The moment Hachiman said that, the atmosphere in the restaurant became frozen again. Meanwhile, Hashimoto laughs in amusement.
"Oh, oh, that's a merciless insult. Should I get ready for now?"
Hashimoto laughs as he takes out his device, prepares to take a photo, and points it at Hachiman and his friends.
Hashimoto was convinced that Hachiman was acting to avenge Hiyori's insult and to accomplish Arisu's request, and like he had done with Sudo, he was provoking to get his opponent to make a move.
In that case, Hashimoto decided that the best thing to do would be to record photos and videos like before, so he prepared.
"Well, when Sudo was around, all I knew was that I was about to get hit, but I wonder what kind of provocation he'll use."
The air freezes when I provoke him, but he immediately begins to move.
"You! What did you just say?!"
The man in front of me is furious, but he doesn't really freak out and just snorts a laugh.
"Didn't you hear me? It's my first time entering a store today, and you're saying tacit consent. You're making fun of me. You bald bastard, You're just Katsuragi's waistband."
"Don't be silly! A piece of trash like you shouldn't be insulting Katsuragi-san!"
I didn't even insult him, yet!
The man grabs my chest and yells.
"Yahiko, stop it. Don't take advantage of cheap provocations."
At that point, Katsuragi finally warns him, but the man called Yahiko doesn't seem to hear him and doesn't let go of my chest.
"It's true. Is there something wrong with calling someone a scum who pretends to be on the same level as Arisu because he was rejected in the student council screening? It would be better for Class A if he were to follow Arisu."
"You……!"
The man is on the verge of breaking out.
One more voice.
Having made that decision, I brought my face close to the man's ear...
"You're a scum among scum who doesn't even understand such things. The reason you got into Class A is because you forced the interviewer to take your money or dig a hole in your ass. And I think Katsuragi also dig a hole in your ass for following him right?”
I whispers that with a big smile on my face.
result……
“Don’t be silly!”
The man yells and raises his fist. His face was full of anger.
"Stop it, Yahiko!"
Katsuragi yells, and the man looks shocked, but his fist is already swung down...
Grrrr!
It sinks into my cheek. Perhaps because I came back to my senses halfway through, I only felt a half-hearted shock.
But I'm going take the blow on purpose.
My target was the table that seemed to be the Katsuragi faction who had shown hostility toward me earlier.
result……
Gashaaaan!
“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”
I crashed into the table, causing it to fall and the glasses and dishes on it to break.
It was at that time.
“What are you doing there!”
I heard such a voice, and when I looked in the direction the voice came from, I saw the first-year homeroom teachers Mashima-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei, Sakagami-sensei, and Chabashira-sensei.
Currently, I'm surrounded by overturned tables and broken dishes, and the man who hit me is still swinging his fist.
Anyone looking at it would look like I was beaten up.
(Take a look. There are so many witnesses, and it was they who started the fight first, so they will probably decide that it is their fault without deliberating.)
Having made that decision, I smiled.
(Hey, that guy Hikigaya is crazy)
Hashimoto, who recorded the photo, smiles slightly as he looks at Hachiman who collapses on the floor.
Hashimoto has been provoked before, but he was surprised by how merciless the provocation was.
Meanwhile, the four people in charge of the first-year students head over to Yahiko Totsuka to be more precise.
"Totsuka, what does this mean? From our point of view, I think you beat Hikigaya away."
Totsuka's face turns pale at Chabashira's questioning. He probably didn't think the teacher was watching him.
Katsuragi then tries to open his mouth, but Hashimoto and the Sakayanagi faction are only in the way, so Hashimoto opens his mouth before he can.
"Teacher.'' When Totsuka maliciously provoked Hikigaya, saying, "This store is not a place for trash,'' and Hikigaya's companion Shiina retorted, Totsuka turned to Shiina in a heartless and disgusting manner. When Hikigaya retorted, Totsuka got angry and punched Hikigaya away.''
Hashimoto maliciously exaggerates the parts that Totsuka did, and extremely succinctly explains the parts that Hachiman did.
Totsuka's face stiffens at those words, and Katsuragi opens his mouth in a panic.
"Wait. It's true that Yahiko punched him, but Hikigaya also said malicious words."
Katsuragi refutes Hashimoto's words. At the same time, Hashimoto stands up and approaches the teacher.
"It's true that Hikigaya may be exaggerating, but Totsuka was the one who provoked him first and used the violence first. In addition, insulting Shiina, who is unrelated to him, is an unforgivable act. Here's a photo as evidence."
“What?!”
Totsuka is at a loss for words and Katsuragi's eyes widen at Hashimoto's words, but Hashimoto ignores them and shows the terminal to the teachers.
A photo of Totsuka punching Hachiman was displayed on the screen.
"Wow, this looks painful~"
"If this is the only conclusive evidence, then Totsuka is clearly at fault."
"Not at all. I don't think this is a class A student who has to behave in an exemplary manner..."
Hoshinomiya, Chabashira, and Sakagami all looked at Majima, the homeroom teacher for Class A.
