Hearing Hikigaya’s words, Juke was left speechless.
Everyone at school was either desperately trying to get promoted to Class A or working hard to save up 20 million personal points. Yet, Hikigaya here had casually thought of a way to earn that amount of points with ease. And even more shockingly, he shared it with her so nonchalantly.
"Hikigaya," Juke exclaimed, "Don’t you think you’re pretty smart?"
"Well, I guess so." Hikigaya replied with a hint of pride. Being praised wasn’t a bad feeling. If anything, she could praise him more if she wanted.
"Then why don’t you take the lead with Ichinose and the others?" Juke frowned, her confusion evident. "I feel like if you’re around, our class would have a better shot at reaching Class A."
"It’s just some cleverness." Hikigaya’s pride quickly crumbled, and his tone became modest. "I’m not like Ichinose or Kanzaki. They’re on a different level."
Though he admitted it reluctantly, Hikigaya was aware of his own limits. Compared to Ichinose and Kanzaki, his abilities were lacking in nearly every aspect—academics, sports, communication, leadership, and overall vision. At best, he was just a bit sharper than the average person.
Juke looked him over carefully, her curiosity growing. "I’ve been wondering for a while, Hikigaya. What do you think of Class A?"
"What do you mean? I only know Katsuragi from that class."
"I mean, you don’t seem to care much about getting promoted to Class A."
"That’s right," Hikigaya replied without hesitation. "My dream is to become a househusband. Class A doesn’t really matter to me."
In truth, that wasn’t entirely accurate. From his perspective, even if you reached Class A and earned the opportunity to choose your career freely, you’d only become a corporate drone for a large company instead of a small one. And whether you climbed the ladder depended entirely on your own abilities.
So, what was the point? The ideal scenario for him was to cling to Ichinose’s coattails and rise up. If that didn’t work out, so be it. All he needed to do was save money until he reached the goal of 20 million points. If he succeeded, he’d transfer to Class A. If not, he could just convert the money into cash and enjoy a carefree life for a few years.
"I see..." Juke sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Well, at most, we can work together."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Hikigaya asked, bewildered.
"Nothing." Juke chuckled and then whispered, "How about we don’t submit the report to the school?"
"Why not?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled. "With Horikita Manabu in charge, I think the report will be easier to pass. If we don’t submit it now, we might not have another chance."
"Think about it," Juke said, glancing around before lowering her voice. "We could secretly save up 40 million points and then graduate from Class A."
"No." Hikigaya shook his head firmly. "That would mean secretly setting up a stall every day after school. That’s just like working a job. No way. Plus, it’s not sustainable. Sooner or later, someone would find out."
He couldn’t imagine wasting his precious school life working every day like some overworked social animal. That would be too depressing.
"What’s wrong with your mind?" Juke rolled her eyes. "I saw you setting up your stall from a distance. It’s really obvious, you know."
Hikigaya nodded, still baffled. "But I think I hid myself pretty well. Hundreds of copies sold without anyone noticing. I’m practically a pro."
Juke put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing. "I saw you setting up your stall from a distance. It’s not well-hidden at all. Actually, it’s kind of an eyesore."
"Fine, fine. Just leave me alone." Hikigaya turned away and started walking. "Go back already. You’ll just get in the way."
But Juke wasn’t about to give up. Grabbing his wrist, she said excitedly, "I’m part of the Wool Department too, so let me help!"
"Why?" Hikigaya asked, his face twisted with reluctance.
"What’s with that look in your eyes?" Juke replied with a snort. "I’ve never worked part-time before since it’s forbidden for junior high students. But I’ve always been curious. I want to experience what it’s like to work part-time."
"Is there something wrong with you?" Hikigaya said, baffled. "Who in their right mind wants to work part-time?"
"Huh? Care to repeat that?" Juke’s glare was so sharp it almost cut him.
"Uh, no, no. That’s not what I meant." Hikigaya quickly backpedaled. "If you sell books, you’ll draw attention. You’re a pretty girl, after all. Someone’s bound to recognize you and report it to the Student Council."
Juke lowered her gaze and studied herself. "...Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"See?" Hikigaya said, relieved she was finally getting it.
"How about this then," Juke said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I’ll buy some work clothes and a work badge. Then, I’ll join you tomorrow to sell books!"
"Wait, no! That’s not what I meant!" Hikigaya tried to protest, but Juke was already rushing off toward the shopping center, waving her hand.
"Make sure to bring me a chair tomorrow!" she called back cheerfully.
"This girl really treats me like a servant," Hikigaya muttered, feeling utterly defeated.
If Ichinose was the benevolent leader, then Juke was undoubtedly the strict supervisor, with him being the lowest-ranking worker. As much as he wanted to refuse, he couldn’t. He had no choice but to prepare a chair for her tomorrow.
Maybe doing business wasn’t his thing after all. Perhaps being a househusband really was his true calling.
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