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82.71% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 491: [491] Stealing Someone Right in Front of Me

Chapter 491: [491] Stealing Someone Right in Front of Me

Chapter 491: Stealing Someone Right in Front of Me

The meeting ended, and Hachiman and the others sat in their chairs in silence.

What exactly had they gotten out of this entire meeting?

The answer was simple: nothing. From start to finish, all they heard were empty formalities, with Tamanawa and his group leading the charge. There was no substantial progress made regarding the Christmas event at all.

No wonder Iroha had said she was at a loss—dealing with teammates like these, who wouldn't be?

"I have to ask, did you understand anything they were saying?" Hachiman turned to Iroha.

The little devil still had a polite smile plastered on her face, not fully out of her role yet. "Not at all. But all I really need to do is say things like, 'That's amazing!' or 'I'll do my best too!'"

"After all, I'm younger than them, so they seem to like it when I say those kinds of things. If they send emails afterward, I just need to keep agreeing with whatever they say."

Hearing this, Yukino shook her head.

"This won't do. The entire meeting had no substantial progress. At this rate, the efficiency is too low, and Christmas is just around the corner."

"Plus, this is your first event as the student council president. Do you really want it to fail?"

"Of course not!" Iroha responded defensively.

"Then we need to pick up the pace. We can't afford to keep dragging this out," Yukino said calmly.

Hearing this, Iroha hesitated no longer and quickly ran over to where Tamanawa was.

However, Hachiman shook his head. "I don't think we can rely on that student council president from Kaihin High."

"Eh? Why do you say that, Hikki? Didn't Iroha-chan go to discuss it with them?" Yui asked, puzzled.

"Did you even listen to what they were saying during the meeting?" Hachiman sighed. "It was all meaningless formalities. Sure, it might sound reasonable at first, but it's too vague. They never actually explained what needs to be done or how to do it."

"In the end, it seems like they just want to sit back and reap the benefits. Since they're not interested in coming up with ideas, we might as well plan the event ourselves. They can just follow our lead."

Yui hesitated. "But, isn't that a bit... rude? After all, they're the hosts, aren't they?"

"It doesn't matter," Hachiman said with a shrug and a smile. "Our goal is to make sure the event is a success. If they can't be relied on, then we'll just have to take matters into our own hands."

The meeting room was clearly divided into two camps.

On one side was Tamanawa's group from Kaihin High, who mostly just spouted formalities. On the other side was the current student council of Sobu High, led by Iroha. The few practical suggestions during the meeting had come from them, and even after the meeting ended, they were still diligently taking notes.

Meanwhile, the Kaihin High group, after their initial round of empty talk, hadn't done anything productive. Instead, they just chatted among themselves, while the Sobu High group continued with their work.

At that moment, Iroha came back, looking a bit dejected. Yui immediately asked, "How did it go, Iroha-chan?"

"Not well at all. President Tamanawa said that we should all brainstorm and discuss the event more in the next meeting," Iroha pouted, clearly frustrated. "And then he handed me this, asking us to keep track of the meeting minutes."

As she spoke, she distributed the documents she had been given to her student council members.

Just then, a male student stood up and handed some organized materials to Iroha.

"President, is this okay?"

"Ah, yes, I'll check it over in a bit," Iroha replied, taking the papers, though her expression seemed a bit off.

The boy who handed over the materials also looked a bit stiff, as if he wanted to say something but held back.

"President, if this keeps up..." 

"Huh?" 

Iroha looked confused. 

"Never mind, forget it..." 

The boy, seemingly realizing that saying more wouldn't help, swallowed the rest of his words and sat back down to continue organizing his materials.

Iroha felt a pang of helplessness. She knew that, in truth, the student council members didn't have much faith in her as their president.

And it was understandable. With the Kaihin High student council slacking off, most of the work in the past few days had fallen on Sobu High's shoulders. Of course, people would start feeling resentful. After all, this was supposed to be a collaborative effort, but the other side seemed content to sit back and reap the rewards, while their own president seemed more like a figurehead who couldn't get anything done.

Just as Iroha sighed inwardly, she heard Hachiman's voice. 

"Seems like you're having a tough time too."

Hearing this, Iroha pouted, clearly not pleased. 

"That's right, and it's all because of you, Senpai. So you have to help me."

"If I weren't going to help, I wouldn't be here," Hachiman shrugged.

Tch, it's just because I paid you that you agreed to help me, Iroha grumbled to herself.

As she mulled over her thoughts, Hachiman's voice interrupted again. 

"That guy earlier, he's the vice president, Makito Honmuko, right? I think I remember him."

"Yes, that's Makito-senpai," Iroha nodded, a hint of resignation crossing her face. 

"But I get the feeling he doesn't really like me. Maybe it's just because we're still new to working together. I'm sure it'll get better over time."

"I think Makito seems to have it pretty tough, dealing with you as the president," Hachiman said with a slight smirk.

"What's wrong with me?!" 

Iroha frowned, clearly annoyed by his comment.

"Well, maybe it's because you, as president, aren't really stepping up. You just accept whatever tasks are handed to you," Hachiman said, his tone more serious now. 

"Remember, this event is a joint effort between two schools. If we end up doing all the work, what's the other side doing—just sitting back and taking the credit?"

"You're the one who's supposed to manage this coordination as the president. Do you think you've done that well?"

This left Iroha speechless, as she couldn't find a valid argument to counter him.

In desperation, she resorted to a classic tactic—playing the innocent girl.

Iroha clung to Hachiman's arm, whining pitifully. 

"I don't care, this is all your fault, Senpai! If you hadn't pushed me into this position, none of this would have happened. I'm still young, and I don't know anything. So, you have to help me!"

At this point, Yukino and Yui couldn't stand it any longer.

It was a good thing they were here today. If Iroha was willing to cling to Hachiman like this right in front of them, who knows what she'd try when they weren't around.

Yukino, naturally, wouldn't say anything as direct as asking someone to leave, but the chill in her demeanor intensified. Yui, on the other hand, was much more proactive.

The airheaded Yui quickly pulled Iroha away, reassuring her, "Iroha-chan, don't get worked up. Since Hikki has agreed to help, he'll definitely do his best."

After being pulled away by Yui, Iroha hesitated to cling back on. She had only acted impulsively a moment ago, but if she kept it up, she was sure Yukino would eventually snap.

This little devil was good at reading the room.

So, now that she'd been pulled away, she could only put on a pitiful expression, her lips quivering slightly. "Then... I'll be counting on you, Hikigaya-senpai."

"Don't worry, leave everything to me," Hachiman replied with a smile and then shifted his gaze toward the other side of the room, where Tamaki and his group were still chatting idly.

...

The next day, another meeting was held.

As expected, Tamanawa, as the host, was leading the meeting. "Alright, let's continue our discussion about the Christmas event. I encourage everyone to brainstorm and share their ideas."

I have to wonder, how did this guy even become president? Always relying on brainstorming—can't he take the lead for once?

But before Tamanawa could launch into his usual spiel, Hachiman spoke up. "If no one has any suggestions at the moment, how about hearing out my proposal first?"

The group, used to their president's empty talk, was caught off guard by Hachiman's interruption, and a bit of dissatisfaction brewed among them.

Still, Tamanawa, as the student council president, responded with a smile. "Since our fellow student has a proposal, let's hear it out. If anyone has feedback, feel free to share."

"Of course," Hachiman replied with a slight smile and then turned to Iroha. "Iroha, can you distribute the event plans to everyone?"

Surprised that Hachiman was directing her, the little devil pouted slightly, but she still stood up and handed out the printed materials to everyone in the room.

As she returned to her seat, Iroha stuck out her tongue at Hachiman in a playful, secretive gesture.

Seeing this, Hachiman shook his head in amusement before turning his attention back to the Kaihin High group across from him.

"I've already drafted a general plan for the event. The event will take place on Christmas Day from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. This timing should allow everyone to attend without interfering with any other plans they might have for the day."

Upon hearing this, Kaori Orimoto's eyes lit up. "That works for me! I've got other plans on Christmas, so this solves my problem."

However, Tamanawa, sitting at the head of the table, frowned slightly. "This plan sounds good, but I still think brainstorming together would be better. After all, one person's ideas are limited, but by pooling everyone's thoughts, we can make this event even more lively."

He continued, "I think we should consider expanding the scope of the event. What does everyone think?"

Unfortunately for Tamanawa, as soon as he finished speaking, Hachiman's voice cut in. "I don't think that's a good idea."

