Chapter 88: Hoshinomiya on the Move; Chabashira is likely Online as well!
Immediately after returning, Karuizawa sent a message to Hachiman.
Karuizawa: "Thank you. I heard from Horikita that you were the one who got me the promotion."
Hachiman: "The general affairs position is a bit higher than the Disciplinary Committee, but that wasn't my original intent. The Disciplinary Committee doesn't have to show up for work, but general affairs does. Sorry."
Karuizawa: "Wait, it's just working in the Student Council; it's not a big deal. Besides, others are quite jealous of me."
Karuizawa: "Regarding the points you needed... well, I don't have them now, but consider it a debt I owe you."
Hachiman: "500,000 points? There's no need for such a small amount. Also, the President didn't take my money."
Karuizawa: "...Wait, you really have a lot of points. You don't think 500,000 is much?"
Hachiman: "The current primary plan is to save 20 million points, but perhaps even more is needed. At least 40 million, I'd say."
Karuizawa: "...Isn't that terrifying? How is it even possible to save that much? Even with special exams, you'd have to win every single one—ten or twenty of them—to get that much, right?"
Hachiman: "Then you're still underestimating this school. We could collect it all in this one exam, if there are no accidents."
Karuizawa: "So... that thing Kushida said about you looking for a girlfriend... was she just talking nonsense?"
Hachiman: "I originally hoped she could help, but she refused. I've thought about my future goals; I'll probably hope to become a stay-at-home husband."
Karuizawa: "A stay-at-home husband!?"
Karuizawa was already back in her dorm, lying on her soft bed with her phone in hand. When she saw those four words, she almost sat up with a start, letting out a small gasp.
This startled Sakura Airi, who was sitting at the desk diagonally opposite, causing her to nearly drop her pen.
"K-Karuizawa-san, d-did something happen?" Sakura said nervously.
After arriving on the cruise ship, they were grouped into threes. Because Sakura was a former idol and her usual plain appearance was a disguise, living with too many people risked
exposure. Thus, she was grouped with Karuizawa and Horikita. This allowed her to feel at ease, for which she was very grateful to both of them.
"It's nothing, Sakura. I just startled you." Karuizawa quickly lowered her voice, offering an apologetic smile and waving her hand to show she was fine.
Because they were an alliance that knew each other's secrets, Karuizawa knew Sakura was introverted and sensitive; the slightest disturbance could make her anxious for a long time, let alone that sudden cry.
Sakura Airi breathed a sigh of relief, whispered "It's okay," and lowered her head again. Her fingers gripped her pen tightly, but her eyes drifted to a small notebook on the corner of her desk. In it were simple greetings she had specifically practiced so she could find the courage to speak the next time she saw Hikigaya-kun.
Seeing that Sakura had recovered, Karuizawa turned to look at the bed beside her. Horikita Suzune was lying on her side, her brow slightly furrowed and her cheeks carrying a faint, sickly flush. Her breathing was steady and slow; she was clearly deep asleep.
In the afternoon, Horikita said she felt dizzy and weak, and her complexion looked poor. Hikigaya had told her if she was sick, she should get treated. Though the phrasing was a bit odd, Karuizawa knew how socially awkward both Horikita and Hikigaya were.
So, Karuizawa had accompanied Horikita to the ship's infirmary. The doctor prescribed fever reducers and anti-inflammatories, telling her to rest.
Horikita took the medicine when they returned and fell asleep shortly after.
Retracting her gaze, Karuizawa lay back on the bed, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen as she continued chatting with Hachiman. Her tone was filled with unmaskable surprise.
Karuizawa: "Are you serious? A stay-at-home husband? You're so smart; whether in school or later in society, you could definitely find a great job. Why would you want to be a stay-at-home husband?"
Hachiman: "Don't say such terrifying things. I don't want to work a day shift only to be asked to work overtime, then return home when the kids are already asleep. That life is too horrible."
Karuizawa: "...But that's the life most people lead. It's normal, isn't it?"
Hachiman: "That's why I don't want it. I want to be the person at home. I don't want to work, so I want to be a stay-at-home husband. However, finances are the foundation of everything. So, my future partner needs to have excellent working abilities—enough to support the family and my little sister."
Karuizawa: "...Why do you have to support your sister too? That's unreasonable!"
Hachiman: "Because Komachi is the cutest sister ever. Naturally, this is also my wish as an older brother."
Karuizawa: "Even though I'm an only child, I think this wish of yours is a bit abnormal. Whatever. So, do you have someone you like? What about Ichinose from your class?"
