Haichiman's Super Strength

Hoshinomiya Chie, who had initially planned to slack off, suddenly became serious as she watched Hikigaya lost in thought.

"Teacher Hoshinomiya," Hikigaya said with mild confusion, "how many students had the freedom to choose their careers last year?"

Since Hoshinomiya was avoiding a direct answer, he decided to take another approach.

If he could figure out last year's situation, he might deduce the exact conditions required to gain career freedom.

"Uh..."

Hoshinomiya hesitated, blinking her large, expressive eyes. Then, with a mischievous smile, she changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, Hikigaya-kun, why did you respond to me so seriously? Could it be that you're secretly fascinated by your teacher?"

"Haha..."

Hikigaya forced a dry laugh.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if she was dodging the question due to school rules or if this unreliable teacher was just messing with him.

"Forget it."

Hoshinomiya pouted, puffing out her cheeks in an exaggerated sulk. Then, with a sigh, she gave in.

"Fine, I'll answer. Only students in Class A have the right to freely choose their careers."

As expected.

This was one of the possibilities he had anticipated.

Only Class A could freely decide their future, meaning there had to be specific methods to advance to that level.

"In that case, there must be a few ways to get promoted to Class A," Hikigaya mused aloud.

Since dropping out wasn't an option, he might as well aim for that privilege.

He was already in Class B, and with outstanding students like Honami Ichinose and Kanzaki Ryuji in his class, reaching Class A was only a matter of time.

It was best to just stick close to Ichinose and ride the wave.

"That's a sneaky way of asking," Hoshinomiya muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Rather than directly asking how to get to Class A, he had cleverly asked how many ways there were. A truly underhanded tactic.

"Cunning? Teacher, you're being unfair," Hikigaya said with mock seriousness. "I'm just trying to find the answer in the most efficient way. Even the police use efficient methods. You could say that this is the most logical approach."

He leaned forward slightly.

"Besides, I considered that you might not be able to answer directly, so I phrased it this way. This way, you can respond however you see fit. In other words, I was actually thinking about you, Teacher."

There. That should do it.

"...Huh?"

For a brief moment, Hoshinomiya looked startled.

Then her expression changed.

This brat had an annoying way with words.

He deserved a beating!

"Listen carefully, Hikigaya-kun."

Hoshinomiya raised her clipboard and tapped his forehead lightly before continuing.

"There are two ways to be promoted to Class A. The first one... I can't tell you yet. The second one is simple—you need to collect 20 million points to gain the right to transfer."

"I see," Hikigaya nodded. "Teacher Hoshinomiya, just now you mentioned... what kind of points, exactly?"

"No."

"You said it pretty clearly, though."

"When I say no, I mean no!"

Hoshinomiya placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward slightly as she stared into Hikigaya's eyes.

"Well..."

Hikigaya knew how to read the room.

Clearly, Hoshinomiya had let something slip by accident.

...Points.

Given that she had stopped herself mid-sentence, the missing word likely started with "ge" (個). That significantly narrowed things down.

Individual? Class? Grade?

Only Class A could advance, meaning there was likely a distinction between class points and personal points.

Based on Ichinose's previous speculations, personal points varied monthly and were likely influenced by class points.

The only unknown was the exact ratio.

"Alright," Hikigaya sighed.

He studied Hoshinomiya carefully before asking, "Teacher, did you do that on purpose, or was it an accident?"

A teacher at such an elite school wouldn't be careless without reason.

It was hard to believe that Hoshinomiya Chie, despite her unreliable persona, hadn't calculated her words carefully.

"...!"

Hoshinomiya's eyes widened slightly.

Then, without hesitation, she lifted her clipboard again.

"I was wrong," Hikigaya immediately admitted, leaning back to avoid the incoming attack.

Still, 100,000 points per month meant 3.6 million points over three years. Even at double that, 20 million was an impossible target.

"Is there any other way to get points?" he asked quickly. "How many types of points are there? Has anyone actually saved 20 million before?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" Hoshinomiya huffed.

"Isn't it common sense to ask the teacher when you don't understand something?" Hikigaya said seriously. "Isn't guiding students a teacher's responsibility?"

"Stop asking! If you keep going, I'll get mad!"

Hoshinomiya's pink eyes sparkled like gemstones, making her frustration oddly cute.

She wasn't actually angry.

But she was definitely on the verge of crossing some school regulation.

That much was clear.

"Got it," Hikigaya relented.

Not wanting to push his luck, he turned to leave.

"The entrance ceremony is starting soon. I'll be going, then."

Just as he was about to step away, her voice stopped him.

"Wait. Come back."

"...Yes, ma'am."

Hikigaya sighed, reluctantly returning. He forced a polite smile.

"Teacher Hoshinomiya, is there something else?"

"Hmph. You didn't really think I'd let you off that easily, did you?"

She smirked mischievously and raised her clipboard again. Hikigaya braced himself, instinctively closing his eyes and shrinking back.

It was better to let her vent now than later.

After all, she was in her late twenties—practically middle-aged. It was only natural for her temper to flare up now and then.

Hikigaya thought this rather maliciously.

Then, instead of a smack, he felt a soft murmur close to his ear.

A gentle breath tickled his skin.

"The teacher doesn't hate cunning boys like you."

Hikigaya's eyes snapped open.

Hoshinomiya was close, way too close. Her warm breath lingered in the air, carrying a faint scent of lilies.

Before he could react, she playfully stepped back, hands clasped behind her.

"See you later, Hikigaya-kun."

With that, she turned and walked away, swaying slightly as if enjoying his reaction.

Hikigaya stood frozen, his face heating up.

For someone with an embarrassing past and zero dating experience, that was... a bit much.

If he were still in middle school, he probably would've confessed on the spot—only to get immediately rejected.

That was how these things usually went.

Most men, at some point, have that stupid thought: "Does she like me?"

As a veteran loner, he wouldn't fall for that trap again.

But...

Yeah.

He really wasn't good at dealing with this teacher.