------------

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Chapter 492: [492] Now, This Place Is Called Hikigaya Conference Room

Chapter 492: Now, This Place Is Called Hikigaya Conference Room

"I don't think that's going to work!"

Unexpectedly, Hachiman directly rejected the idea, which put Tamanawa in an awkward position. After all, being contradicted by Hachiman in front of so many people was a bit of a blow to his pride.

"May I ask why this student is against my suggestion?"

"Because there isn't enough time. There's only a few days left until Christmas, and we've already wasted too much time on discussions. Expanding the scale now would leave us with no time to properly prepare."

"That's a fair point."

Hearing Hachiman say that they'd wasted too much time earlier made Tamanawa feel a bit embarrassed since it was true. However, he still wasn't ready to give up on his idea.

"We could look for partners, like college students. They could also put on some performances, which would make our event more lively."

"That won't work either!"

Unfortunately, Hachiman rejected this suggestion as well. He smiled faintly, his right index finger tapping rhythmically on the table.

"The theme of this event is focused on the elderly, so the content should be more heartwarming. My suggestion is to have children perform instead. After all, elderly people usually love seeing children."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kaori Orimoto, who was sitting across from him, chimed in with agreement, "Yes, yes, that's a great idea. The elderly do love children."

Well, as expected of you, 'Like' Queen.

However, things were even more awkward for Tamanawa. After all, Kaori Orimoto was a member of their school, but she had repeatedly sided with Hachiman, which put him, the student council president, in a difficult spot.

Even though Tamanawa fell silent, the others weren't ready to back down so easily.

A boy with long, artsy hair, who clearly thought of himself as quite handsome, spoke up.

"Even if we go with your plan, shouldn't we at least discuss the division of work?"

In his mind, he was hoping to avoid doing too much work himself.

But would Hachiman give him that opportunity?

"Oh? Are you suggesting that I haven't fairly distributed the tasks?"

Although Hachiman still wore a faint smile, the rhythmic tapping of his index finger had stopped. At the same time, an invisible aura seemed to emanate from him, pressing down on the students from Kaihin High.

After all, he was the modern-day Sword Saint; the deliberate release of his aura was something these high school students, who had barely seen the world, couldn't possibly withstand.

Let alone those who were all talk and no action.

The boys, led by Tamanawa, felt as though a ferocious tiger had materialized behind Hachiman, a king of beasts ready to devour them. The oppressive feeling made their blood run cold, leaving them too scared to move.

"I simply distributed the tasks equally. After all, this event is a collaboration between our two schools, so we should all work together. We can't have one side slacking off, right?"

"Isn't that right, President Tamanawa?"

Tamanawa, naturally intimidated by Hachiman's aura, couldn't muster any words of opposition.

At this point, Kaori Orimoto, as if nothing had happened, gave a thumbs-up and flashed a bright smile.

"Yeah, that's right, we need to work together."

Seeing her like this, even Hachiman's imposing aura seemed to waver for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke again.

"It seems there are no objections, then. We'll proceed with this plan."

By now, Hachiman had clearly taken control of the situation. As his words settled, the room fell silent.

From this moment on, this conference room would be known as the Hikigaya Conference Room.

...

Thanks to Hachiman's intervention, the preparations for the Christmas event were finally back on track.

The boys from Kaihin High diligently carried out their assigned tasks, still shaken by Hachiman's earlier intimidation.

The members of Sobu High's student council naturally had no objections. Hachiman was well-known at their school, so they wouldn't go against his decisions. Even Vice President Makito, who usually clashed with Iroha Isshiki, didn't dare to oppose him.

Watching everyone working efficiently, Yui smiled and said, "This is great, Hikki. The event's finally progressing smoothly."

"Yes, now that we have a clear plan, things are definitely moving faster," Yukino nodded in agreement.

This was indeed the case. Before they arrived, Tamanawa and his group had done nothing but pay lip service and make empty promises, while Iroha Isshiki on their side wasn't taking any action either. The event had been at a standstill for quite some time.

But with Hachiman taking charge, everything had quickly fallen into place.

"This is great! After the event, we can even have a Christmas party at your place, Hikki," Yui said with a smile.

Hearing this, Yukino's face also showed a faint smile, suggesting she was looking forward to the gathering as well.