Hachiman: "It probably won't work. The person I like is a completely different style from Ichinose. Plus, I don't want to put Ichinose in a difficult position."
Karuizawa: "Oh, the person you like... wait, YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU LIKE!"
Karuizawa sat up again! In the dorm, Sakura was startled yet again. Karuizawa quickly soothed her, "It's fine, it's fine. I'm just chatting with someone."
"Oh." Sakura Airi felt relieved, shrinking back as if seeking security.
She didn't have many friends and had now been pulled into a small four-person circle with Kushida, Horikita, and Karuizawa.
Although they all had the commonality of being able to hear Hikigaya-kun's inner thoughts, being forced to socialize was still too difficult for her.
She preferred practicing with her notebook as she was doing now, preparing for their next possible meeting. Because he had helped her, her gratitude was buried deep in her heart.
If possible, she wanted to do something for him too.
Sakura's thoughts were always so pure and simple.
Karuizawa continued lying on the bed, looking at her phone. About ten minutes passed before she reluctantly put it away. She suddenly remembered she had just scared Sakura twice.
She wasn't a true "gyaru" and didn't have that overbearing personality at heart.
Karuizawa turned to Sakura. She found her still looking down, her slender shoulders slightly tensed as if fully concentrated on her book, even her breathing slowed down.
Curiosity rose in Karuizawa's heart; she climbed off the bed quietly and approached Sakura's desk. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the notebook open to some very basic daily conversation practice sentences.
"Is this a dialogue for Hikigaya-kun?" Karuizawa asked softly.
"Eh? Ugh!" Hearing "Hikigaya-kun," Sakura's cheeks instantly turned a faint red. Her eyes became more flustered as she lowered her head and whispered, "N-nothing, just... just practicing speaking. I'm afraid if I see Hikigaya-kun next time, I'll say the wrong thing again and make him unhappy.
At noon, we finally met... but he was, he was pulled away by someone else," Sakura said.
"Oh. I see."
Although Karuizawa had no romantic experience—and suspected her "gyaru" squad members were mostly "keyboard warriors" when it came to dating—she could keenly sense that Sakura's reaction meant her affection for Hachiman was off the charts!
But. [I want to be a stay-at-home husband] Uh. That was the life ideal Hikigaya Hachiman had personally declared. Karuizawa absolutely could not imagine the introverted and timid Sakura being able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of supporting a family...
'What a pity, Sakura-san.'
Karuizawa looked at Sakura's shy and focused profile. After a moment of conflict, she ultimately decided against telling her this cruel reality. She couldn't bring herself to hurt this pure girl for no reason.
To think, a perfectly good person who is so suited for working actually hopes not to work, and instead find an excellent wife to work and support him. She couldn't understand it.
And... Karuizawa lay back on her bed and pulled up the covers. However, her mind was like a revolving lantern, repeatedly playing back Hachiman's shocking quotes: stay-at-home husband, person he likes, 40 million points... These thoughts crawled around her brain like little insects, making her lose all sleepiness.
She couldn't guess who Hikigaya-kun liked. But since he wanted to save 40 million points, that huge sum would surely be used in the school. It might even be for the person he liked. How nice.
So, does such a girl really exist in this school? One who could satisfy his wish to be a stay-at-home husband and willingly support both him and his sister? If it wasn't the shining Ichinose-san from his class, could it be Kushida? Kushida's ideal type sounded quite similar to his; perhaps they were a mutual match? But Kushida's behavior was odd, acting as if she were in a hurry to set him up with someone else.
Can't figure it out, can't figure it out. Perhaps this is the blind spot of those with no romantic experience. Karuizawa thought helplessly, letting out a soft sigh. She decided to take another shower so she could sleep.
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On Hachiman's side, after finishing his chat with Karuizawa, he thought about Sakura's message from earlier. He had been pulled away by Kamuro, which seemed a bit unfair to Sakura. After a moment of hesitation, he opened Sakura's contact and pressed the call button.
The phone rang twice before being picked up. From the receiver came Sakura Airi's voice, so nervous it was practically tied in knots: "H-Hikigaya-kun? W-why are you calling me?"
Hearing her stuttering tone, Hachiman found that he, who was usually bad at phone calls, actually felt a subtle, "veteran-like" sense of calm. He tried to make his voice sound less flat and stiff, adding a bit of warmth: "Sorry, Sakura. This afternoon, I was invited away by Kamuro-san."
