225: I want Yumeko to debut with me and become an idol!
"Yumemi, I have something to talk to you about."
"Eh? What is it, Saori?"
Seeing her best friend and manager with such a serious expression, Yumemi's joyful feelings were slightly dampened. She followed Saori into the backstage room and sat down.
"Hikigaya Hachiman contacted me just now."
Saori took a deep breath, deciding not to hesitate any longer, and disclosed the content of the conversation with Hikigaya Hachiman to Yumemi Yumemite.
During this, Yumemi's expression changed multiple times.
She hadn't expected that her acting—which she had taken great pride in—had been seen through by Hikigaya Hachiman just from watching a video.
That guy…
What Humiliation!
Yumemi Yumemite clenched her fists, her expression turning ferocious.
Saying that he could make me a top-tier entertainer—who does he think he is?! Is he implying that all my efforts are worthless, that I can't make it without him?! A sense of her dignity being trampled grew within Yumemi and turned into burning rage.
"Yumemi, what's wrong?"
Saori looked at her with concern. As expected, telling Yumemi something like this wasn't going to easily change her mind.
And indeed, Yumemi Yumemite had fallen into a state of impotent fury.
If Hikigaya Hachiman had talked about her gambling skills, she might have just smiled it off and waved it away.
She wouldn't have taken it to heart. But saying she lacked the qualities or talent to be an idol...
When someone pokes at your sore spot, you're bound to go crazy!
Bang, bang, bang—
Yumemi pounded the table again and again, each time harder than the last.
Being able to become a student council officer meant she wasn't stupid; even while angry, she still retained a trace of rationality.
Though extremely unwilling, she had to admit—what Hikigaya Hachiman said… was right.
Her talent… wasn't extraordinary.
Her idol, Kawaru Natari, had gone to the U.S. at age 13, appeared on screen at 14, and received an Oscar for Best Actress for her debut movie, "Gambling Hole."
She played a character with 21 split personalities and was widely praised for her top-tier acting skills. One of the few Japanese Hollywood superstars…
That kind of talent—I'll never have it in my lifetime.
If not for a special opportunity… she might end up being just a regular idol in some region of Japan.
Although she'd have no financial worries and some loyal fans, becoming nationally or globally famous would be impossible.
Her only advantage was being the idol of Hyakkaou Academy.
The base of her current fanbase consisted entirely of wealthy otaku, who were very generous when it came to spending money.
But Yumemi Yumemite herself didn't lack money—what she wanted was fame! Fame that had tens of thousands chasing her!
"Hehe—" Yumemi let out a chilling laugh. Calmed down now, she had accepted the reality, but still felt irritated at Hikigaya Hachiman's manipulative chess-player attitude.
"Trying to dangle the bait of becoming a top-tier idol in front of me, manipulating Yumemi Yumemite's life from behind the scenes like a chess player?"
But if you want to be a chess player, you must also be prepared to become a chess piece yourself!
"Saori, take me to Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Eh? Saori, you agreed?"
"Well, let's say… tentatively. But I have an additional condition."
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.
.
Under Aiura's guidance.
The door to the baseball club opened. As Yumemi walked in, she saw a shocking and disgraceful scene.
Former student council comrades and the baseball club's ace twin sisters were now wearing shameful outfits, bowing and wagging their tails in front of Hikigaya without the slightest sign of shame, even with someone walking in.
After spending time with Hikigaya, they had already completely fallen into being "pets."
Yumeko still pretended not to see anything, calmly sipping water at the dispenser.
Yumemi forced herself to turn her head away but didn't feel embarrassed.
Since she had already decided to become an idol, she had long heard of the entertainment industry's dirtiness.
Compared to that, someone like Hikigaya could even be considered a breath of fresh air.
"You're here, Yumemi-senpai."
"Heh, you already threw such a tempting bait my way. How could I possibly refuse?"
"Then shall we go to the management committee now?"
"No rush."
