Uneasy daily life

"I simply gave up the path of being dominated by scumbag clients and chose to enter the adult world."

The adult world?

Yui Yuigahama paused on her phone, recalling the scene of the white figure's erratic behavior, and exclaimed in shock, "The world of adults?!"

You've definitely misunderstood; the minister is just teasing you.

Hachiman Hikigaya silently complained to himself.

“Yes—” Bai Ying paused writing for a moment, and said in a weary tone, “Putting on a smart uniform, tidying up one’s appearance, and showing a clear and polite smile to every visitor, listening to the guests’ feelings with the attitude of treating them as gods, and comforting their pain with the tone of treating them as children, every day is exhausting, as if my whole body has been hollowed out…”

Yui Yuigahama asked worriedly, "Shiro, are you short of money? I can lend you some..."

"This guy is just working as a waiter."

Yukino Yukinoshita immediately saw through it: "Wasn't Yuihama also there during the tennis match this weekend? He even borrowed a bicycle from his classmate."

"Ah... I think so..." Yui Yuigahama hesitated, "Then Shiro probably won't go..."

Hachiman Hikigaya said calmly, "Although the captain has the body to be a host, I really can't imagine what he would look like as a host. Even if he were acting, he would probably change roles in just a few minutes."

"Xiao Qi, what are you saying?!"

Yui Yuigahama fidgeted restlessly, blushing and annoyed, "That...that...that kind of thing—"

Hachiman Hikigaya hit the nail on the head: "You must have thought about it."

"Gu——!"

Yui Yuigahama is badly damaged.

"But Hikigaya-kun said it outright. It's hard to imagine what's in your body. Are you a light novel enthusiast?" Yukino Yukinoshita spoke up to protect Yui Yuigahama, and after firing a shot, she turned to the main character, "Haku-kun, don't talk about working as a waitress in such a strange way. It's deliberately trying to cause misunderstandings."

Yui Yuigahama perked up and said, "Y-that's right!"

Bai Ying calmly raised her hand and said, "Flowers bloom from the soil, rain falls from the clouds—the two of you who know so much need no further explanation."

Yui Yuigahama said in a panic, "I just know there are such strange places! I've never been there..."

"Alright, Yuihama." Yukino Yukinoshita sighed. "This is just common sense. The more panicked and concerned you seem, the stranger it will appear to people."

The white figure laughed loudly and read aloud, "Hahahaha—! Yeah! How strange! Why is that? Yukinoshita-san, do you have any clue?"

"No, please shut up." Yukino Yukinoshita glared at the white figure.

Yui Yuigahama managed to calm down, raised her hand and slapped Hachiman Hikigaya next to her, annoyed, "It's all because of Hachiman! Saying such weird things!"

"Oh oh oh..."

Salty fish means it doesn't matter.

Yui Yuigahama, however, seemed inexplicably flustered and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Ah—right! What is Shiro doing?"

"Practice problems." Bai Ying continued to work hard with her head down. "The hero challenged the Demon King to a height contest, and the Demon King is taking height-increasing drugs."

"It's just a competition of who got better grades on the final exams, don't make it sound so strange," Yukino Yukinoshita explained simply.

Who's ranked higher in the grade? One's first, the other's second... What a terrifying battle! Luckily, it has nothing to do with me, a nobody at the bottom of the school. Just don't get involved. Hachiman Hikigaya thought to himself, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility, and continued reading his paperback.

"Hmm...comparing exam scores? Does that count as a club activity?"

Yui Yuigahama asked curiously, "Or does the winner not put on a sticker?"

Hey! What did you say?! You idiot!

Hachiman Hikigaya's deadpan eyes sharpened; in that instant, he even awakened future vision—what are club activities? They're about helping others. What are competitions? They're about final exam scores. If you combine these two... No! NO! Damn it!

"Ahem." Hachiman Hikigaya immediately interrupted, "Whether or not to stick it on, isn't it just a matter of agreement between the two parties? Anyway..."

The white shadow interrupted Hachiman Hikigaya: "That won't do! Private matches are personal matters and have nothing to do with the clubs! Whether it's the Service Club or the Aid Club, both are club activities with the aim of helping others. If the two clubs are to determine a winner, it must naturally be within this scope!"

“That’s true. It’s not acceptable to mix personal matters into club competitions, so…”

Yukino Yukinoshita said naturally, "Let's turn the private matches into club activities."

With a mixture of doubt, curiosity, and amusement, Yui Yuigahama asked, "So how do we compete?"

You're still laughing! I can't laugh anymore! Hachiman Hikigaya struggled to say, "Ah—ah—there must be students struggling with their grades, right? Offering free tutoring would be a good way to find them..."

"I'll include Hachiman in the score, and then we'll calculate the average."

