Chapter Text
Chapter 44: Using Their Own Words
"It's nothing..."
Kawasaki Saki quickly regained control over her emotions. Her earlier outburst had merely been the result of everything lately pressing down on her nerves, causing her to momentarily lose her composure.
Once she came back to her senses, she realized that Hikigaya Hachiman was just trying to help her. She simply didn’t like the way he went about it.
"I’ll only take my share of the money. I’ll transfer the rest back to you right now..."
"Wait..."
Hikigaya Hachiman reached out and held Kawasaki Saki’s phone, stopping her from transferring the money back.
"You really deserve it..."
He gave a bitter smile as he briefly explained what had happened after Kawasaki left the previous night.
Of course, he didn’t mention the power of those malevolent spirits or his later suspicions. He only said that the client, in a last moment of conscience, gave him all the money he had before committing suicide.
"But this is way too much!"
Upon hearing Hikigaya’s explanation, Kawasaki Saki’s expression softened considerably, and a hint of guilt appeared in her eyes as she looked at him. She never expected to get paid this much from just one job.
"This is your rightful share." Hikigaya's tone allowed no room for argument.
He had already promised Kawasaki one-twelfth of the commission fee. There was no way he would go back on his word just because the total amount ended up being more than expected.
"But it really is too much. The tutoring fees don’t cost this much..."
Feeling that she was in the wrong, Kawasaki’s tone grew unconsciously meek. She mumbled awkwardly, trying to return the money that went beyond what was needed for tutoring.
"So, are you trying to make me someone who goes back on his word?"
As the saying goes: return one's own words to them. Earlier, Kawasaki had used moral high ground to pressure Hikigaya into taking the extra money back.
Now that the situation was reversed, he used the same tactic to stop her from returning the money.
"That’s not what I meant..."
Hearing something so familiar, Kawasaki froze for a moment, then tried to defend herself.
"Then just keep the money." Hikigaya decisively closed the topic.
Since Kawasaki didn’t want him to be someone who breaks promises, then she had no choice but to accept the money.
"I..."
Kawasaki opened her mouth, but suddenly didn’t know what to say. She had called Hikigaya out to question why he gave her so much money—how had it turned into her disrespecting him by not accepting it?
"Alright, let’s wrap this up..."
At some point, Hiratsuka Shizuka had appeared at the corner of the hallway. She clapped her hands, drawing the attention of both Hikigaya and Kawasaki.
"Shizuka-sensei?!"
Seeing her, Kawasaki immediately tensed up. After all, they had just been discussing money, and with her usual reputation, it was easy for others to jump to certain conclusions.
In contrast, Hikigaya remained much more composed. He had dealt with Hiratsuka for over a year now—they understood each other well. He knew she wouldn’t misunderstand like Kawasaki feared.
"Alright, Kawasaki-san, first period is about to start. Head back to class and get ready. As for you, Hikigaya, come with me to the office and give me a proper explanation..."
"Wait, Sensei, this has nothing to do with him!"
Because she was more familiar with Hikigaya, Hiratsuka chose to question him. But Kawasaki misunderstood her intention.
From her point of view, there were only two reasons a student would be called to the office—and none of the good ones applied to Hikigaya. Words like "call the parents," "public reprimand," and "expulsion" instantly flashed through her mind.
This was clearly something she couldn’t accept. So instead of obediently going back to class, she stepped in front of Hikigaya, intending to explain everything.
"Did you not hear what I said, Kawasaki-san?"
Looking at the girl blocking her way, Hiratsuka's eyes flashed with approval, though her face remained stern.
If it were any other girl, she’d probably have run away by now, not caring what happened to Hikigaya.
But Hiratsuka was still a teacher, and as such, had to maintain a strict image to discipline other students.
"I..."
Kawasaki trembled under Hiratsuka’s sudden authoritative aura. That natural fear of teachers welled up inside her.
"It’s fine. You should go back." Just as Kawasaki was gathering the courage to speak up again, Hikigaya’s calm voice came from behind her.
"Are you sure?"
Hearing the steadiness in his voice, she asked quietly.
"Of course."
Hikigaya replied firmly. Knowing Hiratsuka’s personality, even if something really had happened between them, at worst, she’d just beat him up and force him to change his ways. But nothing like that had even happened.
"Then… take care of yourself."
Hearing his reassurance, Kawasaki let out a breath of relief. After apologizing to Hiratsuka for her earlier rudeness, she quickly left the stairwell.
"...Looks like your words work better than mine with that kid now."
Watching Kawasaki walk away, Hiratsuka, who had been leaning against the wall, now stepped forward with a smile.
"I think I can explain this..."
Hikigaya instantly sensed the killing intent beneath her seemingly calm tone. He quickly raised both hands in surrender, showing he had no intention of resisting.
"You’d better explain it clearly!"
Hiratsuka glared at him fiercely, grabbed his arm, and dragged him toward the office.
Since class had already started, they didn’t run into any students along the way. But what surprised Hikigaya was that even the office was eerily quiet—there were no other teachers.
"Don’t bother looking. The principal called them all in for a meeting this morning..."
Seemingly aware of what Hikigaya was thinking, Hiratsuka explained before he could even ask.
She pulled out a cigarette from her pocket, took a deep drag, then looked at the student before her with a complicated expression.
"Now then, don’t you think it’s time you explained things to me?"
Chapter 45: Hiratsuka Shizuka Cleans Up the Mess
"Is it about what we talked about before?"
Hearing Hiratsuka Shizuka's words, Hikigaya Hachiman's mind began spinning rapidly, trying to come up with a reason she might accept.
"I'm not interested in whatever's going on between you and Kawasaki Saki."
Taking another puff from her cigarette, Hiratsuka looked up at Hachiman, whose darting eyes clearly showed he was scrambling to come up with a way to bluff her.
She sighed and decided to get straight to the point.
"Last night, there was a sudden gas explosion in a residential area in Chiba..."
"According to the police investigation, it was a suicide by the homeowner. But before he died, he transferred all the money in his bank account to a stranger's account. Don't you find that odd, Hikigaya?"
"Ah, that..."
Scratching his head, Hachiman looked awkward.
Truthfully, when he realized he had received a massive sum of money last night, he had considered the possibility that the police might track him down through the financial trail.
He had even prepared several contingency plans.
But what surprised him was that the police never showed up.
