By then, Yukino had realized who this person was.
Hachiman Hikigaya, a fellow student at her school—and the boy her supposed "former friend," Yui Yuigahama, was rumored to like.
He was also one of the victims of Blonde Yukino's womanizing ways.
"So this boy started a Service Club dedicated to solving the problems of students at this school, and I'm the client you dragged in here this week, Teacher, even though I still don't know what I'm supposed to ask for?"
Teacher Hiratsuka smiled brightly, both hands in her pockets. "I told you about this last week."
Yukino's expressionless face paused. "...Even hearing it a second time, I still find it absurd."
Shizuka Hiratsuka chuckled and patted Yukino on the head. "This girl has a rather difficult personality. President Hikigaya, her request is for you to help her fix her terrible personality."
Hachiman Hikigaya looked over at them. His dead-fish eyes made him look like he wanted to punch anyone who caught his gaze, and his whole body radiated, "I'm so depressed, please just let me be a good-for-nothing in peace."
His features were actually well-defined, even handsome, but those dead-fish eyes really ruined the mood.
Yukino's head was about to be patted flat. "I won't say much about your assessment of my personality, but your request is far too vague. Couldn't you choose something else?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at her with interest. "Do you have another idea, Yukino?"
Yukino thought for a moment. "As it happens, I've recently been worrying about finding a tutor. If President Hikigaya could solve that problem for me, I'd be very grateful."
"Oh, my! Yukino has finally remembered her terrible grades. I'm so moved I could cry!"
Under the stares of two expressionless faces, Shizuka Hiratsuka quickly abandoned her over-the-top act. She cleared her throat and looked at Hachiman. "Well, President Hikigaya, what do you think of this request?"
Hachiman looked at Yukino. "I heard you're transferring to Year 2 Class F?"
Yukino's expression was calm. "Other than Teacher Hiratsuka, I doubt any of the teachers would accept a blight like me into their class."
Hachiman's tone was dry. "It's great that you're self-aware."
Yukino: "..."
"I'll take the request. I'll help her look through the candidates and get in touch with them as soon as I can," said the dead-fish-eyed club president, who looked as if he didn't want to do anything at all.
"Then today's goal has been successfully completed!" Shizuka Hiratsuka laughed with her hands on her hips, then added as if it had just occurred to her, "Actually, if you need a tutor, Hachiman wouldn't be a bad choice. He's third in the year for humanities."
I got into this school with the highest humanities score in the year!
Damn it, that was only because she'd fallen more than a year behind!
Yukino mentally dug up Blonde Yukino's corpse again!
At the same time, the dead-fish-eyed club president answered in a flash. "My science grades are awful. I don't want to mislead a student."
Yukino gave a cold laugh. "It's great that you're self-aware enough to know that."
Hachiman: "..."
And so President Hikigaya, who had worn the same dead-fish expression all along, finally folded his arms and turned away with a tsk.
A little of the youthful spirit that a boy his age should have had—though only a tiny bit remained in him—showed through.
As they left, Yukino saw that Hachiman, who had just managed to prop himself up when he accepted the request, was now draped over the desk like a completely lifeless fish.
She closed the Service Club room's door and left with Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Walking beside her, Shizuka turned her head and studied her again. "You've changed, Yukino."
Yukino's heart skipped a beat, but her expression and tone remained unruffled. "Of course. There are over a hundred posts on the Campus Forum today saying I've gotten prettier."
Shizuka smiled softly without arguing. "Sometimes, watching you students grow more and more energetic, we teachers feel like we've gotten much younger, too."
This time, Yukino glanced at her but didn't make a sarcastic remark.
Though they'd only just met, Yukino felt that Teacher Hiratsuka really was a good person.
Teacher Hiratsuka smiled. "That boy Hachiman actually likes you quite a bit."
Yukino's expressionless face let out a soft "Ah," to show her surprise. "Should I commit seppuku to wash away this disgrace?"
Teacher Hiratsuka patted her head again and smiled. "You little rascal."
Yukino truly didn't believe that Hachiman liked her.
Blonde Yukino might have been five points less beautiful than the black-haired Yukino, but she was still a cute, popular girl at school. When she took the initiative, there were few innocent, pathetic boys who could turn down her confessions.
As one of the fish in Blonde Yukino's pond, Hachiman had naturally been confessed to by her, too.
Back then, Yui Yuigahama had been his classmate and was close to him. When Blonde Yukino heard that the two were about to live happily ever after, she stuck her nose into it, and Yui and Hachiman's relationship fell apart.
But he didn't get together with Blonde Yukino, either.
He chose neither of them.
Hachiman Hikigaya was one of only two boys Blonde Yukino, the scummy womanizer, had ever failed to win over.
The next day, news that Yukino might transfer from the famous international studies class, Year 2 Class J, to another class became more likely than not. The class was soon abuzz with the rumor.
In Year 2 Class F, the popular group led by Yumiko Miura was still chatting about fashion magazines.
Onozawa Kaho, a gossip enthusiast, leaned against Miura's desk and suddenly said, "Would someone as unpleasant as Yukino really like girls?"
Yui Yuigahama let out a quiet sigh.
The truth was, if it had been the Yukino from before, Yui wouldn't have been surprised if she fell for anyone.
Junko Kamizawa gently put an arm around Yui's shoulder, her sweet smile brimming with curiosity. "Yui, were you really friends with Yukino before?"
Yui gave an awkward smile. "I wouldn't say we were friends, but we did know each other."
"Come on, tell us! I'm curious!"
"Yukino's family car almost hit my dog, so she came to talk things over with me. That's how we got to know each other."
"Huh??? What about Hikigaya?"
"Actually, Hikigaya was the one who saved my dog. That's how I met him."
"So the rumor that you like Hikigaya is false?"
"...That's right."
She didn't really want to bring up that sort of topic—in fact, she was quite resistant to it. But even more than that, she hated how she instinctively gave in to people and tried to please them in social situations.
Having satisfied her curiosity, Junko let go of Yui and sidled up to Yumiko Miura. "Yumiko, Yumiko."
"What?" Yumiko Miura asked with a casual air, exuding an easygoing languor.
Junko wore a mischievous smile. "Could Yukino have come here specifically for you, Yumiko?"
Miura froze for a moment, then slammed her hand on the desk in embarrassed anger. "H-How could she? That unpleasant girl!"
Just then, the bell rang, and Teacher Hiratsuka entered with a black-haired girl.
Her glossy black hair flowed over her shoulders, making her pale skin and cherry-colored lips stand out even more.
She had a beauty that was both dignified and clear.
The girl's gaze swept over to Yumiko.
Yumiko Miura's ears suddenly turned bright red.
Though President Hikigaya had spent years with a cloud of gloom hanging over his head, he was surprisingly efficient. By the next day, he had already given Yukino the contact information for the tutors he'd found and screened in the Service Club room.
Yukino thanked him, but the club president only sighed.
"It'd be nice if you could turn over a new leaf and stop ruining the atmosphere in class."
Yukino was surprised. "You, a man who'd keep hiding in a corner even if the world ended, actually saying something so selfless. That's rare."
She had no memory of ever knowing President Hikigaya, but she still felt they didn't get along—a case of their birth signs being incompatible.
Hachiman rolled his eyes. "That's because, since yesterday, your chances of getting a confession accepted have become almost one hundred percent."
In other words, compared to Blonde Yukino, black-haired Yukino's power to charm and wreak havoc had increased exponentially.
Yukino thought about it for a moment, then finally understood. "Ah, so you're complimenting me."
Hachiman: "..."
He waved her away with an exasperated look. "Just go already."
Yukino obligingly left. Before closing the door, she saw Hachiman Hikigaya sitting alone in the empty Service Club room, his hands interlaced beneath his chin as he gazed out the window.
The room was so large that he seemed a little lonely all by himself.
Before closing the door, Yukino couldn't help asking, "Doesn't a school club need a minimum number of members? A club that breaks school rules like this could be shut down with one report, couldn't it?"
Hachiman: "..."
"I'm kidding. Next time President Hikigaya makes me angry, I'll take the whole club down with one fatal blow."
Well, that was a joke, too.
Yukino cheerfully shut the door.
Maybe it was because she'd been forced to pretend she liked girls. Having given up and decided to let things go, she really had become more and more shameless lately.
Back in the classroom, Yukino returned to her seat alone.
She quickly added the LINE account of the tutor President Hikigaya had contacted.
"Hello."
It was an utterly ordinary greeting, brimming with the haughty self-assurance of a wealthy client.
But it wasn't until the class ended that the prospective tutor finally replied.
"Hello, I'm applying to be your tutor. I'm Eriri Sawamura from Toyogasaki Academy. Are you Yui Yuigahama? [smile]"
Yukino picked up her phone and studied the screen for a few moments, trying to figure out whether that yellow-bean smiley was passive-aggressive or passive-aggressive.
There was no helping it. A woman who'd made the entire school hate her had to be cautious and steady, with a maxed-out persecution complex to boot.
Yukino sent another message.
"Yes. Here are the pay and the weekly teaching hours. [image]"
The other person sent a message as well. "That's a good salary. I'll do my best. Also, here's my transcript from my second year of high school. [image]"
Yukino had thought this was nothing more than an ordinary tutor recruitment, but she never expected the system to trigger a new option at that moment:
[The system has selected the best current option for reversing your negative image: accept and hire this tutor.]
Yukino: "..."
No way. No way this was just a coincidence, right?
With a prompt that certain, this tutor had to be one of the High Popularity Characters the system had mentioned.
Sure enough, when Yukino searched the Campus Forum for Eriri Sawamura, she found her name on the list of victims.
Hachiman, I really am going to report you!
Yukino resentfully chose to accept.
[Selection complete. Spirit +1]
Yukino again felt a faint coolness spread from her forehead throughout her body, reaching every corner of her torso and limbs.
Without bragging, she'd always had a pretty good head on her shoulders. If she kept getting these kinds of power-ups, perhaps she could surpass her older sister in every way.
The girl, Yukino, still didn't really want to know—or dare to find out—what her family relationships were like now. But her lifelong determination to surpass her older sister hadn't changed.
Yukino rested her chin in her hand and began to think.
This strange system of unknown origin seemed suspicious, but she really did need it right now.
...Wait.
Why did that sound so scummy? Like, "I love your money, but you're still so ugly, so I'll just grit my teeth and bear it"?
Oh no, oh no. Had Blonde Yukino's scummy scent already contaminated the pure and innocent me?
Though her mind was full of sarcastic remarks, Yukino still looked as pure as the snow atop a mountain.
Even though she was still all alone, she carried herself with a proud, unquestioning solitude.
Before you continue