He opens his mouth with an expression as if he has bitten a bitter insect.
"...For now, I'll have Totsuka come with me. Hashimoto, take Hikigaya to the medical room."
"N-No...If you're going to deliberate, I'll go too."
Then, Hachiman staggers to his feet and Hiyori approaches him with a worried look on her face.
"Are you okay, Hachiman-kun? If you're in pain, I'll take you to the infirmary."
"...It's okay. The area where I was hit hurts, but it's not enough to send me to the infirmary."
"That's fine, but... Hachiman-kun is an idiot. I don't really care if you make fun of me..."
Hiyori looked down, and Hachiman gently patted her head.
"Unfortunately, I'm not an adult enough to remain silent when someone I care about is made fun of."
"...Am I important to Hachiman-kun?"
“What are you talking about now?”
"...I'm happy. But next time if they make fun of me, please ignore it. I don't want to see Hachiman-kun get hurt..."
"I don't think that's possible. I can't stand it when people make fun of you."
"...Hachiman-kun is an idiot after all."
Just as he said, Hiyori hugged Hachiman and let out a sob even though Hachiman was dirty with the sauce and juices from the cooking.
Hachiman gives Hiyori an embarrassed expression, but gently hugs her back.
The space where it was just the two of them was absolute from anyone's point of view, and most of the people in the restaurant were looking at Totsuka with hostility, and Totsuka staggered around with a look of despair on his face.
(That wasn't an act, but it was a complete victory for Hikigaya.)
Hashimoto was confident of victory.
Totsuka's chances of winning were slim, as he started the fight first and eventually resorted to violence, but the interaction between the two likely reduced Hachiman's chance of defeat to zero.
While Hashimoto thinks so, the four teachers leave the restaurant with Hachiman, who has broken his embrace with Hiyori and a sad Yahiko.
Although Katsuragi accompanied him at that time, Hashimoto was convinced that the result would not change.
"A-class should be given severe punishment after all."
"Indeed. If the conclusive evidence is a photograph, it would be impossible to defend Totsuka-kun."
"Not to mention that Totsuka is an A-class student. He acted in a manner that is unbecoming of a model student. This is an unforgivable act!"
I am also participating in the deliberations in a special conference room, but it seems as if the winner or loser has already been decided.
This is because not only did he fight with his words, but there are also photos and scars from the moment I was punched.
On the other hand, Totsuka's side has no weapons. Totsuka was the one who started the fight first, and Totsuka was the one who started the fight.
Katsuragi defends him for saying bad things, but unlike here where I have photos, there are no audio recordings, so it's too weak to be used as a weapon and is worthless.
In addition, the fact that Totsuka, who was the one who hit me, belongs to Class A, is also on our side. Class A is required to behave in an exemplary manner.
In the end, the homeroom teachers for classes other than A class, Hoshinomiya Sensei, Sakagami Sensei, and Chabashira Sensei, took this as an opportunity to close the gap with A Class, and did not take Totsuka's side in any way.
Mr. Mashima, the homeroom teacher for class A, objected several times, but we repeatedly presented the photographic evidence I had, and Mr. Sakagami, the homeroom teacher for class C, made nuanced comments like,
"I don't think it's okay to interfere with the deliberations because of personal feelings.'' If you use it, it will shut him up immediately.
Totsuka was already looking down in complete despair, and Katsuragi was also silent, closing his eyes. At first, the two of them objected, but in addition to the attacks of the three teachers, they were unable to resist the cards that we had, so they stopped resisting.
Meanwhile, the conversation progressed, and even among the teachers it was decided that Totsuka was the one at fault.
"Then, as for Totsuka-kun's punishment...what he did was extremely heinous, how about expulsion?"
"I'am expelled?!"
Totsuka, who was filled with despair at Sakagami-sensei's words, looked up and opened his eyes. I've never taken Sakagami-sensei's class, but perhaps because he's in Class C, which Ryuen belongs to, he's a merciless teacher.
“Hmm, isn’t that rather pitiful?”
"However, if you take it too lightly, you won't be able to reflect on it. Wouldn't it be appropriate to pay Class A's class points as compensation to Class D, and suspend Totsuka for one month from the second semester?"
"Wait. Isn't this too harsh?!"
Katsuragi tries to stop him, but I won't let him do that. I'll give you another chance to be punished.
"You say it well, baldy. In the first place, this happened because you didn't stop Totsuka right away when he picked a fight with me. I'm sure you had an arrogant mindset because I'm a D-class, look down on me because I have hair on my head. Why don't you focus your efforts on improving your arrogant personality?"
"Hey! You!"
"Stop it, Yahiko!"
At those words, Totsuka gets angry again and tries to attack me, but before he can, Katsuragi tightens his wings and stops him. It's a shame, because if I let him act out in front of the teacher, he would have been given even more punishment.
In any case, Totsuka idolizes Katsuragi and will probably be able to use him in the future, so it's okay.
"Hikigaya. Stop insulting him about his physical characteristics. From next time onwards, I will record it as a record."
