Chapter 170: Why Are You a Public Channel? We're Not Playing a Galge!
Friday morning, Student Council Office.
When Hachiman pushed the door open, only Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane were in the office.
President Horikita sat behind the desk, a stack of documents spread before him, pen in hand, signing away. Tachibana stood beside him, clutching a folder, her posture quiet and still. "You're here," Manabu said, looking up briefly before returning to his signing.
Hachiman gave a grunt of affirmation and walked to his seat. He set his backpack by the desk and picked up the documents he hadn't finished yesterday, flipping to the bookmarked page.
The office remained quiet for a while, save for the rustle of turning pages and the scratch of a pen nib against paper.
Once Manabu finished the last document, he set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. Looking at Hachiman, he spoke: "Once the holidays start, you don't need to come to the Student Council office every day."
Hachiman looked up.
Manabu picked up a sheet of paper from the desk and slid it toward him. "The shift schedule. Twice a week is enough. You're responsible for Monday and Tuesday."
Hachiman glanced down at the paper. Three names were listed: Hikigaya Hachiman (Mon/Tue), Kiriyama Ikuto (Wed/Thu), and Nagumo Miyabi (Fri/Sat). Three Vice Presidents, two days each, neatly arranged. However, the President's column was blank; no shifts were written there.
Hachiman's gaze lingered on the blank space for a second before he looked up at Manabu.
The President didn't explain. He simply leaned back, his expression the same as always.
Hachiman withdrew his gaze.
He knew exactly what that blank space meant—Horikita Manabu was likely coming in every single day. Not because he was scheduled, but because he chose to. A workaholic—the kind who doesn't even realize they're working.
Hachiman couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This was actually the kind of person he wanted as a "meal ticket"—someone capable, who loves to work and treats labor as a life pleasure. Unfortunately, Horikita Manabu was definitely out of the question. He'd have to pin his hopes on Horikita Suzune instead.
After all, the older Horikita was a siscon; if his sister wasn't strong enough, he might...
Wait.
As the thought surfaced, Hachiman stunned himself.
'What was I thinking? Horikita Suzune? That girl in Class D who's buried in her studies, hoarding points, and single-mindedly focused on moving up to Class A? Making her the meal ticket?'
He had intended to trick her into joining his class to help Ichinose, yet here he was, thinking about making her his breadwinner.
Hachiman felt this was not good.
Moreover, he instinctively felt that even if he married Horikita—who was indeed capable and hardworking—she would definitely demand that he go to work. Thus, even as a fantasy, it felt like a recipe for a miserable future.
He quickly shook the ridiculous thought away and lowered his head to continue reading the documents.
Silence returned to the office.
A moment later, the door was pushed open. Karuizawa Kei walked in.
She went to her seat and sat down.
Hachiman's gaze rested on her for a second. He noticed Kei had changed her hair tie today—from green to red. Additionally, her jacket wasn't tied around her waist, and her nails weren't painted. He noted these changes mentally before looking away.
Kushida Kikyo followed her in, sitting next to Kei. As she sat, her gaze inadvertently swept over Hachiman, then Kei, before withdrawing. The movement was so fast no one noticed.
But her finger pressed down lightly on the desk.
'Kei is different today.'
Kushida saw it instantly. It wasn't just a change in hair tie; her entire aura had shifted. The usual flamboyant "gyaru" assertiveness had been reined in, replaced by a more reserved state.
As the girl with "maxed-out" social skills—the runner-up for having the most friends in school—Kushida knew exactly what this meant. This was likely: "Dressing up for the one who pleases her." A girl only adjusts herself piece by piece like this when she cares deeply about someone.
'So, they really are dating.'
Kushida looked down and flipped through the spreadsheet before her, her eyes landing on the figures.
As an accountant, after three days of training, she had gained some experience. These were things she had already verified several times, yet she started over from the beginning.
She knew it wasn't because she was worried about the numbers; it was because if she didn't look at something, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from glancing at the seat next to her. Hikigaya and Kei—one in the Vice President's seat, one in the corner. Though they were separated by the entire office, she felt something flowing through the air between them—invisible, intangible, but undeniably present.
'Was the "practice" really just practice?'
Ever since Hikigaya had been willing to shell out 20 million points to invite another girl to teach him how to interact with women, it was clear he was actually a quite responsible person.