He had chalked it up to their incompetence—but now, hearing Hiratsuka’s words, it was likely that she had stepped in for him...
Hiratsuka was surprised that after she laid out the situation, Hachiman only looked a bit embarrassed and not the least bit panicked.
But then, recalling the recent changes in him, she understood.
She didn’t know exactly what Hachiman had been through recently, but the fact that he had grown more confident was definitely a good thing.
"Anyway, I've already asked a friend in the Metropolitan Police Department to suppress the incident. The transaction record has been deleted. So you don’t need to worry about being invited to ‘have tea’ by the police…”
"Sensei, how did you even find out about this so fast?"
A wave of warmth surged in Hachiman’s heart, followed by curiosity as to how Hiratsuka had gotten wind of this so quickly and managed to deal with it right away.
"That's none of your business!"
Hiratsuka’s face suddenly flushed as she responded sharply.
Then she slapped the desk and gave Hachiman a warning glare.
“Behave yourself and stop making me clean up after your messes!”
"Yes, I understand!"
Hachiman immediately lowered his head, looking like a kid being scolded, fully compliant.
"Now, let’s talk about Kawasaki Saki."
Seeing that Hachiman had a good attitude about admitting his mistake, Hiratsuka nodded in satisfaction.
She then crossed her arms and gave him a sharp, inquisitive look.
“Eh? Didn’t you just say you weren’t interested?”
Hachiman snapped his head up in disbelief, staring at her.
Given how well Hiratsuka knew him, she couldn’t possibly think there was something inappropriate going on between him and Kawasaki.
"I said I wasn’t interested. I never said I wouldn’t intervene."
Hiratsuka looked pleased, even amused by his reaction.
Last night, she had been peacefully asleep when a friend from the police called her, telling her Hachiman had gotten himself wrapped up in a case—and that his account had suddenly received over 60 million yen.
To prevent the police from dragging him into the station in the middle of the night, she'd made several phone calls and used up a few favors just to keep things quiet.
Then, early this morning, when she came to confront him about it, she found him on the stairs… with another girl.
There was no way she was letting this go without at least giving him some grief over it.
Seeing the way Hiratsuka was looking at him, Hachiman gave a wry smile.
It was clear he was in for a rough time today...
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Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Kawasaki Saki couldn’t calm down.
Although she believed Hachiman wouldn’t lie to her, she couldn’t help but worry about Hiratsuka.
After all, Hiratsuka Shizuka was the famously terrifying yet caring “Iron Fist” of the school. Especially with rumors going around that her latest matchmaking date had failed again...
Another person feeling uneasy was Yuigahama Yui, sitting in the back of the classroom.
Because Sabre had run off that morning, she had barely made it to class on time. As a result, she saw Hachiman being taken away by Hiratsuka.
In Yui's experience, being summoned by a teacher was never a good thing.
So she naturally assumed that Hachiman was being lectured or scolded.
“Yuigahama-san, could you read the next section, please?”
Just as Yui was anxiously wondering what might be happening to Hachiman, the Japanese teacher suddenly called on her.
“Eh?!”
Hearing her name, Yui reflexively stood up—but as soon as she realized she was being asked to read the textbook, she froze.
She hadn’t been paying attention at all because she was so worried about Hachiman!
“Start from the second paragraph on page 46.”
As Yui panicked, Miura Yumiko’s disappointed voice came from nearby, clearly unimpressed.
Watching Yui scramble to flip open her book and begin reading from the second paragraph on page 46—only to bite her tongue out of sheer nervousness and look pitiful—Miura Yumiko covered her face.
What on earth had she been thinking when she decided to take this idiot under her wing?
Still, now that she had, she wasn’t planning to just toss her away.
If she couldn’t handle things through Yui, then she’d just have to approach it from the other end...
With that thought, Yumiko glanced toward Hachiman’s seat.
The seat that usually reeked of slothful rot was currently empty.
Yumiko felt a tinge of irritation. She hated when things weren’t under her control.
Especially when she recalled how, just yesterday at the bubble tea shop, Hayama had brushed off the hint of affection she’d tried to subtly express.
Her mood was not good.
Finally, when the bell rang for the end of class, Hachiman appeared at the classroom door.
Seeing him safe and sound, both Yui and Kawasaki simultaneously sighed in relief.
Even Miura Yumiko’s eyes flashed with a glint of intrigue as she watched him return to his seat.
Just as she was about to get up and call him out for a talk, Ebina Hina suddenly popped up in front of her, blocking her view.
“Boss, I have something I wanna talk to you about!”
Ebina, who sat near the front, had seemingly teleported to Yumiko’s side and was now showing her something on her phone—a map, suggesting plans for where to hang out with Hayama and the group that afternoon.
Seeing that the topic involved Hayama, Yumiko’s attention immediately shifted from the dead-fish boy Hachiman to the phone screen in front of her.
Having successfully diverted Yumiko’s attention, Ebina discreetly winked at Yui.
Yui responded with a grateful smile.
Chapter 46: The Ghastly Spirit with a Truly Horrifying Appearance
Miura Yumiko didn't notice the subtle exchange between Ebina Hina and Yui Yuigahama at all. In her subconscious mind, she simply didn’t believe that her two little sidekicks would ever dare to set her up together.
At this moment, her eyes were fixed on Ebina Hina’s phone, her expression serious as she pondered how to arrange her time this afternoon.
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.
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"Are you okay?"
Unlike Yuigahama, who was still cautious of Miura’s opinion, Kawasaki Saki—who was also considered a loner in the class—walked directly up to Hikigaya Hachiman to ask about his situation upon seeing him return.
Hearing her question, Hikigaya recalled the events from earlier and couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
Still, he assured her he was completely fine.
"Is that so? Then I’m relieved..."
After hearing his answer and giving him a once-over without noticing anything out of the ordinary, Kawasaki Saki let out a sigh of relief.
If Hachiman had actually been punished by Hiratsuka-sensei because of her, she wouldn't have known how to make it up to him.
"Ah, right. There's something I want to ask you to help with."
Seeing Kawasaki reminded Hikigaya of the matter of distributing the 25 million yen.
Because he wasn’t up-to-date on TV or internet news, he was worried he might have missed something important.
Since Kawasaki happened to be around, he decided to ask her to help compile a list of the victims’ families.
"No problem."
