Chapter 075: Gaining a Girlfriend!? Part One
Hachiman chose to go for the free meal.
As Class C, well, for now, they were Class C, but since they were originally from Class D, it was likely that after reaching Class A, they would fall back down, and at that time, their living expenses wouldn't be much.
So...
Isn't it a great thing to have someone treat you to a meal?
The place was the usual spot.
While waiting for the staff to bring over the food, Hachiman's gaze shifted.
Because...
Next to him sat a petite, delicate girl with silver-white hair, pale and translucent skin, and well-proportioned features. She was, in fact, overly cute. This was a girl named Sakayanagi Arisu, who seemed as if she came from another dimension.
On the edge of the table lay a black cane, suggesting that she wasn't in very good health, looking frail and weak, which made others feel a protective instinct.
Of course, even Hachiman understood that this was just an appearance.
Though she seemed fragile and delicate, Sakayanagi Arisu was, in truth, a genuine little brat.
And she had an extremely strong attack.
Hachiman thought about rise to Class A, but once they clashed, the chances of winning were slim, so Hachiman was hoping that Sakayanagi Arisu wouldn't take control of Class A.
Clearly...
That wasn't something he could achieve.
"Your mood seems quite good," Sakayanagi's pleasant voice came through.
"After all, someone is treating me to a meal," Hachiman replied.
"Then, do you have any special requests for the food?" Sakayanagi Arisu continued to ask.
"My mom said I shouldn't be picky," Hachiman said.
In other words, he ate whatever came his way.
"Then you're really easy to please," Sakayanagi Arisu said, as if she had made a judgment.
"..." Kamuro-san.
But don't forget, even though this was Sakayanagi Arisu's private room, there were usually three people here.
And as an observer, Kamuro-san didn't think Hachiman was someone easy to please.
Because he was expensive.
And Sakayanagi Arisu usually gave him expensive things.
However, Kamuro-san also knew that Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't treating him to a meal for nothing.
That is to say...
"Well, since you've eaten my food, can you speak now?" Sakayanagi Arisu said. "What are your thoughts on this special exam?"
What were his thoughts?
Hachiman thought for a moment.
Sakayanagi Arisu had mentioned that she wanted to experience a different kind of school life here.
In other words, she was quite bored and hoping for something interesting.
And for her, this special exam... well, for Class A, it really wasn't much of a challenge.
It was just a written exam, and their class could easily achieve the top tier of points given by Chabashira-sensei.
That is, "If no one fails the exam, and the average score across all subjects is above 80, the class will receive a reward of a perfect score of 100 for the class evaluation."
The students of Class A could be confident in getting a perfect score.
So for Sakayanagi Arisu, she probably already knew the result of the exam, so naturally...
This exam became boring for her.
So, she invited him over under the pretense of treating him, but was it really to find some fun?
Yes.
For Class C, with so many underachievers, this exam was going to be disastrous for them.
And for such a situation, Class C had a plan, like inviting the top students from Class B to help.
But Hachiman thought Sakayanagi Arisu wouldn't care about such normal methods.
"For Class C, there's an absolutely foolproof plan," Hachiman said. "It's score manipulation."
"Score manipulation?" Kamuro-san murmured.
"Yes." Since it seemed Kamuro-san was interested in exam results, Hachiman glanced at her and started talking about the score manipulation method that he had explained to Hirata.
"Then, you C class probably can't pull it off," Sakayanagi Arisu said. "Because of the mutual distrust between you all. If someone writes more and scores higher, it could raise the average score and cause the failing grades to increase."
In other words, she also saw it that way, thinking Class C was not united.
Not just not united, but even now, they needed Hirata's role as the glue to keep them together.
"But there's actually another way for Class C to make it work," Hachiman said. "I call it the 'Zero Score Operation.'"
"Zero Score Operation?"
"Yes," Hachiman nodded. "Once the exam papers are handed out, everyone just writes their names and then puts down their pens."
"That way, if someone starts answering, it will be very obvious, so the students around can supervise each other," Hachiman said.
"In other words, everyone would score 0 points, and 0 points would either be a passing or failing average score."
"Or would the school allow a class's students to drop out?" Hachiman added.
