Chapter 063: Take a Photo, Please Let Me Take a Photo!
"What are you planning to do?" Sakayanagi asked, looking at him as he seemed to sink into thought.
"Nothing much," Hikigaya replied.
"My goal remains the same: I hope every student in the school can obtain the full 100-point reward for this written exam."
He had said this when he first arrived, and saying it again now wasn't just mindless repetition. If he was emphasizing it specifically...
Sakayanagi Arisu blinked thoughtfully, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. She was exceptionally brilliant; with just a moment's reflection, a flash of realization crossed her eyes. She instantly understood Hikigaya's subtext.
"You really are bolder than I am." She curled her lips, her eyes dancing with mischief.
"And here you were saying I bully honest people—aren't you doing the exact same thing?"
"No, no, no," Hikigaya immediately waved his hand in denial.
"I'm not like you. The person I'm 'bullying' isn't an honest man, so there's no need for a guilty conscience."
He paused and continued, "Actually, you could do this too. Although you've obtained the candidacy rights, you've made the third-years more or less disgruntled. They won't vote for you based on personal preference. If a competitor takes advantage of your previous actions to stir up ill will among the seniors, you'll need even more points to buy their votes."
As he spoke, Hikigaya spread his hands, appearing quite magnanimous.
"So, you might actually need these points more than I do."
"Never mind." After thinking for a few seconds, Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head and declined. Then, she looked up at Kamuro and commanded, "Masumi-chan, you can go line up for food now. Remember to buy three portions.
Also, Hikigaya-kun has been dining here on the third floor lately, hasn't he?" Sakayanagi added.
"Since you've secured a private booth, it would be quite undignified to go and stand in line for food yourself."
What was this? Was she sharing tips on how to raise a puppy?
Well, even though Sakayanagi's behavior was excessive—treating a classmate like a pet to be trained—there was no denying that having a dedicated tool for running errands and lining up for food was incredibly convenient.
Hikigaya currently had over 2.5 million points at his disposal. Even in the most expensive dining area on the third floor, a private booth only cost 100,000 points a month. He couldn't spend it all; he simply couldn't. Not to mention his classmates would continue to supply him next month.
At this rate, even if he didn't do anything reckless or extreme, he would likely gather 20 million points within two years at the latest.
However, just like Sakayanagi Arisu, Ayanokouji, and Koenji—the "VIPs" who didn't need to care if their class graduated as Class A—he had his own backup plans.
To Hikigaya, gathering 20 million points wasn't actually that important. He stayed at this school largely for his own future.
His goal was never to study for university, but to become a "house husband." He didn't want to be a corporate slave or squeeze onto subways every day.
Therefore, finding an excellent girl who would accept his status as a house husband and help take care of Komachi so she wouldn't have to worry about old age was his top priority.
But girls who met these criteria were few and far between, and the difficulty of "conquering" them was naturally high. For his sake and Komachi's, he had to improve his social skills with girls.
Compared to before he crossed over, when his phone only had the numbers of three females—his family, Yuigahama, Yukinoshita, and Shizuka-sensei—this task was monumental. But even a cornered rabbit will eat the grass near its burrow. He felt the person who best fit his criteria was Yukinoshita Yukino.
However... Yukinoshita had no romantic experience, and neither did he. He often misinterpreted a girl's kindness to everyone as special treatment for him. He was a complete novice in dating, and Yukinoshita's favorability toward him probably wasn't high.
Conquering her was too hard.
Fortunately, in the world of Classroom of the Elite, there were many girls with distinct personalities who seemed ordinary but hid unique traits. If he could get along well with them and gain enough experience, it would be much easier to go back and conquer Yukinoshita later.
Learning how to interact with girls to eventually win over Yukinoshita was his original goal after transmigrating.
But as time went on, as a student of Class B, he had passively acquired the "bond" of his classmates, adding the conscientious task of leading Class B to the top. He had been busy with Class B matters lately; being reminded by Sakayanagi now gave him a rare moment of peace to think about his direction.
Right. He had to consider his future.
Specifically, he needed to find a girl to practice his interaction skills with. Having lunch with a girl was a great opportunity to gain experience. Since he was already in a private booth on the third floor, he could do just that.
So, should he choose Ichinose?
No, no, that wouldn't work. If Ichinose fell in love, her IQ would plummet, which would be a massive blow to Class B.
Although the probability of her falling for him was low, as long as it wasn't zero, there was a risk. As a classmate, he couldn't drag her into that vortex.
