As Hikigaya stepped out of the office, he spotted Chabashira-sensei a short distance away.
He had no intention of engaging, but unfortunately, she noticed him as well and walked straight toward him.
"How did it go…? Though I suppose I don't need to ask. Your expression says it all."
Chabashira sighed, speaking in that irritatingly knowing tone.
"You've always been a hard student to read—I could never quite figure out what you were thinking. But now, your face is clouded with something undeniable. It seems even a so-called 'champion of justice' like you can't help but bow to reality."
There was an unmistakable hint of self-mockery in her voice as she spoke the last part.
"…Can you not call me that?" Hikigaya openly expressed his irritation. "If I truly cared about justice, Ryuuen would've been long gone from this school."
Just as Chabashira had implied, whether it was fights, bullying, or scheming, Ryuuen's actions were just as bad—if not worse—than Ayanokoji's.
And Hikigaya hadn't lied.
Part of his motivation was indeed the fact that he wasn't confident in dealing with Ayanokoji, making this opportunity all the more important.
But deep down, there was another reason—one he had consciously or unconsciously ignored, deliberately refusing to dwell on it.
Yet, after his conversation with Sakayanagi's father, he could no longer avoid it.
Ayanokoji was an existence that defied common sense.
Raised in a secret facility, subjected to inhumane training since childhood, with a shadowy mastermind pulling the strings behind him—a figure so powerful they could influence the highest levels of society.
And that person wasn't just anyone… but Ayanokoji's father.
It was the kind of absurd backstory you'd expect from a second-rate light novel, and yet, here it was, laid bare in front of him.
Had he not heard it directly from Haruno, he would've dismissed it as ridiculous fiction.
But the evidence was overwhelming—this conspiracy was real.
"Sensei." Hikigaya suddenly asked, "Between theft and Ayanokoji's actions, which would you say is the more serious crime?"
Though unsure of his intent, Chabashira answered honestly. "From a legal standpoint, theft is undoubtedly worse. Ayanokoji's actions, at most, qualify as bullying. While it leaves a terrible impression, there's no direct physical harm involved."
"Yeah…"
Hikigaya reaffirmed to himself—that he was no champion of justice.
Even knowing that Ichinose had committed theft, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for her given her family circumstances. Even Kamuro, who stole purely for the thrill of it, didn't make him recoil in disgust.
But Ayanokoji…
By normal moral standards, what had been done to Ayanokoji far exceeded society's ethical limits.
Compared to that, the suffering of bullied students seemed insignificant.
But then again, how many Japanese people truly concern themselves with starving children halfway across the world?
Hikigaya had grown up in a perfectly normal environment. The concept of places like the White Room was simply too foreign to him.
His mind couldn't process it.
So all he could do was find a way to eliminate this anomaly—out of sight, out of mind.
Maybe that was what frustrated him the most—his pathetic inability to deal with this situation.
"Hikigaya, don't overthink things."
Seeing his silence stretch on, Chabashira spoke up—an uncharacteristic attempt at reassurance.
"One day, you'll understand. The world has never been fair. Some people are born into privileges beyond others' wildest dreams."
"…I've known that for a long time."
Yes, Hikigaya despised how Sakayanagi's father had blatantly protected Ayanokoji. He wouldn't deny that.
But what he hated even more was his helplessness to change anything.
This whole situation felt eerily familiar—just like two years ago.
All he could do was watch.
Unable to do a damn thing.
But what could he do?
It's not like he could go full shounen protagonist and take on the entire financial elite. Reality wasn't a rom-com.
Beep—
His phone buzzed with a notification.
He had no intention of checking it, but the sound was distinct—the school's designated alert tone.
"Aren't you going to check it?" Chabashira prompted.
"…Tch." With no other choice, Hikigaya pulled out his phone.
It was a transfer notification.
From the school.
A full 10 million private points.
"…Is this hush money?" Chabashira's eyes widened in shock. "I knew the chairman valued Ayanokoji, but to go this far just to make him stay… This is excessive."
"Hah, you're underestimating the chairman."
Hikigaya scoffed, showing not a hint of joy at receiving such a massive sum.
Sakayanagi's father had been willing to risk his entire position just to protect Ayanokoji. Compared to that, 10 million private points were nothing.
Hikigaya let out a sigh. "And that's precisely why I failed."
"What do you mean?" Chabashira asked curiously.
"I mean that not every adult is like you." Hikigaya shot her a casual glance. "Children care about right and wrong. Adults care about benefits and losses. If there's anyone this saying applies to, it's you. Unfortunately, the chairman isn't as reasonable."
"…Are you insulting me?"
"Nope. If anything, it's a compliment."
Hikigaya had anticipated Sakayanagi's father would play favorites. That's why he had deliberately brought up Ayanokoji's father—hoping the chairman would see it as a risk too great to handle and cut ties with his so-called 'Masterpiece.'
But in the end, the chairman had completely disregarded his self-interest.
It was a hard lesson—one that reminded Hikigaya not to assume he could read everyone perfectly.
Incidentally, that quote was incorrect. Kohlberg's moral dilemma experiments had already debunked it.
"…Let's get back on topic." Hikigaya turned to Chabashira. "Sensei, do you remember our deal?"
"Oh, of course."
Chabashira-sensei was momentarily stunned. She had originally planned to find an opportunity to remind Hikigaya, but she hadn't expected him to bring it up on his own.
It seemed that Hikigaya was indeed far more reliable than Ayanokoji—at the very least, he was a man of his word.
However, before she could feel relieved, Hikigaya continued, "Then, starting from the next special exam, I'll be counting on your full cooperation, okay?"
"Me, cooperate with you?" Chabashira-sensei immediately frowned. "Are you mistaken about something? It should be you figuring out how to lead the class to promotion. And besides, I am the homeroom teacher—there's no way I could unfairly help you, no matter what."
"So what?" Hikigaya's tone was blunt. At this point, he had no intention of maintaining even a basic level of respect toward certain teachers.
"Do you really think you can get what you want just by doing nothing?"
"I don't know why you're so obsessed with Class A, and I don't care to know. But you should be able to see the current state of Class D. If you truly want to achieve your goal, then as homeroom teacher, you'll have to put in several times more effort—and take far greater risks—than other teachers. Otherwise, everything you want is just wishful thinking."
Although the chairman had stopped him this time, Hikigaya had no intention of letting Ayanokoji off so easily.
He had no desire to make life difficult for decent people, so if someone had to suffer, it might as well be that so-called "masterpiece."
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to suppress the fire burning inside him.
Besides, children who make mistakes should be properly punished.
And for that, Chabashira-sensei's assistance was essential.
"…What exactly do you want me to do?"
Chabashira-sensei was surprised by how aggressive Hikigaya had suddenly become. But instead of scolding him, she seriously considered his words.
Class D had many flaws, but it also had its fair share of talented individuals.
If she hadn't believed there was a real chance for them to turn things around, she wouldn't have taken the risk of threatening Ayanokoji in the first place.
But looking back now, that might not have been the wisest choice.
So even if Hikigaya was asking her to help cheat in the special exam, she had to figure out a way to make it work—a solution that wouldn't put her at risk.
After all, getting caught for cheating was no joke.
"For now, nothing," Hikigaya said indifferently. "Once Paper Shuffle begins, I'll come find you."
"Wait… I don't think this has been announced to the first-years yet… Ah, the student council, huh?"
Chabashira-sensei was initially surprised but quickly pieced it together.
It was extremely difficult for first-year students to extract information from their seniors. Not only was there concern about violating school regulations, but there was also no real benefit in sharing such intel.
In this school, even students grew more pragmatic the longer they stayed.
But Hikigaya's position in the student council granted him many privileges and conveniences.
Even a small amount of power, when used effectively, was enough to make people talk.
At the very least, being able to obtain exam details in advance already put him ahead of most students.
"Since you already know about Paper Shuffle, then you should understand there's nothing I can do," Chabashira-sensei advised. "In fact, precisely because I'm Class D's homeroom teacher, I have no way of obtaining the other classes' test questions. You'd best abandon any such ideas."
"What are you even saying? Like I'd make you do something like that," Hikigaya responded, exasperated.
He had no interest in resorting to such cheap tricks. If he was going to involve a teacher, it would be strictly within the boundaries of the rules—perhaps skirting them a little, but never outright breaking them.
"Anyway, I'm not dumb enough to be like Ayanokoji, recklessly putting myself at risk of expulsion. You can rest easy on that. After all, I am a man who specializes in risk management."
Of course, that didn't mean there was no risk at all.
The greatest danger was that if they failed this special exam, Class D might completely lose its will to fight, never regaining the drive to resist.
But there was no need to tell Chabashira-sensei that just yet.
She would find out soon enough.