"That's indeed an interesting proposal," Sakayanagi Arisu said. "And if I were the school, I might give you this chance, but I wouldn't approve such a plan next time."
"You are the school?" Hachiman replied.
"..." Sakayanagi Arisu paused. "I mean, I'm someone who enjoys interesting things."
"Is that so?" Hachiman didn't really pay much attention to that statement.
Sakayanagi Arisu was probably from a wealthy family, some rich young lady who enjoyed things that were different from those of ordinary people.
"Ding ding!"
At that moment, Hachiman noticed a message from Hirata.
[During lunch break tomorrow, spend some time with me. I have information about Karuizawa to tell you privately.] — from Hirata.
Is that so?
Tomorrow, during lunch break.
Hachiman continued to enjoy the expensive meal that Sakayanagi Arisu had treated him to, then replied to Hirata's message.
...
After school study session ended.
"So, Karuizawa, huh?" As he walked with Sakura along the shopping street, listening to Hachiman's description, Sakura tilted her head cutely.
Although Sakura was shy and introverted, to Hachiman, she was a pretty nice person.
And not to mention, she was a super beautiful girl.
Well...
As a teenage boy, Hachiman felt that he couldn't escape the norm.
If it were a boy or a girl inviting him, he would definitely choose to hang out with Sakayanagi Arisu, or even Horikita Suzune, or maybe Sakura, too.
Now, discovering that Sakura was also heading to the shopping street...
He invited her, actually hoping to gather some information about Karuizawa.
As for the exam, today's study session had already finished, and the students in their class had likely accepted Hirata's reassurance from yesterday about having top students from other classes help them.
The students from Class B were those who were willing to help, so only the troublesome students like Sudo and the others were hard to deal with.
Rather, it was noticeable that Kanzaki Ryuji looked distressed.
It must be painful for him.
Sudo's group had a very poor foundation. So, teaching them was painful. It wasn't that the material was too simple, but even though it was simple, they still couldn't do it.
It was really despairing.
But learning isn't something that happens overnight, and Hachiman didn't need to rely on his classmates to pass the written exam based on his own ability.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Kushida to get in touch with upperclassmen and gather information from them.
After all...
There was no reason to refuse the 100-point class evaluation reward.
But if he could somewhat improve the overall academic ability, then this study session would still be useful.
And right now, it wasn't about the class; it was about Hachiman's personal matter.
Gathering information about Karuizawa.
"Karuizawa, how should I put it... I'm actually a bit scared of her," Sakura Airi said. "She's very overbearing."
Hmm.
Hachiman knew a little about this. He had witnessed Karuizawa yelling at Ike Kanji.
Plus, she was a "gyaru" (a trendy girl), and to other girls, she was indeed hard to get along with.
And Hachiman knew that Sakura had a great intuition. It was because of her intuition that she had discovered Sudo's fight and taken pictures as evidence, eventually bringing down the Ryuen class.
"But," Sakura continued, "I always feel... like something is strange about Karuizawa."
"Strange?"
"Mm," Airi nodded. "Karuizawa seems to not change clothes with the others."
Is that so?
"And I think maybe she has some scars, or maybe some pimples or something," Sakura said. "Because... girls really care about this kind of thing."
"And if her legs are thick, she wouldn't want to show them in front of others either," Sakura explained. "And gaining weight... gaining weight too."
Is that so?
Hachiman recorded down this previously unknowable information about girls.
But this meant that Karuizawa had something going on, right?
And the information from Horikita indicated that Karuizawa's academic performance wasn't great either.
Hmm.
For top students, it's like this.
So, the reason someone would be placed in Class D is either because their overall foundation is very poor, or they have a dark past, like Hirata.
Because according to Horikita and Sakura Airi, it seems that Karuizawa has something she wants to hide.
And thinking about that...
"Ky, Karuizawa, we're not, we're not talking badly about you!" Sakura suddenly became flustered.
Hachiman looked over.
They were now at the shopping street.
Sakura's gaze was directed to the side, where there was a blonde loser... no, he saw Karuizawa, who was tying her golden ponytail, standing near a shop and seemed to be in line to order something.
And her other "gyaru" friends weren't around.
It was just her alone.
However, Karuizawa probably hadn't noticed them.
A commotion erupted in the queue at the ordering station.
"Hey, you cut in line, didn't you?"
Although the voice was somewhat soft, it was still audible. It seemed to be a first-year girl with a mushroom haircut, who looked fairly ordinary and cute. She was from another class.
Hachiman took out his phone and took a photo in that direction.
Not long after.
After sending it to Horikita Suzune, he received information in return.
The girl was from Class D, named Morofuji Rika, someone from Ryuen's class.
Horikita Suzune thought it was a memory test, so she immediately provided the answer.
Looking at it from this angle, the yearbook for all grades, which he obtained for free from the student council, was indeed useful.
"I'm telling you, I was in line first, I just stepped out for a moment!" The one arguing with Morofuji Rika was someone Hachiman recognized.
It was Karuizawa, whom he had just mentioned to Sakura.
According to the general information.
Karuizawa Kei.
Although her tone toward other boys was harsh and unappealing, with her golden hair, single ponytail, and wristband, along with her knee-high bubble socks, she clearly dressed like a gyaru.
Gyarus dye their hair and wear eye makeup, but the gyarus in Hachiman's class were relatively simple, just dressed like gyarus without heavy makeup or anything. They didn't even wear scary smoky makeup and could still be considered quite cute.
Many boys who didn't like her shared the same sentiment: they looked down on Karuizawa and didn't like her, and they thought she might bring trouble to the class. Those were Ike's exact words, but he said it after she scolded him for blocking her path.
So, what about now?
It seemed like trouble had already been caused.
However, this C-class gyaru leader seemed to be reacting strangely when facing a delinquent girl from Class D.
It was intriguing.
Because...
According to the general understanding, Karuizawa Kei was known for being domineering in her class, so she was considered a strong personality.
And now, it seemed like when she got in line, another girl from a different class accused her of cutting in.
But initially, Karuizawa didn't respond with a strong "I was in line first."
Instead, she said, "Sorry."
That sounded a bit weak.
But what was interesting was that when she said "sorry," halfway through, she suddenly changed her tone.
It turned into, "I was in line first. I just stepped out for a moment."
Her tone instantly became firm.
Saying "sorry" was basic courtesy, and it could be categorized as not wanting to cause trouble, much like how Sudo restrained himself to protect the class's score.
But the behavior norms test had already finished.
At the same time...
Karuizawa's tone seemed to switch in an instant, and that was something that caught attention.
So, what happened next?
Actually, nothing much. Hachiman noticed that a few other girls from her class had gathered around.
It was the usual members of Karuizawa's gang.
Sato Maya, another gyaru, and a girl with a middle-parted short bob, Shinohara Satsuki, the second member of Karuizawa's group, who looked quiet but was actually somewhat fierce. Hachiman had seen her scold a boy to tears before and often argue with Ike.
There were also two other gyarus who were relatively unremarkable but still known by name in the class.
It was only when Karuizawa saw them come over that she changed her stance.
"I was in line first. I just stepped out for a moment!"
And just like that, Karuizawa became confident and aggressive.
The previously timid girl from another class, who seemed to have the same nervous energy as Sakura's little squirrel, now flushed red in the face and said, "Sorry!" as she ran backward toward the store entrance.
"Hey——" Karuizawa seemed like she wanted to call after her, but the girl ran quickly, as if she were going to get bullied if she stayed any longer.
"It's like I'm the one bullying her," Karuizawa added, finishing her sentence.
She then turned and started chatting with the other gyarus, but it seemed more like she was changing the subject. "By the way, the fried shrimp we had today was really delicious."
"Yes, yes, I heard the chefs on the third floor are even better."
"I remember Karuizawa saw Hirata and Hachiman eating there, right?"
"Two guys..."
"Eh, Hachiman...?" The girls seemed to want to drop the topic.
Sorry to let your conversation cool down.
Hachiman thought to himself.
"Wow, Hachiman is over there— and he's with Sakura."
But Karuizawa quickly said again.
At that moment, the girls looked over and realized Hachiman and Sakura were standing at the store entrance.
It seemed that they felt a bit awkward, and the girls' conversation abruptly stopped.
"..." Hachiman.
