At this moment, Katsuragi was completely baffled by Hikigaya's actions.
First, Hikigaya had suddenly approached him with an invitation to join the student council—completely out of the blue. And now, he was talking about some kind of grand gift.
"Hikigaya, hold on a moment." Katsuragi rubbed his temples. "My mind is a bit of a mess right now. Can you explain everything from the beginning?"
"I've already made myself very clear. I'm inviting you to join the student council, and I'm giving you a referral for joining."
Hikigaya's expression practically screamed, What part of that is unclear?
That only made Katsuragi's headache worse.
"…So before anything else, why are you inviting someone like me to the student council in the first place?"
"Someone like you?" Hikigaya chuckled. "Heh. Katsuragi, you don't think much of yourself, huh? But back in middle school, weren't you the student council president? And didn't you earn the respect of those around you? Have a little confidence in yourself."
"But I was already rejected once."
Every time he thought about it, Katsuragi couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.
It wasn't that he resented not being accepted—it was that failing to enter the student council had shaken his standing within his class.
To make up for the loss, he had recklessly chosen to work with Ryuuen under the pretense of cooperation. In the end, he had been betrayed.
He had also severely underestimated the dangers of internal strife, naively believing that Sakayanagi wouldn't harm the class for the sake of power.
At the root of it all, his failures stemmed from his lack of maturity.
"Hikigaya, I do appreciate the invitation… To be honest, I was a little frustrated at first when the student council rejected me. But after all this time, I've come to understand my shortcomings. Back then, President Horikita made the right choice in rejecting me."
"Oh, no, no." Hikigaya waved his hand dismissively. "That was just Horikita-senpai lacking vision. You don't need to take his opinion too seriously."
"…Huh?"
Katsuragi slowly widened his eyes, as if struggling to process what he had just heard.
After all, it was Horikita Manabu who had brought Hikigaya into the student council. For a while, it had even been a hot topic among their grade.
But even in front of the person involved, he spoke without hesitation.
Nagumo's current arrogance was partly due to Horikita Manabu's tolerance.
He was a third-year student, the strongest student council president in history... So why not show a bit of senior authority for once?
Then again, it was precisely because Horikita Manabu was an upright person who never used his status to oppress others that Hikigaya was willing to help him.
"Anyway, you don't need to worry about what others think of you. As long as you're willing to join the student council and actually put in the work... just do some real tasks, and that'll be enough."
"Even if you say that, I..."
Katsuragi hesitated for a long time before finally shaking his head.
"To be honest, our class has already come to a conclusion for this exam. I've been chosen as the one to be expelled, so I can't accept your invitation... Sorry, I appreciate the thought."
Hearing this, the surrounding students had complex expressions, yet also seemed relieved.
On one hand, they couldn't bear to see Katsuragi sacrificing himself like this, but on the other hand, they also felt a slight sense of reassurance.
Since Katsuragi himself had accepted this outcome, there wouldn't be any further disruptions within the class.
However, Hikigaya seemed to have anticipated this all along and showed no signs of surprise.
Calmly, he unfolded the paper in his hand.
"I see. Well, that's unfortunate... At least, that's what I would have said. But how about you all take a look at the gift I prepared for Katsuragi first before making a decision?"
These words weren't just directed at Katsuragi but at the entire Class B.
"...What is this?!"
At first, Katsuragi hadn't paid much attention, assuming that Hikigaya's so-called grand gift was just an exaggeration.
After all, simply inviting him to join the student council was already beyond imagination.
But the moment he saw the contents of the paper, he realized he had underestimated this guy.
"This is the contract our classes signed back on the deserted island, isn't it?"
"To be precise, it's the contract signed between the Katsuragi faction and the neutral faction—twenty-two people in total—with me," Hikigaya corrected. "But your class doesn't have factions anymore, does it? At least, not on the surface... Well, whatever. The point is, as long as you join the student council, this contract between us will be null and void."
"...!"
Even though he had vaguely guessed it earlier, hearing Hikigaya confirm it still left Katsuragi deeply shaken.
The others were even more stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
Rather than feeling happy, they found it hard to accept.
It only took a moment of thought to understand why—this contract guaranteed a monthly income of 1.1 million private points. And he was willing to give that up just like that?
Anyone else would have milked it dry until graduation.
"Hey, Hikigaya, are you serious about this? You're not just messing with everyone, right?"
At that moment, Hashimoto, who had rushed back to the classroom after hearing the news, half-jokingly asked.
Hikigaya responded immediately, "If you're not convinced, we can get a teacher to witness it. I don't mind signing an agreement either."
"Haha, in that case, you are serious."
Saying that Hashimoto even gave a thumbs-up.
"As expected of you, man. You've got guts—I almost want to give you a round of applause."
"Don't bother, save your energy."
