"Hikigaya-kun, I actually came here to thank you."
Ichinose's tone shifted from casual to serious, signaling the end of small talk. However, the notion of thanks left Hikigaya perplexed. He couldn't recall doing anything that would warrant gratitude, especially not from Ichinose, with whom he had almost no interactions.
The only notable exchange between them was when Ichinose had sternly lectured him in the library.
"The students in Class C have been much more obedient recently. Hikigaya-kun, I believe you had something to do with that, didn't you?"
"…What do you mean?" Hikigaya responded, his curiosity piqued, though his thoughts immediately went to the contract he'd been hiding.
Could it have been leaked?
But Ichinose's next words dispelled his concerns.
"It must have been your words in the library that made the students in Class C start reflecting on their actions, right? I've also heard from other classmates that you've been stepping in to stop troublemakers. That's impressive."
Ichinose smiled shyly and lowered his head, adding, "Compared to that, all I can do is offer kind words that ultimately seem useless. And because of me, our class lost so many points."
Ichinose, who had been cheerful moments before, now looked disheartened.
This girl has some serious mood swings…
But it wasn't entirely surprising. After all, Class B had lost a staggering 90 points in May, just like Class C. Although they managed to recover some points during the midterm exams, Class C had shown even greater improvement, and the gap between them and Class A had widened further.
Hikigaya felt there was no need to rush. After all, there were still more than two years left, and the real class confrontation had not yet begun.
"No, I'm part of the student council; it's just my job."
"Yeah, no wonder Hikigaya-kun was selected while I wasn't..."
"Uh..."
Hikigaya found himself at a loss for words. Joining the student council wasn't exactly a privilege, and he would have gladly avoided the responsibility if he could.
I need to correct this guy's misconceptions, he thought.
"Ichinose, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the students at this school?"
"Misunderstanding?" Ichinose looked puzzled.
"Yeah, you can't apply your past school experiences here." Hikigaya nodded.
"I know you joined the student council in junior high, so you thought signing up here would allow you to continue helping your classmates, right?"
Indeed, the only two people who signed up for the student council election were Ichinose and Katsuragi. This was partially due to the pressure exerted by Horikita Manabu when recruiting new members, but the main reason was that few students were interested in joining the student council in the first place.
Just like in Sobu High, where only four students had signed up to run for student council president. Among them, Isshiki had been forced into it, and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama had participated due to Isshiki's request.
Without Isshiki, there wouldn't have been an election at all.
For most students, the student council was synonymous with hard labor. Why bother with it when you could spend your time having fun with friends or participating in club activities?
At Advance Nurturing High School, it was similar. Both Ichinose and Katsuragi had signed up because they had previous experience in junior high and genuinely wanted to contribute to their classmates.
"Ichinose, the reason you and Katsuragi were rejected isn't because of your abilities. It's because of something going on within the student council. Being turned down might be a blessing, so don't let it get you down."
Hikigaya's words were part serious, part speculation.
While it was true that not many students had initially shown interest in the student council, after the S-system was revealed in May, many became interested in joining to gain advantages for their classes. Horikita Manabu, however, was unimpressed by these opportunists and rejected them all.
But this situation was different. Ichinose and Katsuragi didn't share that opportunistic mindset, so Horikita Manabu shouldn't have turned them away. Based on Horikita Manabu's series of strange actions, Hikigaya guessed that something was going on within the student council itself.
"I see... But I still admire you, Hikigaya-kun."
Ichinose said with a smile.
"Since President Horikita only recruited you, it must mean he sees your potential to solve problems, right?"
"No, he just needed someone to do the grunt work, and I fit the bill as an inconspicuous member of Class D."
Hikigaya didn't want to admit that he had essentially gotten in through a back door.
"Really? Why do you talk about yourself like that?"
Ichinose smiled bitterly, shaking his head. Then, as if remembering something, she clapped his hands together.
"Oh, speaking of President Horikita, Horikita Suzune from your class is his sister, right? Both siblings are outstanding."
"…Yes."
Hikigaya hesitated, suppressing the urge to sarcastically suggest an eye checkup, as that would be rude.
"I met her and Ayanokouji-kun at the scene of that fight yesterday. They seemed to be investigating it as well. They told me everything that happened. It's wonderful how everyone in Class D worked together to prove those three were wrongly accused."
