be a good girl at home, it would become even more interesting.
If the other party's family also doesn't care about these things, one could find someone to send them spam messages, or throw feces at their doorstep.
In other words, if these people make others collapse, then make them collapse too.
Ordinary people are easily incited to commit crimes by others, but they are also easily bullied into not fighting back.
Because they don't want to lose their peaceful and stable lives.
Even bullies have things they fear.
One just needs to find them.
So, if one's own world is destroyed, then go destroy their world.
A little eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
But these things are all hindsight.
For Karuizawa, this school, which has nothing to do with her past, is her salvation.
Otherwise, she wouldn't use her current strong, gyaru-like appearance to disguise herself, like an external skeleton, protecting herself.
"Protect… me…"
Karuizawa seemed to still be in a daze.
Because.
For her, the word 'protect' must be very distant.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have suffered injuries that were close to life-threatening.
That was her own resistance, she resisted, but the cost was also great.
"The students of this school are selected." Hachiman said.
"It's like a new beginning. And you also want to start a new life in this place, don't you?"
"So, this is a win-win solution. I will keep your secret."
"But I need your assistance."
"…" Karuizawa.
Karuizawa seemed to ponder for a moment.
"Then…"
"Are you sure you can help me deal with Manabe's problem?"
Manabe?
So you've already decided to choose his side, huh?
"I will handle Manabe's problem. The Student Council gave me a spot, although it's just a Disciplinary Committee member, I can give it to you."
"The Student Council in this school has high authority. As long as you show that you are a Student Council member, Manabe will chicken out on her own." Hachiman said.
In other words, he was inviting her to join the Student Council.
Although a Disciplinary Committee member doesn't have much authority, having the title is enough to protect her.
"I understand." So, Karuizawa looked at him.
"Then don't leak my secret."
"That's a given." Hachiman said.
"Rather, a past like that would be painful to even mention, sorry for splashing water on you earlier."
"…" Karuizawa.
If he knew splashing her was too much, then he shouldn't have done it.
But she wasn't stupid.
She quickly realized whether Hikigaya was testing her by doing that.
"So Hirata didn't actually tell you my secret?" Karuizawa indeed reacted.
"It was deduced based on observation." Hachiman said.
"Your expression when facing Rika was off. It didn't match your gyaru leader image."
"And when Manabe and Rika came together as a group, if she were a strong enough gyaru, she wouldn't be afraid even if she was alone."
"And not…" Hachiman paused.
"Borrowing someone else's strength."
This 'borrowing someone else's strength' referred to her hugging him and then acting fierce by proxy.
"…" Karuizawa listened to his analysis.
"Then how did you know I was hurt?"
"You wore your swimsuit early for swimming Class, and you don't expose your skin in front of other girls after swimming Class, do you?"
Hachiman said, "If it were an ordinary girl, maybe she gained weight, had belly fat, or had some pimples she didn't want to be seen.
But for you, you wouldn't be so superficial.
I thought it might be a scar."
"That's why I asked if you had been hurt." Hachiman said.
Is that so.
Then you are quite frightening.
Just by observing, he could discover her true nature, and then, by how she wore her swimsuit, he confirmed that she had indeed been hurt.
Is his observational skill that terrifying?
It's just.
If the other party is so strong, then does that count as finding a big tree to rely on?
After the panic she experienced today, Karuizawa suddenly felt… a sense of relief.
…
Thus.
The next day.
Hachiman came to meet Hirata for their appointment.
According to Karuizawa, she sought help from Hirata because she didn't want to be bullied anymore and wanted to solidify her current position.
She was the leader of the gyarus in the Class, but her academic performance seemed to be very poor.
Hmm.
Horikita had mentioned this point.
And her athletic ability was also average.
Hachiman had observed her for two days and also discovered this.
Karuizawa had no talent for sports.
What about other special skills?
It seemed there were none.
If anything, it was probably her current strong gyaru demeanor.
Although Hachiman discovered Karuizawa's true nature through observation, he hadn't realized that her toughness was acted out before he seriously considered it.
Not even Kushida or Sakura had seen through it.
This acting was indeed quite impressive.
And according to her.
"I don't want to be bullied, so… I dressed up like the people who bullied me and imitated them." Karuizawa said.
Is this what they call becoming the very thing you hate the most?
Hachiman arrived at the agreed location, waiting for Hirata while letting his thoughts wander.
About five minutes passed.
"Sorry, I'm a little late." Hirata arrived.
His forehead was sweaty, and he carried some warmth on his body.
From his busy appearance, it seemed he had just helped another student before finally arriving late.
This was quite normal, after all, their Class was the original Class D.
All sorts of problems and troubles needed someone to mediate them.
"Actually." Hirata said, "I wanted to ask, Hachiman, what do you think about school romance?"
"Of course, I'm not talking about actually dating." Hirata said.
"I hope you and Karuizawa date. Karuizawa proposed a fake relationship to me to maintain her position, and now, I think this position can be given to you."
"Your reputation is much greater than mine now."
Hmm.
I see, you want to tell him Karuizawa's secret… so why is it this?