She agreed without hesitation, her eyes showing admiration as she looked at Hachiman.
To receive a huge sum of money and still willingly give away the majority of it to others—just that alone put Hikigaya leagues above most so-called "good people" in society.
Soon, the bell rang for class to begin again.
Kawasaki returned to her seat.
Meanwhile, thanks to Ebina’s distraction, Miura had forgotten all about wanting to talk to Hachiman.
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...This is bad...
That was the only thought in Yotsuya Miko's mind when she saw a hand suddenly extend from the desk of her neighbor, Hana Yurikawa.
She hadn't seen any ghosts in school for three days straight, and while listening to lectures at her desk, she had almost convinced herself such things didn’t exist.
But now, this pitch-black arm had shattered her blissful denial in an instant.
I have to find him right away...
The moment she saw the ghost, the first image that flashed through her mind was Hikigaya Hachiman’s unique face.
As long as she was near him, she and Hana would be safe.
That was Yotsuya Miko’s most sincere belief in that moment.
"What’s wrong, Miko? You’ve been staring at me..."
Yurikawa Hana was listening attentively to the teacher when she suddenly felt a burning gaze from beside her.
She turned to see her friend Miko staring at her intently.
Instantly, she put on a bashful, melodramatic expression, acting as if she were locked in a romantic gaze with her beloved.
Yotsuya Miko: ………
"You know why, don’t you?!"
Resisting the urge to strangle her friend, Yotsuya growled in a low voice.
"Okay, okay, sorry~ I just thought you looked super tense, so I wanted to lighten the mood with a little joke..." Hana pouted cutely.
Then, excitedly, she leaned in.
"So, where is the ghost now?"
There’s no saving this girl... Miko muttered internally.
She then pointed to Hana’s desk.
In that instant, the spirit—which had only been reaching out with one hand to test the waters—suddenly emerged completely from the desk.
It was a ghastly thing made entirely of countless arms twisted together.
The sight made Miko’s stomach churn.
But she reminded herself: ghosts couldn’t attack during the day. And if she pretended not to see it, the spirit would probably leave on its own.
So even though Hana was now being wrapped in dozens of ghostly arms, Miko wasn’t particularly worried.
If something really went wrong, she could just grab Hana and run straight to Hachiman.
"Eh, is it really on me?"
Thanks to Miko’s cue, Hana now realized that the ghost was not only nearby—it might already be trying to possess her.
Still, as Miko had taught her, she carried on pretending nothing was wrong and continued chatting calmly.
"Have they noticed me?" The ghost, made entirely of arms, had heard their exchange and assumed it had been spotted.
So it emerged fully, hoping to possess one of them and deal with them once night or cloudy weather arrived.
People who could see ghosts were a huge threat—best to eliminate them early.
But then, hearing Hana’s nonchalant tone, the ghost hesitated.
As a mid-level spirit that had only just regained some intelligence after existing in chaos, it couldn’t tell if Hana was bluffing or sincere.
It tried its usual trick—judging expressions—but both girls were expressionless.
It had twisted its form into its most grotesque version, flaunting itself in front of them, but still, neither of them reacted.
"Guess they really didn’t see me?"
The ghost leaned close to Miko’s face for one final check.
But Yotsuya Miko’s deadpan expression didn’t waver. Her gaze stayed locked on Hana behind it.
They really can’t see me... The ghost made its final judgment.
These two had no value as prey.
Just then, the ghost caught sight of Hiratsuka Shizuka passing by in the hallway.
Dressed in her lab coat, with her voluptuous figure, she caught the ghost’s attention instantly.
With a whoosh, the arm ghost released Hana and darted out of the classroom, chasing after Hiratsuka.
So gross!!! Miko’s face instantly crumpled once the spirit left. Tears welled in her eyes.
Why do spirits in this world have to be so disgusting?! Especially that one—it had even spat out a yellow gas from its mouth when facing her.
She couldn’t smell it, but it looked absolutely revolting.
"It's gone?"
Seeing Miko’s tearful expression, Hana guessed the ghost must have finally left.
Based on her friend's reaction, Hana concluded that the spirit must have had a particularly horrifying appearance.
After all, Yotsuya Miko had already seen more ghosts than most people could imagine—and even she was shaken like this.
That thing must’ve looked really nasty.
Chapter 47: A Communicative Evil Spirit
The second period for Class 2-F was Hiratsuka Shizuka’s class.
And due to her “pleasant conversation” with Hikigaya Hachiman earlier, she only began preparing her lesson materials after letting him go at the end of the last class.
As a result, she was unusually late.
The sound of her high heels echoed through the empty hallway.
Seeing that teachers in the classrooms she passed by had already begun their lessons, Hiratsuka Shizuka quickened her pace slightly.
But just as she passed by Class E’s door, she suddenly felt something leap onto her.
However, this strange sensation lasted less than half a second before it vanished.
She turned her head to glance at the empty corridor behind her, shook her head, and stepped into Class F in her heels.
After she entered, the arm-spirit slowly emerged from the wall beside the hallway.
It stared at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had entered Class F and begun teaching, its eyes filled with fear and confusion.
Just now, when it tried to possess Hiratsuka Shizuka and enjoy the tactile pleasures of her voluptuous mature body, a sudden burst of white light from her repelled it violently.
Not only that, the light had even burned it!
This was something the arm-spirit had never encountered before in its memory. Even knowing that something on her body could harm it, it still chose to enter Class F to continue observing her.
But unfortunately for the spirit, the spot where it chose to phase through the wall was directly in front of Hikigaya Hachiman’s desk.
Because it was Hiratsuka Shizuka’s class, Hachiman was sitting up straight and attentively listening out of respect.
Yet as he focused on her explanation, in the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a spirit’s head poking out of the wall.
‘Detected a mid-tier evil spirit nearby...’
The system’s timely notification echoed in Hachiman’s mind.
Hikigaya Hachiman: ............
Hearing the rare, straightforward system prompt, Hachiman could only sigh inwardly.
He had just resolved to concentrate on class—so why did a mid-tier evil spirit have to appear right in front of him like this?
And with such a lecherous expression, no less...
Hachiman quietly watched the grotesque spirit covered in arms float through the wall and drift right past him.
Because it was class time, he had no intention of acting immediately.
Instead, he simply had the system mark it, planning to deal with it at noon or after school.
However, something gradually felt off to him.