"I-it's okay, Hikigaya-kun!" Sakura said quickly, her tone carrying a hint of being overwhelmed by the favor. "I-I wasn't angry, and I didn't think too much of it. I know you must have things to be busy with. Besides, it was my presumptuous invitation in the first place. You don't, you don't need to apologize to me."
Hachiman said slowly, "I'm free tomorrow. Is there anywhere you want to go? Or anything you want to eat?"
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if he could hear Sakura's tiny intake of breath. Soon, her shy voice came through: "I-I don't have anywhere I want to go, and nothing I want to eat. As long as I can spend a little time with Hikigaya-kun, it's fine." She seemed to realize this sounded too suggestive and hastily added in a panic, "N-no! I mean, would eating together be too... that? How about, how about we watch a play together? I heard there are theater performances on the ship, and they seem quite good." Her voice grew smaller, seemingly carrying a bit of anticipation.
'Is that so, you want to see a play too?' Hachiman recalled meeting Horikita in the theater area that morning.
"Sure. Let's meet tomorrow then," he replied simply.
"O-okay!" The call ended, but Sakura instinctively gripped her phone tightly as if it were a treasure. She lowered her head slightly; the heart in her chest was still thumping violently like an restless little rabbit, unable to settle for a long time.
She suddenly felt that Karuizawa's shocked expressions while messaging earlier weren't strange at all. Because right now, her own lips couldn't help but curl upward, and she was so excited she could hardly sleep.
Just then, the sound of running water stopped and the bathroom door opened. Karuizawa walked out drying her wet hair, wrapped in warm steam and the scent of body wash. She immediately saw Sakura sitting at the desk. No longer buried in dialogue practice, she carried an indescribable, wondrous aura mixed with shyness and joy, her face flushed and her eyes bright.
Karuizawa raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Sakura, did something happen? You seem to be... in a very good mood?"
"N-no," Sakura said quickly. She instinctively felt that she couldn't tell Karuizawa about seeing a play with Hikigaya-kun tomorrow. Although everyone could hear his inner thoughts—making it a public channel—there were some things that might be better left unshared.
"Oh." Karuizawa nodded, not pressing further. She was quite tactful. "Speaking of which, Sakura," Karuizawa said while drying her hair, her gaze falling on Sakura's small camera bag. She suddenly thought of something else. "You're very good at photography, right?" Her tone carried a bit of expectation.
"..." Sakura blinked softly.
"I found out there are cameras for rent on the ship. Since the school is paying, it's free," Karuizawa said. "There are some scenes I want to capture, but I don't understand photography techniques at all."
"I-I see... O-okay." Sakura hesitated for only a second before seeing Karuizawa's expectant eyes and quickly nodding in agreement.
"I-I understand. I'll teach you."
Her voice carried a sense of responsibility in helping a friend. Or rather, she suddenly realized she could finally be of use. She wondered if Hikigaya-kun wanted to learn photography. She knew he had bought a camera for 88,000.
"Thanks! I'll go rent one tomorrow then," Karuizawa thought happily.
"..." Horikita Suzune.
At this moment, Horikita Suzune was in a deep sleep as the medicine took effect. Unaware of the outside world, what she needed to do—what she must do—was fix her health first. Thus, even though she vaguely felt Karuizawa and Sakura being noisy, she just needed to sleep.
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On the other side, Hachiman was about to put his phone down when he remembered he hadn't replied to Ichinose. He had essentially left Ichinose hanging for an entire day. It was lucky she had a good temper and didn't press him.
However, Hachiman glanced at the time at the top of the screen: 9:30 PM.
At this hour, a good student with a regular routine like Ichinose might already be preparing for bed. After all, they had taken a long-distance bus and boarded the cruise ship; it had been an exhausting day. Given Ichinose's popularity, she was surely invited by excited classmates to experience various facilities on the ship. Contacting her now seemed a bit inappropriate. Hachiman knew his boundaries.
He thought this and prepared to set his phone aside to rest. But his finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he finally clicked on the name in his friends list: Ichinose Honami.
This time he wasn't sending a message. He suddenly thought of a useful feature in the school system: GPS tracking for friends. So, Ichinose should have returned to her dorm by now, right?
With a thought of confirmation, he tapped the GPS function.
"..." Hachiman's gaze froze on the screen. The small dot representing Ichinose Honami was clearly blinking in the ship's SPA area. Furthermore, the records showed she had been there for nearly an hour. Why would Ichinose still be in the SPA at this time?
