"...You seem to have a lot of friends, don't you?"
Hikigaya asked, his voice tinged with resignation. It wasn't a question born out of surprise—he'd long since accepted the nature of the people he was dealing with.
Ryuen was someone who commanded attention wherever he went, and Shiina's beauty made her stand out as well. On the day they met, neither had made any effort to hide their presence.
Meeting in a popular barbecue restaurant within a bustling shopping mall ensured they wouldn't go unnoticed by the other students.
"Of course," Kushida replied, flashing a smile that never reached her eyes.
"I'm determined to become friends with everyone, especially you, Hikigaya-kun... I've always been paying attention to you, you know?"
Hikigaya frowned.
"You say that like a stalker."
But Kushida wasn't fazed. Instead, she responded earnestly, "Because I want to establish a deeper connection with you, Hikigaya-kun... a relationship where we can trust each other."
"I see."
Hikigaya nodded, trying to maintain his usual indifferent demeanor, but his heart raced. Her words were unsettling, leaving him wondering if he'd made a mistake since that night. Kushida's reaction had him genuinely worried.
"Let me confirm one last thing," Hikigaya said, choosing his words carefully.
"If I don't help you, you'll spread the news that I'm working with Class C, right?"
To his surprise, Kushida shook her head, a peculiar expression on her face.
"No, why would I do that?"
"Eh? ..."
Kushida interrupted him with a sigh.
"Hikigaya-kun, there was no need for you to reject me, right? I don't mind you dealing with those three idiots, but Horikita, who is close to them, would step in to help them, just like this time."
Hikigaya internally scoffed at the idea that Horikita and those fools had a good relationship. He would never admit it, though it wasn't mere tsundere behavior. Horikita simply wouldn't sit idly by when class points were on the line.
"So, for you, Hikigaya-kun, Horikita's existence is also an obstacle, right?"
Kushida asked, her eyes widening in anticipation.
"...Understood. I'll help if necessary," Hikigaya finally conceded. He couldn't argue against her logic, and refusing might push Kushida into unpredictable territory. Better to keep her close and monitor her actions.
Fortunately, avoiding effort was something Hikigaya excelled at.
"But let me be clear—Horikita isn't like those three fools. Don't think you can trap her with ordinary moves."
"Of course, I won't act recklessly," Kushida said, visibly relieved by his agreement.
She relaxed into her seat, the tension easing from her body.
"Now I can finally rest easy. With Hikigaya-kun on my side, it's like having the strength of a hundred people."
"…You're exaggerating," Hikigaya muttered. He didn't see himself as anything special—just an ordinary student.
"Haha, well, I'll be off then. We'll be in touch later," Kushida said cheerfully as she waved goodbye and left the library, humming a little tune.
"Uh..." Hikigaya watched her leave, feeling speechless.
She looks so sweet, but her personality is rotten... Well, my mom was right. The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie.
After the encounter with Kushida, and without Shiina around, Hikigaya lost all motivation to continue studying. Since he didn't have training today, he decided to give himself a day off.
"Alright, back to the dormitory it is."
For a corporate slave like him, the best vacation was lounging at home. If he could, Hikigaya would spend his entire life lying in bed. But soon enough, he regretted returning to the dormitory so early.
"Uh..."
Hikigaya hadn't expected to run into Horikita, who was also alone, in the lobby on the ground floor of the dormitory building. They stood there in silence, waiting for the elevator...
The awkwardness was palpable.
"Um, Horikita, aren't you with Ayanokouji today?"
Hikigaya asked, trying to break the tension.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I never agreed to walk home with Ayanokouji-kun," Horikita replied curtly.
Then, after a brief pause, she added, "He was taken away by Ike-kun and Yamauchi."
"I see…"
So, those three fools haven't been very popular lately, especially Ike and Yamauchi. These days, they could only rely on Ayanokouji to have lunch with them, though they used to only invite him on a whim.
It seems Ayanokouji has finally made some good friends—congratulations (laughs).
As Hikigaya silently mused over this, Horikita suddenly spoke again.
"Hikigaya-kun, I have something I want to ask you."
"…What is it?"
Hikigaya could sense trouble, but he resigned himself to hear her out.
"Earlier, I spoke with Ichinose-san from Class B," Horikita began, crossing her arms.
"She mentioned that you've long suspected the incident with the beatings was unusual. Coupled with the information Sakura-san provided today, it's almost certain this was a trap set by Class C, right?"
