Chapter 330 Valentine's Day, Honmei Chocolate
The hastily added "In-Class Voting" special exam had come to an end. After the adjustment period of the weekend, the students' emotions had leveled out. Coming to school on Monday and seeing the empty seats in the classroom, everyone felt a certain "fox mourning the death of the rabbit" sadness.
However, rather than focusing on Shinohara Satsuki, who had been expelled, the students of Class D—especially the girls—were more concerned about Hirata Yosuke's mental state. During the previous summer vacation, when three people were expelled from Class D at once, Hirata had completely "blackened," and his appearance back then was truly terrifying.
But this time... How should one put it?
Though Hirata was in low spirits, he at least showed some reaction. When girls came to talk to him, he would still squeeze out a forced, faint smile.
That was the way! As the saying goes—strange the first time, familiar the second. Once enough people get expelled, you eventually get used to it, don't you?
According to Hikigaya's observations, on the first day Shinohara Satsuki was gone, the atmosphere in Class D became visibly better. Normally, Shinohara would frequently clash with the boys, starting arguments over the most trivial matters.
To call her a troublesome "drama-starter" wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
Hirata seemed to realize this as well, and the gloom on his face dissipated slightly. After all, in his heart, maintaining the harmony and unity of the class was the most important thing!
Since Shinohara's expulsion allowed Class D to improve, Hirata had essentially accepted this reality.
Classes proceeded as usual... Discipline in the classroom over the past few days was fairly good. The guys who slept in class at least didn't disturb anyone else. The relationship between the boys and girls of Class D had improved slightly.
Unfortunately, after just a few days, some people revealed their true colors! With Valentine's Day approaching, the males seemed to have collectively entered a mating season. Every corner of the classroom was filled with the scent of restless hormones.
"Sudo, do you know what day it is tomorrow?"
"Tch~ Isn't it just that? It's nothing to... to care about..."
Sudo Ken appeared indifferent on the outside, but the basketball in his hands was unconsciously being squeezed out of shape! Stupid conversations like this could be seen everywhere in Class D. Even stupider was that while the boys rambled on, they were secretly scanning the girls' gazes. Hikigaya felt that as long as one wasn't an idiot, they could see right through their intentions.
In previous years, Hikigaya never held any expectations for Valentine's Day. As for this year... He had a feeling he was in for even bigger trouble! Just as Hikigaya was lost in thought, a burst of wailing suddenly erupted in the classroom.
"No, this can't be true..."
"Noooooooo!!"
Hikigaya looked up to see two boys in the front row who had been talking to Kushida Kikyo. They looked as if they had taken an arrow to the knee, suddenly collapsing in pain as if they had seen hell. The surrounding boys also looked like they were at a funeral, their faces ashen, having lost all hope in life.
What was going on? Had they finally discovered that the little angel Kushida's true face was actually that of a little devil? On the surface, however, Kushida still maintained her angelic smile.
"Gomen ne~ I've let everyone down." Kushida pressed her hands together, looking at everyone with an apologetic face: "I originally intended to prepare Giri (courtesy) chocolate for every boy in the class to commemorate our deep friendship.
However, Shinohara-san's expulsion this time has left me feeling deeply guilty. If my personal point savings had been a bit higher, could I have saved her?
So, I've decided that from now on, I must save my points as much as possible. Who knows, maybe in the next exam, I'll be able to protect a classmate!"
Listening to Kushida's earnest explanation, the members of Class D were moved to the point of prostrating themselves.
"I see!"
"Everything for the sake of everyone else... Kushida-chan really is an angel!"
Hikigaya really wanted to complain: One dares to say it, the others dare to believe it!
"Kushida-chan is right!"
"Thinking about it carefully, giving chocolate on Valentine's Day was a scam created by businesses to make money from the start."
"I-I've actually been tired of eating chocolate for a long time, ahahaha..."
They said that, but the boys of Class D were extremely disappointed in their hearts. Especially the majority of the average-looking boys who had no special talents.