'So, is the current practice really just practice?'
Thinking of this, she tightened her grip on her pen and continued staring at the spreadsheet.
.
.
.
After Kushida's melancholy mood settled, the next person to enter the Student Council was Ichinose Honami, with her beautiful strawberry-blonde hair. She walked in holding her notebook.
Her strawberry-blonde hair cascaded down like a waterfall; it was no longer tied in a ponytail, just as it had been when school first started.
She sat at her desk, placed the notebook down, and flipped to the first page.
Then, her gaze drifted toward Kei.
It only lasted for a second.
But within that second, she saw the red hair tie, the jacket neatly draped over the shoulders, and the clean fingernails. She withdrew her gaze and looked down at the blank notebook page.
Her finger lightly traced the edge of the paper before she picked up her pen and began to write. Her handwriting was neat, same as always.
But hidden within each stroke was something she didn't even want to think too deeply about.
She had noticed it starting three days ago.
The subtle change between Hachiman and Kei. Although the word "dating" is simple, actually sensing it was a complicated feeling.
She could sense the air between them had changed. But she didn't ask; she had no right to ask.
She knew there had never been such a promise or possibility between her and Hikigaya-kun. In the Student Council, she was just the Secretary and he was the Vice President. In class, she was the Vice Representative of Class A, and he was the Representative.
Of course, they could still be friends in private.
He was also the one who saved her, giving her the confidence to move forward and start over.
So, if Hachiman was using the holidays to accumulate experience for a happy life instead of worrying about exams, wasn't that normal? Or rather, shouldn't she be offering her blessings?
And so, she simply sat there quietly, writing her notes and doing her work, exactly as usual. The sound of her pen on the paper was steady, as steady as her breathing.
Nevertheless.
The subtle atmosphere of the Student Council continued to unfold.
As a "human observer," Hachiman sensed the strange air the moment all the members of his faction were gathered.
Ichinose looked the same as usual, but she actually wasn't.
Clearly.
She had likely discovered the relationship between him and Kei over the last three days.
Although it was his private business, Hachiman felt he should find an opportunity to talk to her.
If Ichinose, with her keen ability to read the room, had guessed he was dating Kei, then what about the other person with the same ability... Kushida Kikyo?
His gaze shifted from Ichinose to Kushida.
Kushida happened to look up, meeting his eyes. She blinked, then offered a smile. Her eyes curved into crescents, looking gentle and harmless.
Today's Kushida was the "Perfect Kushida."
Hachiman looked away.
'See? Compared to Ichinose, Kushida-san is much more normal.'
Hachiman then transmitted his thoughts to Kushida.
'Kushida-san is really cute today. I found her a job, and she actually seems happy about it.'
"..."
This almost made Kushida lose her mask.
Because...
'Happy?
You make her suffer at work and then launch a psychological attack, and you think she's happy?!'
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Hachiman didn't pay much more attention to Kushida's mental state. He had his own busy schedule to worry about.
Namely, Saturday!
Tomorrow morning, his date with a girl would begin.
But right now, it was only Friday night. Hachiman leaned against his headboard in the dorm, phone in hand. The screen showed his chat with Kei. The last message was from last night—she sent the time and place, and he replied with a "Fine." That was it.
He stared at the word "Fine" for two seconds, locked the screen, and set the phone by his pillow. Resting his head on his hands, he stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, meeting in front of Keyaki Mall.
'A date.'
He ran the word through his mind and realized he still didn't quite know what to do. They were seeing a movie together—she had said that. And then? What after the movie? Eat? Shop? Or just go home?
He thought about it, picked up his phone again, unlocked it, and opened the chat with Kei. His finger hovered over the input box for a few seconds. He typed a line, then deleted it. Typed another, deleted it.
If it were up to him, he didn't like going out much; once the goal was achieved, he'd just head back.
But if it's a date with a girl, surely you have to prepare the whole package: movie, shopping, dinner, etc.
Speaking of girls, Hachiman opened his contacts.
Kushida's name sat there quietly. He stared at it for two seconds, finger hovering over the screen.
If it were Kushida, she'd know. She was so good at dealing with people and had consulted on countless friends' love lives. She definitely had more experience than him. It shouldn't hurt to
ask. Just a quick: What do people usually do on dates? What should I watch out for? What do girls usually expect?
