Although Hikigaya wasn't entirely sure if his plan to manipulate Nagumo's perception of Ayanokouji would succeed—or rather, to ensure Ayanokouji earned Nagumo's respect—he felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction.
After all, people need something to hold on to, even if it's just hope.
Back at the dormitory, Hikigaya took a quick shower. Realizing it was still early, he decided to catch a short nap. With the morning class meeting not starting until 8:30, he figured he could squeeze in two more hours of sleep without worrying about dozing off during class.
After some much-needed rest, Hikigaya headed to school as usual. But when he arrived at the classroom, something felt off. It was quieter than usual, which was strange, especially for a Monday morning.
Typically, Class D would be buzzing with chatter, the students still energized from the weekend.
It didn't take long for Hikigaya to notice the cause. Hirata, who was usually the cheerful center of attention, sat at his desk, his face clouded with worry. His mood seemed to cast a shadow over the entire class. Despite the concerned inquiries from his classmates—and even his girlfriend, Karuizawa—Hirata only offered an elusive smile.
But even a fool could see that his smile was forced.
In contrast, Kushida appeared much more relaxed, still laughing and chatting with her friends as usual. The difference in their mental fortitude was striking. Or perhaps, Kushida had simply prepared herself better.
As Hikigaya walked toward his seat, he noticed Matsushita, who sat nearby, staring at him. A feeling of unease began to creep in, but he maintained a calm exterior.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun," Matsushita greeted him, albeit with a slight pause.
"Good morning," Hikigaya replied, slightly puzzled by the hesitation in her voice. But since she greeted him normally, he figured there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Surely, it couldn't be that easy to figure out...
"By the way, I wanted to ask you something," Matsushita said suddenly.
"Why was your phone turned off when I tried to call you last night?"
—Oh no, she called me!
Hikigaya silently praised his past self for having the foresight to turn off his phone the night before. Dating the most popular female intern teacher at school, even if just a rumor, would undoubtedly draw ire from jealous boys, leading to no end of trouble.
"Huh? Really?"
Hikigaya feigned ignorance, pulling out his phone and pretending to check it. He pressed a few buttons, then the screen displayed the boot-up animation.
"Oh, I must have accidentally hit the power button," he said in a normal tone. "I was wondering why I didn't hear from anyone all weekend... Though to be honest, it's not like anyone usually contacts me anyway."
He added a self-deprecating remark, not expecting Matsushita to misinterpret it.
"No, that's not true! I just wanted to talk to you about something," Matsushita hurriedly reassured him.
"Really? What did you want to talk about?" Hikigaya asked, playing along.
"Uh... it's fine now," Matsushita replied, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Got it," Hikigaya said, relieved that he had dodged the bullet.
Not long after, the bell rang, and Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom to start the usual morning meeting.
"Excuse me, teacher, may I lead today's class meeting?" Hirata asked, standing up.
"Go ahead," Chabashira-sensei replied, unsurprised by the request, as she stepped aside to give him the podium.
"I have something important to discuss with everyone," Hirata began, briefly recounting the events and decisions from Saturday's deliberation, using the false version of the story that Hikigaya had suggested. As expected, his words caused an uproar.
"What? We have to pay 20,000 points every month from now on?!"
"I knew those three were going to be the downfall of this class!"
"This is a disaster... I thought I'd finally escape eating wild vegetables this month."
The class was buzzing with complaints and frustration.
"No, that's not it!" Yamauchi interjected anxiously.
"It was only supposed to be a two-week suspension, but Horikita got involved and made things worse! I'm the real victim here!"
In a way, Yamauchi wasn't entirely wrong, but Hirata's narrative had already planted the idea that Yamauchi was simply deflecting blame.
"Stop making excuses! Even if Horikita failed, she was trying to help you!"
"Exactly, you're so shameless."
"Guys like this are the worst," one of the girls chimed in, and soon, even those who didn't usually get along with Horikita began to defend her. After all, Yamauchi was far more loathsome in comparison.
