Hikigaya Challenges Kakegurui

229 Yumeko's Invitation – Sachiko Walks into a Trap ❤

"Well then, it's time to reveal the answers!"

"Both parties, please reveal your answers!" [Yumemi Yumemite: June] [Hikigaya: September]

"Miss Jabami, when is your birthday?" Yumeko took the microphone. Under Yumemi's nervous gaze, she softly parted her pink lips and said: "My birthday is... October!"

"Wow~ The results are in! It's Hikigaya, who guessed closer, who wins!"

The sweet smile that usually adorned Yumemi's idol-like face had vanished. In its place was a twisted, angry expression. Her voice trembled: "I don't understand. I don't understand what you were thinking…"

"It's clearly October, so why did you write September?!" Yumemi slammed both hands on the table, glaring: "If I had written it based on my intuition, you'd be the one to lose!"

"I knew from the beginning of the gamble that you were watching my hand movements," Hikigaya said calmly. "Because... I wanted to use the same method against you."

"At this distance, if you want to observe, it's impossible not to be noticed."

"There are only three double-digit months: October, November, and December. Whichever you write, it's easy to identify."

"To mislead you, I had to write something hard to identify — like June or September. That way, it becomes a psychological game rather than just a physical observation."

Hikigaya scanned Yumemi from head to toe: "Your thoughts are surprisingly easy to guess."

However… what Hikigaya said was a lie. It was all to throw off Yumemi.

In this gamble, Yumemi had already proven she was far from an average fish in the pond — she had forced Hikigaya into a psychological battle.

Hikigaya had taken a risk. Based on his analysis, Yumemi's logical deduction might have reached the third layer: "He knows that she knows he's watching her."

She played at the third level. Hikigaya played at the fourth. In the end, Hikigaya barely scraped out a win.

"It's all luck. My luck today… it's really bad."

"Isn't gambling based on luck pretty fun, too? The irrationality of not being able to change anything with your own thinking — that's the real essence of gambling…"

Hikigaya had to admit, gambling always depends on luck.

If the game drawn had been about singing skills or dancing, he'd have surely lost. But the god of gambling smiled on him — two times in a row, he drew gambles that only seemed unfavorable to him.

"Enough chatter!" Yumemi waved her hand irritably and snatched the nine-faced die from Yomozuki Runa. With a reckless motion, she threw it hard to the ground.

The most difficult moment had passed.

Whatever gambling game came next, she would now be overwhelmingly favored.

'It'd be best to draw game number nine: Fan Support Showdown. There's no doubt my number of fans completely crushes that of Hikigaya Hachiman, a commoner!' Let him face the overwhelming gap between us head-on!

It's not that Yumemi discriminated against Hikigaya for being a commoner — she had investigated him.

He was just an honor student with high grades, a special scholarship student.

Special scholarship students — all of them were from ordinary families, spending their days buried in books, dreaming of changing their fates with knowledge.

She didn't believe such people could have fans.

Yumemi covered her mouth and gave a sinister giggle.

If she speculated with maximum malice, Hikigaya Hachiman might not even have a Twitter account — maybe he could only share voting links in some LINE group chats.

So ridiculous it's laughable.

Yumemi stared intently at the spinning die, praying to the gods. And the one who answered her... was herself.

The die, as she wished, landed on face number 9.

"Yes!" She couldn't help but pump her fist — she would finally win a round! And she'd do it with an overwhelming, crushing victory against Hikigaya Hachiman!

Her lips curled into an exaggerated grin, showing her malice openly to Hikigaya.

"Yumemi-chan, your luck is really good. You actually drew that game," Yomozuki Runa licked her lollipop and looked at Hikigaya with pity.

Even she thought: Coming from a commoner background and buried in books, there's no way Hikigaya Hachiman could win against Yumemi in a gambling game like this.

Even if Yumemi was just a low-ranking school idol, her fans weren't limited to those in Hyakkaou Academy.

After two years of activities, recordings of every one of her live performances had been uploaded to YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms. With her sweet appearance and somewhat grating voice, she'd still accumulated quite a few fans among students.

She had at least five figures worth of fans.

Of course, that wasn't top-tier compared to other idols her age. After all, there were shameless ones who could gain over six-digit fans just by taking their clothes off — no professional skill needed.

But to Hikigaya Hachiman, even five digits of fans was probably an insurmountable wall.

As Yomozuki Runa glanced at Hikigaya again, she was stunned. The way he licked his lollipop slowed down unconsciously.

She didn't understand — why, in this situation, did Hikigaya still wear a completely calm expression?

Does he think he can still win the next game?

Yomozuki Runa looked again at the remaining games — all of them tested idol professional skills. Not a single one seemed to offer Hikigaya any hope.

So strange… Hikigaya-kun.

.

.

.

Front row stands. Juraku Sachiko leaned her head on one hand, slouching slightly in her seat, and asked coolly: "Jabami Yumeko, aren't you worried?"

"This kind of game — calling it gambling doesn't seem accurate anymore, does it? Hikigaya Hachiman's calculations won't work."

"I'm not worried at all~" Yumeko shook her head, eyes full of cunning. "How about... we make a little wager, Juraku-senpai?"

"Hmm? What kind of bet?" Juraku Sachiko was intrigued. Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, Yumeko still wanted to bet with her… what madness.

Yumeko suddenly reached out and pressed her skirt down firmly between her legs. Beads of sweat rolled down her pale cheeks from her forehead.

"If Hachiman wins... you, Juraku-senpai, have to…"

"Hm?" Juraku raised an eyebrow.

Yumeko's slightly excessive request didn't prompt rejection.

"If he loses..." Yumeko's eyes sparkled, "Then I'll have Hachiman and myself... both become your dogs, Juraku-senpai. How about it?"

"Ah..."

A beautiful arc appeared on Juraku Sachiko's cold and elegant face. Hikigaya and Jabami becoming her pets?

She had never owned a couple as her personal livestock before — what an interesting idea.

Juraku Sachiko nodded and agreed to Yumeko's wager.

230 Hikigaya's Identity Revealed: [Higashino]

"Hey, hey, Hikigaya-kun... why aren't you saying anything?" Yumemi Y made a microphone gesture with one hand and leaned forward, her voice light and arrogant. Her starry eyes were full of mockery: "Eh, eh, eh, don't tell me Hikigaya-kun doesn't even have a personal social media account~ No way~"

"If that's the case, Hikigaya-kun really is just a small fry~"

"Small fry~"

"Want me to give you some time to register one?"

Faced with Yumemi Yumi's provocation, Hikigaya Hachiman remained unfazed and said to himself, "A personal social media account, huh... I haven't used it in a long time."

Hikigaya closed his eyes and entered his memory palace, digging through its dusty corners to retrieve the username and password for his [Higashino] social media account.

He hadn't even wanted to register as an author initially, but under Yukinoshita Haruno's strong insistence, he reluctantly set up an official author account to cooperate with the publisher for promotion.

But he only operated it the first time—after that, all promotional activities were handled entirely by Haruno.

Still, thanks to Haruno, he now had his trump card in this bet.

So, how many followers did he have?

Hikigaya himself wasn't exactly sure, but he figured as a top-tier bestselling author, his follower count shouldn't be lower than six figures.

Even if his opponent had a fanbase run with idol-like fervor, it would be no match for the absolute advantage of sheer numbers.

Competing on fan power with a school idol? It almost felt like bullying a child.

"Wait a moment."

Hikigaya pulled out his phone, opened Twitter, and tried inputting the password.

Meanwhile, Yumemi's fan support team was not sitting idle.

Under the command of their leader, Shinnoji, all fan members were reposting across their social platforms and group chats.

Everyone's alt accounts—usually in double digits—were ready to go.

Even a lion uses full strength to hunt a rabbit.

'To think Yumemi-chan has already lost two bets—unforgivable!! This time, let Hikigaya Hachiman witness Yumemi-chan's popularity!!'

This was the shared thought of every fan club member.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, are you ready yet..." Yumemi's voice was so sweet it could melt bones: "I can't wait anymore—let's get started right now."

Hikigaya slowly raised his head. "Alright."

