Chapter 253 079 Hachiman: We’ll Probably Get Married After Graduation! Sakayanagi: Huh?

Hachiman's fingers paused on the edge of the desk.

"Even if you win this time, you'll worry about whether the school will increase the difficulty or hold larger-scale point-deduction exams next time. That's why you don't care about winning or losing right now; you even feel that losing would be better." Horikita Manabu's voice was calm. "If you lose once, the school won't think Class A is too strong, and the difficulty of the next exam won't be set too high. As a class representative, you are doing things that only the school's management should be doing."

The office went quiet. Hachiman looked at Horikita Manabu, and Manabu looked back at him. They stared at each other for a few seconds, as if confirming something.

"Do you know what I'm thinking?" Hachiman asked.

"I guessed," Manabu said, "but it seems I guessed correctly."

Hachiman did not deny it.

Manabu stood up and walked to the window. Sunlight flooded in, falling onto his face and making his profile appear exceptionally sharp. He stood with his back to Hachiman, silent for a while, before speaking.

"Starting to balance the classes now is too early from the school's perspective."

Hachiman watched him.

"You are only in your first year," Manabu's voice softened slightly. "You should experience the joys of being a student more, rather than rushing to grow into an adult."

Hachiman was silent for a second. "Moving forward, I might not be able to just be a student."

Manabu turned around and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"There will be some changes in the school's leadership," Hachiman said calmly. "From here on out, I'll need to think about special exams from an adult's perspective."

Manabu's brows furrowed slightly. "Even the Chairman can't hold them back?"

"He can't," Hachiman said.

The office fell silent again. Manabu stood by the window, looking outside. The sunlight cast a long, thin shadow of him on the floor. He didn't speak, but Hachiman could sense he was thinking—considering the next steps. After a long while, Manabu finally spoke.

"Ayanokouji."

"Yeah."

"When will these changes you speak of happen?"

"Soon."

Manabu nodded and didn't ask again. He turned around, walked back to his seat, and placed the transcript into a folder.

"No matter what happens, the Student Council will not fall into chaos," Manabu's voice returned to its usual steady tone. "Just do your job."

Hachiman looked at him. "The President doesn't intend to do anything? You should know that even if the Chairman is replaced, the Student Council can still retain certain authority. That's how the school's system works; the Chairman cannot change that."

"I will," Manabu said. "But not now. Let's wait until things actually happen."

He paused. "So, if there is pressure, I will bear it first. What you need to do right now is fight the battle in front of you. No matter how the superiors change, the exams remain. The classes remain. The students remain. As the Student Council President, I will do my best to protect you all."

Hachiman leaned back in his chair. He knew clearly that Manabu was a very responsible person and truly a qualified, excellent Student Council President.

To protect the students, he would indeed choose to take on the burden.

However.

He probably didn't know that the new Acting Chairman, Tsukishiro, was someone with fewer bottom lines than Manabu could imagine.

Therefore, once he intervened, even Manabu would be warned.

But for the sake of Horikita's kindness, Hachiman accepted it.

"I understand," Hachiman said.

Manabu nodded. "Go. Get some rest this weekend."

Hachiman stood up and walked toward the door. When he reached the threshold, he stopped without looking back.

"President."

"Yes."

"Thank you."

He pushed the door open and walked out. The door closed gently behind him, leaving Manabu alone in the office. He sat there, looking at the transcript on his desk, and remained silent for a long time. Then, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. It rang a few times before being answered.

"Chairman, it's me," Manabu's voice was calm.

-

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Meanwhile, in the Chairman's office.

Sakayanagi Narumori ended his call with Horikita Manabu.

Currently, he sat behind his desk with a document spread out in front of him. His fingers tapped lightly on the paper as if confirming something or weighing an option. Sunlight from the window fell onto the desk, illuminating the text clearly.

His phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up to see a message. The sender was someone he had arranged within the school. The content was brief, only one line.

