Chapter 219: Sakayanagi Arisu's Material Inducement
"No, Kushida-san, you've misunderstood.
Class B and Class D are not cooperating; it is a transaction." Shiina Hiyori reiterated this point.
"Is there any difference?" The students of Class D looked at each other, failing to comprehend the distinction. Hikigaya, however, understood it in an instant.
Shiina Hiyori's eyebrows curved as she looked at him with a smile: "It seems Hachiman-kun already understands."
'Hachiman! How come another girl is calling you by your first name!'
Several girls cast unfriendly gazes toward Hikigaya.
"Sorry, I don't get it." Hikigaya had no desire to steal the spotlight.
"Really, Hachiman-kun, being too modest at times isn't a good thing either." Shiina Hiyori praised Hikigaya in a roundabout way.
"Since it's a transaction, what price does your Class B intend to pay?" Horikita Suzune took over the conversation.
Shiina Hiyori held up two fingers: "How about 20,000 personal points per person?"
"20,000 per person?!"
"Everyone gets it?!" As soon as it involved their own interests, the members of Class D all became high-spirited. A first-place finish in a single event at the sports festival only rewarded 5,000 points. The 20,000 points Shiina Hiyori offered was truly hard to resist!
"With so many points, I'm afraid they won't be easy to take?" Kushida Kikyo raised a doubt. Everyone understands the logic that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
"No, Class D only needs to agree to one condition of ours, and you can receive this sum of points immediately."
"What condition?"
"Class D's participant entry list." Now everyone understood. Everything was exactly as Hikigaya's previous "heart-condemning" remarks had suggested.
Exposing the entry list was equivalent to selling out the class.
The only difference was that Class B wasn't secretly bribing individuals from Class D to act as spies; they were conducting a direct, clearly priced transaction!
"Impossible! Once the list is leaked, Class B will make targeted deployments. In every event of the sports festival, we will inevitably fall into a passive position." Horikita Suzune resolutely disagreed.
"We don't have much of a chance of winning anyway, so wouldn't it be better to just trade for some points?" Shinohara Satsuki openly opposed her. To increase her persuasiveness, she even dragged Kushida in: "Kushida-san, you think so too, right?"
"Uh..." Kushida Kikyo really wanted to go against Horikita, but she was also worried about contradicting Hikigaya's stance. Thus, she asked tentatively: "What does Hachiman-kun think?"
"I don't care, do as you please." Hikigaya made it clear he didn't want to get involved.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Hachiman." Shiina Hiyori smiled at him again.
'No, I'm just staying out of it. How did that become 'cooperation'?'
"Hmph! As long as it's confirmed that you, Dead-fish Eyes, won't interfere with this exam, that's enough!" Ryuen Kakeru, who had been staying to the side, couldn't help but speak up.
"I haven't guaranteed anything.
If you guys go too far, I might find it unbearable and take action." Hikigaya looked at the other party with cold eyes.
"Tch! You sure know how to talk big!" Though he said so verbally, Ryuen Kakeru would not let down his guard.
Just like that, except for Horikita Suzune who was resolutely opposed, most of Class D agreed to the deal of exchanging the entry list for personal points.
"The transaction contract has been drafted. If there are no problems, please Class D—"
"Wait! Fortunately, we're not late."
At that moment, another group of young students appeared at the door of Class D's classroom. The newcomers were the students of Class C, led by Sakayanagi Arisu.
'Speaking of which, you've arrived, but what's the meaning of specifically looking over at me?' Hikigaya remained silent.
"Sakayanagi, take your dogs and get the hell out of here!"
Ryuen Kakeru glared at her fiercely.
Kamuro Masumi and Kito Hayato stood to the left and right, shielding Sakayanagi Arisu. Although Classes B and C were both allies in the White Group, their leaders were like fire and water!
"Ara~ even if Ryuen-kun is in a hurry, I won't take you under my wing."
This "loli brat" was indeed very capable when it came to making people angry. With just a few words, she turned Ryuen Kakeru "red-hot" with rage!
"Sakayanagi-san, may I ask why you've come to our class today?"
Kushida Kikyo's eyes flickered as she intentionally gave a prompt: "Could it be that, like Class B, you're also here to talk about a deal?"
"Yes." Sakayanagi Arisu admitted it magnanimously. Her voice was light, but her words carried immense weight!
"Whatever Class B can give you, our Class C can give as well.
Even things Class B cannot give you, our Class C can provide." This blatant material inducement made the people of Class D hang their heads like hooked fish.
"Sakayanagi-san's style is indeed different from Katsuragi-kun's; it's very aggressive." Shiina Hiyori looked at her deeply.
"You aren't simple either... Compared to the simple-minded Ryuen-kun, the clever Shiina-san is much more dangerous."
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at Shiina with interest, while simultaneously taking a jab at Ryuen, who was just standing there!
The two faced off with smiles, sparks faintly flying in the air. Suddenly, as if sensing something, they turned their heads toward the back of the classroom.
"Hikigaya-kun, where are you going?"
"It doesn't matter where I go, right?" Hikigaya gave a great stretch: "Anyway, you guys keep chatting slowly, I'm going to the bathroom."
Using the "urination escape" excuse, Hikigaya successfully withdrew from the chaotic Class D classroom.
"This is such a pain in the ass..." Hikigaya didn't go to the bathroom; instead, he went to the school's back garden. He pressed the button on a vending machine, bought a can of Max Coffee, and sat on a bench to enjoy it.
"Eh? Hikigaya-kun! Why are you here?" A voice filled with surprise came from behind him.
"That should be my line, Ichinose-san?" Hikigaya had a face full of helplessness.
"Ugh~ does Hikigaya-kun not want to see me?" Ichinose Honami looked piteous and aggrieved.
"It's not quite that... I just felt it was too noisy in the classroom." Hikigaya shook his head; he wouldn't take his frustrations out on others.
"Everyone is properly discussing strategies for the sports festival, right?"
Ichinose Honami wore a bitter smile; even in her Class A, different voices would emerge.
"Ah?! Sorry, Hikigaya-kun!"
As if thinking of something, Ichinose Honami hurriedly pressed her hands together in apology: "Please don't misunderstand, I really have no intention of prying for information from you!"
"I didn't misunderstand." Hikigaya felt a bit speechless and couldn't help but complain: "Why do each and every one of you view the class as being so important?"
"This... a sense of collective honor?" Ichinose Honami answered weakly.
"See, even you aren't firm enough." Hikigaya took a sip of his coffee.
Compared to the so-called "collective," he still preferred being alone, enjoying life by himself.
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