Chapter 32: A Shift in the World Line
[Karuizawa Kei: "Though this guy did so much, whether the past will actually change… Honestly, it's hard to say."]
[Sudo: "We committed way too many infractions before this, and we even got marked for a class-wide absence. What the result will be is driving me crazy."]
[Ike, on the other hand, was quite relaxed, saying: "Look at you guys panicking. Even if our points for the first month are still zero, it's fine. Didn't we just take first place in the deserted island exam? Think about it—with Hikigaya joining us, maybe we'll pull even further ahead in the island exam!"]
[Though Ike's words made sense and calmed most of the class, Horikita Suzune alone knew things wouldn't go so smoothly.]
[If asked why they won first place in the deserted island exam, it was purely because of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka's presence. But in this video, Ayanokōji had completely vanished, and Hikigaya had entirely taken his place. Though the reason was unclear, it felt like the video existed solely to erase Ayanokōji.]
[She glanced at the expressionless Ayanokōji beside her. No matter what happened, he never showed the slightest overreaction. Even his complete disappearance in the video didn't make him the least bit anxious.]
['What a terrifying guy…']
[The students of Class D each had their own thoughts, while at the same time, students from Classes A, B, and C also focused on the video.]
[Sakayanagi: "I didn't expect I'd hold such a high opinion of this boy."]
[Hashimoto: "Oh my, I never would've guessed the princess likes this type."]
[Hashimoto put a hand on his head, striking a casual pose.]
[Kito stepped up beside Hashimoto, staring straight at him: "You dare tease the princess?"]
[Kamuro also glared at Hashimoto angrily. This guy's carefree attitude needed to change…]
[But Sakayanagi wasn't upset. She just waved her hand lightly and kept her eyes on the video.]
[On the other side, in Class C's classroom.]
[Ryūen, still wearing an amused expression, seemed surprised by his video self: "I didn't expect I'd be so interested in and appreciative of someone from Class D."]
[Ibuki: "I'm curious too. What kind of charm does this guy have to make you so obsessed?"]
[Ryūen gave a faint smile, as if mocking Ibuki's lack of wit, and said: "Except for Class B, any class that has Hikigaya Hachiman is fortunate. No, even Class B would see a huge boost in strength with him."]
[Ibuki: "Why do you say that…?"]
[Ryūen's expression turned impatient, his face growing cold.]
["You're so stupid it's unbelievable."]
[After being called out by Ryūen, Ibuki had no response.]
As the points were distributed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the allocated points were pitifully low. Last month, they had 100,000 points, but this month… it was less than a tenth of that.
Though the amount was small, it was still much better than having nothing at all. For a class that had recklessly spent their points, this small sum was a lifesaver.
Hikigaya looked at the points credited to his phone and fell into deep thought.
He had tried everything, yet this was all they got… It seemed this was his limit.
Hikigaya took a deep breath. Fortunately, he hadn't spent much himself. Aside from the 10,000 points used to gather information from upperclassmen, he had no other significant expenses. Food and daily necessities barely cost him anything.
So…
These nearly 10,000 points were enough for Hikigaya to get by. But for the rest of the class, that wasn't necessarily the case.
Judging by their endless complaints, they were clearly dissatisfied with the result.
Tap tap tap…
The familiar sound of high heels immediately told them it was Chabashira-sensei.
As always, she wore a black uniform, stepping gracefully into the classroom corridor. Though dressed formally, it couldn't hide her curvaceous figure and tall stature.
But the students weren't focused on that.
"Return to your seats. We're holding the morning class meeting now."
Seeing sensei arrive, everyone hurried back to their seats. Yamauchi was the first to pick up his phone and ask: "Sensei, why are our points so low…? Weren't we supposed to have a base of 100,000 points?"
'Hey, are you an idiot? It's because you were always playing games in class and making a racket. You're lucky we didn't lose everything. That's why I hate class activities.'
Of course, after the last incident, most of the class had no objections to the point distribution. They knew exactly what they had done.
Besides, without Hikigaya, they might not have received any points at all.
That would've been the real time for complaints.
Addressing Yamauchi's question, Chabashira-sensei crossed her arms and said: "Sleeping and absences: 38 times. Playing on phones and other distractions during class: 152 times. Plus everything you did outside the classroom—it's all been recorded."
"In this school, your class's performance and evaluation affect your monthly points. I've made that clear, haven't I? So, the result is… you went from 100,000 points at the start to less than 10,000 now."
Seeing the students' pained expressions, Chabashira continued: "For ordinary high schoolers like you, the government doesn't just hand out 100,000 points a month with no strings attached. You think something that good could exist? A bit of common sense would tell you it's impossible."
"Then why didn't you address your doubts?"
Chabashira glanced at Hikigaya, giving a meaningful smile.
"Looks like this year's Class D isn't too bad."
( End of this chapter)