Doubt crept into Hachiman's mind. His thoughts spun, and he almost immediately considered a possibility. He swiped his finger and quickly checked the location of another name: Hoshinomiya Chie.
The screen refreshed. "Location: SPA area."
"..." Hachiman.
Case closed. It seemed Hoshinomiya-sensei had "invited" Ichinose for a massage. Although Ichinose was enthusiastic and might invite a teacher to relax, at this hour... it looked more like Hoshinomiya-sensei was intentionally delaying her, likely to instill some "special words" in private. Hachiman subconsciously pursed his lips; his evaluation of Hoshinomiya-sensei dropped another notch—she really didn't seem like a competent homeroom teacher.
Inside the SPA area, Hoshinomiya Chie was indeed proving his judgment correct. The lighting was soft and the atmosphere quiet.
Ichinose Honami was lying on a massage bed with her eyes closed, enjoying a professional massage with a relaxed smile. She had indeed come at Hoshinomiya-sensei's invitation. Although she felt it was getting late, she didn't refuse, thinking the teacher might have class business to discuss.
They shared a spacious private room. Hoshinomiya Chie lay on the other bed, looking very comfortable. She let out a relaxed sigh before finally starting her topic: "Ichinose-san, have you adjusted well during this time? This school is quite special; there's no doubt about that. So if there's anything you're not used to, you can tell me.
I think everyone in Class B is a good kid," she added with a smile, her tone like casual chatter.
Hoshinomiya-sensei's words sounded full of care, like a considerate and humane teacher. Ichinose Honami slowly opened her eyes.
A trace of warmth from being cared for crossed her face, only to be replaced by a slight disturbance. Remaining facedown, her voice came through the soft towel, sounding muffled and reassured: "Thank you for your concern, Sensei. We are all fine and have adjusted well. Though sometimes it's a bit stressful—especially thinking about this exam, everyone is nervous—but with Hikigaya-kun here, we are all at ease. Hikigaya-kun is very smart and capable; he will surely lead Class B to good results."
At the name "Hikigaya Hachiman," the smile on Hoshinomiya Chie's face stiffened slightly.
'Hikigaya-kun is smart, alright...' she thought, her slender fingers tapping the edge of the massage bed. But... she felt Hikigaya wasn't very obedient.
Although he had approached Horikita Suzune according to her hints, her eyes darkened as she realized that in doing so, he had exposed her intent to suppress Chabashira Sae to Chabashira herself.
Given the wisdom Hikigaya currently displayed, he surely understood her intentions. Hoshinomiya's lips curled into an ambiguous arc.
He didn't want to offend the Student Council President Horikita Manabu, so he had deliberately leaked her plan against Class D to Chabashira.
'That cunning little fox... Hikigaya-kun is a bad person' she thought.
However, the gloom in her eyes vanished, replaced by a relaxed spirit. Even if the "main account" wouldn't work, she still had a "smurf account" here, didn't she?
Thinking this, she tilted her head, her smiling gaze falling softly on the obedient Ichinose beside her. Her mood lightened. Thus, Hoshinomiya spoke again, her voice carrying a persuasive, gentle tone: "Speaking of which, Ichinose-san, I think relying entirely on Hikigaya-kun isn't a very good thing."
She leaned in closer, looking into Ichinose's eyes.
"Though he is powerful, one person has limits. As comrades who support him, you must become stronger too. After all, we are just Class B, not Class A."
Ichinose keenly caught the guidance in the teacher's words. She tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes filled with confusion.
"What do you mean, Sensei?"
"I think Hikigaya-kun might not have noticed a special existence yet," Hoshinomiya said. "For example, do you think there's anyone in Class D worth noting? If you don't pay special attention, you might suffer a loss in this exam. Since it's a final exam, it's a major one, and the school even rented a cruise ship—such a grand gesture. I hope everyone can maintain Class B's current position."
'Meaning, for everyone's sake?' Ichinose immediately took it to heart.
"Someone needing special attention? I think Koenji-kun needs to be watched. He's excellent, powerful in every aspect—academics, physical ability, and adaptability are all impeccable. Plus, he seems popular with the senpais and has a wide network. However, he doesn't seem interested in the class. But if he were to become interested, he might bring us great trouble in this exam."
As Ichinose analyzed, Hoshinomiya seemed to nod seriously. But...
"Koenji-kun, yes, he is powerful and his stats are outstanding. He indeed needs to be noted," Hoshinomiya said casually. "However, I think there's another person who needs more attention than Koenji-kun: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D."
