Capítulo 12: Hikigaya, Have You Ever Had a Girlfriend?
Hikigaya stepped into the first-year office.
In front of him stood the Class D homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira, dressed in a black suit. Her long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, cascading down her back, as she regarded the student before her.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she read out his name.
"You are… Hikigaya Hachiman?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Hikigaya was somewhat surprised that Chabashira recognized him. He had assumed that someone like him, a mere background figure in the class, would be completely ignored.
So far, the only person in the school who had recognized Hikigaya was his middle school homeroom teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who had been willing to help even a socially isolated student like him.
However, Chabashira's situation was clearly different from Hiratsuka's.
At the very least, from her gaze alone, it was clear that she had remembered Hikigaya's name not merely out of a sense of responsibility.
"I've read your admission report, and it left a strong impression on me."
"Admission report?"
Hikigaya was slightly taken aback by Chabashira's words. He hadn't expected that the school had such a document for students upon admission.
Shouldn't this be something that students are kept informed about?
"Don't be surprised," Chabashira seemed to sense Hikigaya's astonishment. "Each student undergoes a series of tests and evaluations upon admission. These data are based on your past experiences, as well as your performance during the interviews and written exams, and are ultimately compiled and presented to me."
"Are you curious about your scores?"
Chabashira spoke in a teasing manner, trying to entice Hikigaya into learning more about his admission evaluation.
But Hikigaya, aware of the potential danger in this, quickly responded:
"Sorry, someone at my level probably wouldn't score well. I'd rather not inquire further."
"Heh, truly modest…"
Chabashira's face remained stern as she sneered, seemingly surprised that Hikigaya was so self-aware. He was like a slippery eel, making it difficult for her to get a hold on him.
Curious, she continued, "By the way, what brings you here at this time? Shouldn't you be enjoying your newfound ten thousand points?"
The teacher's words were dripping with sarcasm.
She wasn't just a regular sadistic teacher; she was the queen of sadism!
Compared to her, Horikita was practically a rookie in the realm of sharp-tongued teachers…
Hikigaya felt a mix of emotions and forced a smile. "Of course, I'm planning to go have some fun. But honestly, the school giving us so much money at once feels almost like a charity. Is the Japanese government running some sort of hope project lately?"
"…"
Hikigaya's reverse sarcasm made the corners of Chabashira's mouth twitch slightly.
She had realized the purpose of his visit and quickly understood the direction the conversation should take.
"Yes, for the government, nurturing outstanding students is a crucial task. Therefore, the expenses are justifiable."
"This includes the numerous cameras installed around the school? Building a school like this must have cost hundreds of millions of yen. Such extensive use of taxpayer money won't spark media backlash?"
"Those are issues for the higher-ups to consider. For us at the school, following the rules and regulations is all you need to focus on."
Chabashira's words were impenetrable.
No matter how much Hikigaya probed, she was unwilling to reveal any genuine details related to these matters.
However, conversely, Chabashira's reluctance indirectly communicated that the school was more complex than it appeared, with rules even she, as a teacher, had to abide by.
Hikigaya realized he needed to adopt a more aggressive approach:
"It seems there are quite a few 'problematic' students in Class D… Sorry, I tend to speak bluntly. After all, this class is filled with too many oddballs, myself included."
"…"
Chabashira didn't immediately respond.
She merely looked at Hikigaya with a slightly amused expression, as if she was curious about what level he could reach.
Hikigaya continued, "The school's convenience store has many free items. Honestly, I don't trust free stuff. It's like those door-to-door salespeople who claim everything is free, but then pile on hidden fees when it's time to pay. It's quite disgusting."
[T/N: But bro! I like those free stuff!]
"The atmosphere in the class is rather too relaxed as well. Even if students aren't here primarily for studying, shouldn't there be some sort of reward and punishment system? Otherwise, if people outside knew that students in this lavishly built school were spending a hundred thousand yen a month in luxury and indulgence, they might call for a revolution to overthrow the current Japanese government…"
"Both the teachers and the student council president said that this school is meritocratic. So, there should be competition between classes and individuals. Class D and Class A may have similar names, but there seems to be an invisible gap between them, like the difference between a friendship gacha and a limited edition gacha. Uh, sorry, I misspoke."
As Hikigaya spoke, he realized he was drifting into some nerdy references.
How embarrassing!
Adding to his personal black history!
Chabashira, sensing Hikigaya's discomfort, quickly interjected, "Don't think of me as an old-timer. I used to play Pokémon, Zelda, and Dragon Quest myself."
Uh, mentioning those games doesn't cover up the fact that you don't understand mobile games…
"I even played Pokémon Go!"
Chabashira seemed defensive, adding this comment to prove her point.
But Hikigaya realized there was a significant gap between them.
Indeed, there seem to be too few otaku teachers like Hiratsuka, who could probably name several popular mobile games right away.
Hikigaya thought, maintaining his usual lifeless fish-eye stare at Chabashira.
Chabashira remained silent for a moment, seemingly reflecting on Hikigaya's words to analyze him further.
Finally, she spoke slowly:
"Hikigaya, have you ever had a girlfriend?"
Estado de energía semanal
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Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder