Chapter 327: You All Fight with Wits, I'm on a Date
Time had reached Friday; tomorrow was the day of the voting.
Most students harbored more or less uneasy feelings regarding this special exam. After all, until the very last moment, no one could guarantee what the outcome would be, nor could they be entirely sure they wouldn't be the one expelled.
Especially in Class D, the two people with the highest number of criticism votes, Shinohara Satsuki and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, were pointing fingers at each other, splashing as much dirty water on the other as possible!
"Ayanokouji! You voyeuristic pervert, how do you even have the face to stay in this school!"
"Wasn't that matter already settled? The masterminds were Yamauchi and the others; I was just coerced."
"Also, you control your scores in every exam to hide your true strength. You clearly just don't want to contribute to the class!"
"I have already deeply reflected on that matter. From now on, I will show my true abilities for the sake of the class."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was forced to make a public promise. His situation was similar to Koenji Rokusuke's; both were very capable students, but one slacked off while the other hid his tracks, which caused immense dissatisfaction among their classmates.
"Tch! Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?"
Shinohara Satsuki looked on with disdain.
Passive defense wasn't Ayanokouji's style; he immediately changed strategy to attack instead of defend.
"I wonder if everyone remembers something that happened at the start of enrollment.
Back then, no one knew the mechanics of the S-System. Many people spent all 100,000 personal points in the first month."
At the mention of this, many in Class D showed guilty expressions. They really were that stupid!
"In the second month, because Class D's points were zero, we didn't receive a single personal point. Shinohara-san, having spent all her own points, started eyeing her classmates. In the name of friendship, she forced others to lend her points..."
"I—I borrowed those!" Shinohara Satsuki looked panicked.
"And did you pay them back?"
Ayanokouji did not intend to let her off: "As far as I know, up until now, you haven't fully repaid all your debts." He paused and continued his assault: "And I also know that you bullied Sakura-san because she is timid and forcibly borrowed 2,000 points from her."
Hearing this, Hikigaya couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, instinctively looking in Sakura Airi's direction. This was truly the first time he had heard about this!
Sakura Airi returned a bitter smile, which served as a silent admission of the claim.
"That's not right! This semester, I already returned those points to Sakura-san!" Shinohara Satsuki quickly explained.
Borrowing 3,000 points and dragging it out for two full semesters before paying it back... This suggested that Shinohara never intended to pay it back in the first place! The primary reason she eventually cleared her debt with Sakura Airi was that Hikigaya had crushed Class A, stepped on Class C, and even tamed the leader of Class B—he was a certified Great Demon King!
Anyone with eyes could see that Sakura Airi and Hikigaya were very close. Shinohara Satsuki had only repaid the debt out of fear of retaliation from Hikigaya.
"But... Shinohara-san, the 2,000 personal points you borrowed from me in the first semester still haven't been returned."
The speaker was a girl in the class named Inogashira Kokoro. She had a long-standing secret crush on the handsome Satonaka Satoshi, and now Shinohara Satsuki was "dating" her crush. Even if it wasn't real, it was enough to make her burn with jealousy! Seeing this opportunity, Inogashira immediately kicked her "love rival" while she was down.
"Borrowing money and not returning it—the lowest!"
"Shinohara's character is just too foul!"
In fact, many people in Class D had borrowed points from others, but most had paid them back afterward. Only Shinohara Satsuki was thick-skinned enough to renege on her debts.
"In the uninhabited island exam, Shinohara-san's performance was witnessed by everyone. I won't comment much on it."
Ayanokouji pointed out the other's key faults with surgical precision. On the first day of life on the island, this person had taken the lead in causing trouble and had unilaterally misappropriated public points to buy snacks, pillows, electric fans, and other personal items. Furthermore, she had led the charge during the incident of Karuizawa Kei's stolen underwear, indiscriminately pinning the blame on the boys, which once caused massive chaos in Class D!
"I, you..."
Shinohara Satsuki was choked up, completely unable to refute him.
"In the subsequent sports festival, the Paper Shuffle exam, the training camp…
Shinohara-san's contribution was nearly zero.
