Chapter 171: The Ultimate Topic Among Boys: Who is the Biggest
Hikigaya's face showed no change in expression. The only thing that could be said was that his dead fish eyes were now becoming sharper.
Ryūen seemed very confident in the match between Hikigaya and Nagumo. He didn't waste unnecessary words, completely unlike Kitō earlier, which only irritated Kitō more.
Nagumo smiled faintly. He looked at the cards in Hikigaya's hand, didn't think much of it, and drew the card on his right.
The result was the same as Kōenji's earlier. When he saw the Joker, he knew the card was now in his hand.
'Nagumo is an extremely proud person. He believes he won't stumble in the same place twice, so now that I have Kōenji's model, it's not difficult to beat him.'
As expected, in the fourth round, it was finally the second-year side's turn to prepare breakfast. This way, although they didn't return to the starting point, the first-year side wouldn't be too stressed. After all, if the initial assumption of six days of breakfast had to be prepared entirely by them... one can imagine how poor their sleep quality would be.
In the fifth round, the three grades seemed to start chatting among themselves. Nagumo, in order to throw the topic to the first-years, focused the conversation around Sakura, as she was the only student council member in the first year.
A third-year student, who clearly hadn't realized the problem, said casually: "Sakura? The only student council member? Then she must be from Class A, she must be very excellent."
Nagumo Miyabi shook his head: "Excellent is debatable, but her work ability is strong, and she is not a student from Class A."
The third-year student continued: "If she's not from Class A, she must be from Class B, right? It is said that previous Student Council Presidents have all graduated from Class A, and since she's the only one in the first year, she should have some foundation."
Hirata smiled gently and replied to the third-year senpai: "Sakura-san is a student in our first-year Class C, Senpai."
The third-year student was clearly incredulous but maintained a semblance of composure. After all, as a senpai, he had been through all kinds of turmoil in this school.
Ryūen scoffed with disdain: "To be accurate, that girl entered the Student Council when she was in Class D, right, Hikigaya?"
Hikigaya: "It seems that's right."
The third-year student's eyes widened instantly, completely different from his previous expression.
"Class D? How could someone from Class D enter the Student Council? Wait, what did you just say? You're Class C now? Historically, Class D has never moved up a class."
Ryūen: "Hey, hey, what do you mean?"
Although he was a third-year senpai, facing Ryūen's aggressive demeanor, he immediately closed his mouth. But even so, his expression of disbelief was completely exposed.
If it weren't for the fact that the current Class D students were here, he would really want to hear how Hirata and the others climbed up from Class D.
Nagumo Miyabi shook his head: "This is all a product of Horikita Manabu's system, and the rules are the same. So... when the next semester truly begins, I will vigorously recruit Student Council members. As long as a student is capable, they can be utilized, no longer constrained by the school class, truly a system where individual meritocracy reigns supreme."
As he spoke, Nagumo clearly looked at Hikigaya with a hint of hostility.
From the two previous investigations, he didn't think Hikigaya was completely useless, but he was certainly not a powerhouse.
It could be said that under Horikita Manabu's system, a person like him, who could benefit from the class's rise, would gain advantages. But once it evolved into a school system of individual meritocracy, it would be completely different.
At that time, he felt that the boy in front of him could not cause any trouble at all. Instead, natural geniuses like Kōenji, who were maxed out in all abilities, were worthy of his acceptance.
Of course, Ryūen, Ichinose, Sakayanagi, and even Horikita were all his targets.
However...
At the same time, just as Nagumo Miyabi looked at Hikigaya with hostile eyes, Ryūen looked at Nagumo with a meaningful smile.
He had collaborated with Nagumo and, from a certain perspective, understood better what kind of person the guy in front of him was. But this time, he had to admit he had misjudged.
The fifth round was once again lost by the third-year students. Despite being seniors with two years more experience, they couldn't read any information when facing Hikigaya and Ryūen. This was somewhat of a blow to them.
In the final round, the Joker was dealt to Hikigaya from the start. However, this time, strangely, Ryūen and the second-year students quickly finished their hands, and the third-year students also followed suit. In the end, it turned into a confrontation between Hikigaya and Nagumo.
Nagumo's face still held that look of contempt, occasionally saying: "Hikigaya, is this the card?"
