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Hikigaya rolled his eyes at Kaede, who had ruined his plans, and explained to the now flushed and almost brain-frozen Vignette.
"I established a Service Club at school. The main activity of the club is to lend a helping hand to those in need."
"Eh? Ser... Service Club? I'm so sorry. I misunderstood."
Upon hearing Hikigaya's calm and steady explanation, Vignette immediately realized her misunderstanding and hurriedly apologized.
"No need to apologize. If you ever need help in the future, feel free to come to the Service Club for assistance. Our club needs some achievements to show to the advisor teacher."
"Pfft! 'We'? Looks like, Hachiman, your Service Club has recruited quite a few enthusiastic members, huh~"
Initially, Kaede had planned to let the topic drop and not continue, but upon hearing Hikigaya refer to "we," she couldn't hold back her laughter.
The Service Club, which he had barely managed to establish two days ago by pulling strings through her, was now being referred to as "we"? Did he even consider reality when lying?
The peak period for club recruitment had already passed shortly after school started.
By now, the remaining students who hadn't joined a club were mostly those unwilling to participate in one. Hikigaya, a recluse with barely any friends other than her and a few others, couldn't possibly have recruited anyone for such a peculiar club.
"You don't believe I recruited members? I've actually brought in two incredibly beautiful girls."
A thought sparked in Hikigaya's mind as he feigned nervousness, gulped audibly, and stared seriously at Kaede.
"Want to bet on it? If I really recruited two stunning beauties, you have to agree to one reasonable request from me."
"A bet it is. Don't you think you're exaggerating your lie a bit too much? Not only did you recruit members, but two of them? And they're stunningly beautiful girls?"
Kaede, looking at Hikigaya who was barely managing to keep a composed act, laughed even louder.
"Don't bet."
Suzu, who rarely spoke, suddenly tugged on Kaede's hand and softly reminded her in a monotone voice.
Although she found it hard to believe Hachiman would have such good luck with girls, she also thought he wouldn't gamble if he was sure to lose. So, it was better to skip the bet altogether.
"One of my recruits is a famous raven-haired beauty. Kaede, you even know her. You still have time to back out."
Hikigaya quickly added another sentence.
"A raven-haired beauty I know? Wait, don't tell me you pulled Makoto-chan into your club? She didn't mention this to me."
Kaede froze, staring at Hikigaya with disbelief.
She had a close friend she met after enrolling in Sobu High—Makoto Mizuki. Since Makoto-chan often patrolled the school gates, she and Hachiman knew each other.
'Did Hachiman really approach Makoto-chan?'
Since serving as a disciplinary committee member didn't count as participating in a club, in theory, Makoto-chan could indeed act as a club member to help establish his club. However, Makoto-chan and Hachiman's relationship was fairly average, often fraught with her scolding him for not tidying up his appearance.
If she truly joined Hachiman's club, she would have mentioned it.
"It's not Mizuki-san. Her hair color is more purplish, isn't it?"
Hikigaya shook his head, his gaze falling on his hot-tempered, tsundere childhood friend. He silently willed her to take the bait.
"Fine, I'll take the bet. If you lose, you also have to agree to one reasonable request from me."
The moment Kaede heard it wasn't Makoto, she immediately decided.
Other than Mizuki Makoto, there were indeed several raven-haired beauties in the school. Sobu High's female students in these grades had an especially high proportion of beauties.
But all those girls were either already part of a club or had absolutely no connection to Hachiman. There was no way this typically idle Hachiman suddenly became so eloquent and managed to coax them into such a strangely named Service Club.
"I really do have two beautiful girls as members. They just haven't submitted their membership forms yet. Once I get them, you'd better admit defeat honestly."
Seeing Kaede fall into his trap, Hikigaya no longer hid his confidence.
"Laughable. Go ahead and find members once we get to school. I'll even give you until the end of club activities. Let's see what excuse you'll come up with then."
With Hachiman's bold claim, Kaede grew even more skeptical. She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest arrogantly.
"I need to think carefully about what kind of demand I'll make of you~"
"Um... sorry to interrupt, but didn't you all say yesterday that we should go to school earlier in the morning...?"
