Chapter 354

This is a fact that cannot be escaped no matter how many excuses one makes.

She knew that her mother didn't want her to go astray or have a criminal record, as that would ruin her life.

Seeing his crying sister and exhausted mother, Honami knew it was all his fault.

The shop assistant neither handed her over to the police nor reported her to the school, but Honami shut herself off from the situation.

For six months, she didn't leave her room or go to school. She didn't know if this was a form of self-punishment, but she had no chance of being redeemed.

It wasn't until her homeroom teacher told her through the door that there was such a school that didn't require tuition and that graduates could find jobs in various places.

For her, this might be her chance to redeem herself.

But.

As expected, criminals cannot be forgiven. In the end, she still had nothing.

Trusting others will only invite betrayal.

Having lost the ability to trust others, she could only silently leave alone.

Honami Ichinose is a criminal.

Therefore, after discovering that her secret had been exposed, Honami Ichinose chose not to resist, but instead hoped to quietly withdraw on her own.

After recounting her past, Ichinose felt somewhat down.

Hachiman breathed a sigh of relief.

He took back what he had said earlier.

There are some truly angelic little angels in this school.

Because.

It's normal for people to make mistakes.

However, it is difficult to learn from regrets and grow from them.

Although Ichinose had a history of stealing, Hachiman didn't think she was no longer reliable; on the contrary, he had changed his opinion of her.

She had already been persuaded by her mother to accept the shop assistant's forgiveness, but she still couldn't punish herself.

There are very few people in the world who can do this.

"Ichinose." Hachiman's voice rang out as he watched the dejected girl. "What did you want to do by asking me out of Horikita's room?"

"This..."

Ichinose gave a wry smile. "Actually, I want to drop out of school."

"And Hachiman, you said before that you wanted to join my class, didn't you?"

"So..."

"I want to entrust the class to you," Ichinose said.

I see.

As the Class representative, she did the right thing by entrusting the class with the responsibility.

Choosing to drop out of school is likely a way of hoping that, before the truth comes out, the information will become a weapon for other classes to use against Class A.

So she chose to leave the stage herself.

"And how exactly do you plan to withdraw from school?" Hachiman asked. "If you suddenly withdraw, the students in your class won't agree. They value you highly, otherwise they wouldn't have directly confronted Class C."

"I think Classmate Sakayanagi probably knows something about me, but she's not sure, so she arranged for Hashimoto to spread rumors," Ichinose said. "I will bow down to her and hope she will give me this chance. I will leave here by the time of the written exam this month at the latest."

Is that so?

So you're quite smart too.

I know that Classmate Sakayanagi is testing you.

Hachiman thought to himself.

Ichinose continued, "This month's Special Exam is a written exam, and it's less than two weeks away."

"So, I will deliberately be absent during this period."

"It's exhausting the patience of my classmates. Although I feel bad for them, this is the safest solution I can think of. If I stay in the class, this dark history will be smeared by the class, or even attacked."

"So I will... make them abandon me."

"Then, I will be there on the day of the exam, but I will deliberately fail."

Only the class that ranks first in this written exam will receive a 100-point reward.

Other classes received no rewards.

However, if one's score falls below the class average, they will be expelled from school.

Therefore, Ichinose does this, she will definitely be expelled from school.

Hachiman stared into Ichinose's eyes and realized that the other was looking at him too.

There was determination in his clear eyes.

It seems that Ichinose has made up her mind.

Hachiman then put his left hand into his pocket.

"So you've made up your mind?" Hachiman asked.

"Yes." Ichinose nodded seriously. "This is the best solution I can think of."

"So, have you thought about yourself?" Hachiman asked next.

"Huh?"

"Ichinose," Hachiman said. "Your family is struggling financially, and your mother's salary alone isn't enough to cover your and your sister's high school tuition. So getting into university is also becoming difficult."

"Well..." Ichinose pursed her lips. "After I drop out of school, I'll probably look for a job and see if there are any temporary jobs I can do."

"As for my sister's tuition, I will find a way to raise the money."