"No, no, I'm completely serious, you know?"
In truth, Hashimoto was indeed half-doubting Hikigaya. But on the other hand, his words were also meant to ease the concerns of the others.
He had already figured out what this guy was up to.
There was no doubt about it—getting Katsuragi into the student council was just a front. Hikigaya's real goal was to use this as a move against Sakayanagi.
That suspicion had already formed when he first heard the rumors last night, and now, Hashimoto could confirm it completely.
Sigh... This is going to be troublesome.
Although abandoning Sakayanagi now would still be premature, it was time to start considering a backup plan.
To be honest, Hashimoto acknowledged Sakayanagi's abilities.
But this time, the opponent was simply too problematic.
He was starting to feel that the two weren't even on the same level—especially with how ruthless Hikigaya was. He had struck directly at Sakayanagi's Achilles' heel.
And the worst part? He wasn't even attacking Sakayanagi herself. He was exploiting Class B's resentment toward her.
At this point, even if Sakayanagi sought help from the school, it would be difficult for her to get any support.
After all, if even the Prime Minister could be criticized, what was stopping people from discussing a mere school chairman?
Come to think of it, these two were always flirting playfully, but the moment they turned against each other, it happened so suddenly... This was probably because of that whole thing with Ichinose, huh?
From Hashimoto's perspective, their relationship only started deteriorating in the third semester.
Sigh, it can't be helped.
Although Princess-sama was undeniably beautiful, with doll-like features that made her look delicate, when compared to Ichinose... there was a gap that could never be bridged.
All men understood this.
Hashimoto could completely understand Hikigaya's choice.
So he's into big boobs, huh?
Next time, I should use that as a conversation starter to get on his good side.
"Oi, Hashimoto."
For some reason, Hikigaya suddenly looked at him with irritation.
"Why do I feel like you're thinking about something really rude right now?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"...Never mind."
Under Hashimoto's impeccable acting, Hikigaya ultimately chalked it up to his imagination.
Weird... Why does it feel like it wasn't just my imagination?
But now wasn't the time to bother with this guy, so he decided to drop it for now.
"So, Katsuragi, will you agree to this?"
"I... but..."
Katsuragi's expression was filled with hesitation as he struggled to understand.
"Hikigaya, why are you doing this?"
"I already told you, didn't I? To celebrate your entry into the student council," Hikigaya continued spouting nonsense with a straight face. "Besides, if you and I become colleagues, we'll be seeing each other all the time. I'd feel bad continuing to be your creditor, wouldn't I?"
"...And what if I do end up getting expelled?"
"Then I'll pretend nothing ever happened."
To completely crush any remaining delusions, Hikigaya decisively shut down any alternative possibilities.
"Katsuragi, even if you agreed to join the student council, that would only take effect next semester. I can cancel the contract early, but that will only happen after this exam is over. Do you understand?"
"…Understood."
At this point, there was no need to say more… No, Katsuragi must have already figured it out.
He was a by-the-book kind of guy, but that didn't mean he was stupid.
He simply refused to take advantage of this opportunity to expel Sakayanagi. His principles wouldn't allow him to resort to such underhanded methods.
So, what Hikigaya needed to do was force him to make a decision.
"Katsuragi, you keep saying you'll be expelled. What's your basis for that?"
"It's the conclusion everyone in our class came to after discussion."
"Is that really the case? I don't buy it."
As he spoke, Hikigaya turned to look at Sakayanagi.
"Isn't this just the result of you abusing your authority in class?"
"Fufu, Hikigaya-kun, you're mistaken this time."
Finally, Sakayanagi responded with a faint smile.
"Believe it or not, I didn't say a single word during the class discussion that day, nor did I interfere with anyone's opinions."
"Oh, I believe you. Of course I do." Hikigaya rolled his eyes. "You've made quite a spectacle of yourself recently, so when it comes to a sensitive topic like this, you're just trying to lay low and avoid public backlash, aren't you?"
"You're free to think whatever you like."
"Hmph, whether you admit it or not doesn't matter. Someone like you definitely wouldn't sit back and do nothing. Let me guess… You must've found a puppet to act on your behalf."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Even as Sakayanagi feigned ignorance, Hikigaya remained unfazed.
To put it bluntly, even if he was falsely accusing her, so what?
What difference did it make whether he threw dirt on her once or ten times?
As long as he could plant a seed of doubt in the minds of Class B's students, his goal would be achieved.
"Drop the act. You remember the name Miki Yamamura, don't you?"
Hikigaya hadn't just pulled a name out of thin air—Yamamura was the one who had reported this to Nagumo. There was no way she wasn't connected to Sakayanagi.
Otherwise, why would she suddenly cause him trouble at such a crucial moment when someone was about to be expelled?
She must have been acting under orders from that scheming little brat.