"Everyone, please calm down," Hirata called out, expecting the chaos.
"Now is not the time to point fingers. I know it's hard to accept, but think carefully. If we don't sign this contract, not only will Sudo and the others face severe punishment, but the 91 class points we've worked so hard to earn will be handed over to Class C. Please, consider this seriously."
"I agree with Hirata-kun," Karuizawa added, immediately lending her support.
"We're all in this together. Besides, when you think about it, the difference isn't that significant."
But as Hikigaya had anticipated, convincing these selfish individuals to agree wasn't going to be easy. Even with both Hirata and Karuizawa advocating, the others remained hesitant, no longer following their lead as they usually did.
Just then, a voice that could only be described as angelic spoke up.
"I agree to sign the contract!"
The voice belonged to none other than Kushida, the most popular student in Class D.
"I don't want anyone in our class to be punished," she said passionately. "Whether it's Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, Sudo-kun, or anyone else, I'm willing to sign first!"
With that, she walked up to the podium and signed her name on the contract.
I mean, she already signed it on Saturday…
Hikigaya almost laughed at the thought, but the rest of the class seemed completely unaware, deeply moved by Kushida's gesture.
"Kushida-chan... she did this for us!"
Ike and Yamauchi, the two fools, were practically in tears, convinced that Kushida's actions were solely for their sake.
"If anyone doesn't want to sign, that's okay," Kushida continued with a gentle smile. "I'll find a way to cover their share."
Her determined voice and unwavering resolve made it clear she was willing to sacrifice for her classmates.
"Even though my grades are average, and I only get a small scholarship from exams, I'll work hard to make up for it! If that's not enough, I'll borrow from friends in other classes. I'm sure I'll find a way!"
The more Kushida spoke, the harder it became for the others—especially the boys—to refuse. After all, men can be such foolish creatures.
The final blow came from Hirata.
"I'll cover any remaining shares as well," he declared with equal determination.
"I can borrow from friends in other classes too. And since I'm in the soccer club, I have a good relationship with the upperclassmen. I can earn plenty of individual points through competitions in the future."
Given the personal charm and status of Kushida and Hirata, few in the class dared to go against them. At this point, all that was needed was a leader to set the example.
"I agree with Kikyo-chan. I don't want to see any of our classmates punished."
The first to step forward was Wang Mei-yu, typically a quieter presence in the class. She walked up to the podium, signed her name, and hugged Kushida, who seemed genuinely touched.
It all felt a bit staged… but considering their close friendship, perhaps Hikigaya was just being overly cynical.
Soon after, more students followed suit, driven by the herd mentality. Even those who were initially reluctant signed their names, unwilling to be the odd ones out.
As Hikigaya observed, he noticed that the first few to stand were all close to Kushida, showing no surprise when Hirata first spoke. It was clear that Kushida had already prepped her inner circle, ensuring their support.
When only a few holdouts remained, Kushida and Hirata personally approached them, applying subtle pressure until they reluctantly signed.
Amusingly, only Koenji was left out. Whether others didn't notice or simply chose to ignore him, Koenji himself seemed content to mind his own business, more interested in admiring his reflection and fixing his hair.
With the biggest hurdle cleared—thanks to Kushida—it became apparent that Hikigaya had underestimated her. Kushida might play dumb at times, especially when manipulating others, but when it came to rallying support, she had a unique talent.
This didn't bode well for Horikita. Although Kushida couldn't openly exclude Horikita without risking her angelic image, she could easily encourage others to secretly resent her. And Horikita, with her lone wolf mentality, had yet to realize that achieving Class A would be impossible without uniting the class. By the time she figured it out, it might be too late.
No matter how capable you are, if everyone despises you, who will listen?
For Hikigaya, however, this development was promising. If Kushida managed to seize control of Class D, defeating the other classes would be even more difficult. And now, the entire class was saddled with a debt of 20,000 points.
No money? If you don't have money, study hard! What else could you possibly do?