Many Beauties

"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira. Since there won't be any class reshuffling later on, I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years..."

After her introduction, the forty students had absorbed all the useful information and listened attentively as Chabashira introduced the school.

The most useful information was probably the rules regarding points.

At this school, money was practically worthless. Points would replace currency and cover their daily living expenses.

Points were divided into class points and personal points, and every new student would receive one hundred thousand points.

That was equivalent to one hundred thousand yen, or roughly five thousand yuan.

Providing every student with one hundred thousand points for free each month was no small expense.

Watching the excited expressions of the students around him, Hachiman Hikigaya sneered. They didn't know, but he knew very well that this school had hidden rules.

The students laughing so happily now would lose those smiles when next month came around.

After Chabashira finished introducing the school and answered a few students' questions, she left the classroom expressionlessly.

The moment she left, the class became lively. Students who had found friends began talking about their hopes for the future, their eyes full of excitement.

If he hadn't known the plot in advance, Hachiman believed he would have felt the same way as them after being given one hundred thousand yen a month.

"Everyone, excuse me. Could you stop for a moment and listen to what I have to say?"

At that moment, a handsome boy stood up from his seat with a bright, charming smile.

The students in the class immediately turned their attention toward him.

It had to be said, being handsome really came with privileges. If it had been an ordinary person, he might not have gotten this kind of response.

Damn handsome guys!

Hachiman grumbled inwardly, having little interest in what he was about to say.

"From now on, we'll be classmates. To help us get to know each other as quickly as possible, why don't we introduce ourselves?

"I'll start. My name is Yosuke Hirata. Back in middle school, everyone called me Yosuke, and I hope you can call me that too.

"I like playing soccer... Please take care of me in the future!"

Hirata introduced himself confidently. With that speech and his outstanding looks, he had already secured first pick in the dating pool for the next three years.

Hachiman clicked his tongue softly. Looking at the dozen or so girls drawn to him, he felt annoyed.

I'm more handsome than him, okay?

"Who wants to play this stupid kids' game with you?!"

The self-introductions had been going well at first. They were a little awkward, but they had continued smoothly enough.

That was until it reached a tall, red-haired man. He stood up irritably, his face full of impatience. After tossing out that one sentence, he left the classroom without caring what anyone else thought.

"...Sigh." Horikita let out a quiet sigh and followed the red-haired man out of the classroom.

"What an arrogant bunch," Hachiman muttered.

In a sense, Horikita at the beginning was no different from a troublesome student. She wouldn't unite with her classmates and even isolated herself from the entire class. That was probably the same arrogant mindset common among troublemakers.

Well, it's not like I'm some obedient good boy either.

With that thought, Hachiman stood up as well. His looks were indeed striking, and the slightest movement from him immediately drew the attention of several girls.

Ignoring their infatuated gazes, he needed to put on the image of a cool, aloof guy at times like this. That was the best way to arouse their curiosity.

As long as your character model was absurdly overpowered, you wouldn't have to worry about an empty pillow in the future.

Hirata wanted to call out and stop him, but he didn't even know Hachiman's name. The words he was about to say died in his throat.

As he passed by, Hachiman glanced at the expressionless boy beside him and met his calm, unfathomable eyes.

So this is the legendary Artificial Genius? There was clearly no emotion in those eyes, yet they were unexpectedly terrifying.

The entrance ceremony ended, marking the moment all the new students officially became members of the school. For the next three years, they would spend their time here under closed management.

At the convenience store, Hachiman spotted an acquaintance the moment he walked in.

When that person saw Hachiman, she couldn't help rubbing her forehead with a sigh.

"Running into each other three times in one day... I really don't know whether this is a coincidence or something you did on purpose. Or is my luck just that bad today?"

Horikita mercilessly mocked him.

The corner of Hachiman's mouth twitched. He gave her a pleasant smile and said, "You can't put it like that. This should count as fate. Looks like we're destined to meet."

"...Fine. Next time I go out, I'll check the almanac first."

Hachiman resisted the urge to slap her. The current Horikita really wasn't cute at all.

"By the way, what do you think of this school?"

Horikita asked Hachiman while looking over the products on the shelves.

"There are lots of beautiful girls."

Horikita: ...

"I thought you were different from the others."

There was a trace of disappointment in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

Horikita picked out something she liked and placed it in her shopping basket before speaking slowly. "Most people would either feel uneasy or excited after suddenly receiving an amount equivalent to one hundred thousand yen.

"Of course, maybe I misunderstood. Perhaps you're simply like that guy—someone whose face doesn't show much expression."

Her observation was meticulous. It was hard to imagine that someone as arrogant as her had actually noticed his expression.

The guy she meant was probably Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the other person seated beside her.

"There's nothing different about me. I'm just naturally suspicious. Being suddenly given one hundred thousand yen gives me a bad feeling. There's a saying in China: there's no such thing as a free lunch. I don't believe this school would be kind enough to give us one hundred thousand points every month.

"If that were really the case, it would be far too dreamlike. This place doesn't feel like a school at all. It feels more like heaven."

Hachiman didn't spell it out. He didn't want to reveal the inside information he knew.

Whether it was Class A or Class D, he had little interest in it. He also had no intention of helping this class rise to a higher level.

"I see. That's somewhat similar to what I think."

Horikita nodded thoughtfully and continued, "The school gives students one hundred thousand points every month, yet the store has free goods on display. No matter how you look at it, it seems a little too good to be true."

She noticed the free products displayed in the store. Hachiman only glanced at them before losing interest and looking away.

Soon afterward, a minor dispute broke out in the convenience store. Uninterested in it, Hachiman left the store together with Horikita.