Hachiman Hikigaya's Personal Cooperation Proposal

"I also think it would be better to work together. When there are no conflicting interests, having an extra helper is always a good thing."

Horikita felt that this was something they could agree to.

Hikigaya quietly watched from the side as she made her choice.

Without a doubt, Horikita had now surpassed her abilities in the original story.

Having begun to show her potential, she had learned to seek cooperation.

If it had been the Horikita from the start of the school year, she probably would have rejected this kind of alliance without even thinking about it.

This was Horikita's growth under Hikigaya's influence.

Although Horikita was not yet fully capable of working with others, this much was already a pleasant surprise.

"Really? That's great."

Ichinose revealed a surprised smile, not expecting Horikita to agree so readily.

After discussing a few more details, Horikita prepared to leave.

"Aren't you leaving?"

Horikita glanced at Hikigaya, who had not offered a single suggestion from beginning to end.

Hikigaya smiled and shook his head. "You go on ahead. I'll talk with them for a while."

"Oh? Is it something I'm not allowed to hear?"

"Yeah, yeah. I wanted to ask Ichinose about her measurements. I'd feel embarrassed if you heard that."

The three of them were utterly dumbfounded.

"Huh? Hikigaya..."

Ichinose's face reddened, making her look even more bashful.

Kanzaki stared at Hikigaya in disbelief. Was that something he could just say out loud?

I really couldn't tell you were that kind of person, Hikigaya!

Horikita's face darkened, black lines practically appearing across her forehead.

Without replying, she turned and left.

Only after confirming that Horikita had gone did Hikigaya drop his act.

Noticing Hikigaya's gaze, Ichinose lowered her head shyly.

"Though it's a little embarrassing, my measurements are 95..."

Kanzaki: {{{ﾟДﾟ"}} Trembling

Hikigaya: ✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧

"Wait." Hikigaya raised a hand to stop her. If you actually say it, I'll get thrown into solitary confinement.

"I was just joking."

Ichinose froze in place. "Huh?"

"All right, back to the point. Is there anything else you wanted to tell us?"

The composed Kanzaki steered the strange atmosphere back on track.

His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table as he leaned back into the sofa, looking slightly more relaxed.

"Actually, I just wanted to know what your goals are from here on out.

Do you intend to uphold the ideal of having the entire class graduate together and happily spend these three years? Or are you also aiming for Class A?"

Hikigaya did not beat around the bush and asked directly.

"Isn't that obvious? Of course we'll work hard to graduate as Class A!

Even Class D has that goal. We're the class closest to Class A, so isn't it only natural for us to have that ambition?"

Kanzaki stated it as if it were self-evident, without even a moment of hesitation.

Hikigaya smiled. "In that case, our cooperative relationship isn't absolutely secure."

At that, the two across from him both paused.

"If both of us are aiming for Class A, and our two classes are forced to face each other later, what will you choose?"

"Isn't that obvious? We'll each do our best."

Ichinose spoke with a smile. "Though it would be hard to accept if that happened, there wouldn't be much we could do about it."

"Hikigaya, it's about time you stated your real purpose."

As expected of Class B's leader. Ichinose looked like an angel whose only role was holding the class together, but she actually possessed tremendous hidden potential.

She immediately noticed that Hikigaya was not kindly warning them.

"Your cooperation with Horikita is class-to-class cooperation, and you have successfully reached a consensus."

The corner of Hikigaya's mouth lifted slightly, and his entire bearing carried an indescribable sense of pressure.

"My goal, however, is to conduct a cooperative transaction with you personally, centered on me."

The two across from him were both intrigued by Hikigaya's words, and Ichinose smiled as she gestured for him to continue.

"Please explain in detail. What exactly do you want to cooperate with us on?"

After taking a sip of coffee, Hikigaya spoke unhurriedly.

"From now on, I'll help Class B pull Class A down and take Class A's position."

The moment he said that, the two of them were instantly shocked. It was an extraordinarily crazy and confident proposal.

But neither of them seemed tempted. They did not believe Hikigaya alone could make it happen.

They had not seen Hikigaya's abilities, so naturally, they would not trust him easily.

"You said this was a cooperative transaction. What do you want in return?"

Though she did not believe him, Ichinose still asked patiently.

"I'll ensure that you maintain Class A's position for two years, guaranteeing the value of the transaction.

If I succeed, then..."

Hikigaya pointed a finger at Ichinose and slowly said, "As payment for success, Honami Ichinose, you will transfer to Class D and become one of us."

The two of them sharply contracted their pupils as they quickly processed the information Hikigaya had revealed.

Hikigaya was in no hurry and quietly waited for their answer.

After a long while, having finally accepted the terms of this cooperation, Ichinose gave her answer.

"I'm sorry, Hikigaya. Although Class A is truly enticing, I still want to graduate together with my classmates.

So I can't accept your proposal."

Ichinose seriously rejected Hikigaya's offer.

Hikigaya did not react much and simply spread his hands.

"All right, all right. Just treat it as a joke."

With that, Hikigaya stood up and took his leave.

As he walked past them on his way out, Ichinose patted her chest, clearly still shocked by Hikigaya's proposal.

Hikigaya did not feel the slightest disappointment, because he had known from the very beginning that they would not accept such terms.

But that was fine, Ichinose.

From now on, I'll go all out and drive Class B straight into the abyss, leaving you with no possibility of resistance.

When that time comes, no matter how unwilling you are to accept these terms, faced with your only lifeline, you'll have no choice but to cling to it desperately.

"That idiot!"

On her way back to the Dormitory, Horikita muttered angrily to herself.

Whenever she recalled Hikigaya asking someone else about her measurements with that sleazy grin, she felt uncomfortable.

Since when had she started caring about something like that?

Clearly, she and Hikigaya had no relationship at all.

Yet she always ended up feeling disappointed. Why? Why?

"Hello, Horikita. Your knight in shining armor has arrived."

Just as she was in a bad mood, a familiar voice echoed beside her, and an extra shadow appeared at her feet.

"Huh? Your face looks awful. Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Horikita shot him a fierce glare, and Hikigaya awkwardly waved his hands.

"What did you talk about with them?"

Horikita still cared a great deal about that.

"Didn't I say? I was just curious..."

Feeling the murderous glare, Hikigaya gave an embarrassed smile.

"I was joking. We just chatted a little. Nothing particularly important."

Horikita snorted coldly and did not speak to Hikigaya again.

"Hey, Horikita, why don't you tell me your mea—"

Before he could finish, a silver flash swept through the air as Horikita launched a spinning kick without hesitation.

Faced with the attack filled with fury, Hikigaya quickly dodged.

"White... what a wonderful color."

The moment he finished sighing, all of Horikita's emotions exploded.

"Stop, stop! Cut it out! Aahhh!!!"

For a time, Hikigaya's screams echoed endlessly down the road. It was simply inhumane!