Chapter 164: Kamuro: Who am I? Where am I? Is this something I get to hear for free?
Midday finally arrived.
Hachiman leaned against the window; he wasn't in a hurry to find Sakayanagi.
Instead, he held his phone, the screen lit up on his chat history with Karuizawa. The last message was from yesterday evening: he had sent "Then let's try it," and she replied with "Okay." And that was that.
No long phone calls, no message spamming, not even a single word of extra small talk. The phone lay quietly in his hand, like an object that had ceased to move after fulfilling its mission.
Hachiman stared at the screen for a few seconds, locked it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
He couldn't quite describe the feeling. It wasn't disappointment or anxiety, but a pure sort of bewilderment—not knowing how to react.
Even though the two had officially established a relationship over text, he had absolutely no concept of what their dynamic should be like afterward.
What are you supposed to do after you start dating? What do you say? How often should you stay in touch? He couldn't answer a single one of these questions.
As expected, I still have to learn, he thought.
He suppressed the thought for the time being and headed toward the third-floor cafeteria.
Because he had an abundance of points, he had permanently reserved a private room there. Although the room wasn't large, it was elegant and quiet.
When Hachiman pushed the door open, the room was empty. The tablecloth was freshly changed—white, with the corners pressed neatly. He sat by the window, placed his phone on the table, and waited.
He didn't wait long. From the doorway came the light tap of a cane—thump, thump—steady and unhurried.
Sakayanagi Arisu pushed the door open. She hadn't worn her beret; her straight silver hair fell naturally, shimmering softly under the lights. She wore a white shirt under her first-year red blazer, with her pleated skirt ending a few centimeters above her knees. She still maintained the aura of a little princess.
Kamuro Masumi followed behind her, wearing her usual expression of slight disdain toward everyone, but she carried Sakayanagi's bag with great loyalty. Her gaze swept the room and quickly landed on Hachiman.
"Sit," Hachiman pointed to the seat opposite him.
Sakayanagi sat down, leaning her cane against the table. Kamuro stood half a step behind her, showing no intention of sitting.
Hachiman glanced at Kamuro. "You sit too. It's awkward with you standing there."
Kamuro looked at Sakayanagi, who gave a slight nod. Only then did Kamuro pull out a chair and sit; her movements were light, and the chair made almost no sound.
Hachiman pulled out his phone, tapped it a few times, and then looked up at Kamuro.
"Kamuro-san, sorry to bother you, but could you go line up and buy lunch?"
Kamuro was stunned. Just as she was about to get up, her phone vibrated. She pulled it out to look, and her entire body froze in the chair.
On the screen was a transfer notification.
A notification for the arrival of 100,000 points.
Kamuro stared at the number for three seconds before looking up at Hachiman. Her face, which was usually expressionless, was now filled with disbelief.
"One... one hundred thousand?" Her voice was a bit dry. "Is one meal worth a hundred thousand?"
Hachiman leaned back, his expression calm. "Refund the change or top it up if it's not enough. Choose whatever you want to eat; the rest is your errand fee."
Kamuro opened her mouth to say something but ultimately just put her phone away, stood up, and walked toward the door. At the entrance, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Hachiman. Her gaze held shock, confusion, and an unidentifiable trace of... respect?
Then she prepared to close the door.
With that, the room fell silent.
Sakayanagi looked at Hachiman, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.
"Hikigaya-kun is as generous as ever."
"Money that needs to be spent should be spent. If a few points can corrupt Kamuro-san, I don't think it's a loss," Hachiman said quickly.
Sakayanagi gave a small, fake chuckle.
However, Hachiman quickly changed the subject.
"Sakayanagi-san, I didn't ask you out today just to eat. I have something to tell you."
Sakayanagi's finger tapped lightly on the table. "I know."
Of course she knew. Hikigaya-kun wasn't so "clever" as to actually ask her on a date. Since he had used her father as an excuse, he naturally had intelligence to share with her.
She rested both hands on the table in a listening posture.
