Chương 87: Hikigaya, Horikita Manabu, Gym.avi
As he prepared to leave the classroom, Hikigaya could feel the stares from Kei Karuizawa and Airi Sakura. Pretending not to notice, he casually walked out, unfazed by their attention.
He had a decent idea of why these two were suddenly so focused on him.
Hikigaya's mind wasn't simple—when it came to reading people, he often saw through things that others missed. He understood why Karuizawa's view of him had changed after recent events, and likewise, he could tell that Sakura's attitude had shifted after Haruka Hasebe's antics.
Yet, despite knowing all this, Hikigaya felt no particular stirrings in his heart.
As a seasoned loner, he never let others' attitudes affect him. He was used to being on his own and even preferred the comfort that solitude brought.
He valued the safety of being alone.
"Phew."
After leaving the classroom, a wave of dizziness hit him—something that always came after studying too much. It wasn't the satisfying exhaustion from physical activity but a hazy fog that muddled his mind.
In moments like this, sugar was essential. Ideally, he'd get his hands on a can of MAX Coffee.
Unfortunately, the school's vending machines didn't carry MAX Coffee, and he wasn't about to waste extra points like Sakayanagi just to get his fix.
If only some rich lady could spoil me with unlimited MAX Coffee… Hikigaya sighed deeply at the thought.
As he was about to head to the student council, his phone suddenly rang, startling him.
Given that his phone only had two contacts—Horikita Manabu and Sakayanagi Arisu—this was rare.
If it was the former, it wouldn't be an issue, but if it was the latter...
The mere thought made his stomach tighten with unease.
He nervously unlocked his phone and checked the caller. To his relief, it was Horikita, not the devilish Sakayanagi.
Though... it's oddly disappointing she didn't call, a strange, masochistic thought crept into his mind. Hikigaya quickly shook his head, horrified at where his thoughts were going.
"Hello?" he answered the phone.
"Hey, Hikigaya."
Horikita Manabu's calm voice came through the phone. "There's no student council work today, right? You're done with classes. Meet me at the gym near the stadium. I'll be waiting."
"What? Uh...?"
Hikigaya blinked in surprise. Was the student council president really asking him to meet up in the gym? What could this possibly be about? I signed up to be a student council grunt, not some overly capable assistant!
Despite his internal panic, Hikigaya knew he couldn't avoid the president's summons. With reluctant steps, he headed toward the school gym.
It was after school hours, and the gym was packed. The size of the place, though, was so immense that you couldn't even see one end from the other.
Following Horikita's directions, Hikigaya found him at the designated area, already on the treadmill. Clad in a tank top and shorts, the student council president was drenched in sweat, his muscular physique on full display—one that rivaled even that of Captain America.
Jeez, this kind of body… Only Ayanokoji or Koenji could compare.
Talk about a student council president who's got both brains and brawn.
"You're here."
Horikita stepped off the treadmill, wiping his sweat with a towel. He glanced at Hikigaya before calmly saying, "Let's train together today."
"Uh... what?"
Hikigaya was floored. Of all the things he expected, being dragged into a workout session was not one of them. Was this some bizarre new requirement of the student council?
Naturally, Hikigaya didn't want to engage in any unnecessary labor. He quickly tried to back out. "Isn't using the gym going to cost points? Given the situation in my class, you can imagine I don't have much to spare."
"True."
Horikita saw through Hikigaya's excuse, but because it was so reasonable, he couldn't outright reject it.
Just when Hikigaya thought he had dodged the bullet, Horikita pulled out his phone and said, "Take out your phone. I'll transfer you some points."
"Wait, what?!"
Hikigaya stood there, dumbfounded. He had never imagined that his long-awaited financial savior would arrive so quickly—and in the form of the student council president, no less. The only problem was... wasn't the gender of this sugar parent a bit off?
No, no, no. There's no way the president's trying to sponsor me, right?!
Horikita, noticing Hikigaya's growing confusion, remained as calm as ever.
"Everything in this school is evaluated by points. It's a system based on meritocracy—those who work hard earn more. Naturally, this applies to student council members as well, whose work is compensated with points each month."
"Ah, I see."
Hikigaya sighed in relief. So, Horikita wasn't trying to sponsor him after all. Not that it would have been the worst thing—Hikigaya suspected that if it had come to that, he might've been tempted to accept and live a life of leisure.
Still, the fact that the student council paid in points was news to him. As much as it made him a little happy, it also reminded him just how cutthroat this school could be.
As always, this meritocracy is just as twisted as ever.
"Beep!"
The point transfer was completed quickly. Hikigaya checked his phone and found that Horikita had sent him a whopping 30,000 points.
That much?!
"Currently, your position is that of a general affairs officer, so the cap is 30,000 points," Horikita explained his tone even. "Since your work has been excellent and you've taken care of nearly all your responsibilities, you're receiving the maximum amount. No need to be suspicious."
"I see."
While Hikigaya understood that his hard work had finally been rewarded, he didn't feel even the slightest bit of joy. After all, this only confirmed that he was already on the path of a corporate drone. And if he got too happy about the points, he'd be one step closer to the soul-crushing life of overwork and exhaustion!
I don't want to be a corporate slave. I want to be a full-time stay-at-home husband!
What's worse, now that Horikita had transferred him so many points, Hikigaya couldn't find a reasonable excuse to turn down the workout.
Before he knew it, Horikita had dragged him over to another treadmill, and Hikigaya began the monotonous drudgery of physical exercise.
As the ache in his limbs set in, Hikigaya's inner voice screamed in agony.
Ahhh, I really do hate this damn meritocracy-driven school!!!
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