The next day.
Keyaki Mall.
On a bench by the street, Hashimoto Masayoshi was scrolling through his phone while eating a tonkatsu sandwich; he was much easier to find than Sudo.
Hikigaya went forward to greet him.
"Yo, is it convenient to chat?"
"Ah, isn't this Hikigaya?"
The bench downstairs from the dormitory.
Things were unexpectedly simple.
Looking at Hashimoto Masayoshi sitting in his spot, Hikigaya tossed over the black tea he had bought.
"Here..."
"....."
Hashimoto Masayoshi smiled as he caught it, opened the can, and took a sip.
Compared to MAX Coffee, ordinary people still prefer this kind of popular drink.
"Really now, Hikigaya is truly enviable, being able to date so many beautiful girls at the same time, what does it actually feel like?"
Hashimoto Masayoshi smiled with a slight air of frivolity.
Only, no sarcasm could be heard in his tone; instead, he seemed genuinely envious.
"Does that even need to be said? It definitely feels great."
Hikigaya leaned against the vending machine drinking coffee.
Whether it was contempt or envy.
In the eyes of outsiders, he was undoubtedly a scumbag.
It didn't really matter.
If Sudo was someone with full strength but no firm will, Hashimoto Masayoshi was undoubtedly the type who possessed his own convictions and knew very clearly what he wanted.
"As expected?"
Hashimoto Masayoshi laughed somewhat:
"However, although I also think they are all very beautiful, Hikigaya, you are truly impressive, simply eating anything regardless of taste."
"Whether it's an angel like Ichinose, a gyaru like Karuizawa, or even our little princess, you can stomach them all."
"Speaking of which, Hikigaya, you should have already done it with them, right? As expected, is playing with someone plump like Ichinose more enjoyable?"
"Hmm?"
Hikigaya remained unmoved on the surface, but felt slightly uncomfortable inside.
Boys discussing this topic were likely not few in number.
Although Hikigaya could admit he was a scumbag and indeed cooperated with them to toy with Kamuro Masumi and others.
He did not like treating their bodies as a topic for conversation.
However.
From their last meeting.
Although he felt Hashimoto Masayoshi was a bit frivolous, it hadn't reached this level.
According to Kanzaki's judgment.
He likely judged that he was a scumbag, so he discussed this topic to try and get closer?
Silent for a moment.
Hikigaya shifted the topic:
"You sound like you're an experienced person yourself; why haven't I heard any news about you dating anyone?"
"Of course."
Hashimoto Masayoshi said somewhat proudly:
"Oh..."
"In junior high, I was also a member of the football club, and even a key player on the team. I was very popular with girls back then."
Meaning he had already walked up the adult staircase in junior high.
Impressive.
"I heard from Kanzaki."
Hikigaya then entered the main topic.
"You don't seem to care much about the class, as long as you can graduate from Class A it's enough. Did you have a deal with Ryuuen before?"
"I suppose so..."
Hashimoto Masayoshi leaned back on the bench with a smile that suggested he had expected this.
Since Hikigaya would take the initiative to find him.
It was likely he wanted to start dealing with Class A to rise from Class B to A, wanting to turn him or having some other purpose.
However.
Unfortunately.
Hashimoto Masayoshi still couldn't make up his mind on which class to bet on.
Currently, the class point gap between the four classes wasn't large.
Katsuragi, who was leading by nearly four hundred points.
Hikigaya, who had changed leaders and won two consecutive matches, gaining momentum and conducting crazy reforms. Ryuuen, with various methods that exceeded expectations.
And.
Class D, which was despised by the whole school but possessed Koenji, Sudo Ken, Yukimura, Horikita Suzune, and the unfathomable Ayanokouji.
They were simply a gathering of strong individuals.
Moreover, they were the class with the most growth in class points.
To be honest.
Hashimoto Masayoshi actually favored Class D more.
No special reason, just that it was somewhat hard to approve of Katsuragi's way of doing things.
Compared to Katsuragi and Ichinose.
Hashimoto Masayoshi, like Ryuuen and the others, was someone who stood in the underworld.
More self-interested.
And more able to identify with Class D's rational and heartless way of doing things; discarding someone like Sakura Airi wasn't a big deal anyway.
Therefore.
He believed more that only cold-blooded leaders like Sakayanagi and Horikita Suzune could rise to Class A.
Unfortunately.
Sakayanagi was seduced by Hikigaya's handsome man tactic and retreated to the second line; otherwise, he would still favor A or D.
In short.
It was still difficult to make a decision now.
All four classes still retained hope of rising to Class A; it wouldn't be surprising for any one of them to graduate from Class A.
Any possibility could not be discarded.
"Hikigaya, are you here to ask for my help?"
"Is there a problem?"
Hikigaya gave an ambiguous response; there was no need to answer directly.
"It's true that I only care about graduating from Class A myself."
Hashimoto Masayoshi drank his tea unconcernedly:
"After all, in the end, everyone is just high school classmates, right? There are only a few I get along well with. Sacrificing my own future for a group of people I'm not very familiar with is inherently strange. Hikigaya, don't you think so?"
"Well, I suppose so."
Hikigaya nodded, waiting for the other party to continue.
Indeed, there was nothing strange about it.
No.
Even the vast majority of people in the school hold the same thoughts as Hashimoto Masayoshi.
What's strange is that Class B has a bunch of kind-hearted busybodies.
Only.
Hikigaya doesn't dislike it.
"Hikigaya."
Hashimoto Masayoshi smiled: "There's no problem if you want to find me for help or to understand Class A's intelligence, but if you want me to betray Class A right now, that's impossible."
"However."
Saying this, Hashimoto Masayoshi shifted his words:
"If you guys can pull the gap with Class A to within two hundred points, I can work for you at the time of graduation."
"But correspondingly, Class B has to provide me with the relevant personal points to let me transfer to A, how about it?"
Any possibility cannot be let go.
At least.
Leave the possibility of transferring to Class B first.
Just helping with something, like delivering a love letter, helping to deal with a certain girl in Class A, or asking for some information—Hashimoto Masayoshi was quite willing.
Compared to relying on the class.
Hashimoto Masayoshi clearly leaned more toward.
Relying on his own strength to rise to A; anyone could come to buy him.
Only sincerity is the ultimate move.
Including Sakayanagi, Katsuragi, Ryuuen, Ayanokouji, and others—they all knew Hashimoto Masayoshi's style of action.
Clearly.
Hashimoto Masayoshi's sincerity is different from Horikita Suzune's.
At least Hashimoto Masayoshi knows very clearly what he is doing, while Horikita Suzune is simply a silly, white, and cold person who doesn't recognize herself.
When talking about benefits, don't talk about feelings.
Clearly state that one is an egoist.
Being frank to this extent.
Indeed, it doesn't make people feel disgusted.
If there's a need, one can find him; if not, one can stay at a respectful distance.
Unfortunately.
Hikigaya is the type who would choose to stay at a respectful distance.