Over the weekend, a rumor far more explosive than the one about Ichinose spread throughout the school.
Even though no one intentionally fueled the discussion, the students who had witnessed the event naturally passed it on, leading to an unexpected surge in public interest.
Sakayanagi Arisu, the student widely regarded as the most powerful in her grade, had allegedly colluded with other classes to attack her own in a bid for control.
This revelation created an uproar. Given the school's confined environment, the topic spread like wildfire.
In reality, such betrayals, alliances, and backstabbing were nothing unusual at Advanced Nurturing High School.
Not long ago, Nagumo had publicly broken his agreement with Horikita Manabu during the forest training camp, yet very few second-year students had condemned his actions.
What they truly couldn't accept was Nagumo's failure.
After all, the 40 million private points lost in that event were enough to promote two students to Class A.
Similarly, while Sakayanagi's actions might earn her some moral condemnation from her classmates, others would merely watch the spectacle unfold.
As long as Class A remained intact, students were generally willing to be forgiving and make compromises.
However, this internal strife had caused the class ranking to slip to Class C at one point, and even now, they were stuck in Class B with no clear path back to the top.
Under such circumstances, one particular individual had become the subject of ridicule.
Victory and defeat determined everything in this school, and the significance of being in Class A was absolute.
For now, Sakayanagi Arisu had become the laughingstock of the entire first year.
Even upperclassmen no longer viewed her as the genius she once was. When they talked about her, it was with the same amusement as discussing a clown.
Nagumo was no exception.
...
On Monday morning, as Hikigaya walked to school, he recalled the events of the previous day.
Nagumo had specifically invited him out to inquire about the recent commotion.
Hikigaya had told him the truth, without embellishment.
Nagumo had originally intended to use Sakayanagi to crush Ichinose and bring her under his control. However, after this incident, he had likely given up on her.
Of course, he would never guess that Hikigaya had deliberately sabotaged Sakayanagi's plan to prevent that from happening.
On the surface, it had been Sakayanagi who had repeatedly provoked Hikigaya—three times forcing him to retaliate.
That was one reason Hikigaya had spread rumors about himself.
As for why he dragged Ryuuen into the mess, it was purely to make things more believable. Besides, he had been curious about how people would react to the idea that Ryuuen was a fan of Pretty Cure.
…Unfortunately, the result had been disappointing.
Could it be… they didn't know what Pretty Cure was?
…No, that was impossible!
—
To outsiders, the chain of events appeared as follows:
Sakayanagi had used rumors as a weapon to attack Ichinose. Because Ichinose had refused to fight back, Sakayanagi's ambition had grown, leading her to target influential students in other classes as well. In the end, Hikigaya exposed their past dealings, causing Sakayanagi's reputation to plummet.
Of course, there were flaws in this version of events.
For one, it made Sakayanagi seem too reckless—framing students from every class in such an obvious manner was overkill.
A keen observer might notice something was off.
However, given Sakayanagi's naturally combative personality, it wasn't entirely implausible. And at this point, no one would believe anything she said anyway.
Additionally, if Hikigaya had openly defended Ichinose, it would have raised Nagumo's suspicions and given Sakayanagi a chance to twist the narrative—turning it into a simple battle between Class A and Class B, where Ichinose had merely used an outsider to retaliate.
Fortunately, things had gone smoothly so far. To most people, it simply looked like a dogfight between Hikigaya and Sakayanagi.
…Not that it was a particularly great outcome either.
More importantly, this approach prevented the worsening of the already rampant misunderstanding that Hikigaya liked Ichinose.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
"Sigh… Give me a break."
"Hm? Give you a break from what?"
"Obviously from… huh?"
Hikigaya turned around sharply, only to find Ichinose standing behind him, smiling brightly.
She was in the mood for pranks? It seemed there was no need to worry about her anymore.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun!"
"Morning… Also, can you not suddenly start talking behind my back?"
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry." Ichinose laughed as she scratched her head. "I just thought it was funny how you were muttering to yourself, so I couldn't help messing with you."
"…That apology has zero sincerity." Hikigaya deadpanned.
"Don't sweat the small stuff! Anyway, finals are this Friday. Have you been studying properly?"
"As long as I pass, I'm good."
"That won't do! You're a student council member, Hikigaya-kun—you should set an example! Besides, it's not like you're bad at studying, right?"
"Yes, yes, I got it."
Hikigaya gave in to her nagging.
"I've been studying regularly, so don't worry."
"Mm, that's good." Ichinose nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, and I might be overstepping, but if anyone in Class D is struggling, I can help arrange a study group with my class! We can all work together."
"…Talk to Horikita about that."
Hikigaya couldn't help but chuckle.
Ichinose's resilience was impressive—after everything that had happened, she had already bounced back to her usual meddlesome self.