However, Hachiman's eyes flickered slightly, as he hadn't yet finished preparing the gifts for the girls.

Just then, the door to the conference room opened.

Vice President Makito walked in, leading a group of elementary school students. They were local children who would be performing in the Christmas event as part of the program.

Among these students was a familiar face for Hachiman and the others.

A small girl, who bore at least a 70% resemblance to Yukino, stood among them—it was Rumi Tsurumi, whom they had met during that forest summer camp.

"Ah, it's Rumi-chan," Yui called out with a smile upon seeing her.

Hearing her name, Rumi turned towards the sound and saw Yui and Yukino, along with Hachiman standing a little further away from them.

At this moment, Yui had already rushed over to her and spoke with a smile.

"Long time no see, Rumi-chan."

Rumi, who bore a striking resemblance to Yukino, responded to the overly enthusiastic Yui with only a slight nod.

"Yes, long time no see."

At this point, Iroha Isshiki also approached them. "Yui-senpai, you know her?"

"Yeah, we do," Yui nodded.

"We were asked by Hiratsuka-sensei to help out at a forest summer camp before, and Rumi-chan's school was participating in that camp."

"Oh, I see," Iroha smiled and then greeted Rumi.

"Hello, I'm Iroha Isshiki. Thanks for helping out with the Christmas event."

Unfortunately, Iroha's cute charm had no effect on someone even younger than herself. Rumi simply nodded coldly.

"Yes."

This left Iroha feeling a bit awkward, while Hachiman watched the scene unfold with amusement.

"Serves you right for always trying to act cute. Now you've met your match," he thought.

Just then, a young and excited voice rang out near Hachiman's ear.

"Ah, it's Hachi!"

Hachiman raised an eyebrow at this familiar nickname. Only one person called him that, and it was...

Looking down, Hachiman saw Kawasaki Keika, her twin pigtails bouncing as she hurried to his side.

"It really is you, Hachi! I'm so happy!"

Confirming it was indeed him, Keika immediately wrapped her small arms around his waist in a tight hug.

Rumi Tsurumi, usually so reserved, couldn't hide the surprise that flickered across her face.

Hachiman, on the other hand, softened his expression and gently patted Keika's head.

"Hey there, Keika."

"Mm-hmm, hi, Hachi," Keika nodded, her pigtails swaying with the movement.

Watching this endearing scene unfold, Iroha Isshiki sidled up to Hachiman and whispered in his ear, "Senpai, do you like younger girls?"

Hachiman smirked, a bit amused. While still patting Keika's head, he replied, "Well, I can't say I don't like younger girls, but not *this* young. That'd be illegal."

But when Iroha heard him admit to liking younger girls, she froze, her cheeks turning pink as she stammered, "If Senpai likes younger girls, then maybe I… maybe I…"

Before she could finish, she quickly shook her head, as if trying to dismiss the thought.

"No way, even if Senpai wanted to date me, that would be way too fast…"

Listening to her flustered rambling, Hachiman could only muster a dry smile.

Who said anything about dating you? Let's not jump to conclusions here.

Just then, Rumi Tsurumi walked over and asked, "Hachiman, is there anything we can help with?"

Whoa, she's already calling me by my first name?

But Hachiman didn't have the heart to be irritated by a kid.

"Rumi, I called you all here because I was hoping you could perform a play for the elderly during the Christmas event."

That's right—if there's one kind of performance that would suit elderly audiences, it's a play, especially one performed by children.

Of course, this wouldn't be the only entertainment. Hachiman had also arranged for some soft music and had even asked Yukino to bake Christmas cakes for the elderly.

"A play? That's fine," Rumi agreed with a nod.

Seeing her willingness, Hachiman smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Rumi. I'll have the script sent to you later, and we can start rehearsals. For now, why don't you and the others take a seat and wait?"

"I understand."

Rumi nodded again, and though it might've been his imagination, Hachiman thought he saw a faint smile on her face.

At that moment, Keika, still clinging to Hachiman's waist, looked up and said in her clear, bright voice, "Hachi, Hachi, I want to help too!"

Hachiman chuckled and gave her head another affectionate pat. "Alright, Keika, thank you."

But as this scene played out, the small smile that had appeared on Rumi's face began to fade.

She couldn't help but feel like something important was being taken away from her.


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