108. Hikigaya Commands Victory From a Thousand Miles Away
An assassin?!
Hikigaya Hachiman's pupils contracted. Sweat soaked his back.
This term, which had only ever appeared in the novels he wrote, had now actually intruded into his real life.
If... Momobami Kirari hadn't filled that hole for him, he didn't dare imagine what might have happened. The consequences would have been something Hikigaya would regret for the rest of his life.
Hikigaya's expression turned stern, and he immediately realized who was behind it.
The angrier he felt in his heart, the calmer his demeanor became.
"Unbelievable…"
"Thanks, President." Hikigaya Hachiman straightened his arms down along his trouser seams and bowed deeply to Momobami Kirari with genuine sincerity.
"Do you want my help?"
Kirari looked at Hikigaya with a gaze tinged with greed and suddenly asked.
Just one nod, and the dangerous element Mibuomi Aoi would disappear immediately. The price, of course, would be to bow down and submit to Kirari. Hikigaya Hachiman understood this well.
But he had already made his decision: he would personally drag Mibuomi Aoi down to hell during the Great Bloom Festival.
Though his fury was hard to contain, Hikigaya was still willing to wait one more month. With Kirari as his trump card, at least his family was safe.
A competent schemer doesn't allow rage over what hasn't happened yet to cloud their judgment and change the plan. Of course, if anything were to happen to his family, Hikigaya would regret his choice for the rest of his life—and then he would make Mibuomi Aoi explode.
Even if it meant selling off his life to Kirari and becoming her dog, he would ensure Mibuomi plummeted into hell at the fastest speed possible.
"In a little while, I'll make him lose everything with my own hands," Hikigaya said coldly.
He had only learned of the Great Bloom Festival yesterday from the Ougatou sisters.
Originally, Hikigaya Hachiman's plan was to challenge the officers of the Full-Bloom Association one by one, to undermine Mibuomi Aoi's authority, and then send him into the abyss once he had lost everything. But now, Hikigaya had a better idea: to destroy him during the Great Bloom Festival, in front of the entire school.
He recalled the conversation he had with the Ougatou sisters yesterday.
.
.
.
After learning about the Great Bloom Festival and the Full-Bloom Association's plan, Hikigaya asked:
"Uprising? What's that?"
Still flushed after reciting the Declaration of Defeat, Ougatou Naoko forced her limp, jelly-like body to explain to Hikigaya Hachiman:
"That's Mibuomi Aoi's ultimate goal."
"He gave us the order: [All Full-Bloom Association executives are to launch an official match against the Student Council on the final day of the Great Bloom Festival]. On that day, all Student Council members must be defeated. The mission my sister and I received was to challenge Nishinotouin from the Traditional Culture Research Club."
"And the final phase, [Uprising], will be handled by him personally."
"I guess he's planning to challenge President Momobami," Ougatou Naoko offered her interpretation.
Mibuomi, challenge Momobami?
That idea formed in Hikigaya's mind, only to be immediately extinguished.
No, it's impossible.
From what he knew of Mibuomi, that dark-hearted hypocrite would never actively challenge Kirari. On that day, there would probably be an unexpected move.
Putting himself in Mibuomi's shoes, what would he do?
Fearing Kirari's terrifying power, he would never use the direct method of challenge, but would instead completely solidify the support from all ordinary students and livestock... All of this was a smokescreen. His true goal was—
In the eyes of the Ougatou sisters, Hikigaya's figure became tall and unfathomably deep. They leaned dreamily against his feet, their gazes hazy, waiting for his next words.
"You two said, the final decision for the Special Prize at the Great Bloom Festival is based on the ranking of gambling income by club or individual, right?"
Hikigaya asked somewhat abruptly.
"Eh? Yes, that's right."
"And also, the Accounting Department and the Executive Committee will open an outside match—that is, people can bet on which club will win first place in the Great Bloom Festival. The less likely the club is to win, the higher the odds. The final payout will be covered by the Student Council as a whole, with President Momobami personally responsible."
"And according to the rules from previous years, this outside match has one special characteristic: once the odds are set, they do not change, no matter how unbalanced the bets placed on each side become."
"Mhm."
Heh—
That really does suit Kirari's personality… Ignoring danger in pursuit of pleasure—a bona fide compulsive gambler.
Hikigaya's gaze turned sharp, and the corner of his lips curled upward uncontrollably. He had already completely seen through Mibuomi Aoi's real objective.
That guy's true aim was likely to place a huge bet on the club with the highest odds in the outside match, then deliberately lose to that club in a gamble.
In his vision, the payout amount might be so astronomical that even Kirari wouldn't be able to afford it. Unfortunately for him, his entire assumption was wrong from the very beginning.
Kirari is not short on money.
So then, in his plan, which club would be the one with the astronomically high odds?
Hikigaya Hachiman immediately thought of himself. With Mibuomi Aoi's personality, after Hikigaya won the bet against the Ougatou sisters yesterday, he would most likely do everything he could to push Hikigaya into opposition with the general student body.
And at the same time, he was also the master of the Ougatou sisters.
So, choosing the baseball club, who lost the gamble yesterday, would be the perfect fit.
By rallying all ordinary students' will and inciting everyone's emotions, Mibuomi could get people to place heavy bets on the option of "Mibuomi Aoi defeats Hikigaya Hachiman," and then deliberately lose.
First, Hikigaya didn't have a high level of recognition across the school—he was just a transfer student who hadn't been there long. Second, Mibuomi held power over the Full-Bloom Association, and it would be easy for him to manufacture a sense of "common enemy" among the ordinary students, thereby manipulating the odds.
If he lost to Hikigaya, then the anger and hatred of the general students would all fall upon Hikigaya.
He would be utterly ruined in the micro-society that was Hyakkaou Academy.
'Isn't that right, Mibuomi Aoi! If that's what you're thinking, then I'll give you a hand.'
The corners of Hikigaya Hachiman's mouth couldn't help but twist into a cold smile. Although he wasn't absolutely certain of Mibuomi's plan, he was willing to give it a try.
His gaze toward the Ougatou sisters softened a bit. Since this was going to be a performance, then he'd go all in:
"There's something I need you sisters to cooperate with. But it might wrong you a little. Are you willing?"
"Please use us as much as you like, Hikigaya-sama~"
Houko's voice was like melting honey—so sweet it was almost cloying.
"During this period, I'm going to treat you two more roughly in public and announce that I've joined the baseball club. I need you to help me draw the hatred of the ordinary students. Is that okay?"
"No matter how Hikigaya-kun treats us, it's fine~" Naoko propped herself up and gave another kiss to Hikigaya's index finger.
"Alright then."
Hikigaya nodded solemnly, then turned to the bashful Yomozuki Runa standing to the side and said, "Chairwoman Yomozuki, I want to register a new club."