[The higher-ups have made a move. An investigation team will be arriving soon.]

Sakayanagi Narumori stared at the text for a few seconds, then put the phone down. He felt no surprise, no panic—he just sat there quietly, his gaze falling back onto the document. He remembered what his daughter, Arisu, had said before the Sports Festival: "Father, Tsukishiro is coming. He will use accusations to pull you down and arrange for his own people to take over the school." At the time, he thought his daughter had just heard some rumors, but now it seemed she was no longer a child; everything she said was becoming reality.

Sakayanagi Narumori picked up a pen and signed the document. Then, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. The sunlight was beautiful; students were running on the track, weaving between the teaching buildings, and moving in and out of the shops on Keyaki Mall. Everything was so calm, like the last bit of peace before a storm. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. The call was answered quickly.

"Prepare yourself," Sakayanagi Narumori's voice was calm. "What's coming, is coming."

The person on the other end was silent for a second. "Understood."

The call ended.

Sakayanagi Narumori put the phone down and looked out the window again. Arisu was more mature than he had thought. Her words were coming true, and her judgment was correct. As a father, he felt both proud and a complex emotion he couldn't name. She should be enjoying her high school life on campus, not facing these things in the adult world prematurely.

He sighed.

And just now, he had even made a kouhai like Horikita Manabu worry about him.

Sakayanagi Narumori looked away, lowering his head to look at the signed document on his desk. He still had time. Not much, but enough.

And he knew exactly what Ayanokouji's father wanted.

With that thought in mind.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to someone.

Shortly after, a reply came.

[Understood. I will do my best.]

Seeing this message, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Now, it's up to the children. I believe in the children of my school," he murmured while leaning back in his chair.

-

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The special exam results were announced on Monday morning.

People crowded in front of the small chalkboard on the first floor of the teaching building. Some stood on their tiptoes, some squeezed to the front, and others stood on the periphery craning their necks.

The new evaluation scores for the four classes had been written on the board by Student Council members.

First-year Class A (Hachiman's Class): 1466 points

First-year Class B (Ryuen's Class): 850 points

First-year Class C (Katsuragi's Class): 825 points

First-year Class D (Ayanokouji's Class): -470 points

"Class C still couldn't climb up since they fell. They're still being suppressed by Ryuen and his group. Although it's only by 20 points, Ryuen should be happy enough," someone exclaimed in the crowd.

"Speaking of which, our Class D is at -470... is this breaking another record?"

"Class A is still Class A, but Class C is catching up. The gap is 641 points, which is less than before."

The murmurs in the crowd rose and fell. Some felt relieved, some frowned, and others just looked at the numbers quietly before turning and leaving.

Ryuen Kakeru stood by the window of the Class B classroom, phone in hand, looking at a photo of the scores from the notice board on his screen. The corners of his mouth curled slightly; he was clearly in a good mood. He twirled his phone, put it back in his pocket, and turned to look at the classmates discussing the scores in the classroom.

"You all saw it, right?" Ryuen's voice wasn't loud, but the discussion in the classroom quickly died down.

"Saw it!" Ishizaki Daichi's voice was the loudest. "Class B is still Class B! And we're even closer to Class A!"

"Class C did quite well this time, too," Ibuki Mio leaned by the window. "So maybe we won't be able to keep our Class B spot next month."

Ryuen glanced at her. "What are you afraid of? We'll deal with the next time when it comes. For now, we won."

Ibuki didn't argue.

Shiina Hiyori sat at her desk with an open book in front of her that she wasn't actually reading. Her expression was calm, no different from usual, but Ryuen noticed her gaze wasn't on the pages but out the window. He walked over and sat in the seat next to her.

"Shiina."

Hiyori regained her focus and looked at him. "Yes?"

"Your state lately," Ryuen's voice lowered, "it's not right."