Carrying the reputation of "Class D Trash," they were unlikely to be favored by girls from other classes. The only chance they had of receiving chocolate was through Kushida's "angelic grace." Now that the angel was withholding chocolate for the "greater good," it was equivalent to snuffed out their last hope.
Look, this is the end for "simps"!
Hikigaya was certain that Kushida Kikyo probably had no intention of giving out chocolate from the start! Her claim about saving points was even more baseless.
Giri chocolate itself isn't expensive; many shops prepare large containers of small, cheap, individually wrapped chocolates. They are perfect for group gifts—saving money while building social capital. Given Kushida's previous persona, she definitely would have sent out a large amount of Giri chocolate every year. But for some reason this year, she had changed her mind and didn't even bother to go through the motions.
"Hee-hee~" As if sensing his gaze, Kushida suddenly turned her head and flashed him a sweet smile. "..." If he could, Hikigaya really wanted to pretend he didn't understand.
At that moment, a cold huff came from beside him.
"Hmph! That Kushida person will definitely give you chocolate." Horikita Suzune stated with absolute certainty, immediately adding: "Of course, I will also give you one—Honmei (true feeling) chocolate."
"Suzune, don't say it so loudly..." Hikigaya's expression changed instantly.
"Hey! I think I just heard the words 'Honmei chocolate'!" Karuizawa Kei immediately turned her head.
"Ara~ Horikita-san is certainly bold.
Giving a boy Honmei chocolate on Valentine's Day..." Matsushita Chiaki originally intended to provoke the other's sense of shame.
Unexpectedly, Horikita answered very bluntly: "It is Honmei chocolate. There's nothing to hide."
"!!!" Several girls' expressions changed drastically.
They hadn't expected Horikita's aggressiveness to be so high.
This bitch! Kushida was almost driven mad with anger, her angelic face gradually turning grim.
However, someone reacted even more strongly.
Hasabe Haruka suddenly stood up from her seat and walked aggressively to Horikita's desk. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked down at the other girl with a condescending gaze. Horikita didn't back down in the slightest, looking up and staring back at Hasabe with sharp eyes.
Neither spoke; they just stared at each other quietly. It was as if visible sparks were flying in the air.
Confirmed by the gaze... She had also participated in the "actual combat"!!!
"Gulp~" Hikigaya was sweating profusely, not daring to make a sound. He was terrified the two of them would leak some "military secrets."
Fortunately, both girls retained a shred of sanity at this moment. By unspoken agreement, they chose to remain silent.
Hasabe Haruka turned and returned to her seat.
"Haruka?" Watching her friend stand up impetuously to confront Horikita and then return so mysteriously, Sakura Airi expressed that she didn't understand.
"Airi, I'm sorry..." Hasabe's eyes darted around, looking very guilty.
The others were even more bewildered.
What was that? They thought a fight was about to break out!
The Shura Field (battlefield of love) didn't explode for the time being. But Hikigaya could clearly feel that the gazes those girls directed at him were full of sharpness.
It wasn't just Class D; every class was reacting to the upcoming Valentine's Day to varying degrees.
Even Class A was no exception. Aside from a very few handsome boys, like Satonaka Satoshi, who weren't worried at all about not receiving chocolate.
The other boys were somewhat anxious; after all, they were high schoolers in the prime of their youth.
Hashimoto Masayoshi was a typical social butterfly, flirting with the girls in the class everywhere. His looks weren't bad, and he was a good talker; he actually managed to coax a few girls into promising him chocolate.
Of course, the Class A girls weren't stupid. Faced with such a cynical guy, they would just give him Giri chocolate to brush him off.
"Morishita-san, if possible, could you give me a piece of chocolate?" Hashimoto tentatively approached one of the top-tier beauties in the class.
"Insubordination. Immediate execution!" Morishita Ai glanced at him expressionlessly.
"Hey, hey... is that necessary? Even 'immediate'..." Hashimoto's mouth twitched. He had almost forgotten—Morishita Ai was a weirdo of a god-tier character!
"Um, does Morishita-san have someone to give chocolate to?" Yamamura Miki asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Eh? You really do?" The Class A students were first shocked, then cast curious glances.
Even Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi were no exception.
