Chapter 184: The Final Direction of Public Opinion
The story goes back to last night.
Sakayanagi had unusually summoned Hikigaya, Ryuen, and Kanzaki to a Karaoke Room. Hikigaya hadn't been to a place like this in ages and was noticeably cautious.
Not only them, Class A's homeroom sensei Mashima Tomonari, as well as Kamuro, were also present.
Kanzaki: "Sakayanagi, why did you call us here? Did something happen?"
Ryuen sprawled lazily onto an empty sofa, clearly familiar with the place, waiting for Sakayanagi to explain.
Sakayanagi nodded gently. Kamuro returned the gesture and addressed the group.
"The princess believes that tomorrow, our shops may face an attack from Nagumo. We need a preemptive strategy."
Kanzaki: "An attack? What do you mean?"
Ryuen waved his hand dismissively: "Remember his bet with Nagumo? Today was a decisive victory for us. If Hikigaya's prediction is right, Nagumo will use school authority to shut us down under some pretext."
Hikigaya: "Ryuen's right, but not entirely. It's not that Nagumo needs to ask them. It's that if they want to protect themselves, they 'have' to help Nagumo."
Sakayanagi smiled and turned to her homeroom sensei.
"When that time comes, I hope you'll stand on our side, Mashima-sensei, and help us overcome the situation."
Mashima's face showed hesitation.
The sensei at this school didn't have much real power. Aside from monthly point differences, they lived just like students, supporting themselves, acting only as educators. Facing this kind of darkness went far beyond his duties.
And precisely because he was a just and upright person, he couldn't decide without proof.
Mashima: "Why not ask other sensei?"
Sakayanagi: "I've investigated you, sensei. I have all your information. In my judgment, you're the least likely to betray us."
Mashima sighed: "I never thought I'd be sitting here at my age, discussing how to deal with others alongside teenagers. But I've already said it, if you want my help, you'll need evidence."
Hikigaya: "The evidence will come tomorrow. The very reasons they use to slander us will become the proof."
Kanzaki: "What does that mean, Hikigaya?"
Ryuen: "It means that every excuse they find will crumble in the face of the truth, and insiders will know it best."
Kanzaki still didn't fully understand, but Ryuen had lost interest in explaining and turned to Hikigaya.
"If we wait for them to act first, can we really respond in time? Improvising on the spot is risky as hell…"
Sakayanagi: "That doesn't sound like you, Dragon-boy."
Hikigaya: "It's risky, yes, but we can't act first. We're in the open; they're in the shadows. If we move first, everything changes. So… this is the only way."
Kanzaki: "Then when it happens, we really improvise?"
Hikigaya: "Leave that to me. I'll contact Kei and relay everything. Mashima-sensei, tomorrow, the truth will come out. Please trust us."
---
And just as expected, the time came.
Mashima sat in a café, enjoying the long-awaited cultural festival, though his expression was grave.
Nagumo had begun his move, locking down the second, third, and fourth floors of Hikigaya's shops, using public opinion to choke off customer traffic.
Soon, announcements spread rapidly to everyone's phones, including visitors.
Aside from the fourth floor, which Hikigaya had barely salvaged, the second and third floors remained sealed.
And the most critical point was, Mashima and the students knew it.
All ingredients were supplied by the school.
If they were unsafe, it wasn't a single shop's problem.
Yet against the outside public opinion bought by Nagumo, any explanation seemed pitifully small.
The longer this dragged on, the worse it would become.
Once public opinion took hold, today's revenue would take a devastating hit.
Although it wasn't a moment that made one 'admire' Hikigaya, the fact that he could devise a countermeasure so quickly proved that he was anything but ordinary. Through this incident, Mashima also confirmed the nature of their scheme.
After going through an internal struggle, he finally sent out a carefully edited message in the name of the school administration.
Although sensei did not possess much authority within this school, to outsiders, a sensei was still a sensei, someone affiliated with the school and presumed to know quite a bit of internal information.
