After the director called me, I quickly left the classroom to follow the teacher to his office.
The classroom will witness many discussions and changes now. I won't be present to observe them, but I'm sure Yukinoshita will handle matters there as well. Hirata's return won't make things worse.
I started walking beside Chabashira-sensei in the empty hallway, as she was the one to show me the way. She had mentioned something like this before, so I wasn't surprised at all. I tried to read her current emotions through her features alone, but all I saw was her usual grim face.
Silence prevailed between us until I decided to break it.
"I think you know very well why we were summoned," Chabashira-sensei said in her serious tone, looking at the path ahead.
"Yes, I have an idea of what's happening." I had remembered this from many times before, so it was the first thing that came to mind.
"The administration is summoning us to make sure the deal was legal and that the teacher wasn't complicit in any secret activity," Chabashira-sensei began explaining the reason for the summons precisely on her own.
"But nothing suspicious happened..." I don't know the administration's exact perspective on this situation, but I'm sure there's no violation of the rules.
"Yes... but it's still a suspicious deal, especially its timing in the first month... Anyway, it seems it served its purpose and achieved results I hadn't imagined." Chabashira-sensei hadn't expected us to achieve this great success with that method in just one month.
In truth, no one had expected that.
"Well... the results surprised everyone." Even I hadn't expected such an outcome.
"Hmm... so are you saying it's just luck?" She shot me a sideways glance as if waiting for my reaction.
"I don't know..." I tried not to show any reaction as much as possible. I hadn't expected the result, but I'm sure it wasn't luck...
"You say you don't know..." Chabashira-sensei fell silent as if trying to arrange her words before uttering them. "No, it's not luck. I think we can call it the Hikigaya and Yukinoshita effect... I've seen that girl's interventions, they were decisive every time." The teacher sounded confident in her words, as if you couldn't argue with her.
But wait, how did she know what Yukinoshita had done? It seemed Chabashira-sensei had understood my questions from my confused look.
"What's wrong with you? I thought you'd noticed the cameras in the classroom. They're there for things like this." I had indeed forgotten about the cameras; their primary role is to monitor students inside the classroom.
If that's the case, it's not strange that Chabashira-sensei knows what goes on among the students. What happened has already happened; no need to waste time thinking about it.
"Sensei, is this the first time you've been summoned for something like this?" It's necessary to know if something like this has happened precisely in order to determine the next step.
"If you mean just being summoned, then yes... but if you mean for this exact type of situation, then no." She lowered her voice slightly at the end of her sentence. Is she afraid of losing her job? The matter isn't that bad.
"So... what's the worst punishment we might face?" It's necessary to consider the worst outcome before taking action.
"I don't know exactly, but it could be my dismissal from work." She shot me a sideways glance. Although her facial expressions remained fixed, her tone of voice proved otherwise.
I'm sure nothing like that will happen at all. I think it's just a simple investigation by the administration that will end with us explaining everything that happened. But there's no harm in exploiting this opportunity to test the boundaries of the rules again.
"Sensei... if I succeed in getting us out of this problem without any consequences, will you owe me a favor?" It's a good opportunity to find out if I can make this kind of deal with her.
"What do you mean?" Chabashira-sensei gave me a confused look, trying to determine exactly what I meant.
No problem, I'll explain further.
"It's... like a lawyer. I'll defend you before the administration to get you out with minimal damage." I don't want to call it a lawyer, but I think this is the closest description.
Silence fell again between us as we moved through the hallways to reach the director's office. No sound was heard except the tapping of her heels with every step she took.
I glanced quickly at her. Her sharp eyes, usually, narrowed more and more, as if she was thinking carefully before making a decision. Well, even if she refused, there wouldn't be any problem.
After a period of silence that felt like days, I heard her voice again.
"Alright... but I won't accept any punishments, and I won't speak at all. You'll handle everything." She seemed keen on setting conditions to emerge with the least possible damage.
"Okay... I'll take care of it."
I understood something new: perhaps if it's a deal between Hikigaya Hachiman the student and Chabashira the teacher, it would require personal points to pay. But if it's between Hikigaya Hachiman and Chabashira Sai outside school rules, it's fine to make it according to our terms. It's good to know this at this stage.
We didn't speak again until we arrived before a large door made of leather for sound insulation, beside which was a plaque reading: "Principal SKAYANAGI Narumori."
What kind of person rules this school? I'll find out after entering.
I felt my hands sweating slightly, so I instinctively wiped them on my pants. I don't know why I suddenly feel tense. Chabashira-sensei stared at me with confused eyes, as if she didn't understand what I was doing.
Pay no attention to me.
The teacher adjusted her stance slightly and extended her hand in a fist to knock on the door. In the empty hallway, no sound was heard except a muffled sound coming from behind the door.
"Come in."
Chabashira-sensei opened the door easily and slipped inside quickly. I took a quick deep breath before following her.
