"Tenma-san wants to see it in person?"
Minami and Rin exchanged glances, exclaiming in unison with surprise.
'Was little Hachiman really this bold? He dares to expose something like this in front of the girl he likes?'
Or did Hachiman think Gabriel was as easy to fool as Miura Yumiko?
"Ahem, my sister's classmate is dealing with some family issues. I'm helping her, and Tenma-san wants to come and check on the situation."
Hikigaya immediately realized their misunderstanding but couldn't go into further detail. He could only clear his throat and offer a brief explanation.
"I see…"
Yuina understood it was a misunderstanding but quickly turned her gaze to Miura Yumiko, who was also gathering her belongings to leave. She smiled mischievously and suggested,"Yumiko, how about some desserts together today?"
"It's on us again~"
Heh, besides Miura Yumiko, Tenma Gabriel was there too. If they managed to drag the simple and adorable Tenma-san into this, it would make things even more entertaining.
They believed Gabriel was Hachiman's crush and that he liked her quite a lot. But Miura Yumiko wasn't to be underestimated. Maybe soon, they could witness Hachiman being caught between Yumiko and Gabriel every day, caught in their inevitable clash.
"Desserts… never mind… I'm too lazy to eat such overly sweet and sticky stuff."
The mention of desserts made Miura Yumiko's cheeks flush as she recalled certain embarrassing moments.
Even though she had thoroughly bullied Hachiman yesterday—a guy who clearly didn't have a good attitude toward her—her socks and hair had gotten dirty. She spent ages cleaning them after returning home.
Today, she didn't feel like going to Hachiman's house just for some desserts and bullying him again. Besides, Hachiman hadn't offended her today, and he already seemed pitiful enough being bullied daily by Yuina and the others.
Miura Yumiko glanced sympathetically at Hachiman.
But sympathy aside, this idiot wasn't her lackey, and he still had such a bad attitude toward her. Unless he begged her while crying, she wouldn't bother helping him by speaking to Yuina and the others about not bullying him.
"Then what about Nijika? Let's go for some desserts together?"
Yuina turned to Nijika Ichiji, who stood beside Miura Yumiko.
Today, Gabriel seemed to misunderstand the type of girl Hachiman liked, thinking Nijika was his ideal type.
"Sorry, Yuina, I've been busy recently scouting for band members. I can't spare the time, but I've already found a promising candidate in the music department and should have things sorted soon."
Nijika clasped her hands together apologetically toward Yuina.
Though Nijika and Yuina had a good relationship, her recent commitments prevented her from joining for desserts.
"Someone from the music department? Aren't those students just as arrogant as the international culture class? It must be tough finding someone."
Yuina blinked, commenting on the difficulty. Students in the music department came from wealthy backgrounds, making them seem even more conceited than those in the international culture class, who mainly had study-abroad credentials.
"Yes, this one has quite a temper, but she seems ostracized in her own group. I think she'd be open to joining our band."
Nijika smiled wryly.
"Quite the temper and ostracized? Oh, is it that delinquent? The music department's top student who often skips classes."
Yuina quickly pieced it together.
Back at the beginning of the term, when freshmen struggled to adapt to Sobu High's strict rules, some incidents stood out—such as public confessions and harassment of girls, which the disciplinary committee had to manage.
Some hot-tempered girls dealt with it themselves, gaining a reputation. The top student from the music department became notorious after such an incident.
But her reputation later shifted, as she became known for frequently skipping classes, to the point that even the disciplinary committee couldn't manage her.
"Not really a delinquent… She just has a bad temper. I think she'd be a great friend if we got close."
Nijika recalled the aloof and rebellious figure with long, straight black hair and shook her head.
"That's a shame. Kaede, are you busy today as well?"
Yuina turned to Marin Kitagawa, seeming less interested in Nijika's band matters. She cared more about stirring up drama.
If Yumiko wasn't going, they couldn't orchestrate a clash between her and Gabriel over Hachiman. But involving Yumiko's friends to spark some jealousy could still be fun.
"I'm free, but I promised to accompany Yumiko for some shopping today to make up for yesterday."
Marin grabbed Yumiko's arm with a cheerful smile.