Yumemi gracefully sat down across from Hikigaya, watching the three girls fight over food. She took out a lady's cigarette from her pocket and lit it up to relieve her internal pressure.
There were no outsiders in the room, so she didn't need to pretend anymore.
If her fans saw their idol smoking, her whole career might collapse overnight.
"If you want me to gamble with you, I'm fine with it. But I have one condition."
"Please say it."
"This gamble—Yumeko Jabami must also participate! If I win, she must debut with me as an idol, and we'll be permanently tied together."
"If I lose, and you can't produce a work within a month, Yumeko Jabami still has to debut with me!"
"This is my condition. If you don't agree, no matter what price you offer, I won't gamble with you."
Even if she's about to be swallowed, she will still show her spikes.
"Okay." Hikigaya Hachiman agreed without hesitation.
During dinner, Yumeko had already anticipated that this might happen and offered herself as a bargaining chip to entice Yumemi into the gamble.
Everything was for their final goal: to swallow Momobami and have Yumeko rise while Kirari falls.
"But I'm curious—why do you want Yumeko to debut with you?"
"Why? Because she's cute!"
At this, a flash of jealousy crossed Yumemi's eyes.
She had watched Yumeko Jabami's gambles—whether in desperate situations or when on top, she saw in Yumeko the shadow of her idol, Azuhana Haru.
In other words, Yumeko Jabami had the same level of talent as Kawaru Natari.
It was just that since she hadn't been involved in showbiz, her talents had never been properly developed.
If they were developed...
She might shine just like her idol.
In that case, as long as Yumemi could firmly hold onto her, she too would gain a massive following.
"Letting her talent go to waste by not becoming an idol would be the greatest tragedy! Now you understand, Hikigaya Hachiman!"
"I'm gambling my future—and Jabami Yumeko's future!"
"This is a gamble for our futures!"
"Our names both have the character '夢' (dream) in them—perhaps we're a destined pair!"
Yumemi Yumemite's starry eyes were gradually darkened, her whole body exuding a dark aura.
"Please, don't say something like a passionate declaration from the second-to-last episode of an anime at a time like this!!"
226: [Idol Gambling War]
Hyakkaou Private Academy. Some people fight for fame, some for profit, some for power... Right now, Yumemi Yumemite was undoubtedly caught in the vortex of fame, spiraling into madness.
"Let's set a date," "Two days from now!" Yumemite declared decisively. "That's when my new live performance is scheduled. Our gambling match will take place on stage.
I'll spend the next two days hyping it up. By then, the scale might rival the national theft game you hosted."
Yumemite was greedy.
With the gimmick of popular figure Hikigaya Hachiman involved, the number of people attending the live event would likely increase dramatically.
Even if many in the audience didn't know her yet, she was confident that once they saw her performance, she could convert them into her fans.
Winning or losing the gamble didn't matter anymore. No matter what, Yumemite wouldn't lose out. As long as she could become a top idol, acting as Hikigaya Hachiman's mouthpiece didn't matter.
"Fine, then go get ready,"
Miharutaki-senpai and the Ougatou sisters' movements were becoming increasingly bold, and Hikigaya's breathing grew faster without him realizing.
Yumemite glanced over instinctively and her breath caught.
H-how could they be so... She quickly fled the baseball club room like she was escaping.
Compared to her greasy but innocent otaku fans, Hikigaya Hachiman, who appeared harmless, was actually... well, at least he was easier on the eyes than those greasy nerds.
Humans are shallow creatures, after all—judging people by their appearance is an indelible instinct.
After Yumemite left, Hikigaya Hachiman blushed and pushed the three girls away. "Miharutaki-senpai, Naoko, Houko, that's enough!" Even though he had Yumeko's permission and knew about her peculiar tastes, this level of intensity still felt far too extreme—like something out of an explicit political thriller film.
Some sought fame, some profit, some power, some lust... Unknowingly, Hikigaya was now entangled in all of it.
.
.
.
