Chapter 181:The Setup Begins
[In the chatroom…]
[Ike: "I never thought there would actually come a day when the first-years would unite."]
[Kanzaki: "Yeah. Even now, I still can't believe the four first-year classes could work together. Is it because of Nagumo's plan that we were given this opportunity… or because of that man's existence?"]
[Ryuen: "Tch. Kanzaki, you're looking at it wrong. The real reason is that we actually believe that following that guy will bring massive benefits. Even Sakayanagi thinks so."]
[Kito: "Princess…"]
[Sakayanagi, maintaining a faint smile: "Dragon-boy is right. I truly believe he can create a cultural festival unlike any other. For us, it might even become a chance to genuinely enjoy our school life. More importantly, we now share a common enemy."]
[Ichinose: "That suddenly reminds me of what Hikigaya-kun said before: having a common enemy is the best way to unite a group. It really seems like he's thoroughly putting that idea into practice."]
[Hiyori shook her head: "But he's changed too. He's genuinely different from how he used to be. Now, he no longer starts by hurting himself. He even takes responsibility proactively in order to protect those around him."]
[Sakura, clearly worried: "I just don't know… what the result of this exam will be. I'm prepared, but I still don't want Hachiman to leave this place."]
[Kushida: "No matter what, all we can do now is trust him."]
[Yukinoshita: "Looks like you've gotten yourself into trouble again, Hikigaya-kun."]
[Hikigaya waved his hand as if he were already used to it: "Trouble is trouble. You get used to it."]
[…]
After confirming their cooperation with Sakayanagi, Hikigaya and Ichinose quickly began scouting locations. They still didn't know what was happening on Nagumo's side, but judging from Hikigaya's predictions, that guy was probably planning to pool together the second-years' points, the student council's resources, and even part of the third-years' points to build a completely monopolized lower-grade venue.
This wasn't a wild guess, it was the result of careful thought. Nagumo's true target was Horikita Manabu. Hikigaya was merely someone to be "cleaned up" along the way. That meant Nagumo's operation had to be monopolistic in nature. If he engaged in vicious competition with Horikita Manabu's side, Hikigaya might reap the benefits as a third party. Nagumo Miyabi wasn't foolish enough to allow that.
By now, the contest between Hikigaya and Nagumo had practically spread across the entire school. Although many students from other grades didn't know who Hikigaya was, once they learned he was that man who had gone wild kissing people during the sports festival, their hostility toward him seemed to increase instead.
Fortunately, Hikigaya's mental resilience was absurdly strong, verbal attacks like that meant nothing to him. As for Karuizawa, she was practically delighted.
The group wasn't just Ichinose. Hiyori from Class D and Kamuro from Class A were also with them. As for why Ryuen and Sakayanagi didn't come, it was simply to avoid exposing the alliance of the four classes too early. And if it were just these girls… as long as it wasn't outright stalking, no one would misunderstand anything. After all, Hikigaya was usually surrounded by girls anyway, people had gotten used to it.
They arrived at the shopping complex. Since the cultural festival would mostly be concentrated here, store rentals were naturally centered in this area. As they toured according to plan, it turned out exactly as expected: prices varied by floor. The first floor, with the highest foot traffic, required a uniform fee of 50,000 points per shop. The second, third, and fourth floors were progressively cheaper.
After a night of thought, Hikigaya had already finalized their main battlegrounds. One was here, the shopping complex. A shop themed around "maids" absolutely had to be placed on the first floor. With the alliance of four classes, Hikigaya intended to rent the entire building, turning it into a "paradise for couples," divided into dining, entertainment, and leisure areas.
Movie theaters, karaoke, script murder games, escape rooms, all kinds of restaurants, cat cafés, game centers, this would be the main battlefield. Each shop would offer corresponding services, and every purchase would randomly grant a coupon. Spending more would grant more coupons, fully monopolizing point circulation.
And that wasn't all. Hikigaya also planned to transform the nearby park into a leisure zone, a quiet place for couples to stroll. Inside the park, they would set up different small-scale attractions like shooting games, darts, bumper cars. These might not generate huge profits individually, but they would absolutely reclaim every last point.
Finally, if there was anywhere else to develop, it would be the sports area. If one asked where on campus youthfulness was most concentrated, it was undoubtedly the athletic field. It could let people already working full-time relive the scenery of their younger days. The sweat of boys and girls would take them back to when they were seventeen or eighteen. And this would be Hikigaya's finishing blow.
They would create an arts plaza, gathering office workers and students alike for an open-air party. Because it was outdoors, people's enthusiasm would only burn hotter.
Ichinose: "Hikigaya-kun, you really are a business genius… I wanted to find something to nitpick, but I honestly can't. Even I wouldn't refuse a romantic walk with my lover on the field. For people who've already started working, this would be even harder to resist."
Kamuro: "Exactly. Just imagine holding hands with a girl brimming with youthful energy, who could resist going out and spending money with her? It's like reliving your youth!"
Hiyori, being more meticulous, immediately raised a concern: "Hikigaya-kun, even though it's a 'maid' theme, won't we lose out on spending from single women?"
