"Attack... Class B?"
Horikita was momentarily stunned, her gaze filled with confusion as she looked at Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, could you explain your reasoning? From my perspective, the only logical target should be Class C."
"Yeah, their overall academic performance isn't great."
Hikigaya nodded in agreement. He had already investigated this matter thoroughly last semester.
Of course, that didn't mean Class C would never improve, but only a few months had passed—it was unrealistic for their overall performance to change drastically.
"Since you're aware of this... are you worried about overlapping targets? Both Class A and Class B might indeed aim for Class C due to their lower scores, which could result in a lottery to determine the final target. But that doesn't mean we should give up on this opportunity, right?"
Horikita and the others had already discussed this issue in their strategy meeting earlier.
Their conclusion was simple: worrying wouldn't change anything.
If there was a conflict, then luck would decide the outcome.
However, Hikigaya simply shook his head.
"No, I actually think it's impossible for Class A and Class B to target Class C."
"Why is that?" Horikita frowned. "They wouldn't pass up the chance to eliminate a weaker opponent, right? Or are you saying they're aiming for us?"
"Don't worry, that's even less likely to happen."
Seeing that Horikita still didn't quite understand, Hikigaya explained, "At this stage, the goals of those two classes are already different from ours. Accumulating class points is secondary… Especially for Class B—they'll definitely want to use this opportunity to wash away their humiliation."
After the sports festival, Sakayanagi's class regained its position as Class B, but it wasn't exactly a victory worth celebrating.
After all, they were originally Class A, known as the most outstanding class. Back in April, they had only lost sixty points—a record-breaking low.
But the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
So, just to prove their strength, they would undoubtedly challenge the current Class A instead of preying on a weaker class.
As for Sakayanagi, she likely wouldn't object. In fact, given her personality, she'd probably prefer a stronger opponent.
Even though she wants to defeat Ayanokoji, winning an exam based purely on the difference in class academic abilities wouldn't be particularly meaningful to her.
As for Class A, it's harder to be certain.
There isn't a significant academic gap between them and Class B, so if they went head-to-head, either side could win or lose.
To play it safe, some students might prefer to secure their advantage by attacking Class C or Class D.
However, Class A relies too much on Ichinose's leadership—and she's soft-hearted.
This exam carries the risk of expulsion, so she would likely choose to fight the stronger Class B instead.
And on the surface, suppressing the closely trailing Class B wouldn't seem like an arbitrary decision from a leader.
Most importantly, no one in Class A would oppose Ichinose.
So unless something interferes, this Paper Shuffle exam will likely play out as Class A vs. Class B and Class C vs. Class D.
"Alright, your analysis makes sense, but doesn't that work out perfectly for us?" Horikita asked, confused. "We were originally worried about being targeted by Class A or Class B, but if both the attacking and defending side are Class C, our chances of winning increase significantly. We can take the full 100 class points."
"True, I think so too."
"Then why go out of our way to challenge a class with higher academic ability? That doesn't make sense."
"The meaning of it… depends on how you look at it."
Hikigaya deliberately left some suspense in his response.
If it were the old Horikita, she might have already started getting impatient. But now, she simply waited in silence.
Seeing this, Hikigaya decided not to push it too far and continued, "Horikita, what is your goal in this school?"
"Huh? Of course, it's to lead the class to Class A."
Although the question seemed a bit random, Horikita still answered honestly.
"Do you think the people in Class D share the same goal as you?"
"Uh…"
If Hikigaya had asked whether she had confidence in herself, she could have answered without hesitation.
But as for the rest of the class… there was no way she could say yes with a straight face.
"Even if we win against Class C this time, aside from the 100 class points, we won't gain anything else."
Right now, Class D was in a state of semi-acceptance of their circumstances. The main motivation for participating in special exams was to avoid expulsion and earn a little extra spending money.
Class A? They weren't even thinking about it.
"But if we could defeat Class B—the former elite Class A—it might actually give our classmates motivation to work harder. At the very least, it would significantly boost their morale, wouldn't it?"
Hearing Hikigaya's words, Horikita felt a bit tempted.
As he said, what Class D lacked most was confidence in their future.
If they could really defeat Class B, it would be like a shot of adrenaline, making them believe they weren't inferior to others.
However, Horikita knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"But isn't that impossible? The smart students in Class B will write our test questions, and we have to write theirs. There's no way we can win."
"No, you've got one thing wrong," Hikigaya corrected. "We do have to write questions for Class B, but the ones we have to answer aren't from them—they're from Class C."
"You mean…"
"Yeah, Ryuuen is definitely going to target us."
There was no need to doubt it. Class C's best chance of winning was against Class D.
That tyrant may not be the smartest, but he knew exactly how capable his subordinates were.
"And I'll be responsible for persuading Ichinose to attack Class C."
If everything went smoothly, this Paper Shuffle would end up as Class A attacking Class C, Class C attacking Class D, Class D attacking Class B, and Class B attacking Class A.
That would complete the first step of Hikigaya's plan.
"Really…? Will Ichinose listen to you?" Horikita suddenly asked.
Her tone sounded… a little off.
Hikigaya didn't think too much of it and replied, "I'd say we're on decent terms. And as long as it's not harmful to her class, she's usually willing to help."
"…Fine, I'll assume that's the case for now."
Horikita folded her arms and let out a small sigh.
For some reason, she didn't seem satisfied with that answer… Was it just his imagination?