"Well, that's just an exaggeration, Mashima."
Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei say so.
To be honest, since Totsuka didn't intervene in the current provocation, there would be no point in provoking him any longer.
"I'll be more careful from now on. More importantly, Chabashira-sensei."
"What?"
“I understand that when a problem arises between students like this one, the teachers and student council punish them, but is it possible for me, who won the case, to make a proposal?”
“There will be some flexibility, but requests that are too unreasonable will naturally be rejected.”
Of course that would be the case. If students were given free rein, many would drop out of school.
"I know. What I'm asking is..."
When I told them the punishment I had in mind, everyone had various reactions.
_____________
"Welcome, Class A, we've been waiting for you."
In the conference room, Arisu, who was absent and deliberately used honorific language, welcomes the 37 members of Class A, excluding Katsuragi and Totsuka, who are already in the conference room.
Nearly half of them were clearly hostile, but they were probably people from the Katsuragi faction.
"Stop using such artificial honorific language, it's disgusting. Hikigaya, Please explain why you called me early."
Kamuro says this while sighing. Is she really that disgusted...well, that's not the case right now.
"Well, that's rude. Now let's get straight to the point. It's a punishment for Totsuka, but I decided on it, and I called it because it affects the entire A class."
When I said that, the boy closest to me started yelling.
"Don't be silly! Don't be so bossy about your D-class habits!"
"You're going to insult Katsuragi-san and get away with it!"
“You should drop out of school!”
The students who appear to be members of the Katsuragi faction get angry.
"It's Totsuka who's at fault! Don't get us involved!"
"That's right! It would be a good idea to expel Totsuka!"
"Please don't get carried away just because Sakayanagi kissed you!"
As this continues, the students who appear to be from the Sakayanagi faction also become angry, and the conference room is filled with angry cries.
Well, it's pretty much as expected. I think there are fewer than 10 people, including Hashimoto and Kamuro, who are calm.
"Be quiet. We teachers have already agreed. You are not allowed to disobey."
That's what Chabashira-sensei was thinking. Then, it seems that they have no intention of disobeying the teacher, and he remains silent even though his hostility is evident.
"Okay, before I announce the punishment I chose... Hashimoto."
"What?"
“Push the Sakayanagi students one by one to the right wall.”
"Huh? Why?"
“Do it because it’s good.”
"Okay, but..."
Hashimoto nods and pushes the students one by one to the right wall. In the end, there were 17 people including Hashimoto and Kamuro.
"Next, Kamuro, push the neutral students through the door one by one."
"Okay"
Kamuro nods and pushes the students toward the door one by one. Six people gather around the door.
There were 14 members of the Katsuragi faction left. To be exact, there are 16 people including Katsuragi and Totsuka.
“Then I will announce the first of the three patterns of punishment I have proposed.”
When I say that, everyone gasps. I open my mouth as the room goes silent.
"First. 100 class points will be forfeited, and each of the 39 students in Class A, excluding Arisu, will donate 50,000 private points to me."
moment……
“Don’t be silly! ”
An even louder roar resounded throughout the room. Well, I guess that's a natural reaction.
"Quiet. It's only the first one."
“But, teacher! Aren’t most of the students unrelated?!”
"Don't you know the word collective responsibility? Basically everything at this school is a collective responsibility."
They fell silent at Chabashira-sensei's words. In fact, in this school, if one person makes a fool of himself, it causes trouble for the entire class.
In fact, I had been taking classes seriously since I entered the school, but due to the stupidity of my classmates, I was no longer given private points.
It was good that Class C canceled the lawsuit regarding Sudo, but if they had lost the case, their class points would have returned to 0.
"Okay, second. 50 class points will be forfeited, and each of the 39 students in Class A, excluding Arisu, will each donate 100,000 private points to me."
At those words, most of the A-class members went beyond hostility to murderous intent, but I ignored it.
"And thirdly, each of the 16 Katsuragi students will donate 150,000 private points to me, and from this month until graduation, 10,000 private points will be transferred to my device every month."
“Huh?! ”
With those words, the students of the Katsuragi faction became even more murderous, extinguishing the bloodlust of the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction.
“…So the last option doesn’t affect us?”
"Ah. There's no punishment at all for the 17 Sakayanagi factions and the 6 neutral factions...Now, which one is better?"
I nod in response to Hashimoto's question, and one of the Sakayanagi members raises his hand.
“Please use the third option!”
"It seems so!"
“We have nothing to do with it, the Katsuragi faction should take responsibility!”
"Wait a minute! This is the responsibility of the entire class.
"Stop! Don't involve us!'' '
"It's Totsuka from the Katsuragi faction that's at fault!''
"You guys should be punished!''
"Shut up you, son of a bitch...! ”
23 people from the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction all chose the third option.
The students of the Katsuragi faction try to object, but they are immediately dismissed by the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction.
(as planned)
I can't help but smile. From my point of view, any option is fine as you will get a huge amount of private points, but in the end option 3 will be chosen.
After all, there is no doubt that all of Class A will be against options 1 and 2.