Hachiman organized his thoughts and spoke.
"According to the intelligence I have, Ayanokouji's father will come to the school during the holidays."
Sakayanagi's brow twitched slightly.
"He will demand Ayanokouji's withdrawal," Hachiman continued. "But your father will stop him."
Sakayanagi didn't speak, waiting for him to continue.
"Because your father was personally entrusted by Ayanokouji's father. Ayanokouji's father wanted him to complete the final trial of the White Room at Advanced Nurturing High School, so your father has an obligation to protect him. This was a deal reached long before the students even enrolled.
And looking at the current situation, Ayanokouji's 'final trial' is clearly not a success, so his father will demand his withdrawal. However, because of your father's interference, he won't succeed."
Sakayanagi's expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to calm. She knew her father was exactly that kind of person. Moreover, her father's agreement to let Ayanokouji study here was likely out of an educator's sympathy—sympathy for Ayanokouji's situation, hoping to give him a hand.
So, her father choosing to block the demand felt normal to her.
"However," Hachiman pivoted, "Ayanokouji's father won't let it go. He will apply pressure in other ways—for example, reporting your father for bribery."
Sakayanagi's finger stopped. She nearly pressed down on the table to stand up.
But Hachiman continued, "Although they won't find anything in the end, your father will be taken away for investigation. For at least a year."
"A year..." Sakayanagi repeated softly.
"He can only return after a year," Hachiman said. "But during the time he is away, the school will be taken over by someone arranged by Ayanokouji's father. Exam rules, class evaluations, expulsion standards—everything will tilt in Ayanokouji's favor."
Sakayanagi was silent for a long time. She sat there, her back straight and her expression calm, but the hand resting on the table was trembling slightly.
After a long while, she spoke, her violet-blue eyes revealing a clear gaze. "What you're saying—is this what was originally going to happen?"
Hachiman nodded. "In a future without me, that is how things developed."
Sakayanagi fell into a brief silence.
She already knew Hachiman was a "transferee," and she knew he felt he would leave one day; she just didn't know when that day would come.
"But now it's different." Hachiman paused, his tone dropping lower. "Because of my existence, Ayanokouji has never stood out. Without results from the White Room to show, Ayanokouji's father will only be more anxious. His actions will be faster and more ruthless than before."
This line of reasoning made Sakayanagi think. What did it mean that "results from the White Room couldn't be shown"?
If it was as her father initially said—letting Ayanokouji complete a trial here—Sakayanagi could understand it as giving him a "blank period" to enjoy high school life. It would be a respite from his tense, non-stop learning process. That was the educator's sympathy.
But...
According to Hikigaya-kun's words, she felt something was wrong.
Was it really because of her father's sympathy that Ayanokouji was allowed to enroll?
It sounded more like... Ayanokouji-kun entered the school burdened with the responsibility of demonstrating the success of the White Room?
Despite these doubts, Sakayanagi chose to suppress them for now and looked at Hachiman. "So?"
"So I need to prepare in advance," Hachiman said. "That is why I chose to join the Student Council at this time."
Sakayanagi's brow furrowed slightly.
Hachiman continued, "The management system of this school is very special. The Student Council has a lot of authority and, in certain situations, can interfere with the decisions of the Chairman and management. If the school is taken over by Ayanokouji's father's people, the Student Council will be the only power capable of opposing them."
Sakayanagi's eyes flickered.
She finally understood—Hachiman joining the Student Council wasn't just for rewards or to restrict Nagumo. He was preparing for the coming upheaval. The Vice President position, the Secretary, the Treasurer—every one of them was a piece on his chessboard.
"So you're setting the board," she said. "Setting the board to face the replacement of the Chairman."
Hachiman did not deny it. As the representative of Class B—no, Class A now—he needed to maintain the class's status. Regardless of what Ayanokouji and the others did, he only had one task: to lead his classmates steadily through every monthly special exam.
