Chapter 80 Can She Just Let That Go?

After School at Keyaki Shopping Center

In front of the large supermarket, the clerk leaned against the counter, propping his chin in his hands, watching the scene outside with mild curiosity.

"Hey," a voice murmured.

"Want to check out the latest volume of Sword Art Online?"

"I heard this one's really exciting!" He added conspiratorially, "There's even... you know, some amazing NSFW art in the illustrations."

Hikigaya lowered the brim of his hat To an uninformed observer, He could have been mistaken for someone selling contraband DVDs. This is ridiculous, He thought, glancing nervously around. If Himeno Yuki ruined this venture for him, he would be stuck with a pile of unsold books. He needed to sell them all. Fast.

Thankfully, a boy nearby seemed intrigued. "Really?" the boy asked, his voice lowering as he stepped closer. "Give me a copy."

The boy's curiosity—sparked by the mention of "NSFW illustrations"—made him easy prey. Hikigaya silently handed over a copy, completing another transaction.

By six o'clock, nearly 200 copies had been sold. Including the sales from the previous day, he'd sold 312 out of the 350 books he had stocked. Finally, the initial costs were covered. Not only that—he had earned an extra 12,000 personal points. Of course, when factoring in the cost of his uniform, work badge, hat, and Himeno Yuki's share of expenses, it wasn't clear if this would net much profit. No matter, Hikigaya thought. Every book sold from here on is pure profit. It was enough to prove that this method worked.

As He tallied his sales, he noticed Himenoyuki walking toward him, dressed in blue overalls and carrying a shopping bag.

"Thanks for the hard work," she said, plopping down beside him and setting the bag between them. Her tone was unusually cheerful. "How many are left?"

"Thirty-eight copies," Hikigaya replied, glancing at the remaining stack.

"Wow, we're selling that fast, huh?" Himeno Yuki remarked, clapping her hands as she glanced at the stack of light novels.

"What's this?" Hikigaya asked, nodding toward the shopping bag. Inside, he spotted a burgundy uniform, a white pleated skirt, and black stockings. His face flushed immediately.

"Uniforms," she said nonchalantly.

"Didn't you go back to the dorm to change?"

"Why bother? I just changed in the restroom," she replied casually. Seeing his reddened face, Himeno Yuki leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Why, does it bother you that much?" Silently noting his flustered face.

"No, not at all," He said quickly, looking away.

"Is that so?" she murmured, tilting her head thoughtfully before suddenly whispering in his ear, "There's also my... you know, U-N-D-E-R-W-E-A-R."

What?! Hikigaya's brain short-circuited for a moment.

"Haha! You're blushing, aren't you? Look at you, all red!" Himeno Yuki burst out laughing, clapping her hands with delight.

"Tsk." He turned away in irritation. Calm down. There's no way she'd do something that ridiculous. She was clearly just messing with him. What a little devil.

"Alright, don't be mad," She said, patting the back of his hand after her laughter subsided. "So, how do we sell the rest of these?"

"Just sit here and wait for customers to come to us," Hikigaya replied, exhaling slowly. Honestly, her rotten personality should be exposed to Ichinose and the others, Hikigaya thought. But the mental image of being beaten half to death by her made him think twice. Forget it, he decided.

"That's it? This isn't as fulfilling as I thought" She takes a pensive stance frowning.

"Then what else do you want?" He asked, his tone flat.

"Hmm... something feels off," Himeno Yuki replied, her expression tinged with dissatisfaction. "This is not how I imagined it would be."

It was her first time working. Most people would feel nervous during their first job, doubting their abilities and working hard to avoid criticism. Yet, once they started, they'd quickly realize it wasn't all that complicated.

"Of course it's different," Hikigaya said. "It's not even a serious job." He gestured around dismissively. "There's no job description, no real responsibilities, not even a lunchtime or break time. Naturally, the work is simple." As he said this, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel like some shady entrepreneur exploiting his employees. He wondered how anyone, even someone as peculiar as Himeno Yuki, would agree to this arrangement.

"Is that so? By the way, how much are you selling these for?" She asked.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday? I bought them for 500 and sold them for 600."

"Isn't that too little? You should sell them for at least 1,000!" She declared, her brows furrowing in disbelief.

She clearly has no concept of market research, Hikigaya thought. Must come from a cushy background. "You can't just—" He started. Before he could finish, Himeno Yuki jumped up excitedly, holding a light novel in her hand.

"The latest volume of Sword Art Online! Only 1,000 points! First come, first served!" she announced, waving the book energetically.

Hikigaya facepalmed. "Aren't you afraid Ichinose and the others will find out?"

"Damn, I forgot about them!" Himeno Yuki froze, glancing around nervously before plopping back down. "It's fine. No one's here."

Moments later, she sighed. "Isn't this kind of work boring?"

"Get used to it," Hikigaya replied. "Most jobs in the world are nonsense anyway. If you're bored, just head back." Honestly, He wished she'd leave soon. Her antics had already drawn several suspicious glances.

"Nah." She pursed her lips, then grinned. "Giving up halfway isn't my style. I'll stick around to finish selling these."

"Thanks for the hard work, then," He said, nodding.

Himeno Yuki, despite her mischievous personality, worked diligently when she set her mind to it. Her efforts, while chaotic, had their charm. Hikigaya had to admit she might actually make a reliable employee someday.