The office was perfectly arranged: bookshelves, soft lighting, sofas with a small table in the middle that looked comfortable, perhaps for guests, windows with curtains, and finally a wooden desk that seemed to be of the finest quality. Behind it sat a relatively elderly man, I think older than my father. He had a slim build with light hair between white and gray, a calm smile on his lips behind his black-framed glasses. You could discern his calm eyes. He gave a general impression of peace, kindness, and also dignity.
Beside him stood the Student Council President.
What is he doing here?
I quickly moved forward to stand beside Chabashira-sensei. I feel like we're in a real trial.
"Hello, you must be Hikigaya Hachiman. I'm Principal Sakayanagi." His tone was no different from his peaceful appearance; it was calm and comfortable. He seemed like one of those politicians who give speeches to the public.
I lowered my head slightly as a greeting to him.
"Usually, President Horikita handles student cases, but since a teacher is also with us, I will handle it..." The principal began explaining the situation calmly, perhaps because he sensed the tension prevailing in the atmosphere, most of which came from me.
But wait, does this mean the Student Council President has authority over the rest of the students, unlike other schools where the school handles student issues no matter what? But in this case, he has no authority over the teacher.
"The school just wants to verify the status of the deal that was made between you two after the first week of last month." The principal seemed not to want to prolong the matter further.
Well, no problem, I'll do it.
I raised my head slightly at an angle that allowed my eyes to meet the president's, then took a deep breath...
"Hello, Mr. President, I'm Hikigaya Hachiman... Well, I know the deal that was made looks suspicious, but I assure you it did not violate the rules." I don't know exactly what I'm saying, but I'll try to finish the matter quickly before I break down.
"Hikigaya-kun, I know this very well. The administration is just trying to verify because the timing and nature of the deal are somewhat suspicious." All the school needs is verification. No problem...
"I understand that the school suspects the teacher might have helped in a twisted way, but the information mentioned in the files is all from my own deductions without any influence from the teacher. The amount was agreed upon and paid. I don't see any violation of the rules mentioned on the first day." I feel the principal already knows this very well, but he's trying to confirm something else under the guise of verification.
The principal turned toward the Student Council President before nodding to him.
The Student Council President slowly approached and adjusted his glasses. I don't know why I feel he's looking at me strangely now, unlike our meeting in the student council room.
"I have already verified the payment process, the points transferred, and the printer Hikigaya Hachiman used to print the papers was in a small shop next to the shopping center." He began placing papers on the principal's desk.
Why did they summon us if they already have all this information? Wait, the Student Council President's authority is frightening and also amazing.
"You might think there's no need for you to be here, isn't that right?" The principal seemed able to read my thoughts, which gave me goosebumps. "I know this seems meaningless, but it's necessary for you to be here to hear the story from your perspective... Also, I think it's important to meet a student like you who did all this in his first month here." The principal began explaining the reasons for summoning me.
Well, this seems more logical, but there's no need to classify me as special. Did Chabashira-sensei know this would happen? Then why did she act strangely earlier? I gave her a questioning look: Was she testing me too?
Well, no problem, I didn't come out a loser anyway.
"Well, Principal Sakayanagi, it seems our work here is done. I'll leave." The teacher lowered her head slightly in a simple bow before leaving. The principal only responded with a slight nod.
She began walking toward the door to leave, so I followed her without uttering a single word. Every time, this school confuses me more because of its strangeness.
The teacher opened the door and exited first, then stood waiting for me to come out into the hallway. My eyes met her black eyes. There's still something I want to know. I quickly closed the door, leaving Chabashira-sensei outside.
I turned toward the office. The two people on the other side were looking at me with confused expressions.
"Mr. President, may I ask some questions?"
Shock was evident on the principal's face, but he quickly regained his calm expression.
"Well... you may."
Since I entered this school and understood the system, there was only one thing I still haven't understood.
I nodded my head slightly as a sign of gratitude to him, and glanced at President Horikita. He doesn't seem to be leaving the room. Well, I'll do it anyway.
"How are students classified? Is it based on academics only, or athletics only, or both? I still don't understand this."
The principal showed no reaction to my question. But quite the opposite, President Horikita's eyes widened slightly.
A heavy silence fell over the room: three people and no one uttering a word. Isn't he going to answer?
"I understand your point, Hikigaya-kun, but this relates to the school's system; I cannot answer it. All I can say is: nothing is fixed... There is my daughter named Sakayanagi Arisu, who suffers from a physical disability and is in Class A." After he mentioned the girl, an image appeared in my mind of a short girl with a small cane, the same color as his eyes and hair. I had met her before in the store incident and on the first day. So she's his daughter, yet she's classified in Class A despite her physical condition.
"So... is the classification fair?" If his words are true, how can someone like Yukinoshita be classified in Class D? This makes the classification illogical.
He gave me a calm look as if he was monitoring my every move. For the first time since we entered the room, Principal Sakayanagi stood up. He remained standing in his place in front of his chair.
"I cannot prove anything to you... but I can say that everything has a reason that makes it logical." His tone and words seemed as if he was trying to end this conversation.