In the original story, it was indeed because of Acting Chairman Tsukishiro's reckless actions that the management-level teachers organized to resist. However, the Student Council President at the time was Nagumo Miyabi, who not only failed to stop it but actually added fuel to the fire.
Even if Tsukishiro entered the school early, it would be reassuring as long as the President was Horikita Manabu. If the timing of Tsukishiro's entry changed, he had to ensure the President wasn't Senior Nagumo.
As for the teachers, he had already touched base with his homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei, so she could lead the flag of resistance as the Class A homeroom teacher when the time came.
If you called it "setting the board," then he indeed had.
Sakayanagi watched him, silent for a few seconds, before suddenly speaking softly. "If there are such entanglements, then I cannot stop my father from being taken away."
"You can't stop it. But you can inform him in advance so he can prepare. Dealing with it prepared versus unprepared is completely different," Hachiman said.
"I understand. I will meet with my father later," Sakayanagi Arisu said.
Knock, knock—
The door opened, and Kamuro entered carrying two trays. Her movements were much faster than when she left. She scanned the room to confirm nothing was amiss before quickly walking to the table and setting the trays down.
"Bought them," she said, her voice lower than usual.
Hachiman glanced at her. Kamuro's expression was the same as before, but he noticed she was sitting straighter and her gaze was more alert.
It seemed she had heard everything. She didn't ask questions; she just sat there quietly like a statue.
Sakayanagi picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish, and put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly, as if deep in thought.
Hachiman also picked up his chopsticks, ate a few bites, and then set them down. He looked at Sakayanagi, silent for two seconds, then spoke again.
"Sakayanagi-san, do you know what the White Room actually is?"
Sakayanagi's movements paused. She set down her chopsticks, dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, and looked up.
"My father took me to visit it," her voice was calm. "It was very clean, very tidy. Children wore uniform clothing, sat at uniform desks, and did uniform problems. Every movement was standard, every expression was restrained. It looked like a model of elite education."
Hachiman shook his head. "That was the part shown to outsiders."
Sakayanagi's brow twitched.
"The real White Room isn't in that exhibition area," Hachiman's voice dropped. "It's on the deeper floors. No windows, no natural light. Walls, floors, ceilings—all a monotonous white."
Sakayanagi's eyes showed a hint of bewilderment.
Hachiman continued, "No colors, no decorations, nothing that could remind one of the 'outside world.'
Complete isolation, no privacy, twenty-four-hour monitoring. Crying is recorded, daydreaming is recorded, sleeping is recorded. No time belonging to yourself, no corner that isn't watched."
Sakayanagi sat there, motionless.
"Caregivers don't comfort, don't empathize, and don't smile. They simply execute tasks mechanically. If a child gets sick, it's handled simply, and training continues. If a child cries or throws a tantrum, they are ignored until they stop on their own. No toys, no games, no stories. No family, no friends."
Hachiman's voice grew lower, but every word felt carved into the air.
"That isn't education. That is livestock farming. Systematic, anti-human livestock farming that starts from infancy."
The room was so quiet that one could almost hear their own heartbeat.
Sakayanagi's face was a few shades paler than before. Her lips were pursed, and something was trembling in her violet-blue eyes. It felt as though a corner of her heart had collapsed.
This was completely different from the White Room she knew—or rather, it was something far more terrifying.
She remembered visiting the White Room with her father when she was very young. At the time, she thought it was just an institution; her father had told her it was for cultivating geniuses through training from a young age.
But he hadn't told her it was such a soul-crushing thing.
"Ayanokouji's earliest memory," Hachiman said, "is staring blankly at a white ceiling every day."
Sakayanagi was silent for a long time.
Finally, she spoke, her voice much lower than usual, as if afraid of disturbing something.
"I... did not know these things."
"Your father probably didn't know either," Hachiman said. "Or rather, what he knew was only what Ayanokouji's father wanted him to know."
Sakayanagi lowered her head, looking at her hands on the table. Her fair fingers curled slightly.
"And as far as we know, Ayanokouji started from birth," Hachiman said. "He finished the high school curriculum at age four, completed university content at six, and could take down ten adult instructors bare-handed at nine. No childhood, no friends, none of the things a normal human should have."
Sakayanagi didn't speak. She just sat quietly, her fingers resting on the edge of the table, tapping slowly. Tap, tap. It was as if she were counting something. She knew that the things Hachiman told her couldn't be easily shared with the public; they were likely parts her father didn't know.
One could say her worldview had been completely refreshed.
Hachiman watched her, waited a moment, and then continued.
"Ayanokouji's father didn't do this just to cultivate a perfect human."
Sakayanagi looked up.
"The White Room is his political bargaining chip," Hachiman's tone was calm. "He wants to prove his education system is superior to Advanced Nurturing High School. The big shot he previously supported, Naoe, has already given up on the election, and he has taken over all of that person's power and resources. In the next term, he will personally run for Prime Minister."
Sakayanagi's pupils constricted slightly.
"Your father is the Chairman of this school, its representative," Hachiman looked at her. "If the White Room is to replace this school's position, they must first pull your father down. Thus, he will be investigated, taken away, and removed from that seat.
Even if they find nothing in the end, even if he can return—during the year he is gone, the school will be under new management. Exam rules will change, evaluation standards will change, and everything will lean toward Ayanokouji. As long as they create enough of a track record, Advanced Nurturing High School will be defeated."
Sakayanagi was silent for a long time.
She sat there, her body small, but she was trying hard to maintain her composure. However, Hachiman noticed her fingers gripping the edge of the table were white from the pressure. Clearly, she could no longer remain calm.
After a long while, she spoke, "So, Ayanokouji-kun from the very beginning—"
"Was a pawn," Hachiman finished for her. "Your father is a pawn, you are a pawn, and everyone in this school is a piece on his chessboard."
Sakayanagi lowered her head, looking at her hands.
Hachiman said nothing more.
Kamuro, sitting near the door, hadn't moved once. But her expression was vacant.
She was already starting to regret it.
Was this intelligence she was allowed to hear? Was she worthy of hearing it?
She should have stayed in line a bit longer and picked two more dishes.
She truly regretted it.
After a while, Sakayanagi looked up.
"Hikigaya-kun," she spoke, her voice much steadier than before.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for telling me all this."
Hachiman looked at her. "It benefits me if you can make some counter-preparations.
If the school stays stable, then that is true stability for our Class A."
"..."
Sakayanagi now fully understood the meaning behind the message Hachiman sent this morning.
He naturally didn't want to work, and entering the Student Council meant work.
Hachiman had mentioned that as long as Chairman Sakayanagi was in power, he wouldn't have to work. But if the Chairman changed to a representative of the White Room, Hachiman would be forced to work for the sake of his class.
Looking at it this way...
At the time, she thought that if Hikigaya-kun wanted Chairman Sakayanagi to remain in office so he wouldn't have to work—in other words, let her father keep working—then he might...
So, she had thought he finally had "other" intentions. Although she felt the probability was small, looking at it now, it was indeed small. As expected, one cannot have any romantic expectations for this man.
Hmph.
With the business concluded, the three began to eat.
Because the topic was so heavy, none of them spoke afterward, eating in silence.
Finally, Sakayanagi stood up, her cane tapping the floor with a light sound. Her movements regained their usual composure, but Hachiman noticed the grip on her cane was tighter than usual.
"I'm leaving," she said. "I have class this afternoon."
Hachiman nodded.
Sakayanagi turned toward the door. Kamuro quickly stood up, picked up her phone, and tapped it a few times. Hachiman noticed Kamuro had sent him a transfer.
[Your private account has received 100,000 points.]
Huh?
He had transferred 100,000 points to her, but she hadn't even taken an errand fee or deducted the cost of the meal. Was she treating him to lunch?
When Hachiman saw the number, he wanted to stand up, but Kamuro was already long gone.
"Hachiman."
He had only asked her to line up and get food, not to pay for it herself.
Why did she return all the points?
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