"Oh, right," She said suddenly, glancing at her phone. "I heard you and Ichinose are practicing for the two-legged race. Didn't expect you'd join a competition. Impressive."

Hikigaya groaned. "I didn't join willingly. Ichinose signed me up without asking. She even submitted the entry form. No way out now."

Himeno Yuki chuckled, though her fingers paused mid-scroll on her phone. "Hmm? You know, plenty of boys in our class would kill to be in your shoes."

Before he could ask what she meant by that their conversation was interrupted by a boy walking up to their table. He pointed at the light novels. "This is the latest volume of Sword Art Online, right? Why's it displayed out here?"

It was the kind of question people asked without expecting a real answer. Hikigaya had observed these types before—people who couldn't stand silence, filling the air with idle chatter. Before Himeno Yuki could respond, her face froze. She clearly wasn't used to thinking on her feet.

"I'm sorry," Hikigaya said quickly, standing up. "We're out of space inside."

"Oh, I see. How much is it?" the boy asked.

"One thousand points!" She blurted out enthusiastically before Hikigaya could stop her.

"...What?" The boy blinked in confusion. "A thousand? For a Japanese light novel?"

"Uh, yes!" She nodded vigorously, her expression beaming with pride. "We've already sold over 300 copies! Hurry up and buy one before they're gone!"

Hikigaya sighed inwardly, watching the exchange. At this rate, she'll scare away customers. He stood off to the side, silent and exasperated. Did this girl really think making money was that simple?

The unfamiliar boy before them looked back and forth, his expression shifting. He turned to Himeno Yuki and remarked, "By the way, let's set the book aside for now. You look so young, compared to him." He quickly peeks at Hikigaya.

Excuse me? Was he indirectly calling me old? What was this guy's problem? Was he trying to pick a fight?

"Ha ha," Himeno Yuki chuckled, sneaking a glance at Hikigaya. She blinked, clearly wondering why he wasn`t helping her with this bothersome customer.

"Well, she gets that a lot," Hikigaya said flatly. "When I applied for the job, even our boss thought I might've faked my age." Technically, Ichinose was the "boss" here, so he wasn't lying.

"Indeed," the boy nodded with a knowing smile. "I almost thought she was the same age as me. No wonder you've got to look after her."

"Not quite," Hikigaya replied, forcing a smile. "The cashier only really needs one person, but since she's new and still learning the ropes, I'm just showing her the way." This guy. Was he picking a fight, or was this his version of friendly banter?

"Do want to buy something, sir?" Hikigaya asked, holding out a light novel. He wasn't too keen on making a profit from this guy anymore; honestly, he felt like just giving it away.

"Yes, do you want one?" Himeno Yuki chimed in, holding the novel with both hands and looking at the boy with sparkling enthusiasm.

She was, after all, just a freshman. This was her first job, and it seemed her expectations were set unrealistically high for something so simple. Hikigaya glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to the guy, his expression unreadable as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"Hmm..." The boy hesitated, then pulled out his phone. "Alright."

Wait, seriously? Hikigaya was momentarily stunned. Someone was actually buying this? Was it Himeno Yuki's charm? Was the world this simple?

"Thank you; I hope you'll buy more next time," She said brightly, bowing deeply.

"There probably won't be a next time," the boy said with a casual shrug. "I'm fairly well-known in our class as the vice leader of the Red Team for the sports festival and even gave a speech. You don't recognize me?"

"Uh..." Hikigaya stiffened. He had no idea who this guy was. He shot a glance at Himeno Yuki, hoping for help, but her blank expression said it all. She was as clueless as he was.

"No need to look so lost," the boy said, laughing. He extended a hand. "Fujimaki, Class A, third year. Nice to meet you."

"Hikigaya Hachiman," Hikigaya muttered, shaking his hand.

"Himeno Yuki, nice to meet you," she added, bowing politely.

"Well, since you've figured it out, why—" Hikigaya began but was cut off.

"No particular reason," Fujimaki replied, shaking his head.

"The price is indeed a bit steep, but it's not much for me. Plus, it's rare to see kouhais as... entertaining as you two. I thought I'd show some support."

"Thank you, senpai," Hikigaya said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile. He couldn't shake the feeling that Fujimaki was just toying with them.

"Don't worry," Fujimaki said, sensing their unease. "I won't tell anyone. But, to be honest, it's only a matter of time before someone figures this out. A loophole that could earn a lot of personal points... I'm curious to see how Horikita reacts when they catch wind of this. It'll be fun."

"Thank you, senpai," She said with a bow, letting out a relieved sigh as Fujimaki walked away.

Hikigaya watched his retreating figure. Fujimaki was impressive—three years in Class A had clearly honed his perceptiveness.

After a moment, Himeno Yukibroke the silence. "Pfft..." She suddenly burst into laughter, trying to cover her mouth but failing to stifle the sound.

"What's so funny?" Hikigaya asked, glaring at her.

"No, no, it's just... hilarious," She said between giggles.

"You get all flustered when you see my stockings, but you lied so smoothly back there without even blinking."

"Tch," He turned his head in disgust. This annoying woman couldn't let it go, could she? He had a sinking feeling this incident might end up being one of the darkest chapters of his life.