He noticed the hideous spirit was floating directly toward Hiratsuka Shizuka with a creepy grin!
Hachiman’s eye twitched.
From the expression on the spirit’s face, he could already guess the consequences of letting it go unchecked.
Of course, because it was daytime, the spirit couldn’t actually harm her.
And since no one else in class could see it, Hiratsuka wouldn’t even know anything had happened—unless he said something.
But Hachiman clearly wasn’t going to just sit there and watch this reckless spirit try to possess Hiratsuka Shizuka.
So the moment he realized the spirit’s intent, he stood up decisively and told her he had a stomachache and needed to go to the bathroom.
Naturally, asking to leave for the bathroom right at the beginning of class triggered a burst of laughter from the entire class.
But Hachiman didn’t care at all about the laughter filled with amusement, ridicule, or schadenfreude around him.
At that moment, all he could focus on was the spirit getting closer and closer to Hiratsuka.
“Don’t take too long...”
Hearing Hachiman’s excuse, Hiratsuka Shizuka could only sigh in exasperation.
Still, she nodded and gave him permission.
With that, Hachiman immediately stood up and dashed toward the front door, acting like he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
In his rush, he even “accidentally” tripped as he passed by a classmate, falling right onto them.
“Sorry…”
Looking at the “girl” he had fallen onto because of his “slip,” Hachiman wore an apologetic expression.
He didn’t have a choice.
The spirit was about to leave the range where he could engage without raising suspicion, so he had to fake a fall to close the gap naturally...
“It-It’s fine…”
Meeting Hachiman’s eyes, the “girl” blushed and softly lowered her head.
Hachiman stared in shock.
Though the voice had been quiet, it had definitely sounded like a male voice?!
“Ahem, Hikigaya, weren’t you going to the bathroom?”
Just as Hachiman stood frozen, mentally reeling from the realization that this cute “girl” was actually a guy, Hiratsuka Shizuka cleared her throat from the podium and snapped him back to reality.
“Sorry!”
Awakened by her reminder, Hachiman remembered that his top priority now was to take care of the mid-tier spirit struggling around him.
After apologizing once more to the boy who looked cuter than most girls, Hachiman bolted from the classroom.
The moment he stepped out, the entire Class F erupted into laughter.
Everyone was mocking Hachiman for the ridiculous scene he had just caused.
But as the laughter echoed behind him, Hachiman ran through the hallway without a single ripple in his heart.
He quickly entered the most secluded bathroom on that floor and slammed the spirit, which had been clinging to him and trying to tear him apart, onto the ground.
Though the hard floor did no damage, the arm-spirit took the chance to sink into the ground in an attempt to escape.
But just as its body began to merge into the floor, a sharp blade pierced through it, pinning it in place.
Instantly, the spirit found it couldn’t move at all!
“S-Spare me…”
Realizing Hachiman’s strength far surpassed its own, the arm-spirit immediately begged for mercy.
As a mid-tier evil spirit that had regained some degree of sentience, it still had the potential to rise to a general-class spirit in the future—it didn’t want to die here at the hands of a human!
“A spirit that can talk?”
This was the first time Hachiman had ever heard an evil spirit actually beg for its life.
His expression shifted to one of surprise.
Over the past three months, he had eliminated countless evil spirits.
Even the strongest of the Special-grade ones had only possessed human-like emotions.
So why could a mid-tier evil spirit communicate with him?
Chapter 48: Worth Millions, Yet Still a Pauper
“Roar!”
Seeing Hachiman Hikigaya momentarily stunned, the previously panicked Arm-Spirit suddenly changed its expression like a Sichuan opera mask performance, revealing a face full of sharp fangs as it lunged toward Hachiman’s head.
"Definitely quite intelligent..."
Without changing his expression, Hachiman summoned the Demon-Slaying Blade and used its body to block the spirit’s jaws.
From his superior position, he began observing the spirit more closely.
Upon closer inspection, this spirit—able to communicate with humans—was indeed quite different from the others he had encountered before.
Aside from the Spider Spirit, most previous spirits maintained a roughly humanoid appearance.
But this one? Everywhere you looked—arms. Only arms.
“So basically a mutated monster?”
Rubbing his chin in thought for a moment, Hachiman ultimately decided to end the Arm-Spirit with a single slash.
Although he wanted to extract some information from it, he had no way of verifying the truthfulness of what it might say.
Given that, it was better not to risk clouding his thoughts with potentially misleading intel.
“Successfully eliminated one Intermediate Evil Spirit. Gained 200 Spirit Coins.”
The system notification rang out, and his balance increased from 3050 to 3250.
“So… what should I buy?”
Because he had given the bracelet to Komachi, Hachiman planned to browse for a defensive item in the shop.
He had personally experienced the benefits of defensive gear when he fought that High-grade Evil Spirit.
“If only there was one designed for men…”
Thinking of the red ponytail bracelet’s functionality, Hachiman let out a sigh.
That bracelet was great in every way—except for the fact that any man who used it would be turned into a woman.
If not for that, it would’ve stayed with Hachiman for a long time.
Still, he wasn’t too disheartened.
After all, he had experienced the bracelet’s combat prowess firsthand.
With Komachi wearing it, even if she were attacked by an evil spirit, she could at least hold out until he arrived.
Though frankly, Hachiman suspected the more likely outcome was that Komachi would beat the spirit to death before he even got there.
Realizing his thoughts were wandering, Hachiman quickly pulled himself back and focused on the shop interface.
Soon, something caught his eye—something that suited him perfectly:
"Basic Exorcist Cultivation Method" User Restriction: Exorcists of Special-grade or higher only Effect: Gradually increases the user's maximum spirit energy through training.
On top of this basic method, it could later be upgraded to Intermediate Cultivation, allowing for even faster breakthroughs.
"This is seriously starting to feel like a video game..."
Reading the product description, Hachiman commented with a blank expression.
Right now, he felt like a controllable character in a life-simulation game.
His mission: defeat low-tier evil spirits to collect Spirit Coins, exchange them for better weapons, challenge stronger spirits, level up, rinse and repeat—until he stood at the top of humanity.
“Whatever, don’t think too much...”
With a sigh, he cast out the strange thought from his mind.
He was a living, breathing human being. The system only appeared due to a car accident—pure coincidence. No one could possibly be controlling his life.