The white figure's words were as swift as a knife, beheading the salted fish.

Yukino Yukinoshita said, "Then I'll add Yuihama to my side, so it'll be a head-on showdown between the Service Club and the Aid Club."

Helping others learn and improve their grades is undoubtedly the club's philosophy and practice. Bringing two weights to each exam to compete against each other is also very much in line with the idea of ​​competing against each other.

Yukino Yukinoshita thought this was a great idea. Her eyes were already brimming with fighting spirit, and her seemingly smiling expression was full of the imposing aura of war.

"Huh?" Yui Yuigahama belatedly realized, "Me too?! This...this—"

"Don't worry, it won't take up too much of your time. It's just like a private tutoring session. I'm very confident in my teaching skills..." Yukino Yukinoshita paused slightly, "Yuigahama's grades should be fine, right?"

puff--!

Unintentional suspicion pierced through Yui Hihama's heart. She glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita on her left, a top-tier student, and then at the white figure on her right, a second-tier student, who was doing practice problems, across Hachiman Hikigaya. She mumbled, "Hmm... I'm alright, I guess I'm better than Hachiman, right?"

What a despicable woman! How dare she meddle and spout such nonsense?!

Hachiman Hikigaya said, "I'm fourth in my grade in literature."

"What?!" Yui Yuigahama exclaimed in shock. "Yuki, maybe... maybe you should find someone else?"

Are you sure you want to carry this weight?!

The opposing team consists of Lu Bu and Red Hare. Even if you are Zhao Zilong, you can't just go in with a pitchfork!

Yukino Yukinoshita asked intently, "Yuihama, do you have any ideas about improving your grades? After all, it's related to your future school admissions, and it's a major decision in your life."

"We're only in our first year of high school! Do we really need to think that far ahead?!"

"Not thinking that far ahead, should we simply try to improve our grades?"

"Um... are you sure it's okay?"

“Then I will take your question as a request and accept your request,” Yukino Yukinoshita said calmly and firmly. “Even if the Service Club loses, you can still improve.”

Yui Yuigahama said with difficulty, "K-Koyuki... I shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"Ah? Sorry." Yukino Yukinoshita coughed. "It was mainly because I was thinking about that cookie from before..."

"Don't worry, Yuihama. Hikigaya is a late-stage specialization—he excels in Japanese literature, is good at humanities, but is extremely poor in science. Overall, his grades aren't much higher than yours."

Bai Ying sighed, "He takes an unconventional approach, while you are a jack-of-all-trades. You two are like a hidden dragon and a phoenix, each possessing unique skills."

Yui Yuigahama looked at Hachiman Hikigaya.

“That’s true,” Hachiman Hikigaya said. “It wasn’t wise of the captain to choose me as the load-bearer; I’ll only be a hindrance.”

雪之下雪乃点头道：“从90分提高到95分，从0分提高到20分，两者的难度确实比从60分提高到80分更大。”

"Hmph! A true strongman must have the determination to take on five opponents at once! I'll make up for any shortcomings Hachiman may have!"

After saying that, Bai Ying continued to work on her problems, radiating an aura of hard work.

Uh... does this mean they've given up on treating me? Thank goodness.

Hachiman Hikigaya peacefully continued reading light novels, content to be a good lazy bum.

With the next match scheduled, Yui Yuigahama unconsciously began to pay close attention to the situation. She looked at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was still engrossed in her novel, and said with difficulty, "Yukino, is this really okay? Shiro seems to be working very hard... Let's learn from her!"

"You can't get anything done if you're just enthusiastic for a moment. You have to suppress your enthusiasm and let it cool down into a strong will to persevere."

Yukino Yukinoshita calmly replied, "When it's time to learn, I will naturally learn."

Bai Ying looked up upon hearing this and translated vividly, "I will secretly work hard and then amaze everyone."

"I didn't think of such a boring thing. Please don't let the white fungus grow on its own, otherwise it will be very troublesome to clean up." Yukino Yukinoshita said calmly. "Pay attention in class and do what you should do at the corresponding time. If you can do these things consistently, it is only natural to get good grades. Reading, studying and taking exams are a deduction system, not a scoring system."

"If you are distracted for too long in a class, you will lose points. If you encounter difficulties in your studies and do not solve them but avoid them, you will lose another point. These will all be reflected in the exam."

The radiance of a learning genius enveloped the activity room; she uttered mantras and explained the great principles—

"Hmph! That's just so-called common excellence! To fight for every point of victory in the highest realm, a much more brutal battle is inevitable! The top positions are not just generalities that determine whether a student's performance is in the middle or upper ranks, but rather positions earned through real fighting!"

