"Hey, Hikigaya. I'll be joining the study group starting today, so I look forward to working with you."
After school, a week before the exam, I headed to our usual meeting place to go to the library.
Today, in addition to Hiyori and Ichinose, Sakanayanagi was there too.
"Starting today? Is Class A going to be okay?"
"On Saturday and Sunday, we gathered everyone who was taking part and went over the key points for the midterm exams from morning until night. From today through Friday, everyone will review on their own, and we're planning to hold another large-scale study session the weekend before the exams."
"I see. As expected of Class A. Your motivation to study is absurdly high."
"Mm. There's something I've been meaning to ask you, though. You're surprisingly motivated, Hikigaya. I thought you'd be satisfied as long as you got average marks."
"Actually, I've been curious too. Is it for the Class Points?"
Sakanayanagi and Hiyori, whom I'd known for quite some time, asked me.
Ichinose looked puzzled beside them, probably because she didn't know me well enough yet.
"Well, I talked to Chabashira-sensei about it before. She agreed that I could get reward points if I did well on the midterm exams."
"Huh? You can do that?"
"During swimming class, the PE teacher said the winner of a competition would get 5,000 Private Points. So I figured teachers might have some leeway to adjust Private Points, and I tried asking. It worked."
"I see. But Mashima-sensei is too serious to agree to something like that."
Sakanayanagi said that, and I had to agree.
Mashima-sensei's classes were very by-the-book.
He wasn't as laid-back as Chabashira-sensei, but I had nothing to complain about.
"By the way, Hachiman, how many points can you get?"
"Up to 200,000."
"That's a lot! The teacher's really generous."
"But only if I come first in all five subjects and the combined score."
"Right. Without that kind of condition, 200,000 would be absurd. As the representative of Class A, I can't go easy on you, so I might get in your way... But I'll be rooting for you in spirit."
Sakanayanagi spoke from her position as Class A's leader.
If I, from Class D, came in first in the year, it would probably affect class morale.
"Thanks. But we should get going, right?"
We matched Sakanayanagi's pace as we headed to the shoe lockers, changed our shoes, and made our way to the library.
However—
"Bastard! Don't get carried away!!"
As soon as we entered the library, we saw Sudo, Class D's problem student, gripping an unfamiliar boy by the collar.
Ayanokoji and Kushida tried to stop him, but Sudo wouldn't listen.
Hey, hey, is this idiot really going to throw a punch in a library full of security cameras? Has he got rocks in his head?
If you were going to get violent at this school, you were supposed to do it where there weren't any cameras. Otherwise, your class would lose points... Though Class D didn't have any points to lose in the first place.
"Wait! You'll lose points if you hit him!"
"I've got no points left to lose!!"
So having no points meant he could hit anyone he wanted?
Didn't he even consider that he might get expelled?
Was this guy not only bad at school but completely lacking in common sense, too?
While I was silently exasperated, Ichinose had already started toward the commotion.
"Are you going to get involved?"
I asked without thinking. She nodded.
"If we don't stop them, everyone will get dragged into it."
She hurried between Sudo and the other boys and spread her arms wide.
"Stop! All of you, stop!"
"None of your business! Stay out of it!"
"None of my business? I'm a student who uses the library, so I can't just ignore a disturbance. If you're determined to fight, please take it outside."
Faced with Sudo's fierce expression, Ichinose didn't back down. She calmly stated the obvious.
Sudo's momentum faltered, and he let go.
Then she turned to the boys who'd been provoking him.
"Also, you've been provoking him too much, haven't you? If you keep this up, I'll have to report you to the school. Is that okay?"
"Y-yeah, sorry! We didn't mean for it to get this bad..."
At the word "report," the other boys immediately backed down.
As for Sudo, he'd probably just gotten worked up on a whim and decided to stop.
"Come on, let's go! Studying in a place like this will make us catch the idiots' stupidity!"
"R-right..."
The boys who'd been arguing with Sudo got up to leave, but when they met my eyes, they glared at me.
"Studying with three girls, huh? You're living the good life, Hikigaya."
"I'm not trying to show off. You guys should quit making a scene in the library."
"Tch... Got cocky just because Ryuen's taken an interest in you? A piece of trash from Class D like you has no right to get close to Ryuen or Shiina! Stay away from them from now on!"
Huh... So this was the first warning.
I took out my phone and started tapping away as I asked Hiyori,
"Hiyori, what's this guy's name?"
"That's Ishizaki. Why?"
"Nothing... Hey, Ryuen?"
When I called Ryuen, the two boys in front of me went pale, but I ignored them.
"What's up, Hikigaya? If you're calling me, someone must've broken the rules, right?"
"Yeah. There's a guy named Ishizaki in the library. If you don't believe me, you can ask Hoshinomiya-sensei to check the security footage."
Ordinary students couldn't access the security footage, of course.
But Ryuen and I had signed an agreement in front of a teacher, so we could check the footage through our witness, Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"No need. I doubt you'd lie about the agreement. Put Ishizaki on."
