"Uh... is something going on?" Hikigaya cautiously asked.
"Nope."
"Not at all."
Kushida and Matsushita shook their heads in unison, their expressions full of innocent confusion as if wondering what he was talking about.
These two...!
Hikigaya felt his teeth grinding in frustration, but he could do nothing against these two wicked girls… Forget it. It's better to be the wiser person and let it slide.
Yeah, that's right—he wouldn't stoop to the level of petty schoolgirls.
Never underestimate the power of self-consolation!
Horikita, watching from the side, let out a sigh. "Haven't any of you read it? The story from Run, Melos!? You should pick up a book once in a while."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it. You have no friends, so all you do is read," Kushida replied impatiently before turning back to Hikigaya.
"So, what exactly do you plan to do, Hachiman?"
"It's quite simple… We just need to plant a seed of doubt between Ishikura and Igari."
The story he referenced was about Melos, a man who was arrested for rebelling against a tyrannical king and sentenced to death. Melos begged the king to let him return home for a few days to attend his sister's wedding, promising that he would come back to face his execution. During this time, his friend was imprisoned as collateral.
The king agreed but imposed a cruel condition—if Melos failed to return in time, his friend would be executed in his place, while Melos himself would be pardoned.
It was the king's twisted amusement, a test of human nature. He wanted to see if best friends would betray each other for their survival.
And now, someone else wanted to see the same thing.
"You should understand now," Hikigaya continued. "For Ishikura, if he abandons Igari at the right moment, not only can he save 20 million points, but more importantly, his class will immediately close the gap with Class A."
Though it was uncertain whether Nagumo would demand the return of that 20 million points, Hikigaya was almost certain that he wouldn't. Nagumo would probably be pleased to see this development.
After all, barring any surprises, third-year Class A would undoubtedly step in to save Tachibana Akane under Horikita Manabu's leadership.
At that point, the point difference between Class A and Class B would be negligible, and from Nagumo's perspective, this would mean he had completely defeated Horikita Manabu.
"Kushida, I need you to get close to Igari over the next few days. Chat with her, drop some casual remarks about how men are unreliable."
If Hikigaya wasn't mistaken, Ishikura and Igari weren't just classmates. They weren't a couple yet, but there was a certain level of trust between them.
Otherwise, that kind of self-sacrificing strategy would have been impossible.
"…Hmph, why should I care?"
To his surprise, Kushida abruptly turned away with a haughty scoff.
"Huh? What's going on now?"
Just a moment ago, everything was fine, but now the mood had completely flipped… That was way too fast!
"Hachiman." Kushida's face was full of seriousness. "When asking someone for help, you should properly address them by their name. I'm right about that, aren't I, Hachiman?"
Ah, so that's what this is about.
Even though I understood, I would have preferred not to… Well, there's no way out of this.
Hikigaya glanced around guiltily before lowering his voice and muttering, "Um… Kikyo-chan, could I ask you for a favor?"
"Geez, at least say it properly." Kushida still didn't seem satisfied.
"…Kikyo, I'm counting on you."
"Mm, leave it to me!"
Finally, Kushida broke into a bright smile.
"Hehe, I'm good at this kind of thing. Brain-dead pigs are easy to deal with."
"…That's not something you should say with such pride."
And don't forget—we're in the cafeteria. Even if it's noisy, it'd be bad if someone overheard that.
Still, Hikigaya had been keeping an eye on his surroundings. Aside from a few curious glances, there wasn't much else.
…Three girls together really stood out, huh?
But at this point, he couldn't just say, "Let's not meet for now." That would make it seem like he was using Kushida and then immediately abandoning her. He'd get scolded for that.
At that moment, Horikita suddenly spoke. "Hikigaya-kun, your idea isn't bad, but you do know how that story ends, right?"
"Ah, yeah, of course."
The story had a happy ending. Despite all the hardships, Melos made it back in time. He told his friend, "Punch me, because I once thought about not returning." And his friend replied, "Then punch me too because I once doubted, whether you would come back."
The king, moved by their friendship, forgave them and reformed himself.
…Yeah, a fairy tale full of positive energy.
Thinking about this, Hikigaya spoke in a slightly mocking tone. "Don't worry, Horikita. Your concern is unnecessary. After all, we live in the real world."
"…Yeah."
"For now, find a chance to show concern for Tachibana-senpai. More importantly, make sure the people around you notice that you're actively approaching her."
Horikita looked a bit strange, but Hikigaya didn't dwell on it.
