Chapter 007: Hachiman: Who Told You That Being Fast Means You'll Win?
Kamuro picked up another piece of stewed meat and chewed twice, finding today's flavor rather average. It was likely because the thoughts in her head were so exasperating that even the food lost its savor.
Because what she was thinking was... she was actually helping Sakayanagi analyze whether her compatibility with Hikigaya was a good fit.
The meal proceeded in silence. The three of them ate their own food, with only the occasional light clink of chopsticks hitting the edge of a dish. Outside the window, the sunlight was just right, casting a soft and warm glow into the private room.
Sakayanagi didn't eat much, putting down her chopsticks after finishing about half of her usual portion. She took a handkerchief from her handbag and gently wiped the corners of her mouth, her movements as elegant as if she were attending a formal banquet. Then, she pulled a thermos from her bag, unscrewed the lid, and poured a cup of black tea. Steam rose from the cup, swirling under the lights.
Hachiman had also finished. He put down his chopsticks, pulled his phone from his pocket, clicked on his chat with Sakayanagi, glanced at the message, and then looked up.
"Sakayanagi-san," Hachiman spoke, his tone calm, "You sent a message this morning asking about Shiraishi Asuka. Why the interest in her?"
Sakayanagi held her teacup and took a light sip. She set the cup down, her gaze landing on Hachiman's face.
"During the deserted island exam and the VIP exam, Shiraishi-san specifically mentioned Ayanokouji-kun from Class D," Sakayanagi's voice was soft, but every word was clear. "The first time was to remind everyone not to let their guard down; the second was to question why Ayanokouji-kun of Class D wasn't making any moves. Neither time felt like a casual remark; they were spoken after careful thought."
She paused, looking into Hachiman's eyes.
"Her observation of Ayanokouji-kun is more meticulous than her observation of anyone else."
Hachiman leaned back in his chair, his finger lightly tapping the tabletop. He naturally knew who Shiraishi Asuka was and why she was focusing on Ayanokouji. But as for whether to tell Sakayanagi those things, he hadn't decided yet.
Sakayanagi looked at him without rushing. She just quietly held her teacup and waited.
Hachiman remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Shiraishi Asuka's identity is indeed somewhat special."
Sakayanagi's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Hachiman continued, "According to the intelligence I've gathered, she was arranged by the White Room to be an 'observer' for Ayanokouji."
Sakayanagi's fingers squeezed the wall of her cup slightly. White Room—coming from Hachiman's mouth, the word carried a different weight. She recalled the things Hachiman had told her in this same third-floor private room last time: the true nature of the White Room, Ayanokouji's father's goals, and the future where her own father would be taken away for investigation. Everything exceeded her previous knowledge.
"Observer?" Sakayanagi repeated the word. "Not monitoring?"
Hachiman shook his head. "Monitoring and observing don't have much of a fundamental difference. But 'observer' is more accurate—she isn't here to interfere with Ayanokouji's actions, just to record his performance, his grades, and all his data."
He paused, lowering his tone slightly.
"Furthermore, I suspect Shiraishi Asuka is likely a White Room student from the same generation as Ayanokouji."
Sakayanagi's pupils contracted slightly.
"A student from the same generation?" Her voice was lower than before. "You mean—she was also raised in the White Room?"
"Yeah," Hachiman nodded. "According to the information I have, she likely started her period early at around eight years old due to overtraining. Her body couldn't withstand that high-intensity cultivation, so she was transferred to the mainstream education system. Unfortunately, even though she was only trained until age eight, it caused immense psychological damage. She's disinterested in most things, only remembering her training in the White Room, and thus, she is very fixated on the top performer, Ayanokouji."
The private room fell silent. It wasn't the silence of emptiness, but a silence that required time to digest.
Kamuro Masumi, sitting next to Sakayanagi, held her chopsticks in mid-air, unmoving for a long time. Her expression shifted from coldness to a subtle look of regret for having come to this meal.
'Are these things she should be listening to for free?'
What kind of demonic invocation was this "White Room" institution? An 8-year-old girl starting her period early due to overtraining? That is genuinely terrifying.
