An uneasy silence hung in the air.
Hikigaya kept his head down, lost in thought, while Ryuuen continued grilling meat, not pressuring him to speak.
"Um, Hikigaya-kun..."
"Hiyori, this is a conversation between men. Don't interrupt."
Shiina had been about to speak, likely to plead on Hikigaya's behalf, but Ryuuen cut her off. In Ryuuen's mind, Hikigaya was caught in a fierce internal struggle, and all he needed was a little push.
Unfortunately, the reality was far from his expectations.
"To be honest, I don't care about my class," Hikigaya said slowly. "But what makes you think I'll just listen to you?"
Ryuuen immediately burst into laughter.
"Haha, I don't care whether you listen or not. Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be crushed."
"Oh? So you want me to drop out?"
"No, even though you're an annoying bastard, you're not an idiot."
To Hikigaya's surprise, Ryuuen seemed to have a higher opinion of him than he expected. He thought he'd be dismissed as a nobody.
"Besides, you must have already guessed what I'd do."
"…If she doesn't listen to you, you'll expel Shiina, right?"
"Haha, you're not as dumb as you look."
"Considering you're the dictatorial type, it's not hard to figure out your moves."
Hikigaya was sure that if Shiina continued to defy Ryuuen's orders and maintained contact with him, Ryuuen would undoubtedly cut her loose.
A leader like that might have the lowest approval rating among his peers, but he was banking on his achievements to win over the class. It was a high-risk strategy—if he failed, the backlash could be severe.
But judging by the look on Ryuuen's face, failure wasn't something he was even considering. Even if he stumbled, he'd fight tooth and nail to rise again.
The strength of his self-confidence was probably on par with Sakayanagi's.
Just as Hikigaya was about to say something, Ryuuen spoke first.
"There's no need for you to worry, right?"
Ryuuen gave Hikigaya a once-over, a smirk playing on his lips. "After all, a guy like you, who's only good for clever tricks, won't ever be taken seriously in class. You'll just be treated like a cannon fodder."
"..."
Although the words stung, Hikigaya couldn't deny their truth.
He was, indeed, ostracized.
The root cause lay in the fact that his current environment clashed with his nature. If Hikigaya had been in Class A or B, even without showcasing any exceptional talents, people would have noticed his uniqueness.
Regardless of his typically low profile, no one would have dared to look down on him.
But Class C and D were different. Most students in these classes were ordinary, unremarkable individuals who simply went with the flow. Rather than thinking critically, they tended to rely on instincts to judge someone's value—basing their judgments on appearance, popularity, or physical prowess.
Sadly, Hikigaya lacked all three of these qualities.
Because of this, Ryuuen was able to dominate Class C through sheer force, a tactic that would have failed in Class A or B. On the other hand, Sakayanagi, despite her physical disability, commanded half of Class A through her keen intellect.
But had she been placed in Class C or D, her situation would have been far more challenging.
"You're quite rude," Hikigaya finally remarked, surprised at how accurately Ryuuen had assessed the situation. He decided it was time to give Ryuuen a lesson he wouldn't forget.
"You're right. I don't have any qualms about betraying my class. But I wonder if it's worth making a deal with someone like you."
"What do you mean by 'someone like me'?"
Ryuuen's expression darkened, not out of anger or impatience, but because he sensed that Hikigaya might have an ulterior motive.
"Well," Hikigaya paused, feigning hesitation.
"I'm not sure if I should tell you this. But since you were kind enough to treat me to a meal, I'll give you a little hint."
"You've heard of President Horikita, right?"
Ryuuen nodded, prompting Hikigaya to continue.
"Almost no one in the third or second years dares to defy President Horikita openly. Do you know why that is? Or where the student council president's power truly comes from?"
"Because they're cowards," Ryuuen sneered.
"I admit that Horikita Manabu has some skills, but if you're planning to use him as a shield, forget it."
"No, no, no," Hikigaya quickly denied.
"I've never thought of using him like that, and the president wouldn't help me with something like this anyway."
"So, what's your point?"
"I just want to tell you that our school operates like a major corporation. To maintain tension among students, each class has to sacrifice a few members. Even Class A isn't exempt."
Hikigaya wasn't fabricating this claim—at least, the results seemed to support it.
"...Nonsense."
"If you don't believe me, ask any second or third-year student. They'll confirm it."
Seeing the timing was right, Hikigaya allowed a malicious smile to creep onto his face.
"Now you should understand. Although President Horikita is in Class A, according to the school's system, no one from other classes should care about him. Yet, he controls the entire grade. He does it with one thing—fear."
Ryuuen remained silent, probably contemplating the validity of Hikigaya's words.
Hikigaya hadn't completely lied; third-year students did respect Horikita Manabu greatly.
"Especially in our freshman year, which is the worst in history. If we don't weed out a few students, it'll be impossible to manage the rest."
"Tsk, do you think you can scare me?" Ryuuen scoffed.
Hikigaya wasn't bothered and nodded slightly.
"Indeed, you appear reckless, but you're quite cautious. It's nearly impossible to expel you using the school's rules, but..."
Hikigaya paused, his smile growing more wicked.
"It's because you enjoy using underhanded tactics that you know as long as you're not caught, there's no issue. The student council is prepared to deal with troublemakers, and even I, who usually just do odd jobs, have lent a hand."
Hikigaya shifted his gaze to Shiina.
"Shiina, remember when I suggested you look for last year's midterm papers?"
"Um."
"That was a directive from the president."
Ignoring Shiina's puzzled expression, Hikigaya turned back to Ryuuen.
"The midterm exams for first-year students are the same every year. It's a test, but a few notice. As a result, students from Class C or D fail and drop out annually. But this year, there's no need to worry about that, because the president doesn't want to waste the dropout quota on insignificant people."
Ryuuen's expression grew more serious.
"Have you ever heard the saying 'kill the chicken to scare the monkey'?" Hikigaya asked with a smirk.
"Your impressive performance since April and your recent harassment of other classes make you the perfect candidate to be that chicken."
With that, Hikigaya stood up.
"Well, I've said enough. Thanks for the meal. I'll be leaving now."
Hikigaya started to walk away but stopped after a few steps.
"Oh, and Shiina, you might want to listen to Ryuuen for now. After all, everyone in Class C will soon be enjoying their freedom."
Shiina looked at Ryuuen, unsure of what to say, while Ryuuen stared at Hikigaya with disdain.
He didn't seem scared at all—in fact, he wasn't.
But Hikigaya never intended to frighten Ryuuen. He wanted Ryuuen to take the initiative.
That way, the trap would be set.