Chapter 158 Club Exchange Meeting with Sobu High
"It's hard for an individual to scrape together 20 million points, but what if you concentrated the points of an entire class?" Ibuki Mio argued convincingly.
"Haha~ You must be joking, kouhai." Nagumo Miyabi shook his head with a smile. "People are selfish by nature. Who would pool their points just to help someone else transfer classes?"
"You look pretty arrogant, but your brain isn't very flexible, is it?" Ibuki Mio began her mockery. "The ones pooling the points would obviously be the class the person is transferring into!"
"You mean..." Nagumo Miyabi's brow furrowed as he suddenly understood what she was saying, an expression of shock surfacing on his face.
"Isn't it a perfectly normal strategy to pool points to buy talent from another class?" Ibuki Mio dropped an incredible piece of intelligence.
"Wait, Ibuki? Are you serious?" Even Hikigaya was stunned.
"Ryuen is going to pool points to buy someone? But speaking of which, is it really okay for you to expose his tactics just like that?"
"There's nothing to hide," Ibuki Mio replied. "Besides, isn't it good if it puts mental pressure on the other classes?"
"In that case, I'm really curious—who does Ryuen want to buy?" Hikigaya was genuinely intrigued.
Ibuki Mio didn't speak; she just stared at him quietly.
"Why are you looking at me? Forget it if you don't want to say." Hikigaya shrugged indifferently.
"Haha~ To be willing to spend such a staggering amount of points to buy someone... it seems this year's first-years are truly interesting.
However, as a warm tip from a senpai, for the exams in the future that will require points—"
"That's enough, Nagumo. Upperclassmen are prohibited from leaking information to underclassmen."
Horikita Manabu interrupted Nagumo Miyabi's loose tongue.
'Why'd you have to stop him... let him act cool and keep talking!'
Hikigaya felt a deep sense of regret.
Realizing he had misspoke, Nagumo Miyabi gave a sheepish smile and obediently shut his mouth.
"Returning to the main topic," Horikita Manabu said.
"Aside from our routine check on the Martial Arts Club's activities, we have an important matter to discuss with you today."
Horikita Manabu took out a document and handed it to Captain Muto.
"This is... a club exchange activity with an outside school?!!"
"The exchange partner... Chiba Sobu High School."
Captain Muto was momentarily stunned, and then his eyes lit up. Representing the school was a huge honor that would be recorded in their student files, making it extremely valuable for future higher education applications!
"Chiba's Sobu High?!!"
The moment Hikigaya heard that familiar name, his expression turned incredibly strange. If his parents hadn't changed his choice of school on a whim at the last minute, he would currently be a student at Sobu High according to the normal enrollment process.
But that wasn't the main point... This was a rare opportunity to go outside!
"Chiba? Where is that?" Ibuki Mio expressed a lack of interest. Being from Hokkaido, she naturally had no interest in an unfamiliar city.
"Yes. Advanced Nurturing High School is a school established through the cooperation of the government and private enterprises, with the purpose of social practice," Horikita Manabu explained.
"We need to periodically conduct positive publicity to the outside world.
After comprehensive consideration, the Student Council believes the Martial Arts Club is the most outstanding club, capable of showcasing the achievements of Advanced Nurturing High to the outside. Members of the Martial Arts Club, do you have the confidence to take on this heavy responsibility?"
"YES!!" The members of the Martial Arts Club shouted in unison.
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After the Student Council members left, Hikigaya immediately submitted his request: "Captain Muto, for this outside club exchange meeting, please make sure to take me along!"
"Oh? It's rare to see Hikigaya so enthusiastic," Captain Muto said, surprised.
"However, according to past practice, club exchange meetings usually involve second and third-year members."
This made sense. Firstly, second and third-year members were more experienced. Secondly, since Advanced Nurturing High was a confidential institution, it was safer to send older students.
"Please, Captain Muto! I'm very tight-lipped." Although Hikigaya knew it was against the norm, he still wanted to push for it.
"Well, in Hikigaya's case, your skill level is high enough," Captain Muto said. He wasn't a stickler for old rules and he thought highly of Hikigaya.
"However, there's no precedent for using a first-year. I'll have to discuss it thoroughly with the club's advisor."
"Thank you very much, Captain Muto!!" Hikigaya gave a solemn, deep bow.
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As they left the Martial Arts Club:
"Hey, Hikigaya, are you from Chiba?" Ibuki Mio followed him curiously.
"Yeah." Hikigaya nodded.
"I see. No wonder you're so proactive. It seems you're taking the chance to go out and visit home?"
Ibuki Mio suddenly understood his intention.
"But according to this school's rigid rules, they probably forbid students from moving around freely, right? It'll likely be limited to the exchange at Sobu High."
"It doesn't matter. Sobu High is the closest school to my house. Many of my middle school classmates went there... Uh, what's with that look?"
Before Hikigaya could finish, he noticed Ibuki Mio staring at him.
"Middle school classmates...
I say, Hikigaya, you aren't planning to go see your first love, are you?"
'What is this girl babbling about?'
Hikigaya narrowed his dead-fish eyes and said with mock seriousness, "Yeah! You caught me."
"Wha-What?!
You actually have one!!"
Ibuki Mio's eyes widened, her face showing an expression of pure disbelief.
"That reaction is pretty rude," Hikigaya said, feeling speechless. Seeing her actually believing his nonsense, he had to tell the truth.
"I'm kidding!
Why would you think someone like me would have a first love? Are you trying to pick a fight?"
Hearing this, Ibuki Mio finally breathed a sigh of relief, then angrily stomped on his foot.
"Baka! Don't make stupid jokes like that!"
"Is that really something to get angry about?" Hikigaya's mouth twitched, thinking that girls were truly fickle creatures.
"So... do you have acquaintances at Sobu High?" Ibuki Mio scratched her hair, asking in a seemingly casual way.
'This girl is quite curious...'
"I do."
"...Are they pretty?"
"Instead of pretty, I think 'cute' would be more appropriate."
Hikigaya corrected her seriously.
"Cuter than me?" Ibuki Mio frowned.
"You certainly have a high opinion of yourself..." Hikigaya's expression was hard to maintain. He looked Ibuki up and down, his gaze becoming subtle.
"But, come to think of it, just based on looks, you two actually have a slight resemblance."
Same short hair, neutral style, and even their figures were somewhat similar.
"Hmph~ If you want to praise me, just say so!"
Ibuki Mio's brow arched, and her mood instantly became cheerful.
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