Moreover, according to Hachiman, Shiraishi's mental state was likely precarious.
As a classmate, Kamuro recalled Shiraishi's exaggerated claims in class about having "rich romantic experience" and her goal of "slaying a hundred men," and she suddenly began to understand.
It meant that Shiraishi-san... was fundamentally mentally unstable. And such a person was her classmate. Furthermore, she was fixated on Ayanokouji.
As she thought this...
Kamuro silently put down her chopsticks and pulled her phone from her pocket. Her fingers tapped the screen a few times, and then Hachiman's phone vibrated.
Hachiman looked down.
[Your private account has received 100,000 points. Sender: Kamuro Masumi.]
Hachiman stared at the text for two seconds, then looked up at Kamuro. She had already put her phone away and was looking down at her empty tray, her expression the same as always—cold, slightly disgusted, as if nothing had happened.
"..."
He opened his mouth to say "you don't need to transfer it," but the words died in his throat. Knowing Kamuro's personality, once she transferred it, she wouldn't take it back. He sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.
"Kamuro-san, I didn't mean for you to pay for the meal," Hachiman said.
Kamuro looked up at him. "I know."
"Then why did you transfer it?"
Kamuro was silent for a second before speaking, "Because I don't want to listen to these things for free."
Hachiman looked at her, unsure of what to say for a moment. Kamuro's expression was serious; she wasn't joking or being polite. She truly felt this intelligence was worth 100,000 points.
Sakayanagi, sitting beside her, kept a smile as she watched this scene. She said nothing, only raising her teacup for another sip.
Hachiman withdrew his gaze and looked back at Sakayanagi.
"You looked for me for more than just the Shiraishi Asuka matter, right?"
Sakayanagi set down her tea and folded her hands over her knees. Her expression became more serious, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.
"Indeed, it wasn't just for Shiraishi-san," Sakayanagi said. "I want to hear your thoughts on this Sports Festival, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman looked at her and paused for a second. "Are you still going to compete?"
Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh, though there was a hint of helplessness in it.
"Hikigaya-kun is quite wicked." Her voice retained its sweet tone, but there was a touch of grievance in her words. "In the last exam, I caused the class to lose a massive amount of points. I no longer have the status of class representative. Whether I compete or not isn't up to me alone anymore."
Hachiman leaned back, his finger tapping the table.
"That's simple," he said. "In this exam, I'll suppress Katsuragi too. That way, Class B will have no choice but to ask you to step up again."
The hand Sakayanagi used to hold her teacup faltered slightly.
She looked at Hachiman, a flash of complex emotion in her violet-blue eyes. When this man said such things, his expression was identical to saying "The weather is nice today." He wasn't joking or provoking; he was simply presenting a plan he found feasible.
"Hikigaya-kun," Sakayanagi put down her cup, her tone laced with helplessness, "Are you perhaps a bit too confident about this exam?"
Kamuro Masumi, sitting nearby, couldn't help but speak up.
"During this break, we in Class B have all been training our physical abilities," she said with a natural confidence. "Running, strength, endurance—everyone has practiced. In terms of overall physical ability, we should be the strongest in the grade right now. Class B should have the advantage in this exam."
After she finished, she looked at Hachiman as if waiting for a reaction.
Hachiman looked at her and then let out a soft chuckle.
The laugh was short and light, as if it had escaped because he couldn't hold it back.
Kamuro's brow furrowed. "What are you laughing at?"
Hachiman shook his head, a trace of a smile still on his lips.
"Kamuro-san," he began, his tone carrying an indefinable quality, "You trained over the break, and you worked very hard. I don't deny that. But—"
He paused, looking into Kamuro's eyes.
"Have you forgotten what the principle of this school is?"
Kamuro blinked.
"The Classroom of the Elite," Hachiman finished for her. "The Sports Festival tests physical ability, but physical ability is only a part of 'ability.' Class B's overall physical strength is indeed high, but the Sports Festival isn't just about who runs fastest or jumps highest. The arrangement of the participation list, the allocation of events, targeting opponents, on-the-spot strategy—these are the keys that decide victory or defeat."
