What the hell is Sakayanagi up to now…? She's acting creepy.
At this moment, Hikigaya found himself at the Keyaki Mall café, having been "invited" by Horikita.
Unfortunately, not long after sitting down, he spotted Sakayanagi and Kamuro at a nearby table.
However, Kamuro didn't seem to be in a good mood. Normally, she would always be mindful of Sakayanagi's limited mobility, but this time, she walked ahead on her own, leaving Sakayanagi behind. She was probably upset with her.
"Hikigaya-kun, is something wrong?"
Horikita noticed his distraction and asked.
"It's just—"
"Oh, it's nothing. Hachiman-kun just saw his good friend, that's all."
Before Hikigaya could brush it off, Matsushita suddenly interrupted.
Seeing Horikita's puzzled expression, Matsushita chuckled. "It's Sakayanagi and Kamuro. Before they walked into the karaoke place just now, Sakayanagi even made a point to greet Hachiman-kun. She was probably inviting him to join them."
"Hey, don't make things up."
"Hehe, that's why I said 'probably'~"
"'Probably' my ass... sigh." Hikigaya let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "Enough with the jokes. Didn't Horikita call us here for something? Let's settle this quickly. I want to go home and read my novel."
However, Matsushita wasn't ready to drop the topic. "Who said it was a joke? Hachiman-kun, don't you think it's strange?"
"Strange how?" Hikigaya didn't quite get her point.
"They're going to karaoke at a time like this?" Matsushita gave him a knowing look, as if there was some grand conspiracy.
"Haa…"
After all that build-up, Hikigaya thought she was going to say something important.
To be fair, under normal circumstances, most people wouldn't be in the mood for entertainment right now.
By Saturday, one student would be expelled from their class.
Even if they weren't personally at risk, losing a classmate they had spent nearly a year with was bound to feel unsettling.
But Sakayanagi wasn't just anyone. Hikigaya was certain she felt nothing about it—if anything, she might even be pleased.
After all, this exam, unfair as it was, provided a legitimate opportunity to expel someone without harming the class's overall standing.
There was no reason for Sakayanagi to pass up on that.
Then again, Hikigaya had no right to criticize her. He, too, felt indifferent about a student being expelled.
The only difference was that he couldn't be bothered to interfere with the exam.
"Matsushita, why are you so concerned about another class?"
At that moment, Kushida spoke up, clearly impatient. "Sakayanagi is probably doing the same thing as us—meeting up to decide who to expel."
"That's true, but you're saying it so bluntly," Matsushita retorted. "Besides, this is Sakayanagi we're talking about. Does she even discuss things with others? Isn't she more the type to just issue orders?"
"Then maybe she's just so happy about getting rid of a nuisance that she felt like singing."
"Happy enough to go karaoke…? That's a pretty lazy conclusion."
Even without evidence, Matsushita remained suspicious of Sakayanagi's actions.
Her instincts were usually sharp, and truthfully, Hikigaya also sensed something off about the situation.
But as Kushida pointed out, now wasn't the time to worry about other classes—his own class still had unresolved issues.
"Alright, alright, let's get back to the real reason we came here." Hikigaya redirected the conversation. "Horikita, you wanted to discuss the exam, right?"
"Yes… I'd like to hear the three of you share your thoughts on it."
"Whoever came up with this idea is disgusting!"
"Yeah, it's like they have a screw loose."
Kushida and Matsushita didn't hold back their criticism, leaving Horikita with nothing but a wry smile—she agreed with them.
This kind of unreasonable exam was simply absurd.
"Give it up. Complaining won't change anything," Hikigaya cut them off before the conversation turned into a full-blown rant session.
The main issue here is that this isn't what Horikita truly wants to ask.
What she really wants to know is how to break through this dire situation.
"Horikita, there's only one way to do that," Hikigaya stated bluntly. "And Chabashira-sensei has already given the answer—it's only possible to avoid expulsion if the entire class gathers twenty million points."
"…Eh?"
Hearing this, Horikita was momentarily stunned before quickly shaking her head.
"No, Hikigaya-kun, I'm not asking for personal points. Besides… spending twenty million points on a single student—honestly, even if that person were me, I wouldn't be able to guarantee that I'm worth that much."
By the end of her sentence, her voice carried a hint of frustration.
"Heh, Horikita, at least you have some self-awareness," Kushida sneered, taking the opportunity to mock her.
"…Yeah, maybe you're right."
However, this time, Horikita didn't retaliate as she usually would. Instead, she slightly lowered her head.
"…Tch, boring."
Clicking her tongue as if losing interest, Kushida averted her gaze and chose not to push further.
It seemed that Horikita was beginning to doubt herself. As the class leader, she was supposed to guide everyone through this crisis, yet right now, she was no different from any other student.
That sense of helplessness must have been weighing on her.