"But Hikigaya-kun, even if Class C's questions are relatively easy," Horikita said with concern, "just because we get to write Class B's questions doesn't mean our total score will be higher than theirs. The gap between our classes is still huge."
"Yeah, especially in academic ability. We don't even need to compare to know the outcome."
Hikigaya's pessimistic remark didn't make Horikita panic. She knew he had more to say.
"That's why we need to make sure our questions are as difficult as possible—to give Class B a test from hell."
"But that's easier said than done," Horikita argued.
Every class would try to make their test as difficult as possible.
But Chabashira-sensei had already said that the school would strictly regulate the difficulty. Even if they could set traps with question types, there was a limit to how tricky they could be.
After all, they had to write 400 questions—it was impossible to make every single one insanely hard.
"Don't worry, leave that to me. I'll take care of all the questions."
To Horikita's surprise, Hikigaya volunteered to take on the entire task.
"By the way, who was originally responsible for writing the questions? You're one of them, right?"
"Yeah, it was me and Hirata."
"Then you two should focus on tutoring the others. Leave the test-making to me."
"But…"
Horikita hesitated, but Hikigaya knew what she was worried about.
"Don't worry, I'll finish them as soon as possible so you can review them. If you think they're no good, you can reject them."
"No, that's not what I'm worried about." Horikita glanced slightly to the side. "It's your hand… And writing 400 questions on your own while making sure Class B struggles? Isn't that way too much?"
"Alone, huh… Heh."
For some reason, Hikigaya chuckled.
Horikita gave him a puzzled look, and he quickly straightened up. "Sorry, don't mind that. Anyway, I'm confident I can finish in two weeks."
"I see… Then there's just one last problem."
Horikita chose not to dwell on that strange laugh. That was a big help.
Although he could explain it, Hikigaya was a little embarrassed to say it outright.
Because even he thought it was a bit shameless.
"I understand the logic behind attacking Class B, but the rest of the class won't."
Horikita sighed, looking troubled.
"Why would they choose to go after the harder target, Class B, instead of the easier Class C? I really don't know how to convince them."
"…Huh?"
"What's wrong? Did I say something strange?"
"No, it's just…" Hikigaya stammered slightly. "You've really changed, huh… Why do you care about what they think? Think about it—do you really need to?"
Horikita furrowed her brows. "Are you saying… we should decide on Class B without telling the class?"
"Well, duh! Why else do you think I called you here alone?"
Hikigaya was genuinely surprised.
She actually cared about what her classmates thought... Was she finally starting to play the "good friends" game?
It was probably because, after the sports festival, Horikita had voluntarily apologized without facing any criticism. Coupled with her cooperation with Kushida and the others, she must have started to feel a sense of belonging to the class.
While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, if this continued, it would be difficult to compete with the other classes.
"Horikita, it's good to consider different perspectives, but that doesn't mean you have to listen to everyone's opinion. Especially given our class's situation, what you should be thinking about is how to get everyone to follow the plan."
Hikigaya offered a gentle piece of advice, though ultimately, the decision was up to Horikita herself.
"But even if I agree to secretly nominate Class B, everyone will find out eventually, right? That could end up affecting morale," Horikita voiced her concern.
"You don't have to worry about that. They won't find out."
"But Chabashira-sensei will inform them—"
"Chabashira-sensei won't say a word," Hikigaya stated firmly. "She'll simply tell everyone that Class C was nominated by Class A and that Class B nominated Class A. That's it."
"You... even got Chabashira-sensei to help cover this up?"
Horikita's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even though their homeroom teacher was indifferent toward the class, she was still a teacher. There was no way she would outright lie or favor a specific student during an exam.
She couldn't imagine how Hikigaya had managed to convince her.
"Don't be ridiculous. I never asked Chabashira-sensei to lie… at most, she just won't mention certain details."
As long as Horikita's nomination of Class B wasn't explicitly stated, the others would naturally assume she had simply drawn the worst possible lot.
"Of course, I understand that this decision still comes with some risks, so if you choose to refuse, that's fine too," Hikigaya said sincerely.
Then, he patiently waited for her answer.
"…Cunning."
But after a long pause, that was all Horikita said, her expression complicated.
Huh? What does this have to do with being cunning?
"You've come all this way to ask for my help. How could I possibly refuse?"
"Huh? No, no, no." Hikigaya blinked in confusion and quickly clarified, "Horikita, you misunderstood. I'm not forcing you. Just because I helped you a little in the past doesn't mean you owe me anything. I don't expect you to repay me at all."
"Mm, I know what kind of person you are. I was just joking."
A moment ago, Horikita had seemed deeply conflicted, but now, as if flipping a switch, she was back to her usual cold and composed demeanor.
This girl…
Suppressing his irritation, Hikigaya sighed impatiently. "Anyway, just say whether you agree or not. If you don't, then forget it."
"…Sigh."
After a brief silence, Horikita let out a long, resigned sigh.
"To be honest, your plan is reckless. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't even consider it. But since it's you… even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I still want to believe in you."
"One-in-ten-thousand? It's not that low."
Even though Horikita seemed to have agreed, Hikigaya didn't feel happy at all.
Wait, am I being trusted here? Something feels off…
"Alright, since you've talked so much, I have a few questions of my own."
Horikita cleared her throat and looked at Hikigaya with an unusually serious look.
"Please answer me honestly, why do you suddenly want to interfere in class affairs? This is inconsistent with your usual behavior. In addition...you ranked last in the midterm exam this time. Is it just because you are in poor condition?"