Vignette, watching the two still quarreling and bickering, raised her hand shyly, glanced at the ticking clock on the wall, and softly said.
"Ah! I forgot! It's all Hachiman's fault!"
"How is this my fault? Aren't you also to blame?"
"Then we'll split the blame fifty-fifty."
"Onii-chan, breakfast."
Komachi, who had already finished her breakfast, smiled sweetly as she watched the sudden chaos among the group and quietly nodded to herself.
This was rare—her brother actually taking the initiative.
Although she felt her brother probably didn't have that kind of interest in Vignette, she noticed that Kaede had just been slightly bothered by Hachiman's concern for Vignette. If her brother were to truly make a move, Kaede and Suzu, the twins who were so close at hand, would undoubtedly be much easier targets.
However, Vignette's appearance was indeed an opportunity—a chance to advance her brother's stagnant childhood friendship with Kaede and the others.
'You foolish Onii-chan, hurry up and bring a sister-in-law home for your adorable Komachi.'
———
[Sobu High]
The school gates were wide open, and students in Sobu High uniforms formed two lines, one to the left and one to the right, as they entered the school in orderly queues.
The disciplinary committee members were inspecting the students' attire. Perhaps due to some beauty standard, all the committee members were particularly good-looking.
Every morning, the beautiful and attractive disciplinary committee members at the gates of Sobu High made for a stunning sight.
However, the older students had long since grown immune to this scenery. Since improper romantic relationships were not allowed in school, the more beautiful the disciplinary committee members were, the more frustrating it became for the male students.
Many seriously suspected that the school deliberately recruited so many attractive girls to serve as disciplinary committee members just so they could only watch helplessly.
For the first-year students, it was pretty much the same. Initially, they found it novel and felt that seeing so many beautiful and cute girls lined up at the school gates every day was especially refreshing. But now, having gotten somewhat used to it, they thought Sobu High's management was too strict.
Although the school hadn't yet reached the point of conducting body searches, boys and girls who truly wanted to smuggle prohibited items into the school could easily do so. However, getting caught would be a big problem.
At worst, they'd be given a public criticism notice after writing a self-reflection essay; at best, they might face suspension, disciplinary action, or even expulsion.
"Sobu High really has excellent discipline~."
Standing behind the two lines, Vignette looked at the orderly procession of students entering the gates and happily marveled.
In the Netherworld, during her education, she had learned a lot about the human world—for instance, how it was a place rife with twisted, ugly desires regardless of which dimension one was in.
Before coming here, she had worried about how to handle things. She didn't want to cause chaos in the human world like other demons. But now, seeing how well-disciplined Sobu High was, her mood improved considerably.
Though, as a demon, she should have preferred a chaotic and troubled school environment.
"Indeed, it's excellent. I hope you'll be able to study happily here, Vignette."
Hikigaya lightly nodded, agreeing with Vignette's sentiment.
For a meticulous, rule-abiding, model student like Vignette, a school with strict regulations like Sobu High was naturally appealing.
But what she saw was only the surface.
Within this school, incidents of bullying and NTR weren't uncommon. Although Hachiman had only witnessed one NTR case so far, the system's request for him to eliminate all the "cuckolders" in the school, rewarding him for each one, implied that many were hidden here.
Perhaps they had been suppressed by the strict rules of the school's disciplinary system. But the more tightly such things were controlled, the worse the backlash when they surfaced.
Hachiman glanced at the beautiful disciplinary committee members at the gate, silently pondering whether any of them were characters from a different dimension and if they might have hidden quests.
"Good morning, Makoto-chan~!"
Walking alongside Kaede and the others, Hachiman watched Kaede wave cheerfully at a disciplinary committee member maintaining order.
This disciplinary committee member had sharp features and a slender figure.
Her smooth, glossy black hair, tinged with a purplish hue, cascaded down her back. Her neatly trimmed bangs revealed a spotless, fair forehead, while her slender arm bore a red armband with the disciplinary committee insignia.
"Kaede-chan? Late again today?"
The disciplinary committee member, who had been sternly reprimanding a student for inappropriate attire, looked up and smiled brightly upon seeing Kaede.
