After the mock exam ended, the students of Class B packed up their belongings with ease, chatting and laughing as they prepared to leave.
Regardless of their performance in the special exam, they were, after all, the elite students assigned to Class A at the beginning of the school year. At the very least, academics were not a problem for them.
Unlike Class C and Class D, where some students were still worried about failing the final exams.
However, not everyone in Class B looked relaxed.
"Masumi, what's with that face? Did the mock exam not go well?" Sakayanagi teased. "If you're struggling, I could tutor you. I promise to etch every question deep into your brain."
"Stop talking nonsense. I can at least pass, you know."
Kamuro replied irritably, then looked at Sakayanagi with a serious expression.
"Sakayanagi, I'm serious. You need to stop this."
"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"
"...I'm talking about your plan."
Kamuro was both exasperated and frustrated at Sakayanagi's feigned ignorance—she almost wanted to give up trying to convince her.
But she couldn't let things escalate further, so she continued persuading her, holding back her impatience.
"I've been against this from the start. And now, even more people are getting dragged in. If this keeps going, it'll be bad."
"Hehe, leaving aside Ichinose, what Hikigaya and Ryuuen are doing has nothing to do with me, you know."
Sakayanagi maintained her composed smile, but a slight doubt lingered in her mind.
Who exactly was behind this...? Ayanokoji?
Or perhaps...
Kamuro, however, wasn't buying her excuse.
"There's no one else it could be but you. Especially when it comes to Hikigaya..."
At that, Kamuro suddenly lowered her voice.
"I warned you before not to use that against him. Even if you want revenge for the humiliation he caused you in Class D, can't you find another way? You know firsthand what happens when you try to poke at his wounds."
"Kamuro." Sakayanagi's expression turned colder. "I've told you before, haven't I? I don't care about things like pride. It's utterly insignificant to me."
"Then why go after him?"
"I told you—it has nothing to do with me."
Sakayanagi reiterated, then added, "Besides, I'm not the only one who knows about it. I heard that Matsushita, who was in the same middle school as Hikigaya, is in his class. There are also other second-years who graduated from Soubu. It's possible that someone let it slip."
In truth, Sakayanagi had obtained information about Hikigaya's past from a senior student.
She had first used her personal points to access teacher records and confirm that Hikigaya came from Soubu Middle School. From there, she started gathering intelligence.
Hikigaya had done that in his second year of middle school, meaning the third-years at the time would have known about it, or at least heard something.
And Sakayanagi had managed to find someone within the school who had knowledge of the incident and extracted the details effortlessly.
"Also, that new rumor about Hikigaya… there's something odd about it."
Recalling what she had seen on the online forum that morning, Sakayanagi murmured to herself.
She sensed something off about the entire situation.
"What are you—huh?"
Kamuro was about to say more when suddenly, the classroom door burst open with a loud bang.
"...Hikigaya?" She stared in shock.
Standing in the doorway was none other than Hikigaya himself.
It wasn't just Kamuro—everyone else in the room was equally surprised by this unexpected visitor.
A student from another class dropping by wasn't unusual. It was normal for people to visit friends in different classes and chat.
But Hikigaya?
The more one knew about him, the harder it was to imagine him voluntarily entering another class's room—especially in such a dramatic fashion, under everyone's gaze.
The sudden development froze the entire classroom.
All eyes locked onto Hikigaya.
Yet, no one spoke.
Everyone could feel the tension in the air, as if saying a single word would make them a target.
"Hikigaya, what brings you to our class?"
Katsuragi was the first to break the heavy silence, either to ease the atmosphere or simply out of curiosity.
But Hikigaya ignored him and strode straight into the room.
His gaze was fixed on Sakayanagi, who sat in the center of the classroom.
Anyone who had heard the new rumor circulating that morning could easily guess why he was here.
The Class B students instinctively stepped aside, making way for him. Even Hashimoto, who usually liked to show his loyalty, stayed silent and watched from the sidelines.