---
[Chatroom]
[Horikita Manabu: "Nagumo has started moving. Unfortunately for him, Sakayanagi and Hikigaya have already seen through everything."]
[Tachibana: "If that's the case, Nagumo probably won't gain any advantage over them."]
[Horikita Manabu smiled with relief: "Not just that, he'll probably be completely defeated."]
[Kiryūin: "So the real show finally begins."]
[Horikita Suzune: "I never imagined that for a single student, for a single position, so many problems within the school administration could be triggered. This school really isn't as simple as it looks…"]
[Kushida: "I'm starting to feel something's off too. Nagumo might just be a figure on the surface, there must be much more hidden behind him."]
[Sakura: "The student council… the school administration… just how many secrets are buried between them?"]
[Shinohara: "Thinking too much won't help. Let's just see how Hikigaya handles this."]
---
Through Karuizawa's relay, Ryuen, Kanzaki, and Sakayanagi quickly received their respective instructions and began spreading information.
Changing public opinion outright was nearly impossible.
However, redirecting it only required a small trigger.
Ingredients, safety issues, anything would do. As long as a label could be slapped onto the school administration, things would become simple and clear.
Students alone wouldn't be enough.
Even adding customers still wouldn't be sufficient.
But what if the school administration itself joined in?
As long as that label was nailed down and the "facts" were locked in, the direction of public opinion would inevitably change.
And now…
"Did you see it? The post on Instagram just now, apparently all the ingredients used by this school are provided directly by the school."
"Doesn't that mean it's not just that one shop? Other places might have issues too."
"I ate yesterday and nothing happened. I'll still spend my money, worst case, I just get the runs twice."
"You guys go ahead. I'm not eating here anymore. I'll just eat at home."
"…"
There were still customers, but the overall number dropped sharply. This didn't mean the gap between Hikigaya and Nagumo was closing, rather, both sides were declining at the same time.
The haunted house was no different.
Since the type of attraction Hikigaya ran on the third floor wasn't that different from a haunted house to begin with, once safety concerns were raised, the second-years, who relied almost entirely on the haunted house to earn points, saw their revenue plummet.
What was even more frightening was that Nagumo had believed he could boost his own foot traffic through Hikigaya's "renting" strategy. After all, having lost the second and third floors, Hikigaya's side no longer posed real competition, and within the school, only the two of them ran entertainment facilities. That was why Nagumo had deliberately left Hikigaya's first floor unsealed.
But in reality…
In the end, even Nagumo's own revenue declined.
This absurd outcome gave even the current student council president, Nagumo Miyabi, a headache.
"Hikigaya… you really are troublesome. But still… with just this, you won't beat me."
With fewer visitors, Asahina, who had been playing a female ghost in the haunted house, finally got some breathing room. She had clearly heard Nagumo's words.
She slowly walked up to him, her tone carrying a hint of confusion.
"Miyabi, what do you still plan to do?"
"Asahina, I must defeat Hikigaya. I must defeat Horikita Manabu. That's something I absolutely have to do."
"Miyabi, you're already the student council president, second to none. Isn't that enough? I know you. I understand you. This whole incident… you were the one behind it, weren't you? Why? Why do this? You're already amazing."
Hearing her words, Nagumo let out a quiet snort.
"Amazing? No… that's not enough. What I want isn't 'amazing.' What I want is… the best."
"Asahina, I always thought you understood me best. No matter what happens, stay by my side, okay?"
"Miyabi… there's always someone better out there. You have to know when to stop. If you keep fighting like this, it won't end well for you."
"Why? Why don't you even support me? Do you really think I'll lose to him? Lose to Horikita Manabu? Or lose to that damn first-year?"
Asahina shook her head and sighed helplessly: "You've already lost… to yourself."
Nagumo curled his lips into a disdainful smile, staring coldly at her.
"I don't understand. I will win. No matter what."
"What are you planning to do?"
"If that guy wants to get expelled so badly, then I'll just let him be expelled."
"Nagumo, have you lost your mind?! For the sake of a junior, you're going to abuse the student council's authority? Do you know that if the school finds out, everything you have will vanish instantly?!"