Yesterday, Marin and Nijika had left Yumiko to Yuina's antics. Though it wasn't a big deal, Marin felt the need to keep Yumiko in good spirits.
Despite her seemingly fierce exterior around guys, Yumiko was a soft-hearted girl who overthought things easily.
"Hmph, I didn't ask you to make up for anything. If you want to go eat desserts with Yuina, just go. I won't get mad."
Yumiko crossed her arms and huffed, looking away dismissively.
Did they think she was a child who couldn't be left alone? She could enjoy herself perfectly fine without them, thank you very much.
"Fine, let's say I'm begging you, Yumiko. Will you go shopping with me, please~?"
Marin shook Yumiko's arm playfully.
"… Fine, you're the one begging me, not the other way around."
Yumiko turned back, her stern face emphasizing her point.
"Yes, yes! I'm begging you. Bye, Yuina~ Bye, Hikigaya-kun~ Let's hang out another time~"
With Yumiko unable to resist Marin's coaxing, Marin gave Hachiman a playful pat on the shoulder before leaving the classroom arm-in-arm with Yumiko and Nijika.
As Yumiko walked past Hachiman, she glanced at him being surrounded by Yuina and the others, huffing internally.
'This is what happens when you're not my lackey. If you were, Nijika, Marin, and I would have your back, and you wouldn't be getting bullied by Yuina and the others.'
How does a little angel end up entangled with three gyarus?
Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at the blonde little angel Gabriel who was sitting beside him, then looked at the three gyarus—Yuina, Minami, and Rin—surrounding him and Gabriel in an attempt to play matchmaker between them. He couldn't help but sigh at the oddities of the world.
Honestly, apart from the initial thrill of having a beautiful transfer student suddenly sit next to him at the same desk, Hachiman didn't have much desire for Gabriel. He just found her very cute.
After all, Gabriel's figure was the kind that made people feel calm and composed—unlike the curvy Saki Hayase, who could ignite one's fire easily.
But these three goddess-like gyarus genuinely seemed to believe he liked Gabriel and were trying to encourage him to lead her astray.
Clearly, they also liked him and enjoyed playing games with him. They were only one step away from taking things further, yet they weren't even the slightest bit upset about his supposed affection for Gabriel. They even dragged Yumiko into the mix.
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether Gabriel was the victim or the classic "blonde rival."
Why didn't the dating sim system have any activities where he could play the "bull" in love triangle scenarios?
If it did, he felt he could assign Yukino Yukinoshita as the "main wife" and thoroughly "cook" all the blonde rivals around him, milking the system for all it was worth.
"Hey, little Hikki, what are you thinking? Gabriel is asking what today's Service Club request is about."
Minami nudged Hachiman with her elbow and gestured toward Gabriel.
Though Minami had the same blonde hair, she had a wavy style and a bold, outgoing demeanor. She was quite enthusiastic about both Hachiman and Gabriel.
If not for still being within sight of the school's disciplinary committee, she might have already thrown her arms around both of them, shoving them together.
"Today's request? Well, to call it a 'request' is a bit of a stretch. The others in the Service Club don't know about it yet. Let me explain briefly, but remember not to talk about it in front of the person involved."
Hachiman smiled as he pushed away Minami's leaning head. While walking toward the station with Gabriel and the others, he explained the family situation of Asougi Shion.
Now that Asougi Shion had found a place to stay, she shouldn't be as sensitive about these matters. But she might still care a bit—it was her parents, after all.
Still, Hachiman believed that as long as he treated Asougi Shion well, she would eventually heal from the pain caused by her broken family.
Surrounded by the gyarus, Hachiman and Gabriel left the school.
Behind them, within the disciplinary committee's lineup at the school gate, a pair of sharp eyes were fixed on them.
"Messing around with those three gyarus again, and now there's another girl…"
Usui Makoto, Kaede's good friend, watched the group intently as they chatted and laughed, muttering to herself.
In her eyes, Hachiman was a complete scumbag. Her friend Kaede treated her childhood friend so well, but Hachiman didn't know how to cherish her.
Even though Kaede hadn't confessed to Hachiman yet, it seemed like it was just a matter of time. Which girl would act so intimately with a guy she didn't like? Always mentioning him in front of others and even helping him bend the rules?