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun?" Confusion appeared on Ichinose's face.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, why him? He seems very ordinary, usually silent and not very eye-catching. He doesn't have any particularly outstanding traits. Does he really need special attention?"
"Do you remember the results of the written test at the beginning of the month? At that time, Ayanokouji-kun from Class D stepped forward and allowed Class D to regain a 50-point evaluation. I think he needs attention; perhaps it's not impossible for him to perform exceptionally this time. I'm worried he might cause our class a huge loss."
Ichinose Honami was silent for a moment, then nodded and said seriously, "Thank you for the reminder, Hoshinomiya-sensei. I understand. From now on, I will keep an eye on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun."
"Yes, that's right." Hoshinomiya nodded with satisfaction, a relaxed smile appearing on her face. "Alright, let's stop talking about these annoying things. Enjoy the massage and relax so you can perform better in the coming exam."
Ichinose nodded obediently and lay back down, but there was a thoughtful look deep in her eyes.
About half an hour later, the massage ended. Ichinose and Hoshinomiya walked out of the SPA area together. Hoshinomiya stretched, her face wearing a lazy smile as she spoke casually: "Honami-san, it's late. Go back and rest. I'm going to the 'adults only' area on the basement floor to have a few drinks with the other teachers and relax." She gestured toward the other end of the corridor.
"Okay, Hoshinomiya-sensei. Please stay safe and rest early," Ichinose said gently, bidding the teacher farewell before heading toward her dorm.
However, as she watched the teacher's back disappear around the corner and the footsteps fade away, Ichinose's gentle expression vanished instantly, becoming extremely calm. Without hesitation, she took out her phone, edited the conversation she just had into a message, and sent it to Hikigaya-kun.
It could be said that Hoshinomiya-sensei inviting her out alone was a surprise, but since it was about Ayanokouji-kun, she could send the information to Hachiman without reservation.
She wasn't an idiot; for a homeroom teacher to specifically point out someone from another class that needs attention seemed to cross a line.
'So, why are you doing this, Hoshinomiya-sensei?'
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On Hachiman's side, before going to sleep, he received a long message from Ichinose. The summary was: [Hoshinomiya-sensei told me to watch Ayanokouji-kun from Class D.]
This made Hachiman's gaze waver. It seemed Hoshinomiya was just like in the original story; even if Chabashira knew she was being targeted, Hoshinomiya wouldn't let it go. After being explicitly rejected by him, she ultimately chose another path—trying to arrange for Ichinose to approach Ayanokouji.
"Don't mind her. She isn't doing this for Class B's benefit," Hachiman typed quickly. "Ayanokouji's opponent this time isn't our class. You don't have to do anything. I'll handle it."
[Understood. Then I'm going to sleep.] Ichinose's reply came quickly.
"Yeah, goodnight," Hachiman responded briefly.
[Goodnight.]
The conversation seemed to end there. Hachiman placed his phone on the nightstand and was about to lie down when the screen lit up again. He glanced at it and saw the small prompt [The other party is typing...] blinking under Ichinose's chat box.
A few seconds later, a new message popped out: [I don't want to be anyone's puppet. I will always be me, and I won't easily fall. Please believe in me, Hikigaya-kun. I won't add any trouble for you.] —by Ichinose Honami.
' Wait, who would understand if you suddenly say that?'
If he didn't know that she could also overhear his heart—and that his heart had revealed Class B's final situation and her terrible future—she wouldn't have changed this quickly. As expected, the best way to make someone grow is to let them hit a wall. Once they know the result, they become rational immediately.
However, though he had sent Ichinose off to sleep, Hachiman was now completely wide awake. His left hand toyed with a newly purchased voice recorder. He had thought this recorder might come in handy. Now that Hoshinomiya was already unable to sit still and was making her move with two days of rest left before the exam... well, birds of a feather flock together.
Likely, the side of Chabashira also couldn't hold back.
Chabashira might, as in the original story, fabricate a story about Ayanokouji's father coming to the school to demand his withdrawal, forcing Ayanokouji to achieve something in this exam. Thus, Hachiman picked up his phone again, his finger swiping across the screen to quickly find Kushida Kikyo's contact.
[For the next two days, spend more time monitoring the GPS of Chabashira and Ayanokouji. Send me a message when you see them meeting.]
Perhaps worried that Kushida might be unwilling to work, he added one more line.
[500,000 points.]
"..."
'Holy...!'
Kushida Kikyo, who had been in a low mood all day, suddenly found that she was also a bit unable to sleep tonight.
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