章 40: Chapter 40: Don’t Let Anyone Get In Your Way
The day before the voting day after school. Tomorrow, a student will be expelled from the class, leaving a vacant seat.
It seems that since the last encounter with Sakayanagi, Yamauchi has been leaking information about Class C, trying to expel Kiyotaka, who is neither outstanding nor problematic, but somehow manages to blend into the background. It's not a bad strategy, but he chose the wrong target.
The person in front of me has been radiating a completely different aura since this morning compared to a year ago.
Looks like it went well, Kiyotaka. You'll probably be fine now. I guess I don't have any particular role to play.
"Alright, homeroom is over. Don't oversleep."
It's about time Horikita moved. Just as I thought that, right away, Horikita in the front row stood up, pulling her chair back.
"Could I have a moment?"
The gaze of the entire silent classroom wondered what was going on. Even Teacher Chabashira seems curious about Horikita's action and was about to leave the classroom but paused.
"There's something I really need to talk about regarding tomorrow's exam."
"Regarding tomorrow's exam?"
"Uh, what's that about? I'm supposed to go out to play now!"
Yamuchi and Ike are eager to indicate that they don't have time.
"You seem to have plenty of time. I want to talk about something important regarding tomorrow's expulsions."
Horikita starts walking and stands at the teacher's podium, now in a position visible to everyone in the class. Sensing something unusual, everyone's gaze turns to Horikita.
"I've thought about various things over the past few days. Who should stay and who should be expelled, and today I've been able to decide clearly on that. So, let me tell you here."
"Wait a minute, Horikita."
It was Hirata who stopped her.
"There's no one in this class who should be expelled."
"Is that so? There might be."
"W-What...?"
"I've been questioning since we were informed about this exam. We don't even have time to discuss within the class who should be expelled based on evaluations. This will turn into a battle to control votes by forming groups, and as a result, there's a risk that excellent students who should naturally remain in the class will be expelled. This can't be called an exam."
The first to be impressed was Koenji. While applauding, Koenji said,
"I don't know what happened to you, but you seem like a completely different person. It's a very insightful point. Could you tell us? What do you want to do?"
"We should have all discussed and narrowed down the candidates for expulsion together, but I understand that it's difficult. So, I'll do the naming."
"W-Wait a moment, Horikita."
"Sorry, but I'll continue. I'll explain later."
Horikita seems to be trying to proceed with the conversation as if time is short.
"No, you can't confuse everyone like this. I oppose."
Still, Hirata persists. He has his own principles.
"You have the right to speak, but oppose later."
"As Red Hair said, I'll also invest valuable time. It's a waste of time for you to obstruct."
Sudō supports Horikita, and Koenji also supports Sudō as if covering him.
"B-But..."
"Hey, Hirata. We don't have time, so can we do it later?"
I prevented Hirata, who was trying to interfere with the conversation, and make eye contact with Horikita. She nods slightly in response and begins to speak.
"Yes, so this time, I've decided that Haruki Yamuchi should be expelled."
While classmates pay attention, Horikita clearly states the name of the individual student. Many people have been the subject of gossip so far, but this is the first time Horikita has directly named someone. However, no one supports him, and that's natural. If they did, they might become targets themselves.
"W-Why me, Horikita!?"
Of course, Yamauchi reacts first. If Horikita's unilateral speech is allowed, Yamauchi will be the target. But that's impossible.
"There are reasons. First, your contribution to the class over the past year has been low."
"T-That's not true! I was even better than Ken in the test!"
"You were surpassed this time. Although your academic abilities are similar, you are several steps behind Sudō-kun in terms of physical ability."
"Isn't Kanji similar too?"
"Moreover, when Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san broke up, you spoke ill of Hirata-kun. And even a month ago, you hurt four students with the contents of rumors."
"T-That's..."
Desperately trying to bring others down instead of himself, Yamauchi looks pathetic.
"It's true that there are a certain number of students with similar capabilities."
"S-So what? You can't just name people!"
"But even compared to them side by side, you're a step behind. Sudō-kun may have been like that at first, but I can see improvement in both academic and mental aspects, and thanks to him, we were able to perform well at the sports festival."
"Why are you saying whatever you like! It's infuriating!"
Yamauchi tries to pull in similar students for support, but there's no room for rebuttal. That's only natural. Everything Horikita is saying is true.
