Haichiman's Super Strength

"Uh…"

Hikigaya awkwardly raised his hand. "Can I ask a question?"

The moment he spoke, all thirty-nine classmates turned to look at him.

The intensity of their stares was overwhelming. Was this what people called spiritual pressure?

Awesome.

Maybe this was what Juke felt all the time. If he had to deal with this level of pressure often, no wonder his soul would collapse.

"Of course." Ichinose replied with her usual warm smile. "What's on your mind, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Why didn't you choose to attack Class D?" Hikigaya asked, ignoring the eyes boring into him.

This exam was based on scores, and there was a significant gap between the upper and lower classes. Without special tactics, upper classes targeting the lower classes would almost certainly guarantee victory.

Hikigaya couldn't understand why they weren't taking the easiest route.

"Eh?" Ichinose blinked in surprise. "Hikigaya-kun, have you forgotten? We're cooperating with Class D."

"But…" Hikigaya hesitated before continuing, "I don't see how this cooperation benefits us. Why are we sticking to it?"

Hikigaya's confusion had been growing for some time. From his perspective, this so-called partnership seemed one-sided. Class B was always helping Class D and constantly worried about maintaining their cooperation during exams. There didn't seem to be any benefits at all.

"Hikigaya…" Menlai spoke up, her expression puzzled. "Do you think cooperation should only happen if there are immediate benefits?"

"Well, shouldn't cooperation at least be an equal partnership?" Hikigaya replied, feeling a little flustered under all the stares. "We're not Class D's babysitters. Why should we go out of our way to help them?"

Ichinose nodded thoughtfully. "It's understandable you'd feel that way, Hikigaya-kun. Cooperation does require consideration of the benefits. But our cooperation with Class D is mainly a defensive strategy. We want to prevent Class D from being swayed by Class A. If Class D were to align with Class A, Class B could end up fighting against three classes at once."

That… made sense. Hikigaya had to admit that Ichinose's reasoning was sound.

"What about Class C?" Hikigaya asked, trying to poke holes in her argument.

He figured if Class A chose to target Class B, they could at least ensure a partial victory by attacking Class C themselves. Even if they only won half of the encounters, their class points would remain the same.

Besides, Class B's academic performance wasn't bad. If Class A did decide to attack them, Class A would still risk losing. It's a calculation Class A couldn't ignore.

If they chose to attack Class A, however, and failed, they'd lose a hundred class points. That would leave them scrambling to keep up with Class C and Class D, while Class A continued to widen the gap.

"I chose not to attack Class C because I judged that Class A would definitely target Class B this time." Ichinose explained, her expression serious.

"Is that so? I don't think Katsuragi is that kind of person." Hikigaya scratched his head, genuinely confused.

From what he'd seen, Katsuragi seemed like a cautious leader who preferred targeting weaker classes and then focusing on defense to secure victory. A sensible approach for a class with strong academic performance.

"Hikigaya-kun, you might not know this, but Class A's leader has changed. Sakayanagi has taken over from Katsuragi, and her approach is completely different." Ichinose continued. "She's more aggressive, preferring to widen the gap between Class A and everyone else as much as possible."

Hikigaya was taken aback. He hadn't realized Katsuragi had been ousted.

Then again, considering how Katsuragi had been losing ground since the start of the school year, it made sense.

"Besides," Ichinose continued, "even if we attacked Class C and won, Class C might still defeat Class D. That would leave class points unchanged. And if Class D felt hopeless and joined forces with Class A, Class B would end up facing the combined attacks of three classes."

"So, you'd rather take the fight directly to Class A?" Hikigaya asked, finally understanding her point.

Ichinose nodded confidently. "Exactly. As long as we work together and successfully defeat Class A, we can rise to their level in one go."

"Hmm…" Hikigaya couldn't find a good rebuttal.

It was frustrating, though. It wasn't that Ichinose's idea was wrong; it was just that their philosophies were different.

Hikigaya preferred the path of least resistance—taking advantage of weaker opponents. Ichinose, on the other hand, seemed determined to challenge herself and earn her victories with dignity.

And the thing was… she was winning.

The sports festival, the exams—they'd all gone her way.

"Hikigaya-kun, please trust Honami-chan on this one," Menlai said cheerfully, trying to encourage him.

"Yes, we're so close to Class A now. If we all work together, we can definitely surpass them," Okakura Asako added with a friendly smile.

Hikigaya didn't really want to hear it.

He preferred the lazy approach. Hard work was exhausting, and this strategy just meant there was no other choice but to work hard.

Still, Class B's results were undeniably impressive. They were only one step away from Class A.

When school started, Hikigaya had thought Ichinose was the ideal leader. After all, she was much kinder than arrogant people like Ryuuen Sho, Horikita Suzune, or Sakayanagi.

But now, he couldn't help but feel that someone like Katsuragi would be a better leader. He was ruthless to competitors but kind to his own.

Working under Ichinose felt like being shackled. Her optimism and determination were stifling in their own way.

But despite his frustration, the results spoke for themselves.

"Anyway…" Ichinose continued, "I'd like you to handle the language test questions, Hikigaya-kun. Kanzaki will take care of math, and physics will be handled by…"

Hikigaya sighed. He was about to argue but stopped himself.

The meeting eventually ended, and Hikigaya left the classroom feeling overwhelmed.

Maybe it was better to just focus on something simple—like finding good ramen.

As he waited near the school gate, he kept his eyes open, looking for anyone who seemed like they knew their way around.

Suddenly, he spotted a middle-aged man in a black suit with a briefcase. It was Mashima-sensei.

"Bingo." Hikigaya smirked. "No social worker can resist good ramen."

He followed the teacher, lost in his own thoughts.

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

"Kamuro-kun, do you feel it?" Sakayanagi said cheerfully, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"Yeah. Someone's following us," Kamuro Masumi replied, turning back to glance at the distant figure of Hikigaya trailing them.