Raize followed Hiratsuka toward the classroom building, somewhat curious about her scheme. As for Yukino, the heroine of Oregairu, he felt nothing in particular.
After all, it wasn't like he hadn't seen her before—they just weren't familiar.
More importantly, having come to this crossover world, Raize was now focused solely on revenge and becoming stronger. Enjoying a carefree anime-style daily life was something he simply couldn't do.
After all, in a world where gods and devils lurked in the shadows, he did not feel even the slightest sense of security—let alone any thought of enjoying life.
After suffering a ghoul attack that wiped out his family, his desire for power had become overwhelming.
Only with absolute strength could he feel at ease living in this world.
Moreover, after obtaining great power, Raize also dreamed of personally bringing back every family member who had died.
If he wanted to realize that dream, everything depended on power.
As for reliving youth and enjoying a second life, he truly had no interest in that right now.
"Raize, how much do you know about Yukino?" While walking, Hiratsuka suddenly asked him.
Although he did not quite understand why Hiratsuka was asking for his opinion, Raize still honestly stated his view of Yukino.
"The second daughter of the Yukinoshita family, one of the school's beauties, an excellent student. A girl with no friends and a withdrawn personality. Very pretty, but unpopular among girls…" Raize said expressionlessly as he listed Yukino's traits. Hiratsuka grew more silent the more she listened. "…And she's also a student you give special care to, Shizuka-sensei."
"So you noticed…" Hiratsuka smiled bitterly after hearing Raize's concluding words.
Raize looked at her with a subtle expression, making her feel slightly embarrassed and confused, before he continued:
"She managed to establish a club all by herself, and you're even her advisor. Anyone with half a brain at school knows that you're taking care of Yukinoshita."
"And it's only because you're popular among the students and everyone gives you face that no one digs into it."
Indeed, Yukino's Service Club had only one member, yet it was successfully established—and with Hiratsuka as its advisor. Anyone with common sense could tell she was being protected.
Otherwise, the student council would have expelled Yukino and her rule-breaking oddball club long ago.
It was precisely because of Hiratsuka that no one pursued the matter.
Without her backing, how could a bizarre club like the Service Club possibly exist at school?
"Ahem, let's not talk about that for now." Hiratsuka coughed lightly, her face slightly red with embarrassment. She hadn't expected the students to silently give her so much leeway, and hearing it said out loud by Raize made it awkward.
"I take care of that child because she, like you, has experienced school bullying. And her way of thinking really makes me uneasy."
Hiratsuka emphasized Yukino's personal issues. She told Raize this because she wanted to put two students who both needed looking after together.
Raize himself reassured her. After the tragic ghoul incident, Hiratsuka felt he had changed drastically, becoming far too mature—so mature it hurt to see.
From his former isolation to his current state, she feared he was bottling things up and not communicating with anyone, worried that something might go seriously wrong.
That was why she wanted to keep a close eye on Raize. Handing him off to another teacher simply did not put her at ease.
After Hiratsuka's careful explanation, Raize nodded, even though he already knew most of it.
"Yukinoshita's Service Club concept is indeed somewhat overambitious and childish, but its original intent is good. Teaching someone how to fish instead of giving them fish—trying to change others in this naïve way, then change society…"
Yukino's unrealistic personality could only exist because she had been protected too well.
The strong extending a helping hand to the weak?
It was a fine and noble idea, worthy of praise.
But the premise was that you had to be strong. Otherwise, it was nothing more than empty groaning.
Raize acknowledged that Yukino was an excellent person, but as for being strong—that was another matter.
Her fearlessness came from ignorance.
She was a well-known figure on campus, born into a prestigious local family. Her household was wealthy: her father was the president of a construction company and also served as a prefectural councilor, while her mother was a member of the local guardians' association.
She had a strong-willed mother and a gentle father. She got along well with her father but could not resist her mother's commands. She was interested in her father's work, yet had no decision-making power at home. Family affairs leaned toward her older sister. Due to long-term emotional distance from her parents and living in the shadow of an outstanding sister, her life was not happy.
Yet all of these things that made her unhappy were also her protective umbrella.
Yukino disliked her sister, but her sister adored her immensely, caring little if protecting Yukino meant being disliked by her.
Yukinoshita Haruno had to be outstanding to gain a voice in the family, so she could help her younger sister.
But from Yukino's perspective, she did not understand her sister's intentions at all. She desperately wanted to prove herself, eager to change, yet confused about the future.
"Being protected too well and never suffering society's beatings turns someone into a textbook chuunibyou. Wanting to change a world that dissatisfies her—even if she became Japan's prime minister, it would still be useless. She'd still bow, apologize, and add another overused honorific apology."
Raize scoffed at the idea of people changing anything. In his past life or this one, all they did was apologize—without admitting fault or taking responsibility.
Sorry, I'll do it again next time.
If changing the world were truly possible, Raize would dearly love to change the world that stole his family. But he knew how cruel reality was.
So he felt neither disdain nor admiration for Yukino's self-satisfying actions. Both he and Yukino wanted to change something, and both were taking action in their own ways.
"… you really do speak blunt truths. I can't refute that at all."
Hiratsuka twitched at the corner of her mouth. Everything Raize said made sense.
Yukino truly hadn't been tempered by society, using her immature methods to try to prove herself.
Hiratsuka honestly felt that once this child entered society, she would suffer greatly.
Without the protection of the Yukinoshita family, the situation would likely be even worse.
"I'm planning to put the two of you together and be your advisor. To be honest, I'm worried about both of you."
Hearing this, Raize opened his mouth to speak, but Hiratsuka cut him off.
"I'm not worried about your personality. Your toughness has always been the kind that makes others suffer instead. But after what you went through, I really can't put my mind at ease."
Raize felt warmth spread in his chest. Among all the teachers he had encountered, none were as responsible as Hiratsuka.
He'd felt that way watching the anime in his past life, and after experiencing it firsthand, he now understood why she was so popular with students.
Nearly eighty percent of the students she guided were deeply grateful to her.