Having dealt with the one who stood out and freed himself from the shackles around his neck, Ryuuen was feeling completely refreshed.
Not only that but in the end, he had even made use of the discarded pawn, toying with Tokito in front of everyone.
This was undoubtedly a perfect demonstration to serve as a warning to others.
From now on, these guys would be even easier to manipulate as his pawns.
Leaving the classroom, Ryuuen ignored the murmuring students still discussing the recent events. He walked alone down the stairs and arrived at the bulletin board on the first floor.
There, the results of the exam were posted, listing the top and bottom scorers from each class.
Apart from Class A, the three students who had been expelled were—
Class B: Totsuka Yahiko
Class C: Tokito Yuya
Class D: Yamauchi Haruki
"Hmph, that dead-eyes is just a half-baked fool."
Ryuuen scoffed in disdain, unsurprised by the outcome.
Since Sakayanagi's name wasn't on the list, it was clear that the rotten-eyed guy had pulled some trick—probably convincing Class D to vote a certain way.
Heh… well, that works too.
His gaze then shifted to the names of those who received the highest number of praise votes.
As expected, Class A's top vote-getter was Ichinose, Class C's was himself, and Class D's was Hikigaya.
But Class B's name—
"Who the hell is this Yamamura Miki?"
Ryuuen was baffled.
He had assumed that after Sakayanagi stepped down, either Katsuragi, the big bald guy, would rise again, or that the sly Hashimoto would claim the protection points.
Yet, instead, some completely unheard-of woman had taken the spot… Whatever.
He quickly dismissed the thought and turned his attention to a nearby student, whose face was clouded with gloom.
"Heh… Hey, Kanzaki, why the long face?"
The person before him was Class A's No. 2, Kanzaki Ryuji.
"Shouldn't you be a little happier? None of your classmates got expelled this time. Or… are you just bitter about losing that twenty million points? Would've been a waste spending it to save a bunch of nobodies, anyway."
"Ugh…"
Kanzaki didn't respond to the provocation, only tilting his chin slightly, signaling Ryuuen to talk somewhere else.
Ryuuen let out a low chuckle, as if he had anticipated this all along, and followed without hesitation.
The two of them stepped out of the school building, making their way to a secluded pathway behind the structure.
The moment they rounded a corner, Kanzaki suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Ryuuen by the collar.
If the students of Class A were to witness this scene, they would undoubtedly be shocked.
Yet, Ryuuen remained completely unfazed. Instead, he smirked provocatively.
"Whoa, whoa. Seriously? Turns out even a straight-laced guy like you resorts to violence?"
"…This time, you've gone too far."
"Too far? Heh, I gave your class such generous terms, though."
Yesterday, after deducing Tokito's intentions, Ryuuen immediately contacted Kanzaki.
Given his notorious reputation, most of Class A's students actively avoided him—let alone engaged in private discussions.
Kanzaki, however, was an exception.
Not because he had a good impression of Ryuuen, but because they had previously made a deal during the Preferential Exam. Through their back-and-forth negotiations, Kanzaki had gradually come to understand just how despicable Ryuuen could be.
And this time was no different.
After school yesterday, Ryuuen approached Kanzaki, aiming to confirm whether Class A had managed to gather the full twenty million points.
In reality, there was no need for direct inquiries. Simply offering to lend two million personal points and gauging the other party's reaction would be enough to figure it out.
As expected, Kanzaki—who logically should have been deeply concerned about the situation—showed little interest in the offer.
This immediately confirmed Ryuuen's suspicions.
So, that student council president really did lend Ichinose the money to control Class A's appreciation votes.
Of course, it could have been Hikigaya instead... but in the end, it didn't really matter who.
"Kanzaki, let's make a deal." Ryuuen openly displayed his account balance. "Before tomorrow's exam, if Ichinose asks your class to vote for a guy named Tokito Yuya, refuse her. In exchange, I'll cover the missing two million points your class needs."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb. I know that guy, Nagumo, lent your class the money."
Ryuuen had no way to confirm this, and Kanzaki hadn't let anything slip.
But Ryuuen always assumed the worst-case scenario.
And because of that, he always devised the most ruthless countermeasures.
"Kanzaki, whether you admit it or not, I don't care. Just do as I say. If Ichinose tries to rally votes for Tokito, notify me immediately. I'll transfer the two million, and you make sure it doesn't happen."