However, at times like this, Hikigaya would reply: "Draw it and you'll know, but the result probably won't be what you expect."
Because it was the final round, neither Hikigaya nor Nagumo were as playful as before. Instead, they became more serious. Compared to the previous rounds, there was not even joking, only simple eye contact, action observation, and expression reading.
Yahiko: "What are those two doing?"
At this moment, the Joker in Hikigaya's hand had not yet been played.
Kitō: "Who knows? Are they meditating? Addicted to meditation?"
Ryūen: "Shut up, brainless..."
The two stared at each other, with no change in expression from the beginning.
Finally, Nagumo broke the deadlock.
"Hikigaya, I know you are very good at seeing through people, but I want to know, even if you see through me, what's the point? If I close my eyes and randomly draw a card this time, what can you still guess?"
Saying this, Nagumo closed his eyes, and just as he said, he began to blindly choose a card.
If there were no one else around, Hikigaya could have openly cheated, switching the Joker over just as Nagumo was about to touch the card.
However, because there were too many people around, and Hikigaya didn't have such refined cheating skills, this plan was perfectly passed over.
Even so, it didn't mean Hikigaya couldn't utilize Nagumo Miyabi because of this.
Nagumo Miyabi was a cunning person. Unlike Horikita Manabu, he advocated that any trick was acceptable as long as the enemy was defeated. And the so-called 'closing eyes and blindly choosing' was nothing more than one part of his plan.
After all the various events had occurred, Hikigaya became more certain of his plan.
Nagumo's hand slowly reached over, and a confident smile appeared on his face.
Hikigaya glanced at Nagumo, then quickly moved the card on his right to the very center, and moved the center card to the left.
As expected, Nagumo Miyabi immediately took the bait.
Because Hikigaya's expression was too genuine, he immediately opened his eyes and said:
"The first card on the left."
Without any hesitation, he immediately drew it. However...
Kiriyama: "Nagumo..."
Whether it was the third-years, the second-years, or everyone within the first-year group, all were witnesses to this game of Old Maid, and the final result was that Nagumo had been played around completely.
That's right, it was the Joker.
Hikigaya had long anticipated that Nagumo would use other methods to defeat him, so he had to establish all information based on what Nagumo could know. Clearly, all of Hikigaya's actions were deliberately performed for Nagumo to see, and undoubtedly, Nagumo, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, saw it.
Kōenji, who had been sleeping on the bed, seemed to have noticed this scene, but he wasn't overly excited. After all, it wasn't something worth getting excited about.
A hint of a dark smile finally appeared on Nagumo's face, but it instantly reverted to a faint smile.
"It seems you guessed right?"
"Just good luck..."
"Luck is also part of strength. I think I need to properly examine you now. The game isn't over. You win only if you don't draw the Joker from my hand."
"This time, I absolutely won't let you get away with it so easily."
Saying this, Nagumo immediately adjusted the cards in his hand.
Just as Nagumo said, whether he drew the Joker or not, the game would end.
And now, apart from Kōenji, everyone's attention was focused on the two of them.
Even if Hikigaya didn't look at the three students from first-year Class B, he could feel what they wanted to say.
Although it was a small wager, they didn't want to wake up early to make breakfast, even if it was only for one day...
So, it was better to win.
However, seeing Nagumo Miyabi so serious, Hikigaya had a feeling that if he won, he would have a lot more trouble later.
He and Nagumo Miyabi weren't enemies, so there was no need to walk down a path of no return. Since he wanted to win so badly...
The moment Nagumo Miyabi displayed his hand, Hikigaya immediately drew the Joker back.
"Oh dear, what bad luck."
The three students from Class B sighed heavily, Yahiko was also somewhat helpless, and Hirata maintained his usual calm smile.
Ryūen: "I say, are you serious, kid?"
Hikigaya: "Of course I'm serious. The Student Council President is serious, so I've been serious for a long time. I can only say the Student Council President is superior. Or are you questioning the Student Council President's ability, Ryūen?"
Nagumo shot him a displeased look.
Ryūen wasn't afraid of him, but if this guy refused to admit it, then let him be.
"Tch, how boring. I thought it would be more fun."
"But whatever, I won't help you with breakfast no matter how many days it is. I'm stating that upfront."
Saying this, Ryūen lay down on the bed, arms folded behind his head, with a look of disdain.