“Price: 2000 Spirit Coins?”
After glancing at the cost, Hachiman decisively made the purchase.
His current spirit energy cap was only 100.
If he faced a situation like last night again—three evil spirits at once—five Spirit Stream attacks obviously wouldn’t be enough.
2000 coins were instantly deducted. At the same time, a flood of knowledge suddenly surged into Hachiman’s mind.
The overwhelming data caused a wave of dizziness.
Fortunately, the sensation only lasted for about three seconds.
Now crouching in the bathroom, Hachiman gasped heavily for air.
He now fully understood how to cultivate!
“Next up, defensive items…”
He’d already been gone from class for quite a while. While hurrying back, he continued browsing defensive items in the shop.
But to his disappointment, aside from the Intelligent Tactical Suit he had already bought (priced at 1000 coins), every other defensive item was priced above 5000.
No choice—Hachiman had to abandon the idea of buying defense gear and instead shifted focus to combat skill items.
As they say: the best defense is a good offense.
As long as you kill the enemy before they land a hit, you don’t need to defend.
For a broke guy like Hachiman, this principle resonated deeply.
Right now, he had a mid-grade Ghost-Slaying Blade for melee, Spirit Stream for ranged attacks, and with the cultivation method, his spirit energy cap would soon rise significantly.
Considering how that Samurai Spirit nearly sliced him in half with its expert technique, Hachiman felt a strong need to fix his own lack of skill.
That said, he also understood that store-bought techniques could never match self-trained ones in fluidity or efficiency.
So he leaned more toward buying a single powerful ultimate move, then training hard on overall combat technique in his free time.
As he thought about what kind of move he wanted, the system shop automatically filtered and presented relevant items.
The first one that popped up had a ridiculously flashy name:
Name: Nine-Headed Dragon Flash Target: Multiple Basic Description: Rapidly unleashes nine consecutive slashes at high speed.
Mhm. Definitely a strong skill.
Hachiman estimated that among all the evil spirits he had fought, none would be able to withstand nine of his sword strikes.
And on top of that, it was a group-attack move!
If he had this skill, he could just open with his ultimate whenever spirits appeared—clean sweep, then go home.
He looked at the price with hopeful eyes.
90,000 Spirit Coins. Never mind.
He silently closed the window and kept browsing.
It was only now that Hachiman truly realized: even though his total wealth was in the millions—he was still, fundamentally, a broke guy.
Soon, Hachiman returned to the classroom.
Thanks to the presence of Hiratsuka Shizuka, his classmates were more restrained.
But when they saw his expressionless face, some couldn’t help but chuckle under their breath.
After all, what had just happened wasn't the kind of event you’d see often in a student’s life.
Unless something else even more ridiculous happened, Hachiman’s embarrassing moment would likely fuel their casual conversations for days to come.
But Hachiman had no reaction at all to his classmates’ laughter.
Because just now, after some more searching in the store—he had found another skill that suited him perfectly, and best of all—the price was acceptable!
Chapter 49: Yuigahama Yui Takes Her First Step
[Mother's Rosario] Performs a high-speed 11-hit combo, ending with a cross-slash that delivers the most powerful strike! Note: Requires extremely high speed; otherwise, it can be blocked. Price: 1000 Spirit Coins.
Despite having more hits than Nine-Headed Dragon Flash, their prices were worlds apart.
Hikigaya Hachiman stared at the skill list in front of him, recalling the speed of the recent evil spirits he had encountered. Hmm… with his body constantly being enhanced by spirit power, his physical abilities now surpassed most people in this world.
And with time, he would only get stronger.
So— He could buy it!
With that thought, Hikigaya Hachiman didn’t hesitate and immediately exchanged his Spirit Coins for Mother’s Rosario.
After the purchase, Hachiman took a deep breath, preparing himself for the uncomfortable sensation of knowledge flooding his brain.
However, the expected dizziness and headaches never came.
Once the coins were deducted— Nothing happened.
“What’s going on?” Hachiman raised his brow. There’s no way the system would just scam him, right?
He opened his status panel.
Name: Hikigaya Hachiman Age: 17 Occupation: Special-Class Exorcist Spirit Power: 100/100 Skills: Spirit Flow Technique (Beginner), Basic Cultivation Method, Mother’s Rosario (+) Equipment: Intermediate Demon-Slaying Blade Spirit Coins: 50
The skill Mother’s Rosario was clearly listed. But—he couldn’t use it.
Then he noticed a small plus sign next to the skill name.
Out of curiosity, he selected it with his mind. The “+” changed to [Pending Transmission ×3].
“Pending transmission?” Tilting his head, Hachiman was confused.
This was the first time something like this had happened. According to the panel, Mother’s Rosario required someone to teach it to him.
But who would teach it?
Hachiman remained puzzled until the end of the school day.
As usual, after the dismissal bell rang, Hachiman packed up and prepared to head to the Service Club. But unlike before, the students around him began murmuring as soon as they saw him.
From their snickering, it wasn’t hard for Hachiman to guess they were talking about the embarrassment he suffered that morning.
But such ridicule left no impact on him whatsoever.
“You’re really not going?”
Miura Yumiko looked displeased as she stared at the timid Yuigahama Yui in front of her.
Just moments ago, Miura had suggested heading to the nearby arcade with her two followers. And for the first time ever, Yuigahama refused.
Yui—the always submissive pushover—had actually declined her invitation. Miura was shocked.
But then, watching Yui, who was clearly trying to gauge her mood, Miura’s irritation only worsened. Yui was acting like she’d take it all back the moment Miura looked unhappy.
Have some backbone!
Behind her impatient expression, Miura actually wanted to teach her how to say no.
But of course, that was impossible. If Yui wanted to change her personality, she had to do it on her own, and speak her mind.
The only thing Miura could do now— Was keep pushing her, forcing her to make a decision sooner.
Watching the turtle-like Yui avoid eye contact, Miura slammed her hand on the desk, and asked again:
“You really aren’t coming with me?”
The sudden action startled Yui.
She trembled at the sight of Miura’s hand on the desk, and was just about to cave in.
But suddenly— She remembered what Hiratsuka-sensei had told her at lunch:
“No matter what it is, you must take the first brave step.”
“I-I have something to do this afternoon… So I won’t be going today… I’m really sorry!”
Eyes shut tightly, Yui bowed her head and, for the first time, clearly expressed her will.