" Koenji is the type to skip exams altogether, so he's the one who should be expelled!"
"Koenji-kun has many areas where he needs to change his behavior, but in terms of ability, there's a world of difference between you and Koenji-kun."
"I don't agree! We're talking about abilities here, and this guy hasn't achieved anything!"
Seeing Yamuchi struggling to push blame onto others, I speak up.
"That's not true."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Koenji's been causing trouble for him all along!"
"True, this guy is the type to abandon exams, but his specs are top-notch in this school."
Koenji crosses his arms and brushes his hair back.
"Heh, wise judgment."
Ignoring Koenji's remark, I continue.
"And this guy. During the cruise test, he subtly gained class points by correctly guessing VIPs."
"Yeah, because I'm perfect. I don't want to be associated with defective products like him."
"I don't agree! I just can't agree!"
"In that case, shall I tell you the decisive reason why I chose you?"
As Yamauchi protests loudly, Horikita calmly closes the distance.
"Weren't you using Kushida-san to influence various students to criticize Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Huh!?"
The classroom buzzes with murmurs. The classmates didn't know that Yamauchi was the mastermind. But still, using Kushida, huh? That explains a lot.
"To... expel Ayanokouji-kun?"
Keisei, Akito, and Hirata were also present. It's unlikely that this discussion would go to Hirata, who always advocates for peace in the class.
"Yes, it's true. The plan, which started from a small group, gradually grew larger. If we can concentrate criticism votes, the expulsion of that person would be decided, right?"
"T-That wasn't me!"
"Then who was it?"
"I-I don't know! Ayanokouji told me to put criticism votes against him!"
"Then tell me, who told you that?"
".....Kanji, I heard it from Kanji! Right!"
"No, wait, huh? That's not true! I..."
Of course, Ike denies it. Well, he can't act like a snitch if he's been told by Kushida.
"So you're the mastermind, Yamauchi-kun."
"No, it's not like that! It's true that I was asked by Kikyou-chan to expel Ayanokouji!"
"M-Me!? That's awful... I tried my best because Yamuchi-kun asked me for help..."
Yamauchi led it to a worsening situation. Though Kushida's obvious act irritates, everyone's gaze is still locked onto Yamauchi.
"Well, the root cause remains Yamauchi-kun. The act of forming a group and kicking someone out may not be acceptable, but it's inevitable in life. If that's all there is, right?"
"Oh?..."
Koenji listens with interest.
"Perhaps you were trying to bring down Ayanokouji-kun just to protect yourself?"
"Wait a minute! It's not me! I swear on my life!"
"Don't throw around 'life' so easily..."
"It's pathetic, isn't it? Nobody in this class will stop believing you're the one. Let's hear it then. Why did you target Ayanokouji Boy?"
While enduring the classmate's cold stares, Yamuchi continues to deny, so it's time for me to fabricate something decisive here.
"Hey, didn't you have a connection with Sakayanagi behind the scenes?"
There, the truth is exposed.
"Oh, that's not very peaceful."
Koenji jumps into the conversation, likely because he's also a candidate and wants to align with Horikita and me.
"Hey, Haruki, you were connected with Sakayanagi-chan... what's the deal?"
In addition to hiding the fact that he was the mastermind, now it's revealed that he had ties with Class A as well.
"That's nonsense! Where's the evidence for that?"
"Then can you show us your phone right now? Sakayanagi-san's contact should be there."
"That's... she's just a friend, there's nothing weird about it!"
While it might not be strange, the fact that Yamauchi had been in contact with Sakayanagi recently is still fresh in everyone's memory.
"Why you willingly cooperated, perhaps it was because of a romantic relationship with her, or something like that?"
"Guh!"
That hit home. Yamauchi is visibly shaken, even receiving disdainful looks from Ike, who is supposed to be his friend. Being seen in such a light by his closest friend must be tough.
"That's... even if that's true, what about Horagasaki? He's also connected with Sakayanagi, right?"
I don't know why, but now it's getting heated here. Ah, this guy is really annoying.
"Horagasaki-kun's relationship with Sakayanagi-san isn't causing any harm to the class, right? Moreover, he achieved first place in all individual events with everyone's participation during the sports festival, and his academic performance is also top-notch in the school. He even spotted conclusive evidence that Ibuki-san was a spy during the deserted island test. There's no reason for him to be expelled from this class. On the contrary, he's an essential asset."