"Horikita-san, you don't need to worry so much," Matsushita reassured her. "At the very least, I don't think you could possibly end up in last place."
"No, that's not it. I—"
"I know—you don't want to abandon any of your classmates, right?"
Matsushita pinpointed Horikita's thoughts with ease and then continued with a gentle smile. "But there's no helping it. If someone is expelled, it's the school's fault for setting such an unreasonable test. Thinking of it that way should lighten the burden on your shoulders, right?"
"…Mm."
"So, since you've already ensured your own safety, you should be able to objectively and fairly rank all the students in our class."
"Rank them… as in choosing who to abandon?" Horikita hesitated.
"No, not like that." Matsushita shook her head slightly. "Though I don't really know how to explain it, if I had to put it into words, it would be something like… who you'd least want to see expelled. For example, Hachiman-kun would be your first choice, and I'd be second."
"Hah, someone's got a pretty thick skin."
Hearing that, Kushida couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
Matsushita ignored her and kept smiling. "And then, Kushida-san would be second to last."
"Oi, you trying to pick a fight?!"
"What? I didn't say you were last."
"Screw you!"
Though Matsushita seemed to be comforting Horikita with gentle words while playfully bickering with Kushida, Hikigaya saw right through her.
This girl… she was more pragmatic than anyone else.
Matsushita's real message was simple: as long as they sacrificed the weakest member of the class, the problem would be solved.
In essence, this was the same stance as Kouenji's—only those with ability should remain.
Horikita, of course, wasn't naïve enough to miss the implication. She was simply avoiding reality.
The reason was obvious—she had started to care about the class.
If no one had made a huge mistake, expelling someone just because they weren't capable enough was easier said than done.
If this were the Horikita from the beginning of the year, she would have objectively pointed out the weakest student and eliminated them without hesitation.
After all, back then, she had no intention of leading the class—her only goal was to reach Class A. That detachment allowed her to easily distinguish between those who were useful and those who weren't.
But now, she had developed a sense of responsibility as a leader. And that was the root of her troubles.
With that in mind, Hikigaya spoke up. "Horikita, why don't you go talk to your brother about this?"
"My brother…?"
"Yeah. Horikita-senpai was in a similar position before. If you can't find the answer here, maybe he can help you figure it out."
Ultimately, Matsushita and Kushida were just ordinary members of the class. They likely didn't care much about the students they weren't close with.
Of course, the same went for Hikigaya.
But Horikita was different. She was someone who had to consider the well-being of the entire class, which made her the most suitable person to give herself advice.
However, Horikita shook her head. "No, I'm not going to ask my brother for help this time."
"…Tsundere?"
"I am NOT!" Horikita shot Hikigaya a glare. "I just don't see the need to rely on my brother. This is my exam, and I should find the answer with my own classmates… Besides, my brother is graduating soon. I can't just go running to him for help every time I have a problem—I need to learn to be independent."
Oh wow, she actually had that level of awareness?
Hikigaya nodded in admiration. "Well, if that's the case, then I won't say anything more. But even if you don't want to ask Horikita-senpai, you could at least take his approach as a reference."
"A reference?"
"For example, think back to the training camp. If we hadn't intervened, what do you think would've happened?"
"Eh? That's…"
Horikita wanted to say that hypothetical scenarios were meaningless, but she also knew Hikigaya wouldn't bring this up for no reason.
After thinking for a moment, she slowly answered, "I think… my brother would've completely fallen into Nagumo's trap, and Tachibana-senpai would have ended up expelled."
"That's obvious. What I'm asking is what happens after that."
"After that…"
"Would Horikita-senpai have spent twenty million points to save Tachibana-senpai?"
Seeing Horikita struggle to answer, Hikigaya went ahead and threw the uncomfortable question at her.
"I don't know what you think, but I believe that if that situation had really occurred, Horikita-senpai would have reached out to help Tachibana-senpai."
"…Yeah."
"Now, do you think that decision would have been reasonable?"
"I…"
Horikita, being as smart as she was, would surely understand.
It's precisely because she's intelligent that conflicting thoughts are surfacing in her mind.
On one hand, the third year is about to graduate soon. Spending such a significant amount of resources to save a single student would mean disregarding the interests of the entire class. Even a small misstep could result in them losing to Class B at the last moment.
On the other hand, Horikita didn't want her brother to be such a heartless person… It was a simple and honest feeling.
"But what if that person wasn't Tachibana-senpai?"
At that moment, Matsushita suddenly posed another question.
"If the person being framed was someone from Class 3-A who had neither contributed much nor had any real abilities, would Horikita-senpai still choose to help them?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kushida jumped in before Horikita could respond. "Of course not, he's not an idiot."
"Then that's pretty similar to our current situation."