"My opinion isn't important. What matters is that there's no evidence."
Hikigaya didn't deny it, but he didn't want Horikita to fixate on it.
"Even if it's a trap, you don't think Sudo and the others are innocent, do you?"
"...No, though it's infuriating to let Class C succeed, I can't just assume Sudou-kun and the others are blameless."
Thank goodness Horikita's sense of justice hadn't completely eroded.
Those who blindly tried to prove Sudou and the others' innocence were probably the ones with the real issues.
"Then let's focus on minimizing the punishment," Hikigaya suggested.
"Yes, that's all we can do," Horikita sighed. "But even if we want to reduce the punishment, the evidence we've gathered so far isn't enough to fight Class C. The situation looks bleak."
"What evidence do we have?"
"Ishizaki Daichi from Class C used to be a delinquent."
"...That's it?"
Hikigaya was speechless. That hardly qualified as leverage. Even Horikita Manabu wouldn't accept that as a valid argument.
Besides, Sudou's record wasn't much better. He'd been causing trouble since he entered school, getting into fights with various people. If they tried to drag up past incidents, it might backfire.
Ding!
The elevator arrived, and they stepped inside, pressing the buttons for the fourth and thirteenth floors, respectively.
As the elevator doors closed, Hikigaya pulled out a document from his bag and handed it to Horikita.
"Now that I think about it, I almost forgot. The president asked me to give this to you."
"My brother?"
Horikita looked surprised as she took the document and began flipping through it, her expression growing more astonished with each page.
"This... this is…"
"With this, we should have a fighting chance against Class C, right?"
This new medical report didn't prove Sudo and his friend's innocence, but it did suggest that Class C had ulterior motives.
"But... why would my brother do this?"
Horikita seemed incredulous.
"Is this really from my brother? But..."
Hikigaya interrupted her.
"I've told you before, haven't I? You don't understand the president. Why do you think he doesn't care about you? Is it because he's cold towards you? Have you ever seen him being warm to anyone?"
If Hikigaya ever saw Horikita Manabu greeting him with a smile, he'd probably be terrified.
Horikita fell silent, mulling over his words.
"Besides, this isn't favoritism. As a member of the student council, I must protect students," Hikigaya added.
At that moment, the elevator dinged again, and they reached the fourth floor. Without another word, Hikigaya stepped out, leaving the rest for Horikita to figure out on her own.
"Wait!"
To his surprise, Horikita followed him out of the elevator.
"What now? Don't tell me you still don't believe it?" Hikigaya asked impatiently.
"Who else do you think will help you in this school besides the president? Do you want to call and ask him yourself?"
"No, it's not that. I just have something else to discuss."
Horikita's voice was uncharacteristically flustered.
"Can you... tell my brother that Class D wants to move up the judgment date?"
"Move it up?"
"Yes, as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be best."
The original deadline was next Tuesday, and today was Thursday. Horikita wanted the issue resolved before the week ended.
"What's the reason?"
Although Hikigaya had a hunch, he decided to ask just in case.
"Since there's a high likelihood of suspension, it's better to resolve it quickly so they don't miss the final exams."
As she said this, Horikita shot Hikigaya a meaningful look.
...Did those three idiots mention this?
Hikigaya doubted they'd grasped the situation. They probably blurted something out, and Horikita or someone else connected the dots.
"I understand," Hikigaya nodded.
"I'll talk to the president. If Class C agrees, there shouldn't be any issues."
The school likely wanted to resolve the matter quickly as well. After all, the first-year points hadn't been distributed yet, and delays could cause complications.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing, just my job."
That was all there was to say, and Hikigaya turned to head towards his dormitory.
As he opened his door, he glanced back at Horikita, who was still waiting for the elevator.
"By the way, Horikita, the president will be there in person, so be prepared."
"Eh? My brother is coming too?!"
Horikita was shocked.
"Yeah," Hikigaya said with a smile.
"So, like I said, why do you think the president doesn't care about you?"
Without waiting for a response, he walked into his room and closed the door.
...It feels like things are going pretty smoothly.
Hikigaya sighed in relief. Dealing with Kushida earlier had been a headache, but running into Horikita on the way back to the dormitory had been a fortunate coincidence.
He hoped this would help improve the relationship between the Horikita siblings. If so, all his efforts wouldn't have been in vain.