章 81: Are You Taking Revenge on Me for Joining the Student Council?
The morning classes passed, and not only were most students paying close attention to the lessons, but even the usual trio of slackers—Kanji Ike, Haruki Yamauchi, and the others—were far more focused than usual.
Unfortunately, Ken Sudou remained his usual self. He was still arriving late to class every day, and during lessons, he continued to brazenly doze off without a care in the world.
Yet, no one in Class D condemned him for it.
Firstly, they were all wary of Sudou's fiery temper and imposing physique. Secondly, no one had yet figured out how to earn points for the class. Since Sudou's behavior wasn't causing any direct loss of points, there wasn't much reason to force him to change.
However, if this continued, Sudou would inevitably find himself isolated from the class.
Though others wouldn't openly criticize his lack of cooperation, resentment would surely begin to build in their hearts, little by little.
If these small frustrations continued to pile up, Sudou would eventually be pushed to the fringes, destined to become a lone wolf.
Under normal circumstances, Hachiman Hikigaya wouldn't care about other people's business, especially not someone like Sudou, whose bad temper made him an unlikely candidate for interaction. Hikigaya would never go out of his way to provoke him.
But now, for the sake of improving the atmosphere of Class D, and perhaps even aiming to challenge Class A one day, Hikigaya knew he had to come up with a strategy.
Ding dong!
The moment the bell rang to signal the end of class, the students in the room immediately came back to life.
Many of them, having begrudgingly re-entered study mode after a long time, were clearly uncomfortable and began chatting with those around them to vent their frustrations.
Hikigaya quietly glanced at Horikita, who was seated behind him. She was observing the other students closely, likely thinking of ways to address the issues within the class.
Of course, she didn't so much as glance at him. She had clearly decided to ignore him completely.
Oh well…
Realizing that it was impossible to give Horikita any direct suggestions, Hikigaya understood that he would have to act behind the scenes if he wanted to get anything done.
As for how to go about it, that wasn't much of a concern.
Years of being a loner had taught him exactly how to deal with different people in different ways.
As the next class began, Hikigaya found himself deep in thought, lost in trying to figure out a solution to Class D's problems. His mind wandered, and soon, he was completely spaced out.
Thwack!
Out of nowhere, a sharp pain shot through his back, startling him so much that he nearly jumped out of his seat.
Luckily, Hikigaya was quick to react, immediately clutching his stomach and pretending he had a stomachache to cover up his outburst.
When the lunch bell finally rang, Hikigaya turned around to find Horikita calmly fiddling with the compass in her hand, looking utterly unbothered.
"Did you seriously stab me with that just now? Are you taking revenge on me for joining the student council?"
"I'm not that petty," she replied coolly. "I just wanted to remind you that zoning out could lead to point deductions. You can't afford to slack off now."
"Well, this..."
Hikigaya took a deep breath.
He understood that Horikita was becoming ruthless in her efforts to push Class D up the ranks.
In a way, this was exactly what he had expected from her. Unfortunately, without seeking his help, the likelihood of her succeeding was slim.
With that thought in mind, Hikigaya silently glanced at Horikita. "Are you really planning to do this all on your own?"
"Of course. What else?"
Horikita shot him a brief look, her brows slightly furrowed. "I won't rely on anyone else. I'll accomplish this using my own abilities—to prove something..."
Her sentence trailed off, leaving an unsaid thought hanging in the air.
Hikigaya found himself curious about the part she had left unspoken.
Later, as the other students were getting ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch, Hirata Yousuke suddenly spoke up, "The midterm exams are approaching, as Chabashira-sensei mentioned earlier. Everyone should be aware that failing will lead to immediate expulsion. That's why I'd like to propose we hold a study group."
A hero emerges.
Hikigaya watched Hirata with admiration, recognizing that this was something only Hirata could pull off.
After addressing the class, Hirata immediately approached Ike Kanji, Yamauchi, and Sudou, speaking to them in as gentle a tone as possible.
"I hope everyone will join. If you don't take studying seriously and end up failing, you'll be expelled. I don't want to see that happen to anyone. And it's not just about avoiding expulsion. Studying could also help us earn more points, and if we keep our grades up, the overall evaluation of our class will improve. So, I really hope those who are worried will join us in the study group."
"...Tch."
Ike and Yamauchi, sensing Hirata's sincerity, seemed somewhat swayed.
Sudou, however, remained completely indifferent. He had no intention of listening to Hirata and outright ignored him.
"We'll start the study sessions in this classroom at five o'clock today. They'll run for two hours every day until the exams. Anyone who's interested can drop by anytime."
Realizing that his efforts might not be enough to change the situation, Hirata sighed softly.
Influenced by Sudou, Ike and Yamauchi ultimately decided not to join Hirata.
It was, in a way, the expected outcome.
If someone as capable as Hirata Yousuke couldn't convince Sudou, there was no chance he could persuade anyone else in Sudou's circle either.
Then there was Ayanokoji, who was technically part of Sudou's group but remained utterly silent throughout. His calm, indifferent demeanor made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Hikigaya couldn't help but criticize this in his mind as he glanced back at Horikita, who was staring intently in the direction of the three slackers.
He could already foresee the actions Horikita Suzune was likely to take next—and the setbacks she was bound to encounter.
Shaking his head, Hikigaya's gaze drifted across the students of Class D, searching for someone he could use as a pawn.
Eventually, his eyes settled on Kushida Kikyou, the popular girl seated in the front row.
Through years of being a loner, Hikigaya had come to understand one fundamental truth: whether a statement is reasonable doesn't depend on its content, but on who says it.
The same words spoken by Hikigaya would be received very differently than if they were said by someone popular.
And when it came to Class D's most popular student, there was no question that it was Kushida Kikyou, adored by both boys and girls alike.
She was the perfect pawn to change the current state of Class D.
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