"However, there's one thing you've misunderstood—Hikigaya-kun probably doesn't have twenty million points. Of course, I can't say for sure; he might have other ways of earning points."
"Eh? So… do you want him to drop out?" Kamuro stammered.
The method Sakayanagi had given Yamauchi was highly feasible.
If Hikigaya didn't have twenty million, then even if he revealed his points in public, others would still suspect that he was deliberately hiding some.
In a way, this was a dead end.
"How could that be? Didn't I already say I wouldn't let Hikigaya-kun drop out? Masumi, you're overthinking this."
As she spoke, Sakayanagi pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
"Besides, whether Hikigaya-kun has twenty million or not won't affect my next plan in the slightest."
"…What exactly is it?"
"Hehe, you'll find out soon enough. For now, just be quiet for a moment."
Sakayanagi smiled, placing her index finger over her lips, and patiently waited for the call to connect.
After a short moment, a man's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Sakayanagi? What do you need?"
"President Nagumo, it's been a while."
The name Sakayanagi uttered caught Kamuro completely off guard.
Ever since her punishment by the student council, Sakayanagi had frequently complained to Kamuro about how Nagumo was an unreliable, womanizing fool.
Yet now, she was suddenly in contact with him again?
She never learns, does she…?
"Regarding the special exam newly assigned to the first years, have you heard about it? I'd like to meet with you to discuss it in person… Mm-hmm, I assure you, it's something that will interest you… Tomorrow at noon? Perfect, it's a deal then."
After hanging up, a satisfied smile appeared on Sakayanagi's face, filled with anticipation for what was to come.
…Hikigaya-kun.
This time, I hope you'll properly accept my revenge.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya walked straight back to the dormitory area.
…Was I being too harsh?
The moment he recalled what had happened at the café, an overwhelming sense of regret filled his heart.
More than anything, his words back there reeked of self-importance.
"I won't concern myself with her anymore"...
Ahhhhh! Why did I say something like that?!
If Matsushita or the others had simply shot back with "We never needed you to, anyway," he would have died from secondhand embarrassment and probably refused to attend school the next day.
Right now, Hikigaya just wanted to rush back to his room and roll around in frustration on his bed.
"…Sigh, next time, I should just keep my mouth shut."
Honestly, it was all because of this insane exam!
The main reason he hated it so much was simple: if a similar class vote had happened in elementary or middle school, he did not doubt that his classmates would have unanimously voted him out without hesitation.
It was precisely because he understood that feeling all too well that he was willing to spend twenty million points.
That said, he had no intention of outright announcing that he would be covering the cost—that would feel too much like showing off.
People would start whispering behind his back, "Why does he look so full of himself?" or "Does he think he's some kind of savior?"
So, Hikigaya planned to wait until the results were out before quietly approaching Chabashira-sensei and asking her to keep it a secret.
She had helped keep things under wraps back when he assisted Sudou, so there shouldn't be an issue this time either… probably.
And if worst came to worst, he'd find a way to threaten that sleazy teacher.
While thinking through his next steps, Hikigaya entered the dormitory lobby—only to spot several familiar figures standing in front of the elevator.
It was Hirata, Ayanokoji, and Kouenji.
Seeing those three together was an incredibly rare sight, and from the looks of it, they seemed to be discussing something serious.
"Yo, if it isn't Dead-Eye Boy."
Originally, Hikigaya had no intention of bothering them. Or rather, he didn't want them to bother him. He planned to quietly slip past without drawing attention.
Unfortunately, Kouenji—ever observant—immediately called out to him.
"Perfect timing! Hirata-Boy, Ayanokoji-Boy, and I were just discussing something interesting. You should join us!"
"…Are you indirectly asking Hirata to make sure you don't end up in last place?"
From Hikigaya's perspective, there was no other reason for Kouenji—who was usually nowhere to be seen—to show up here.
Not only that, but he had also taken the initiative this morning, doing everything he could to guide the class's thinking.
"Hahaha, there's no such thing as a request," Kouenji declared confidently. "I merely hope that Hirata-boy will fulfill his duty and use his wisdom to pass this exam."
Duty… and passing.
Those two words only reinforced Hikigaya's suspicions.
In reality, this exam wasn't something one could simply "pass" or "fail." At the very least, the moment Hirata heard the exam rules, the idea of deciding who to vote against never even crossed his mind.
But to Kouenji, this was nothing more than an exam about "discarding unnecessary students."
Of course, he wouldn't consider himself to be one of them.
However, Kouenji also understood that, given his reputation and lack of connections, he couldn't influence the votes. That was precisely why he approached the central figure of the class, asking Hirata to step up and fulfill his "duty."
Honestly, it would be a miracle if Hirata even acknowledged him.
Judging by the dark look on Hirata's face, it seemed like Kouenji had already pissed him off earlier.
"You understand too, Rotten-boy, don't you? This exam is a perfect opportunity to get rid of the trash we don't need."
Before Hikigaya could even react, Hirata slammed his palm against the elevator button with a loud smack.