Yamauchi falls silent under the skillful judgment of Horikita. Keep it up, Horikita. And then Koenji follows up to support me.
"Moreover, Rich Boy accurately guessed the VIPs within the Snake Group during the cruise test. He also earned class points simultaneously with me, so there's absolutely no need for such a smart and excellent boy to be expelled. On the contrary, he'll bring benefits."
Thanks, Koenji , for returning the favor since I supported you earlier. But revealing such information has the whole class buzzing. Well, it's understandable. They hadn't realized that right after Koenji's group, my group, the Snake Group, had ended the test. They probably didn't expect me to have guessed the VIPs.
"Indeed, protecting oneself is important, but I don't appreciate students who sell their souls to the enemy."
"Dammit! Why are you always defending Ayanokouji and Hoaragasaki no matter what!"
"It's not like that. I've made an objective and calm judgment. Your low contributions combined with your behavior and remarks that belittle others. You're inferior in every aspect, there's no room for objection anymore."
"Ugh, a classmate who betrays the class is someone I can't be with. Why don't we support Horikita Girl?"
"W-Wait a minute, Suzune... I get the flow of the conversation... but I don't want Haruki to be expelled."
"What we're discussing now isn't about that, Sudo-kun. Choosing to protect someone means abandoning someone else. So, we have to logically corner him."
"..."
Sudo falls silent. His thoughts are apparent, but things aren't going smoothly.
"Sorry, Haruki... there's nothing I can do..."
Sudo's growth is impressive. If things continue like this, he could become quite a threat from the perspective of other classes.
"It seems like it's settled."
Koenji tries to make a judgment. Hey, are you the one deciding?
"You're not quite there! I already made a promise!"
"...I retract it."
"Huh...?"
Kushida, who had been hanging his head, mutters softly.
"I was wrong... about putting criticism votes against Ayanokouji-kun... I retract it."
"W-Wait a minute! This is absurd!"
"You're a foolish and inadequate person. There's no one more suitable than you. That's my conclusion."
"Don't mess with me! Why am I being blamed like this!!! Besides, there are others who are worse than me! Why don't you name them too!"
"Cut it out, you're annoying."
Yamuchi's behavior irritates me to no end. So, I speak up, and then he suddenly explodes.
"Dammit... you're just lucky to have everyone protect you! You're praised by everyone because you're handsome! And you're good at sports and smart too!"
"Huh?"
"...Hey, stop it, Yamauchi-kun!"
Horikita senses danger and tries to stop him, but Yamauchi goes wild.
"It's obvious that Matsushita likes you! If you say anything, she'll open her legs as soon as you say something. There's also a woman named Kamuro-chan as a bonus. She's taking you to her room and having sex with you, you two-legged bastard!"
What annoyed me more than anything was the insult to Matsushita and Kamuro, and there was no way I could overlook that.
Hearing something particularly infuriating, I couldn't let it slide.
In that instant, there was a loud bang in the classroom. Everyone looked over, wondering what happened. I realized that I had kicked my desk as hard as I could. The desk flew forward mercilessly. I approached Yamauchi, still with my head down. Though my eyes were hidden by my bangs, I stared at him with an icy, unfamiliar voice, full of murderous intent, as I spoke.
"Huh... Horagasaki-kun?"
It's probably Horikita, but I can't really hear whose voice it is right now.
I quickly put out my hand and grabbed Yamauchi's neck as hard as I could. Before I knew it, I had strangled Yamauchi's neck and suspended him in the air, and I spoke in the coldest voice I had ever spoken before, and glared at him with murderous intent.
"...You're not getting carried away, are you?"
Creepy...
In that moment, a palpable murderous intent emanated, causing everyone in the classroom to hold their breath.
"Gah... Guh... Ugh... Ghah...!"
Yamauchi struggled and resisted desperately as I continued to grip his neck, but I didn't relent. Immediately, Chabashira-sensei, Sudo, and Matsushita moved to try to pry my hands off Yamuchi's neck.
"Hey, calm down, Horagasaki!"
Chabashira-sensei, overwhelmed by my intimidation, still tried to stop me.
"Horagasaki-kun, stop it!"
"...Stop it, Horagasaki! Haruki is going to die!"
Despite his fear, Sudo forcefully tried to pull my hands away, but he couldn't, and he looked quite panicked.