Mizuki Makoto was Kaede's classmate, or more precisely, her seatmate in front of or behind her. Thanks to Kaede's warm and outgoing personality, she and Mizuki had quickly become close friends.
Since they rode the same train home, Mizuki often accompanied her and her group after school.
"Late? Not at all. I just arrived a bit later than usual."
Kaede and Hachiman approached Mizuki, who smiled playfully.
"Arriving late still counts as being late. As student council president, Kaede-chan, you must set an example."
Mizuki Makoto shook her head helplessly, stepped forward, and suddenly adjusted Kaede's slightly crooked necktie.
"Look at this—you didn't even tie your necktie properly."
"Uh… it was fine when I left home. I must've messed it up in a rush on the way here."
Kaede stuck out her tongue sheepishly. When they had realized they were running late at Hachiman's house earlier, everyone had rushed out in a hurry, and it must have gotten messed up then.
She glared fiercely at Hachiman, ready to blame him. But just as she opened her mouth, she noticed Mizuki turn her attention toward him.
Kaede immediately embarrassedly stuck out her tongue. She had just realized at Hachiman's house that it was a bit late. Everyone hurriedly rushed over, and it was probably during that time.
Kaede fiercely glared at Hikigaya beside her, just about to open her mouth to shift the blame onto him, but suddenly noticed Mizuki, who was helping her adjust her tie, turn around and look at Hachiman.
"Uh? Could it be that I messed it up too?"
Hikigaya, seeing Mizuki scrutinizing him from top to bottom with a sharp gaze, subconsciously lowered his head to take a look.
But without a mirror outside, he couldn't see how his tie looked. If the tie wasn't done properly, it would be hard to fix it himself.
"Don't move, I'll help you fix it."
As Hachiman was about to ask Kaede for help, Mizuki directly reached out, untying and retying Hikigaya's tie while sternly scolding him.
"As the childhood friend of the student council president, Hikigaya-kun, you also need to set an example, got it?"
"Uh, uh… I got it…"
Hikigaya lowered his head, looking at Mizuki, who was exuding a faint, pleasant fragrance in front of him, with a somewhat peculiar expression.
Because just as he approached the disciplinary committee's inspection line, his ears were suddenly bombarded with numerous system notifications.
[Ding~]
[Character card detected—Yotsuya Miko]
[Ding~]
[Character card detected—Kitagawa Marin] [T/N: 😌]
[Ding~]
[Character card detected—Gotou Hitori]
[Ding~]
[...]
It was as if a hornet's nest had been stirred up. Regardless of whether it was characters he had already discovered in this school or ones he hadn't, the system seemed to be detecting them all, and the notifications hadn't stopped for a while.
And Mizuki's name also appeared among the system's character card notifications.
He had really guessed it—how could such a beautiful disciplinary committee member not have a storyline?
However, he hadn't expected Mizuki to also be a character with a storyline. There hadn't been any previous notifications about her. Moreover, unlike Yukinoshita Yukino and the others, Mizuki's notification only stated that a character card had been detected, without triggering any tasks.
"Makoto-chan, this is the new transfer student Tsukinose Vignette. She's currently living in the apartment next door to Hachiman's house, so she might often go home with us in the future~"
Kaede didn't seem to mind Mizuki helping Hikigaya fix his tie. She cheerfully introduced Vignette to Mizuki.
"Hello, Makoto-san. You can just call me Vignette."
Vignette nodded in greeting. She quickly adapted, thinking that since she could call Hachiman by his name when going home together, it should be the same for this disciplinary committee member.
"Vignette, you can call me Makoto like Kaede does." Mizuki looked at Vignette with a smile and said, "Let's not chat for now. You all should hurry up and get in line."
"Mm-hmm."
Kaede nodded repeatedly and was about to pull Kanade and Vignette to line up on the girls' side when she suddenly noticed a commotion in the queue ahead. Most of the students were looking in their direction.
To be precise, they were looking behind them.
Kaede and Vignette followed everyone's gazes and turned to look behind themselves.
A few cars had just pulled up behind them. From the middle car stepped out two blonde girls with appearances and temperaments so stunning that they left people in awe.
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