Should he choose a girl from another class? Class A?
No. He was in Class B, and the gap between A and B was tiny. It would be troublesome if an A-class girl was seen eating with him frequently.
So, he had to choose another class. But he wasn't very familiar with them.
In Class C, he only knew Shiina Hiyori, and they were just nodding acquaintances. Although Shiina liked reading—a hobby they shared, much like Yukinoshita—he had recently targeted Class C so ruthlessly that he felt too guilty to approach their girls.
What about Class D? Class D was at 0 points in the original story, so there was nothing more to say about that. His conscience wouldn't feel burdened like it did with Class C.
Specifically, he had only tricked Horikita Suzune, but he had also given her a different path from the original.
In the original, she would only become Ayanokouji's tool and eventually get scolded by Koenji in Volume 23 as the weakest member of Class D.
One could say she grew, but didn't meet expectations.
Furthermore, the "chip" Horikita Manabu gave him—the candidacy rights—was so high that he suspected the President wanted him to look after and lead his little sister.
After all, that was a right Sakayanagi risked offending all third-years to get. Manabu wouldn't give it away so easily unless it was for his sister's sake. But if someone gives you permission to look after their sister, they don't mean for you to date her.
So... who else in Class D?
What about the person most suitable to be a "puppy" in the original, Karuizawa Kei?
She was undoubtedly a "loyal dog," comparable to Sakayanagi's Kamuro.
Her backstory was tragic: bullied in middle school, almost died when she fought back, and recommended here by the principal for a fresh start. To avoid being bullied again, she masked herself as a "gal"—the very type of person who bullied her.
But that mask was shattered by Ayanokouji, who used her as a tool and a way to grind "romance experience" before discarding her when she lost her utility. Truly pitiful.
However, he and Karuizawa had never met. Inviting her to lunch was basically impossible.
Next... Kushida-san?
Without leverage over her, Kushida wouldn't want to be seen with him in a public place like the cafeteria.
At most, they could have an occasional meal. But Kushida had many friends and understood girls' thoughts; he could learn a lot from her.
"..."
Inside the booth, Sakayanagi Arisu rested her cheek on her hand, her gaze blank—clearly dazing off. Despite an adorable girl like her inviting him to lunch, he was ignoring her and thinking about other things.
'How interesting.' Sakayanagi decided to hold a small grudge.
On the other side, Kamuro Masumi watched the two speak in riddles. Having been ordered to buy three meals, she turned to leave reluctantly, her steps heavy with resentment.
'Birds of a feather flock together' she thought.
'If he can eat at the same table as Sakayanagi, this Hikigaya guy is probably just like her. Beyond saving.'
What kind of students were in this school?
As she walked, she suddenly thought of her kleptomania. If the school knew about her flaw, she probably wouldn't be in Class A; she'd likely be thrown into Class D. The thought of Class D was terrifying.
'I must quit stealing! I have to!' she vowed silently, clenching her fists.
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Although Sakayanagi had given up on further attacks, Hikigaya didn't want to let the opportunity slip by. A special exam only offered limited benefits, and cross-grade exams were rare. This month, the whole school was testing on the same content—it was the perfect time to intervene.
Sakayanagi had already gotten what she wanted, but he hadn't. There was one person he could attack without any guilt at all. Because they were in different years and cross-grade cooperation was rare, it was hard to strike him directly.
Rather than letting him give points to Ayanokouji like in the original, it was better to put those points to better use. By now, that person should have accumulated a massive amount of points.
If Sakayanagi hadn't moved first, Hikigaya wouldn't have looked his way. But since she started the storm, he would simply follow the rhythm.
However, for this to work, he needed a "scapegoat" or a "guarantor." Sakayanagi's recent actions were so sharp that everyone was on high alert.
Even if she didn't do it, people would assume it was her handiwork.
Thinking this, Hikigaya suddenly looked at Sakayanagi and asked, "Can I take a photo?"
"Oh?" Sakayanagi arched an eyebrow, a flash of surprise in her eyes before she smirked teasingly.
"Have you finally realized how cute I am? Unfortunately, Hikigaya-kun, you aren't my type."
'Is that so.'
"..."
An unexpected strike. He didn't get a "nice guy" card, but he was rejected nonetheless.
"It's fine," Hikigaya said quickly. Before Sakayanagi could react, he pulled out his phone and pressed the shutter, capturing the two of them together in the frame.
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