Hiyori's eyelashes fluttered lightly. "It's nothing. Just a bit tired."

"Is it because of the exam?" Ryuen asked.

Hiyori was silent for a second. "No."

Ryuen stared at her for two seconds. "Then why?"

Hiyori didn't answer. She lowered her head. The book was borrowed from the library and had a bookmark in it. This bookmark was made from the poppy Hachiman had given her earlier; it was quite useful, so she had kept it.

But.

"Ryuen-kun," Hiyori's voice was very light, "do you think a person can like two people at the same time?"

Ryuen's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Nothing," Hiyori shook her head. "Forget I asked."

Ryuen looked at her, silent for a few seconds. He had played so many galgames, of course he knew what this question meant. Shiina had probably been treated like trash by some scum.

If any other girl encountered this, he would definitely be cursing and at least trying to get even.

But.

Since the object was the rational Shiina, Ryuen chose silence.

Because Shiina was more rational than he was.

Although Shiina seemed to have recovered, she was different than before. It wasn't the kind of difference that meant she was "sick," but the difference of "having something on her mind." And this was mostly related to love.

After all, he had played so many galgames; as soon as the protagonist falls in love, they start spacing out, losing focus, and becoming pensive. He hadn't been in love himself, but he had seen enough of it. However, he couldn't really stop her from falling in love; that was her own business.

So he didn't pursue it, just looked away and leaned back in his chair. "If there's anything, you can talk to me."

Then.

"Ishizaki." Ryuen called out.

"Yes!"

"Everyone, let's have a meal after school today. My treat."

"Alright!" Ishizaki Daichi was the first to raise his hand. "Long live Ryuen!"

A burst of laughter rang out in the classroom. Ryuen looked at those laughing faces, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly. The feeling of winning wasn't bad. Although he didn't hold hope for Class A, at least they had won this time and shortened the gap. Step by step, walking slowly.

Hiyori sat nearby, watching the liveliness in the classroom, and the corners of her mouth curved up. She didn't participate in the laughter, but her eyes were brighter than before.

At the same time, the Class C classroom was also celebrating.

Although the class ranking hadn't risen, they had won against Class A—the Class A led by Hikigaya Hachiman. This achievement in itself was worth celebrating. Some were slapping tables shouting "We won," some were sending messages in the class group, and some were already planning how to close the gap further in the next exam.

"Great! We beat Class A this time; if we win again next time, we'll have a chance to catch up!"

"That's right! Our academic ability is the strongest in the grade; as long as we perform normally, there's still hope!"

"Let's work hard for the next exam and aim to overtake them!"

The discussions grew louder and more enthusiastic. But Totsuka Yahiko noticed that Katsuragi Kohei sat at his desk, not participating in the discussion, nor was he laughing. His expression was calm, but that calm wasn't happiness; it was something else—like he was thinking about something.

Totsuka walked over and sat next to him.

"Katsuragi-kun, what's wrong? We beat Class A; you should be happy."

Katsuragi was silent for a few seconds. "Winning once doesn't mean anything."

Totsuka froze. "But..."

"The gap with Class A is still 641 points," Katsuragi's voice was calm. "Winning once makes it look like the distance has narrowed. But if we lose next time, it will widen again. We can't get arrogant just because of one victory."

Totsuka opened his mouth but didn't argue. He knew Katsuragi was right, but he still felt—if you win, you should be happy.

"Moreover," Katsuragi continued, "Hikigaya didn't make a move this time. He didn't bribe anyone, didn't play dirty tricks, didn't swap the test papers in advance. He let his class compete with us fair and square. So, just because we won doesn't mean we're actually stronger than him."

Totsuka was silent. He didn't want to admit it, but Katsuragi was right. If Hikigaya had really gone all out, could they have won? He didn't know. Katsuragi probably didn't know either.

But Katsuragi was thinking about this, while he, Totsuka Yahiko, was only immersed in the joy of victory.