Elsewhere Momobami Ririka sat on the student council president's throne. She finally put her pen down, finishing today's mountain of work. All the responsibilities she and her sister used to share now fell solely on her.
"So tired..." She stood up and rubbed her sore wrists. Just as she was about to go home, the office door opened.
It was Shimotsukiuri Ouri.
Ririka's heart skipped a beat.
Compared to Hikigaya, she knew exactly what kind of relationship Shimotsuki had with her younger sister.
The girl before her had already completely turned into her sister's obedient pet.
But Ririka didn't know exactly how they interacted...
Kirari rarely let her be present during those times. Like how people don't want their closest relatives to see their most shameful sides.
Deep down, people instinctively keep intimacy and privacy away from family.
"You're here, Ouri-chan," Ririka greeted as usual.
"Master," Ouri's eyes were no longer the hollow orbs they once were.
After abandoning all ideals, she had fallen quickly—tainted in pure black.
She obeyed every command from Kirari without hesitation.
She unfastened the clasps of her upper armor in front of Ririka, shedding her protective gear in the blink of an eye.
What stunned Ririka was—Shimotsuki Ouri wasn't wearing traditional women's underwear underneath, but instead had band-aids stuck over her sensitive areas.
"...?" Pure-hearted Ririka was momentarily confused. Had Ouri injured herself there?
"Ouri-chan~ Is something wrong?" Ririka asked calmly, trying to stay composed.
Now without the heavy armor, and choosing a minimalist look with just band-aids, Ouri moved more freely and expressively.
With both visual impact and artistic flair, she swiftly walked over to Ririka, completely unashamed of her skimpy outfit.
"Ouri has done as Master-sama requested. Can I be rewarded now?" she asked sweetly, crouching down.
With her thighs and calves pressed tightly together, splayed outward in a "V" shape, forming an L-like curve with her sides.
Her brown leather boots were gone, revealing her delicate feet on tiptoe, toes curled, with soft soles exposed to the air.
Raising both hands, she stuck out her tongue—yearning.
W-what the hell is all this?! Just what kind of things has her sister been doing in private?!
Ririka felt her sanity slipping.
After discovering how her sister privately interacted with Hikigaya yesterday, she thought she'd seen it all.
But this with Ouri... Her simple, kind worldview was collapsing.
Isn't this just like Juraku-senpai...?
For the first time, Ririka's will rebelled—she no longer wanted to live in her sister's shadow. But years of mental conditioning weren't so easy to break.
She kept reassuring herself: just two more days. Hang in there until her sister comes back.
After all, she did something even more outrageous yesterday, right? And with Shimotsuki, who's also a girl... it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
Looking at Ouri's rosy lips, Ririka finally opened her mouth. A crisp sweetness brewed on her tongue.
"Mmm~ can't believe Lady Kirari agreed today..." "Mmm~ so sweet, like nectar..." "So good... I'm going to break..."
.
.
.
"Hey hey, have you heard?!" "Heard what?" "A new gamble! A huge-scale one!" "What kind of gamble?"
Some gossipers were waving their phones, spreading the word about Hikigaya and Yumemite's gambling match: "It's between Hikigaya and the school idol!"
"Oh, the school idol? You mean Yumemi Yumemite? I've seen one of her live shows before."
"I think she's also a student council officer, right?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it... seems like Hikigaya always gambles against council members."
People soon noticed a pattern in Hikigaya's bets. Among the disenfranchised remnants of the Good Blossom Society, hope reignited. Was someone finally challenging all the student council members again, trying to overthrow them?
Even if Hikigaya was the one who caused the society's collapse— As long as he could take down the current council, he'd be a hero to them.
They didn't care about the former president's fate—losers weren't fit to be saviors.
With this wave of sentiment, students rushed to register for the live event. Luckily, admission was free, so their thin wallets wouldn't be squeezed again.
Word spread quickly. More and more people signed up.
Some wanted to witness Hikigaya, the supposed underdog, rise and defeat the council. Others were simply curious to see the famous idol Yumemite in action.
