Hachiman's Meritocracy Classroom Chapter 10

"Weren't you also early?" Sae Chabashira retorted.

"...Heh heh—" x2

Both of them seemed to have laughed.

It was just an awkward laugh.

Both of them understood that it had actually been a confrontation, and a rather intense one at that.

Hachiman deliberately mentioning that she arrived early was meant to indicate her impatience, and Chabashira responded directly, implying that his early arrival was due to his eagerness to obtain the mission she had issued.

In other words, don't kick a man when he's down.

"A day has passed," Chabashira said directly, without further beating around the bush. "You should have some answers."

"..." Hachiman. "Yes, this school is indeed very different, and it seems to use class competition to motivate students."

"Oh?" Chabashira lightly removed her cigarette. "What do you mean?"

"Today, Kushida and I visited the school buildings for all three grades."

"And we found that the setup was the same: a bulletin board and a small blackboard. Except for the blackboard in our first-year building, which was blank with no writing."

"The blackboards for the second and third years both had numbers."

"The pattern is the same, divided into ABCD followed by a string of numbers," Hachiman said.

"Mm," Chabashira nodded calmly. "And then?"

"I surmise it's some kind of evaluation standard," Hachiman said. "It's an evaluation obtained from the school, on a class-by-class basis."

"I observed that students in second-year Class D and third-year Classes C and D were living lives of privilege."

"So that aligns with this point."

"Their evaluations are very weak; for example, third-year Class D only has 20 points."

"And the living expenses they can get from the school are definitely very low," Hachiman said. "It's absolutely not enough to live on."

Oh.

Chabashira nodded slightly.

I see.

So that means... Class D really hit the jackpot this time.

"Your insight is quite good," Chabashira said, pressing her cigarette against the railing. "Then I've found the right person to entrust with the task of investigating the classmates and creating their profiles."

"The reward is 200,000 per student."

"And you mentioned that you and Kushida went to investigate the school buildings, right?"

"Then you can choose her to create the profiles first," Chabashira said. "What is your evaluation of her?"

"Regarding that..." Hachiman said, but he didn't lift his head.

"Is there something difficult to say?" Chabashira asked.

"No," Hachiman shook his head. "If I were to evaluate her, it would be difficult."

Oh?

Sae Chabashira blinked.

"Chabashira-sensei, could you first tell me if Kushida-san is excellent in ordinary aspects like academics and sports?" Hachiman asked.

"What do you mean?" Chabashira frowned.

"If Kushida-san is good in these aspects, and she also assisted Hirata-kun in establishing the class group chat, obtaining contact information for most of the classmates in a short period of time."

"And she actively participates in interactions among classmates," Hachiman said. "These are all excellent performances."

"But the more excellently she performs... the more I feel that she..."

"Might have a big problem."

"A problem so big that once it's exposed, all her excellent performances will vanish without a trace."

Chapter 010: Chabashira: Go approach Suzune Horikita! That guy is just like you!

Kushida-san has a big problem.

This was a surprising conclusion.

However, Chabashira knew very well.

What Hachiman Hikigaya said was correct.

She had reviewed the profiles of all students in Class D. As their homeroom teacher, she was also responsible for evaluating students periodically.

Therefore, she could review students' past records.

And guide students toward a better direction.

Kikyo Kushida's profile was problematic.

The interviewer's statement was that the student's academic and athletic abilities could both reach B-rank.

While slightly lacking in intelligence and strategy, she possesses an extremely strong affinity, and her organizational and coordination abilities would earn an A rating.

It's rare to encounter someone skilled in interpersonal communication like her.

That's why we originally intended to place her in Class B.

However, due to her past experiences, we had to abandon that plan and assign her to Class D.

The reason is that according to the principal's report from her junior high school, an entire class, from students to teachers, went on strike and collapsed, and the person who triggered this phenomenon was her.

In other words, although Kikyo Kushida's fundamental capabilities reached the level of a Class B student.

