Hachiman’s Classroom of Strength’s Supremacy

Chapter 197: The Holiday Arrives! Chabashira-sensei, Can You Deliver a Message for Me?

After announcing the holiday, Chabashira-sensei didn’t waste any more time and gave the students the rest of the day off.

In fact, the holiday had already officially started.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School was different from other schools, as they didn’t even have to finish the textbooks, which was quite surprising.

But for the students in the class, there was a sense of confusion—it was hard to believe that the long-awaited holiday had come so suddenly.

Of course, after some students left the classroom, the rest of the class began to disperse.

Hachiman was still sitting at his desk.

“Hey, Hachi, since the holiday has started, I asked Koyama and Yukimura, and they said it’s fine. We can all get together.”

At that moment, a girl with long blue hair, a tear-shaped mole under her eye, and a broad forehead approached.

This was Hasebe Haruka.

“Hachi?”

When she called him that, Ike who was still in the classroom looked up, surprised.

But it seemed like Hasebe had given everyone nicknames. Hachiman, in particular, was being called “Little Hachi.”

Hachiman wasn’t exactly fond of this nickname, but since even Miyake and Koyama had reluctantly accepted it, there was no way to avoid it.

It wasn’t that Hachiman wasn’t upset, but rather, the girl had a large chest, so he couldn’t really protest.

Thus, he reluctantly accepted the nickname.

“Get together?”

Hachiman looked up.

This get-together was probably meant as a celebration after the exam, although Hachiman hadn’t shared the entire exam paper with the class to completely cover up Sakayanagi’s moves. Instead, he only gave the papers to the students who were under pressure, like Ike and Sakura, while the students in his group, including Hikigaya, had some leniency. Yukimura, on the other hand, didn’t even realize those were exam papers, assuming they were just practice problems. When they saw the exam papers, everyone was stunned.

So everyone was aware of what was happening.

“Yeah, we’re going to a KTV at the shopping mall.”

“I see, can I bring someone with me?” Since there were no other plans for the evening, Hachiman didn’t see any reason to refuse.

“A family member?”

But Hasebe seemed very interested in romance, “Are you planning to bring Horikita-chan?”

Ah.

This misunderstood relationship had yet to be cleared up.

For Hikigaya, Horikita Suzune didn’t care about these things, but he…

Hmm.

Perhaps it was a rare opportunity in his life to be misunderstood and associated with a top-tier beautiful girl.

So, actually, Hikigaya wasn’t too eager to clear up the misunderstanding.

“Yeah,” Hachiman nodded. “I want to bring Horikita.”

“Wow, you’re really thinking about Horikita-chan.”

Although Hasebe loved gossip, she was also an observant person. Now, she could see that Hikigaya was worried that Horikita might not fit in with the group.

What a considerate boyfriend.

“I’m not going.” However, Horikita Suzune immediately refused. She had already started packing her bag earlier, and if it hadn’t been for Hachiman mentioning her name, she would’ve already left the classroom by now.

“Just studying won’t improve anything for you.” Hachiman said flatly. “You Should understand what you’re lacking right now.”

“…” Suzune seemed to bite her lip, but after a few seconds, she nodded, “I understand.”

“Oh wow—” Hasebe looked surprised. “I didn’t expect Horikita-chan to actually listen to you.”

“Her older brother once asked me to look after her,” Hachiman said.

“Oh, I see.” Hasebe stopped prying, since Horikita Suzune’s older brother was Horikita Manabu, the student council president.

Although she liked gossip, she knew when to draw the line.

Thus, Yukimura’s group went to the karaoke.

For Hachiman, this was an experience he hadn’t had before.

In fact, he had never spent time like this with friends, or even with people he considered friends.

Coming to this school had been a continuous source of new and unfamiliar experiences for him.

No.

Wait.

As Hachiman and Yukimura’s group entered the karaoke room and saw Hasebe ordering fruit pizza and getting everyone ready to sing, Hachiman suddenly realized something.

That was—he was currently enjoying a “Normie” life?

And Hasebe had already started to liven up the atmosphere.

This time, because of the partnership with Yukimura, Sato managed to pass safely, and finished singing her song.

“Next, how about Hikigaya?”

“I’m not very good at singing,” Hikigaya immediately modestly replied.

Or rather, he really had no experience in this.

“Don’t joke around,” Hasebe said. “People who are good-looking tend to sing well.”

Is that so?

Does this mean his looks were finally being acknowledged?

“By the way, Hasebe…” Hachiman didn’t take the microphone. “Do you have any expectations for the future?”

