"Alright."
After a moment of hesitation.
Hikigaya sighed and nodded, looking up at the group:
"Then you all go out first, let me talk to Karuizawa alone."
"No."
Sakayanagi Arisu said calmly: "We need to supervise and guide here. You must slowly get used to all of this."
"Wait a minute."
Hikigaya said somewhat speechlessly: "This is a bit too much, isn't it? It's Karuizawa's first time. You should also consider her feelings. Can't we wait until next time to do whatever you want?"
The first time.
To actually have people watching from the side? This was simply an insult to Karuizawa.
He had already made such a concession, but Sakayanagi would not be soft-hearted in the slightest.
On the other side.
Karuizawa, with a flushed face, lowered her small head and secretly observed Hikigaya, feeling happy in her heart.
Sure enough, Hikigaya still cared about her.
"No."
Sakayanagi had only two words.
She knew it was very difficult for Hikigaya to accept this kind of thing.
This was all because Hikigaya cared too much about others and their feelings.
Whether it was his personality or this twisted sense of responsibility.
Although he would eat some good food to reward himself.
Hikigaya rarely thought for himself.
If he were an ordinary person, it wouldn't be a problem, but with this personality, trying to enter politics was simply seeking death.
And her family's resources were only in the political world.
Hikigaya had to be made to change.
To put it simply.
It was to make Hikigaya a bit more selfish.
There was nothing wrong with being selfish.
Although since childhood they were taught to be reserved and to know how to yield, the education Sakayanagi received was not this kind of "ignorant person" education.
Striving and fighting was not something to be ashamed of.
If you don't fight, how can you stand out?
Fortunately.
She had successfully persuaded Ichinose and the others.
"What are you doing acting like a good person here?"
Kamuro Masumi sneered, walked up to Hikigaya, lightly stepped on his thigh, and said with a face full of disdain:
"Look at yourself now. You're stepping on five boats, and you're still acting like a good person?"
"You're just a piece of scum, a scumbag. Don't put on an act for me."
Hikigaya's face was stiff and hard to refute.
At this point, saying he was a good person was indeed a bit shameless, but he wasn't so bad as to be called "scum," was he?
"Exactly."
Himeno Yuki nodded and quickly walked up to Hikigaya.
Her soft hands locked around Hikigaya's neck from behind, and she said somewhat angrily:
"You scumbag, you 'central air conditioner,' stop pretending. I saw through your nature long ago."
"Let me tell you, I checked. The average salary in Sakurajima is 300,000, and others only have one girlfriend!"
"300,000 per person!"
"Let me tell you, if you want all five of us to agree, you need at least 1.5 million... a monthly salary of 1 million, otherwise I won't agree!"
Feeling it was too much.
Himeno Yuki quickly changed it to 1 million.
It was like the Emperor's golden hoe.
With their meager imagination, they really couldn't imagine the life of the rich.
These words.
Naturally, most of them were what Sakayanagi taught them to say.
It was to put pressure on Hikigaya and break his inherent perceptions.
To let Hikigaya have a more correct self-perception.
To complete the transformation.
Hikigaya's face was stiff and he was speechless.
A monthly salary of 1 million, an annual salary of over 10 million—this was also an astronomical figure in his eyes.
But to support so many people.
This much money was also necessary, right?
"And that ridiculous sense of responsibility of yours, in the end, it's just a man's possessiveness, isn't it?"
Sakayanagi Arisu said with a playful face.
Just empty words were naturally hard to believe.
Sakayanagi Arisu continued to add:
"Hikki, you must listen to me and reach a height that I can recognize by the time you graduate."
"Otherwise, when you graduate, I will send people to snatch Ichinose and the others away from you, and force them to work only in soaplands."
Sakayanagi Arisu was naturally just saying that.
She had no interest in Ichinose and the others, as long as they could become a help to Hikigaya in the future.
But in Hikigaya's ears, it didn't sound like that at all.
Hikigaya's pupils suddenly shrank.
If Ichinose and the others left voluntarily, although his heart would be a bit hurt, it wouldn't be unacceptable.
But if they were snatched away—just thinking about it.
Hikigaya felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
"No!"
Hikigaya couldn't help but speak out.
Perhaps just as Sakayanagi said, his sense of responsibility was just a kind of possessiveness.
"Then you must listen to me."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled with a somewhat playful look in her eyes:
"Don't worry, everyone has their own way of doing things. I won't interfere with yours."
"However, from today onwards, you must become strong and confident."
"Alright, let's begin."
"..."
Hikigaya turned to look at Ichinose and said with complexity: "Would it be better to be stronger?"
"That..."
Ichinose hesitated.
Her opinion seemed very important to Hikigaya.
After considering for a moment.
Ichinose still said softly:
"It's not exactly about being strong, I just also hope Hikki can become more confident..."
"Is that so..."
Hikigaya gave a weak sigh.
True enough.
Cheerful "riajuus" (normies) are always more popular.
"Understood..."
Hikigaya took a deep breath, walked to Karuizawa's side and sat down, suddenly pressing his hands on her shoulders.
"Eh?"
Side.
Looking at the approaching Hikigaya, Karuizawa was startled and closed her beautiful eyes in anticipation.
But after waiting for a moment, Hikigaya still couldn't bring himself to do it.
Although he had done plenty of "group activities" with Ichinose and Himeno Yuki before, feeling several people staring at this without blinking.
Hikigaya still felt somewhat ashamed. He turned back to Sakayanagi and said speechlessly:
"How about we just forget it? I really don't see the point in doing this. Even if you want me to learn to understand women, you can teach me slowly."
"It doesn't matter if you don't know. Just follow my arrangements."
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze was calm: "Besides, I said I'd let you do the foreplay, but I didn't tell you to hold Karuizawa's shoulders like that. Put your hands down."
Helplessness.
"Oh."
Hikigaya looked at Karuizawa helplessly, only to see her head lowered with a flushed face, waiting for his "favor."
After hesitating for a moment.
Hikigaya made a move to embrace Karuizawa.
"Stop."
Sakayanagi said coldly again: "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Hearing her words.
Hikigaya's face suddenly stiffened. The look he gave Sakayanagi was somewhat resentful, and Ichinose and Himeno Yuki also felt a bit helpless.
"I am letting you get used to getting along with women. Your attitude must be calm. Only by being calm and unhurried can you take the initiative. You must be able to keep your heart as still as water."
"You are to let Karuizawa be captivated by you, not let yourself be blinded by beauty."
"What's the hurry?"
"Start over!"
Is this a movie? Can you even call "cut"?
Hikigaya's face was stiff.
He couldn't understand the meaning of doing this.
No wonder Sakayanagi also wanted to oversee the battle. Does she really intend to teach him step by step how to become a true leader?