Kitō also walked away, looking like it didn't concern him. Although this guy lost two rounds, absolutely no one dared to blame him. After all, that deadpan face was on display, comparable to Hikigaya's dead fish eyes.
Hirata, on the other hand, was very happy, then clenched his fist and said powerfully: "It's okay, Hachiman. This way, we'll have more time to create shared memories."
Hikigaya hadn't been nervous at all, and even after losing three times, he thought it was just a small matter. But Hirata's words completely shattered his defenses.
This development, isn't it wrong...
If Airi, Kikyo, or Masumi, or even Ichinose, Horikita, or Karuizawa were here, Hikigaya wouldn't have any complaints (and wouldn't dare to have any complaints). But what was with this boys' love development...
Now Hirata had grasped Hikigaya's hand, and that gentle smile slowly floated into his view.
"Hira... Hirata, how about we properly divide the work?"
Hikigaya tried to use this method to separate from Hirata, but he severely underestimated Hirata's leadership ability. Even when leading the worst class in the grade, he was still a leader and held absolute authority in front of ordinary classmates, so...
The three students from Class B, plus Yahiko, Albert, and finally Hirata and Hikigaya, were divided into three small groups, each responsible for one day's breakfast.
Initially, Hirata wanted to take on all three days of breakfast with Hikigaya, but Hikigaya's strenuous efforts to stop him resulted in Hirata regrettably only getting one chance to make breakfast.
Seeing this, Ryūen smiled with ill intent. Even if Ryūen didn't fully understand this guy's luck with women, he knew a little. Ending up like this was what he deserved.
The three students from Class B, however, knew from the start that this was the person Ichinose liked, so they were happy to help, and quickly intervened upon seeing Hirata's fierce offensive.
After all, in their opinion, if Ichinose and Hikigaya got together, their Class B would benefit. If he got together with Hirata... the scene was simply unimaginable.
As for Kitō, he wasn't unaware of the little thing between him and Kamuro. It was just an accidental kiss, and in his view, it was all an accident, so he planned to just watch the show.
In short, everyone was clearly harboring ulterior motives.
After winning the final victory, a long-lost faint smile finally appeared on Nagumo's face.
In his opinion, this victory was what he deserved. Following a brief farewell, he and the third-years left the area, concluding the day's agenda.
[In the chat room...]
[Nagumo Miyabi was clearly a bit angry. He hadn't expected that when he planned to give it his all, this guy would easily concede the victory to him: "This guy dares to look down on me!"]
[Asahina: "That's not the point, is it... How did he know that was the Joker card? That level of difficulty completely surpassed the initial game."]
[That's right, the goal of Old Maid is to avoid the Joker. No one would deliberately draw the Joker, and a normal person playing this game relies on luck, consciously trying to dodge the Joker from a few cards. But what Hikigaya in the video showed was not like that.]
[He was absolutely certain that one card out of two was the Joker. Although it's unknown if he could confirm the Joker from a dozen cards, what he just demonstrated was already terrifying enough.]
[Nagumo: "He must have used some improper means. Maybe he was doing it from the start. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to disrupt my plan."]
[Kiriyama: "But I didn't see him make any small movements. My attention was focused on him from the beginning. It's almost impossible to eliminate the possibility that he was cheating."]
[Kiryuuin smiled faintly. Her long white ponytail was tied up, and her every gesture exuded confidence, but when talking about Hikigaya in front of her, she frowned:"What is the deal with him..."]
[Everyone was puzzled. Of course, this situation had extended to the first years.]
[Kitō: "This guy is secretly throwing the game again, and it's intentional."]
[Kamuro: "The point is, he just saw through Nagumo's cheating, and now he's pulling this stunt."]
[Sakayanagi: "Well, it is Little Hiki after all."]
[Horikita: "Is this the ability my brother recognized... It seems I really need to work harder, not just academically, but to master other areas as well."]
[Ichinose: "Hikigaya-kun is indeed very knowledgeable about human nature. To be able to determine the Joker in such a short time, he must be using his skills in human nature again."]
[Karuizawa: "Now that you mention it, that seems to be the case."]
...