“The future?” Hasebe was confused as to how the conversation suddenly switched to this topic.

But…

“Yeah, I’d like to join a high-paying company and do challenging work or something like that,” Hasebe replied.

She seemed independent.

Hachiman updated his opinion of her.

“And then meet an excellent single CEO,” Hasebe continued. “I like competent, capable people, and if they have money, even better.”

Alright.

That was enough.

It seemed she, like him, had the end goal of being supported by someone wealthy and exceptional.

Thinking this, Hachiman began to muse.

“Eh… should I sing?”

The microphone was already passed to Sato.

“The songs I like are a bit different, so I’m kind of embarrassed.” Sato’s cheeks flushed slightly, feeling shy.

“You’re too modest.”

Sato was quite cute. Although she usually hung out with Karuizawa and the others, she seemed like a tough girl who wasn’t easy to approach, but after spending time with her, Hachiman felt that, aside from being a bit clingy, there was nothing particularly difficult about getting along with her.

That’s what he thought.

Plus, her character was pretty good.

She didn’t just take his exam papers without giving anything in return, instead, she gave him a pair of golden glasses. She was a good person.

She was probably one of the more straightforward people in Yukimura’s study group.

“Well, then, please don’t laugh at me.”

Sato took the microphone.

Everyone looked over as she stood up.

The music in the room started to play.

[The sadness in my heart is indescribable, lululu]

[Why can’t I become your true love]

[How much better would it be if I hadn’t fallen for you]

[I just want to hear you say that one thing]

[Where Should my heart go now]

[Crying, I’m like a lost little kitten]

Wow.

This was a heartbreak song.

It was indeed very intense.

Hachiman thought she liked sweet songs like Bitter Bitter Sweet, not something like this.

In the end, everyone sang the theme song of “I Want to Kill You Quickly” as a way to wrap things up.

[In the soft sunlight, let the ringtone ring slowly]

[The breeze brushing my cheek, calming my breath]

[The tears that go around and around, tomorrow with a name, connected by the line of the future color]

[Whether it’s this innocent feeling or the days when we laugh together, I want to carefully nurture them—]

And so, after spending a relaxing time with beautiful friends, Hachiman found himself with an uneventful holiday ahead.

However…

The KTV ended, and although Hasebe hoped everyone would go out for a meal, they had already eaten a lot in the karaoke room, so no one had much of an appetite.

Meanwhile, Hachiman was dragged by Horikita to continue walking around the shopping street.

The reason was that even though it was a holiday, if he still wanted someone to cook for him, he had to do some work in return.

The ingredients in the fridge were gone, and not only did Hikigaya have to pay half of the food expenses, but he also needed to help carry the items.

Hmm.

He hadn’t thought of that.

Since there was no food without work, Hikigaya had no choice but to act as Horikita’s porter.

The two bought two big bags of groceries from the supermarket.

As they returned to the dormitory from the shopping street, heading toward the same building which was very convenient, Hachiman spotted something strange near the fountain not far from the dormitory.

Two girls who Hachiman found quite familiar ended up walking together.

“Thank you for walking me back.” While holding her cane, Sakayanagi Arisu was thanking Ichinose.

The reason seemed obvious.

They were talking and Sakayanagi was being looked after by Ichinose.

It was probably a casual shopping trip.

Wow.

These two went shopping together.

“But, I’m walking so slowly, I must be causing you trouble.” Sakayanagi, true to her name, was delicate and considerate.

“Not at all. I feel like I’m having a lot of fun being with Sakayanagi.” Ichinose, the angel, smiled without a care.

She was really like an angel.

The thing was, they weren’t even in the same class, and they were the leaders of two different classes.

And right now, they were both the representatives of the very tense Class A and former Class A, respectively.

They were on opposite sides.

“…”

This combination naturally felt awkward.

“Isn’t that Hachiman? And Horikita?” Ichinose greeted him, as it couldn’t be helped. The distance wasn’t far, and Ichinose was looking back, so even pretending not to see them was impossible.

“Hello.” Horikita, who disliked socializing, responded briefly.

“Ah, by the way, this is Sakayanagi. I used to think she was scary, but after getting to know her, I changed my mind.” Ichinose said.

Sakayanagi, huh.

Horikita knew that Sakayanagi was the leader of former Class A.

She also knew that Sakayanagi often ate with Hachiman.

Sometimes, she even made food for Hachiman, but it ended up wasted.

She was someone who could cause food to be wasted.

