Hirata lowered his head, lost in thought, his confusion evident. The others, meanwhile, glanced at Hikigaya with a mix of emotions—curiosity, uncertainty, perhaps even unease.
This response made Hikigaya feel slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being in the spotlight for something he'd said. But there was no helping it. If he didn't make things clear now, the plan would fail.
Despite often thinking of Hirata as "Hayama II," Hikigaya knew deep down that the two were fundamentally different, aside from their shared good looks.
The key difference was that Hayama could accept the harsh reality of "sacrificing the few for the many."
Whether it was the Sobu Cultural Festival or the school trip, Hikigaya knew he didn't need to say much. Just by taking action, Hayama would understand and reluctantly cooperate. Hirata, however, was a different story.
Even if Hirata understood Hikigaya's intent, he would never go along with it.
Hikigaya could already picture the scenario: if he stood up in the class meeting on Monday and opposed signing the contract, Hirata might offer a weak smile, try to persuade him briefly, and if that failed, let it go. The same would likely happen with Koenji.
As for the other students in Class D, many were already reluctant to sign the contract. Instead of being upset by Hikigaya and Koenji's opposition, they might even join in.
But what would Hirata do then? Hikigaya was sure that Hirata would say something like, "We should respect everyone's wishes and sign. I won't force you."
Hirata's usual behavior made it clear—whether dealing with the temperamental Sudo, the aloof Horikita, or the self-centered Koenji, he tirelessly tried to integrate everyone into the class.
If there was ever a special exam where a student had to be expelled, Hikigaya was certain Hirata would rather sacrifice himself than anyone else. Knowing this, Hikigaya realized that the only way to make Hirata take action was to use the threat of class unity in front of everyone, forcing Hirata to fulfill his leadership role.
Though Hirata seemed troubled, Hikigaya pressed on.
"No, I still don't agree!" Hirata suddenly spoke up, cutting through Hikigaya's thoughts.
"…Huh?"
Hikigaya was taken aback. He thought the matter was settled.
"No," Hirata said firmly, looking Hikigaya in the eye.
"I understand what you're saying, but your whole plan assumes I can't convince the others to sign the contract. But if I can, then there's no need for you to step in."
"Can you?" Hikigaya asked skeptically.
"Absolutely!" Hirata replied with newfound confidence.
Though Hikigaya couldn't fathom where Hirata's confidence came from, Hirata continued,
"Kushida-san and I will ask everyone to agree. Even if some refuse, I'll go and personally ask each one. If that fails, I'll kneel and beg until they agree!"
Hikigaya was stunned, unable to respond.
Kushida chimed in cheerfully, "Don't worry, Hikigaya-kun. Hirata-kun and I will do everything we can to convince everyone."
Ichinose, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up.
"Hikigaya-kun, from our first conversation, I knew you were kind-hearted. Even though you say you don't care about being isolated, you must be saying that to avoid burdening others."
"No, I don't care," Hikigaya muttered, bewildered by how well they thought they understood him.
Ichinose smiled warmly.
"Sometimes, you should trust in the strength of your friends. I may be in another class, but I believe Hirata-kun and Kushida-san will succeed in convincing everyone."
Hikigaya found this overly idealistic, especially with Ryuen smirking nearby. Why did it have to come to this?
He felt a strong aversion welling up inside him, something he hadn't experienced before. It was the first time he felt so repulsed by a situation.
"Do whatever you want," he muttered, resigned.
Hirata smiled, satisfied, and for the first time, Hikigaya saw a smile on his face. This guy is not normal, Hikigaya thought as they walked to the student council room.
"Why are you guys so late?"
Yamauchi grumbled as they entered, but Hikigaya ignored him and went straight to Horikita Manabu, preparing to present the fabricated story he had concocted earlier.
Horikita Manabu didn't question the details.
"So, Class C and Class D have agreed to reconcile, and Class B will pay two million personal points as part of the settlement. Is that correct?"