"Katsuragi-kun," Totsuka's voice lowered, "what are you thinking about?"

Katsuragi was silent for a few seconds. "Thinking... Sakayanagi didn't interfere with the exam. I think she has thought of another plan, which is: transferring classes. Yesterday, I already asked her. She intends to transfer."

Totsuka was stunned. "Transfer? Sakayanagi-san?"

It could be said that if Sakayanagi wasn't in the class, the class would be under Katsuragi's command, so naturally, as Katsuragi's number one subordinate, Totsuka Yahiko would be happy.

But.

With Sakayanagi leaving just like that, he felt a strange sense of frustration.

"Yes," Katsuragi's voice was calm. "She said she would scrape together enough private points and transfer to Class A."

Totsuka's mouth opened, closed, and opened again. "She... why does she want to transfer? Didn't we just beat Class A?"

"Winning once doesn't mean anything," Katsuragi repeated his previous words. "She sees it very clearly. The gap with Hikigaya isn't just points; it's vision. She doesn't want to continue staying in a class destined to never catch up."

Totsuka couldn't speak. He sat beside Katsuragi, looking at the classmates who were still celebrating, and suddenly felt that their laughter seemed distant. Sakayanagi was leaving. The Sakayanagi who had been with them since the first day of enrollment, the Sakayanagi referred to as the "Little Princess" by the Sakayanagi faction, was transferring to Class A.

And Katsuragi had only just found out this news himself.

He didn't know what he should say. Should he be angry at Sakayanagi's defection? But for Katsuragi, this was an opportunity to control the class.

So, should he actually act like he didn't hear it?

Katsuragi didn't look at Totsuka anymore. He lowered his head and looked at his hands. He was thinking—if Sakayanagi really left, could Class C hold up? He would try his best. But trying his best didn't necessarily mean winning; just like this victory, it felt more like something Hikigaya had let them have.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat by the window, looking at the lively faces in the classroom without a word. She picked up her phone, opened the chat dialog with Hachiman, typed a line, and sent it.

[Hikigaya-kun, are you free tomorrow at noon? Let's eat together.]

After sending it, she placed her phone on the desk and looked out the window. She didn't know if Hachiman would agree, but she felt he would come. Not because he had any special thoughts about her, but because he would feel it necessary. After all, she had already said she was transferring, so he had to confirm it.

The phone vibrated. She picked it up; it was Hachiman's reply.

[Okay.]

The corners of Sakayanagi's mouth curled up slightly. She put her phone away and continued looking out the window.

Meanwhile.

The crowd in front of the small chalkboard gradually dispersed. The students of Class D came over last and stared at those lines of numbers for a long time.

-470 points. 200 points deducted more than when the Sports Festival ended.

Some lowered their heads, some looked away, and some stood in place staring at those numbers, not speaking for a long time.

"Let's go." Hirata's voice came from behind the crowd, carrying fatigue. "Time to go back."

No one answered, but the crowd began to slowly disperse. Hirata stood in place, looking at those lines of numbers, silent for a long time. Then he turned and left as well.

Ayanokouji hadn't appeared in front of the bulletin board.

After all, he had known the exam results long ago.

Although, for Class D, there wasn't much difference between -270 and -470, the current Class D was no longer a favorable class for him.

Therefore, he had to leave.

Transfer to Ryuen's class? The difficulty had increased.

Then go to Class C? But Class C couldn't function with Sakayanagi there, so if Sakayanagi transferred to Class A, then perhaps he would have a chance.

After all, Katsuragi couldn't lead Class C back to Class A.

But Class C possessed the strongest comprehensive strength and had the ambition to return to Class A, so perhaps they could become the sharpest spear in his hand.

However.

"Beep!"

He glanced at his phone.

[What are you doing? There is no next time. Kiyotaka, don't forget your mission.]

A message popped up. The number was unfamiliar, but he knew exactly who had sent it.

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