“Heh——” However, when Horikita closely observed Sakayanagi, Sakayanagi gently smiled, coldly picked up her cane, and turned to leave.

This action made those who understood the atmosphere feel awkward.

First.

Horikita rarely showed interest in others.

Then, before Horikita could even say anything, Sakayanagi coldly turned and left.

It seemed like Sakayanagi didn’t like Horikita.

“Ah——” As someone walking with Sakayanagi, Ichinose could only show an apologetic expression and then ran after Sakayanagi.

She probably didn’t understand why Sakayanagi suddenly used this attitude.

“…” Horikita, suddenly treated like this, had no idea what she had done wrong. Or rather, she didn’t even consider that Sakayanagi might dislike her.

Because Horikita, who was used to being alone, didn’t care whether others disliked her or had issues with her, since she didn’t care about others’ opinions.

At this point, Hachiman was stroking his chin.

From his own interactions and from hearing about Sakayanagi from Kamura, he knew that Sakayanagi was someone who would be very tolerant if she saw potential in you.

Like him, even if they ate an expensive meal, she wouldn’t mind.

But Sakayanagi’s indifference toward Horikita meant that Horikita hadn’t been recognized by her yet.

Had Sakayanagi not even given her the courtesy of a greeting?

Sakayanagi’s indifference didn’t dampen Hachiman’s mood.

But, since it was a rare holiday, Hachiman still invited Horikita out the next day.

In the goods they had bought today, Horikita chose some free food.

These were from the school’s charity for students who had run out of money. He could already see some students from Class 1D, who were short on funds, taking them.

Although it seemed very frugal.

Hachiman thought it wasn’t great for her to be this frugal all the time.

So.

He took Horikita to a high-end spa for a meal.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable?” During a break, Hachiman, sipping milk tea, sat to the side.

“Although I really don’t want to admit it,” Horikita’s cheeks were slightly flushed, “this massage is actually quite comfortable.”

“You’re not lacking in money, so you Shold spend a bit more to blend in,” Hachiman said.

One reason Hachiman invited Horikita out was to make up for something.

Right.

This pairing exam.

Class A had lost.

Horikita had made a bet with Kushida.

Her brother’s identity had been exposed in the process.

At the same time.

She had also suffered from rumors.

Not only that.

She had worked hard to seal Kushida’s methods.

But in the end, Kushida Kikyo had won the bet because she had bribed someone from Class C to give her the exam papers.

This was something Horikita hadn’t anticipated.

But, in reality, it was Hachiman who had helped Kushida.

Although Kushida had also signed an agreement that two years later, she would graduate from Class A, marry Hachiman, and support him, he hadn’t fulfilled his side of the bet with Horikita.

He had responded like this: “If you’re in a weak position, I’ll help your side.”

So, this time, Kushida wasn’t expelled, and he gained Kushida’s choice. Sakayanagi gained +200 class evaluation points, but also the experience of being backstabbed by those around her.

However, the one who was truly hurt was Horikita Suzune.

So, this was a bit of compensation.

“I think this is a waste of money,” Horikita said.

“But it’s quite comfortable, isn’t it?” Hachiman replied. “When you have money, being stingy can be scary, because you never know when tomorrow or an accident might come. If the accident comes first, will you feel happy about constantly saving money and being harsh on yourself?”

In other words, Hachiman was a consumer of hedonistic capitalism.

“…” Horikita.

She felt like Hachiman was trying to change her perspective on spending.

But her brother had also told her that she needed to learn from others around her, so she decided to try and understand him first.

Horikita was, therefore, slowly being corrupted.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Horikita’s brother had just tried to enter his office when someone stopped him. It was clear that the person had been standing there for quite a while.

“Are you Ryuen Kakeru?”

Horikita wasn’t unfamiliar with Ryuen, for example, his cheating during the sports festival had been reported. He was the representative of Class 1D.

To be more precise, this Class D was the class that had fallen from Class C.

Horikita didn’t look down on Ryuen, who would do anything to win. Or rather, this school encouraged students to be unscrupulous.

But Ryuen’s actions were indeed something he could not agree with.

Even so, he wouldn’t let personal feelings affect how he dealt with students.

“What’s the matter?”

“Of course, I have something to ask.” Ryuen said, “I’m here to ask about something only the student council president would know.”

“Then please mind your attitude.” Behind Horikita stood Secretary Tachibana Akane, who was holding a notebook and speaking seriously.

“Heh.” Ryuen, though, was someone who didn’t mind showing a good face? “Are you trying to speak using your senior’s face? What I’m asking is simple—whether lower-grade students can battle upper-grade students.”