Hearing her response, a brief flash of pride crossed Miura’s eyes— Like a mother feeling her child had finally grown up.
But the emotion disappeared in just a few seconds.
“Oh, I see. In that case, I won’t take you with me today.”
Keeping her queenly composure, Miura answered in a frosty tone, as if Yui’s presence didn’t matter either way.
“Thank you so much!”
Completely oblivious to the coldness in Miura’s voice, Yui gave a goofy, grateful smile, then cheerfully ran out of the classroom with her bag.
Watching her skip out the door, Miura—who had worried Yui might feel hurt by her cold façade— now felt so angry her chest heaved with frustration.
She really shouldn’t have worried about that idiot!
“Boss, you really work hard, don’t you…”
Ebina Hina, who had been sitting nearby reading her fanfics, looked up and sighed.
“You’re no less of a headache yourself!” Miura glared at her in exasperation.
If Yui’s problem was caring too much about what others thought, then Ebina’s problem was not caring at all.
She always acted like she had seen through everything. Even when she was bullied, she never fought back.
To keep Ebina safe from those girls who didn’t like her, Miura had to watch her 24/7. Just one slip-up and they’d drag her into some dark corner for a "talk".
“Hey, you can’t blame me,” Ebina said with a silly grin. “Those girls are just petty.”
Though Ebina acted carefree, her eyes flashed with disdain when talking about those girls.
Always scheming, always jealous— They were pathetic.
They had no status, no beauty, and instead of improving themselves, they spent all day hating on girls better than them.
Compared to those losers— Her boss and Yui were so much more interesting.
Especially her boss. Even though Miura was already busy trying to improve herself and win Hayama’s attention, she still brought them along, warning everyone not to mess with them.
Honestly— Miura was just an adorably dumb and lovable idiot.
Chapter 50: A Guest at the Service Club
Hikigaya Hachiman pushed the door open and walked into the Service Club’s classroom.
As usual, Yukinoshita Yukino was already seated by the window, deeply engrossed in a book.
However, today’s atmosphere was slightly different from usual.
Upon hearing the door open, Yukinoshita Yukino lifted her head and looked toward the entrance.
When she saw that familiar pair of dead fish eyes, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, forming a faint smile.
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was wondering why this usually cold and aloof beauty suddenly seemed so out of character, Yukinoshita Yukino parted her lips and spoke:
“Good afternoon, second-place student~”
“Ugh…”
Hikigaya Hachiman was immediately at a loss for words.
As expected, this girl’s tongue was still sharp as ever!
But what she said was the truth. He had no one to blame but himself for only placing second.
“My name is Hikigaya Hachiman!”
Knowing he couldn't win in that line of conversation, Hachiman sat in his seat and quickly tried to change the topic.
“I know, second-place student!”
Seeing Hachiman avoid her jab and change the subject instead, Yukinoshita Yukino’s smile deepened.
“Hey, don’t tell me you always talk like this?”
Frustrated by her persistent use of that clearly mocking title, Hachiman asked gloomily.
“No, unless necessary, I don’t usually talk to classmates…”
Having secured her first victory of the day, Yukinoshita Yukino shifted some of her attention back to the book in her hands. But she still chose to respond to Hachiman’s question.
“Don’t you feel lonely?”
As soon as he said it, Hachiman regretted it.
Having been ostracized since middle school, he knew exactly how painful that question could be.
However, to his surprise, Yukinoshita Yukino’s face didn’t show even the slightest emotional ripple after hearing it.
“At the beginning, maybe I did? But as I climbed higher, I just got used to it…”
After a short pause, Yukinoshita continued answering his question.
“Sorry…”
“Why is Hikigaya-san apologizing?”
Hearing his apology, Yukinoshita Yukino let out a small sigh.
Then she closed the book in her hands, lifted her head, and stared directly into those dead fish eyes.
“That conversation just now was nothing more than casual talk between club members. There’s no need to take it so seriously. Hikigaya-san, I’ve noticed you tend to place yourself in a lowly position all the time—that’s not a good habit…”
“Maybe so.”
Hikigaya shrugged in response to Yukinoshita’s advice.
He’d already gotten a basic grasp of who she was.
A highly capable, stubborn, arrogant, and lonely young lady.
With a venomous tongue, too.
Hachiman added that last bit mentally.
“Looks like you’re quite self-aware of your flaws…”
Seeing that her words had no effect on him, Yukinoshita Yukino looked a bit helpless.
“Aren’t you very self-aware of your own flaws, Yukinoshita-san?”
Hachiman retorted.
He believed that with her level of intelligence, she definitely knew what issues she had.
And yet she hadn’t tried to change them.
If that was the case, then she had no right to demand others fix their own flaws either.
“You…”
Hearing his rebuttal, Yukinoshita Yukino narrowed her eyes and showed a defiant expression.
But just as she was about to argue back, the door to the Service Club was knocked on.
“Um, excuse me… is this the Service Club?”
Accompanied by the knock came the appearance of Yuigahama Yui in the sight of the two who had been arguing.
“Yes, this is the Service Club. Yuigahama-san, how can we help you?”
After waiting so many days, someone had finally come seeking help again.
Yukinoshita Yukino stood up enthusiastically, walked to Yuigahama, and pulled her toward the center of the classroom.
No exchange was needed—seeing Yukinoshita welcome a new guest, Hikigaya, wearing his “Service Club Member” badge, moved to the back of the room, picked up a chair in one hand and a desk in the other, and set them up in front of Yuigahama.
After inviting Yuigahama to sit, Yukinoshita also moved her own seat to face her from across the table. Both she and Hachiman looked at the slightly timid girl across from them.
“Um, I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei that you can help me solve my problems here. Is that right?”
Yuigahama glanced at Hachiman briefly before quickly shifting her gaze away.
Summoning her courage, she asked the cool beauty to her left—Yukinoshita Yukino.
“Hmm, you’re a bit mistaken…”
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned at Yuigahama’s words, pointing out the issue with her phrasing.
“The essence of the Service Club is to assist the one seeking help to overcome their problem—not to solve it for them. It’s the same as the saying: ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’”
“R-Really?”
Yuigahama nodded after hearing the explanation, showing an expression of admiration.
Although she didn’t understand what Yukinoshita had just said, it sounded impressive.
