89 - If we become partners, does that mean we can do anything?~
"I'm the older sister, Ougatou Naoko."
"I'm the younger sister, Ougatou Houko."
Both sisters wore knee-high stockings — the older in white, the younger in black — making them easy to tell apart. Their well-toned legs, clearly shaped through regular training, looked particularly firm and healthy, drawing Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes for a second longer than he intended.
Noticing his rhythm was being thrown off, Hikigaya didn't panic. He remained calm and asked, "You knew I'd come, didn't you?"
"Hehe~ What kind of question is that?" Naoko smiled coquettishly, covering her petite cherry-like mouth with one hand.
"You turned down Aoi-kun, despite receiving his favor — and not just that. I heard you even humiliated him in front of everyone."
The sisters spoke in a rhythmical back-and-forth, revealing what they knew about Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Outstanding grades, a sharp mind."
"Exceptional gambling skills, undefeated."
"You even beat Aiura Kokoro and Shimotsukiuri Ouri…"
"Naoko, doesn't this spell danger for the Full-Bloom Association?"
"It sure does, Houko."
The sisters exchanged glances and pressed their bodies together slightly, their voices darkening:
"We're executives of the Full-Bloom Association. Anyone who stands against us… must be eliminated~"
"…"
Hikigaya couldn't help but put a hand to his forehead. That over-the-top, chuunibyou opening had drained him of any desire to follow his planned speech.
"Alright, let's drop the boring theatrics. Since you knew I was coming, then you must know why I'm here."
"Let's get straight to the point."
Houko pouted angrily. "Aw, come on! We worked so hard to set up the mood, and now you're ruining it, Hikigaya-kun!"
"Seriously, Hikigaya-kun, you have no sense of romance."
"Are you here to gamble with us, Hikigaya-kun?"
"That can't be it. Hikigaya-kun looks like someone from money, just like us~ You probably don't need cash, right?"
The sisters began playfully bickering in front of Hikigaya.
"What would I bet with you?" Hikigaya's lips curled into a smirk, his once lazy eyes sharpening:
"I'm only here to utterly ruin Mibuomi Aoi's reputation."
"Anyone affiliated with the Full-Bloom Association — I won't let a single one off the hook."
"If you've got money, then let's gamble for money."
As he spoke, Hikigaya pulled a bank card from his pocket — it contained funds transferred earlier by Yukinoshita Haruno at his request.
"There's one billion yen in this card. Let's bet one billion yen."
"One condition: the loser must go to the school broadcasting station and publicly announce their defeat."
Hikigaya's goal for this match was crystal clear — to strip the Full-Bloom Association executives of all credibility and, by extension, damage Mibuomi Aoi's influence. Wasn't he carefully trying to unite the average students? Fine then — Hikigaya would crush his officers one by one.
Moreover, since he now intended to cozy up to Momobami Kirari and Juraku Sachiko, organizations like the Full-Bloom Association had no reason to exist.
Better to destroy them outright. Hikigaya Hachiman felt no sympathy whatsoever for students who had reduced themselves to livestock.
They were nothing more than stepping stones to him.
"W-What?!"
"One billion yen?!"
The sisters instantly stopped playing around. Their exchanged looks were filled with disbelief and anxiety. What kind of joke was this? They absolutely couldn't cough up such a massive amount of money. In comparison, publicly admitting defeat didn't seem nearly as important… though they didn't believe they'd lose the gamble either.
Still, to admit publicly that they were broke? That would be far too humiliating.
Naoko, the elder sister, protested:
"That's way too unfair! We're executives of the Full-Bloom Association, you know? If we had to make that kind of defeat announcement on the broadcast, we wouldn't be able to show our faces anymore!"
"But you, Hikigaya-kun… Even if you lose, nobody would think anything of it. After all, losing to us is completely normal."
"Those words aren't empty."
In the two years since the Ougatou sisters arrived at Hyakkaou Academy, they had rarely experienced defeat. Countless people had fallen before them.
"This is an unequal gamble, so we can't accept it~"
"Unless—"Ougatou Houko smiled sweetly, "Hikigaya-kun also bears the same risk. If you lose, then you have to become our friend."
"Hah? Friend? That's it?"
"Mhm, that's all~"
"We need lots of friends."
"Our goal is to make a hundred friends~"
Hikigaya looked a bit surprised and sized the sisters up:
"With gals like you from the baseball club, I doubt you're short on friends."
The Ougatou sisters smiled even more brightly.
"Why do we want friends? That's simple. Because—if someone becomes our friend, then no matter what happens, they have to side with us."
"We come first. Whether it's President Momobami or Mibuomi Aoi, they all rank behind us."
Hikigaya Hachiman narrowed his eyes slightly. These two women's ambition was a little more than he'd expected.
He had underestimated them.
"We~ want to become the presidents of the Full-Bloom Association!" the sisters declared in unison.
"From that perspective, maybe our goal isn't so different from yours, Hikigaya-kun~"
"That is, as long as your goal isn't to destroy the Full-Bloom Association altogether. If not, we could even help you suppress Mibuomi Aoi."
"He's handsome, smart, and gentle. Plus, he's the founder of the Full-Bloom Association. The perfect candidate for president."
"But~ as long as he's around, we can never be number one."
"That's why—we're going to take him down!"
As they spoke, the sisters slowly moved to Hikigaya Hachiman's sides, bringing with them the refreshing, sporty scent unique to athletic gals.
Each of them took one of Hikigaya's arms, letting him feel a distinct softness and firmness against him.
"Actually, the real decision-making power in the Full-Bloom Association lies entirely in Mibuomi Aoi's hands~ Executives like us are just decorations, only good for helping him round up livestock again and again."
"We're tired of working our butts off for someone else~"
"If Hikigaya-kun is willing to help us, then we sisters can become your friends too~"
The Ougatou sisters tightened their grip on his arms, pressing them even closer against their warm bodies. They deliberately emphasized the word "friends", and the implication behind it was crystal clear.
'Wait wait wait—are they seriously doing this right in front of Jabami?!'
Saotome Mary's eyebrows twitched violently. She could already tell there was something unusual between Hikigaya and Jabami Yumeko.
And now, doing this right in front of his girlfriend... She instinctively glanced toward Jabami Yumeko.
Unexpectedly, Jabami had her face buried in her hands — but through the gaps between her fingers, Mary could see her cheeks flushed a deep red.
Her long, voluptuous legs in black stockings pressed tightly together, rubbing slightly — and the sight sent a shiver of revulsion through Saotome Mary.
'What the hell is wrong with her?! Hikigaya is being molested by the Ougatou sisters right in front of you!'
"If we become Hikigaya's friends—"
"You can do anything you want~"