“Battle… upper-grade students… the basic class rankings are determined by grade level, so cross-grade battles don’t really make sense.” Horikita adjusted his glasses and replied.

“And you’re from Class D, right?” Tachibana added. “Wanting to battle upper-grade students… isn’t that—”

“I’m not joking!” Ryuen replied. “I just think the same grade students are boring. And isn’t this school all about competition? If even cross-grade challenges aren’t allowed, what’s the point? How can you still claim to be an excellent class?”

“And so what if it’s Class D? Didn’t one Class D go from scoring over a hundred points to Class A? So, even if you’re in Class A, Tachibana, you could fall down.” Ryuen said.

“You!”

It was clear that Class 3A wasn’t doing too well. Otherwise, Tachibana wouldn’t have been so angry at Ryuen’s words.

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to facing the seniors.” Ryuen said without any hesitation. “After all, Class D has nothing left to lose.”

Although this sounded like a statement, it felt more like a threat.

Ryuen seemed to have just said it to provoke, and quickly left.

“Class 1D is getting too cocky.”

Tachibana couldn’t help but comment.

“Mm.” Horikita nodded, while his brows furrowed slightly.

The semester had ended.

And Ryuen chose to provoke them on the last day of the semester—this timing was a bit off.

“But don’t worry too much, President.” Tachibana said. “Because if Ryuen from Class 1D really had that ability, then they wouldn’t be ending this semester with a class evaluation score of 0.”

“You’re overthinking it. This time, in the first-year written exam, Class 1D’s opponent is Class 1B, and the average score of Class 1B is 88.”

“Do you think this score can just be easily achieved?” Horikita said.

“You mean…”

“It’s always the ones who are up to no good who come here.” Horikita said.

Because he would think of more things than Tachibana did.

For upper-grade students, this month also had a special exam, and the score value was +100 points for the winning class and -100 points for the losing class.

They, Class 3A, were facing Class D.

And Class 3B would face Class C.

And now.

The class rating points for the third-year students have been updated.

• Third-Year Class A: 2254 points
•
• Third-Year Class B: 1830 points
•
• Third-Year Class C: 310 points
•
• Third-Year Class D: 0 points.
•
Class B is tightly holding on.

This means the situation for the third-year Class A, where he belongs, is no longer as secure.

And all of this wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Nagumo’s sudden betrayal during the sports festival.

So, there’s some suspicion that Nagumo wasn’t just suppressing him aggressively, but might have even extended his reach into the first-year students.

For example, manipulating Class 1D.

Because Class 1D in the first-year is now the one in most need of money.

This is why Horikita Manabu has grown increasingly worried.

Meanwhile, over in Class 1D, Ryuen had just been shamelessly confronting the student council earlier, but now, he was looking dissatisfied while reading a text message.

[Ryuen, the first day of the new month is coming up soon. When can you return the points to me?] by Hachiman Hikigaya.

“…”

Ryuen still carried an 8 million yen debt.

He woke up in the morning and saw a text from Hachiman demanding repayment, so he decided to make a tough statement, increasing the pressure on him to pay back the debt.

After failing to exploit his classmates, he thought it might be time to start exploiting other years.

He believed that the next semester would be the final battle for the third-year Class A.

So, there would definitely be opportunities to profit.

And now, deliberately making threats to the student council president was also a way to draw attention to himself.

Sure enough.

Soon after, Ryuen found an unfamiliar number had added him.

Quickly, a transfer was made to his account.

“Ding!”

Minutes later, Hachiman also received a transfer.

[Your account has received 400,000 points. Account balance: 15,731,000 points.]

Noticing the deposit, Hachiman quickly checked it.

He saw that it was from Ryuen.

“Where did you get the money from?”

Ryuen had now stepped back from the frontline, and the class was left for Shiina to handle, so he didn’t receive the 200 points from the trade with Class B in this pair-up exam.

With Ryuen stepping back, it was a clear message: he hadn’t brought any benefits to the class before, so now he wasn’t interested.

But relying only on Hiyori certainly wouldn’t work, so once the class was falling apart and they needed him, he would take power back.

So, until the class fell apart, Ryuen was both powerless and penniless.

That’s why the sudden 400,000-point transfer seemed a bit off.

[I provoked Horikita Manabu to attract Nagumo’s attention.] by Ryuen. [Nagumo wants me to sell him student council president election votes.]

In other words, Nagumo thought it was a good idea to recruit him, so he gave Ryuen the money.

Looking at it this way, Nagumo really was a good person.