"Are you really that upset that Katsuragi wasn't chosen for the student council?"
"This has nothing to do with Katsuragi-san!"
Yahiko snapped back.
But from the frustration etched on his face, Hikigaya knew he had hit the mark. Yahiko was bitter about Katsuragi's exclusion from the student council, and Hikigaya's words only confirmed his suspicion.
In Class A, the divide was clear.
Kamuro and Sakayanagi, the leaders of the faction opposed to Katsuragi, held little affection for him. While the two factions didn't outright hate each other, they certainly didn't get along.
Yahiko, a staunch Katsuragi supporter, was using this as an opportunity to provoke Hikigaya.
To the elite students of Class A, it was a bitter pill to swallow that Katsuragi, their revered leader, had been passed over for a student council position in favor of someone from Class D.
It was a situation that naturally bred resentment.
But no matter how much they grumbled, nothing would change.
None of them had the nerve to confront Student Council President Horikita directly, Hikigaya figured. After all, he had never heard a word about it from Tachibana-senpai.
"Yahiko, even if you're dissatisfied, what's the point of telling me? I don't decide who joins the student council."
"Hey, don't call me by my name so casually!"
Yahiko shouted, clearly irritated.
Hikigaya hadn't intended to, but he couldn't bring himself to address Yahiko any differently. It was simply easier to call him by his name than to use something formal.
But he couldn't help thinking of Totsuka when saying Yahiko's name, and that felt like an insult to the "archangel" Totsuka.
[T/N: For those who don't know he is talking about Saika Totsuka]
"It's not that I want to call you by your name," Hikigaya said with genuine disdain.
"It just feels gross. How about this? Why don't you change your last name to... Shizuka? It's just a small change, one dot different."
"You—!"
Yahiko, fuming, grabbed Hikigaya by the collar.
This guy is seriously impulsive.
The last time they clashed in the library, he had sensed it, but now he was certain.
Katsuragi himself was a steady, level-headed person, but his most loyal follower was the complete opposite. Yahiko was arrogant, hot-headed, and quick to dismiss students from other classes.
If Katsuragi were here, a few words from him could easily calm Yahiko down. But in his absence, things were bound to escalate.
Hikigaya glanced around. The other members of the Katsuragi faction, who had been trailing behind Yahiko, looked uneasy as if they wanted to intervene but didn't dare.
It was understandable. Yahiko was Katsuragi's right-hand man, the second in command.
"How dare you look down on me, you bastard!"
Yahiko's anger flared when he saw Hikigaya's indifferent expression, mistaking it for condescension.
Of course, he was right to think so.
"Totsuka-kun, what do you think you're doing to my friend?"
Sakayanagi's voice cut through the tension as she finally arrived.
"Sakayanagi... Tsk, mind your own business."
Though Yahiko's words were defiant, he released Hikigaya immediately, recognizing that Sakayanagi was not someone to be trifled with.
"Hikigaya-kun is my friend, and you're my classmate. What gives you the right to interfere in others' business?"
Sakayanagi retorted coldly.
"Don't act like you're in charge," Yahiko barked.
"I only take orders from Katsuragi-san! Soon, he'll unify the classes, and you'd better recognize your place. Stop meddling with other classes. If information leaks, can you take responsibility?"
Hikigaya's expression grew more peculiar. Yahiko wasn't entirely wrong. Ever since the S-system had been introduced in May, the rift between classes had only deepened, especially with Class A at the top.
But precisely because Class A was at the top, they needed to engage with students from other classes strategically. Unlike the other classes, Class A didn't need to worry about traitors; their position was secure.
The risk of intelligence leaks was minimal compared to the potential gains from gathering information.
The benefits outweighed the risks.
This issue likely stemmed from Katsuragi's overly conservative approach.
"No, the person standing here isn't 'Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A,' but 'Arisu Sakayanagi, a friend of Hikigaya Hachiman.' No one has the right to interfere in my personal life," Sakayanagi declared unexpectedly.
Hikigaya was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to say that. But if he was supposed to feel touched, he didn't. Sakayanagi's idea of friendship was different from that of normal people.
Being her friend came with its own set of risks.
"...Tsk, this is ridiculous," Yahiko muttered. Seeing no point in lingering, he turned and left.
Sakayanagi, in contrast, bowed her head and offered Hikigaya a sincere apology.
"I'm very sorry, Hikigaya-kun."
"No, no, there's no need to apologize. It's not your fault," Hikigaya replied, waving his hands dismissively.
"Besides, that guy isn't your subordinate. You don't need to apologize on his behalf."
"Even so, Totsuka-kun is still my classmate, and I bear some responsibility for his actions."
Sakayanagi's tone turned icy.
"The Katsuragi faction may be sizable and troublesome, but I will exact my revenge sooner or later."
"Well, good luck with that," Hikigaya replied, offering a silent three-second prayer for Yahiko. Being targeted by Sakayanagi wouldn't end well. She was probably already planning how to dismantle the Katsuragi faction piece by piece.
Despite the difficulties involved, Hikigaya knew that if Sakayanagi set her mind to it, her chances of success were high.
But then Sakayanagi looked at him with a strange expression.
"Hikigaya-kun? Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you?"
"Eh? It doesn't, does it?"
Hikigaya suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
"Do you remember our bet?"
Sakayanagi asked calmly.
"Originally, I intended for you to provide information on Ayanokouji-kun, but now that the Katsuragi faction has come knocking at my door, I have no choice but to deal with them first. For that, I need your help, Hikigaya-kun."
"Are you sure about that? I'm from another class," Hikigaya responded, frowning slightly.
He knew Class A was embroiled in internal strife, but he hadn't realized just how severe it was... No, the one not taking it seriously was Sakayanagi.
Katsuragi, on the other hand, would never involve outsiders to fight against his class.
He was too rigid and upright for that.
Sakayanagi, however, seemed unfazed.
"It doesn't matter. Rather than wasting time in conflict, Class A should unify as quickly as possible. On that point, I agree with Totsuka-kun."
"Yeah..."
Hikigaya sighed inwardly, unsure of how to respond.
Sakayanagi then met his gaze directly.
"As for you, Hikigaya-kun, given your position, whether or not you care about your class, there's no reason for you to refuse me, right?"
"No. If I truly cared about the class, I wouldn't oppose Katsuragi. I'd even give him points in the exam if necessary."
Though his words were unexpected, they seemed to please Sakayanagi, who smiled in satisfaction.
"Haha, that's wonderful. I'm becoming more and more... Never mind. So, from what you've said, does that mean you agree?"
Hikigaya hesitated at her unfinished sentence but decided it was best not to dig deeper. Instead, he nodded.
"An agreement is an agreement. I'm not interested in class conflicts, so it doesn't matter to me who wins or loses."
As long as Class D doesn't win.
Hikigaya added silently to himself.