39. Disregard from Mibuomi Aoi
"Wow, it's Mibuomi Aoi from the third year!"
The girls who had previously been surrounding Jabami Yumeko with dirty words, under Aiura-san's direction, swarmed toward the front door of the classroom. Their faces were filled with bashfulness, their voices tinged with shyness, and their expressions showed the innocence of young love.
Mibuomi Aoi.
A third-year senior with a prestigious family background, handsome and charismatic, an exceptional gambler, and most importantly, he was also the student council secretary.
Each of these titles placed him at the top of the food chain in the eyes of the girls.
He was like the lion king in a pride, holding absolute preferential rights for mate selection.
"Yo, hello, everyone!" He greeted each student in the first-year class with a warm, sunny smile.
Even Suzui Ryota couldn't help but look at him with admiration and respect: "How enviable. Mibuomi-senpai, I wish I could be as excellent as him."
Aside from Jabami Yumeko, no one noticed the intense emotions in Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes in the corner of the classroom.
People would rather care about the false truths performed by an actor than understand the turbulent inner world of an ordinary person.
And Hikigaya Hachiman was exactly such an ordinary person with a turbulent heart.
"Hikigaya-kun..." Jabami Yumeko suddenly reached out and placed her small hand over Hikigaya's larger one.
The cold sensation on the back of his hand helped Hikigaya regain his usual calm.
He exhaled softly: "I'm fine, Yumeko."
"Is he the protagonist in the story you mentioned yesterday?" Jabami Yumeko's face showed no joy or sadness, but her crimson eyes revealed that her heart was far from calm.
"Yes, he's the protagonist."
"Eh? Hikigaya-kun, Jabami-kun, aren't you happy?"
When Suzui Ryota regained his senses and looked toward the two of them, he suddenly felt a wave of deep unease and fear from the bottom of his heart.
It was the feeling of being targeted by a predator far superior in terms of life level. No, perhaps they weren't targeting him, Suzui Ryota—only the residual hostility made his whole body shiver.
The colors around him were rapidly fading, and the world turned grayscale, leaving only the pairs of red eyes from Jabami Yumeko and Hikigaya Hachiman shining brightly. The sounds were being stripped away, leaving only the nearly synchronized heartbeat sounds of Hikigaya and Yumeko.
He felt dizzy and stumbled, barely catching himself on the desk as he gasped for air.
'So, so scary. What just happened?'
Mibuomi Aoi, while greeting others, walked straight toward Jabami Yumeko. His bright, intense eyes locked onto her, and Hikigaya Hachiman standing next to her was naturally ignored.
"Hello, I'm Mibuomi Aoi. Sorry I'm late." Mibuomi Aoi flashed a bright smile, his charming face causing the girls around him to gasp. Their gazes toward Jabami Yumeko instantly changed.
Jealousy, envy, hatred... all of it was evident.
Although they didn't know why, receiving Mibuomi Aoi's favor meant that even Yumeko, with her status as a "Stray cat", couldn't be offended. The girls who had bullied her earlier now showed expressions of regret, and without saying a word, it was clear they were already thinking about how to mend their relationship with her.
"Sorry, sorry. Due to a mistake with the student council work, I mistakenly handed you an unapproved life plan."
With his handsome posture, bright smile, and incredibly approachable body language, it was impossible to find fault with him. If Hikigaya Hachiman didn't know his true nature, he might also think that Mibuomi Aoi was the kind of person one could be friends with. But, in this world, there are no "ifs."
Mibuomi Aoi smiled as he walked towards Jabami Yumeko and extended his hand, signaling friendliness.
However, when he reached her, he raised an eyebrow in surprise, seemingly not expecting that a girl would refuse to shake hands with him.
But he didn't dwell on it. He quickly withdrew his hand and scratched his head. "Ah, haha, looks like you're angry, huh? Yeah, it is a bit too much to send you an unapproved life plan. I'll be sure to reprimand the person in charge when I get back."
As though to express his apology to Jabami Yumeko, Mibuomi Aoi's gaze grew sincere as he continued speaking.
"I'll personally take out 10 million yen as compensation for you. But as a member of the student council, I can't just give you the money like that. I've heard that your gambling skills are quite impressive. Let me introduce you to a great gambling game called 'Pairing Game.' I'll lend you 10 million yen, and if you win, it'll be yours; if you lose, it'll be mine. What do you think?"
"Also, in that game, many participants end up becoming lovers, you know~ Perhaps you'll find someone special there, Yumeko."
Mibuomi Aoi was full of confidence.
Before coming, he had already investigated Jabami Yumeko. She was a crazy gambler who would dive headfirst into any interesting gambling game. Also, in yesterday's gambling game, she had lost to President Momobami... As a crazy gambler, she would surely want revenge on the President.
Being a fellow crazy gambler, Mibuomi Aoi also noticed the kindness in Jabami Yumeko. She had helped Suzui Ryota, who had once been a fool.
Although he personally scoffed at kindness, it didn't stop him from taking advantage of it. As long as it could be cloaked in righteousness, people would happily serve him like fools.
A skilled gambler, having a grudge with the President, and possessing an easily manipulable sense of kindness... What a perfect woman she was, practically a gift from God that would allow him to ascend to the peak of power!
Perfect timing, perfect opportunity, and perfect people—he, Mibuomi Aoi, had the advantage!
It was with this mindset that Mibuomi Aoi orchestrated the situation, delivering a forged life plan in advance. His goal was to make Jabami Yumeko his ally before the President could ruin her.
Even if the truth came out later, he could always blame it on his subordinates.
A flawless plan.
However, there was one variable in the plan—
Hikigaya Hachiman.
A strangely familiar name.
Because of the special system at Hyakkaou Private Academy, all student records were in the hands of Momobami Kirari. Even Mibuomi Aoi, as the student council secretary, had no authority to access them. When he first saw Hikigaya Hachiman's name and file, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him. Maybe he was a classmate from middle school or elementary school?
Mibuomi Aoi had already forgotten.
After all, he wore a fake mask every day and engaged in fake interactions. People who weren't important didn't even deserve to have their names remembered.
It was like not remembering how many pieces of bread you had eaten.
So, since he couldn't recall who Hikigaya Hachiman was, he classified him as an insignificant passerby. The only reason the name had resurfaced now was because Hikigaya Hachiman was close to Jabami Yumeko, and that might affect the crazy gambler.
He quietly waited for Jabami Yumeko to give him a confirming answer.
Finally, Yumeko spoke.