She is, however, a bomb that could explode at any moment.

Therefore, such a bomb definitely couldn't be placed in Class B. Otherwise, if one person ruined an entire Class B, all the interviewers would be held accountable.

And so, Kushida was thrown into Class D.

This is also why Class D is considered trash.

Aside from students who are already lacking in various aspects, the rest are problem children with all sorts of peculiar issues.

The purpose is to allow students in the higher-ranking classes to adapt during class competitions.

To adapt to potentially encountering difficult people in future society.

However, this was information Chabashira obtained using her authority as the homeroom teacher.

So, she was also aware that Kikyo Kushida was a bomb.

But.

Hachiman Hikigaya, how did you know?

Why is it that the more outstanding Kikyo is, the more dangerous you find her?

Therefore, faced with Hachiman's words, Chabashira-sensei maintained her composure as an adult, but her mind was already racing.

She was also analyzing Hachiman's file.

Hikigaya is a special student recommended by Shizuka Hiratsuka.

However, the school reviewed his file and deemed him eligible for admission.

So, it was somewhat of a backdoor entry, but he was still assigned to Class D.

Because.

His file and past are also quite subtle; he doesn't stand out, and he's always alone. It's not that he hasn't tried, but he's basically failed.

He appears to be just a lonely boy.

His only advantage is his excellent score in Japanese language.

It seems he has a deep mastery of writing.

This was the advantage noted by the interviewer.

But now, it seems to be more than just that.

His observational skills are also very strong.

"You've certainly given quite an assessment," Chabashira-sensei said. "Regarding Kushida, you're not wrong."

"She is a person with considerable risk."

"However, how did you reach that conclusion?" Chabashira asked.

"It's like deduction," Hachiman replied. "Because if my conclusion is correct, the school uses class competition to allocate resources."

"And if it's a competition, how can one achieve better development?"

"Naturally, it's by having evenly matched opponents that one needs to continuously overcome and grow stronger. So, I initially envisioned all four classes having quite excellent students, who would then drive the class competition."

"However," Hachiman continued. "Looking at the situations of the upperclassmen in Class D from the second and third years, it seems that in any grade, they are in the poorest state."

"There are naturally wins and losses in class competition. If one fails once, it's understandable."

"But."

"Looking at the numbers on the blackboard for the third years: Class A 2530, Class B 1300, Class C 300, Class D 20."

"The evaluations for the four classes are like a cliff dive, with chasms like natural barriers."

"So, I dismissed the idea of ABCD being evenly matched from the start."

"Rather, from the beginning, Class A students were more outstanding and more likely to stand out."

"And Class D is the worst class," Hachiman stated. "Because it's so bad, it's always at the tail end. So, if a very outstanding student needs to be thrown into Class D, wouldn't that be a waste of resources? Therefore, I believe that once a student is assigned to Class D, the more outstanding they perform, the bigger their problem."

"The negative impact they could bring might outweigh all their advantages."

And this includes Hirata.

Hachiman sighed inwardly.

After finally encountering a male angel, it turns out he's also a bomb, no less than Kushida?

Sae Chabashira's eyes gently closed.

"Is that so."

"You understand it that way."

"I see."

She had already realized.

She had underestimated him.

Hachiman Hikigaya's insight and analytical skills exceeded her expectations.

"Have you played any deduction games in the past? Like, often playing deduction games with friends?" Chabashira wanted to know a little about how he had become this way.

"No," Hachiman replied. "I couldn't find anyone to play deduction games with, so I played multiple roles by myself."

"..." Chabashira.

Alright.

She was starting to understand how Hachiman had become so strong.

Because he was alone.

Being alone could make one feel lonely, but sometimes it could also make one stronger.

"Then, here you go."

Chabashira placed her left hand into the pocket of her women's suit and took out a black card, about 10x5cm in size.

The center of the card was printed with two QR codes.

One represented receiving money, and the other was a payment code.