And sure enough, the moment Yamamura's name was mentioned, both she and Sakayanagi remained outwardly calm—but the reactions of the other students couldn't be concealed.
They were one step away from outright asking, How do you know that?
"What about Yamamura?" Sakayanagi replied nonchalantly. "And by the way, you've misunderstood something—she never suggested expelling Katsuragi-kun. She proposed that the one who should leave is Totsuka-kun, who made a huge mistake and cannot contribute. It was Katsuragi-kun who chose to sacrifice himself to protect a friend."
"Tch, you really think—"
"Sakayanagi! You have the nerve to bring that up?!"
Hikigaya was about to say something when he was abruptly interrupted by a furious Yahiko.
"That whole incident was you're doing! You're the real culprit here!"
"I believe I've already explained this before, haven't I?"
"Don't be ridiculous! Who would accept such a blatant excuse?!"
Seeing that the small fry was about to start another meaningless argument, Hikigaya felt utterly exasperated.
This guy was just like Yamauchi—useless and annoying.
"Enough, Yahiko. Shut up for a second." Hikigaya waved his hand impatiently. "Yes, I was acting under Sakayanagi's orders when I targeted your class. But to be fair, if you hadn't gotten so full of yourself, the worst that would've happened was scoring twenty points on the exam. Instead, thanks to your arrogance, you've been losing 1.1 million points per month because of me. That's on you."
"H-Huh?! Y-You bastard…!"
Yahiko was dumbfounded, convinced that Hikigaya was siding with Sakayanagi.
But of course, Sakayanagi wasn't foolish enough to see it that way. She immediately refuted, "Hikigaya-kun, your statement is misleading. I simply asked you to challenge Katsuragi-kun in the exam to test whether he could fulfill the responsibilities of leading the class. I never instructed you to resort to such underhanded methods."
"Heh. Before you call others underhanded, maybe you should take a long, hard look in the mirror."
"I look in the mirror every morning."
"What, do you have a talking mirror?"
"Mirrors don't lie, you know."
"The one in Doraemon does."
Hikigaya suddenly smirked. "Speaking of which… You fancy yourself a genius, huh? Could it be that you've been hearing nothing but flattery your whole life, so you've convinced yourself it's true? I mean, your father is the chairman, after all."
The moment he mentioned her father, Sakayanagi's expression turned ice-cold.
"Hikigaya-kun, my issues with you have nothing to do with my father."
"Oh? So your dad is special now? Or is it that only you get to talk about others?" Hikigaya scoffed. "I've thought this for a long time—you are the most self-important person I've ever met. What's so impressive about your little schemes? Take this exam, for example. In the end, you're still going to expel Yahiko, aren't you?"
"I've told you, that's not my decision to make."
"Tch. If you don't want to make decisions, then just step down already."
By now, Hikigaya was almost certain—Katsuragi's expulsion was just a smokescreen Sakayanagi had put up.
"When the voting day comes, you'll manipulate the results one way or another. No matter what, Katsuragi is still a capable student. There's no reason for you to discard such a valuable asset. At the very least, you should be pretending to persuade him to stay, yet you're doing nothing. That alone proves you have a backup plan. And in the end, the one who'll be sacrificed… is Yahiko."
Don't be fooled into thinking that Katsuragi's expulsion is a win for Sakayanagi.
In reality, such an outcome only highlights the incompetence of leadership.
After all, the worst possible result of this exam is the expulsion of a capable student.
If that were to happen, it would send a clear signal—one that indicates the current leader has virtually no control over the class.
Even Horikita understands this principle. So, even if Yamauchi hadn't been swayed by Sakayanagi and there were no malicious incidents like secret photos, the ones who would have been sacrificed in the end would have been weak students like Sakura or Hondou.
Someone like Kouenji, who is undeniably strong yet blatantly slacks off, would never be expelled as long as the leader had even a shred of rationality.
"That's just your personal opinion," Sakayanagi retorted without hesitation. "Katsuragi-kun insisted on leaving. I couldn't possibly force him to stay. Even if I did, he wouldn't contribute to the class anymore. On the contrary, he might even become a liability. No matter how you look at it, there's no reason to take that risk."
"See? There you go again, thinking you're so clever."
Hikigaya didn't bother to hide his disdain for Sakayanagi, which only made the arrogant little brat's face twitch in irritation.
"You know exactly what kind of person Katsuragi is. He would never do something like that. Yet you're deliberately twisting the facts… What, do you think I'm as easy to fool as the people in your class?"
"…If you're only here to argue, please leave."
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm here to prove that guy would always put the class's interests first, no matter what."
With that, Hikigaya raised the contract in his hand and placed it in front of Katsuragi.
"If you drop out now, this contract will remain in effect until graduation. But if you stay, consider it a congratulatory gift for joining the student council. So, what's it gonna be?"