"Expulsion? I don't care. What I want is for everyone to submit to me. Anyone who doesn't, just like everyone who opposed me before, will leave this place."
"That's enough, Nagumo Miyabi! You've changed. You've even forgotten why you entered this school in the first place. I haven't. We promised to walk to the end together… but look at you now. Flirting with other girls, playing power games, I never once complained. But now… I don't want to play along with your madness anymore."
The girl stood strong yet wronged. From her dry, strained eyes, crystal-clear tears fell one by one.
There was no attempt to stop her. No hesitation.
Their relationship shattered completely at that moment.
Only after the atmosphere fell into utter silence did Nagumo burst into manic laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha…!"
"Hikigaya… you really picked the wrong person to provoke. This time, I'm going all the way with you."
---
Time: 12:00 PM
Most of the maids had been rented out. Only a few managers remained seated in the lobby, waiting for Hikigaya's instructions.
Horikita Suzune: "There's too much to report. The situation is completely different from what we expected. We're not at a loss yet, but if this continues, it'll only get more dangerous. And… we don't know what Nagumo will do next."
Yukimura: "That's right. The second floor is still sealed. Nagumo's probably prepared to fight us to the bitter end, even if it means sacrificing his own foot traffic, he won't give us a single extra customer."
Sudō: "After merging the fourth-floor cinema, we still have some visitors, but it's clearly less than yesterday. And the third floor is still closed… It doesn't look good."
Horikita Suzune: "I've already consolidated the revenue from the first-floor maid rentals. The impact isn't huge, but we've still lost a portion of our customers."
Kanzaki: "Hikigaya, do you have any good ideas?"
Sakayanagi Arisu, Ryuen, Hiyori, Horikita, Kaneda, Sudō, Yukimura, Karuizawa, Kamuro, and Ichinose all turned their eyes toward Hikigaya.
Of course, there 'was' a solution.
And he'd been waiting for it for a long time.
"Ichinose, what do you think attracts teenage couples the most?"
Ichinose blushed slightly, but answered honestly without hesitation.
"If it's with you, Hikigaya-kun… I'd want an opportunity that could be recorded and remembered."
Karuizawa: "Oh? You sound pretty experienced, Ichinose. Don't tell me you date a lot?"
Ichinose: "To be honest… I've never dated anyone before, Karuizawa-san."
Hiyori raised her hand.
"Me neither."
…What kind of sudden love battlefield was this?
Anyway, that wasn't today's topic.
Hikigaya: "Yukimura, you and Akito take over managing the fourth-floor cinema instead of Sudō. With foot traffic this low, it shouldn't be hard."
Yukimura: "That's true, but why?"
Sudō: "Hey, bro, don't tell me you don't trust me?"
Hikigaya: "Of course not. You have something more important to do. This is the new plan."
Hikigaya: "Remember the 'sports field operation' I mentioned before? Right now it's just a few small games. But that was never our real goal. Starting this afternoon, Sakura Airi will appear there as a singing idol, and we'll turn the sports field into a second dating hotspot."
"…Huh?"
Everyone fell silent.
Hikigaya: "Airi has a fanbase as an online idol, big or small, it's still an opportunity. Admission will be free. We'll set up mini-games and activities around it, designed by Horikita and Karuizawa. Combining traditional and novel ideas will definitely produce results."
"Next, all maids in the shops will shift their marketing focus. After each movie screening, we'll insert temporary ads and move the main battlefield. For now, we won't compete in food. Instead, we'll dominate every small business that 'isn't' food-related."
"Sudō, Ryuen, Kanzaki, you'll form a male idol group later. As long as the audience experience doesn't drop, the market advantage is still ours."
"We'll build our own IP and make money through merchandise. That's the best flexible option right now."
Hikigaya's words were vague, but the overall objective was clear.
Everyone was stunned. Anyone else would be panicking after getting sealed off that very morning, but this guy showed none of that. He'd already come up with a new plan.
And it was frighteningly professional.
"Lastly, rent out 'all' the maids."