Well, there's no point in continuing... if that's the case.
I nodded to him slightly: "Thank you..."
Then I turned to leave; my work here was done.
I slowly extended my hand to open the door when suddenly I heard President Horikita's voice.
"Hikigaya, wait..." I turned quickly after hearing my name. They were still in their places, hadn't moved yet. Manabu Horikita's eyes seemed to contain strange secrets I hadn't seen in his eyes since our first meeting. I didn't speak so that he could speak quickly and I could leave.
President Horikita understood that, so he didn't hesitate to speak.
"Hikigaya, I want to invite you to join the Student Council..." His voice sounded serious, not joking.
Seriously? What's this? I couldn't contain my shock, and my mouth even opened slightly.
I understood this morning: the Student Council at this school is truly special. So why does he want to include me?
"Why?" I felt a sudden weakness in my voice, perhaps due to shock.
"You've already proven that you're a capable person, so I think you're suitable..." His words sounded sincere, as if he wasn't just trying to convince me.
I can't understand what he sees in me exactly. Everything I did was for my own personal reasons. The Student Council might have benefits, but I can't tell if it's appropriate to join or not. Usually, I would refuse something like this directly, but things are different here...
"Ah... I can't accept this right now." I ran my fingers through my messy hair; I'm feeling very uncomfortable right now and don't want to think about this now, so I won't accept.
President Horikita didn't seem surprised by my reaction, merely nodding.
"Hikigaya-kun... the Student Council at this school might have special benefits." Principal Sakayanagi's words seemed to try to help me make the decision.
But there's no room for acceptance now... I've made my decision.
I nodded my head again before opening the door and leaving. Chabashira-sensei was still standing in the hallway, her expression somewhere between annoyance and confusion...
"What are you doing, boy? Are you trying to cause trouble?" Chabashira-sensei tried to scold me for what I was doing, but I paid her no attention and started walking.
"Hey... what are you doing? You're really annoying." She understood that I didn't intend to respond to her, so she decided just to walk beside me.
But there's still something...
"Sensei, you knew there was no problem... so why did you do this?" She knew she wouldn't be punished, but she decided to pretend.
"I knew... consider it just a test... and the deal is still on because you passed the test." A slight smile appeared on her lips.
What test is she talking about? And is she really satisfied with this? No problem, I'll get revenge on her and exploit the favor in the future.
"Sensei, I want to ask you: how much is the price to access a student's file?" I think the file will contain information about the student, their abilities, or why they were classified. If the principal's words are true, there must be a logical reason.
The teacher's eyes widened in surprise. Is my question really that strange? Come on.
"I don't know why you're asking about this, but 50,000 personal points."
"Damn... that's high."
"Watch your language, boy... you can use your favor for this."
This might be a good suggestion, but no. I got it in a stupid way to begin with; I don't want to use it for this.
I feel my mood has worsened because of all these events. Maybe I need a MAX COFFEE. There's still a swimming class; I'll skip it. No one will notice my absence. Right?
---
(Former Class C - Narrator)
After the homeroom teacher explained the S system and announced the results, he left the classroom, leaving behind a massive chaos.
"What is this, Ryuuen? Didn't you say you'd lead us to Class A?"
"Yes, this is a disastrous result!"
"This is all because of you!"
Accusatory fingers began pointing entirely in the direction of Ryuuen Kakeru, their class leader.
He didn't need a few days after the start of school to understand the entire system and control his class, which was in chaos due to the presence of bullies. He didn't hesitate to use violence to subdue them and break anyone who tried to oppose him, but here he was now, failing miserably. Even his supporters couldn't back him after this disappointment.
He had tried to test the school's boundaries by disturbing the other students and even using violence in some cases, the reason that created friction between them and Class D, which was initially incredibly savage. Suddenly, their behavior changed, and they no longer responded to their provocations.
He knew that even if they were unaware at first, they would eventually realize that there was something strange about this school. Even a monkey could figure that out. But he didn't expect things to turn upside down like this.
He doesn't understand what happened next, but there's no room for retreat now.
Ryuuen slammed the desk with all his might, bringing silence back to the entire class.
"Shut up! What is this? Do you think you would have reached this stage without me?" He knew very well that without his intervention, the class's condition would be worse: chaos and violence everywhere.
"We followed you, and we lost. This is unacceptable!" The criticizing voices began rising again.
For him, there's no time to deal with them now.
"Just shut up! The game isn't over yet. All we have to do is crush their class completely." His self-confidence and spirit were not shaken at all, because he sees no rival for him in Class D. He will be able to crush them one after another easily.
"If you start disobeying me again and trying to revolt, no problem. We'll start over from the beginning." He had no problem using violence to subdue them again, especially since he had recruited the strongest fighters to his class. No one would dare disobey him.
And indeed, no one objected again.
He stood tall in the middle of the class with his hands in his pockets, his purple hair falling over his face covering his features, making him look like a raging beast, his only concern being crushing the opponents.