There was no time to worry about anything else right now.
"By the way, Matsushita, any movements from Manabe's side?" Hikigaya suddenly asked.
"Not much." Matsushita rested her chin on her hand, recalling. "Other than asking me about you and Ayanokoji-kun, she's been pretty well-behaved."
"Is that so…"
It made sense for her to inquire about Ayanokōji, but why ask about him too?
"Well, just ignore it for now. Just keep an eye on her at night, in case she tries anything."
"Don't worry, I made sure to pick the bunk right below Manabe's."
As expected, Matsushita was the sharpest one.
Dorm assignments were decided yesterday afternoon. Even before she met up with him, she had already considered this.
He should treat her to a meal later… No, maybe just cover her meal expenses instead.
After dinner, Hikigaya parted ways with Kushida and the others, returned to his dorm, grabbed his change of clothes, and took a shower. After finishing up, he knocked on the door of the dorm where Nagumo's group was staying.
"Excuse me for disturbing you."
Upon receiving permission, Hikigaya pushed the door open and entered.
Luckily, his target was right there, so he hadn't come for nothing.
"Huh? If it isn't Hikigaya. Did you come looking for me?" Nagumo seemed amused by his appearance.
To be honest, Hikigaya thought so too.
"Yes, Nagumo-senpai. If you don't mind, could we have a private conversation?"
"Heh, of course."
Nagumo readily agreed, but just as he was about to stand up, Kiriyama suddenly spoke.
"Hikigaya, did you have a conflict with Mikiya during breakfast?"
"If you mean him almost punching me, I don't mind," Hikigaya replied nonchalantly.
"That's not the issue." Kiriyama's expression was serious. "I heard you were disrespectful to a senior—that's what started the problem, wasn't it?"
So he was standing up for his classmate? Or maybe he just wanted to put a cocky junior in his place.
Either way, Hikigaya wasn't about to let him have his way.
"Disrespectful attitude? Then, may I ask, how do we define 'disrespect'? Is there a set standard for it?"
"What do you mean by that?! Are you talking back to a senior?" Kiriyama snapped.
"No, I just find it amusing."
Hikigaya gave a slight smirk, his tone laced with mockery.
"Yesterday, Nagumo-senpai challenged Horikita-senpai. That was disrespectful, wasn't it? He nearly pissed off a third-year senpai. But why didn't you say anything back then? Did you suddenly lose your voice?"
"You—!"
"Enough. That's as far as this goes."
"But he—"
"I said, that's enough."
Nagumo decisively shut Kiriyama down. Though Kiriyama looked frustrated, he couldn't match Nagumo's authority, so he had no choice but to back off.
Completely subdued, huh?
"Hikigaya, you should hold back a little, too." Nagumo sighed, smiling wryly. "Honestly, you have a talent for making people angry. I don't dislike your aggressive nature, but at least show some surface-level respect to your seniors."
"…Understood."
"Heh, as long as you understand."
Seeing Hikigaya nod, Nagumo didn't press further. He didn't even bring up Mikiya again—after all, that guy was just a minor character.
"You had something to discuss with me, right? Let's step outside. Kiriyama, wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
So Nagumo had other business afterward… Oh well, that didn't matter.
The two of them left the dorm, walked through the hallway, and stopped at the base of the staircase.
There weren't many people around. Even if someone passed by, they would notice immediately.
"This spot seems fine. What do you want to talk about?"
"Hmm…"
Hikigaya paused, deliberately acting as if he were deep in thought.
"During dinner, Horikita asked me something that caught my attention."
"Horikita?" Nagumo looked puzzled.
"I mean my classmate, Horikita Suzune. She's Horikita-senpai's younger sister." Hikigaya clarified.
"Oh, her? I remember seeing her during the deliberations. She does look a bit like Horikita-senpai."
Nagumo acted as if he had just remembered, but that was obviously a lie.
After all, Hikigaya hadn't hidden his interactions with Horikita and the others. Many students had seen them together in the cafeteria. There was no way the second-years hadn't reported it to Nagumo.
That's why, instead of letting this guy speculate on his own, Hikigaya figured he might as well bring it up himself.
That way, he might be able to mislead Nagumo's judgment.
"What did she ask you about?"
"She asked me… about Tachibana-senpai."
Hikigaya hesitated, though it was all an act.
"Horikita is in the same main group as Tachibana-senpai. She noticed some internal conflict and wanted to know if I knew anything about it."