As expected, Horikita didn't ask for more evidence or question Ichinose's involvement. He understood the school's desire to resolve the issue quickly, regardless of the truth. As long as both parties were satisfied, the details of the agreement didn't matter.
"What? How did this happen?"
Yamauchi shouted.
"It was supposed to be just a two-week suspension! This is all because of Horikita's interference—ow! That hurts!"
Before he could finish, Sudo hit him hard on the head.
"Don't talk nonsense! Horikita worked hard for us. We can't complain even if things didn't go our way," Sudo snapped.
"But…" Yamauchi started.
"No buts!" Sudo interrupted, turning to Ike. "You don't have any objections, do you?"
"N-no, I have no objections," Ike stammered, likely intimidated by Sudo or realizing there was no turning back.
Yamauchi continued to mumble, but Kushida quickly calmed him down. In the end, with Horikita Manabu as a witness, Ichinose handed over two million personal points to Ryuuen, leaving Class D in shock.
Hikigaya, too, was surprised by Ichinose's actions.
Even if you have the money, why flaunt it like that? he thought. She could have at least pretended to raise the funds from the class. This girl is too naive.
After Hirata and Kushida, the de facto leaders of Class D, signed the agreement, they informed the rest of the class and collected the remaining signatures. It was nearly 1:00 PM by the time everything was settled.
Hikigaya had initially planned to confront Ayanokouji or at least exchange some sarcastic remarks, but Hirata's intervention had drained his enthusiasm. Deciding he needed some time alone to think, he considered returning to the dormitory.
"Wait, Hikigaya!" A voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.
"…Sudou?" Hikigaya turned, surprised to see Sudo approaching.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you."
Hikigaya found it odd that Sudo wasn't leaving with Ike and the others or following Horikita. Why would he want to talk to him?
"I've been wanting to thank you," Sudo said, looking a bit embarrassed.
"But, you know, we're not that close, so I didn't know how to bring it up… I know this sounds lame."
Taking a deep breath, Sudo bowed deeply.
"Thanks for helping me with the midterm exam!"
"…No, I didn't do that well on the English test," Hikigaya replied, assuming Sudo was referring to something simple.
But Sudo shook his head.
"It's not just that. You also helped with the make-up exam. You…you paid the 500,000 points, didn't you? Horikita told me, but she also told me to keep it a secret. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Hikigaya cursed silently, realizing Horikita had caused him unnecessary trouble by revealing this to Sudo. If word got out, especially to Ike and Yamauchi, the whole class—and eventually the entire school—would know.
Explaining the source of the points would be a nightmare.
"What are you talking about?"
Sudo laughed, slapping Hikigaya on the shoulder.
"You're just like Horikita—just accept the thanks, will you? There's no need to be shy about it."
"I'm nothing like her," Hikigaya grumbled.
"Yeah, that girl can be tough to like, but she has her moments," Sudo admitted with a grin.
This guy is hung up on Horikita, Hikigaya thought. Love is a kind of madness.
Sudou waved as he prepared to leave.
"I've got to get to practice. I owe a lot of money now, so I need to work hard in club activities to pay it off!"
With that, Sudo left, looking more determined than ever, his eyes full of hope for the future.
"Thanks for everything. Let's play basketball together sometime!"
Sudo called out as he walked away.
"…I don't know how to play," Hikigaya responded weakly.
"It's fine! I'll teach you when we get the chance! See you!"
Sudo shouted back.
Watching Sudo's retreating figure, Hikigaya remained silent. The scorching sun made him feel warm all over, yet there was an unfamiliar feeling stirring inside him.
Why did I help Sudo?
Hikigaya had never questioned his actions before; he had done it on instinct. But now that he thought about it, there had to be a reason. Sudo was impulsive and temperamental, the kind of person you wouldn't typically want to support in a fight. It was foolish.
Yet, despite it all, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
Could I… ever have a friend like that?
But he quickly dismissed the thought. No, that's too weak.
After all, he was Hikigaya Hachiman, the ultimate loner.