Seeing that Horikita didn't quite grasp the point, Matsushita elaborated further. "Horikita-san, let's say you had 20 million private points right now. Would you be willing to use them to prevent Hachiman-kun from being expelled?"
"That goes without saying."
Horikita nodded without hesitation, then quickly added,
"But that's only because he has value, and in the future, he must devote himself fully to the class. Otherwise, I won't accept it."
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Matsushita responded dismissively before asking another question.
"Then what if it were someone else? Like, say… Yamauchi-kun?"
"Uh… well…"
Horikita hesitated immediately, her gaze wandering.
"In that case… it's not that I'm unwilling to part with my private points. It's just that I think that money would serve the class better if it were kept intact."
"Just say you don't want to do it," Kushida interjected impatiently. "And Matsushita, you've been beating around the bush just to suggest expelling Yamauchi. Why waste so many words?"
"Oh? You figured it out?"
"…Your attitude of treating everyone like an idiot is seriously infuriating."
Kushida shot a glare at Matsushita, who was still smiling, then turned to Horikita.
"Alright, Horikita, no need to stress over it. Let's just unanimously decide to kick Yamauchi out. He's useless, annoying, and a disgusting pervert. We just need to contact a few people and get him voted out."
With just a few words, Kikyo boldly decided the fate of a classmate.
"That's right… Someone is bound to get expelled in this additional exam, that's inevitable… So, it's necessary to make the correct judgment about who should be expelled and act decisively… That's the best approach."
Horikita appeared to accept Kushida's proposal, but her tone was filled with hesitation and uncertainty.
She had originally sought confidence from her peers, but all she received in the end was this half-hearted resolve.
After all, Horikita couldn't be as pragmatic as Matsushita, nor could she be as emotionally detached as Kushida, who cared only about her feelings rather than the class's interests.
Trying to have it both ways often results in having nothing at all.
Unless… one possesses overwhelming strength.
"Horikita, you don't have to force yourself."
At that moment, Hikigaya suddenly spoke, cutting through Horikita's thoughts.
"You don't have to listen to Kushida and Matsushita. What matters is what you think—what kind of person you want to be."
"What kind of… person?"
"No matter what conclusion you come to this time, I'll support you completely," Hikigaya spoke indifferently as if it were something trivial. "And don't overthink it. My reason is simple—I already find this exam unreasonable, and for once, I feel like resisting… So don't worry too much, just say what's on your mind."
With the conversation at this point, Horikita should have understood.
—If you also think this exam is unfair and that no one should be expelled, then just say it. I'll cover the 20 million points.
Not just Horikita—Matsushita and Kushida also understood.
The two exchanged glances but remained silent.
"…Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
His words were like a refreshing stream, gradually calming the turmoil in Horikita's heart.
"I haven't made up my mind yet, but once I do, you'll be the first to know… I'll be counting on you then."
"Yeah, just say the word."
With that, Hikigaya suddenly turned his gaze toward Kushida and Matsushita.
Expressionless, he said, "And you two. I don't usually meddle in other people's affairs, but if anyone tries to secretly rally classmates to expel someone, then from now on, I won't bother with you anymore."
"No, no, that was all Kushida's idea. I've been against it from the start." Matsushita instantly threw her ally under the bus.
"Wha—?! You traitorous woman!"
"I am not a traitor."
"Go die!"
Hikigaya ignored their argument.
He simply downed the remaining coffee on the table and then stood up.
"Well, I'm heading back."
Just as he was about to leave, Matsushita suddenly called out to him.
"Hachiman-kun, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"It's just for reference. I'd like to know—who will you write down on your three expulsion votes?"
"…I don't want to say."
"Why not?" Matsushita pressed as if she already knew the answer. "I understand that you don't want the entire class to gang up on one person, but small-group discussions are bound to happen, right? Even if my friends ask me, are you saying I can't answer them?"
Indeed, this kind of situation is unavoidable.
Hikigaya said impatiently, "I never said you couldn't answer, did I?"
However, Matsushita put on a pitiful expression.
"But didn't you just say that if I did something like that in the future, you wouldn't care about me anymore?"
"I was talking about secretly teaming up with classmates."
"Then if two or more friends ask me, does that count as teaming up with classmates?"
"Uh…" For a moment, Hikigaya was genuinely stumped.
He knew full well that Matsushita was playing word games, but he couldn't immediately find a way to refute her.
Or rather, it was inherently difficult to define. Small groups of four or five discussing privately whom to cast their criticism votes for was perfectly normal—Hikigaya wasn't naïve enough to reject that reality.
However, if the number increased to ten or twenty, that would be a different story.
But then again, what if it was ten people? Or eleven?
Hikigaya felt that if he kept thinking about it, his head was going to explode.
He simply answered, "Alright, alright, you just want to know, right? Fine, I'll tell you—I'm voting for Ayanokoji, Yamauchi, and… Sotomura. Just those three."