Whoa, doesn't that hurt?
And as expected, saying something like that in front of Hirata… calling his classmates "trash"?
Looks like even Kouenji is feeling a bit threatened this time.
"Hey, Kouenji." Hikigaya sighed, looking at him with mild exasperation. "How about taking this opportunity to go home and inherit your family business?"
"Haha, I see no reason to do that."
Even if Kouenji didn't care about dropping out, there was no way he would do it for the sake of Class D.
Of course, Hikigaya had only said it to get him to shut up.
Though he didn't particularly care about the class either, he didn't dislike people like Hirata, who genuinely worried about their classmates… at most, he just found them a bit annoying at times.
"Anyway, there's no need for you to overcomplicate things."
Hikigaya offered a final piece of advice, though whether Kouenji would listen was another matter.
But it seemed his worries were unnecessary.
Kouenji's face immediately lit up with an understanding smile.
"Since Rotten-boy insists, I suppose I'll just continue with my date. See you."
Leaving behind those words, he disappeared like the wind.
…This guy is nothing if not pragmatic.
"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun."
Once Kouenji was gone, Hirata let out a slow breath and then expressed his gratitude.
"I lost my temper a little. Thanks for getting Kouenji-kun to leave."
"It's nothing. That guy is annoying anyway."
At that moment, the elevator arrived on the first floor.
The three of them stepped inside, and as the doors closed, Ayanokoji—who had been silent all this time—suddenly spoke up.
"Hikigaya, maybe it's just my misunderstanding, but from what you said earlier, it sounds like you have a way to solve this exam."
"Huh?"
He had deliberately chosen the word "solve" so that Hirata could pick up on it too.
Hikigaya didn't deny it and simply nodded. "Yeah, I do. Want to hear it?"
"If possible, please tell us."
"If we expel you, problem solved."
"…It feels like you're not trying to solve the problem, but rather, me." Ayanokoji deadpanned.
He could tell that Hikigaya had no intention of having a proper conversation.
Hirata, on the other hand, looked serious. "Hikigaya-kun, are you planning to gather votes against Ayanokoji-kun?"
"Do you really think I'd do that?" Hikigaya replied with a question of his own.
"…No." Hirata let out a bitter chuckle and sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you. I just really wish you wouldn't joke about this right now."
"Well, it's not entirely a joke. Personally, I'd give him one vote." Hikigaya admitted without hesitation.
If it were anyone else, they'd probably blow up on the spot.
Just like during the morning discussion, where everyone was at each other's throats.
But Ayanokoji was an exception—if anything, he looked relieved.
"It doesn't matter if you vote against me," Ayanokoji said. "But if you have a way to help the class, please share it. Everyone, especially Hirata, is struggling right now."
"Oh? You can't come up with something yourself?"
Hikigaya couldn't stand how this guy always played dumb.
"Why don't you go ask X? Last time, he even leaked the Paper Shuffle exam to you."
Faced with that, no amount of verbal maneuvering could save Ayanokoji.
The only option left was to avoid the topic altogether—essentially, playing dead.
And that's exactly what he did.
"The only solution I can think of is gathering 20 million points."
"That's impossible." Hirata said bitterly. "I tried asking my seniors in the club, but they barely have any personal points themselves, and they have their own special exam coming up."
It was only natural that they couldn't borrow anything.
Nagumo had already drained most of the second-years' points, and after the disaster at the training camp, the entire second-year cohort was essentially broke.
As for the third-years, they had their final special exam coming up. At such a crucial moment, there was no way they'd lend out points.
Not to mention, with graduation just over a month away, lending points now was the same as giving them away for free.
"So, Hikigaya, what's your idea?" Ayanokoji pressed on, unwilling to let it drop.
Hikigaya glanced at him and said flatly, "Of course, I'm thinking the same as you. After all, this exam only has one way for everyone to pass."
"So, you have a way to gather twenty million? Otherwise, you wouldn't have said that to Kouenji, right?"
"…Huh?"
Ayanokoji's words made Hirata freeze in surprise.
He quickly followed up, "Hikigaya-kun, is this true? But that's such a huge amount… How could you possibly…? I remember that during the forest school trip, you already lent five million to President Nagumo, right?"
Hirata was aware of this matter, and since he couldn't borrow any money, he never thought to ask Hikigaya for help.
In his heart, he had already given up on this approach.
But now Ayanokoji was deliberately reigniting his hope… This guy was annoying!
"If President Nagumo returns my five million, and I find a way to borrow a little more, I should be able to come up with twenty million."
Hikigaya had no intention of letting this deadpan guy figure out his financial situation.
After deducting the ten million from Chairman Sakayanagi and the three million from the Horikita siblings, he indeed had only a little over ten million left.
Even if someone with keen insight looked into the details of those contracts and did some rough calculations, the result would still be roughly what Hikigaya had said. So there was no need to worry that Ayanokoji would notice anything unusual.
Besides, the separate contract with Ryuuen for three hundred thousand per month was confidential.
When everything was taken into account, the final amount would only be less, not more.
