73. Hikigaya Investigates the Baseball Club Delinquents
Aiura Kokoro tried hard to recall and said, "Their gambling usually doesn't allow anyone to watch up close on-site."
"Even I could only observe from outside the casino entrance."
"You don't know the rules?"
"No, I still know a little," Aiura Kokoro replied with firm words. "Their gambling is called 'Hidden Rules.'"
"It's also a poker-type game, but I don't know the specific rules."
"Has anyone ever beaten them?"
"Yes, Mibuomi beat them."
She could tell that there was bad blood between Hikigaya Hachiman and Mibuomi Aoi.
Since she had made up her mind to side with Hikigaya Hachiman, Aiura Kokoro's tone had also changed—no more honorifics or polite speech.
Hikigaya Hachiman showed a thoughtful expression. The intel Aiura Kokoro could provide was limited, but it at least clarified his next target.
What he had to do now was collect as much information as possible.
"Thanks, Aiura," Hikigaya said sincerely. "That ten million yen debt and our private gambling bet—let's call it off. After school, I'll talk to Juraku-senpai, who manages the stray cats for the student council. Then you can take off that stray cat ID tag."
"I should be the one saying thanks," Aiura Kokoro's eyes flickered, and she turned her head to the side awkwardly.
Just a few pieces of seemingly trivial information that didn't matter much to the overall situation, and yet he let her remove the "stray cat" identity tag.
If it were the past, she would've simply mocked Hikigaya Hachiman's weakness. But now, Aiura Kokoro only felt a heavy sense of gentleness.
'The way I used to be… was really awful… Not just toward Hikigaya, but also toward Saotome…'
She instinctively glanced toward Saotome's seat—only to inexplicably meet Saotome's eyes.
On impulse, Aiura Kokoro asked, "Hikigaya-kun, what's your relationship like with Saotome-san?"
"Not bad," Hikigaya replied vaguely.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Could you help me ask Saotome-san out for a meal sometime? I want to apologize to her in person. After all, I used to think about doing such awful things to her…"
Hikigaya folded his arms and fell silent.
A strange scent of oranges seemed to linger in the air. "I can help you with that. Whether or not she agrees is up to her."
"Mm, thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
"No need to thank me just yet. This is an extra cost. Since you're now the class president of Year 1-A Class, I need you to do something for me."
"Gather background information on the other 26 students in the class—who they are, what kind of family backgrounds they come from. To be more specific: What kind of positions do their parents hold? Are they executives of major corporations? As much as you can, collect that data for me."
"After that, expand it to other classes, other grades…"
"Once the job's done, I'll give you what you want. No problem with that, right, Aiura Kokoro?"
On a sunny afternoon, Aiura Kokoro felt a chill run through her entire body.
What exactly was this man plotting? She didn't dare think further.
Suddenly, she remembered the motto of the Full-Bloom Association: to unite the power of the livestock and overthrow the oppressive system of the student council that had created the livestock hierarchy.
But Hikigaya?
This man wants to turn people into livestock… and then convert them into his own strength!
Aiura Kokoro's heartbeat began to quicken, and her face flushed with a redness she couldn't suppress. After everything was done, Hikigaya would give her what she wanted. And what she had always wanted… was to trample on the faces of these privileged children of the upper class!
To climb into high society, to avoid being looked down upon by these people—everything Aiura Kokoro had done until now had been to achieve that very goal!
That deepest ambition buried in her heart—an ambition she couldn't even reveal while being part of the Full-Bloom Association—was teased out by just a few words from Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Alright!" she said in a trembling voice, her plump, shapely legs unconsciously pressing tightly together.
She quickly picked up the water cup on the table and poured herself a drink, lest she faint from dehydration caused by rapid moisture loss.
Though Hikigaya found her reaction a bit strange, he didn't say anything more. He simply turned and walked back to his seat. As he passed by Saotome, he gave her a confirming look.
This request was the result of his careful deliberation.
He didn't have the authority to access the personal profiles of Hyakkaou Academy students—probably no one other than the Momobami family did—but that didn't mean it was impossible.
There were many sources of information, and in Hikigaya's view, infiltrating through peer relationships was the most direct and effective method.
Fake friendships, vanity born from comparison... With layers like these, it was always possible to get hold of a person's family background. Given Aiura Kokoro's demonstrated social abilities, as long as she invested some time, she'd surely be able to obtain the desired intel from word of mouth among these students.
Hikigaya Hachiman believed in this without a shred of doubt.
And once the information was in his hands... he could begin targeted resource plundering.
The class bell rang, and Hikigaya slightly settled his thoughts.
He put aside his distracting thoughts and immersed himself in the sea of knowledge.
.
.
.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you not heading straight home after school today?"
The sun was setting—it was time for dismissal again.
Jabami Yumeko looked at Hikigaya curiously. Normally, Hikigaya-kun would've been the first to leave the classroom and head home. But today, he stood at the window out of character, as if waiting for something.
"Mm, I have some things to do today. Yumeko, if you need to go back and take care of Souka-san, go ahead—you don't have to wait for me."
"I'd rather go back together with you, Hikigaya-kun."
Hikigaya rested his fingers on his chin, observing the athletic field of Hyakkaou Academy.
Come to think of it, this was his first time really looking at the sports field.
He had thought that after junior high, he'd said goodbye to places like this forever. Never did he expect they'd meet again under such circumstances.
He had specifically looked into it—after school this afternoon, the baseball club would be holding practice. And as the president and vice president, the Udonko sisters would certainly be attending. That would give Hikigaya a chance to observe them up close.
Hikigaya had always believed that the kind of cheating a person would use could be predicted by what kind of person they were. These traits could be seen in the details of their daily lives.
Take Saotome at first—she liked to emphasize "new students" when she spoke, which indicated that she preferred to cheat by leveraging power. She liked to coerce classmates into cheating as a group, using slight probabilistic advantages to gain the upper hand...
Then there was Kisaragi Itsuki—who had a strong desire to perform, with exaggerated body language and speech. That suggested she wasn't very calculating, and preferred to use props to cheat.
According to Aiura Kokoro's description, the Udonko sisters sounded like ultimate normies—super popular, outgoing types. If their gambling matches had no idle spectators present… then they likely wouldn't use lowly methods like props to cheat.
Hikigaya had an immature theory: their method of cheating might be rooted in mutual trust and confidence.
'Twin sisters? A synchronized or coordinated cheating strategy?'
'No… it's still too early to draw conclusions. I need more intel.'
Hikigaya's eyes glinted as he looked toward the field where various athletic clubs were beginning to gather.
"Let's go, Jabami—we're heading to the field now."
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