Only Kito stood up to block his path.
"...What do you want with Sakayanagi, Hikigaya?"
"Move. I have nothing to say to you." Hikigaya's tone was blunt.
But Kito remained unmoved, stepping forward instead.
As he closed the distance, an unspoken pressure emanated from him—an unmistakable message that he wouldn't let Hikigaya pass without an explanation.
At that moment, Sakayanagi spoke.
"Kito, there's no need to be so cautious. Let Hikigaya come over. It seems he has something to say to me."
At her instruction, Kito stepped aside.
Yet, Hikigaya didn't move.
He simply stood there, staring at Sakayanagi with a blank expression.
"What is it? Didn't you have something to say?" Sakayanagi smiled. "Or… did I misunderstand? Were you looking for Kamuro?"
"...What do you mean?"
Just as Hikigaya finished speaking, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Through the classroom windows, it was clear that a group of Class D students had arrived.
"Oh my, it looks like your comrades are here to pick you up."
"...What do you mean?"
Hikigaya didn't respond to her teasing as he normally would. Instead, he repeated the same question.
Sakayanagi sighed as if finding his reaction dull.
"Hikigaya, your responses aren't as amusing as they used to be. And your question… isn't it missing a few words? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"So you're just going to keep playing dumb, huh?"
"I have no idea what you mean."
Few in the room would have believed Sakayanagi was innocent.
And even without Hikigaya explicitly stating it, his implication was clear to all.
Of course, the fact that people had reached that conclusion was no coincidence—someone had deliberately led them to think that way.
"...So you're not going to stop?" Hikigaya's tone was almost a warning.
"Hehe. If you're talking about the rumors, I wasn't the one who spread them."
Technically, Sakayanagi wasn't lying. She had only instructed her subordinates to do so—she had never directly spread anything herself.
Hikigaya wasn't about to argue or debate with her. That would be pointless.
"Alright then. Since you're saying that, I just hope you won't regret it later."
With that, he walked up to the podium, planting his hands firmly on the desk with a loud bang.
"Class B, I'm here today to clarify something important… You've all heard the rumor about me acquiring a massive number of points through illicit means, right?"
The classroom immediately erupted into a commotion.
Class B was more than just familiar with that rumor. Even now, over half of their class had to pay Hikigaya 50,000 personal points each month.
Unfortunately, their frustration had nowhere to go.
Hikigaya nodded as if satisfied with their reactions and continued, "I didn't really want to explain this to you all. After all, some things are better left unknown… But since a certain someone refuses to listen, I have no choice."
"So, what exactly do you want to say?" Sakayanagi asked with a smile.
She didn't seem intent on stopping him… Really now, don't regret it later.
"Have you ever wondered why, back on the uninhabited island, I suddenly took action against your class?"
Before the Class B students could respond, Hikigaya continued on his own. "It wasn't because of the special exam. To be honest, I have zero interest in winning or losing something like that, and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to exert effort for it."
As he spoke, he glanced at Sakayanagi.
She was still smiling, as if completely unconcerned about the matter being exposed.
Since that was the case, Hikigaya saw no need to hold back.
"To be honest, I would've preferred to just lie down and do nothing. But the only reason I took so much action back then… was because I was forced to. Someone assigned me the task of striking against Katsuragi's faction."
"Oh? And who exactly forced you?" Sakayanagi asked, her interest piqued.
Judging from her composed demeanor, she probably believed that no matter what Hikigaya said next, she'd be able to cover it up skillfully.
Indeed, she had been the one who asked Hikigaya to do it in the first place.
But even if what he was about to say was the absolute truth, how many people would actually believe him?
After all, when it came to verbal battles, Sakayanagi was confident she wouldn't lose to anyone.
However, Hikigaya wasn't trying to 'say' anything—he was making them 'listen.'
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, swiped across the screen a few times, and turned the volume to maximum.
A familiar voice played from the speaker.
[Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun. I've been expecting you.]
The students of Class A exchanged uneasy glances.
That was unmistakably Sakayanagi's voice.
And the ever-smiling Sakayanagi… as soon as she heard just the first few seconds of the recording, her expression stiffened.
She remembered when this had happened—it was the day they played chess in the library for the first time.
Although she had already arranged for Hikigaya to target Katsuragi's faction beforehand, that day, she had just so happened to dig up some of his secrets and couldn't resist testing his reaction.
To force Hikigaya to take things seriously, she had deliberately brought up his middle school days.
Naturally, that had led to them discussing his mission to undermine Katsuragi.
If that information got out…
Sakayanagi instinctively tightened her grip on her cane.
For the first time, she felt the situation slipping out of her control.
She never imagined that Hikigaya would secretly record their conversation.
In fact, this was a disaster of her own making.
From the moment they met, Hikigaya had been constantly toyed with by Sakayanagi. But at most, he would just curse her behind her back, calling her a 'damn white-haired girl.'
Other than that, he had never considered retaliating.
After all, dealing with her was far too troublesome.
Even when Sakayanagi used a bet to force Hikigaya to go against Katsuragi's faction, he silently accepted it.
But things took a turn for the worse on Haruno's birthday.
Sakayanagi had Kamuro secretly take photos of Hikigaya and Haruno celebrating together, then used those photos to threaten him.
Perhaps it was at that moment that Hikigaya subconsciously started to view Sakayanagi as a potential enemy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to record their conversation in the library.
Before that, he had never taken any special precautions against her.
Being treated as a plaything to pass the time didn't bother him.
But that woman should never have dragged Miss Haruno into this.
"Everyone, I know you're all confused right now."
Hikigaya swept his gaze over the audience.
"But please be patient and listen until the end. That way, you'll understand why you've fallen to Class B."
Since it was a full recording, the first half consisted mostly of them focusing on their chess match, with no critical information yet.
At the moment, the recording had only reached the part where Sakayanagi brought up Hikigaya's middle school days, further proving that she was the one spreading rumors about him.
Though the Class B students were somewhat concerned about this revelation, what truly caught their attention was what he said afterward.
—What did he mean by 'why you've fallen to Class B'?
Did that mean… there was a traitor among them?
In a way, they had guessed the truth.
However, Sakayanagi wasn't about to let Hikigaya continue. Maintaining her composed demeanor, she spoke:
"Hikigaya-kun, isn't it time to end this farce?"
"A farce? Weren't you the one asking who was forcing me?"
"Secretly recording our conversation was already quite rude. There's no need to listen any further."
Ignoring Hikigaya's words, Sakayanagi subtly signaled to Kito.
"Now, please leave our classroom."
The moment she finished speaking, Kito strode forward and reached out to grab Hikigaya.
Though the recording was still in Hikigaya's possession—likely with backups—meaning he could expose the truth at any time, Sakayanagi knew one thing:
As long as she could cut him off here, as long as he didn't play the recording in front of everyone, she would have enough time to smooth things over.
Even if the students eventually learned the truth, most of them would still choose to stand by her side.
The key was to seize the initiative and prevent Hikigaya from controlling the flow of events.
But just as Kito's hand was about to reach Hikigaya, a massive black hand suddenly appeared and firmly gripped his wrist.
"...!"
Kito struggled to break free, only to realize that he couldn't move an inch.
"Hahaha, Sakayanagi, it seems your underlings aren't very reliable. They're no match for Albert at all."
"...Ryuuen-kun, I didn't expect you to grace us with your presence."
That's right—suddenly barging in was none other than Ryuuen, along with Ishizaki, Albert, Ibuki, and the rest of Class C's fighters.
The atmosphere in the classroom grew even more tense.
—Seriously… could he have arrived any later?
Seeing Ryuuen finally show up, Hikigaya secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Before entering Class B, he had anticipated that Sakayanagi might resort to force. While an outright fight was unlikely, forcibly throwing him out wouldn't be too much of a problem.