At this moment, seeing the admiration in Yuigahama’s eyes, Yukinoshita felt a bit proud and glanced smugly at Hikigaya.
Hey, hey! Look more closely at her eyes—she didn’t understand a word you just said!
Hachiman complained inwardly.
But since a third party was present, he didn’t want to ruin the moment and make things awkward.
Ahem, “So, Yuigahama-san, what exactly do you want us to help with?”
Clearing her throat and reining in her smugness, Yukinoshita asked Yuigahama’s reason for coming.
“Actually… I’ve wanted to apologize to someone for a long time, but I kept hesitating. It’s been so long that I’m now worried he might not accept my apology…”
As she spoke, Yuigahama sneaked a glance at Hikigaya.
He noticed her glance but didn’t take it to heart.
After all, anyone would be surprised to see him in a club formed by the school’s top-ranked ice-cold beauty.
“If it’s just an apology, then all you need is the courage to say it.”
Hearing her reason, Yukinoshita Yukino frowned instinctively.
She really didn’t understand why someone would need help with something as simple as apologizing.
Chapter 51: That Day, Hikigaya Hachiman Saw…
“So, Yuigahama-san, you're asking us to thank the person who helped you on your behalf?” Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Yuigahama Yui with a puzzled expression.
“No, actually, I’ve already decided to make some cookies as a thank-you gift for that person. But...”
As she spoke, an unnatural look flashed across Yuigahama Yui’s face, and Yukinoshita Yukino caught it.
“Yuigahama-san, is it that you don’t have confidence in your cooking skills, so you came to us for help?” “Yes, yes, that’s exactly it!” Yuigahama Yui nodded quickly.
“I see...” Confirming her guess was correct, Yukinoshita bit her thumb thoughtfully.
After a moment, she looked at Yuigahama Yui and nodded gently. “Alright, we’ll accept your request.”
“Yay!” Hearing Yukinoshita’s reply, Yuigahama Yui jumped up in delight, and certain parts of her body bounced along with her.
“Thank you, Yukinoshita-san!” But that wasn’t the end.
After bouncing excitedly on the spot, Yuigahama walked over to Yukinoshita, held her hands, and expressed her gratitude for agreeing to help.
“Ah, ah, it’s just a small matter...”
They say comparison is the thief of joy. Looking at the impressive peaks in front of Yuigahama, Yukinoshita subconsciously glanced down at her own modest hills.
Total defeat.
Realizing she’d been utterly crushed in that department by this airheaded bun-like girl, Yukinoshita’s aura suddenly turned a bit gloomy.
“Well then, I’ll be heading home...”
Confirming that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama would be using the home economics room to bake cookies, Hachiman packed up his things and prepared to leave.
After all, cookie baking with Yukinoshita there was enough.
As a guy, there was no need for him to get involved.
“You’re also a member of the Service Club. Where do you think you’re going?” Passing by Hachiman with Yuigahama, Yukinoshita glanced at him curiously as she saw him packing up.
“Eh, I have to join too?” Hachiman’s hand paused mid-pack.
“Of course. We still need a taste-tester.” As she spoke, a mischievous smile crept across Yukinoshita’s face...
.
.
.
Half an hour later.
“Are you sure this thing won’t kill me?”
Hachiman picked up a blackened object, supposedly a cookie, from the plate in front of him and turned to Yukinoshita, who looked like she was questioning her entire life.
“I expected it to be bad, but not this bad... That was a miscalculation on my part...” Holding her forehead, Yukinoshita looked visibly pained by Hachiman’s question.
“In any case, I’m asking you to try it for us!” “This stuff could be lethal!”
Staring at the cookie emitting ominous black fumes, Hachiman protested.
“Alright, alright. If anything really happens, I’ll call an ambulance for you! So just try it already—Yuigahama-san has been waiting beside you this whole time!”
Following her words, Hachiman looked at Yuigahama Yui. Sure enough, just like Yukinoshita said, Yuigahama had her hands clasped together, gazing at him with hopeful eyes.
She was clearly waiting for his reaction.
“So the plan already starts with calling an ambulance, huh...” With a bitter smile, Hachiman carefully examined the cookie in his hand before tossing it into his mouth.
So bitter! That was his first reaction as the cookie touched his mouth.
Immediately after, his consciousness blurred—and when it returned, Hachiman found himself on a wooden boat.
“That’s odd... wasn’t I just in the home ec room?”
Looking around, he saw that the riverbanks were shrouded in a thick gray mist.
Hachiman looked around in confusion.
Soon, a rotting wooden sign came into view. With his enhanced “dead fish eyes,” he managed to make out the faint and smudged three characters:
“San...zu...River?”
“Sanzu River!” The moment he recognized the characters, Hachiman’s dazed mind snapped to alert.
His eyes widened as he scanned the surroundings. The river was covered in mist—and floating on the surface were countless corpses.
Thud! A corpse that had drifted close hit the side of the boat, making a dull noise. Hachiman’s attention was immediately drawn to it.
As he looked down, a strand of long red hair suddenly entered his view.
“What is this...?” Looking at the hair, Hachiman leaned further over the boat to see better.
There, beneath the surface, was a girl silently staring at him.
She looked really familiar... Staring at the girl in the water, Hachiman pondered.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization—Wasn’t this the transformed version of himself?!
He quickly looked down at himself. Sure enough, just like in the reflection on the water—somehow, he had transformed into that girl again!
“Hikigaya...” A familiar voice whispered by his ear, but Hachiman was in no state to respond.
The thought of entering the Sanzu River in this form made his ghostly afterlife feel completely hopeless.
“Hikigaya-kun!” Maybe because the first call hadn’t worked, the familiar voice returned, louder this time. Still, Hachiman didn’t react.
“No effect at all...” Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Hachiman, who lay on the ground with a look of resignation.
Ever since he ate the cookie made by Yuigahama, he’d had an ascendant expression on his face and collapsed to the floor.
No matter how she called to him, he wouldn’t wake.
“Um... Yukinoshita-san, I think we should call an ambulance...” After several minutes of trying various methods to wake him without success, Yuigahama anxiously and dejectedly suggested.
“That’s probably the only option left...” With a sigh, Yukinoshita stood up from beside Hachiman and took out her phone.
“Wait! It’s not what you think, Komachi!” Just as Yukinoshita took out her phone and was about to call an ambulance, Hachiman suddenly screamed and bolted upright.
