Chapter 006: I Wanted to Be a Kept Man, but What's This About Being "Kept" by the Whole Class?
"Next, I hope Hikigaya-kun can lead everyone forward... Class B will become even better under his leadership. Everyone, please applaud!"
At this moment, Ichinose Honami was standing at the podium.
Hachiman was certain that while he was busy contacting that "Bitch-sensei," Ichinose must have already said something to the students.
And now...
Although the students were somewhat bewildered, a large majority of them still raised their hands and began to applaud.
This was a clear testament to Ichinose Honami's charisma; no matter what she said, she could immediately pull in a massive amount of support.
However...
"Are you sure, Ichinose? You're really stepping down as the class representative? And... letting Hikigaya-kun take over as the class leader? But..."
There were a few students in the audience who maintained their rationality and possessed their own judgment, rather than being completely swept away by Ichinose's personal charm.
One such person was Kanzaki Ryuji—the vice-representative of Class B in the original story and Ichinose's collaborator. Midway through the original plot, he would eventually feel that Ichinose's methods were unsuited for Class B and would try to oppose her, only to fail in the end.
He was one of the few people in Class B not entirely influenced by Ichinose's charisma.
"Well... earlier, Hoshinomiya-sensei said it would be best if our class elected a representative to speak for us. Everyone chose me, but I am not the person most suited for this position.
Because this is not a normal school. It is exactly as the Student Council President said: a school of true meritocracy. If we follow conventional thinking and simply try to enjoy campus life and classmate camaraderie, problems will arise," Ichinose Honami stated.
"Hikigaya-kun actually discovered this long ago. Comparing my insight and judgment to his, I believe he is far better suited to lead the class.
As for me, I am willing to assist him in managing the class," Ichinose said earnestly.
Oh.
Down in the audience, Hachiman finally fully understood.
The gazes currently shifting between Ichinose and himself were about this—they were settling the matter of the class leadership transition.
So, Ichinose, those things you said back at the restaurant were actually for real?
"This is the information Hikigaya-kun has deduced through his insight—"
Ichinose then began writing key words on the blackboard. It was information that the school wouldn't officially announce for another month: things like class competition, and how the division of Classes A, B, C, and D had been determined by the school from the very beginning.
As Class B, they were overall "worse" than Class A but "better" than Classes C and D. However, since the school wanted everyone to compete, all four classes started with a base score of 1,000 Class Points, and so on.
Some students originally had slight reservations about Ichinose suddenly resigning to recommend the low-profile Hikigaya-kun, but now, after learning all this, everyone quickly turned solemn.
Because...
Despite being only ten days into the term, even though they had felt more or less that the school's treatment of them was a bit too generous, they had never imagined it was like this.
Hikigaya-kun had perceived things they hadn't even considered.
"You mean next month we'll start competing with the other classes?"
"Our allowance is actually tied to monthly special exams?"
"Only graduating from Class A grants those school rewards? Well, that makes sense. After all, they can't just hand those out like candy to everyone—but if it's with everyone here, I want to try my hardest—"
"And we might even face expulsion... I don't want to be expelled, and I don't want anyone else to be expelled either..."
The students immediately broke into a flurry of discussion.
"Hikigaya-kun!" At that moment, Ichinose suddenly looked toward Hachiman. Her eyes were sparkling with intensity—the look of someone who had completely made up her mind. In other words, she was truly prepared to entrust Class B to him.
"Do you have any advice or words for the class right now?" she asked seriously.
"..." Hachiman.
He had just contacted an unreliable class teacher and even felt that her character was so terrible that Class B was surely doomed.
But now, all the eyes of Class B were focused on him.
Looking at these curious, serious gazes, Hachiman felt a sense of déjà vu.
Actually, Hachiman had experienced being suddenly assigned a role before.
Back at Sobu High during the Cultural Festival, he had been suddenly designated as a thankless Executive Committee member by Hiratsuka-sensei.
However, he wasn't like Sagami Minami, who fought for a position beyond her abilities out of vanity—even though it seemed Class B was practically gifting him this position now.
Furthermore, shouldering the burden of Class B was no easy task; he didn't like taking on extra work.
But in a situation like this, offering a single useful piece of advice was still possible. Especially since he had just heard Shibata-kun in the front seat say, "You mean next month we'll start competing with the other classes?"
Shibata was a decent guy. So, he would offer a piece of well-intentioned advice.
"I want to say... is it possible that the special exam has already started this month?
Because if the school established these rules, why didn't they tell us when we enrolled? Obviously, this itself is a test for us," Hachiman said.
However, the moment he finished speaking, he noticed the surrounding students' expressions shift to shock.
Even Kanzaki Ryuji—the rational vice-representative from the original story—wore a look of total defeat, shaking his head and then nodding.
It was as if he had completed a full cycle of mental adjustment in a very short time.
"I'm convinced," he said.
No. Convinced of what?
But the students in the class suddenly burst into applause.
"Well... it's obvious to everyone now, right?" Ichinose Honami added proactively.
In other words, Hikigaya-kun had just proposed another piece of information no one else had thought of, and it was extremely important. It was enough for him to serve as the class representative of Class B.
"I think—"
Hachiman still hadn't decided to accept the burden of Class B. Having read 23 volumes of the light novel, he knew Class B's fate all too well.
It was the tragic fate of dropping to Class D after one year. They would even give up numerous opportunities to gain points just to avoid sacrificing comrades, constantly saving points and borrowing points until, in the end, they failed to protect anyone and the class fell completely.
So, this was a total "hot potato."
Hachiman knew that although he had been assigned to Class B, he wasn't some kind of "do-gooder," and he had other plans.
He felt that sometimes it was more important to think about oneself. For instance, he currently needed to consider his future career path—how to use this transmigrated time and space to gain more experience interacting with girls, so that in the future, he could find a successful, career-oriented woman willing to let him be a house husband and support his sister.
Thinking of this...
'I should probably just reject Ichinose. After all, I have my own goals.
Besides, Class B's path in the original story is full of hardships. If I just go with the flow, I might end up having to pay class fees and living a frugal life myself.'
Hmm?
Up on the podium, Ichinose's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and then she suddenly made another suggestion.
"I recommend Hikigaya-kun to lead us as the new class representative.
As everyone just saw, if Hikigaya-kun hadn't mentioned it, we would have missed a crucial piece of information.
The influence, creativity, and leadership that a good class representative can bring are extremely vital.
Our goal is for everyone to work together toward Class A, to graduate from Class A together, and ultimately walk the paths we desire.
And for the sake of this goal, how about everyone pays Hikigaya-kun 1/3 of the points they receive from the school every month?"
Eh?
Hachiman's heart had been full of resistance and rejection, thinking of how to turn Ichinose down.
But now...
If everyone paid him 1/3 of the money they got from the school... although Class B eventually drops to Class D, their Class Point maintenance remains relatively stable for the first six months or so, at around 500 points.
So even if he did nothing at all, every student in Class B would get roughly 50,000 private points a month as an allowance. If everyone gave him 1/3, wouldn't that mean he'd receive
nearly 600,000 to 700,000 private points every month from his classmates for the next half-year?
That is a super-luxurious allowance worth 600,000 to 700,000 points!
Not just him, and not just Yukinoshita Yukino—even Yukinoshita Haruno probably wasn't as wealthy as that.
But then again...
Since he had transmigrated here to be a Class B student, perhaps some "will of the world" hoped that Class B could undergo some changes.
So, why should an ordinary guy like himself do something as foolish as resisting the will of the world?