The most unforgivable thing is that for the sake of a so-called romance, Shinohara-san became a lackey for Class A and attempted to bully me, a fellow classmate."
In one breath, Ayanokouji listed Shinohara Satsuki's various crimes, successfully inciting strong dissatisfaction from the entire Class D toward her!
"I didn't expect Shinohara-san to have done so many bad things we didn't know about," Kushida Kikyo said, acting troubled. "It really is hard to forgive."
"Shinohara-san, I don't mean to talk down to you, but your actions have truly disgraced us girls!" Karuizawa Kei followed up with another blow.
The two of them worked in tandem; they were clearly settling a private grudge, still resenting the time Shinohara Satsuki slandered Hikigaya.
Faced with a nearly one-sided disadvantage in public opinion, Shinohara Satsuki, for some reason, began to laugh wildly: "Hahahaha!"
"Hey, what are you laughing at?"
"Has this person lost her mind?"
Everyone looked at the raving Shinohara Satsuki, feeling bewildered.
"Hachiman, do you know something?" Horikita Suzune asked him.
"Isn't it obvious? Shinohara's confidence." Hikigaya rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain.
Horikita Suzune frowned, and after a moment's thought, she found the answer: "Could it be that Class A promised to give Shinohara Satsuki praise votes?"
According to the exam rules, praise votes from outside the class could offset criticism votes from within the class on a 1:1 basis. In other words, as long as she gathered enough praise votes, even if the entire Class D unanimously voted for Shinohara Satsuki to be expelled, they wouldn't be able to make it happen.
"Haha! Horikita, I have to say, for an arrogant woman, you're pretty smart."
Shinohara Satsuki folded her arms across her chest, her face full of arrogance and pride: "My good bestie Sakayanagi has already promised me that she will rally Class A to give me praise votes! Even if you can't stand the sight of me, you won't be able to get me expelled!"
Thinking she stood on invincible ground, Shinohara Satsuki's ugly side was no longer hidden.
"If Shinohara's criticism votes are offset, then the one expelled will be..."
Everyone instinctively turned their eyes toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Ayanokouji maintained his expressionless look throughout, making it impossible to see what he was thinking.
"..."
"Ayanokouji shouldn't be expelled!" Hirata Yousuke looked anxious.
After his "darkening," Ayanokouji had been guiding him by his side. Hirata regarded the other as a close friend he could confide in, and naturally didn't want to see him expelled.
"If Ayanokouji shouldn't be expelled, then who should?" Shinohara Satsuki's words were heavy with mockery. "Hirata-kun, since when did you become Ayanokouji's lackey?"
"That, that..."
"That guy wears that face all day; you can tell at a glance he's full of bad intentions!" Okitani Kyousuke launched a personal attack. The reason was that his own reputation in class was also poor, making him a prime candidate for criticism votes. If Ayanokouji wasn't expelled, the next candidate might very well be him!
"Waaah~~"
Hikigaya let out a big yawn. This battle of wits in Class D was just too boring!
"Hikigaya... do you have any suggestions?"
The eyes of everyone in Class D focused on Hikigaya. At this point, even those who disliked Hikigaya had to acknowledge his strength and influence. If he so much as opened his mouth and took action, the "In-Class Exam" could have ended on the first day!
"I have no opinion." Hikigaya waved his hand nonchalantly. "You guys keep talking, don't mind me."
By the end of the argument, no conclusion had been reached. Judging by the existing public information, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was clearly in a very disadvantageous position!
That said, these people in Class D were truly stupid enough to be laughable! Why did they think that detestable, bratty loli would honestly keep her promise? Not to mention, Shinohara Satsuki had offended Sakayanagi Arisu before. Given that bratty loli's vindictive personality, if Class A cast even a single praise vote for Shinohara, it would be a miracle!
.
.
.
After school in the afternoon.
Leaving the noisy classroom, Hikigaya felt the outside air was sweet and refreshing. He planned to head to the supermarket to restock his daily necessity, Max Coffee.
A set of hurried footsteps and a shout came from behind: "Ha—Hachiman-kun!"
Hikigaya turned around, and his eyes couldn't help but widen. Sakura Airi was jogging toward him, the "two great mountains" on her chest rising and falling breathtakingly.
