Chapter 421. Earth Dynamics
While the boyfriend was busy, the girlfriend was not idle either.
The moment Hikigaya Hachiman crossed over, a large number of special agents immediately swarmed the convenience store and invited Yukinoshita Yukino to leave with them.
There was a precedent for this: military generals had been mysteriously sniped in the head, and certain arrogant schemers in various nations who had plotted to kidnap Hikigaya Hachiman died in agonizing ways the moment the video started playing.
By now, the news of the deaths of so many conspirators could no longer be suppressed. This resulted in a chilling sensation down the necks of all remaining ambitious social climbers across the world. From then on, not only did they not dare to harbor designs on Hikigaya Hachiman, but they treated his cherished friends and family with the utmost respect.
Trembling with fear, they invited Yukino to the police bureau, took some statements, and then respectfully escorted her home.
With a stern look, Yukino offered a piece of advice to the Japanese officials: do not give them special treatment just because of their connection to Hikigaya Hachiman. If they were to accept such treatment, people's characters would inevitably become unbalanced to some degree.
Outsiders would become jealous, and they themselves might become tainted, potentially losing their original brilliance. Furthermore, it was inherently unfair—something she detested. Even if she was the one benefiting, she rejected such inequality.
"As Yukinoshita Yukino, and as Hikigaya-kun's girlfriend, I have all the more reason to refuse this preferential treatment... I may not reach his heights, but I have my own pride. I will rely on myself to create a future that even Hikigaya-kun can admire!"
"If you insist on giving something, then donate all the assets intended for me to orphanages!"
The agent sent by the Japanese government was stunned. She couldn't help but feel a surge of solemn respect. Although she was much older, she knew she couldn't make such a clean and resolute decision as Yukinoshita Yukino.
"She's like a queen of the night blooming on a snowy mountain... she makes one feel ashamed of their own unworthiness. No wonder she could compete with the likes of Emilia in the early stages of the future, and even see her popularity flare up again occasionally."
The agent's soft mutterings were met with the silent agreement of all her colleagues who were eavesdropping from within the bureau.
It was true that refusing the money was easier because the Yukinoshita family was already wealthy, but how many wealthy people could refuse even more money?
Most importantly, she donated it to orphanages and insisted that it not be publicized. Wealthy people with a conscience like Yukinoshita Yukino were few and far between in this world.
This girl, whose screen time in the broadcasted future was pitifully low, actually possessed such unique qualities. It was no wonder Hikigaya Hachiman always mentioned her and never forgot her while in the other world. She was absolutely a girl worth remembering!
...On the other side, unable to be as formidable as her "sister-in-law," Komachi hesitated but ultimately accepted a portion of the official gifts to improve her family's living conditions.
She hoped her parents would no longer have to be "corporate slaves" who worked from dawn to dusk until they aged prematurely. She also wanted to create a beautiful environment for her brother who would definitely return—at least so he wouldn't have to worry about money.
Hayama and his group were also invited out of the KTV. After some hesitation, Hayama reluctantly accepted a portion, keeping only half of that amount to return to his best friend, Hachiman.
The other half he gave to Miura Yumiko, Ebina Hina, Tobe Kakeru, and the others.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, dangling a cigarette from her mouth, acted differently from the rest. She brazenly accepted everything the officials offered, then drove straight to find Komachi and stuffed the money into her hands.
She told her: "When that kid gets back, remember to tell him that the officials owed him this. Don't feel any psychological burden; just take it."
As the only daughter of an old, prestigious family, Hiratsuka Shizuka had already heard rumors that someone within the official ranks had once ordered the capture of Hikigaya Hachiman. This money... hah, as compensation for her student, it wasn't even close to being enough!
At the same time, at Advanced Nurturing High School, Classes A, B, and C were in the middle of a break, heatedly discussing Hikigaya Hachiman's strength. They speculated which class he would be in if he entered this school and what a formidable opponent he would be.
People like Ryuen and Sakayanagi Arisu, who were also quite powerful, had their competitive spirits ignited and felt a deep sense of regret that they hadn't been the ones to cross over. They couldn't guarantee they would have done better, but the fact that they didn't even have a chance to compete on the same stage was a bit of a shame.
As the top high school students in Japan, the students of Advanced Nurturing High School naturally hoped beyond measure to show their faces to the world—no, it wasn't just them. Rather, anyone whose desire outweighed their fear would secretly pray for a chance to cross over. This was becoming a true global celebrity; their status and fame were more powerful than the President of the United States.
It just so happened that the person in the spotlight this time was a freak like Hikigaya Hachiman. Focused only on the "genuine," he didn't care at all about the wealth and status he
gained; his ego didn't inflate in the slightest, and he remained exactly as he always was. Anyone else would have been bursting with a sense of superiority by now.
There were very few people in the world who could encounter such a thing without letting it go to their head. In the entirety of Advanced Nurturing High School, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was the only other one.
"...A bunch of clowns."
His gaze swept over the indignant crowd. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had already left Class D and was walking toward the school gates. He was going to have a talk with his father.
He would use his father's power to get first-hand information on whether Hikigaya Hachiman had returned, as well as the privilege to approach Hikigaya Hachiman at will without being disturbed or investigated.
Originally, he didn't plan on coming back once he left; he could just have someone submit his withdrawal application.
But after hearing this bunch of clowns judging, comparing themselves to, and envying Hikigaya Hachiman, he—who once lacked emotion—now couldn't help but feel a sense of displeasure and cold mockery. He changed his mind.
After talking with his father, he would come back and submit the withdrawal himself. Along the way, he would "tidy up" this group of clowns so they would understand the meaning of the gap between them and reality.
For their desire to momentarily outweigh their fear made them nothing but pure fools.
If someone's desire could always outweigh their fear, that would be worth a nod of approval. In this school, only Ryuen and maybe two or three others could achieve that. Those were the only few people Ayanokouji Kiyotaka bothered to look at. It was because those few were around that Ayanokouji had found it interesting enough to stay and play for a bit—after all, Ryuen was quite fun.
But that was before.
Now, in his view, everyone in Advanced Nurturing High School combined—save for himself—wasn't worth a single Hikigaya Hachiman.
He had found his target.
"Heh... hehehe... hi... hihihahahahahaha!!"
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