Since Karuizawa and the others didn't greet him, he didn't feel the need to approach them.
However, he was curious.
That is, why did Karuizawa notice him and Sakura standing there?
Or perhaps, it wasn't just about noticing them here; Hachiman had noticed that she had glanced in the direction of the door several times.
What was she paying attention to?
Based on her earlier interaction with the girl from the other class, it seemed like she might be worried that the other girl might bring someone over for revenge. Did she have such little courage?
"I want to go to that ready-made clothing store we visited before; they have really nice knit sweaters…"
The smarter one, Sato, had already tried to change the subject, deciding to act as though nothing had happened.
Shinohara Satsuki quickly agreed with her.
The group walked out of the store, no longer intending to shop, and continued down the shopping street.
...
"Sorry, I'm sorry that they saw me with you," came Sakura's timid and somewhat downcast voice, sounding a little like a squirrel.
"Sakura, if someone saw us walking together in the street, would it make you uncomfortable?" Hachiman asked.
"Huh? No, no, it's fine, because Hachiman is a... good person."
Is that so?
So today, he was awarded a "good person card."
"Well, it's the same for me. I thought walking with you would embarrass you," Hachiman said.
"No, no," Sakura quickly shook her head.
But now, a bigger issue had been revealed.
Because just now, Sakura had expressed some insecurity.
In other words, she still hadn't quite integrated into the girls' group.
At the same time, she was probably just a background character in her class.
"By the way, Sakura, are you close with Hasebe?" Hachiman asked.
"Hasebe?" Sakura said. "I find it a bit hard to handle."
Meaning Hasebe had tried to talk to Sakura.
But Sakura was probably under a lot of pressure because of her introversion.
"I think it's a good thing to accept and make a friend," Hachiman said.
"Accept?"
"Having someone who feels like a friend to go through high school with is actually really nice," Hachiman added.
"Is that so..." Sakura seemed to be thinking it over.
However.
Hachiman felt that it wouldn't be bad if he could be Sakura's friend.
Later, Sakura said she wanted to go back to the dorm, so Hachiman parted ways with her. He still needed to go to the supermarket to stock up on supplies.
It was all thanks to Sakayanagi, because she often treated him to meals, so he had a lot of points left, which allowed him to splurge a little when shopping.
Of course.
He had carefully saved the points card he got from Chabashira-sensei, as it was his future pension and startup funds to take care of his sister.
It was only when he was leaving the supermarket that he unexpectedly ran into someone.
That person was Karuizawa.
Her friends seemed to have gone somewhere, and she was alone, waiting at the intersection.
She was looking at her phone.
"..." Since there was no communication between them, Hachiman planned to walk past her.
However.
At that moment, several girls came walking toward them, one of whom was crying while the others were comforting her.
"Rika, don't cry, we'll make that person pay!"
"She clearly cut in line!"
"Can we find out who she is? Someone said she's from Class C, maybe her name is Karuizawa or something."
Karuizawa? Rika?
Wasn't that the girl who had a confrontation with Karuizawa at the milk tea shop an hour ago?
And her classmates.
There were four of them in total.
It seemed they were still upset about the earlier incident. No wonder they were Ryuen's students, already planning to settle the score with Karuizawa.
They were coming right toward them.
As for fights among girls, many people would think it would be fun to watch if they actually fought.
But this wasn't really Hachiman's concern.
However.
Hmm?
Just as Hachiman was thinking of leaving.
But Karuizawa, who had barely spoken to him earlier and wasn't even an acquaintance, suddenly changed her demeanor from looking at her phone.
In an instant... she wrapped her arm around his.
"Hachiman!"
She even directly called his name so familiarly.
"..."
?
In that moment, the only people who ever called him by his name were his sister or family members. To hear it now was completely unexpected.
This made Hachiman freeze.
What kind of terrifying development was this?
Moreover, it seemed like she was wearing a very expensive perfume. He could almost smell it, probably from the scent he had caught when near Sakayanagi.
It was jasmine.
It smelled very nice.
Of course, now wasn't the time to be thinking about how it felt for a girl to hug him. He had already had that experience with Kushida, so compared to now...
Hachiman felt his mind was wandering.
But he had to force himself to stay calm.
Because...
