35. Hikigaya Joins the Game of Power
"Born with wings... huh."
Jabami Yumeko stood in front of the hospital entrance, murmuring to herself. Suddenly, she turned to Hikigaya Hachiman and showed him a radiant smile, bright enough to dispel even the heaviest clouds.
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun, for talking with me so much today."
"It's nothing. We just exchanged stories, that's all."
"Would you like to come upstairs and sit for a bit? My sister..."
"This... better not." Hikigaya shook his head and glanced at the time on his phone. "It's getting late. I've got an appointment with someone else today to discuss some matters. I'll visit your sister another time when I have the chance."
Jabami Yumeko, holding her small leather purse, quietly watched Hikigaya's figure walk off into the distance.
Her delicate red eyes regained their clarity. That wild, compulsive urge to gamble—so deeply ingrained in her blood—had quietly faded away as Hikigaya shared his story.
Yumeko didn't know when she might fall into the abyss again, but as long as she was with Hikigaya, she believed she could keep hold of that clarity.
"After all, Hachiman's wings... can carry me out from the depths of the abyss."
Arriving at the hospital room, Yumeko suddenly dove into the arms of her sister, Jabami Souko (Snakebite Sōko):
"Sis, today I..."
.
.
.
Back at home, Hikigaya Hachiman quickly pulled out his laptop and finished writing the remaining manuscript.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
Then he hurriedly grabbed his phone and opened LINE, looking at the electronic contract Yukinoshita Haruno had sent along with a series of question marks and reminders. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Too many things had happened today, and Hikigaya Hachiman had actually forgotten the time he had agreed on with Yukinoshita Haruno.
He quickly dialed her number.
It connected instantly.
"Hello, Miss Haruno. Sorry, I got delayed earlier due to something."
"Do you even want to keep this job?!" On the other end of the line, Haruno let out a ferocious threat. "Do you know the publication date is fast approaching? Where's your manuscript?! I'm really busy—being your part-time private editor is no walk in the park."
"Sorry, sorry. I'll send the file right now."
Wearing his earphones, Hikigaya moved swiftly, sending the answer portion of The Mystery of Japanese Astrology through the internet.
He could hear the busy sound of typing from the other end of the call. Hikigaya didn't interrupt or hang up. For once, he allowed his mind to go blank, zoning out while sitting on his bed.
Finally, after a long pause—
"So, Hikigaya-kun, how's life going at the Hyakkaou Private Academy?" Yukinoshita Haruno teased.
Hikigaya's face went dark. "Honestly, I can't tell whether you're helping me or setting me up, Miss Haruno."
"Hehe, the people at that school should suit your tastes, right? Look at you—you've only been there a short time and already secured 'royal friendship.' Their affiliated bookstores are even selling your books now."
"That's not called friendship. I took that from them through gambling," Hikigaya replied somewhat exasperatedly. Even after all these years, he still wasn't used to Haruno's nonsensical way of speaking. After a pause, he asked, "Miss Haruno, how much do you know about Momobami Kirari and her family?"
"Oh? Got your eye on her? You know Yukino's still waiting for you back in Chiba, right? Frowning every day, just trying to solve the puzzles you left in your books so she can stand beside you," Haruno replied with a cold edge in her voice.
"Let's talk seriously."
"You must've interacted with Momobami by now, right? That woman is dangerous—very impressive, too." After a small cough, Haruno's tone turned serious. "In their social stratum, even the Yukinoshita family doesn't hold much weight."
"They say—and it's only rumor, I've never confirmed it—that she became the head of the Momobami family in her first year of middle school and took full control of the clan. That's when she contacted me, requesting the Yukinoshita family's construction company to build the current Hyakkaou Academy. That's how your enrollment slot came to be."
Hikigaya's face showed he was deep in thought, then he asked, "Momobami— is that just one family? Or are there other families with '-bami' in their names?"
"Hundred Devouring Families."
"Hm?"
"That's all I know. It's considered a secret of high society," Haruno said with a slightly helpless tone when she mentioned the term.
There's always someone stronger, something higher. The Hundred Devouring Families —they were the ones above the highest tier. The people within them, the ones beyond reach.
"The Hundred Devouring Families family—or rather, the Hundred Devouring Families conglomerate—has a presence at the top of almost every industry in Japan."
"Education, finance, real estate, media, the entertainment world... even Tokyo's yakuza. Every legal and illegal industry you can think of—they're involved."
Although Hikigaya had mentally prepared himself, he couldn't help but gasp upon hearing that. If Haruno was right, the entire country of Japan was under the Hundred Devouring Families family's shadow.
He suddenly remembered the "Eden" that Kirari Momobami mentioned. His gaze sharpened. Maybe she really did have the power to create something like that.
"Just talking about education—they're behind not just Hyakkaou Academy but also the prestigious Advanced Nurturing High School."
"The reason they're called the 'Hundred Devouring Families family' is because I only know the main family is 'Momobami.' As for the other '-bami' families, I have no idea. And even this much was told to me by Momobami Kirari herself."
"So, it seems they're not all of one mind." Hikigaya suddenly remarked.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
According to what Haruno had said, if the Hundred Devouring Families family had real estate influence, there would've been no reason to commission a large Chiba-based construction company to build a school in Tokyo.
There was only one explanation: internal conflict within the Momobami family.
Hikigaya's brain kicked into overdrive. Following the logic of traditional novels and historical precedent, the scenario likely played out like this: The head of the Momobami family died suddenly. The young Momobami Kirari hadn't yet built enough power to control the family. But due to long-standing tradition within the Hundred Devouring Families family, they still recognized her as the rightful head.
Kirari, showing exceptional foresight and skill from a young age, established her envisioned Eden early on—Hyakkaou Private Academy.
'What an incredible person,' Hikigaya thought, feeling genuine admiration. "If I had a daughter, she should be like Kirari!"
Although he had only been attending Hyakkaou Academy for a short while, Hikigaya already had a clear understanding of its structure. The children of Japan's top political and business figures were gathered there, giving Kirari indirect leverage over those powerful elites.
Genius. That move was pure genius.
A literature and history lover, Hikigaya immediately connected this to Cao Cao from China's Three Kingdoms era, who used the emperor to control the nobles.
Twisting political dynamics, strategic foresight that spans miles, bizarre and fantastical gambles... The tidal wave of the times was coming, and Hikigaya could feel his once-still heart starting to beat, his cold blood beginning to boil.
He, too, wanted to take part in the power game hosted by Momobami Kirari.
"Miss Haruno, the money I left with you—transfer it all to me. How much is there now?"
"Hmm... let me think. Around one billion yen? The recent investment in healthcare paid off big time."
One billion... Hikigaya narrowed his eyes, calculating silently.
'That's enough.'
"Then I'll trouble you to send me the money first thing tomorrow, Miss Haruno."
"One more thing."
"What is it?"
"Yukino really misses you. Won't you come home this weekend to see her?"
Hikigaya was silent for a moment.
"I'll wait until the holidays."