COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 195: Your Thoughts Are Dangerous

"Hikigaya, you just hit the jackpot!" ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

In the bathhouse lounge, a man and a woman sat on deluxe massage chairs, sipping warm milk.

The dead-fish-eyed boy choked the moment he heard the teasing remark. It took him a while to recover. The girl beside him couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought this deserted island exam would be boring, but you really gave me a huge surprise in the end!"

Haruno sighed.

"Is that so? I thought you already knew about Sakayanagi's plan."

Hikigaya said dryly, "But you didn't make a single move, and that really threw me off."

"Threw you off?"

Haruno looked at Hikigaya with a seemingly innocent expression.

"I don't believe you'd just sit back and behave yourself."

Hikigaya said bluntly. During the deserted island exam, Haruno was practically invisible. But from what he knew about her, this was the perfect chance for her to stir things up. Yet, surprisingly, she stayed quiet?

People don't change that easily. Haruno might be able to fool others, but she couldn't fool Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya, do I really seem like such a bad person to you?"

Haruno said in a pitiful tone, "Hearing that really hurts, you know."

Hikigaya had only two words in response.

"Heh."

Yukinoshita Haruno? She was a final boss.

Sure, right now she was just the "teenage version" of the final boss, but the signs were already there.

"Tch—"

Seeing that Hikigaya wasn't falling for it, Haruno immediately dropped the act and returned to her usual self, a playful smirk on her face.

"Katsuragi really was a disappointment this time. But you were a real surprise. I bet little Sakayanagi is thrilled about how things turned out. After all, you helped her deal with a huge headache. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to personally thank you."

That sarcastic tone—this was the Haruno Hikigaya knew.

"I was looking forward to some drama, but now it's all over. Katsuragi's reputation took a huge hit because of this exam, and it'll take him a long time to recover. That means I'll have a lot less entertainment to enjoy."

Haruno sighed.

Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling Haruno was planning something.

If Haruno wanted to make a move, now would be the perfect time since the class was at its weakest. So was she just waiting for this chance, like a predator stalking its prey?

"Hikigaya, what do you think about the class competition this school promotes?"

Haruno lay comfortably on a luxurious massage chair, hands resting on her stomach, eyes closed, and suddenly asked.

"I don't know."

Hikigaya shook his head. At first, he really hated the school's competitive approach, but over time, he realized it had its merits. That didn't mean he agreed with it, though.

So now, he was more of an observer—like how people often start off feeling cynical about the world, but as they gain more experience and broaden their horizons, their views slowly change. Maybe that's what growth is.

Nothing ever stays the same. You have to experience things yourself to truly understand.

From what Hikigaya could see, the school wasn't just training students' individual abilities through class competition. It was also shaping their leadership skills. Individual ability and leadership weren't opposites—they actually complemented each other.

So far, he had only seen one person who truly had both.

"I think this class competition is getting a little boring~"

Haruno slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the crystal chandelier.

"I want to make it more interesting."

"Interesting?"

Hikigaya looked at Haruno in confusion.

Haruno smirked. "Take this special exam, for example. It looks like a competition between classes, but in reality, there's barely any interaction. Everyone's just minding their own business. And haven't you noticed something?"

A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

"Why do you think the school deliberately included the final 'guess the leader' rule?"

"Is it to increase competition between classes? To test the students' abilities? Or is there another reason?"

Haruno's face showed a hint of excitement.

Hikigaya was briefly stunned. Her words reminded him of something.

Everyone assumed that the final rule was meant to encourage competition—pushing students to figure out the opposing class's leader. After all, if they guessed right, their rival class's entire seven days of effort would go to waste, and they'd instantly gain a 100-point lead.

But if you thought about it carefully, something didn't add up.

What if the school hadn't added this rule?

Most likely, each class would have just focused on doing their own thing. In the best-case scenario, every class would have ended up with more than 300 points. That would've been great for the students since it meant an extra 30,000 private points per month.

But from the school's perspective, that would be a huge problem.

If all first-year classes earned 300 points, the school would have to pay out a total of 4.8 million private points in just one month!

That was real money.

One special exam alone could create 4.8 million private points! And that wasn't even counting other expenses.

If Hikigaya were in charge, he definitely wouldn't want that to happen.

So in reality, the final rule wasn't just about boosting competition—it was also a way for the school to take back private points.

It was obvious Haruno had picked up on this as well.

And this probably wasn't a one-time thing. Every exam would cause class points to rise or fall. That was unavoidable. But it also meant that every exam would generate a huge amount of private points.

If...

Hikigaya's expression grew serious.

"Haruno, your idea is dangerous. This is like trying to steal from a lion's mouth."

"As expected from the man I have my eye on—you catch on fast!"

Haruno teased, then added with a grin, "But you'll need more stamina if you want to keep up~"

*Cough cough cough!!!*

This damn woman!

"Watch your manners!"

Hikigaya snapped, glaring at her. He never expected Haruno to say something so inappropriate. If it were Sakayanagi or any other girl, this would never have happened.

But this was Yukinoshita Haruno—a woman who found joy in being vulgar.

And she didn't care one bit, laughing shamelessly without a hint of restraint.

"I'm tired, I'm leaving first!"

Hikigaya quickly got up and left, afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, something unexpected might happen.

Watching Hikigaya flee, Haruno initially laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. But as soon as she was left alone, her smile slowly faded, leaving behind an indescribable coldness.

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