Time arrived on the third night. These few days were almost all the same. Apart from simple exchanges about the situation on both sides during lunchtime, the rest of the time was basically spent on their own activities. This was the forest training camp, the most boring forest training camp Hikigaya had ever experienced, though the previous ones weren't fun either.
To wash away the day's fatigue, Ryūen forcibly dragged Hikigaya to the large public bathhouse he had never been to before.
As expected, when Hikigaya arrived, the group members were already waiting for the two of them.
Of course, there was also Kanzaki from another group. Hirata seemed to have gotten a head start and was already exchanging information with him.
However, regarding this exam, Hikigaya felt that there was nothing noteworthy. Although Horikita Manabu and Nagumo Miyabi had said they would have a confrontation from the start, it was already the third day...
There was no news at all.
Based on Hikigaya's understanding of Horikita Manabu, that guy wouldn't provoke trouble unless he encountered an enemy. So, if Nagumo Miyabi didn't use any tricks, the final result would probably be Horikita Manabu overwhelming him with pure ability to end the exam.
However, based on Hikigaya's understanding of Nagumo Miyabi, that guy would absolutely not stand still either. Perhaps he was playing a big game. If it was him, even though he initially said he wouldn't involve others, Hikigaya had already sensed in yesterday's match that this guy would resort to any means necessary.
So...
If there was no movement on the boys' side, trouble was probably brewing on the girls' side.
It was just that Hikigaya hadn't received any intelligence yet.
That proved one thing: the trouble was not related to the first year.
Hikigaya's speculation ended there. To be honest, it was just self-conjecture so far, and Hikigaya couldn't be sure whether it was right or wrong.
The reason he dared to be so relaxed was, of course, his recognition of Horikita Manabu's ability. Moreover, even before the two agreed to the match, Horikita Manabu's eyes had already told him that this was their match, and Hikigaya only needed to collect information on the side.
Therefore, Hikigaya hadn't taken any action until now.
As long as the trouble didn't involve their class, he wouldn't proactively disrupt the two's operation.
However, thinking about these things in a bathhouse, a place full of masculine energy, was perhaps somewhat disrespectful to the place. Not only Hirata and Kanzaki, but even Hikigaya himself felt very out of place.
But, just as Hikigaya was thinking this...
Shibata, also from Class B, suddenly burst in. He walked right up to the two of them completely naked and happily draped his arms over their shoulders.
"Stop chattering about that stuff! In a place like this, we should relax properly. Come on, let me see who's the biggest in this first year!"
'Huh, the biggest what? Also, are you really not going to cover up at all? It's... embarrassing.'
Hikigaya clearly hadn't reacted yet, but it couldn't be blamed on him. Aside from the anomaly that was Ryūen, many people present were looking confused.
Kanzaki was also puzzled: "The biggest what?"
Hirata felt something poke his back, but he responded with a smile: "What does Shibata-kun mean?"
Shibata unreservedly pointed to his 'old two' (penis). Although it was already exposed, at this moment, it magically stood up.
Hirata immediately offered a compliment: "Mmm, not bad..."
Ryūen said disdainfully: "Tch, that's all..."
Hikigaya: "Wait, I think I understand... Did I realize too late? By the way, is it still too late for me to leave now?"
Kanzaki: "Um, your topic is very interesting..."
Unwilling to participate in such childish conversation, Kanzaki and Hikigaya planned to leave immediately, and I mean immediately.
But...
Just at this critical moment, Sudō walked in calmly and loudly asked: "Heh heh, not bad, but who's number one right now?"
A fire immediately surged up in Shibata's heart: "Sudō is here too, great, great! Right now, the number one is Class D's Kaneda, wait, no, it's Ryūen! Holy crap, Ryūen is huge!"
Ryūen looked proud: "Of course. Did you think this great me was a vegetarian? There are at least five hundred, maybe a thousand women, who have submitted to this great root."
Just as Ryūen closed his eyes to enjoy the moment, Shibata instantly pulled off Hirata's bath towel.
"Holy crap, Hirata-kun, I completely didn't expect it! You're so gentle and elegant, yet that is like a sleeping lion!"
Hirata scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "Since I've taken mine off, Hachiman, how about you..."
Hikigaya: "However, I refuse!"
Sudō: "You don't get to refuse, bro!"
With the strength of a wild bull, Hikigaya's bath towel was instantly ripped off.
( End of this chapter)