Fortunately, Hikigaya was well-experienced and managed to keep his composure for the moment, asking with feigned calmness: "Airi, is there something you need?"
"Huff, huff~"
Sakura Airi arrived in front of him, panting in small breaths before answering: "I—I want to go to the supermarket to buy some things. Can we go together?"
It was a small request, so of course he could satisfy her. Hikigaya was just curious: "By the way, where's Haruka? Why didn't she come with you?"
Sakura Airi spoke the truth: "Today, Haruka has duty to clean the classroom."
Did this girl intentionally choose today for a chance to be alone with him?
"Is it okay, Hachiman-kun?"
Sakura Airi's small hands were nervously clasped together as she gazed at him in a pitiful "upward-looking" posture. Seeing he had nothing else to do, Hikigaya agreed.
"Sure, let's go together, Airi."
"Mhm, mhm!"
Sakura Airi's face instantly changed into a brilliant smile, her mood exceptionally cheerful.
At the supermarket, Hikigaya went straight to the point, bought two packs of Max Coffee, and came back out. Sakura Airi, however, led him through a stroll from desserts and snacks all the way to clothing.
"Hachiman-kun... how about this?"
Sakura Airi untied her plain braids and used a blue hair tie to put her hair up into high-energy, youthful twin tails. Just by changing her hairstyle, her entire aura was different.
"Very beautiful. By the way, Airi, are you planning to show the world your true face as a beautiful girl?" Hikigaya asked curiously.
"A beautiful girl... that's too much of an exaggeration." Sakura Airi laughed bashfully: "Heeheehee~"
"Be more confident; you are an idol goddess," Hikigaya praised without reservation.
"Really? As long as Hachiman-kun likes it..."
Sakura Airi gazed at him with burning eyes, then, as if having made a major decision, she reached out and took off the plain glasses that sealed her beauty. Her sparkling sky-blue eyes seemed to carry an intense emotion, stinging Hikigaya enough that he didn't quite dare to meet her gaze.
Thinking back, the night before entering Advanced Nurturing High School, the first girl Hikigaya ever dreamed of was the Sakura Airi standing before him. In a sense, Sakura Airi was his "first love." It's hard not to be moved by the "wife" you first dreamed of!
"Hello, customer. The store has just received a batch of the currently most popular glasses. Do you need anything?"
The clerk's sales pitch cooled down the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
"Ugh~"
Sakura Airi puffed out her cheeks, giving the "socially tone-deaf" clerk a slightly complaining look.
"I'm very sorry!!"
The clerk realized belatedly that they had ruined the couple's atmosphere and quickly bowed in apology.
"No need for that, it's just a small thing," Hikigaya waved his hand casually.
"I'm truly sorry! To express my apologies, no matter which glasses the customer buys today, the store will give a 20% discount!" This person was certainly dedicated to their work.
"Sorry, I'm not nearsighted, I don't need them," Hikigaya refused.
The other party still didn't give up: "The store has plain-lens glasses for decoration."
"Hachiman-kun, take a look!" Sakura Airi, on the other hand, seemed exceptionally interested and began picking through the counter herself.
"If it's plain-lens glasses, I already have a pair. It's just that I usually leave them in my dorm room and almost never wear them," Hikigaya said.
"Hachiman-kun, try this one on!" Sakura Airi's eyes lit up as she took a pair of blue-black framed glasses from the counter.
'No, kid, why aren't you listening?'
Hikigaya thought, feeling helpless. But seeing her rare enthusiasm, he didn't want to refuse her kindness. He had to sit up straight and let her personally put the glasses on him.
Silence. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...
"As expected, so handsome!" Sakura Airi praised from the heart after a brief moment of being dazed.
"Does putting on glasses really turn someone into a handsome guy... is it that magical?" Hikigaya reached up to adjust the glasses.
"Manager, how many points?"
"I'll transfer them now."
Sakura Airi whipped out her phone without hesitation, with the payment page ready.
"Wait, Airi? Didn't I say I already have a pair of glasses?" Hikigaya tried to stop her.
"No, that's different."
"How is it different?"
"I don't like glasses given to you by other women."
"..."
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