"Alright! Both contestants are ready!" Yomozuki Runa raised her phone. "I've sent the written post and support link to both of you. Now please post them on Twitter. In five minutes, our backend system will show how many people supported each."

"But take note—using an account that isn't your own will result in an automatic loss. If it's discovered that you bought support with money, the punishment will be very severe. Please be careful."

"Yeah, yeah, Runa-chan, you're so naggy."

Yumemi flicked her twin-tails casually and faced the stands, waving at her hated fan club as if she had already claimed victory.

In contrast, Hikigaya stood with his arms crossed, eyes downcast, looking like he had already given up.

Little did anyone know... the moment Hikigaya posted the link, the mystery novel community erupted like a storm.

[Hello everyone, I'm Higashino. I've run into a bit of a situation and need your support. Here's the link. I'd be grateful for your help: www.....]

—A completely dispassionate interaction post written by Yomozuki Runa.

For authors with weaker fan power, this might just be ignored or even met with insults and unfollows.

But it was precisely posts like this that tested true fan engagement.

And the moment Hikigaya posted it, the comments started pouring in at lightning speed.

.

.

.

[What am I seeing?! Higashino-sensei actually made a non-promotional tweet?!!] [Is it a new book?] [Supported already! Hope to read your next work soon, Higashino -sensei!]

[Wonderful post! You've earned my support spin...] [Higashino-sensei ran into trouble? Who was it?! If they're in the harbor district, I'll go take care of them myself—just write me in as a side character next book!] [Who dares trouble Higashino-sensei?! Let them feel the wrath of the Higashino fandom, you bastard!!]

Ten pages, a hundred pages... in just five minutes, Hikigaya's post had hundreds of comment pages. Likes had surpassed a thousand and were still climbing rapidly.

Most shocking was the view count—over ten thousand in just five minutes.

And this was on an account that only ever posted promotions and had zero genuine interaction.

Keep in mind, Hikigaya Hachiman as Higashino had fans across regions and countries. Whether it was Western fans of classical whodunits or Asian fans of social revolution fiction—there was something for everyone.

These conditions gave Hikigaya terrifying popularity.

Time ticked by.

The venue's atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

As the big screen neared 5 minutes, Yomozuki Runa checked her stopwatch, raised her mic, and shouted the game was over.

"Time's up! Committee members, begin checking for vote buying and account authenticity!"

The committee members, dressed in yellow dog-cat uniforms, sprang into action, using professional tools to analyze the data.

But halfway through, one committee member ran to Runa looking stunned, whispering in her ear.

"Huh?! What did you say?!"

Runa looked shocked too. Her expression turned serious as she glanced at Hikigaya, then followed the committee member to the computer to review the data.

She raised her mic and said, "Apologies, everyone. It seems we have a slight situation. The committee is currently verifying the results."

Then she went over to Hikigaya. "Hikigaya-kun, there's an issue with your data. We'll need you to cooperate with the investigation."

"Sure," Hikigaya shrugged, as if he had expected this.

After all, being a bestselling author at his age wasn't exactly normal.

Yumemi watched as Hikigaya was led away, inwardly ecstatic.

That idiot Hikigaya must've really bought support.

Does he think the committee's detection tools are a joke? I've tested them myself—there's no escaping them!!

I've got this in the bag!

"Is something the matter, Chairwoman Runa?"

"Hikigaya-kun, is this [Higashino] account yours?"

"Yes." Hikigaya remained calm. "The pen name Higashino is indeed mine, though a specialist handles the operations."

Runa crushed her lollipop between her teeth. "Can you prove it? It's not that I doubt you—it's just a bit hard to believe. For fairness, we need to confirm it."

"Sure."

Hikigaya thought for a moment and sent his credentials to Runa.

Besides the president, she would be the second person to know his real identity.

The more Runa read, the more shocked she became. There were contracts with the publisher, original manuscripts, and tax documents.

There was no doubt: Hikigaya Hachiman was the bestselling author.

"Amazing..."

Students at Hyakkaou Academy, other than special scholarship students, were all sons and daughters of the elite.