"I see…" Nagumo rubbed his chin, pretending to think. "I haven't heard anything about that… So, how did you answer?"
"I told her I had no idea."
"And this so-called internal conflict—what exactly did she mean?"
Nagumo's question made Hikigaya tense up slightly.
Whether or not he slipped up would depend on his next move.
But if everything went smoothly, he could completely fool Nagumo.
"Horitaka mentioned that Senior Tachibana has been repeatedly criticized by her group members. It seems like there's been some conflict, and she's been eating lunch alone while everyone openly avoids her... That's about the gist of it."
"That's a tough situation." Nagumo furrowed his brows. "If it were a male student, I could step in somehow, but when it comes to girls, I'm powerless. I could ask Asahina to do something, but since Tachibana-senpai is a third-year and in a different group from Asahina, it'd probably come off as suspicious."
"Yeah, I understand how difficult this is."
"Oh? I thought you were going to ask me to help Tachibana-senpai."
"Not at all." Hikigaya shook his head without hesitation. "Personal relationships are one thing, but exams are another. Everyone has their battles to fight."
"Heh, that's true. Besides, I doubt Tachibana-senpai would even want help from a junior. She's pretty stubborn, after all."
Nagumo spoke as if he had already seen through Tachibana Akane's personality.
And in reality, he had. This entire strategy was designed to exploit her weakness—her absolute unwillingness to cause trouble for Senior Horikita.
"By the way, you mentioned curiosity earlier, didn't you? What exactly are you curious about?" Nagumo inquired.
"I'm curious about how someone as easygoing as Tachibana-senpai could end up in a conflict with others for no apparent reason."
"That's hard to say. This is an exam, after all, and she's stuck in a group with her rivals. If they don't coordinate well, it's only natural for hostilities to arise."
"Yeah." Hikigaya nodded with a half-smile. "Especially since the third-years are about to graduate. Some people must be getting desperate by now. If they don't start panicking, then the past three years would've been meaningless for them."
It was at this moment that Nagumo finally sensed something was off about Hikigaya's tone.
"Hmm? The way you're speaking… it sounds like you're implying something."
"Tachibana-senpai, huh… How should I put it? I haven't worked with her for even a full year, but I've come to understand her to some extent."
Hikigaya didn't answer Nagumo's question directly, but his words weren't entirely unrelated.
"Someone like Tachibana-senpai excels at working with others. After all, she's spent the past three years supporting that difficult Horikita-senpai. Compared to that, dealing with anyone else should be a walk in the park."
"Hey now, that's pretty rude."
Nagumo chuckled, though he likely agreed in his heart.
Then, with growing curiosity, he asked, "So? What are you getting at?"
"What I'm saying is... Nagumo-senpai, your real goal isn't competing with Horikita-senpai for group rankings, nor is it targeting Ayanokoji. You aim to make Tachibana-senpai drop out, isn't it?"
"Uh…"
Faced with Hikigaya's nonchalant statement, Nagumo fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly giving a light round of applause.
"Well, well, well. As expected of someone personally invited into the student council by Horikita-senpai. Hikigaya, you are something else."
"Should I take that as an admission?"
"Heh, no need to deny it, is there? You've already figured it out."
Nagumo's tone carried both admiration and a deep sense of satisfaction.
"I thought no one would anticipate this move of mine, something completely outside the standard playbook—not even Horikita-senpai. But you… you've truly surprised me."
"No, if Horikita hadn't told me about Tachibana-senpai's situation, I wouldn't have reached this conclusion either."
"Haha, even so, that's impressive."
Nagumo didn't seem to be acting—he was genuinely pleased at being found out.
So this kind of guy is the real trouble...
"Well, Hikigaya, considering your past ties, don't you think you should give Horikita-senpai a little heads-up?"
"…And what would that change?" Hikigaya countered. "If I'm not mistaken, the group that Tachibana-senpai is in—including the person in charge—are all your subordinates, right?"
"Calling them subordinates is a bit much. I've merely reached some agreements with my seniors."
"Semantics don't matter. The moment the group assignments were finalized, this was already a deadlock."
"Heh… as expected, you've completely seen through my setup."
This was Nagumo's confidence.
Spending twenty million points upfront for a self-destructive tactic—unless they were willing to abandon Tachibana Akane, Horikita Manabu had no choice but to get involved.
"Nagumo-senpai, your setup is indeed impressive, nearly flawless… But if this is all there is, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed in you."
At last, it was time to lay all the cards on the table.