Karuizawa wasn't close to him—so why was she being this intimate?
"Rika... wait... that person is Karuizawa, right!"
The four girls walking toward them, including the one named Rika who had argued with Karuizawa at the milk tea shop, all looked over at that moment.
"Hey... Hachiman."
Karuizawa spoke again at that moment. "Say something."
She continued to hold Hachiman's arm, asking for his response in a tone that seemed like a girlfriend asking him to make a statement.
"..."
Make a statement, huh.
Hachiman looked at the girls from the Ryuen class.
He probably understood now.
Hey, hey, hey, Karuizawa must have realized that there were four of them, and only one of her, so she pulled him in to use him as backup.
And, of course, Hachiman's dead-fish eyes made it seem as though... to those who didn't know him, he could easily be mistaken for a delinquent.
So, delinquent boy with delinquent girls?
In that case, it really did look intimidating.
But this also meant that Karuizawa was seeking his help.
Karuizawa had golden ponytail hair, thin lips with a light pink tint, a slender waist, an outgoing personality—although her character was harsh, her tone and her closeness in this situation didn't make her off-putting. On the contrary, it stirred a sense of protectiveness in men.
The girls from the other class had already reached them.
"Trying to rely on a man... the girls from Class C are truly something..."
"They actually bullied Rika. Enough said, apologize to her! I'm Manabu from Class 1-D, if you don't apologize, we'll make you regret it!"
True to Ryuen's class, the red-haired girl named Manabu reprimanded them fiercely.
Rika, on the other hand, appeared to be the more timid one. She quietly urged Manabu, "Forget it, Manabu."
"No way, she has to apologize!" Manabu stepped forward, and the other two girls followed, boosting her momentum. "Don't even say we're bullying you. Just apologize, and it'll all be over."
At this point, Karuizawa had no choice but to apologize. However, apologizing might make her lose face in front of them forever.
"I'll say it—Karuizawa did nothing wrong. I saw the line, and Karuizawa stepped out for a moment and then came back in. It wasn't cutting in line," Hachiman said, stepping in to mediate.
That was verbal assistance.
It seemed like that verbal help made Karuizawa feel significantly relieved. "That's exactly how it was. She ran off crying by herself. I didn't bully her. My friends can vouch for me! Right, Hachiman?"
She held Hachiman's arm tighter, but now her tone was much more forceful than before.
It was as if she had regained the confident attitude she used to have in class, scolding Ike or Yamauchi without hiding her distaste for them.
And now, she was showing the air of the leader of the delinquent girls from Class C.
"We weren't even here earlier, so you can say whatever you want! Karuizawa from Class 1-C, we won't forget you! Rika, let's go! Don't hang around with people like her, you'll get stained."
Manabu's group seemed frustrated, but it seemed like they were somewhat intimidated by Hachiman's dead-fish eyes.
Generally speaking, girls couldn't beat boys in a fight.
So even though they were unhappy, Manabu Shiho led her friends and made way for Hachiman's group, but as they passed, they kept looking back.
From Hachiman's experience as an observer, this girl would probably hold a grudge.
"You should hang out with Shinohara and Sato more, or if you're alone, you might get tangled up again," Hachiman kindly reminded her.
However, Karuizawa kept silent.
She merely maintained her hold on Hachiman's arm, and after some time passed, once Manabu and the others had left, she still didn't respond.
"..." Hachiman.
"Are you okay, Karuizawa?" Hachiman asked.
But,
"I'm fine."
Karuizawa replied in a dull, unenthusiastic tone, completely unlike the domineering attitude she had used to make Manabu and the others leave.
It didn't seem like she was relaxing after using her power to intimidate them.
It felt more like she had been absent-minded just a moment ago.
At this point, she released Hachiman's arm but didn't distance herself to a normal amount.
The space between them was still only a few centimeters, and if either of them took a step or two, their bodies would likely brush against each other, or she might touch his arm or thigh.
But she seemed to not mind at all.
This girl really had something going on.
"Well, I'll be leaving now," Hachiman said.
He was still holding the groceries he had bought from the supermarket in his left hand.
"Oh."
Karuizawa casually responded.