The Demon Scholar chuckled arrogantly, explaining his different path: "On that cruel and narrow stage, countless heavenly tribulations block the way, and the weak will only turn to ashes! Reaching the same realm is merely the basics! Overcoming mistakes! Repeatedly checking! The unpredictable talent! A stroke of genius through fortuitous coincidence! The emotional fluctuations of the examiner! Every link is a necessary condition for success or failure!"

To fight for that one point, you have to go crazy!

"Speaking of which, Yuihama's birthday is June 18th, which happens to be a weekend."

Yukino Yukinoshita ignored the person's ramblings, took out her phone to check, and asked, "Is Yuihama free that day?"

Yui Yuigahama replied, "Yeah, I usually celebrate my birthday together in the evening after Dad gets off work. I'm free during the day, hehe. Yuki knows it's my birthday."

"As minister, I have the right to know some of the contents of my ministers' files."

Yukino Yukinoshita felt she needed to find out more about the enemy first, so she said, "We're celebrating Yuihama's birthday, and we'll also have a study session. Let's hold it at the place where Shiro-kun works—are you on the morning or afternoon shift?"

Bai Ying said solemnly, "Weekends are full-day shifts, both morning and afternoon, since I've already crossed the line."

"Okay, then let's do it at noon."

Wearing a mask of gentleness and friendliness, he coldly calculated the residual value of his words.

Hachiman Hikigaya tried to argue: "What about me? I don't have much time on weekends..."

Yukino Yukinoshita exclaimed in surprise, "Does Hachiman Hikigaya-kun intend to spend the weekend with his friends? If they are just friends from TV or books, then there's no need to say more."

"..."

That wretched woman! I've put you at the top of my list of women I absolutely cannot forgive, and the minister is number zero. I'm so angry I could kill you!

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed, already caught in the battle between the club president and Yukinoshita, unable to escape unscathed.

The fate of the worthless ants at the bottom of society is already decided, even before they can see through the mask.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Minister, the car is ready.

[Yukinoshita: Saturday, are you two free? We can pick out a birthday present for Yui together.]

[Hachiman: Just give her the money, let Yui buy whatever she likes.]

[Under the Snow: Death Penalty.]

[Hachiman: Hey! Why?! Isn't this a superb solution? No worries, no need to spend too much time, and no need to worry about giving the other person a gift they don't like and causing an awkward atmosphere! Such a perfect solution, and you still want to sentence me to death?!]

[Hachiman: Ha! Why aren't you saying anything? You think this is a good idea too, right?]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Giving money also signifies that I don't want to develop a long-term, deep relationship with you.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: When giving gifts on special occasions, the important thing is not the value of the gift itself, but the meaning it symbolizes, such as "I want to maintain the relationship with you" or "I want a longer and deeper relationship with you." If the recipient values ​​the gift, it means they value the relationship and the gift itself.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Gifts are carefully preserved, used, or simply left there for a year, five years, or even longer; money is different. Money represents a general equivalent; it's a token that can be used and transferred, but it has no intrinsic value. Giving money as a gift implies that you don't consider the relationship important, that it can be consumed or transferred. If you want to compete with Yuihama in a life-or-death struggle, I suggest you give her a 100-yen coin.]

[Yukinoshita: That's right, Hikigaya-kun should be sentenced to death.]

[Hikigaya:...]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: I have to work on Saturday, so I don't have time to pick out gifts together. Perhaps the brave one is hesitant about making a first friend, like needing a few people to eat lunch with? Here are a few hints: Yui probably likes dogs and prefers pink.]

[Yukinoshita: I don't need Haku-kun to remind me, I'm not that fragile.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: Just one more reminder, the gift should ideally be simple and practical. A brave warrior shouldn't give away their precious sword in a moment of excitement.]

[Yukinoshita: Common sense doesn't need to be repeated.]

It was settled just like that, with a single word.

There was no other way; it was all at the request of the department head and Yukinoshita, so I had to find a way to give Yui Yuigahama a birthday present.

Hachiman Hikigaya lay on the sofa, looking at his phone with a headache. Celebrating someone's birthday and then having to figure out a gift...

"Komachi, what do girls usually give each other as gifts?"

"While cute decorations are usually given as gifts, it really depends on who you're giving them to..."

Komachi Hikigaya suddenly appeared above Hachiman Hikigaya, her ahoge swaying as she shouted, "A present?! Did my brother finally make a friend? Komachi is so touched! I'm giving you a super high score today! Who is it for? A boy or a girl?! There haven't been any holidays lately, so it must be a birthday present, right?!"

"Just someone from a club." Hachiman Hikigaya was a bit overwhelmed. "Honestly, I'd rather just give him the money..."

Komachi Hikigaya's face instantly hardened, her tone flat: "Trash-chan, death penalty. That last sentence got the lowest score Komachi has ever received."

"Ah... they actually called my brother 'Garbage Sauce'..."