But when it came to achievements outside of family privilege, few had anything noteworthy.

Yumemi was already among the very few.

But Hikigaya?

Runa quietly opened Twitter and looked at Hikigaya's follower count.

Without even counting precisely, she could see he had over a million.

Coming from a normal household, entering the school as a special scholarship student, and holding over a million followers...

Hikigaya Hachiman was only a first-year high school student!

Meaning he had to maintain top grades and create literary works during middle school.

No doubt—he was a true genius. Not just in gambling, but in other fields too.

"No wonder... the president and Sachiko-chan are both so interested in Hikigaya..." Runa murmured, feeling deeply shaken.

"Chairwoman Runa, has it been confirmed?"

"Of course." Runa nodded solemnly. Even as a mischief-lover, she now held genuine respect for Hikigaya.

For someone to achieve this much at his age, the effort behind it must have been staggering.

A warrior of life deserves heartfelt respect.

'Please keep this secret for me, Chairwoman Runa. I don't want this identity revealed just yet.' Hikigaya reminded her.

With so many spectators, if word got out that the bestselling author was a high school student, his peaceful life would be shattered.

"Don't worry. It won't leak."

Runa led Hikigaya back to the stage.

She raised her mic high: "The results are confirmed. Now, I, Yomozuki Runa, Chairwoman of the Hyakkaou Academy Committee, will announce the final result."

Yumemi suddenly felt a chill of unease.

She had joined the student council in her first year with Runa, but had never seen her speak with such formality. It was like she was bracing everyone for what was to come...

No way...

Yumemi's pupils shrank. A wave of dread rose in her heart.

"Second-year, Yumemi Yumemi: Support count—7,777 people!"

"First-year, Hikigaya Hachiman: Support count—31,415 people!"

"Winner: First-year, Hikigaya Hachiman!"

The massive, unexpected gap appeared in blood-red numbers on the big screen.

Yumemi instinctively stepped back from Hikigaya and the screen, her expression shifting from shock to fury.

She stared at Runa, gritting her teeth and suppressing her anger: "This... has to be a mistake, right, Runa-chan? That can't be right!"

"Yeah! How could Yumemi-chan lose!" shouted Shinnoji from the stands, inciting protests from the fan club: "This is rigged!"

Even the student council members in the front row looked deep in thought.

Juraku Sachiko looked on curiously and said coldly, "Was this also part of your plan, Jabami Yumeko?"

"Heehee, I already knew Hikigaya-kun's secret," Yumeko replied, her face blushing. Having won her own bet with Juraku Sachiko, she whispered happily.

Juraku didn't look angry about being outplayed. Calmly, she pulled out her phone, and while the crowd was still reeling, she searched for the truth herself.

She opened Twitter and searched the keyword "support."

The top trending post caught her eye, and her beast-like vertical pupils widened slightly in surprise: "I see... so Hikigaya-kun is..."

Realizing something, the surprise in Juraku's eyes turned to warmth as she said gently, "I'll fulfill the terms of our bet. You decide the time."

.

.

.

"No mistake," Yomozuki Runa's voice suddenly rose a notch. "After repeated confirmation, the data is verified as authentic."

"This data is entirely valid. And the social media account used by Hikigaya Hachiman is indeed his own."

"I, as Chairwoman of the Management Committee, guarantee the fairness of this bet!"

If Runa dared to vouch for the match with the committee's name, then it meant Hikigaya's fan power had completely crushed hers.

Yumemi stared blankly at Hikigaya. The truth laid bare—even if she was unwilling, she had no choice but to accept it.

Why... how could Hikigaya Hachiman...

Hikigaya seemed to sense her doubt and, for the sake of smooth cooperation in the future, offered her an explanation: "You can search for the post I just made, then you'll understand."

Right, their posts should be identical. If he really had more support, his post should be trending higher.

As if grabbing at a lifeline, Yumemi hurriedly searched.

When she saw the highest trending post and its account name, her pupils dilated, her starry eyes dimmed in shock.

[Higashino?

She didn't know who that was.

But the long string of followers on the profile—just the trailing digits—were already far beyond what she could ever hope to match.

"Ah...?"