"Horagasaki! If you keep going, the school will take action against you!"
(Oh no, Horagasaki is really trying to kill Yamauchi now. I never imagined he could be this dangerous and terrifying...)
Despite Chabashira-sensei's desperate plea, I reluctantly released my grip on Yamauchi's neck, and he coughed and collapsed to the floor. I cast a cold, indifferent gaze at him, and as he scrambled away from me, I realized there was no value in killing someone like him.
"Ha... Hah... Hee... I'm gonna... gonna die! Aaaah!"
As I looked around, I saw silence settling in the classroom. Yamauchi crawled away from me, clearly terrified. Some of the weaker students like Mi-chan and Airi had tears in their eyes, while Sudo, Chabashira-sensei, and Horikita had wide eyes and were sweating profusely. Even Koenji, who always had a smirk, was serious, and Kiyotaka had a faint smile, showing a hint of amusement. Feeling remorse for my actions, I suppressed my murderous intent with reason and apologized to my classmates.
"...Sorry."
"...Uh, um. Let me continue. I want to hear everyone's opinions on what just happened."
Clearing the frozen atmosphere, Horikita spoke up. I had thought there was no one who could stand up to Horikita's dominance, but...
"...I don't accept it. I don't approve of this kind of method."
Standing up, the class leader, Hirata Yousuke, spoke. A perfect honor student, good at both academics and sports, and a genuinely kind person. But now, his weakness was exposed.
"No matter what you think, I'll fight in the way I believe in."
"It's no good... attacking one person like this, it's not right for all of us."
"Then let everyone decide."
Ignoring Hirata, Horikita tried to solicit raised hands. It was clearly Horikita's turn. Just as I thought that...
"Horikita-san!"
Bam! A cold, mechanical sound echoed throughout the classroom. Who could have imagined such a scene?
Hirata slammed his fist onto his own desk.
"W-What... Hirata-kun?"
The girls expressed disbelief at his actions. Even Chabashira looked shocked by the unexpected behavior.
"...Could you please stop, Horikita-san?"
Lowering his tone to instill fear in Horikita, Hirata spoke. Horikita pushed up her bangs to hide her unease and replied to Hirata.
"...Stop what?"
"Stop deciding on our fate."
"You have no right to say that..."
Horikita's voice trembled slightly in the face of Hirata's intimidation. That's how powerful Hirata was.
"...So what?"
"...Please, just be quiet, Horikita-san."
Hirata's response to Horikita's retort was the heaviest, coldest one yet. Horikita's words stopped at that. The air became even colder than before. It might have been scarier than when I showed my murderous intent earlier.
Changing his tone as if he were a different person, Hirata instructed the classmates.
"Listen up, everyone. Whether what was said just now was true or false, it doesn't matter."
"...It's false! It's all lies, Hirata! I-I'm the victim here! Horagasaki almost killed me! Help me, please!"
Yamauchi clung to Hirata, desperately seeking help. Hirata kicked him away, and the sight was even more terrifying.
"Victim?"
"Guh..."
Hirata's penetrating gaze pierced through Yamauchi.
"With all these accusations, there's no way you're innocent. Your method of dragging others down disgusts me."
Hirata's anger wasn't just directed at Yamauchi but at the whole class.
"Exams are tomorrow. Going into them without a plan is as good as condoning Yamauchi-kun's betrayal."
"What's wrong with going in without a plan? We have no right to judge our classmates."
"What are you saying?... That's what's required for the exam today. And many students want that."
Hirata refused to acknowledge Horikita, who stood at the lectern.
"...Is it possible that your existence is the problem?"
A heavy, low voice echoed through the classroom. It seemed like the brain was rejecting the fact that this cold voice belonged to Hirata.
"Even if I don't raise my hand here, I've finished conveying my thoughts. The result you desired has already disappeared without a trace, haven't they?"
"Yeah... That's why I'm going to write Horikita-san's name tomorrow. I won't forgive you for creating an undesirable situation in this class."
"Sure, go ahead."
After observing the two until the end, Chabashira spoke.
"I won't interfere in today's discussion at all. I think everyone's opinions were valuable. We'll make our judgments based on that."
No one knows who will be voted for. That's the kind of test it is. Yamuchi, feeling uncomfortable, left the classroom in a hurry, followed by the others one by one.
The protagonist got angry…..
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