Hikigaya: "Good point. That's why our so-called 'maids' won't be real maids. Our shops are actually themed around rentals. And in fact, boys will also become 'maids.' Outstanding guys like Hirata will do just fine. Koenji will probably help too, he's always saying how beautiful he is, so being chosen by others is just another aspect of 'beauty,' right?"
The three girls were so shocked their mouths practically hung open.
They already thought his ideas were impressive, but this guy had gone even further, matching every student's traits to suitable roles.
Of course, Hikigaya hadn't come up with this on the spot. Calculating and planning all of this was largely thanks to the newly released OAA app. For Hikigaya, it was the fastest way to understand people's strengths and weaknesses.
Ichinose laughed: "You always say you're not a normie and that normies should just explode, but you understand them unbelievably well!"
Hikigaya didn't deny it and replied calmly: "Of course! In order not to become a normie, I've studied them for a very, very long time."
The three girls went from shock to speechless.
Hiyori: "Hikigaya-kun… your personality is awful."
Kamuro sighed helplessly: "I'm already used to it…"
After confirming that the floors and locations posed no issues, Hikigaya explained each class's responsibilities, leaving the girls to relay the details to their class leaders. Most of the time, Hikigaya spoke while they listened with their mouths hanging open.
It was hard to believe a single person could think this far ahead.
Now they finally understood why each class's leaders felt so comfortable entrusting their class to Hikigaya. He was just that reliable.
Even Kamuro, who had known him the longest, kept revising her perception of him, and the more she did, the prouder she felt.
In the end, Hikigaya spent nearly 800,000 points to rent the entire building. This would become the battlefield where they would decide their victory against Nagumo.
---
When Hikigaya returned to the classroom, Sakura approached him. She still wore her gentle smile, but Hikigaya could sense the worry beneath it.
"What's wrong, Airi? Did something happen?"
Realizing her expression had been seen through instantly, Sakura could only smile helplessly: "As expected, I can't hide anything from you, Hachiman. It's nothing major, Nagumo has already started moving. Did you know?"
Hikigaya shook his head. At that moment, Karuizawa also came over. Ever since learning about Hikigaya's duel with Nagumo yesterday, she seemed much calmer, no longer as agitated.
Karuizawa: "I heard Nagumo unified the second-years' resources and built a small amusement park and haunted house. Just like him."
Hikigaya: "Haunted house… an amusement park, huh…"
Compared to Hikigaya's "couples" theme, this would definitely siphon off some points. But he had already anticipated overlapping industries. With so many classes, overlap was inevitable.
Sakura added: "Nagumo may have used the student council's authority. He actually secured the gymnasium. Apparently, he's turning it into a full-fledged amusement park, with a haunted house, rides, and other auxiliary businesses."
Karuizawa frowned: "That's insane. Most of us can only rent shops in the shopping complex, but he has no competition at all over there."
Hikigaya wasn't overly shaken. As a qualified businessman, he knew advantages could become disadvantages. The shopping complex had competitors, but not necessarily cutthroat ones. The gymnasium, on the other hand, though attractive, lacked surrounding industries to support it. These were two extreme approaches.
Only someone like Nagumo would dare such a gamble, someone who didn't even know what defeat meant.
Hikigaya lightly patted their shoulders and looked at the worried Airi with firm eyes.
"Don't worry."
"…Okay."
---
Sudo ran over anxiously: "Bro, I heard you made that agreement with Nagumo. How could you… you're not usually this reckless!"
Sure enough, once it was confirmed publicly, the information spread quickly. Now, all of Class B looked at Hikigaya with confusion.
Hirata held his hand tightly, visibly worried: "Hachiman, I don't really understand. You're such a kind person, why would things go this far? Did you and him have a conflict? If it's a conflict, then, "
Hikigaya interrupted gently: "Hirata, not all conflicts can be resolved. I have my reasons. But I can say this for sure, this will not drag anyone in our class down. It won't affect anyone in the allied classes either."
Ichinose added calmly: "The news spread way too fast. This was probably intentional on Nagumo's part. He wants to divide us. I hope everyone can judge this rationally."
With support from Ichinose, Hirata, Horikita, Karuizawa, and Kushida, Hikigaya's position in Class B was rock-solid. But the other allied classes… that was another matter.
---
First Year, Class D.
Ryuen sat at the sensei's podium, legs crossed, having shed his usual grin and reverted to the tyrant he once was. No one below dared speak.
Ryuen: "Ibuki, Any other objections?"
Ibuki snapped back: "Ryuen, did a donkey kick you in the head? You handed our class over to an outsider! Aren't you afraid he'll drag us down? His opponent is Nagumo!"
Ryuen sneered: "Hah. Nagumo? Since when does this king need to watch his face? And Ibuki, don't question my decision. If Class D suffers any losses, I'll take full responsibility."
Ibuki: "You..!"
Despite her sharp tongue, Ibuki knew the truth. Without taking risks like this, Class D had no hope of climbing higher. They still had two years, and their overall performance was steadily improving.
At that moment, Hiyori, who rarely involved herself in class affairs, stood up.