But that was what made her a good person.
Even when it would be in Class A's best interest for other students to fail, she was still concerned about their grades.
Ichinose might still be naïve, but it was impossible to dislike her.
—
"Oh, right! I have something to report to you, Hikigaya-kun."
"…About last Friday?"
"Mm. And it's all thanks to you."
Ichinose looked at him seriously.
"If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have had the courage to face everyone. I probably would've been completely defeated by Sakayanagi."
"Don't get it twisted. That was your strength. No matter what I said, it wouldn't have mattered otherwise." Hikigaya shook his head. "So, you don't need to tell me. The outcome is proof of your class's bonds—it's not something an outsider like me should interfere with. Besides… your expression already gives it away."
"Ahaha, was it that obvious?"
Ichinose laughed awkwardly, then toyed with a strand of her hair.
"…Hey, Hikigaya-kun."
"What?"
"Well… um…"
She hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind.
"I know this is a selfish request, but… if I make another mistake in the future, can I ask you to scold me again?"
"…Huh?"
Hikigaya froze.
Had Honami-chan developed some weird new fetish…?
"Ichinose… Don't tell me you're a masochist?" He joked.
However, she only blinked in confusion.
"What's a masochist?"
"…Never mind."
He hadn't expected to meet a high school girl who didn't know that term.
Or… was that normal?
While Hikigaya debated whether he should corrupt an innocent soul, Ichinose spoke again.
"Oh, we've been talking about me this whole time—I almost forgot! Are you okay, Hikigaya-kun?"
"You mean… Oh, Sakayanagi?"
Hikigaya immediately understood, then waved his hand dismissively.
"That's already dealt with. We talked it out."
"Talked it out…?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
Of course, that was just to reassure Ichinose.
Sakayanagi wouldn't give up so easily.
If anything, being cornered like this would only push her to retaliate even harder.
To put it simply, she wasn't going to let Ichinose off that easily.
Unfortunately for her, Hikigaya had already arranged a backup plan, and things were progressing smoothly on Kanzaki and Himeno's side.
If Sakayanagi dared to make a move, she would undoubtedly walk away with a deep impression.
"...Fufu, I see. Well, I'll wait until you feel like telling me, Hikigaya-kun."
It seemed that such a flimsy lie wouldn't fool Ichinose. She was quite perceptive—after all, she had even seen through Ayanokoji's strategy during the Preferential Exam.
However, Ichinose didn't show any signs of displeasure. Instead, she straightened her back.
It was as if she were saying, You can rely on me when the time comes... She really was too considerate.
One day, she would surely become someone truly dazzling.
"Ah, it's Nagumo-senpai."
At that moment, Ichinose suddenly pointed ahead.
"What do you think, Hikigaya-kun? Shall we go say hello together?"
"...Yeah."
Hikigaya hesitated for a moment before agreeing and followed Ichinose toward Nagumo.
"Good morning, Nagumo-senpai."
"Good morning, President Nagumo."
"Hikigaya and Honami, huh… You two seem full of energy this morning."
Perhaps it was because of the usual bright smile on Ichinose's face that Nagumo looked slightly surprised.
Then, he cautiously asked, "Honami, do you hate me?"
"Hate…? Why?"
Ichinose tilted her head as if she couldn't comprehend the question. But soon enough, she realized what he meant.
From Nagumo's perspective, he likely thought he was the only one who knew about Ichinose's past theft. While Ichinose wasn't sure exactly what had happened, she could deduce that it was him who leaked the information to Sakayanagi.
"I've never thought about hating anyone," Ichinose replied sincerely. "Nagumo-senpai, I only want to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for allowing me to join the student council. I'll continue working hard, so please take care of me."
"I see… It looks like your performance will exceed my expectations."
Nagumo seemed caught off guard by her response and could only respond with some perfunctory words.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya glanced at Nagumo, then at Ichinose, rubbing his chin in thought.
"What's wrong, Hikigaya? Do you have a question?" Nagumo noticed his strange expression and asked.
"If I had to say, yeah, I do… Ichinose, can you leave for a moment?"
"Eh? I can't listen in?"
Hikigaya had expected Ichinose to leave without complaint, but she stubbornly tried to stay.
Hey, Honami-chan?
I don't recall raising you to be this shameless.
"No, you can't," Hikigaya waved her off with an annoyed expression. "This is a conversation between men. Girls, step aside."
"What the heck? That's such a rude attitude!"
Ichinose grumbled a few complaints, but she didn't press the issue further. She gave a slight bow to Nagumo. "Well then, Nagumo-senpai, Hikigaya-kun, I'll be going ahead."
"Mm, see you next time."
Nagumo nodded with a smile. Once Ichinose's figure disappeared, he turned back to Hikigaya.