There was a sudden coldness in her tone, a shift that was hard to describe—like when you think water has just boiled, but when you turn around, you realize you forgot to turn on the stove, and the water is still cold!
Just moments ago, she had been affectionate, holding Hachiman's arm and calling him by his name, but now…
She had become completely indifferent.
This could only mean that she had used him as support to deal with Manabu and the others, and once she had reasserted her dominance over them, she had discarded him as if he were just a tool.
Girls were truly terrifying.
Hachiman found himself with a complicated experience.
But…
"Hachiman, I have something to tell you."
After a short while, Karuizawa spoke again, "I hope it's just the two of us."
She still called him by his name…
Which wasn't normal.
...
Hachiman needed an informant for the student council.
And this informant needed to be useful.
Hachiman's classmate, Hirata, had recommended Karuizawa as someone who could be of use. Hirata had also mentioned that he would tell Hachiman more about Karuizawa tomorrow.
And now...
Here she was, right in front of him.
The two of them arrived at the same shop where Karuizawa had encountered Rika from Class D earlier.
They sat at a table.
She seemed to be hesitating about something, furrowing her brows, her fingers tapping repeatedly on the table. Even though she had ordered milk tea, ten minutes had passed, and she hadn't taken a single sip.
"If you don't drink it soon, it'll get cold."
Hachiman kindly reminded her.
"Oh."
Her response was cold, in stark contrast to the way she had been calling him by his name earlier.
Karuizawa took the straw in her mouth, gently bit it, and then released it, but she didn't seem very interested.
It seemed like she indeed had something on her mind.
In fact, judging by Manabu and the others' behavior earlier, Karuizawa was probably worried that they would continue bothering her, which would explain why she was so troubled.
However, her usual display of distaste in class didn't match this behavior.
Delinquent girls wouldn't be afraid of just two or three people, but Karuizawa seemed genuinely afraid, even worrying over something so small.
Moreover, her gaze kept drifting toward the shop door, as if she was concerned someone might suddenly walk in.
Was she really that scared?
It reminded Hachiman of an hour ago, when Rika had walked out crying, and Karuizawa had been distractedly talking with Sato and the others, constantly glancing at the shop door. That was how she had been able to point out exactly where Hachiman and Sakura were standing.
If she was worried that Manabu and the others were going to gather more people from Class D, that would be understandable.
After all, Manabu did seem genuinely fierce.
She was probably holding a grudge.
But Karuizawa's fear seemed a bit exaggerated because, although she was alone, Hachiman was here with her now, wasn't he?
And she still had her delinquent girl group, right? She was the leader, after all.
"So, Karuizawa, what is it that you want to talk to me about?" Hachiman asked, taking the initiative to speak.
"Ah... well... how should I put it..." It was clear that she had heard and understood what he said.
But her attitude was still unclear.
Hey, did you ask her to come here?
Hachiman felt that Karuizawa was even worse at reading the atmosphere than Horikita Suzune.
"By the way, Karuizawa, you're not usually this weak, are you?" Hachiman suddenly said.
This was actually quite rude.
But,
"Well..."
Karuizawa hesitated for a moment before suddenly standing up. "I just remembered I have something to do, so I'll head back now."
She placed her milk tea aside and picked up her bag, putting it on her back.
It was just a delay.
She neither acknowledged nor denied anything, just delayed.
What was she thinking?
Hachiman also noticed that Manabu and Rika, the first-year students from Class D who had stormed off earlier, had come out of a cosmetics shop on the side.
They seemed to be just window shopping, but they might end up walking into this milk tea shop.
Girls couldn't seem to stay away from milk tea, so no matter how they were shopping, they always seemed to sit down, drink something, and rest for a while.
Karuizawa was almost at the door when she saw them.
She only needed to take a few more steps forward, and they would spot her.
It was only Manabu and Rika.
If Rika didn't count as a threat, then with Manabu alone, Karuizawa should be able to handle it, right?
But Karuizawa's actions were quite laughable right now.
"Hachiman, yes, my personality isn't that strong!"
Facing "only one opponent," she actually retreated from the door, then quickly sat back down next to Hachiman. Her expression wasn't hesitant or troubled anymore but rather flustered, with fear clearly showing in her eyes.
