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.
It's just that this phenomenon only appeared today.
He wanted to clear his mind during Class, but he felt like he was being watched, so he had no choice but to pay attention again.
However, he probably knew why she was watching him so nervously.
Yesterday, her secret and her scar were exposed.
And this was a matter of life and death for her; if it were exposed, her circle of girls would probably collapse immediately.
So, her place of belonging would suddenly disappear.
It's just that Hachiman also promised her he wouldn't reveal it.
But he hadn't even revealed it, and Karuizawa had already revealed it herself.
Because when the first Class ended, he received a message.
"What happened between you and Karuizawa?" by Kushida.
Hmm.
Although there are no longer behavior exams, Kushida, please pay attention in class and don't observe others.
Observing people is his job.
It's just that after Hachiman edited the message, he sent it to Karuizawa.
"Don't look back during Class, just play with your phone."
Last night, to contact each other, they added each other as friends, so now they can send messages directly.
Karuizawa was chatting with the girls during the break, and her phone was on the desk.
"Buzz~"
The sudden vibration of her phone startled Karuizawa, almost making her stand up directly.
It wasn't until she opened her phone and saw the message from Hachiman that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she subtly turned her head and nodded slightly.
And then, sure enough, in the next Class, and even up to the fourth Class, Karuizawa didn't continue to look at him.
Hmm. It seems her execution ability is very strong.
"…" Hachiman.
He had been stared at throughout the first Class, and now, suddenly not being stared at, he felt a sense of loss.
Hachiman experienced this strange feeling.
…
So, it was lunchtime.
Normally, lunchtime means going to eat, but the Student Council of this school is a bit different. Hachiman has been to the Student Council several times and found that even during break time, Student Council President Horikita Manabu is always there.
In fact, he is very busy.
As President, he has many permissions, but… he also has many corresponding responsibilities.
It's very hard.
However, at lunchtime, he didn't go directly to the Student Council with Karuizawa.
Instead, he waited alone at the bottom of the stairs for a while, and then Karuizawa came over.
It wasn't that she was putting on airs.
Rather, Hachiman was curious about how well she could obey the command he gave her after the first Class.
So he tested her.
And now, she really came after 5 minutes, just as they had agreed.
Her execution ability is good.
Although Horikita said that Karuizawa's academic ability was poor, that she was a bad student, and Karuizawa wasn't very good in other areas either, such as athletic talent.
But now, isn't this execution ability very good?
Watching Karuizawa arrive, Hachiman said, "Let's go to the Student Council. I'll introduce you to Student Council President Horikita Manabu."
"Thank you," Karuizawa said, seemingly a bit awkward. "But why would the Student Council President directly give you a position? Could it be… you two are acquaintances?"
"You also know about the Student Council?" Hachiman looked over.
"Because the girls also discuss Student Council matters."
"For example, the current Student Council President is very aloof, so is his personality secretly passionate or something?"
Okay.
The girls' discussions are not about the same thing at all.
"He previously offered me a position, and then I transferred it to you. However, since it's not for the original person, the value of the position has decreased," Hachiman said.
And this is the difference between a secretary and a mere disciplinary committee member.
…
The two arrived at the Student Council together.
The Student Council office was empty, but Student Council President Horikita Manabu was working alone.
It seems that the higher the position, the harder the work.
Horikita Manabu looked at Hachiman, then glanced at Karuizawa behind him.
"Oh!"
Karuizawa seemed surprised.
She was probably intimidated by Horikita Manabu's aura.
So Hachiman explained the reason for bringing Karuizawa: to fulfill the position Horikita Manabu had mentioned.
But then.
"So," Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses and looked at Hikigaya-kun. "Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes," Hachiman said. "Thank you for the President's kindness, but I feel I cannot handle such an important job, so please transfer this position to Karuizawa behind me."
"Heh heh…" Horikita Manabu seemed to let out a small laugh.
Actually, he was getting a headache.
Because he offered Hikigaya a Student Council position partly as an affirmation of him.
And on the other hand, he had his own intentions.
He is a Third Year, and even his position as President will be relinquished.
However, if he doesn't intervene, the next Student Council President might be Vice President Nagumo.
Horikita Manabu recognized Nagumo, but he didn't agree with some of Nagumo's ideas.
For example, this is a school where ability reigns supreme.
Horikita Manabu supported the school's Class-based competition method, but Nagumo was more extreme; he directly believed that the strong should be strong, so he wanted to change from Class competition to an individual model.
And once he stepped down, Nagumo had a high probability of taking over.
So even if the hope was relatively small, he still hoped for a solution.
That's why he considered recruiting Hikigaya to the Student Council.
But he was rejected.
But now.
"You don't come, yet you still want to keep the position? You're dreaming," Horikita Manabu said. "Since the position has been transferred, Karuizawa, is it? Starting today, you are a member of the Student Council, and your duty is a disciplinary committee member."
"Ah… Yes," the mere disciplinary committee member Karuizawa quickly replied.
Thus, the arrangement for Karuizawa to join the Student Council was completed.
The two came out of the Student Council together.
"Although it's just an insignificant position," Hachiman said. "And you don't have to do many things. But you can gain the honor of being the only Grade 1 Student Council member currently."
"As long as you reveal your identity, Manabe and the others will understand."
"They are students from Ryuen's Class. Ryuen now understands the school's rules very well, so Manabe and the others also understand."
"I understand," Karuizawa nodded gently to Hachiman.
Then she seemed a little embarrassed, and a little awkward.
"Um… thank you."
"…" Hachiman said. "I also have my own goals. I want to be promoted to Class A, so I need someone to assist me."
"Ah… Hmm, that," Karuizawa understood very well.
Indeed, some of the students in the Class have problems.
And with such strength, being promoted to Class A is a bit stressful.
In fact, her current appearance is a disguise. The real her has probably always been observing others.
And she distinguished that some students in this Class look very excellent, but there are also some… who are very bad, worse than anything she had seen before.
"So, this way, you don't have to get influence by fake dating others anymore."
"Just being the only Grade 1 student to join the Student Council already provides enough deterrence," Hachiman said. "After all, you are a member of the Student Council. Although you're just a mere member, you are indeed a member."
"Eh!"
But Karuizawa blinked gently.
"Dating?"
"Yes, Hirata told me," Hachiman said. "You hoped to fake date him to gain his influence and then establish yourself among the girls in the Class, right?"
"No," but Karuizawa shook her head. "I never said anything like that to him. I just told him I used to be bullied and hoped for help. Then he said he would figure something out."
Eh?
Hachiman's eyes widened.
Because, is that so?
Hirata!
So you deliberately said that, hoping he would help Karuizawa, right?
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