"Alright, Hikigaya, what do you want to talk about?"
"...First, let me clarify that this is just my interpretation."
After carefully choosing his words, Hikigaya slowly spoke.
"Judging from your conversation earlier, the reason you asked Ichinose if she hated you… Could it be that she once confessed to you about her past theft, and then you leaked that information to Sakayanagi?"
Hearing that, Nagumo neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, his eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Hikigaya, from what you're saying… does that mean Honami told you about this too?"
"No, I just figured it out after probing a little," Hikigaya said flatly. "Ever since those rumors started circulating, I went to ask Ichinose about them… Prostitution, theft, drug abuse, and violence. Among all those accusations, only when I mentioned theft did she have a different reaction… It was pretty obvious."
"I see. Your insight is still as sharp as ever."
Nagumo let out an admiring sigh before shifting the topic.
"But ultimately, this is between me and Honami. I don't think it's something I should be telling you."
"No, I don't want to know either."
Nagumo had intended to use this opportunity to intimidate Hikigaya, but his opponent immediately dismissed him with a deadpan expression.
Caught off guard, Nagumo furrowed his brows. "Then why did you ask?"
"Obviously, for my own sake."
As Hikigaya spoke, his gaze toward Nagumo gradually turned hostile.
"Like you said, whatever happens between you and Ichinose is none of my business, and I couldn't care less. But since you involved Sakayanagi, that's a different story… What exactly are you playing at?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Nagumo looked genuinely confused.
"Is there still a need to act dumb?" Hikigaya scoffed. "You used Sakayanagi to attack Ichinose. In other words, she's either your subordinate or an ally, right? So should I assume that her sudden decision to target me was also under your instructions, President Nagumo?"
"...Huh?"
Nagumo had assumed Hikigaya was confronting him for Ichinose's sake, but it turned out to be about himself.
That was completely baseless!
With an exasperated chuckle, Nagumo replied, "Hikigaya, you're misunderstanding things. Why would I tell Sakayanagi about you? And even if I wanted to, you never told me anything in the first place."
"Then how did she find out? Besides the omniscient Nagumo-senpai, I can't think of a second suspect."
"Wait, no… Ugh, how should I put this…"
Nagumo found Hikigaya's sarcastic remarks more exasperating than offensive. He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.
After all, Hikigaya was a valuable and convenient subordinate. He didn't want to lose him over something trivial.
"Speaking of which, President Nagumo, you sure have a lot of free time," Hikigaya continued mocking him. "Instead of challenging Horikita-senpai or getting revenge on Ayanokoji, you're bothering me and Ichinose… What, are you just picking the easiest targets?"
"...Hikigaya, there's no need to say it like that."
Nagumo took a deep breath to suppress his irritation before looking at Hikigaya seriously.
"I don't know how to make you believe me, but I can promise you this—I never told Sakayanagi to target you."
"…Can I trust you on that, Nagumo-senpai?"
"Of course. Besides, I have no reason to do that."
"…Alright then."
Hikigaya muttered under his breath, You didn't have a reason to target Ichinose either but ultimately decided to let it go.
Then, he asked, "In that case, can I assume you don't have much of a connection with Sakayanagi?"
"Ah, yeah. We're not close. Just had a few chats."
Nagumo was a skilled liar and immediately distanced himself from Sakayanagi.
"In other words…" Hikigaya enunciated each word carefully, "If I were to go after Sakayanagi, President Nagumo, would you be on my side?"
"That won't do! I'm the student council president, after all. I can't favor any side."
Although Nagumo spoke righteously, he then flashed a sly smile at Hikigaya.
"But, well… You are an important member of the student council. If you ever face any injustice, I won't just stand by and watch. Got it?"
"…Yeah, I got it."
They exchanged knowing smiles.
Hikigaya, however, was already celebrating internally.
It had gone even smoother than expected.
With the student council president on his side, Sakayanagi was now completely out of options.
He deliberately adopted that attitude, which could indeed provoke Nagumo.
On the other hand, someone like Nagumo couldn't be dealt with by simply going along with everything—doing so would only make him see you as easy to manipulate, just like what happened with Ichinose.
Expressing one's demands and dissatisfaction appropriately would actually make him take things more seriously.
That guy always weighed the pros and cons.
At first, Hikigaya had suspected that Nagumo might continue favoring Sakayanagi.
But if that were the case, it would have been the perfect opportunity to completely fall out with him.
His preparations weren't entirely complete yet, but it wouldn't hurt to act a little ahead of schedule—it just wasn't necessary to force things.
If possible, Hikigaya still wanted to give Nagumo a surprise on the spot.
Just like what that guy did to Senior Horikita back at the training camp… now that would be true payback.