Hachiman's Meritocracy Classroom Chapter 11

"Here's a points card," Chabashira said. "These are unregistered points cards. You can scan points from your student ID onto the card, or scan points from the card to your student ID."

"And getting one is simple. You can buy them at the electronics store in the shopping district. They cost 100 points each," Chabashira said. "Using a points card lets you hide your real points total. It's very convenient."

"So, the school is encouraging competition between classes," Hachiman continued. "But they're allowing students to hoard points. Does that mean they're tacitly permitting students to be bought off? And to use methods that can't be explained?"

"Heh…" Chabashira chuckled at Hachiman's question.

She actually found the situation a bit tricky.

She had the strange feeling that this guy's brain worked too fast, as if he hadn't just started school today, but had been here for three months.

"Check your points. I've scanned a 200,000 point credit onto it," Chabashira said. "You can withdraw them to your student ID little by little, or leave them there for a single use later."

"Oh."

Hachiman nodded, but he didn't scan it immediately.

Inspecting the goods directly would signify distrust towards Chabashira.

And Chabashira-sensei possessed a large sum of money. Hachiman still wanted to earn some money by completing a few profitable tasks, so there was no need to sour their relationship right now.

Besides, she had secured the authority to convert points into cash in advance from the school.

This indicated she had already paid a price, so she wouldn't easily break her word.

Especially… Chabashira-sensei seemed rather eager.

Based on this alone, she wouldn't break her promise, at least not yet.

"Speaking of which, do you have any future goals?"

Seeing Hachiman shrewdly put away the points card, Chabashira continued her inquiry.

She felt that merely looking at Hachiman's file wouldn't give her all the information about him.

"Me?"

When asked this question, an image flashed through Hachiman's mind: the silver-haired girl he had seen in the Zelkova Shopping Center, sitting on a sofa, surrounded by a retinue of followers, leaning on a cane.

But he didn't want that feeling of being surrounded. If he had to express it in words.

Then it would probably be…

"I want to be a house husband," Hachiman said. "I don't want to work hard every day to support a family. I'd prefer to stay at home and be a house husband."

"In other words, I don't want to work. Why should guys have to go out and support the family?"

"I want to be supported!" Hachiman declared.

"...?"

"Then you should work hard," Chabashira said, even though she found the boy rather unambitious. "You'll definitely gain something at this school."

"That doesn't guarantee you'll meet a sugar mama who'll support you in the future."

"But you can make yourself wealthy during your three years at this school," Chabashira said.

Oh?

Hachiman was somewhat taken aback.

Chabashira continued, "Go approach Suzune Horikita. That girl is just like you."

"Investigate her file, and the reward is the same, 200,000."

And so.

Having already received 200,000 from Kushida, was another 200,000 now beckoning him?

Chapter 011: Loners Attract Each Other, No, Solitary Souls Have No Place for Bonds

Suzune Horikita.

Female.

First-year Class D.

Her appearance was quite striking, with waist-length black hair cascading down her back and shoulders. On the right side, a small bow was tied with a white ribbon, along with a long, thin braid.

Her waterfall-like black hair carried a lily-like fresh scent, likely from shampoo.

Her posture was dignified and elegant.

She had long eyelashes, charming orange eyes like a fox's, and a delicate face.

However, the cold expression on the girl's face seemed to exude a rejection aura at all times.

She was like an ice queen; while this might deter many weak individuals, it only made others more interested in her.

Hachiman, for example.

But for Hachiman, it wasn't her appearance that mattered.

It was the value Suzune Horikita represented… 200,000 points.

Opening his phone, he found that the information on his student ID had been updated.

[Name: Hachiman Hikigaya

Class: First-year Class D

Student ID: 108510000

Private Points: 89,100]

Compared to the full 100,000 from yesterday, there's been a decrease, which is a sign of spending.

It's just that Hachiman's private points don't decrease the more he uses them; they actually increase.

After returning to the dormitory, he scanned his points card with his phone and indeed found that he could withdraw 200,000 points.

Chabashira-sensei hadn't lied.

So, he was still interested in saving money.

And the 200,000 points that Kikyo Kushida represented had already been obtained.

Actually, Kikyo Kushida's evaluation was a bit of a shortcut, because if he really wanted to gather information on Kikyo Kushida, what he did wouldn't be enough, and he might have had to pay a price.

Kikyo Kushida had a strong ambition to manipulate others.

So, acquiring information about her would actually come at a great cost.

That's why he simply pointed out that someone as perfect as Kikyo Kushida being assigned to Class D was a ticking time bomb, a piece of information Chabashira-sensei could accept.

He was very fortunate.

It meant Chabashira-sensei was a kind person willing to pay.

So, what about Suzune Horikita?

Hachiman was a bit interested in Chabashira-sensei's evaluation of Horikita, specifically the line, "Go approach Suzune Horikita. That person is just like you."

Horikita was like him, but how was she like him?

"..." Suzune Horikita.

Sitting at her single desk, Suzune Horikita held up her physics textbook, opened it, and appeared to be studying diligently.

Her fingers were long and slender, her posture was dignified, and her profile was very attractive.

Her textbook was also newly acquired, yet it gave the impression that she was someone who took her studies very seriously.

The reason for saying this was the annotations appearing in her textbook.

Things like, "[Need to listen in class for this part]" and "[This knowledge point might be important, must memorize it]."

Since she had only enrolled yesterday and received her textbooks, she must have started studying or even previewing them last night.

And this was something Hachiman definitely couldn't do.

Rather, he hadn't even opened any of his books yet.

However.

"What do you need?" Suzune Horikita's clear, cool voice rang out.

And the recipient was... someone with short blonde hair, like a little angel.

Kikyo Kushida.

Kikyo Kushida had come over to Suzune Horikita and approached her with a smile.

As someone who had been alone for a long time, Hachiman was quite skilled at observing others from the shadows without being noticed.

Suzune Horikita was his seatmate.

However.

He was currently resting his elbows on his arms, with his face buried in them.

He looked like he was sleeping to catch up on rest.

But that wasn't the case.

This posture allowed him to have a wide field of vision with his peripheral vision.

Hachiman called this posture, which lowered his presence, the... best camera.

And the best camera was currently in operation.

"You're Horikita-san, right? I'm Kikyo Kushida," Kikyo Kushida said. "I invited you to join the class group chat last night, why did you reject it?"

So that's what it was.

The class group chat.

Indeed.

When Hachiman joined yesterday, there were 25 people in the group chat.

But both Yosuke Mama and Kikyo Kushida were popular normies.

Hirata was gentle with everyone and paid special attention to those who were alone, so he wouldn't want anyone to be left out.

I see.

Since a class group chat has been created, it's natural to want all classmates to join.

It's truly touching that there's a male mom like this in our class.

It just goes to show that even the perfect Hirata was placed in Class D, meaning he's also a ticking time bomb.

Hachiman continued to act as an emotionless camera, merely recording and not participating.

Gathering information.

It seems Kushida invited Suzune to the group, but Suzune Horikita refused.

"Was it because you studied too late yesterday, so you pressed the wrong button?" Kushida said. "It was my fault too, it was already 11 PM and I still contacted you."

Kushida is indeed an angel, giving Suzune an excuse.

"Huh? Pressed the wrong button?" Suzune Horikita said, "I didn't press the wrong button."

"Rather, a group chat, this sort of thing isn't necessary."

This means she deliberately didn't join.

"But everyone can share information in the group and deepen their bonds," Kushida said.

"I have no interest in such actions; rather, it would disturb my study time."

But Suzune's reaction was... as cold as ice.

Or, to use another adjective... inhuman.

Because.