However, only 16 Katsuragi supporters would disagree with option 3, while the other 23 would vote for option 3 to avoid options 1 and 2.
And if it becomes option 3, most of the Katsuragi faction students will turn against me and Totsuka.
Regardless of me, if he turns against Totsuka, who belongs to the same faction, there will be doubts within the Katsuragi faction, which will weaken the power of the faction, and for Arisu, it will be a chance to absorb the Katsuragi faction.
In other words, if option 3 is chosen, I will receive a large amount of private points, Arisu's request will be completed, and Arisu will have the benefit of weakening the Katsuragi faction.
Even as I was thinking this, the conference room was still filled with angry voices.
The Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction, who do not want to be criticized, are mercilessly blaming the Katsuragi faction, and the Katsuragi faction is completely overwhelmed.
"Well, humans are ugly."
"Hikigaya was the one who created this situation. You're really disgusting."
Hashimoto says this while laughing out loud, and I'm sure most of you are also laughing happily in this situation.
"Ha, you insulted Hiyori. They got angry at me. I'm going to thoroughly bash the Katsuragi faction in the upcoming special exam."
The one who I am most annoyed with is Totsuka, but I also don't like Katsuragi for not stopping Totsuka sooner.
He is in conflict with Arisu, so I have no intention of holding back.
Besides having a name similar to Tohka, is an insult to Archangel.
"Oh, that's scary. I guess Sakayanagi was right about you."
"Well, I got a lot of private points anyway, and Arisu and Kamuro will probably be my maids for the second half of summer vacation."
Originally, Arisu had told me that if I reduced the total amount of private points in the Katsuragi faction, she would work with Kamuro as a maid during the summer vacation, and I was very eager to get it.
"...sigh. I thought Hikigaya would accomplish Sakayanagi's request, but I didn't expect it to happen on the first day of the trip."
As I was thinking about this, Kamuro followed Hashimoto with a sigh.
"Don't worry. Or rather, you'll be my maid too."
"Huh?"
"It's a joke. Don’t look at me with that scary face!”
Kamuro glared at Hashimoto with a gaze of absolute zero, and Hashimoto, unusually breaking out in a cold sweat, retracted his previous statement.
Kamuro looks just like Kawa... Kawa... Kawasaki-san when I was at Sobu.
By the way, is she doing well? She was one of the few people who continued to treat me even when I was being bullied, and I felt strangely nostalgic for her.
I thought she used to work at a maid cafe too.
"You were smiling like a devil just now, so why are you suddenly showing me such a gentle smile?"
As I was reminiscing about an old acquaintance, Kamuro looked at me suspiciously.
"No, I just thought again that you look exactly like an old acquaintance."
"Oh. Well, it's fine then, but why don't you do something about that instead?"
The person Kamuro points to is the A-class member who is still having trouble.
"Well...hey, you guys. It looks like we can't decide, so we'll take a majority vote."
If I say so, the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction will voice their approval, and the Katsuragi faction will voice their opposition...
"Don't make such a fuss. Katsuragi and A class are in a position to be punished, so don't go against them. If you make any more noise, I'll create a new option 4 that combines all options 1 to 3."
When I said that, the conference room fell silent. It seems like you're really afraid of option 4.
Anyway, it's quiet now so I guess it's okay.
“Okay, let me ask you. First of all, those who agree with option 1...”
"So, with option 3, the 16 members of the Katsuragi faction paid Hikigaya 2.4 million yen plus 160,000 yen for this month, for a total of 2.56 million private points.''
"Thank you for your report, Hashimoto-kun. Even so, Totsuka-kun is really stupid to insult Shiina-san in front of Hachiman-kun."
Arisu, who had returned from seeing Hachiman off was in the dormitory room of the Advanced Training High School, sitting on the bed in the room receiving a call from Hashimoto.
“I was also scared when Totsuka made fun of Shiina.”
"I guess so. Now, Hachiman-kun has over 4 million private points in his pocket. Furthermore, he will receive 160,000 points every month until graduation, which means he will receive nearly 5 million points from the Katsuragi faction by the time he graduates."
"It's really scary. Or rather, Sakayanagi, why is Hikigaya in Class D? Honestly, most of the A class are inferior to Hikigaya, right?"
"I'm sorry, but due to Hachiman-kun's privacy, I can't answer. In any case, thank you for your report. If you have anything else, please contact me...Also, please tell Hachiman-kun that I will be a maid for the second half of summer vacation, as I promised."
With that, Arisu hangs up the phone, takes a breath, and grabs the pillow on the bed and hugs it tightly.
"Hachiman-kun is excellent as expected. I want him to move up to A class as soon as possible."
I said, tightening my embrace. It's like comparing a pillow to something.
"...I won't be able to see you for the next two weeks...I'm sad."
Only at this moment did Arisu resent her own physical weakness. The time I spent with Hachiman in Arisu's heart has already become irreplaceable.
"I want to be pampered by Hachiman-kun just like Shiina-san..."
Arisu just keeps hugging her pillow to drown out her loneliness.