In the academy's small ecosystem, word-of-mouth ensured nearly everyone had heard of her. But most students had never seen her offline—this free "monkey show" fed their curiosity.
Yumemite was shocked to see the live registration numbers spike.
She'd hosted many live shows, but this was the first with so many attendees. Soon, it reached the 300-person venue limit.
She felt like a superstar. Floating on clouds, on the verge of euphoria.
She sat up straighter, her posture becoming refined.
She reminded herself— Her popularity had taken another leap. She needed to carry herself accordingly.
These were lessons every top idol had to master.
"Eh? Why can't I register anymore?"
"Probably the venue's full. I've been there before—only fits 300. If you still want to watch, you'll have to stand outside." "Aww, that sucks..."
Some girls looked disappointed, but then remembered—Yumemite was in their class! They quickly surrounded her, hands clasped together in prayer: "Hey, Yumemite~ can we get a few more tickets? We really want to see your show live!"
"Ara~ that's not possible, sorry! The venue has a hard cap on capacity. To give the first registrants a better experience, I can't break the rules~"
She didn't give in despite their pleading. Her public persona wouldn't allow her to be overly accommodating.
In simpler terms—status!
"However..." she shifted her tone, "I'll be hosting a live stream! You can follow me on Twitter. The stream link will be posted there~"
"Oh okay! Let's follow her Twitter!"
This little episode made Yumemite realize the value of online channels for growing her fanbase. She quickly posted on the Hyakkaou forum: "Due to overwhelming interest, the live show is now full. A livestream will be available. Follow my Twitter for the link!"
"So I really am this popular..." Yumemite murmured, as if discovering herself for the first time.
.
.
.
Two days passed quickly. It was time for the public gamble.
A large banner now hung over the venue entrance: [Hyakkaou's Feral Tiger VS Super High School-Level Idol!!!]
...Who the hell gave me that nickname? At first glance, Hikigaya felt so awkward he started muttering prime numbers to himself.
Beside him, Yumeko burst into laughter. "Hachiman, you're a 'Feral Tiger' now~"
Whether he was aggressive to others, Yumeko didn't know. But in certain moments, he was like a wild beast.
Hikigaya and Yumeko walked side by side at the front. Behind them was Hikigaya's entourage.
Veterans like Saotome and Aiura, Absorbed members like Miharutaki, the Ougatou sisters, Rokujou Eneru, Rurichou Nadeshiko, Trusted allies like Miura...
A stunning scene, like a royal harem.
They formed a dazzling procession across the vast schoolyard.
On the other side of the venue entrance— Yumemite's fan group: At least dozens of chubby otaku, stretching their uniforms tight, holding glowing signs in both hands.
Chanting in unison: "Yumemi-chan! Yumemi-chan!"
Yumemite was internally disgusted, but smiled gratefully and blew kisses toward the overweight fan club.
If she didn't still need them—and their wealthy or powerful backgrounds— She wouldn't do something so repulsive.
Fortunately, she hadn't eaten lunch, so at least she wasn't nauseous.
"Minna-san, did you help Yumemi-chan retweet?" "Yes! We've all retweeted it! Each of us used at least three phones to complete the view quota!" "Thank you, everyone!"
Yumemite gave them sparkly-eyed thanks. But her gaze subtly shifted to Hikigaya and his "harem," burning with envy.
Why did he have so many beautiful girls around him, While she had nothing but these greasy fanboys?!
No matter. She was going to win this gamble— Then lock Jabami Yumeko by her side, Force her to smile disgustingly at these fans just like she had to.
Make Hikigaya taste what it's like for his girlfriend to become an idol!
Jabami Yumeko was so cute— Those otaku would definitely go insane for her!
Ehehehehe!!
Just like that, the previously undecided spectators poured into the venue. In the front row, the student council members were already seated.
Yomozuki Runa, chewing on a lollipop, waved at Hikigaya cheerfully: "Yo, Hikigaya-kun~ Today's host will be me again~"