Masayoshi Hashimoto

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Masayoshi Hashimoto (桥本正义)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Class A, Advanced Nurturing High School 18 19
Occupation/Role	Student; Class A intelligence-gatherer and supporter of Toru Hasegawa 19 34 35
First Appearance	Chapter 18

Appearance

Hashimoto is a blond boy in Class A. 18

• Blond hair. 18
• His appearance and social behavior lead Toru to describe him as already having a “playboy” image. 46

Personality

Hashimoto is intensely committed to Class A’s continued success. He sees the school’s advertised advancement and employment guarantees as privileges worth protecting, and he believes students must stay vigilant rather than wait for a crisis. 19 20

He is proactive, inquisitive, and comfortable using social connections to gather intelligence. He approached Toru out of curiosity, used the school phone’s location feature to find him, observed the other classes himself, and repeatedly pressed Toru for information about the school’s rules and possible class transfers. 18 19 28

Although he initially idealizes Arisu Sakayanagi as “Her Highness,” Hashimoto eventually prioritizes his trust in Toru over unquestioning loyalty to her. He openly supports Toru during Class A’s dispute over the leaked exam information, despite recognizing that doing so constitutes a betrayal of Sakayanagi’s trust. 19 20 35

Abilities & Skills

Swimming

Hashimoto is a capable swimmer, though he modestly describes his ability as merely “alright.” 18

• Completed the swimming trial in 26 seconds. 18
• Placed behind Hayato Kito’s winning 25-second time. 18

Intelligence Gathering

Hashimoto actively collects and evaluates information relevant to Class A’s position. 19 28

• Used the school-issued phone’s friends-list location feature to locate Toru. 28
• Observed Class B, C, and D independently, concluding that Classes C and D were disorganized. 28
• Recognized the possible connection between private points and class transfers. 28
• Relayed Toru’s warning about an upcoming examination to Arisu Sakayanagi. 34
• Quickly provided Toru with information on whether Arisu and Kohei Katsuragi had received messages from Miyabi Nagumo. 50

Social Maneuvering

Hashimoto builds contacts and uses casual interactions for strategic purposes. 18 19

• Initiated contact with Toru during swimming class and exchanged contact information afterward. 18
• Joined Toru and Kikyo Kushida for dinner at Sakura Pavilion, intending both to build rapport with Toru and obtain information. 19
• Invited Toru to lunch and to Kushida’s multi-class karaoke gathering. 29

Relationships

• Toru Hasegawa — Initially approached him out of curiosity and because of his connection to Sakayanagi; later became his friend, intelligence contact, and public supporter within Class A. Hashimoto offers to help Toru, while also warning that he would sell him out if circumstances required it. 18 20 28 34 35
• Arisu Sakayanagi — Initially treats her with near-reverence, calling her “Her Highness” and following her team. Toru’s account of her motives shakes this idealized image, and Hashimoto later supports Toru in a way that causes Sakayanagi to reassess her trust in him. 19 20 21 35
• Kikyo Kushida — Met through Toru at Keyaki Mall; they shared dinner, exchanged contact information, and later attended a karaoke gathering organized by her. 19 29
• Hayato Kito — Part of Sakayanagi’s lunch group alongside Hashimoto and Masumi Kamuro. 21
• Masumi Kamuro — Shares Class A social circles with her and joins a group outing that includes her, Toru, Airi Sakura, and Kushida. 21 46

Story Role / Major Arcs

Meeting Toru Hasegawa

Hashimoto introduces himself to Toru during a swimming lesson, where his 26-second result demonstrates his ability. He then accompanies Toru to Keyaki Mall and asks to exchange contact information. 18

At dinner with Kushida, Hashimoto makes clear that he considers Toru valuable to Class A. He urges constant vigilance, praises Toru’s guarded handling of Class D information, and argues that Kushida could be used to gather intelligence from other classes. 19

Reassessing Sakayanagi

After Toru explains his belief that Sakayanagi sees Class A’s students as pawns while consolidating the class to confront Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, Hashimoto is deeply shaken. He begins treating Toru’s insight into the school as comparable to Sakayanagi’s own. 20

He remains committed to Class A’s privileges, but challenges Toru over the possibility of class transfers and insists that the class must be prepared even for the possibility of falling from Class A. 28

Supporting Toru Against Class A

When Toru reveals that he leaked exam information to Class D, Hashimoto first hears Toru’s reasoning and agrees to pass it to Sakayanagi. 34

During Class A’s confrontation, Hashimoto publicly states that he believes Toru. He explains that Toru had voluntarily shared the information with him first and argues that Toru’s actions did not directly harm Class A. His intervention reduces the class’s hostility toward Toru but damages Sakayanagi’s trust in him. 35

Continuing as Toru’s Contact

Hashimoto continues to socialize with Toru, including group outings and lunches with Sakayanagi. 45 46

When Toru asks about Nagumo’s messages to Class A students, Hashimoto promptly confirms that neither Sakayanagi nor Katsuragi received one, then demands an explanation after Toru uses the information without elaborating. 50

Trivia

• Hashimoto calls Arisu Sakayanagi “Her Highness” because he believes she perfectly fits his image of a princess. 19
• He once attended karaoke with girls from Class A shortly after school began. 19
• He is one of only three male contacts on Toru’s school phone friends list at the time Toru checks it. 28
• He jokingly calls Toru “Lord Hasegawa,” a title Toru dislikes. 29