Chapter 289 – A Sigh of Reluctance
Hikigaya picked up the macaron with practiced ease and chewed it expressionlessly.
This was his calmest performance yet — not a single reaction, as if he were simply savoring a dessert.
Warakubami Sumika silently observed him, and the doubts in her heart dissipated.
'A normal reaction. So the issue must lie between the first and second rounds. One of those was faked. But which one…?'
Warakubami fell into thought, recalling the advice from her clan elders when she first stepped into the acting world.
At that moment, Yomotsuki Runa handed each of them a blank sheet of paper. "Now, please write down your answer on the paper. In ten seconds, we'll reveal them together!" "After eating something that spicy, I bet your endurance is nearing its limit." She shook a carton of milk in front of them, offering silent temptation.
"Such a dull trick." Warakubami ignored her entirely and quickly wrote a bold number 1.
She decided to trust her intuition — the first time had been real, the second was an act Hikigaya put on after knowing what the real thing felt like.
Yes, it had to be that.
Both of them finished writing almost in unison. Then, Hikigaya suddenly looked up and asked, "Warakubami, what do you think of Momobami Kirari?" "Are you like the other Hundred Devourers, aiming to take the clan headship from her?"
"That means nothing to me. I'm different from the other branches," she cut him off sharply. "My only goal is to become a globally recognized, multi-talented superstar." "This is my career, my dream. My life isn't bound to the Momobami name."
"I came to this school for two reasons — to appease the elders in my clan, and for the resources I'll need that are available here."
"And you, Hikigaya Hachiman, are about to become one of those resources." "Maybe we can make a deal."
"Oh?" Hikigaya pressed a hand over his answer paper. "But let's save that for after this bet is settled."
"The contestants are ready! Now, reveal your answers!" Runa shouted.
Hikigaya Hachiman: First one. Warakubami Sumika: First one.
"Whoa, you're totally in sync! You both picked the other's first bite?" Runa shook her head in mock disappointment. "Well, even though it's a bit of a shame, I have to announce..."
"The winner of this bet is Hikigaya Hachiman!" "Sumika-chan, you lost!"
"...What?!" Warakubami froze in disbelief. She couldn't accept this result.
'Impossible! Even if my intuition was off and the real answer was the second bite — how could Hikigaya have seen through my act?'
Her eyes were intense, refusing to accept defeat in a field she prided herself on — acting. Her violet pupils locked onto Hikigaya. "I would never miss a reflex response, nor confuse it with a conscious reaction. But your expressions in both rounds were absolutely responses to spicy food — tell me, how did you do it?!"
"Hypnosis," Hikigaya said. A simple word that captured both girls' attention.
"I knew from the start that my acting couldn't fool a celebrity like you. So I decided to use hypnosis."
It was a basic method — one that only Hikigaya could pull off.
He accessed his memory palace and retrieved a painful recollection: the first time he recklessly tasted food made by Ms. Yor.
That overwhelmingly stimulating experience had been etched into his brain.
So when he bit into the first macaron — which was actually just a normal, sweet dessert — he used self-hypnosis to make himself believe it was the spicy one.
"And it worked surprisingly well."
"So the real answer was the second one?" "Exactly."
Hikigaya let out a soft sigh.
Even so, he hadn't been able to fool Warakubami completely.
As expected of a world-class actress — she still caught the involuntary response in his second round.
Even though he'd tried to fantasize about cooling it down with the sweetest milk or freshest spring water, his body's instincts betrayed him — and she noticed.
"Damn... hypnosis, huh? That kind of thing really exists?" Warakubami muttered bitterly, though she didn't seem too agitated.
After all, in the entertainment industry, there were actors who could use hypnosis to enter character instantly. She just hadn't expected someone like Hikigaya — an outsider — to master it.
'It was her own carelessness.'
Still feeling frustrated, she asked, "Even so, how did you see through me?" "My acting should've been flawless."
"I didn't see through anything," Hikigaya replied flatly. "I admit — this bet was a gamble for me. Since it was your strongest field, I never expected I could see through your disguise with just observation." "So I chose to do the opposite."
"The reaction that seemed least likely — that was the correct answer."
"When you ate the second one, your pupils contracted — just for a moment, before you controlled it." "My logic told me that must be the correct answer." "But using my weakest skill to attack your strongest one wasn't exactly a rational move."
"And your performance during the first bite was too perfect. Even I could only think you were simply enjoying a dessert."
"In the end, it turns out I was lucky."
Hikigaya shrugged politely.
Maybe spending so much time around Yumeko had affected him — even he had become somewhat irrational when it came to gambling. The old him would have trusted logic and picked the wrong answer without hesitation.
"Too perfect, so it felt suspicious... is there really such a thing?" "Ridiculous..."
Warakubami Sumika fell silent, eyes filled with deep regret.
If only she had one more chance, she would adjust her strategy. She knew her raw skill was far above Hikigaya's — yet she failed right at the final moment before victory.
What a pity. What a shame.
How frustrating. All her unwillingness turned into a long sigh.
It seemed in the end, she and the song Hikigaya had written would remain strangers.
She weakly waved her hand, lacking energy now. "You win. All my votes are yours now."
Chapter 290: Komachi Plays the Koto, Yumeko Sings
Facing the betting voucher handed over by Warakubami Sumika, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't immediately reach out to take it.
"Interested in a collaboration?"
This woman's arrogance was fundamentally different from the rest of the Momobami branches.
That was the part Hikigaya appreciated most.