"Kotegawa-san, have you noticed anything in class these past couple of days?"
Watching Hachiman and the group disappear into the distance, Makoto turned to the stern black-haired beauty Yui Kotgawa, her fellow disciplinary committee member.
She had asked Yui to observe Hachiman, hoping for some insights after two days of observation.
Hachiman Hikigaya… just what kind of guy was he?
"Well… Hikigaya-kun does seem to get along with Yuina-san and her group, but not in that way. He's closer to the 'elf princess' transfer student. Recently, the princess has been seeking him out often, and he skips class a lot."
Yui recalled briefly and shook her head.
She hadn't paid much attention to Hachiman because she sat at the front of the class while he sat in the back. During lessons, she wouldn't turn around to observe him, so most of her observations were from break times, which weren't very frequent.
In the past two days, Hachiman had spent nearly half the time outside the classroom, so Yui had even fewer opportunities to observe him.
Based on what she had seen, Hachiman treated all three gyarus about the same. There didn't seem to be anything romantic going on with any of them.
As for his relationship with his deskmate Gabriel, they seemed to get along well, but Gabriel was a new transfer student. It was normal for deskmates to get along.
Although… she herself had been in the class for quite some time and still hadn't built good relationships with her classmates.
"Oh, by the way, there's a rumor that the elf princess joined a club that Hachiman created—the Service Club. The name sounds a bit… off."
Yui suddenly remembered a peculiar rumor.
Some people had seen the elf princess, her bodyguard, and the high-and-mighty Yukino Yukinoshita frequenting an unpopulated building.
Since no one dared to question Yukino directly, they couldn't confirm the rumor. But the elf princess was approachable and had explained that they joined a club called the Service Club, where she and the president would conduct club activities around the school.
Most people didn't know what kind of club the Service Club was or who its president was. However, Yui, Makoto, and Kaede had discussed the club before.
Or rather, it was because of this that Hachiman had been under pressure to recruit enough members to keep the club alive.
If Kaede wanted to bend the rules for Hachiman and create a club that didn't require funding, there'd be no need for such demands.
But now that the Service Club was growing, Hachiman naturally wanted to request some funding. After all, he was helping students in trouble, sparing Sobu High from bad publicity. A bit of funding seemed only fair.
"The elf princess? She joined his club…"
Hearing this, Makoto froze, her expression turning serious.
She was well aware of the Service Club. Kaede had warned her before—if her childhood friend Hachiman came asking her to join to meet the member quota, she shouldn't agree just because he sweet-talked her. Kaede's involvement would be necessary for her to say yes.
But unexpectedly, Hachiman hadn't even approached her and had instead roped in the newly arrived elf princess. Worse, it seemed he had succeeded.
'This could be troublesome…'
If it were just Yuina and the others, Makoto felt her friend Kaede had nothing to worry about. She could simply warn Hachiman not to fool around and to treat Kaede seriously.
But if the rival was a princess from another world… how could Kaede compete with royalty?
Even though Makoto thought Kaede was the kindest girl in the world, she couldn't imagine her beating a literal elf princess.
'Could it be a misunderstanding?'
'Kaede's childhood friend isn't anything special. Why would an elf princess favor him?'
Makoto, now deep in thought, glanced at Yui, who had resumed her diligent work as a disciplinary committee member, managing students still lingering at the school gate. She shook her head.
Yui was upright and meticulous, but Hachiman's affairs were personal. It was understandable she hadn't been too focused without solid evidence.
Makoto decided to investigate Kaede's childhood friend herself. She needed to find out if Hachiman was truly unworthy of Kaede.
Though she didn't like Hachiman much and felt it was unfair for someone so lazy to have someone as wonderful as Kaede like him, she couldn't let Kaede be heartbroken.
———
[Hikigaya Residence]
Asougi Shion and Komachi were busy tidying up. Today, they planned to rent an apartment for Asougi Shion, and it would be better if she wasn't present to avoid misunderstandings with the landlord.
Some apartments didn't allow non-residents to stay overnight, so rather than explaining later, it was better to be upfront now.
"Shion, you've only stayed a few days, and now you're moving out. The house is going to feel so empty again…"
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