Ichinose's happiness was genuine, perhaps mistakenly believing that Class D was exceptionally united.
"From the look on your face, it seems like you want to get involved in this. Or have you already?"
Hikigaya asked, his tone indifferent.
Given Horikita's personality, if he hadn't approved of Ichinose, he probably wouldn't have shared the details of the situation with her.
"Well, isn't it okay?"
Ichinose looked a bit embarrassed, perhaps sensing Hikigaya's disapproval.
"I'm just interested in the case. Even if Hikigaya-kun is from Class D, the student council should also want to uncover the truth, right? Otherwise, if one party is lying, wouldn't that be terrible?"
"No, it wouldn't be terrible."
Despite Ichinose's seemingly reasonable words, Hikigaya denied them outright.
"Why not?" Ichinose asked, clearly confused.
"If the liars win, it would cause a lot of trouble. This school's classes are always competing, and there's always a risk of disputes in daily life. We don't know who might be wronged next, so we can't let the bad guys win, right?"
Having dealt with Class C's antics before, Ichinose likely suspected they were behind this incident as well.
Hikigaya thought so too, but he saw the situation differently.
"Of course, if it turns out the students in Class D were lying, I wouldn't stay silent. Horikita-san said she'd make Sudo-kun and the others confess if it came to that."
Ichinose added.
"That's irrelevant," Hikigaya replied nonchalantly.
"It doesn't matter who lied. Even if Sudou and the others were framed, they still deserved what they got."
Before Ichinose could argue, he continued, "Think about it. According to Sudo and the others, Class C provoked them first. But even if they argued or pushed each other, was it necessary to resort to violence?"
"Well…"
"You know, Sudo and the other two didn't have any injuries. Ike and Yamauchi even claimed they didn't do anything. In other words, they could have walked away."
Hikigaya sighed, remembering Sudo's excuse of self-defense. This guy probably couldn't control himself once he got heated and didn't know when to stop.
As for Ike and Yamauchi, Hikigaya believed they didn't fight, but they were likely instigating from the sidelines. Otherwise, if they had just pulled Sudo back a little, things wouldn't have escalated this far.
They deserved what they got.
"And don't forget, Ichinose, you're the leader of Class B," Hikigaya reminded her.
"It's one thing for an ordinary student to meddle in others' business, but your actions could impact all of Class B. You might regret it if you get caught up in this."
In this case, while Sudo was the one who acted recklessly, he did so to help his friends and ended up getting implicated.
Hikigaya hoped Ichinose wouldn't follow in his footsteps.
Fortunately, his words seemed to have an effect. Ichinose lowered her head, deep in thought. Perhaps she was reconsidering—
"Thank you for the reminder, Hikigaya-kun."
Ichinose suddenly smiled.
"But now that you've said that, I can't just sit back and do nothing!"
"…Huh?"
Hikigaya was stunned. Had all his words been in vain? Had he somehow strengthened her resolve instead?
"No, I—"
"If it's just an ordinary fight, even as the leader of Class B, I think it's okay for me to get involved, right?" Ichinose interrupted him.
"But you mentioned that it might affect the whole of Class B, which means you also suspect there's a mastermind behind this. So, I can't just pretend it doesn't concern me."
Ichinose made a statement that was hard to distinguish as serious or a joke.
...No, she must be serious.
Hikigaya sighed, feeling defeated.
"But I also said that Sudo and the others were wrong, no matter who lied."
"But there's a difference between major and minor mistakes."
Ichinose suddenly stood up, hands on her hips, and declared, "Hikigaya-kun, you're right. Sudo-kun and the others need to reflect on their actions, but we should also uncover the mastermind behind this. We can't let them succeed!"
Hikigaya stared blankly at the determined, strawberry-blonde girl standing before him.
How should I put this… Though he had thought the same thing in the library, Ichinose was incredibly naive.
So naive that she seemed entirely out of place in this school.
"Alright, Hikigaya-kun, thank you so much for this talk. I appreciate it."
Ichinose dusted off her skirt and greeted Hikigaya with a bright smile.
"I'm glad I followed Ayanokouji-kun's advice and came to see you. I've learned a lot from this. I'll be on my way now."
"Ah… ?"
Hikigaya was taken aback once more.
—Ayanokouji?