"So, is your sister's academic performance very good?" Hachiman continued.

"This... is alright, I guess," Ichinose said hesitantly.

"It seems your sister's grades aren't as good as yours. So even if she finishes high school, she won't be able to get into a good university based on her Academic Ability," Hachiman said.

This is true.

Ichinose had fallen silent.

She actually knew the best option: to rely solely on studying to get into a good university, and with a good degree, she could get a good job.

And she is the most suitable person for this kind of thing.

Moreover, her age is the most suitable. Her younger sister is two years younger than her, so she will have to wait two more years to go to high school, and then to university. After graduating from university, she will have to wait even longer before she can help her impoverished family.

Even if Ichinose dropped out of school to find temporary work, the points she would earn... no, the money wouldn't be much.

So perhaps neither she nor her mother could afford to send her younger sister to university.

These are all real-world difficulties.

"So." Hachiman had been watching Ichinose's expression closely and felt the time was right.

So he said, "Ichinose."

"I don't think it's a good thing for you to drop out of this school."

"At the very least, you will miss the biggest opportunity of your life," Hachiman said.

These words silenced Ichinose.

For her, this school was a new beginning, and the prospect of tuition waivers and graduating in Class A was incredibly tempting.

It would be beneficial for her family if she could accumulate points and exchange them for cash upon graduation.

However, she no longer deserves to stay at this school.

"Ichinose," Hachiman said. "Do you know what kind of person I am? For example, my life ideals and such."

"Meow—"

"Um—" Ichinose seemed a little embarrassed. "Hachiman is like what he said in the Rabbit Group during the VIP Exam. He wants to become a stay-at-home husband."

"But..."

"Now that I have 20 million points, I can help the woman graduate from Class A, but the condition is that she will marry you after graduation, right?"

"Hmm." Hachiman nodded. "By the way, where did you get that information from?"

"This... Shiina said it," Ichinose said. "I sometimes run into Shiina when I go to the library."

Forehead?

Ah!

Is that so?

Shiina!

His desire to invest in Shiina to support him was not only leaked to Kushida, but now even to Ichinose?

But.

After all, it was Hachiman. Hachiman only felt a little embarrassed for a moment, but he managed to keep it to himself.

"Cough cough..."

"So that's about it," Hachiman said. "Ichinose, how about we make a promise?"

"Although I might choose to pursue further education, I don't want to become a corporate slave."

"As for Ichinose, although your class is currently in Class A, there's a high chance that Classmate Sakayanagi will become the Student Council President, and your class will probably be knocked down very soon."

"Therefore, the chances of you graduating in Class A are extremely slim."

"At the same time, trying to accumulate points in this school is useless, because you're currently acting as the bank in the class, gathering everyone's points to mitigate potential risks," Hachiman said. "And as long as the thought of not abandoning your comrades persists, you won't be able to accumulate any points."

"The reason is that Horikita is very strong, but he shares the same stance as you—he doesn't abandon any classmate. Therefore, Third-year Class A doesn't have much money, and the points allocated to each individual are even fewer."

"And Ichinose, you don't think you're better than Horikita, do you? As the strongest Student Council President in history, he can only do this much."

Forehead.

So, does that mean there's absolutely no hope of staying in this school?

While you can find a job after graduating from high school, the salary will definitely not be as high as that of a college graduate.

Ichinose's family also did not support her continuing her university studies.

So...

"I can offer you an investment," Hachiman said. "I can guarantee you'll graduate in Class A, and continuing your studies will be free and exam-free, while you can get a high-paying job right away."

"At the same time."

Hachiman hesitated for a moment, then added, "I can give you an extra 5 million points. These 5 million points can be converted into cash right now and sent to your home. It should temporarily improve your family's financial situation."

"But."

"We need to sign an agreement."

On the other side...

At this time.

Outside the Student Council Office.

Suzune Horikita and Kushida had arrived, and Kushida began knocking on the door.

"..." Kushida.

Kushida's raised hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, and then she pressed it against her chest.

"?" Suzune Horikita looked at her strangely.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel a little uneasy," Kushida said.