Why is it dating?
Hikigaya suddenly stood up.
Because of what Hirata said.
...
Hachiman looked at Hirata in astonishment.
Because.
He thought Hirata wanted to tell him Karuizawa's secret, but it turned into asking him if he wanted to date Karuizawa.
And Hirata began to explain himself.
"Karuizawa, she was severely bullied in the past, and she hopes to find peace in this school. Although it's unfortunate, she ended up acting like the type of person she hated most."
"But that's also a way to survive.
"I have no reason to judge."
Hirata said, "She just came to me, hoping for a fake relationship with me so she could improve her status within her small group."
And Hirata was the Class's little sun, very popular, so dating him could provide a kind of supportive effect.
It's just.
This was something she sought your help for, Hirata, so why did it suddenly turn to… rather, Hirata, did Karuizawa initially entrust you, and then you redirected her to him?
If someone needed Hirata's help, a good-natured person like Hirata would certainly not refuse.
But once a fake relationship truly began, even if it was fake, they would have to act it out in front of everyone.
First, acting itself isn't a good thing, and moreover, a fake relationship would increase their contact, meetings, and so on.
But Hirata was everyone's Hirata.
So, once he entered a fake relationship, it would be difficult for him to serve everyone anymore.
So, Hirata was doing this for everyone.
Hachiman quickly analyzed the situation.
"It's just, why choose me?" Hachiman said, "I'm not very popular in the Class."
"Popularity, huh…" Hirata seemed to look at him with some surprise.
"Because, Hikigaya, didn't you confront everyone by yourself during the behavior guidelines exam?
So, everyone thinks you're quite remarkable." Hirata said.
"…" Hachiman.
Is that so?
He didn't think he had that much offensive power.
"It's just, my reputation among girls isn't very high, so choosing me…" Hachiman said.
"That's fine." Hirata said.
"I just need to interact with you more, and if I show myself as your close friend in front of everyone, your reputation will also improve."
Oh, it can be like that.
So why.
"Wait a minute." Hachiman then looked over,
"Hirata, are you intentionally trying to make me interact with Karuizawa?"
"…" Hirata.
"You found me out."
He rubbed his head.
"Karuizawa has a past of being bullied, and I'm very sensitive to such matters. Although Karuizawa's hope is to live safely in this school."
"But I think her inner self also needs attention."
In other words, Hirata himself felt guilty because he failed to save a friend, who then chose an extreme path, so he saw Karuizawa, who had a similar experience to his friend.
Then he felt compassion.
Wanting to care for her.
But does caring mean asking Hikigaya-kun to heal the other person's inner wounds?
And this kind of thing…
"Why do you think I'd be suitable for something like this?" Hachiman said.
"Just a feeling." Hirata said.
"If it were you, Hikigaya, if we had met Hikigaya-kun in our past, then perhaps things would have been very different."
In other words, Hirata's heart still held regret, wishing to be saved.
But he was saying that if he and they had met earlier, their paths might not have been this way.
Is that so.
Then you think too highly of him.
All he wanted was for his world to be destroyed, and then to become the god of the new world, that was all.
"However." Hachiman said, "if you ask me to have a fake relationship with her, then Kei Karuizawa won't agree, right?"
"I haven't told her about this yet. Rather, I haven't given her an answer." Hirata said.
"But I think there shouldn't be a problem, because Karuizawa needs a reliance and a light, so anyone would do."
This was a bit much.
But.
This was like searching for a lifeline.
As long as it could save her, any kind of straw was incredibly important.
It's just.
A relationship probably wouldn't work out.
Rather, he had already given her the weapon to gain reliance and light.
Although that's what he said.
…
The next day.
Morning.
The first period was chemistry, and the teacher was a bespectacled person who seemed rather introverted.
It's just that no matter what teacher it was, their lectures were all the same—
From beginning to end, they used the same monotone, with no emotional fluctuations, and they all just read directly from the textbook.
Once the dismissal bell rang, they left without any delay.
It was the same as during the previous behavior guidelines assessment.
Even though the mid-term exams were about to begin, the teachers still hadn't started explaining or highlighting which content needed to be mastered.
So, it should be quite interesting for Kushida to contact the upperclassmen as previously requested.
There must be some shortcut for the written exam.
It's just.
As a human observer, Hachiman also noticed something a little different from usual.
That was, he noticed Karuizawa, who was sitting in front, constantly turning her head to look in his direction.
Karuizawa's seat wasn't too close.
It was the third row of the fourth column.
And Hachiman was in the last seat by the window.
So, Karuizawa's actions, although she might have thought she was being discreet, were actually quite exaggerated.
She deliberately pushed her chair back, leaned completely back, and sat sideways, her head gently turned.
Although she pretended to be staring blankly out the window at the scenery, anyone with a keen eye could tell she was staring at Hachiman.
Well, of course, there weren't many keen eyed people, though.
After all, those who studied diligently were in the first two rows.
Everyone else was busy doing their own thing, so naturally, they wouldn't notice Karuizawa's somewhat unusual behavior.
....
https://discord.gg/mjcCSyu7Yr
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)