"Sure. Hey, Ishizaki, Ryuen wants to talk to you."
"Eek—!"
Ishizaki trembled in fear.
Just how much of a tyrant was Ryuen in his class?
"R-Ryuen! I was only trying to help Class C... Eek! Y-yes! I'm terribly sorry for breaking the agreement! Yes! I'll pay... What?! A hundred thousand? But the agreement says fifty thousand... Y-yes! I'll pay! Please go easy on me! I understand!"
Ishizaki tremblingly handed the phone back to me.
"Sorry that idiot caused you trouble. According to the agreement, he should pay fifty thousand, but as punishment and to warn the rest of Class C, I'm making him pay a hundred thousand. That okay with you?"
I see.
Making him pay double would ensure Ishizaki never broke the agreement again and set an example for the rest of Class C, showing them how serious the consequences were.
As far as I was concerned, I was all for getting a hundred thousand instead of fifty.
"That's fine. I look forward to the next time someone in your class breaks the agreement."
"Too bad. There won't be a next time. Tomorrow, I'll crush Ishizaki in front of the entire class so they understand the cost of breaking an agreement."
And with that, he hung up.
He'd made Ishizaki pay double and was still going to crush him?
Ryuen really was dangerous.
Setting that aside for now...
"Anyway, hurry up and transfer the hundred thousand. I still have to study."
"Bastard..."
"Th-that Ryuen said a hundred thousand, but would fifty thousand be enough...? (Ah, I just remembered I have something to discuss with Ryuen)... Forget I said anything! I'll pay! I'll pay right now!"
Ishizaki's friend had tried to plead on his behalf, but the moment he heard Ryuen's name, he changed his tune.
That guy really was a dictator.
Just then, Ishizaki held out his phone with a trembling hand. I showed him my payment code and received the hundred thousand points.
Once I confirmed the payment had gone through, the two of them—mostly Ishizaki—left the library with their heads down, their backs radiating misery.
"Okay, let's find some seats."
Though I doubted we'd find four seats together.
"Is this really okay? The thing with Class C..."
"The official agreement's fine."
As I said that, I took a copy of the agreement from my bag and showed it to Ichinose.
She read it carefully, then nodded in approval.
"I see. It really is an official agreement. Though I'm surprised Hoshinomiya-sensei is the witness."
"Getting a teacher from Class C or Class D would look biased, so we needed a witness from a third party."
"You really thought this through. Oh, Hachiman, there are four seats over there."
I looked where Sakanayanagi was pointing, and there were indeed some open seats.
"Let's go."
"By the way, if you're going to study, keep it down."
After Ichinose said that to Sudo and the others, we were just about to head for the seats when—
"Wait."
Horikita called out to me.
Was she about to ask me to help teach those three idiots?
"What?"
"Can I see that agreement from earlier?"
What was she talking about all of a sudden...? Oh, was she worried the agreement might disadvantage Class D?
"Here."
The agreement didn't hurt Class D anyway.
When Horikita took it, the other students gathered around to look, too.
"Fifty thousand for the right to spend time together? Even if you have money, you shouldn't throw it around like that."
"Sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, spending 500,000 to spend twenty-four hours with Hiyori is an absolute bargain."
It had been quite a while since I'd transferred the 500,000 to Ryuen, but I'd never regretted it.
"Honestly, Hachiman... That makes me so happy."
Beside me, Hiyori bashfully fidgeted, and she was incredibly cute.
I wanted to hug her right then, but I held back. Getting expelled for making out in front of the library staff would be a problem.
Besides, Class Points were hard to earn, but there were plenty of ways to get Private Points at this school. It wouldn't take long to save up 500,000.
Gambling, reward points, and I also planned to start trading information later.
"You mean those reward points? You're certainly motivated. If only you'd put that effort toward the class..."
"Am I not helping? I openly shared the information about the changes to the exam scope."
"That's only natural."
"There are plenty of people in our class who can't even do what's natural."
Quite a few people felt confident about the midterms, but only five or six were actually contributing to the class.
"Anyway, we're leaving. Is there anything else?"
"Wait! Hikigaya, you should help out too—"
"Good luck."
I cut off Horikita's request and left with Sakanayanagi and the others.
"Are you really okay with that?" Ichinose asked.
It was completely fine. Those three idiots wouldn't listen to me teach them anyway.
"It's fine... Wait, when did someone take our seats?"
Looks like somebody had grabbed them while we were chatting.
"Can't be helped. Let's go to Hachiman's room," Sakanayanagi suggested.
When the library was full or closed, we often studied in my room.
"Let's go."
So we left the library.
It was a waste of time, but at least I'd earned a hundred thousand points, so it was worth it.
In the end, we studied in my room until the early hours of the morning.
Of course, the other students who'd witnessed everything in the library weren't in quite such a good mood.
"Damn it... Why does that guy get to be so popular?"
"All three of them just naturally went to Hikigaya's room... Why am I the one who has to suffer through studying here?"
"Ayanokoji-kun, do all boys care about things like this?"
"Most boys would care, wouldn't they?"
Before you continue