But just as Hachiman's finger was about to touch the screen, he stopped.
'No. It's rude. Sending a message about this out of the blue late at night... what would that look like?'
Besides, he felt that asking Kushida so directly would probably make even her angry.
"..."
Forget it.
He was here to learn from experience anyway. Since he was here to learn, he'd let Kei teach him.
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The next morning, 10:00 AM.
"So that's why you were intentionally late? You were worried I'd be late, so you came late on purpose to 'give me face'?
You call that giving face?"
Karuizawa-san looked at the boy named Hikigaya Hachiman with a look of utter disbelief.
Actually, no.
The person before her currently held another identity.
Her boyfriend.
Currently, he was... a blank slate, essentially.
"..."
They quickly bought tickets and entered the theater.
The theater wasn't very crowded; Hachiman and Kei's seats were toward the front, and they were the only two in their row.
However, as the lights dimmed, Hachiman realized what kind of movie he had chosen.
Your Name.
He had seen the poster—the hero and heroine looking at each other across time and space—many times. This film had been a phenomenon in his original world too. But he had never seen it—not because he wasn't interested, but because he never had the chance.
He didn't have a female companion to go to the movies with.
While he thought Yuigahama might have agreed, it might have sent her the wrong signals.
If it were Totsuka... well, if he were free he might agree, but he'd definitely tease him.
And if he invited Hiratsuka-sensei, it would be over. If she agreed, she'd have other misunderstandings. Although Hachiman thought she was quite cute sometimes and met his criteria, he was just a student. It would be too disrespectful to Hiratsuka-sensei. After all, Hachiman did respect her.
So.
Sitting in the dim theater, watching that comet streak across the sky on the giant screen, Hikigaya-kun's mind was filled with random thoughts.
At the same time, he suddenly felt this movie probably wasn't for him.
It wasn't that it wasn't good. It was too good. The visuals were so exquisite every frame could be a wallpaper, the music gave him goosebumps, and the plot—the plot was indeed touching. But he sat there expressionless the whole time. His brain wasn't thinking "When will they finally meet?" but rather "So this is what a romance movie is like."
Kei, in the seat next to him, was also very quiet.
She sat very straight, hands on her knees, eyes fixed on the screen, her expression as serious as if she were in class.
Hachiman caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed her fingers press lightly against her knees, release, and press again.
Her hands seemed a bit at a loss, but this movie was very famous. Since it might be Kei's first time seeing it, she was probably moved by it, Hachiman thought.
He looked back at the screen.
On screen, the male lead was screaming the female lead's name at twilight, his voice heart-wrenching.
Watching that scene, Hachiman thought: If it were me, I probably couldn't shout like that.
When the movie ended, the lights in the hall came up. Hachiman blinked, adjusting to the brightness. Couples around them stood up in pairs; some had red eyes, some whispered, others walked out holding hands.
Kei stood up and smoothed her skirt. Her expression was the same as when they entered, but Hachiman noticed her eyes were slightly damp.
"Was it good?" he asked.
Kei looked at him. "It was okay."
Just three words. Hachiman heard what was underneath them—not that she disliked it, but she didn't love it. It wasn't the same level of excitement she had when she previously asked, "What do you want to see?" When she said "It was okay," there was no heat of "That was really great," just a polite evaluation.
So, she probably didn't love the film either.
Hachiman noted this mentally.
He felt a bit of regret. A romance movie, the "couples' choice," and yet both of them felt it was just average. Would it have been better if they had each chosen a movie they liked individually?
'So, my original persistence was actually correct after all...'
He didn't say it aloud, though. He just nodded and followed her out.
However, as they reached the corner of the corridor, Kei suddenly slowed her pace.
"I heard someone started dating on the cruise ship," Kei mentioned, as if on purpose.
Hachiman glanced at her. "Who?"
"I don't know. Just a rumor." Kei's eyes were fixed on the floor ahead. "Apparently, they're from different classes."
Hachiman gave a grunt but didn't press further. He had no interest in other people's romances. Like Hashimoto and that girl from Class D, Maezono, who had a low presence and wasn't particularly pretty.
They continued walking.
As they passed the entrance of another theater hall, Hachiman's gaze inadvertently swept inside. The lights were still on, and the audience was filing out. His eyes scanned the crowd and stopped.
