57. Hikigaya Hachiman is Full of Schemes
The working Manyuda raised his head, giving Hikigaya a cold, scrutinizing glance before pulling out a form from the drawer and handing it over.
"Fill this out and give it back to me for review. Once approved, you can leave."
Manyuda Kaede.
A second-year senior, the only son of Japan's Ministry of Finance minister. Even within Hyakkaou Private Academy, such a background placed him firmly in the top tier.
He was described by Juraku Sachiko as an ambitious schemer.
Though he was aware of the situation between the Full-Bloom Society and Mibuomi Aoi, he remained neutral. A gambling expert and skilled in calculations, in many ways, he was similar to Hikigaya Hachiman: he wouldn't act unless he was certain of a win.
He was also a strong candidate for the next Student Council President.
Hikigaya faintly sensed an inexplicable hostility coming from him—faint, yet clearly targeted. Considering the intel from Juraku Sachiko yesterday, it wasn't hard to figure out why.
Sumeragi Itsuki had been personally approved by Manyuda to join the Student Council, but ended up being expelled after losing to Hikigaya. While it wasn't exactly Manyuda's fault, it still blemished his otherwise perfect track record.
Hikigaya naturally had no desire to explain himself. Since the other party chose to remain neutral, that was already the best outcome.
They exchanged a brief glance. Hikigaya quickly completed the form and handed it to Manyuda.
Manyuda accepted the report expressionlessly, but inwardly felt some contempt toward Hikigaya.
'Crooked methods. Cheap tricks.'
But when he saw the numbers written on the form, his eyes widened in shock. He looked up at the two of them, stunned.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, declaring 310 million yen in debt… creditor: Saotome Mary."
"Jabami Yumeko, declaring 50 million yen… creditor: Nishinotouin Yuriko."
"You're both sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Hikigaya said without hesitation. He exchanged a look with Yumeko, both clearly reading the mutual trust in each other's eyes.
This was a bold, absolutely victorious strategy Hikigaya had suddenly conceived after visiting Saotome Mary. It was his foolproof method—Hikigaya Hachiman's winning move!
Many people had noticed the loophole in debt declarations and had taken advantage of it. However, very few had discovered the loophole within the loophole.
Namely:
Humans could report larger debts than reality.
Housepets could report smaller debts than reality.
That may sound abstract—but what if… he and Yumeko swapped their declared debts in order to confuse their opponents?
Hikigaya Hachiman was someone who pursued victory with certainty. While walking, he had a sudden realization: If cheating occurs in pairs, then the deciding factor will ultimately be luck.
If the opposing pair had, say, a pair of suited tens, no matter how he and Yumeko cheated, they wouldn't win.
In that case, all they could do was minimize the loss.
But how?
Hikigaya asked himself this question—and thus, came up with the current maneuver.
Manyuda, after his initial shock, quickly regained his composure. Internally, he retracted some of his earlier disdain toward Hikigaya Hachiman.
With a frown, he asked:
"Jabami Yumeko, if I'm not mistaken, your actual debt should be 310 million yen. Are you sure you want to report only 50 million?"
"Yes, Manyuda-senpai. There's no rule saying you can't report a smaller debt, is there?" Yumeko's eyes shimmered with a renewed crimson intensity.
This kind of wild, out-of-the-box imagination—when Hikigaya first explained it to her, even she was shocked.
This level of trust beyond that of mere partners caused Jabami Yumeko to experience a moment of pure bliss.
'As expected, Hikigaya-kun is the best. Only he can make me reach climax!'
"There's indeed no such regulation. However... are you two truly prepared for the consequences of doing this?" Manyuda Kaede's eyes reflected a strange white light, masking the intense seriousness in his gaze.
Putting himself in Hikigaya's shoes, he couldn't have come up with such a move. From the perspective of someone similar, he had to admire Hikigaya.
But still—he was the son of the Minister of Finance, and the Student Council's treasurer… and by professional instinct, he couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable with someone swallowing up 310 million yen of Student Council funds in one go.
It was too bold. Too dismissive of the Student Council.
It was as if they were treating the Student Council like their personal piggy bank.
But rules were rules, and the loophole-riddled regulations set by Kirari Momobami had to be followed. Even Manyuda Kaede had no choice.
"Of course. We ask for your approval, Manyuda-senpai," Hikigaya replied calmly.
Manyuda gave Hikigaya a long, meaningful look. Until now, the name that often came up in meetings and caught the President's attention had been Jabami Yumeko. But at that moment, Manyuda realized—
The serpent that threatened to destroy the world outside Hyakkaou's rules… wasn't just her.
A male serpent was even more dangerous.
"Heh… interesting."
Manyuda decisively stamped the application form with the Student Council's official seal, symbolizing that the 310 million yen would soon be transferred to Saotome Mary's account.
Finally, he said, "Seeing as you've got guts, let me share a piece of information."
"We're all ears," Hikigaya replied.
This was free intel—Hikigaya gladly accepted it.
"The guy you're in conflict with… Second-Year student Kiwatari Jun—he reported a debt of ten million."
With that, Manyuda lowered his head again and resumed managing the Student Council's finances.
In reality, the power transition in Hyakkaou's Student Council began around the second year. Third-years started handing over authority so they could fully dive into the political game and curry favor with Momobami Kirari. Meanwhile, the systematic and tedious tasks fell on capable second-year students like Manyuda.
It was a heavy burden, and there was no room for slacking.
Hikigaya Hachiman was taken aback. "Thanks."
Then, he led Jabami Yumeko toward the door. There, Miharutaki Sakura had already prepared the debt markers and placed them on display. The plates, inlaid with gold edges, looked exceedingly luxurious.
"Hikigaya-kun, shall we head to the auditorium now?"
"No." Hikigaya shook his head. "I still need to borrow something from Juraku-senpai."
.
.
.
"What kind of gamble will it be today?"
"If we win, that's fine. But if we lose, it's all over."
"Hey… maybe I should just quit. If I wait for my allowance from home, I can repay my debt in three months."
"What the hell, Yuta?! Win just once and you can shave off two months of your debt. You can save your allowance for yourself—doesn't that sound good?
Didn't your girlfriend keep whining about that new Chanel handbag?"
"Th-Then… alright, I probably won't lose!"
At this moment, the small auditorium at Hyakkaou Private Academy was already packed with pets from all three year levels—students who had stood out among the 3,000. They gathered here, whispering about the upcoming Debt Exchange Tournament.
Some were having second thoughts but couldn't let go of the chance to turn things around.
Some harbored ill intentions, trying to rope in friends with smaller debts to take the fall for them.
And some were full of nothing but scheming thoughts.
Hikigaya Hachiman has arrived!