Her demeanor was as gentle and reserved as ever, completely at odds with a class ruled by a tyrant.
Ryuen's expression softened slightly: "Hiyori. What is it?"
Hiyori spoke softly: "If Hikigaya-kun loses… I'm willing to withdraw from school together with Ryuen-kun and Hikigaya-kun, taking responsibility for the class."
Ibuki was completely stunned.
What was this? One by one, people were practically running off to other classes?
But with Hiyori saying this, it meant something decisive: there would be no traitors in Class D.
---
Meanwhile, in Class C, the new C Class led by Kanzaki and Himeno also began to reform. Freed from Ichinose's shadow, everyone's abilities started to bloom. The individual strengths that once belonged to Class B were finally being fully displayed.
Even without Ichinose, their bond remained unchanged.
Shiranami spoke firmly: "Honami is my best friend. If Hikigaya-kun fails… if he's expelled… I know exactly what Honami would do. She'd probably apply for withdrawal quietly too."
Kanzaki nodded: "Exactly. And this exam is truly our chance to break the upperclassmen's blockade. We might never get another chance like this. So… we have to seize it, for Ichinose, and for victory."
The current Class C was formidable, united, disciplined, yet able to let everyone shine in different fields. They would only continue to grow.
First Year, Class A had no objections at all.
---
[In the chatroom…]
[Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses and let out a wry chuckle: "Nagumo… you really are arrogant. Such a massive threat is already right in front of you, yet you feel nothing."]
[Nagumo: "Don't you think that's a bit early, senpai? I don't think I'll lose. I've seen plenty of people like Hikigaya. There's one thing they all have in common, they lose to me in the end."]
[Horikita Manabu didn't bother persuading him, only sighed: "Not long ago, he was just a freshman who had just enrolled. Now he's already secretly united four classes. If I hadn't witnessed his growth myself, I wouldn't believe it. A person can grow this fast…"]
[Nagumo laughed: "True. His growth rate is impressive. Many people were fooled by his harmless appearance. But even so… I don't think I'll lose to him, especially in this cultural festival. With the student council, the second-years, and even partial authority over sensei, winning is the simplest thing. Senpai, even you couldn't beat me."]
[Horikita Manabu shook his head: "Being too fixated on me will cost you dearly, Nagumo. But you won't understand until the results are out."]
[Tachibana: "Some things… you can't grow without experiencing them yourself."]
[Kiryuin: "Oh? Does that mean Horikita-senpai already thinks Hikigaya has won?"]
[Kiriyama: "I'm still skeptical. But I do think it'll be hard for Nagumo to lose."]
[Asahina: "Is winning or losing really that important? Going this far… it shouldn't be…"]
[Hikigaya: "Some things can only be proven by victory or defeat, Asahina-senpai."]
[A helpless sigh, and his gaze returned to the video.]
[What will the future hold?]
---
Time passed day by day. Hikigaya and Horikita were busy every day arranging shifts and personnel. After integrating members from the four classes, they assigned everyone to the most suitable positions. Hirata, Ichinose, and Kushida focused on on-site inspections and communication between classes.
Since the command center was in Class B, inter-class coordination was essential. Kanzaki, Ryuen, and Sakayanagi, the leaders of their respective classes, were placed in different major zones. Ryuen handled the entertainment area, maintaining order through sheer presence, while Kanzaki oversaw food services.
Every student was assigned a role perfectly suited to them. By investigating preferences and making adjustments, Hikigaya maximized everyone's motivation, something a true boss had to do.
They were so busy that student council work was almost entirely handled by Sakura alone. Yet her capabilities had undergone a qualitative leap. Even doing the work of several people by herself, she handled it flawlessly, perhaps the result of half a year of growth.
Sakayanagi, however, gave Hikigaya a headache.
Where should he put this little devil?
She had an exceptionally strong mind and was the leader of Class A, a near-perfect existence. But unlike Kanzaki and Ryuen, she couldn't patrol her area due to her mobility issues. That role should go to Kamuro, so…
That left a problem.
He couldn't exactly have this little devil following him around all day…
Setting that aside, Nagumo's construction was already 80–90% complete. Whether due to overconfidence or a desire to attract attention early, Nagumo openly invited the entire school to visit and experience the haunted house.
Early exposure like this could drain consumption enthusiasm, but Nagumo did it anyway.
Naturally, Hikigaya wouldn't miss such an opportunity. After handing responsibilities to Horikita, he went to the gymnasium with the relatively free Karuizawa.
Just arriving there, the two of them couldn't help but marvel at Nagumo's ambition.
A haunted house of this scale, its total investment was probably more than fifty percent higher than what Hikigaya had spent uniting four classes.
And that was before counting the other businesses and rides…
Even Karuizawa couldn't help but ask, "Doing it like this… can Nagumo really make his money back?"
Hikigaya replied calmly,"That depends on his own methods."
Karuizawa turned to look at him again.
"We can win, right?"
Hikigaya answered, "A real business war isn't about who looks more luxurious. Methods matter. The inflow and outflow of traffic, that's what truly decides victory."
(End of this chapter)