Bab 76: Horikita Suzune, Someone in Class D Has Already Joined the Student Council!
Hikigaya's sudden appearance caught both Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka by surprise. Neither of them had expected that, during their conversation, Hikigaya had been hiding in the break room, eavesdropping.
"You sure took your time. How long were you planning to make us wait?" said Chabashira-sensei casually, clearly unbothered by his presence. "Did you hear everything we said?"
"Wh-what? What conversation? The walls are too thick; I couldn't hear a thing!"
Despite having internally mocked Ayanokoji for his thick skin earlier, Hikigaya now found himself in a similar predicament. He adopted the same strategy—feigning ignorance.
But it was no use. Chabashira-sensei wasn't so easily fooled. With a calm expression, she said, "Telling pointless lies is one thing, but don't fool yourself. Hikigaya, the sound from this room travels clearly to the break room."
"…"
It seemed he was out of tricks.
Hikigaya sighed, realizing that the moment he was discovered, there was no escaping this mess.
"Alright, I heard the whole conversation."
"That's more like it," Chabashira-sensei replied, a satisfied smile on her face as if she had Hikigaya exactly where she wanted him. "Now, do you have anything to say about what you overheard?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, Hikigaya was momentarily dumbfounded. He glanced at Horikita, who was equally confused, and then at Ayanokoji, who remained as expressionless as ever. Resigned, he asked, "You want me to say something? Anything?"
"There's no one else here to listen. You can speak freely."
"Fine."
Hikigaya shook his head, accepting that he had no way out. He might as well go along with it.
"If you ask me, you all fit right into Class D. Each of you is uniquely terrible in your own way."
"What did you say?"
Hikigaya's words instantly struck a nerve with Horikita. She still couldn't accept the fact that she had been placed in Class D, refusing to believe she belonged with the "defective" students.
"What? Am I wrong?" Hikigaya retorted, feeling emboldened by Chabashira-sensei's presence. "Whether it's me, you, or Ayanokoji, there's a reason we all ended up in Class D."
"You…"
Horikita had no rebuttal. Deep down, she had already suspected that the school's class assignments weren't random and likely followed some hidden criteria. But she still refused to accept it. "It's obviously a mistake. People like you and me shouldn't be in Class D, nor should we be ranked at the bottom of the school!"
When she said this, Horikita instinctively excluded Ayanokoji from the equation. The incident where she saw him buying women's underwear at the convenience store had disturbed her so much that she hadn't wanted to speak to him since, practically pretending he didn't exist.
Hikigaya, however, didn't seem to care. He continued nonchalantly, "But the fact remains, we're all in Class D. Even someone like you, with your academic prowess, and Ayanokoji, who's hiding his genius—people like you both ended up here because of some flaw."
As Hikigaya said this, he conveniently left himself out of the equation. After all, he didn't believe he had any special qualities. He was the perfect example of an average Class D student.
"Whoa, whoa, I'm not some hidden genius. That's not part of my character, okay?" Ayanokoji interjected, clearly annoyed by Hikigaya's comment.
"Yeah, calling a creep like him a genius would be hilarious!" Horikita chimed in, her words hitting Ayanokoji like an unexpected jab, leaving him speechless.
"Fine, let's use me as an example then," Hikigaya said, sighing at Horikita's stubbornness. "We both ended up in Class D, but does that really mean we're limited to the level of Class D? In reality, the school probably evaluates a lot more than just what you think."
"Hmph. That's just your opinion," Horikita shot back, her tone still sharp, though less hostile than when she spoke to Ayanokoji. "You're someone who doesn't like studying, doesn't put in any effort, and has a terrible personality. Of course, you ended up in Class D."
"…"
Hikigaya couldn't argue with that. He had no grounds to refute Horikita's assessment. He might have a bit of cleverness, but when it came to real academic ability and talent, he was nowhere near Horikita's level. Among the Class D students, only Yukimura and Koenji could surpass her, and they weren't exactly suitable examples to bring up.
For a moment, Hikigaya was at a loss for words.
Sensing the impasse, Chabashira-sensei decided to step in, offering some outside assistance. "Horikita Suzune, you're too focused on academics. The truth is, a student's abilities aren't limited to just their grades."
"That's true," Horikita conceded with a nod, though her attitude remained lofty. "As you said, there are many factors to consider when judging someone's worth. But, sensei, what redeeming qualities do you see in Class D? Is there anything about them that I should admire?"
Her voice rang out firmly, leaving no room for doubt. It was clear she believed she was in the right.
Chabashira-sensei remained calm as she responded, "Perhaps you're right, but Horikita, it seems you've forgotten something very important."
"And what's that?"
The moment Horikita spoke, Chabashira's eyes gleamed with a victorious light, which made Hikigaya uneasy. He could tell that Horikita was being guided into a trap.
Sure enough, Chabashira-sensei smiled and delivered the blow. "Horikita Suzune, I think it's time you knew—someone from our Class D has already quietly joined the student council."
"What?!"
Horikita's face instantly changed. It was as if she had confidently stormed the enemy base, only to realize her own home had already been destroyed.
The news was too shocking, throwing her into a state of complete disarray at the harsh reality she now faced.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone