CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137: KARUIZAWA – DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU LIKE?

Hikigaya hesitated for a moment as he stood at the vending machine. After a short mental debate, he decided to order a can of MAX Coffee and a small slice of cake. The bitter sweetness of the MAX was a reliable pick-me-up, and he needed something to take the edge off.

Across from him, Karuizawa was feasting happily on a variety of desserts without the slightest hint of restraint. She picked at a cream puff, sampled a strawberry tart, and even waved at the server to bring another pastry. Her cheerfulness was contagious, but Hikigaya couldn’t help but feel a sting of confusion.

"Um," he said hesitantly, glancing at her plate full of sweets. "Isn’t this... money you borrowed? Is it really okay to spend it like this?"

Karuizawa gave a relaxed shrug and continued munching on her cake. "It’s fine. Class D doesn’t have many points left, true, but we’ll get more distributed next month. I’ll just pay Sato-san back then."

Hikigaya twitched at the corner of his mouth. "So you’re planning to tear down the east wall to patch the west one. Very efficient," he said dryly. "By the way... how much have you used since the school year started?"

"Hm?" Karuizawa blinked, licking some cream off her fork. "About a million, give or take?"

Hikigaya nearly choked on his coffee. "One million points?"

"Yeah." She began counting off on her fingers. "One hundred thousand at the start of the school year. Then five hundred thousand from that preferential treatment candidate reward during the exam. Then the rest was spent gradually on little things. I can’t remember the exact number, but it adds up."

He was stunned. Absolutely speechless.

So she was a preferential treatment recipient. That explained the large amount of points. But the more critical realization was sinking in—the kind Horikita had tried to tell him about before. Her warning about having a warped sense of money was true. A million points... that was the equivalent of nearly half a year’s salary for an ordinary working adult.

Class B had handed over most of their personal points to Ichinose for safekeeping. At the time, Hikigaya didn’t think much of it. Now, though, he was starting to realize how terrifying this system really was.

This school was deliberately shaping its students into tools obsessed with profits. As long as you made it to Class A, maybe it worked out—you’d get your pick of careers, cushy positions at big corporations. But what if you didn’t? What if you didn’t graduate from Class A?

Then you were just another person with a twisted perception of finances, tossed out into a society that didn’t pay you in class points or offer neat reward systems. If you kept spending money like you were still in Advanced Nurturing High School, you’d be ruined in no time.

The thought chilled him.

"Well... I don’t want to tell you how to live your life," Hikigaya muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "But if you keep burning through points like this... what are you gonna do if you don’t graduate from Class A?"

Karuizawa grinned playfully, tilting her head. "Easy. I’ll just get married~"

Hikigaya blinked.

Well, okay then. She was a girl, and a very cute one at that. It wasn’t unrealistic. But for some reason, he felt a pang of sympathy for her future husband.

Still, he reminded himself, this wasn’t his problem. Karuizawa was responsible for her own life and her own choices. If she wanted to live this way, then she’d also have to live with the consequences.

"Speaking of which..." Karuizawa said, her tone growing more careful as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "Do you remember the guy who was standing behind me yesterday?"

"Oh, you mean Huko?" Hikigaya answered without missing a beat. "Wasn’t he your boyfriend?"

At the mention of that name, Karuizawa’s smile stiffened for a moment. She lowered her fork and looked down. "Actually... we’re not really dating. It’s fake. We’ve never even held hands."

Hikigaya tilted his head. "So it’s all an act?"

Karuizawa nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to avoid being bullied. Pairing up with someone like Huko, who’s popular and at the top of the class, helped my status. It’s easier to avoid trouble that way."

Hikigaya blinked again. "Wait... and you told him all this?"

"Mm-hmm."

That was surprising. Most people wouldn’t agree to something like that—pretending to be in a relationship, knowing it meant giving up on a real one. But apparently, Huko had gone along with it willingly.

"Huh. I guess that guy’s a better person than I thought," Hikigaya admitted. "Didn’t expect that from someone with yellow hair. I take it back. Not all Huko-types are bad."

Karuizawa stared at him, expression unreadable. After a moment, she asked quietly, "What do you think of him?"

"Huko?" Hikigaya replied while sipping his coffee, eyes avoiding hers. "He’s decent, I guess. Good looks, good grades, good at sports. Probably the most well-rounded guy in class."

Karuizawa’s expression faltered for a second. Of all the possible answers, she didn’t expect him to praise Huko like that.

But then again... she realized she was being impatient. She and Hikigaya hadn’t known each other long. A few days at most. Of course, he’d still be objective.

Still, it stung a little.

After a pause, she pressed forward. "What if I said I wanted to break up with him?"

Hikigaya’s eyebrows rose. "Why? He gives you all the perks of a boyfriend without actually demanding anything. Isn’t that ideal?"

She puffed out her cheeks slightly. "It’s not like that. Huko’s a good guy, really. But he’s timid. Afraid of conflict. He never stands up to anyone."

"Hmm..." Hikigaya looked up at the ceiling, mulling that over. "That’s a problem. If you’re relying on someone to protect you from bullying, and he won’t get into conflict, then yeah... not very helpful."

Karuizawa nodded. "Exactly."

"Then yeah, break up with him and find someone better," he said, shrugging. "Makes sense to me."

She nodded again, more firmly this time. "I will. Soon."

At least for now, Hikigaya wasn’t thinking of her in any romantic way. He helped her because that’s just who he was. No ulterior motives, no expectations. Just kindness—pure and simple.

That was what made her feel conflicted. That purity, that natural concern—it drew her in.

Karuizawa looked at Hikigaya quietly, her heart growing heavier and lighter at the same time. If only I could be someone special to him...

She clenched her small fist under the table, making a silent promise to herself. "I’ll end things with Huko soon."

After all, the problem known as Ryuuen had already been resolved. There wasn’t as much reason to maintain the fake relationship now. And besides... she had started to look at someone else.

Someone very different.

Someone genuine.

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