He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.
"The students' abilities are just the cards in your hand. Having good cards doesn't guarantee a win, and having bad cards doesn't guarantee a loss. How you play them is the point."
Kamuro opened her mouth to argue but found she didn't know what to say. Because Hachiman was right. The Sports Festival wasn't just a physical confrontation; it involved strategy, coordination, and psychological warfare. No matter how strong Class B was, if their participation list was figured out, if the event allocation was unreasonable, or if they performed poorly under pressure—they would still lose.
Sakayanagi sat by, listening quietly. She didn't speak, only taking a light sip of her black tea. The tea had gone somewhat cold, but she didn't care.
Her gaze was fixed on Hachiman's face. The man's expression was calm, with a lingering, faint smile. It wasn't mockery or arrogance; it was the composure of someone who had calculated everything long ago.
And of course, she knew the source of his composure—he was a Transmigrator, he knew the plot. Therefore, he likely knew how their class would arrange things.
For Hikigaya-kun, this might be an exam played with his hand half-revealed.
This was undoubtedly another massive challenge for Class B.
However, Sakayanagi had been prepared to listen, but she didn't hear a single "inner voice" from Hachiman.
Even though she could hear his heart, he knew this and had even tried to use false information to mislead her.
Finally.
"Hikigaya-kun," Sakayanagi set down her cup and spoke softly, "I understand everything you've said. But—have you forgotten? This exam isn't just a battle between the first-years; there is also the Red vs. White team confrontation."
Hearing this, Hachiman's finger stopped tapping the table.
"You know President Horikita's strength better than I do," Sakayanagi continued. "The Red vs. White confrontation is the sum of the scores from all school years. Even if you first-years win, if the third-years lose too much, the total score will still be dragged down."
Hachiman remained silent for two seconds before nodding.
"You're right. The third-year situation is indeed a problem.
However, regarding President Horikita, I will go talk to him."
Sakayanagi looked at him, a flash of surprise in her violet-blue eyes. "Talk?"
"Yeah," Hachiman said. "The Red-White confrontation is Red vs. White. President Horikita is on the Red Team, and I am on the Red Team. We are teammates, not opponents. Teammates need to discuss how to play the game."
Sakayanagi was silent for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh.
"Hikigaya-kun, you really are..." She didn't finish her sentence, only shaking her head.
Hachiman didn't press further, only taking a sip of the coffee in front of him.
At that moment, sunlight surged through the glass window, casting a bright patch of light onto the table. The private room was quiet for a while as the three of them drank their respective beverages, none of them speaking.
The silence wasn't awkward; it was a tacit, composed understanding that everything that needed to be said had been said.
After about two minutes, Hachiman put down his coffee cup and stood up.
"I'll head back first," Hachiman said decisively.
Sakayanagi nodded. "Alright."
Hachiman picked up his phone and walked toward the door. As he reached the exit, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Kamuro.
"Kamuro-san," he said.
Kamuro looked up at him.
"You don't need to transfer points next time," Hachiman said. "With things like intelligence, if you think it's worth it, listen; if not, don't. You don't need to pay every time."
Kamuro looked at him, silent for a second. Then she spoke, her tone the same as usual.
"I feel like it."
The corner of Hachiman's mouth twitched slightly. He said nothing more, pushed the door open, and walked out.
The door closed softly behind him.
Only Sakayanagi and Kamuro remained in the room.
Sakayanagi picked up her teacup and found it empty. She set it down, leaned back, and gazed out the window.
"Kamuro." She spoke softly.
"Yeah?"
"How much of what Hikigaya-kun said do you think was true?"
Kamuro thought for a moment. "The Shiraishi Asuka matter is likely true. The Sports Festival matter... also true. But he's definitely hiding a card."
Sakayanagi nodded.
"Yes," she whispered. "He's definitely hiding a card.
As a Transmigrator, he knows a lot. It's even possible that our class's exam plan, if nothing changes, might be an open hand in front of him."
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