He gasped for air as he woke up from the nightmare.
Just before he entered the Sanzu River, Komachi had appeared, saying she’d come to take him home. But after seeing what he looked like...
“Thank goodness... it was just a dream.” Seeing the familiar desks of the home ec classroom in front of him, Hachiman sighed in relief.
Then, he noticed something blocking the light. Looking up slightly, he saw a pair of thighs in black stockings. Above that—a small cat waved at him.
A few seconds later...
“Smack!”
A sharp slap echoed through the home economics classroom.
Chapter 52: "You Two Have Such a Good Relationship"
"Why did I have to take that slap...?"
Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino sulking on a nearby chair and Yuigahama Yui trying hard to cheer her up, Hikigaya Hachiman rubbed the red mark still lingering on his face and pondered.
It was Yukinoshita who had him try the cookie as a test subject—and he nearly ended up crossing the Sanzu River.
After barely managing to escape from that ordeal, he opened his eyes only to see her standing right in front of him.
Speaking of which, this normally aloof and icy beauty was wearing pure white underwear... with little animal prints on it.
"That doesn’t match her outward image at all!"
Although, the animal prints being cats... that actually kind of suits Yukinoshita.
"What kind of dirty thoughts are running through your head now, Peeping-kun?"
Just as Hachiman's thoughts were spiraling, Yukinoshita's cold voice echoed in his ears.
"I wasn’t thinking anything weird. And what’s with this 'Peeping-kun' nonsense?"
Hachiman snapped back to reality and quickly refuted her accusation.
What happened before was purely accidental, okay?
Sure, maybe he bears some responsibility for looking, but isn’t the main issue that she was standing directly in front of him?
If she hadn’t been standing there, he wouldn’t have seen that the moment he looked up…
"I think Peeping-kun knows exactly what I mean."
Yukinoshita shot back immediately.
"You two seem really close~"
Just as Hachiman was about to argue again, Yuigahama, who had been quietly observing, suddenly said something shocking.
"Huh?!" "Huh?!"
Both Hachiman and Yukinoshita had the same thought simultaneously: I’m close with this person?!
"When you two talk, I can't even get a word in..."
Completely unaware of the weight of her words, Yuigahama continued casually.
"I mean, I’m not great at socializing either, but when I talk with Miura and Ebina, I can always find a way to join the conversation. But with you two, I can only stand by and watch..."
As she finished, Yuigahama smiled sheepishly, but a faint shadow of sadness flickered across her face.
—— Silence fell.
Hachiman and Yukinoshita exchanged glances.
To avoid giving off the impression that they were close, they both silently agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
"Anyway, this time, follow my steps exactly and remake the cookies..."
Treating Hachiman like he didn’t exist, Yukinoshita pulled Yuigahama over to a workbench and, undeterred by failure, began instructing her in baking once again.
Realizing that Yukinoshita was now using the "cold shoulder" technique on him, Hachiman just shrugged, found a seat, and waited for the second batch of cookies to be ready.
However, the moment he sat down, an image of a girl with long purple hair suddenly flashed through his mind.
“!”
Startled, Hachiman jumped up and began gasping for breath, trying to recall the girl's face.
He was sure—absolutely sure—that he had never seen this girl before.
So why was her image stuck in his head?
"Peeping-kun, are you okay?"
Though still technically giving him the cold shoulder, Yukinoshita couldn't help but show concern seeing Hachiman's odd behavior.
After all, while he was annoying, he was a member of the Service Club. As the president, she had a duty to ensure her members were in good health.
"I-I'm fine..."
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Hachiman shook his head and sat back down.
But the girl’s face returned to his mind.
And not just her face—accompanied by a sudden burst of light, he found himself transported to a beautiful, flower-filled place filled with birdsong.
"It’s a nice place, isn’t it?"
A lively voice came from behind him.
Hachiman turned around and saw the very same girl from his vision standing not far away.
"Who are you?"
Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Hachiman asked hesitantly.
"My game ID is Yuuki. As for my real name... it doesn’t matter anymore."
The girl named Yuuki smiled and stretched casually, then began walking toward him like it was nothing.
"Game ID? What is this place?!"
Seeing her approach, Hachiman instantly grew cautious.
"No need to be so tense~"
Yuuki laughed, covering her mouth as she looked at Hachiman’s guarded posture.
After laughing for a while, something seemed to amuse her even more, and she began rolling around on the grass, clutching her stomach.
"Hey!"
Hachiman couldn’t help but call out as she continued to laugh, completely ignoring him.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just thinking... with your personality, you’d probably survive all the way to the end if you entered that world. You might even become a famous powerhouse..."
Wiping away her laughter-induced tears, Yuuki stood up and dusted herself off.
"‘Clear the game’...? What does that even mean?"
Another completely unfamiliar phrase. Hachiman frowned and looked warily at her.
"Sorry, none of this stuff exists in your world yet. So I won’t waste time explaining."
Yuuki’s tone shifted as she paused briefly, then her expression turned serious.
"You came to learn the Mother's Rosario, didn’t you?"
.
.
.
“Add sugar and butter into a bowl over hot water, let it melt and sit for ten minutes. Then, use a whisk to break up the butter into small chunks.”
“Then whisk it until it forms a breadcrumb-like texture. Add in raw egg liquid, stir quickly, add a mix of flour and milk powder, knead into crumbs, and split into two parts.”
“One part gets more flour and cocoa powder, the other just flour. Use molds to shape them, then bake in oil until the cookies harden, and flip them over...”
Yukinoshita was teaching Yuigahama step-by-step how to bake cookies, watching closely to ensure no more culinary disasters occurred.
Every now and then, she’d glance at Hachiman sitting silently on the bench, checking to see if he was still alive.
At last, after nearly using up all the ingredients, Yuigahama completed her batch of cookies.
Aside from being a bit charred in color, they smelled and looked about the same as Yukinoshita's.
“These ones probably won’t kill anyone... right?”
Watching Yuigahama place the cookies onto a plate, Yukinoshita muttered to herself.
Yes, they probably wouldn’t.
If Hachiman survived that obviously toxic batch from earlier, these should be fine—especially since Yukinoshita had supervised everything this time.
Thinking this, Yukinoshita called over Yuigahama to rest, then headed toward Hachiman to ask him to try the new batch.