It became completely clear. Karuizawa was really afraid of delinquent girls.
But wasn't she one herself? The leader at that.
Was there some psychological trauma involved?
Hachiman took out his phone and pulled up Hirata's message.
[During tomorrow's lunch break, stay with me. I have information about Karuizawa I need to tell you privately.] — Hirata.
"Don't worry," Hachiman said. "Hirata has already told me everything about you."
"Hirata...?"
"He actually chose... to tell you?" Karuizawa looked like she had been betrayed.
"But I can bring you absolute security," Hachiman continued. "For example, if you become a member of the student council, would you still need to feel uneasy?"
"..." Karuizawa.
...
So, the two of them went to Horikita Suzune's dorm room.
But Horikita, who was studying inside, was kicked out.
"..." Horikita Suzune.
What was going on here?
However, Horikita was fairly easy to deal with, and Hachiman had already mentioned considering Karuizawa as one of the candidates for the class upgrade.
It was also Hirata's recommendation.
So they just had to bear with it for now.
Horikita, facing the surprised looks of the other girls, calmly pulled out her vocabulary book and continued to study.
That was her strength—she wasn't concerned with the attention of others.
Using her room was unavoidable.
There weren't many places at school where you could have privacy without cameras, and Karuizawa seemed to be rather timid.
Exactly.
Hachiman realized that Karuizawa wasn't as tough as she seemed on the outside.
So, providing a secure environment for her was quite important.
"Since Horikita Suzune is just outside the door, if anything happens, you can always call for help," Hachiman said.
That meant he had considered her safety as a girl.
Right.
Going to a boy's dorm room was certainly not a good idea.
Especially when she was so cute.
Karuizawa still had confidence in her appearance.
And it seemed that Karuizawa had calmed down a little.
"You actually considered this... It's a bit disgusting," she said.
Is that so?
He had received a "good guy card" from Sakura, but now he was getting Karuizawa's "disgusting card."
This was unfair.
Who was the one who had hugged his arm and called him "Hachiman" half an hour ago?
Hachiman felt that he couldn't cross Karuizawa off the list in his little notebook just yet.
However, even though Karuizawa stayed in Horikita's room, she didn't actively speak up.
So, Hachiman said:
"I heard from Chabashira-sensei that admission to this school is not something anyone can apply for just because they want to, but rather it is based on the school's recommendation. Every school has a certain number of spots and recommends students accordingly, and then they go through a screening process. But these recommendations are not always for students who are outstanding in every aspect. There's something called the 'barrel theory,' where the shortfall is compensated by the strengths of others. So, there are always some students who are uneven in their qualities, some can be very bad, and some can be quite unique. It could even be said... they are students the school uses to increase diversity..."
"And the students in our class are the part of the barrel theory that are considered the 'weakest link.'"
"But being selected is still special, and every student has their unique background and experiences that led them to be chosen to come here... So, Karuizawa, you..."
"No, don't say it..." At this moment, Karuizawa threw her backpack onto the floor and crouched down, holding her head, "No, don't make me think about those things again... Don't talk about my old school..."
Her body was trembling.
"..." Hachiman.
In fact, he hadn't guessed what secret Karuizawa was so afraid of. He simply mentioned her old school, but she was so fearful, obviously something had happened at that school.
And she was so terrified.
That meant...
Hachiman picked up Horikita Suzune's water cup, filled it with water, hesitated for a moment, and then splashed the entire cup of water onto Karuizawa's head.
The warm water ran down her cheek, soaking her clothes.
This was definitely not a joke—it was cruel bullying.
It would make anyone furious.
Suddenly splashing water on her, and yet she didn't get angry but instead started crying. "No, don't touch me, I... I was wrong. I'll change, I'll change..."
It was completely a plea for mercy.
This was a side of Karuizawa that Hachiman had never seen—a total plea for mercy.
There was no trace of the leadership of the small group; or rather, this was her true self.
Helpless, weak, and afraid.
"Besides being splashed with water, what else has happened to you?"
Hachiman walked up to Karuizawa, looking down at her.
"..." But she remained silent.
"Speak!" Hachiman's tone suddenly became harsh. His dead-fish eyes were now quite useful.
But Karuizawa's heart had already collapsed.