In the very last row, by the wall, a girl was standing up.
Short blue hair, a sharp and clean face, but she was holding an empty cup of Coke. As she stood, her gaze happened to look toward the door.
Their eyes met.
Hachiman confirmed her name: Ibuki Mio.
Ibuki noticed him too and froze in place.
Hachiman sensed an awkward vibe from her face, so he quickly turned his head and continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.
This was something he learned from today's date with Kei: Consider other people's feelings more.
Kei, walking beside him, hadn't noticed that direction. But she sensed a change in Hachiman's expression.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Hachiman said.
Once they had walked far enough to be sure they were out of sight of that theater hall, Hachiman slowed down.
He didn't look back, but he replayed the image in his mind—Mio Ibuki, alone, sitting in the back row with an empty Coke. She hadn't come with anyone, nor was she waiting for anyone. She was just alone.
He thought for a moment and then transmitted a thought to Kei.
'Karuizawa, I just saw Ibuki from Class C. She was watching a movie alone. It wasn't a date; she's just "collecting"—watching every single movie currently in theaters without missing one.'
"Oh."
Hearing Hachiman's voice in her head, Kei's footsteps faltered slightly.
Hachiman suddenly telling her some intel like this surprised her. She turned her head, looked at him, and her lips moved, but she didn't speak. After all, Hachiman could transmit thoughts directly to her, but she didn't have that ability.
Instead, she pulled out her phone, fingers tapping the screen rapidly. Hachiman's pocket vibrated.
He pulled out his phone. It was a message from Kei.
[Can she hear your thoughts too?]
Hachiman stared at the line for two seconds. Then he looked up and met Kei's eyes. She looked deadly serious.
Hachiman thought about it and replied in his mind.
'Your guess might be right, Karuizawa. She probably can.'
Kei's brow furrowed further. She looked down and tapped the screen some more.
Although her current status was Hikigaya-kun's girlfriend—a provider of experience for his future pursuit of rich women—she had another identity: Hikigaya-kun's "dog."
He had protected her, and she wanted to help him. Basic loyalty was a given.
She immediately became worried.
[Doesn't that mean a lot of people can hear you?]
Looking at the message, Hachiman felt a bit of a headache. But he could share some information with Kei. He transmitted his voice again.
'Likely. Currently confirmed to be able to hear me are: you, Kushida, Ichinose, Sakayanagi, Hiyori, Kamuro, and Chabashira-sensei. Ibuki probably can too. There might be more.'
Kei stared at the string of names for several seconds. Her expression shifted from surprise to helplessness, and then to a complex emotion he couldn't name.
Because...
"That many people? And wait... how is even Chabashira-sensei on the list?!"
It was as if Kei had found a major blind spot.
Hachiman recalled his previous meetings with Chabashira and how Kei had wanted to tell him she could hear him. He felt... Chabashira could likely hear him.
However.
Back when he first met Horikita Suzune on the rooftop, he had roasted Chabashira-sensei in his mind and she hadn't reacted. So, she probably couldn't hear him then.
Thus.
It was likely on the cruise ship. Perhaps after giving up on her long-held obsession, she met some hidden requirement and gained the ability.
Fortunately, his own homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya, didn't seem to be able to hear him. If she heard his internal commentary, she'd probably go crazy and start causing trouble.
'Yeah' Hachiman nodded.
[Then haven't you been completely exposed from the start?] Kei typed quickly.
'Pretty much. But once I realized it, I started using it to feed them false information.' Hachiman transmitted back.
After reading the message, the corner of Kei's mouth twitched. She looked up at him with a look that said, "Of course that's what you'd do."
[So you lied to Sakayanagi and Hiyori?] Kei messaged.
'When it's about an exam, can you really call it lying? That's called strategy.' Hachiman responded immediately.
Hachiman felt no shame in this. If anything, since they could all hear his thoughts and were trying to use that against him, wasn't it only fair if they got tricked?
Kei seemed to understand this. She also knew that while Hachiman said many people could hear him, she was the only one who had actively told him about it.
So...
This was probably her "bonus point." Thinking this, Kei suddenly felt that while her boyfriend's thoughts were like a public channel anyone could tune into, she was somehow different.
Her mood seemed to brighten at the thought.
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