After all, gossip is human nature.
"Hikigaya Hachiman." Morishita answered without any concealment.
"The—The Great Demon King...!" Upon hearing that name, the Class A students couldn't help but shudder.
Then they looked toward Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi. It was common knowledge that the relationship between those two and the Great Demon King was unusual.
"Ara~ As expected of Hachiman-kun, his charm is truly great." Sakayanagi Arisu just smiled nonchalantly, looking perfectly composed. Beside her, Kamuro Masumi was a bit agitated, looking at Morishita and starting to speak several times.
"You don't need to worry, Excellency Kamuro Masumi.
I am giving Hikigaya Hachiman Giri chocolate as a return gift."
During the Christmas season, Morishita had been harassed by a senpai, and Hikigaya had driven him away in the name of the Disciplinary Committee.
"So that's how it is..." Kamuro Masumi immediately breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Masumi-kun, it's too early to let your guard down.
There are likely quite a few girls in other classes who have their eyes on Hachiman-kun and are planning to launch a fierce offensive on Valentine's Day."
Sakayanagi's words were full of incitement and induction.
"Tch~ You don't need to tell me that..." Kamuro bit her lip, looking very displeased.
"It's hard to imagine Masumi fighting alone against so many competitors."
"What exactly are you trying to say..."
"It can't be helped, since you are one of mine." Sakayanagi Arisu revealed her true intentions: "How about this—this time, we act together."
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On the other side, the atmosphere in Class B appeared somewhat desolate.
Shibata Souta, who had always been very optimistic, was currently slumped over his desk grumbling listlessly: "Sigh, I feel like our class won't have any chocolate this Valentine's Day..."
"Sorry, in order to save me, everyone exhausted their personal points." Kanzaki Ryuji expressed his shame.
"No, no, no, I'm the one who should be blamed!
I was the one who told everyone to cast their censure votes for Kanzaki-kun." Ichinose Honami took the responsibility upon herself.
"Neither Ichinose nor Kanzaki-kun needs to blame themselves.
The decision to protect a comrade was one we all made together." Kobashi Yume comforted them warmly.
"Yeah, to save a partner, paying any amount of points is worth it." Amikura Mako clenched her small fists.
"Alright... you guys are right.
But regarding Ichinose's side, is it really okay?" Shibata suddenly shifted the focus to Ichinose.
"E-Eto~ What could possibly be wrong on my side..." Ichinose Honami's eyes wandered, looking completely distracted.
"Do we even need to say it?"
"The confession, of course!" The members of Class B said in unison.
Their personalities might be pure, but that didn't mean they were stupid. They were all smart people; anyone with eyes could see Ichinose's feelings.
"Ugh~ How does everyone know..." Ichinose Honami's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Ha~ Tell us something everyone doesn't know." Ando Sayo teased.
"L-Let's just forget it... I don't have enough budget this month."
Ichinose Honami showed a bitter smile. The 20 million points had nearly drained all of Class B's savings; currently, the average savings in Class B was less than 10,000 points. It wasn't even enough for daily meals; they had to eat the free, unpalatable mountain vegetable sets.
Everyone was going through hard times; how could she have the heart to buy chocolate?
"Don't worry, Honami-chan.
If you just buy the materials and make the chocolate yourself, it doesn't cost many points."
"If it's not enough, we will support you with all our strength!" Kobashi and Amikura were staunch "Hikigaya x Honami" shippers; for the sake of their "OTP," they were willing to suffer a bit more.
"I-I will also support Honami-chan..." Shiranami Chihiro's smile was forced. However, for the sake of the happiness of the person she liked, she was willing to support her silently.
"I appreciate everyone's kindness. But, this Valentine's gift—I want to give it myself..." Ichinose Honami's eyes were firm.
She had made up her mind; this time, she was going to go all out!
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In the Class C classroom.
"Valentine's Day? Boring... Celebrate it however you want!"
Ryuen Kakeru had absolutely no interest in it at all.
However, he didn't forget to stir the pot: "Shiina, Ibuki—either of you, take this opportunity to hurry up and abduct that damned dead fish eyes to our class!"
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