"They put pushpins in my shoes, wrote 'bitch' on my desk, wrote 'pervert' on my uniform, beat me up in the bathroom, splashed buckets and buckets of cold water on me... All kinds of bullying I could think of..."
"No, I don't want to say it... I don't want to think about it, not even a little bit."
Tears were falling from Karuizawa's eyes in large droplets.
And Hachiman now understood the information that Hirata had mentioned about Karuizawa.
It was probably that Karuizawa had asked him for help.
Hirata had been involved in something related to the bullying before, and people of similar types could easily recognize each other.
So...
To stop being bullied, Karuizawa had asked Hirata for help.
She was a victim of bullying.
And Hirata...
Hachiman started thinking about Hirata's sincerity.
Because this was trouble Hirata had faced himself, and now he had passed it off to Hachiman to solve.
What kind of novel solution was this?
After some thought,
Hachiman went to the door.
"Can I borrow your towel?" Hachiman said.
"?"
Horikita Suzune. "What did you do in my room?"
"Just a slightly overboard thing, but you can think of it as something like a treatment," Hachiman said.
"..." Horikita Suzune.
So, she didn't understand at all.
"Do whatever you want," Horikita Suzune said. "But make sure to wash it and return it."
Is that so?
Then, thanks.
But once again, Hachiman realized that Horikita Suzune was different from ordinary girls. Because now, he was borrowing something from her, and she didn't even show a look of disdain or embarrassment.
How should he put it? Was it that she was noble, or was it just that she didn't realize he was the opposite sex, so he felt a bit conflicted?
But then...
Thud.
After getting permission from Horikita Suzune, Hachiman closed the door again.
Then, he draped the towel over Karuizawa's shoulders.
But she still seemed to be in fear, so Hachiman had to wait for her response.
Finally.
About 20 minutes later, she seemed to snap back to reality.
Thus...
Karuizawa began to talk about her past.
It wasn't anything good.
Rather,
Karuizawa's dark history, her secret, was the fact that she had been bullied from elementary school to middle school for a whole 9 years. However, telling her parents only made it worse, and telling the school, they pretended not to know.
And she had fought back, even almost dying because of it.
But when she had given up on herself and even thought about committing suicide, her middle school gave her a message saying they could recommend her to this school for a closed-off three-year period, and the school promised that there would be only one spot for her, so she came here.
Hoping to give her a new life.
She changed her image, even dyed her hair blonde, and pretended to be a delinquent girl. She started learning from those who had bullied her. To secure her place, she asked Hirata for help.
Or rather, she knew Hirata's secret, so it was a trade.
It was a kind of ability where people of the same type could recognize each other.
It was probably similar to Sakura's sixth sense.
Hachiman thought.
But then,
"So, what is Hirata's secret?" Hachiman asked deliberately.
"..." But Karuizawa kept quiet.
It seemed like there was still something she was hiding.
Even though her heart had almost broken, she still managed to keep other people's secrets.
But this meant that, although she had told him about her bullied past, there were still other things left unsaid.
And that might be the reason why Sakura and Horikita Suzune had pointed out that she didn't change clothes with the others.
So,
"You've been hurt, haven't you?" Hachiman said calmly. "In fact, it's a terrifying injury, and although your body is fine now, the scars are still there, right?"
"What... what are you talking about—"
But Karuizawa's expression started to waver.
She was no longer as forthcoming as when she had been telling him about her past.
"..."
Hachiman said nothing, just watching her. He observed her eyes, because the more someone wanted to hide something, the more their eyes would betray them.
She lowered her head, not to avoid his gaze but to look down, then quickly looked somewhere else.
But she couldn't hide it anymore.
Just as Hachiman seemed about to walk over, Karuizawa broke into tears.
"Yes, yes, I was hurt, almost died..."
"I'm so scared... I don't want to be bullied anymore..."
At this point, Hachiman understood why she acted so domineering in class.
At the same time, he understood why she had been so tough in front of her friends, even acting like she was going to bully Rika.
Because she had always felt insecure, only pretending to be a delinquent girl leader to protect herself.
At the same time, she was also afraid of having her true self exposed.
So, she had been living in fear.
She was truly pitiable.