The moment Hachiman said that, the atmosphere in the restaurant became frozen again. Meanwhile, Hashimoto laughs in amusement.
"Oh, oh, that's a merciless insult. Should I get ready for now?"
Hashimoto laughs as he takes out his device, prepares to take a photo, and points it at Hachiman and his friends.
Hashimoto was convinced that Hachiman was acting to avenge Hiyori's insult and to accomplish Arisu's request, and like he had done with Sudo, he was provoking to get his opponent to make a move.
In that case, Hashimoto decided that the best thing to do would be to record photos and videos like before, so he prepared.
"Well, when Sudo was around, all I knew was that I was about to get hit, but I wonder what kind of provocation he'll use."
The air freezes when I provoke him, but he immediately begins to move.
"You! What did you just say?!"
The man in front of me is furious, but he doesn't really freak out and just snorts a laugh.
"Didn't you hear me? It's my first time entering a store today, and you're saying tacit consent. You're making fun of me. You bald bastard, You're just Katsuragi's waistband."
"Don't be silly! A piece of trash like you shouldn't be insulting Katsuragi-san!"
I didn't even insult him, yet!
The man grabs my chest and yells.
"Yahiko, stop it. Don't take advantage of cheap provocations."
At that point, Katsuragi finally warns him, but the man called Yahiko doesn't seem to hear him and doesn't let go of my chest.
"It's true. Is there something wrong with calling someone a scum who pretends to be on the same level as Arisu because he was rejected in the student council screening? It would be better for Class A if he were to follow Arisu."
"You……!"
The man is on the verge of breaking out.
One more voice.
Having made that decision, I brought my face close to the man's ear...
"You're a scum among scum who doesn't even understand such things. The reason you got into Class A is because you forced the interviewer to take your money or dig a hole in your ass. And I think Katsuragi also dig a hole in your ass for following him right?”
I whispers that with a big smile on my face.
result……
“Don’t be silly!”
The man yells and raises his fist. His face was full of anger.
"Stop it, Yahiko!"
Katsuragi yells, and the man looks shocked, but his fist is already swung down...
Grrrr!
It sinks into my cheek. Perhaps because I came back to my senses halfway through, I only felt a half-hearted shock.
But I'm going take the blow on purpose.
My target was the table that seemed to be the Katsuragi faction who had shown hostility toward me earlier.
result……
Gashaaaan!
“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”
I crashed into the table, causing it to fall and the glasses and dishes on it to break.
It was at that time.
“What are you doing there!”
I heard such a voice, and when I looked in the direction the voice came from, I saw the first-year homeroom teachers Mashima-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei, Sakagami-sensei, and Chabashira-sensei.
Currently, I'm surrounded by overturned tables and broken dishes, and the man who hit me is still swinging his fist.
Anyone looking at it would look like I was beaten up.
(Take a look. There are so many witnesses, and it was they who started the fight first, so they will probably decide that it is their fault without deliberating.)
Having made that decision, I smiled.
(Hey, that guy Hikigaya is crazy)
Hashimoto, who recorded the photo, smiles slightly as he looks at Hachiman who collapses on the floor.
Hashimoto has been provoked before, but he was surprised by how merciless the provocation was.
Meanwhile, the four people in charge of the first-year students head over to Yahiko Totsuka to be more precise.
"Totsuka, what does this mean? From our point of view, I think you beat Hikigaya away."
Totsuka's face turns pale at Chabashira's questioning. He probably didn't think the teacher was watching him.
Katsuragi then tries to open his mouth, but Hashimoto and the Sakayanagi faction are only in the way, so Hashimoto opens his mouth before he can.
"Teacher.'' When Totsuka maliciously provoked Hikigaya, saying, "This store is not a place for trash,'' and Hikigaya's companion Shiina retorted, Totsuka turned to Shiina in a heartless and disgusting manner. When Hikigaya retorted, Totsuka got angry and punched Hikigaya away.''
Hashimoto maliciously exaggerates the parts that Totsuka did, and extremely succinctly explains the parts that Hachiman did.
Totsuka's face stiffens at those words, and Katsuragi opens his mouth in a panic.
"Wait. It's true that Yahiko punched him, but Hikigaya also said malicious words."
Katsuragi refutes Hashimoto's words. At the same time, Hashimoto stands up and approaches the teacher.
"It's true that Hikigaya may be exaggerating, but Totsuka was the one who provoked him first and used the violence first. In addition, insulting Shiina, who is unrelated to him, is an unforgivable act. Here's a photo as evidence."
“What?!”
Totsuka is at a loss for words and Katsuragi's eyes widen at Hashimoto's words, but Hashimoto ignores them and shows the terminal to the teachers.
A photo of Totsuka punching Hachiman was displayed on the screen.
"Wow, this looks painful~"
"If this is the only conclusive evidence, then Totsuka is clearly at fault."
"Not at all. I don't think this is a class A student who has to behave in an exemplary manner..."
Hoshinomiya, Chabashira, and Sakagami all looked at Majima, the homeroom teacher for Class A.
