Chapitre 70: Was Horikita Holding Back On Me?
"Why am I suddenly being berated?"
Hikigaya's outwardly innocent words masked a deeper understanding of Horikita Suzune's attitude. He had anticipated this reaction, given his occasional self-awareness of his less-than-innocent thoughts.
He sometimes wondered if he might as well head to Gotham City and become the Joker's successor.
Though he publicly denounced the supremacy of power, he was, in reality, one of the most adept at both comprehending and executing such a philosophy. When he had heard Chabashira's announcement that class points would not change once they dropped to zero, he immediately envisioned how Class D could exploit this to disrupt the rules and manipulate other classes.
With strong enough control, dragging Class A into trouble might even be feasible…
Images of this scenario danced in his mind, and he instinctively thought of Sakayanagi, who aspired to control Class A, which only made his mood more complex.
Meanwhile, as Horikita Suzune processed Hikigaya's words, her expression grew increasingly grave.
The more she grasped the harsh reality of the school's nature, the more puzzled she became by Hikigaya's presence in Class D. She hadn't expected someone like him to be in the same predicament as herself.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "Did you foresee these events before today?"
"Of course not," Hikigaya replied without hesitation. "I only pieced together some things after Chabashira-sensei revealed the truth today. How could I have known beforehand? This school isn't exactly my playground."
"I see…"
Suzune accepted Hikigaya's explanation, unable to believe that he had independently uncovered the school's hidden philosophy of power supremacy in advance. She also ceased underestimating him, recognizing that this deadpan-eyed individual was far from being as foolish as the rest of Class D.
"Everyone, before we begin, I need you to listen carefully, especially you, Sudo."
Amid the chaotic classroom, Hirata Yosuke took the podium and directly addressed Sudo.
"Tch, what's the deal?" Sudo, caught off guard by the reprimand, displayed his displeasure.
"We haven't earned any points this month, and that's a significant issue for our future school life. We can't continue living with zero points until graduation, can we?" Hirata spoke words that most students could agree with, then turned his gaze to Sudo.
"So from now on, the entire class must work together. To avoid being late or talking during class, we need to remind each other, and, of course, phones are strictly prohibited."
Hirata's true aim was clear: he hoped that Class D would improve its discipline, especially Sudo Ken, who had previously been the worst performer.
However, Sudo dismissed Hirata's well-intentioned advice, responding with annoyance.
"Why do we have to follow your orders? If doing this would increase our points, that would be one thing, but doesn't it seem like no matter what we do, our points won't change?"
"That's true," Hirata admitted. "But if we continue being late or talking during class, our points will remain at zero indefinitely! We can't just sit back and do nothing."
"Who cares?" Sudo retorted. "If doing our best in class doesn't increase the points, then it's meaningless!"
Sudo Ken's disdain was evident as he dismissed Hirata's theoretical approach with a sneer. This reaction was no surprise to Hikigaya, who had long anticipated such an outcome.
Hirata Yosuke's capabilities were limited. While he managed to garner some support from the average students, his words held no sway over the real troublemakers in the class. His inability to address the root of the problems meant he would never earn genuine trust.
"Anyway, if you don't know how to earn more points, all your efforts are in vain. Let's talk once we figure out how to increase them," Sudo said dismissively.
"However, without Sudo-kun... No, without everyone's cooperation, it's indeed impossible to accumulate points."
"Do whatever you want, just don't drag me into it, got it?"
In the end, Hirata Yosuke was unable to convince Sudo Ken, and their discussion ended in disagreement. Sudo Ken even left the classroom in frustration.
"Sudo-kun really doesn't get it, does he? He's also the one who's late the most," someone muttered.
"If it weren't for Sudo-kun, we might still have some points left," another added.
"Yeah… It's terrible. Why do I have to be in the same class as someone like him?"
"..."
The members of Class D voiced their disdain for Sudo without hesitation. This was to be expected, as most people tend to reject those who stand apart from the group.
In contrast, Hikigaya did not share their aversion. Through the recent exchange, he discovered that Sudo Ken was surprisingly astute. Unlike the rest of Class D, who had completely given up thinking, Sudo's reluctance to communicate stemmed from pride and the deadlock facing their class.
In a certain sense, this did give him a touch of the lone wolf's charm.
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, may I have a moment of your time? After school, I'd like to discuss the current state of the class. I hope you can join," Hirata asked.
"A discussion?"
Hikigaya was initially taken aback by Hirata's sudden approach. He then noticed Hirata's gaze frequently shifting toward the girl behind him, Horikita Suzu.
Ah, so this is just another attempt to get close to me to win over Horikita, is it? You are a D-class charm artist, suzu-chan.
Suppressing a snarky remark, Hikigaya responded calmly, "Why me?"
"Because I want to lead the class in a discussion. The more participants we have, the broader our perspective will be, and we can come up with better solutions."
"I see."
Hikigaya slightly acknowledged Hirata's intentions. However, the thought of participating in such a fervent collective activity made him promptly shake his head. "Sorry, I'm not good at interacting with others, and I don't think I'd be able to offer any useful suggestions."
"I see…"
Hirata wasn't particularly surprised. After all, Hikigaya wasn't his primary target.
He carefully glanced at Horikita Suzu behind Hikigaya and hesitated before asking, "Horikita-san, would you be interested in attending?"
"I have no intention of wasting my time on meaningless activities."
"Meaningless…"
As expected of the sharp-tongued Horikita, her initial remark was a direct hit!
Hirata's face fell, looking as if he might burst into tears.
Hikigaya was genuinely surprised by how aggressive Horikita's remarks could be towards others. Her sharpness seemed to have escalated from a mere sting to something more formidable.
Was she just holding back when speaking to him?
He felt an unexpected pang of appreciation.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone