Some people really defy all reason. Despite having such a terrible attitude yesterday, today he was still surrounded by people.
Who knows how big of an impact the words Ren Katsuragi said before leaving the Service Club last night had on Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita.
Hachiman saw the arrogance belonging to a genius in them, while Yukino pondered the meaning of Ren's words.
Where the final path of these two would lead, no one knew.
That guy should die. Ren Katsuragi should die faster.
Hachiman complained frantically in his heart.
With Hayato Hayama's excuses for Ren yesterday, plus Ren's impressive appearance, Ren wasn't isolated by his classmates; instead, they actively approached him.
For a small group, a "top-tier popular" like Ren was undoubtedly the biggest golden signboard.
As long as they could strike up a conversation with Ren and pull him into their small group, their status would be raised by several notches.
The first to take the plunge was the class's most popular girl, Yumiko Miura. She found Airi Sakura's blog and uncovered a photo album that had effectively become a couple's album of Airi and Ren.
"Katsuragi-kun, may I ask if the person in this picture is you?"
Like a fangirl chasing a star, Miura pulled up the photo of Airi and Ren taken in the library on her phone and asked.
"Miura-san, it is me." Ren nodded.
"Um... Katsuragi-kun, can I take a picture with you?"
With the partner of her favorite blogger right in front of her, Miura didn't want to miss this good opportunity.
Snap—
Making a V-sign, a happy Miura took a photo with Ren, who had a faint smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you, Katsuragi-kun."
Content, Miura wanted to bow and thank Ren, but Ren stopped her.
"Miura, it's not a big deal. No need to thank me."
"It's also my honor to take a photo with a cute girl like you."
The students who had been closely watching this area discovered... Ren didn't seem as difficult to get along with as they imagined.
"Katsuragi-kun, let me introduce myself. I'm Hayato Hayama."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ren Katsuragi."
"Katsuragi-kun..."
"Katsuragi-kun..."
Just like that, Ren made friends with all the classmates.
Except...
"Hikigaya-kun, aren't you going to introduce yourself to me formally?"
After politely declining the classmates' invitations to join their small groups and waiting for everyone to disperse, Ren asked Hachiman Hikigaya at the desk in front of him.
Did he call my name just now?
Hachiman's body stiffened. Just as he was about to turn around and talk to Ren...
Bad memories from childhood appeared in his mind.
His deskmate was greeting another student, but Hachiman assumed the deskmate was greeting him.
Hachiman responded with a smile... responded... and then died of social embarrassment...
I must be hearing things. Why would a popular guy like Ren Katsuragi go out of his way to greet someone gloomy like me?
Hahahahaha, how is that possible...
Just as Hachiman was mocking himself in his heart, Ren's voice rang out again from behind.
"Hikigaya, if you don't turn around and introduce yourself to me, I don't mind reading the essay you wrote yesterday in front of the whole class."
"Hello, Katsuragi-kun. Nice to meet you, I'm Hachiman Hikigaya."
Hearing the threat from Ren clearly, Hachiman turned around at the speed of sound and grasped the hand Ren extended.
So scary.
That was a threat, right? It definitely was a threat.
"So, Hikigaya, did you really join the Service Club yesterday?"
After formally meeting Hachiman, Ren started gossiping with him directly.
This guy, is he naturally familiar with everyone?
Facing Ren's gossip, Hachiman was a bit surprised.
In Japan, where social groups can be sharply divided between outgoing students and quiet ones, an outgoing kid who talks to a "gloomy" kid in front of their friends can end up getting judged the same way.
And gloomy characters are the bottom-feeders of the school society.
"Why are you dazing out? Hurry up, hurry up, tell me."
Patting Hachiman's arm, Ren was full of curiosity.
"If you can use one pawn, two are even better. Ren had already begun considering how to fleece the Service Club."
Ren went home and thought about it, realizing that the Service Club established by Yukino Yukinoshita was simply too interesting.
Teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish, free of charge, asking for no return, anyone can make a request—isn't this just a group of free laborers?
If he didn't make good use of them, Ren felt he would be letting himself down.
"I joined. Forced by Hiratsuka-sensei."
Perhaps because Hachiman was too lonely, he didn't dislike the naturally familiar Ren and started complaining about Shizuka Hiratsuka to him.
"Let me tell you, after you left yesterday..."
Blah blah blah...
Hachiman, who had never had anyone to confide in at school, began a heated discussion with Ren.
From discussing the Service Club to study problems, and from study problems to which shop outside had delicious small cakes.
As they chatted, the two started arguing.
"Hikigaya, get lost! Potato chips have to be lime flavor!"
"Bullshit, Katsuragi! Lime flavor isn't worth a single hair of cucumber flavor."
"Fuck off, you cucumber cultist! Die!"
"Lime is the cult."
To debate whose taste in potato chips, Ren and Hachiman argued endlessly, neither convincing the other.
Seeing that they couldn't reach a conclusion no matter how much they discussed, Ren looked at his deskmate: "Kato, you say which flavor is delicious!"
He and Hachiman only had one vote each. Finding one more person would add one more vote, and the winner would be decided quickly.
To ensure the victory of lime flavor, Ren pulled in his good friend Megumi Kato.
"Kato, you say it!"
The heated Hachiman didn't have any other superfluous thoughts and also turned to look at Megumi Kato.
Not talking to girls, wanting to be a solitary bear living alone—at this moment, none of that mattered.
"Me?"
Megumi Kato, who was originally watching the show as an invisible person, was stunned to be pulled out by Ren as a judge and pointed at herself.
"Mn, Megumi! You say it. After all, you are my good friend; you definitely won't lie to me."
Ren started playing the emotional card to pull people in.
"Kato-san, please judge fairly."
Hachiman wasn't as shameless as Ren and could only emphasize the word "fairly."
After a moment of silence, Megumi Kato announced her verdict: "Um... actually, I'm an Original Flavor partisan."
"Megumi, you are the true heretic!"
"Katsuragi is right. Kato-san, you heretic!"
The conflict shifted; Hachiman and Ren stood on the same front.
"Eh? But Original Flavor is really delicious," Megumi Kato said with an innocent face, tilting her head.
"Then Megumi, you try them all. Hikigaya, you try too."
As he spoke, Ren took out several bags of potato chips in three different flavors from his desk and handed them to the two.
"Thank you, Katsuragi-kun."
Megumi Kato took the chips Ren handed her naturally, tore open a bag of lime flavor, and started eating in small bites.
"I get some too?"
Hachiman pointed at himself in disbelief, unable to believe he also had such an honor.
"Stop dilly-dallying. If I tell you to take it, take it."
Ren stuffed the chips directly into Hachiman's arms.
"What are you looking at? If you guys want to eat, just say so."
"Hayama, want some?"
Noticing the other classmates around looking in their direction, Ren took out a few more bags and tossed them to them.
After distributing to the group of thick-skinned boys, Ren looked at the group of girls on the other side who were too embarrassed to ask.
"Miura, do you guys want some over there?"
"Then thank you, Katsuragi-kun."
As the representative of the girls' clique, Yumiko Miura looked at her friends surrounding her and thanked Ren.
----------------
Currently on Patreon: 400 chapters available.
https://www.patreon.com/cw/LIZBETH1242