He opens his mouth with an expression as if he has bitten a bitter insect.
"...For now, I'll have Totsuka come with me. Hashimoto, take Hikigaya to the medical room."
"N-No...If you're going to deliberate, I'll go too."
Then, Hachiman staggers to his feet and Hiyori approaches him with a worried look on her face.
"Are you okay, Hachiman-kun? If you're in pain, I'll take you to the infirmary."
"...It's okay. The area where I was hit hurts, but it's not enough to send me to the infirmary."
"That's fine, but... Hachiman-kun is an idiot. I don't really care if you make fun of me..."
Hiyori looked down, and Hachiman gently patted her head.
"Unfortunately, I'm not an adult enough to remain silent when someone I care about is made fun of."
"...Am I important to Hachiman-kun?"
“What are you talking about now?”
"...I'm happy. But next time if they make fun of me, please ignore it. I don't want to see Hachiman-kun get hurt..."
"I don't think that's possible. I can't stand it when people make fun of you."
"...Hachiman-kun is an idiot after all."
Just as he said, Hiyori hugged Hachiman and let out a sob even though Hachiman was dirty with the sauce and juices from the cooking.
Hachiman gives Hiyori an embarrassed expression, but gently hugs her back.
The space where it was just the two of them was absolute from anyone's point of view, and most of the people in the restaurant were looking at Totsuka with hostility, and Totsuka staggered around with a look of despair on his face.
(That wasn't an act, but it was a complete victory for Hikigaya.)
Hashimoto was confident of victory.
Totsuka's chances of winning were slim, as he started the fight first and eventually resorted to violence, but the interaction between the two likely reduced Hachiman's chance of defeat to zero.
While Hashimoto thinks so, the four teachers leave the restaurant with Hachiman, who has broken his embrace with Hiyori and a sad Yahiko.
Although Katsuragi accompanied him at that time, Hashimoto was convinced that the result would not change.
"A-class should be given severe punishment after all."
"Indeed. If the conclusive evidence is a photograph, it would be impossible to defend Totsuka-kun."
"Not to mention that Totsuka is an A-class student. He acted in a manner that is unbecoming of a model student. This is an unforgivable act!"
I am also participating in the deliberations in a special conference room, but it seems as if the winner or loser has already been decided.
This is because not only did he fight with his words, but there are also photos and scars from the moment I was punched.
On the other hand, Totsuka's side has no weapons. Totsuka was the one who started the fight first, and Totsuka was the one who started the fight.
Katsuragi defends him for saying bad things, but unlike here where I have photos, there are no audio recordings, so it's too weak to be used as a weapon and is worthless.
In addition, the fact that Totsuka, who was the one who hit me, belongs to Class A, is also on our side. Class A is required to behave in an exemplary manner.
In the end, the homeroom teachers for classes other than A class, Hoshinomiya Sensei, Sakagami Sensei, and Chabashira Sensei, took this as an opportunity to close the gap with A Class, and did not take Totsuka's side in any way.
Mr. Mashima, the homeroom teacher for class A, objected several times, but we repeatedly presented the photographic evidence I had, and Mr. Sakagami, the homeroom teacher for class C, made nuanced comments like,
"I don't think it's okay to interfere with the deliberations because of personal feelings.'' If you use it, it will shut him up immediately.
Totsuka was already looking down in complete despair, and Katsuragi was also silent, closing his eyes. At first, the two of them objected, but in addition to the attacks of the three teachers, they were unable to resist the cards that we had, so they stopped resisting.
Meanwhile, the conversation progressed, and even among the teachers it was decided that Totsuka was the one at fault.
"Then, as for Totsuka-kun's punishment...what he did was extremely heinous, how about expulsion?"
"I'am expelled?!"
Totsuka, who was filled with despair at Sakagami-sensei's words, looked up and opened his eyes. I've never taken Sakagami-sensei's class, but perhaps because he's in Class C, which Ryuen belongs to, he's a merciless teacher.
“Hmm, isn’t that rather pitiful?”
"However, if you take it too lightly, you won't be able to reflect on it. Wouldn't it be appropriate to pay Class A's class points as compensation to Class D, and suspend Totsuka for one month from the second semester?"
"Wait. Isn't this too harsh?!"
Katsuragi tries to stop him, but I won't let him do that. I'll give you another chance to be punished.
"You say it well, baldy. In the first place, this happened because you didn't stop Totsuka right away when he picked a fight with me. I'm sure you had an arrogant mindset because I'm a D-class, look down on me because I have hair on my head. Why don't you focus your efforts on improving your arrogant personality?"
"Hey! You!"
"Stop it, Yahiko!"
At those words, Totsuka gets angry again and tries to attack me, but before he can, Katsuragi tightens his wings and stops him. It's a shame, because if I let him act out in front of the teacher, he would have been given even more punishment.
In any case, Totsuka idolizes Katsuragi and will probably be able to use him in the future, so it's okay.
"Hikigaya. Stop insulting him about his physical characteristics. From next time onwards, I will record it as a record."
"Well, that's just an exaggeration, Mashima."
Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei say so.
To be honest, since Totsuka didn't intervene in the current provocation, there would be no point in provoking him any longer.
"I'll be more careful from now on. More importantly, Chabashira-sensei."
"What?"
“I understand that when a problem arises between students like this one, the teachers and student council punish them, but is it possible for me, who won the case, to make a proposal?”
“There will be some flexibility, but requests that are too unreasonable will naturally be rejected.”
Of course that would be the case. If students were given free rein, many would drop out of school.
"I know. What I'm asking is..."
When I told them the punishment I had in mind, everyone had various reactions.
_____________
"Welcome, Class A, we've been waiting for you."
In the conference room, Arisu, who was absent and deliberately used honorific language, welcomes the 37 members of Class A, excluding Katsuragi and Totsuka, who are already in the conference room.
Nearly half of them were clearly hostile, but they were probably people from the Katsuragi faction.
"Stop using such artificial honorific language, it's disgusting. Hikigaya, Please explain why you called me early."
Kamuro says this while sighing. Is she really that disgusted...well, that's not the case right now.
"Well, that's rude. Now let's get straight to the point. It's a punishment for Totsuka, but I decided on it, and I called it because it affects the entire A class."
When I said that, the boy closest to me started yelling.
"Don't be silly! Don't be so bossy about your D-class habits!"
"You're going to insult Katsuragi-san and get away with it!"
“You should drop out of school!”
The students who appear to be members of the Katsuragi faction get angry.
"It's Totsuka who's at fault! Don't get us involved!"
"That's right! It would be a good idea to expel Totsuka!"
"Please don't get carried away just because Sakayanagi kissed you!"
As this continues, the students who appear to be from the Sakayanagi faction also become angry, and the conference room is filled with angry cries.
Well, it's pretty much as expected. I think there are fewer than 10 people, including Hashimoto and Kamuro, who are calm.
"Be quiet. We teachers have already agreed. You are not allowed to disobey."
That's what Chabashira-sensei was thinking. Then, it seems that they have no intention of disobeying the teacher, and he remains silent even though his hostility is evident.
"Okay, before I announce the punishment I chose... Hashimoto."
"What?"
“Push the Sakayanagi students one by one to the right wall.”
"Huh? Why?"
“Do it because it’s good.”
"Okay, but..."
Hashimoto nods and pushes the students one by one to the right wall. In the end, there were 17 people including Hashimoto and Kamuro.
"Next, Kamuro, push the neutral students through the door one by one."
"Okay"
Kamuro nods and pushes the students toward the door one by one. Six people gather around the door.
There were 14 members of the Katsuragi faction left. To be exact, there are 16 people including Katsuragi and Totsuka.
“Then I will announce the first of the three patterns of punishment I have proposed.”
When I say that, everyone gasps. I open my mouth as the room goes silent.
"First. 100 class points will be forfeited, and each of the 39 students in Class A, excluding Arisu, will donate 50,000 private points to me."
moment……
“Don’t be silly! ”
An even louder roar resounded throughout the room. Well, I guess that's a natural reaction.
"Quiet. It's only the first one."
“But, teacher! Aren’t most of the students unrelated?!”
"Don't you know the word collective responsibility? Basically everything at this school is a collective responsibility."
They fell silent at Chabashira-sensei's words. In fact, in this school, if one person makes a fool of himself, it causes trouble for the entire class.
In fact, I had been taking classes seriously since I entered the school, but due to the stupidity of my classmates, I was no longer given private points.
It was good that Class C canceled the lawsuit regarding Sudo, but if they had lost the case, their class points would have returned to 0.
"Okay, second. 50 class points will be forfeited, and each of the 39 students in Class A, excluding Arisu, will each donate 100,000 private points to me."
At those words, most of the A-class members went beyond hostility to murderous intent, but I ignored it.
"And thirdly, each of the 16 Katsuragi students will donate 150,000 private points to me, and from this month until graduation, 10,000 private points will be transferred to my device every month."
“Huh?! ”
With those words, the students of the Katsuragi faction became even more murderous, extinguishing the bloodlust of the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction.
“…So the last option doesn’t affect us?”
"Ah. There's no punishment at all for the 17 Sakayanagi factions and the 6 neutral factions...Now, which one is better?"
I nod in response to Hashimoto's question, and one of the Sakayanagi members raises his hand.
“Please use the third option!”
"It seems so!"
“We have nothing to do with it, the Katsuragi faction should take responsibility!”
"Wait a minute! This is the responsibility of the entire class.
"Stop! Don't involve us!'' '
"It's Totsuka from the Katsuragi faction that's at fault!''
"You guys should be punished!''
"Shut up you, son of a bitch...! ”
23 people from the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction all chose the third option.
The students of the Katsuragi faction try to object, but they are immediately dismissed by the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction.
(as planned)
I can't help but smile. From my point of view, any option is fine as you will get a huge amount of private points, but in the end option 3 will be chosen.
After all, there is no doubt that all of Class A will be against options 1 and 2.