Ryuen: "I've got to say… you're a damn monster."
Kanzaki: "Hikigaya, it's honestly a waste for you to be studying here with that business sense."
Sakayanagi: "I think it's a great plan. Let's do it, Little Hiki."
Kamuro: "If the princess has no objections, neither do I."
Karuizawa: "My brain doesn't work like yours. I need time to process… later, Horikita, let's discuss it, okay?"
Sudō: "Wait, bro, I'm fine with everything else, but this boy band…"
Hikigaya patted Sudō's shoulder lightly: "It's just singing a couple of songs. I believe in you."
Sudō: "If you put it that way… I'll drag Hirata into it too."
Hiyori: "Hikigaya-kun, is there anything I should do?"
Hikigaya: "If you want to challenge yourself, you can perform on stage with Airi."
Hiyori: "Everyone's moving forward… I want to keep up too."
Horikita Suzune: "No wonder I haven't seen Sakura these past few days. Hikigaya, you'd already planned this, hadn't you? She's probably been practicing the whole time. Still, I'm curious, where is she rehearsing? I want to see."
Hikigaya broke into a cold sweat.
There was no way he'd tell Horikita that Sakura Airi was currently in his room.
He'd only given them a general direction. The specifics, how to execute it, how to attract customers, weren't something he could micromanage. His head already hurt enough keeping an eye on Nagumo and planning countermeasures.
If he had any spare energy left, it would be spent guiding Airi in the evening, teaching her what it meant to perform as a top-tier idol.
Everyone quickly became busy.
Ichinose said she wanted to join Sakura's side as well. After exchanging a glance with Hikigaya, she had already guessed Sakura's location and headed straight toward Hikigaya's room.
Hikigaya could only sigh helplessly.
Ichinose was just too sharp. From a certain angle, her intuition about women far surpassed that of any other girl Hikigaya had encountered so far.
Kushida, who had been playing a "gap moe" maid role, was also shocked when she heard the news. Whether heard directly or relayed secondhand, it was unbelievable, after all, holding a concert at school was practically explosive even by Japanese cultural festival standards.
Elsewhere, Tachibana reported everything that had happened recently to Horikita Manabu. Drawing on her former experience as a secretary, she had already grasped most of the information.
Horikita Manabu smiled faintly.
"It seems my final semester at this school won't pass so quietly after all. Nagumo Miyabi… let me see just how impressive your methods really are."
Anyone who had become student council president in this school couldn't be without real ability. Even after stepping down, that didn't mean his strength had diminished. The authority he held still remained.
He dialed a number, calling Kiriyama Ikuto, a second-year.
…
Student Council President's Office.
Nagumo sat alone at the highest seat, resting his chin on his hands, deep in thought.
Kiriyama slowly entered through the back door: "President, you wanted to see me?"
"That's right. Our plan has failed. We must seize this chance to expel Hikigaya. Even if I end up stepping down due to public pressure, I'll take the seat back eventually."
"How do you plan to do it?"
"Twenty million. Whoever gets him expelled, twenty million points. And I'll guarantee their graduation from Class A."
"But.."
"There's no 'but.' We're on the same boat. If I fall from the presidency, you won't last long either."
Kiriyama paused, then nodded respectfully.
"…Understood."
If this information spread openly, everyone would go insane. Twenty million personal points plus guaranteed Class A graduation, it was a dream offer.
But it would also completely ruin Nagumo's reputation.
Therefore, it could only be spread as a rumor, bait for those who already lacked morals and scruples.
In the end, would Nagumo honor his promise? Or was it just an empty rumor meant to be discarded?
That would be left for others to speculate.
At this moment, Nagumo still hadn't realized that within the next few hours, his revenue would be utterly crushed.
Even now, that so-called confidence continued to gnaw at his brain, pushing his ignorance beyond all limits.
Perhaps just as Hikigaya had said, Nagumo's greatest misfortune was that he had never experienced defeat. When someone wins no matter what, they gradually lose their caution toward others. And that, in itself, becomes the fatal flaw.
(End of this chapter)