She didn't rely on her family, nor did she treat her surname as a source of pride.
Just these two points alone were enough to pique his interest.
Warakubami Sumika could completely exist as an individual, independent of the Warakubami family.
Yumemi could be nurtured as a potential chess piece, but the Warakubami Sumika before him was already a fully matured force.
Befriending her now was nothing but beneficial.
Hikigaya took out his phone and waved it in front of Warakubami.
"All the songs I've written are saved here. Take whichever ones suit you."
Sumika's eyes lit up, but soon turned cautious.
As someone raised in the Momobami clan, she understood deeply that nothing in this world came for free.
To gain something meant losing something in return.
In the entertainment industry, a vast cesspool, Sumika had witnessed too many women use others as stepping stones in exchange for benefits.
She had been spared by the weight of the Warakubami name, but this time was different.
Hikigaya Hachiman had great ambition, and probably wouldn't be restrained by the Warakubami name behind her.
"What's your goal?"
"Goal? Just consider it that you owe me a favor."
"Writing songs is just a side gig for me. I also hold the adaptation rights to a whole bunch of works waiting to be made into films. I might need a big star like you to help boost their popularity someday."
"Songs in exchange for screen presence—how's that sound?"
Movies?
Sumika's face held a trace of doubt.
This guy born from a regular civilian family claimed to own film adaptation rights.
Could it be those neglected, third-rate copyrights gathering dust in obscurity?
She hesitated for a moment.
If she starred in a film with such low visibility, even with top-quality songs, it wouldn't offset the reputational damage.
No doubt about it, that'd be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
An Oscar-level actress starring in a no-name indie project? It would only drag down her status.
"What kind of works? If they're too unknown, we can't collaborate."
You might not realize it, but someone in my position can't afford to accept roles that lower their status.
Hikigaya nodded to show understanding, not offended by her tone.
From his perspective as a mystery author, he wouldn't stoop to write dime novels either.
But Hikigaya was confident that his books' influence in Japan was in no way less than Warakubami Sumika's in entertainment.
"Well, since we're going to collaborate, let me formally introduce myself."
He revealed the backend of his Bluebird ù account.
"My pen name is Higashino Quinn. As for my works… they're pretty well-known in Japan. I doubt they'd bring down your status."
"Higashino Quinn? You're Higashino Quinn?!"
Warakubami Sumika, a woman who held herself in high regard, believed from the bottom of her heart that any public figure in Japan who hadn't made it to the global stage wasn't truly successful.
Very few Japanese celebrities had managed to gain a foothold in the Western world.
Among them, Higashino Quinn was one.
His National Name Series of mystery novels had won multiple awards in Western countries, and many mystery fans had formed fan clubs in his honor.
He was known as a master of blending all post-Golden Age styles.
If she were to star in a movie adapted from his work, it wouldn't be a one-sided favor. It would be a powerful collaboration.
Still… could it really be that coincidental?
Sumika looked at the phone screen in disbelief.
It indeed showed a verified account belonging to Higashino Quinn.
Eliminating the possibility of hacking, there was no doubt that the person before her was Higashino Quinn—Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Can't believe… it's really you."
Suddenly, Sumika felt the surreal sensation of an online fan meeting an internet idol in real life.
"Well, if that's the case, then we have no issues collaborating."
Upon confirming Hikigaya's identity, even Sumika's tone shifted slightly.
Before this, even though she knew he had ties with Momobami Kirari, Sumika hadn't paid him much attention.
But true power garners respect no matter where it goes.
Standing off to the side, Yomozuki Runa looked bored, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the two talk amicably.
"How annoying. They bet something so precious to both of them, yet after losing, they can still chat so peacefully… This isn't the gambling climax I wanted."
"Where can I find a truly exciting gamble to preside over again?"
Yomozuki Runa lay on the table, scrolling through the Student Council's internal group chat.
Suddenly, her finger froze mid-scroll, and her eyes lit up: "The President actually… Dammit, I missed it! I have to go right now!"
She abruptly stood up and announced urgently, "Since the gamble's over, I'll take my leave now~ If you need anything else, just contact me later."
With that, she turned and dashed out.
Hikigaya Hachiman was a little curious—this was the first time Yomozuki Runa had shown such haste in front of others.
Something big must've happened.
He didn't dwell on it, and simply sat with Warakubami Sumika at opposite ends of the table, happily engaging in their "dirty trade."
Each time she looked at a song, Hikigaya got to enjoy her world-class singing voice up close and personal—an experience not even those rich snobs with million-yen headphones could replicate.
And Hikigaya got to enjoy them all.
Though he didn't show it outwardly, inside, he was absolutely delighted.
Listening to her sing, Hikigaya couldn't help but think:
'If Yumeko could sing like this… then at home, wouldn't I be able to enjoy this kind of top-tier audiovisual feast all the time? Imagine—Komachi playing the koto, Yumeko singing—what a dream!'
"You seem to be thinking about something rather improper."
"Not improper per se… but I do have one more request I'd like to add."
"Go ahead."
Since she'd already benefited, and as a proud person, Warakubami Sumika didn't want to owe anyone a favor.
She decided to go along with his idea and return the favor directly.
"Teach Yumeko how to sing."
Her hand paused mid-motion, slightly hesitant: "Yumeko… from the Jabami family?"
"Yeah."
Warakubami thought for a moment, then nodded.
By blood, Yumeko was still her cousin.
Teaching her cousin to sing wouldn't really diminish her own stature, after all.