However, only 16 Katsuragi supporters would disagree with option 3, while the other 23 would vote for option 3 to avoid options 1 and 2.
And if it becomes option 3, most of the Katsuragi faction students will turn against me and Totsuka.
Regardless of me, if he turns against Totsuka, who belongs to the same faction, there will be doubts within the Katsuragi faction, which will weaken the power of the faction, and for Arisu, it will be a chance to absorb the Katsuragi faction.
In other words, if option 3 is chosen, I will receive a large amount of private points, Arisu's request will be completed, and Arisu will have the benefit of weakening the Katsuragi faction.
Even as I was thinking this, the conference room was still filled with angry voices.
The Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction, who do not want to be criticized, are mercilessly blaming the Katsuragi faction, and the Katsuragi faction is completely overwhelmed.
"Well, humans are ugly."
"Hikigaya was the one who created this situation. You're really disgusting."
Hashimoto says this while laughing out loud, and I'm sure most of you are also laughing happily in this situation.
"Ha, you insulted Hiyori. They got angry at me. I'm going to thoroughly bash the Katsuragi faction in the upcoming special exam."
The one who I am most annoyed with is Totsuka, but I also don't like Katsuragi for not stopping Totsuka sooner.
He is in conflict with Arisu, so I have no intention of holding back.
Besides having a name similar to Tohka, is an insult to Archangel.
"Oh, that's scary. I guess Sakayanagi was right about you."
"Well, I got a lot of private points anyway, and Arisu and Kamuro will probably be my maids for the second half of summer vacation."
Originally, Arisu had told me that if I reduced the total amount of private points in the Katsuragi faction, she would work with Kamuro as a maid during the summer vacation, and I was very eager to get it.
"...sigh. I thought Hikigaya would accomplish Sakayanagi's request, but I didn't expect it to happen on the first day of the trip."
As I was thinking about this, Kamuro followed Hashimoto with a sigh.
"Don't worry. Or rather, you'll be my maid too."
"Huh?"
"It's a joke. Don’t look at me with that scary face!”
Kamuro glared at Hashimoto with a gaze of absolute zero, and Hashimoto, unusually breaking out in a cold sweat, retracted his previous statement.
Kamuro looks just like Kawa... Kawa... Kawasaki-san when I was at Sobu.
By the way, is she doing well? She was one of the few people who continued to treat me even when I was being bullied, and I felt strangely nostalgic for her.
I thought she used to work at a maid cafe too.
"You were smiling like a devil just now, so why are you suddenly showing me such a gentle smile?"
As I was reminiscing about an old acquaintance, Kamuro looked at me suspiciously.
"No, I just thought again that you look exactly like an old acquaintance."
"Oh. Well, it's fine then, but why don't you do something about that instead?"
The person Kamuro points to is the A-class member who is still having trouble.
"Well...hey, you guys. It looks like we can't decide, so we'll take a majority vote."
If I say so, the Sakayanagi faction and the neutral faction will voice their approval, and the Katsuragi faction will voice their opposition...
"Don't make such a fuss. Katsuragi and A class are in a position to be punished, so don't go against them. If you make any more noise, I'll create a new option 4 that combines all options 1 to 3."
When I said that, the conference room fell silent. It seems like you're really afraid of option 4.
Anyway, it's quiet now so I guess it's okay.
“Okay, let me ask you. First of all, those who agree with option 1...”
"So, with option 3, the 16 members of the Katsuragi faction paid Hikigaya 2.4 million yen plus 160,000 yen for this month, for a total of 2.56 million private points.''
"Thank you for your report, Hashimoto-kun. Even so, Totsuka-kun is really stupid to insult Shiina-san in front of Hachiman-kun."
Arisu, who had returned from seeing Hachiman off was in the dormitory room of the Advanced Training High School, sitting on the bed in the room receiving a call from Hashimoto.
“I was also scared when Totsuka made fun of Shiina.”
"I guess so. Now, Hachiman-kun has over 4 million private points in his pocket. Furthermore, he will receive 160,000 points every month until graduation, which means he will receive nearly 5 million points from the Katsuragi faction by the time he graduates."
"It's really scary. Or rather, Sakayanagi, why is Hikigaya in Class D? Honestly, most of the A class are inferior to Hikigaya, right?"
"I'm sorry, but due to Hachiman-kun's privacy, I can't answer. In any case, thank you for your report. If you have anything else, please contact me...Also, please tell Hachiman-kun that I will be a maid for the second half of summer vacation, as I promised."
With that, Arisu hangs up the phone, takes a breath, and grabs the pillow on the bed and hugs it tightly.
"Hachiman-kun is excellent as expected. I want him to move up to A class as soon as possible."
I said, tightening my embrace. It's like comparing a pillow to something.
"...I won't be able to see you for the next two weeks...I'm sad."
Only at this moment did Arisu resent her own physical weakness. The time I spent with Hachiman in Arisu's heart has already become irreplaceable.
"I want to be pampered by Hachiman-kun just like Shiina-san..."
Arisu just keeps hugging her pillow to drown out her loneliness.
