Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

On the first day of school, being called to the back of the classroom by the teacher to stand for punishment, Hachiman silently added another black mark to his record.

Fortunately, there were a few other students who had to stand with him, so at least he wasn't left alone in the awkward spotlight.

In any case, leaving a bad first impression on the homeroom teacher, Kinoshita-sensei, was definitely not a good sign. With the thought of having to deal with this terrifying teacher for an entire year, Hachiman couldn't help but shudder.

"Someone help me out here, Yukino."

...Huh?

Mid-sentence, Hachiman suddenly stopped.

This was strange.

Why have I been relying on Yukino so much lately?

This wasn't how it was before, was it?

Could it be because... she has somehow conquered me?

After all, the weak seek protection from the strong.

Wait... no way!

Am I really that pathetic?

Hachiman, how can you admit that you're weaker than Yukino?

If you do that, you'll never be able to lift your head again!

Just as Hachiman was lost in self-reflection, Kinoshita-sensei told him to return to his seat and announced that the class would begin self-introductions.

Self-introductions?

Hearing those words, Hachiman's face immediately darkened, his expression more painful than when he had been made to stand at the back of the classroom.

Since high school, he had never successfully done a self-introduction.

In the first year, he had to excuse himself to go to the restroom due to a stomach ache, and by the time he returned, the introductions were already over, with everyone having completely forgotten he existed.

In the second year, he had missed a month of school due to a car accident, so self-introductions were the least of his worries.

Because of these past failures, Hachiman now harbored a deep fear of self-introductions.

He wanted to escape.

But when his eyes accidentally met Kinoshita-sensei's, his legs trembled uncontrollably. There was no way he could run now.

Half an hour later, the dreadful self-introductions finally came to an end. Hachiman felt like he had conquered an insurmountable mountain, breathing a sigh of relief.

Next came the opening ceremony and a series of other mundane tasks.

Hachiman obediently followed the crowd to the gymnasium.

To be honest, the opening ceremony was nothing special. Each grade's representative gave a speech, all very formal, and there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy.

If it hadn't been for Yukino, who had glanced at him a few times as the third-year representative, Hachiman thought he would have nodded off.

Hmm... Yukino stared at me for a full two and a half minutes!

She doesn't still think I'm planning to cheat on her with Katou, does she?

That terrifying woman, I can't even escape her, how could I possibly have an affair with her?!

Hachiman felt the need to clear things up with Yukino soon.

After the opening ceremony, the students returned to their classrooms.

Since it was the first day of school, there was still a classroom cleanup to do, followed by elections for class representatives, seating arrangements, and other administrative matters.

For Hachiman, the most important thing was the seating arrangement.

As someone who wanted to remain invisible in his third year, he definitely hoped for a seat that was as inconspicuous as possible. Ideally, one that was far from Katou, this ghost of a girl with no presence.

By a stroke of luck in the fair lottery, Hachiman was assigned a seat in the second-to-last row, by the window on the far left.

Wait, what?!

This isn't good at all!

This was supposed to be Hayama's seat, how could they let a useless guy like me sit here?

Sigh… at least I'm not next to Katou.

"Hey, Hachiman-kun, what a coincidence~"

A voice suddenly reached Hachiman's ears.

He looked up to find that Katou had already seated herself at the desk next to his, casually greeting him.

Ka... Katou?!

Katou is my desk neighbor?!

Wait... how did I not notice she was sitting next to me?

Katou, tell me the truth—did you use your dark powers to manipulate the seating arrangements?

How could this be such a coincidence?

Quick, reveal your true identity!

And your evil plan!!

"Well... fancy meeting you, Katou-san."

"Looking forward to working with you in the future."

Huh, doesn't that sound like she's declaring war on me?

Katou, I surrender, I surrender!

Please spare me.

Hachiman forced a smile. "Yeah, looking forward to it."

Should I kneel first to show my sincerity?

Just as Hachiman was quietly lamenting his fate, two more figures passed by him, their presence hard to ignore.

A girl with twin tails and blonde hair walked straight to the desk in front of Hachiman, pushing her chair back with an annoyed grunt and casting a sideways glare at the girl behind her—almost like she was about to bite her!

Meanwhile, the only other girl in the class wearing black stockings, an elegant long-haired beauty, glanced contemptuously at the blonde girl, her arms crossed as she headed straight for the desk behind Hachiman.

Huh? What's going on here?

Why does it seem like these two have some serious beef?

Hachiman, being his usual observant self, quickly noticed the tension between the blonde girl and the black-stockinged beauty. Their sharp glances, their little standoffish body language... they clearly hated each other!

Wait!

Does that mean I'm caught in the middle of two warring factions?

Feeling a sinking sensation, Hachiman realized that he was now a buffer zone between two sworn enemies.

Up front, a blonde girl with twin tails; behind, a black-stockinged beauty; to the right, a ghostly presence...

Why, oh why, am I surrounded by all these girls?

Yukino!

Save me!

This classroom is too dangerous, I can't stay here much longer.

...

Meanwhile, in another part of the classroom, Yukino sat quietly at her desk, reading a book.

On the surface, she appeared calm, but internally, she was restless.

Although Yukino was known for her academic brilliance and was regarded as the smartest girl in the school, the task of getting Hachiman to engage in physical contact with Katou was proving to be quite the challenge. She had no idea how to approach it.

After all, Yukino had little experience in this area. She and Hachiman had gotten together mostly through luck and coincidence.

Seemingly noticing Yukino's unease, a voice echoed in her mind from the system.

[Host can try a beginner's task to warm up and get a feel for it.]

"What beginner's task?" Yukino asked, cautiously.

[Host needs to get Hachiman to have physical contact with any girl other than the host.]

[Time limit: today.]

[Reward: A potion to increase charm.]

"Any girl other than me?"

Yukino's mouth twitched as she suppressed the urge to curse. Calmly, she focused on the reward.

A potion to increase charm?

"This potion is...?"

[This potion will increase Hachiman's charm.]

[Note: The higher his charm, the more popular he becomes, and the more girls will like him. If his charm reaches the maximum level, any girl who sees Hachiman will instantly fall for him, unable to resist.]

Ah?

Does that mean Hachiman would turn into a male succubus?

Yukino's mind went blank.

What girlfriend would want her boyfriend to be a flower-picking playboy?

Forget it, I'll pass on that potion!

[Don't worry, host. Hachiman's charm is currently low. He's nowhere near becoming a male succubus, so you can safely use the potion if you acquire it.]

"Oh?"

Low, you say?

Yukino raised an eyebrow, now intrigued. She asked, "How low is Hachiman's charm right now?"

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