That's why he had prepared a powerful backup.
"Our Class B sure is lively today. Unfortunately, now isn't a convenient time to entertain guests. Could I ask you all to leave?"
"Oh, don't be like that."
Ryuuen shamelessly grinned.
"Dead-eyes here seems to be saying something interesting. At least let us listen to the rest, yeah? Besides, I'm quite curious about what you've been up to."
"I haven't done anything. Now, please leave."
Sakayanagi stubbornly issued her eviction order.
But with Kito—their strongest fighter—pinned down by Albert, and the rest of the class still in a state of confusion, her authority was ineffective at the moment.
Though in a real fight, Kito might not necessarily lose to Albert, the classroom was under surveillance. He wouldn't dare make a reckless move.
At that moment, Katsuragi spoke in a low voice.
"Sakayanagi, it looks like you're hiding something. Even if we were to listen until the end… actually, never mind."
During their conversation, the recording had finally reached the crucial part.
[I'm really looking forward to seeing how Hikigaya-kun will crush the Katsuragi faction. As a warm-up before my showdown with Ayanokoji-kun, this should be quite entertaining. Besides, I need to make thorough preparations on my end, or it would be far too disrespectful.]
Just that one sentence was enough to label Sakayanagi as a traitor.
Realizing this, she had remained silent for quite some time.
She sat motionless in her seat as if she had given up resisting altogether.
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji, who had been spectating from the hallway, suddenly felt like he had been dragged into this mess for no reason. The strange stares directed at him were so intense they could almost bore a hole through his body.
Especially since Sakayanagi had mentioned challenging him and exaggerated his strength…
This was pure social humiliation.
[Now that I think about it, merely provoking him wouldn't be enough. I also need to give Hikigaya-kun a little incentive. That way, he'll put in the effort to crush the Katsuragi faction.]
At this point, some Class B students could no longer hold back.
"Sakayanagi! What is the meaning of this?! Are you saying you betrayed the class?!"
"Whoa, whoa, don't jump to conclusions so quickly."
Surprisingly, it was Ryuuen who spoke up for Sakayanagi.
Of course, he had no good intentions.
"We should at least hear what the person involved has to say… dead-eyes, if I'm not mistaken, you went all out against the Katsuragi faction because Sakayanagi threatened you, right?"
"Yeah."
"How did she threaten you?"
"Well… I wouldn't call it a threat." Hikigaya answered honestly. "I just lost a bet to her and had to follow through on my end."
"A bet?"
"Yeah, back when the S-system rankings were announced in May, Sakayanagi proposed a competition to see who could collect more personal points. The loser had to do one thing for the winner."
"...What? That's it?"
Even Ryuuen seemed taken aback by how childish this reason was.
"So the Katsuragi faction was eliminated… because you lost a bet?"
"Yeah, but that's not my fault." Hikigaya quickly explained. "I had saved up a lot of points, but I didn't know Sakayanagi had become the class leader. She could easily borrow points from her classmates to secure a win. I surrendered on the spot."
To him, a bet was a bet. Borrowing points was just another strategy—there was nothing unethical about it.
If Sakayanagi hadn't gone overboard, later on, he wouldn't have bothered exposing the recording at all.
At most, he would've kept it hidden until graduation.
But unfortunately, she had pushed too far.
And that was why he had taken action.
This was one of the reasons that prompted Hikigaya to take action.
"T-That... I just remembered something!"
Morishige, who had spent some time with them at the training camp, suddenly stood up and said, "Back then, Sakayanagi asked in our group chat how many points we had left. She mentioned she might need to borrow some on short notice."
As soon as those words left her mouth, all eyes instantly turned to Sakayanagi.
They were all waiting for an explanation.
Especially Katsuragi—his gaze was sharp enough to pierce right through her.
Selling out the class just to gain power… Such an act was utterly disgusting!