"So there's still hope!" Hirata immediately became excited.
If there was even the slightest chance to save his classmates, he wasn't willing to let it go. And no matter who the other party was, his attitude wouldn't change.
For that reason, Hikigaya didn't dislike him.
At this moment, Ayanokoji reminded him, "Hirata, that's Hikigaya's points."
"I-I know!" Hirata quickly responded, "Hikigaya-kun, I know this is an unreasonable request, but I still want to shamelessly ask you to contribute your points for the sake of the class… Of course, I'll find a way to pay you back! I'll give you all my points in the future—we can sign a contract!"
Even so, he probably wouldn't be able to pay it all back by graduation.
But Hikigaya never had such expectations in the first place. Besides, this burden wasn't something Hirata should bear.
"Let's put that aside for now. Before anything else, can you convince President Nagumo to return the five million?"
"That's…"
"Moreover, does President Nagumo even have that much right now?"
Even though he suffered some setbacks during the forest school trip, Nagumo still firmly controlled the second years, steadily collecting personal points from each student.
Hikigaya hadn't heard of any uprising in Class 2-B… Those guys were probably thinking that once they climbed their way to Class A, then they wouldn't need to listen to Nagumo anymore.
But for now, the situation was still uncertain, so having an extra safety net was preferable.
In other words, until the final special exam of this year was over, they wouldn't make any unnecessary moves.
…What a bunch of spineless cowards.
Even if Nagumo had collected another month's worth of "taxes," the overall decline in second-year points was an undeniable fact. One month alone wouldn't be enough to gather five million.
And even if he did have the money, there was no way he'd return it now.
"Yeah… What should we do?"
Hikigaya's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Hirata.
For Class D, being short five million or twenty million didn't make much difference—they were all broke.
Even though they made some money during the forest school exam, most of it had already been spent, and once divided among everyone, there wasn't much left to begin with.
"Hirata, you don't need to worry too much about the money."
"Huh? But…"
"I'll take care of that," Hikigaya said calmly. "But in return, you also need to fulfill your responsibility."
"My… responsibility?"
"Like Kouenji said, you're the central figure of the class. You have the responsibility to bring this exam back on track."
After a brief pause, Hikigaya suddenly shifted the conversation and asked, "Hirata, if there were no way to save anyone, what do you think would be the correct way to handle this exam?"
"The correct way… But an exam like this doesn't have a correct answer."
Hirata shook his head helplessly. He sincerely believed that no student should be expelled because of this exam.
Of course, Hikigaya thought the same.
Just then, the elevator reached their floor, and the three of them temporarily halted their conversation as they stepped out.
"Hikigaya-kun, can we continue this discussion in my room? Ayanokoji-kun, you too," Hirata invited.
"No need, we're almost done here," Hikigaya refused. "Back to our previous topic—yes, this exam is unreasonable, but no matter what, someone will be expelled… So, at the very least, I hope the decision is made through a natural voting process."
"Yeah… I feel the same way."
"And what I don't want to see the most," Hikigaya continued, "is the majority of the class secretly conspiring to manipulate the votes and force someone out."
Hirata's face darkened at these words.
This was exactly what he feared the most, which was why he had been so agitated when questioning Hikigaya earlier.
"So, let's make a deal."
"A deal…?"
"Have you ever thought about this? Only the last-place student will be expelled, but Chabashira-sensei specifically mentioned that the names of the bottom three will be announced," Hikigaya pointed out. "In other words, even though this exam is unreasonable, if we use it effectively, we can make every student aware of how others perceive them. That might push them to change."
The hardest thing for a person is to see themselves.
"Hirata, if you can convince everyone to openly evaluate each other and discuss a result that is convincing to the entire class—then, even if I have to kneel before President Nagumo, I'll find a way to gather twenty million."
"This… This isn't right! Hurting each other like this…"
Hirata's worst fear was seeing internal conflict erupt within the class.
But sometimes, bringing conflicts into the open was actually better. The truth became clearer through debate, and it was beneficial for everyone to recognize who was capable and who was not in advance.
That way, the weaker students might be motivated to improve themselves. Otherwise, as long as they remained in this school, they would inevitably face elimination sooner or later.
Perhaps that was the only real purpose of this exam.
"You think you can save everyone by doing nothing? Don't be so naive."
Hikigaya scoffed at this cowardly mindset.
"Let me make this clear—if the class keeps going without a proper leader, there's a good chance some people will privately decide on a scapegoat. When that happens, I'm absolutely not paying a single point."
"That's obviously not okay, but you want me to—"
"Enough. If you can't do it, that's your problem. Don't bring it up with me."
Ignoring Hirata, who still wanted to protest, Hikigaya walked up to his dorm room, pulling out his key to unlock the door.
At that moment, Ayanokoji spoke again.
"Hikigaya, I have a question."
"What is it this time?"
"If the scapegoat ended up being you, what would you do then?"
"…Huh." As expected of the so-called masterpiece—he rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always straight to the point.
There was only one possible answer to that.
"I'd personally make sure this exam gets back on track."