Keyaki Shopping Mall, outside the convenience store.
Hikigaya found a free bench and sat down, supposedly conducting "market research." Of course, he was just zoning out.
There were around 480 students at the school. Maybe a few dropouts among the seniors, but nothing too drastic. Then there were the staff members, but their exact number was unclear.
Running a massive school like Height Nurturing had to be costly. Logistics, operational expenses, electricity, water, and all kinds of hidden costs. The school was definitely operating at a loss.
Every purchase had to be strictly monitored. Consumption had to be kept within a manageable range each month. It made sense. After all, if they wasted taxpayers' money, they'd basically be tax thieves.
Hikigaya even thought about reporting it to the Ministry of Education, but he quickly shook off that ridiculous idea.
Maybe it was because of the upcoming sports festival, but even after school, the streets felt emptier than usual. Most students were probably still exercising on campus.
"These guys are really hardworking," Hikigaya muttered to himself.
With that, he decided to check something and entered the convenience store.
"Has the latest volume of Sword arrived?" Hikigaya asked the clerk at the counter.
"You're talking about volume 18, right? It's already here, on the bookshelf over there."
"Thanks."
Hikigaya headed to the bookshelf and picked up the new light novel. Like MAX coffee, products with longer shelf lives were usually restocked monthly. Because of this, the latest volumes of light novels always arrived half a month to a month later than they did outside the school.
"How much?"
"Five hundred personal points."
"Hm... I have a question. Is this book only sold here in the convenience store?"
"Yes, that's right. Is there a problem?"
"No, not really."
This was a closed environment, after all. The convenience store also served as a part-time bookstore.
"Uh, how many copies of this light novel do you have in stock?"
"Excuse me?" The clerk looked puzzled. "Why are you asking?"
"It's just a simple question."
"Well, we received 350 copies this time. Why do you ask?"
Hikigaya's eyes lit up. Not many girls read light novels, and most adults didn't waste their time on them either. The target audience was mainly boys.
So, the monthly purchase quantity was limited. After three months, the leftover books would be added to the library for free reading.
But people get excited when they find something interesting. No one wants to wait three months to borrow the latest volume.
Hikigaya seriously doubted most students even knew about the library's free-reading policy. And even if they did, many probably never bothered going there.
The school must have used data analysis to estimate the number of copies to order. If there were leftovers, they wouldn't amount to much.
In other words, he could totally use his points to monopolize a popular commodity. Of course, the resale price couldn't be too high, or it would scare everyone off. But this scheme should be feasible.
"I want all 350 copies," Hikigaya said.
"W-What?" The clerk stared at him, bewildered. "Could you repeat that?"
"I want all the copies of Sword volume 18," Hikigaya repeated with a smirk. "But since there are so many, I'll need a few days to transport them. That's okay, right?"
"Uh... Yes, that's fine. But what do you need all those books for?"
"Don't worry." Hikigaya pulled out his phone. "I've got 180,000 points. I can pay a 50,000-point deposit upfront. How about that?"
"It's actually 175,000 points for all of them..."
"Oh, even better. Deal?"
"Deal." The clerk nodded, still looking confused.
Hikigaya paid the deposit without hesitation. Everyone was a caged bird in this school, so there was no need to worry about anyone breaching the contract.
"I'll come back tomorrow to pick them up bit by bit," Hikigaya said cheerfully.
"Understood."
The books were moved to the back counter, temporarily out of sight from other students.
He had done his market research. With Sword's popularity, it would definitely sell. And even if it didn't, the loss wouldn't be catastrophic.
Now, he had a new goal: Dominate the marketplace of this highly regulated school!
The Next Day - Class B, First Year
After the math class ended, Hikigaya was preparing for the upcoming PE session when Shibata knocked on his desk.
"Hikigaya, can you come with me for a minute?" Shibata whispered.
"What's this about?" Hikigaya gave him a dead-fish stare.
"Just come with me."
The two walked to a corner of the corridor, away from prying eyes.
"What are you doing?" Hikigaya asked, annoyed.
Shibata stared at him, eyes filled with some bizarre intensity.
"I looked up how to attract someone you like online yesterday," Shibata said seriously.
"What?" Hikigaya almost choked on air, stumbling backward against the wall. "W-What are you implying?"
"No, no! You misunderstood!" Shibata waved his hands frantically. "I meant... Attracting girls."
"Oh." Hikigaya sighed in relief. This guy had given him a heart attack for nothing.
"Anyway, I read that you can act like a tsundere cat, a tough tiger, or a loyal dog. So, Hikigaya... Are you secretly a love master using some high-level strategy?"
"Huh?" Hikigaya stared at him like he was a lunatic. "If I were a love master, I wouldn't be the guy rejected by girls back in middle school."
"So... you're not?"
"Nope."
Shibata scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Then why do you always seem so mysterious?"
"Just your imagination," Hikigaya replied dryly. "By the way, why were you asking about entry lists for the sports festival earlier?"
"Oh, right. I was just wondering which events you're participating in."
"I don't know. I just signed up wherever. It's not like I'm expecting to win anything."
"I see."
The conversation ended there, but Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that Shibata was just plain weird today.
On the Playground
The class was practicing their entrance and exit formations for the upcoming sports festival. The routine reminded Hikigaya of middle school, where girls used to blame him for low scores despite his best efforts.
"Whatever, at least no one here is nagging me," he muttered.
After the group drills ended, everyone dispersed to train individually. Shibata was running laps, and Ichinose was pitching with a group of girls.
Unable to stay idle, Hikigaya approached Ichinose.
"Hey, Ichinose. Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure! Let's go over there." Ichinose beamed and started walking toward the grassy area by the soccer field.
"No, I just wanted to ask about the events I got signed up for..."
"Ah, I see. But, can't we talk somewhere quieter?" Ichinose smiled brightly.
"Uh... sure," Hikigaya replied, feeling completely lost.
He had no idea what Ichinose was up to.
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