"…Putting everything else aside, do you really think I have any reason to agree?" Kanzaki frowned.
He had a point. Compared to someone like Ryuuen, most students would trust the student council president more.
Besides, from a long-term perspective, owing Ryuuen a favor was a dangerous move.
"Heh, you don't have the right to refuse."
"Say whatever you want."
Kanzaki intended to ignore Ryuuen's words, brushing them off as meaningless threats.
Moreover, if Ryuuen didn't want this to happen, then it was probably in Class A's best interest to vote for Tokito.
However, Ryuuen's next words left Kanzaki with no choice but to take him seriously.
"If you don't do as I say and just stand by while it happens… then I won't hold back. I'll spread a little rumor throughout the school. Something like… heh, I don't know… maybe that Ichinose got the money through compensated dating?"
"…Ridiculous. You think anyone would believe that?"
Though rage boiled inside him, Kanzaki barely managed to keep his emotions in check.
"Why wouldn't they?" Ryuuen smirked confidently. "Don't forget, your class leader already has a 'theft' scandal on her record. Isn't it perfectly reasonable to assume she'd resort to compensated dating too? Her model-student image collapsed ages ago."
It wasn't entirely unfounded.
People who had made mistakes in the past were always the easiest to suspect again.
Even if Class A's students didn't mind Ichinose's history, that was only because they respected her and shared common interests.
Other classes, however, wouldn't be so kind.
Most students would be thrilled to see Ichinose fall—because that would make defeating Class A that much easier.
When the prospect of guaranteed university recommendations was at stake, morality often took a backseat.
"…You bastard… You absolute bastard."
"Heh, thanks for the compliment."
Kanzaki trembled with fury, yet there was nothing he could do.
If things spiraled out of control, Class A could fall into chaos once again, and Ichinose would take a massive emotional hit.
And on top of that, Ryuuen had also offered an interest-free loan.
That made it even harder for Kanzaki to resist.
In the end, he had no choice but to compromise, agreeing to Ryuuen's terms—leading to today's confrontation.
Yet, in the end, Ryuuen had overthought things.
Ichinose never actually pushed for Tokito to receive votes.
But Kanzaki couldn't shake his unease.
Because yesterday, Ichinose had clearly said they borrowed money from the student council president.
Yet this morning, she suddenly changed her story, claiming that Nagumo had encountered some trouble and was unable to lend them the money.
If it were just a simple change of plans, it would be frustrating—but understandable.
However, despite Nagumo backing out, the two-million-point gap had still been filled.
Ichinose gave no explanation, only asked everyone not to question it, and even changed the voting target to Hikigaya.
Some classmates suspected that Hikigaya had intervened behind the scenes.
But Kanzaki found that hard to believe.
If Hikigaya had lent the money… would Ichinose have any reason to keep it a secret?
Sure, neither of them wanted to trouble Hikigaya repeatedly, but if he had already helped, there was no point in hiding it.
Unless… Hikigaya himself insisted on it?
No matter how Kanzaki thought about it, something felt off.
"Geez, Kanzaki, why overthink it? As long as the outcome is good, who cares?"
Ryuuen spoke lightly—but he himself would never be that naïve.
Even if today's actions seemed meaningless, being thoroughly prepared was always necessary.
"Judging by that confused look on your face, I was probably right, huh? The student council president at least made contact with you."
"There's nothing of the sort. You're imagining things." Kanzaki replied flatly.
"Heh, still putting up a front?" Ryuuen grinned. "Well, whatever. I don't care if you admit it or not. I came here for one important reason—to give you a little warning."
"I don't see why I'd need a warning from you."
"Don't be like that. It's about the conflict between Nagumo and the former student council president."
"…!"
Kanzaki immediately perked up.
On the surface, this had nothing to do with him.
But since Ichinose was a student council member, Ryuuen wouldn't bring it up without reason.
Without another word, Kanzaki fell silent and prepared to listen carefully.
"Ughhhh…"
Meanwhile, the very person being discussed was sighing heavily on his way back.
Or rather, back to the dorms.
Ughhhh…
Just thinking about it made Hikigaya's resentment surge like a tidal wave.
Why did things turn out this way?
He had already made peace with the idea of dropping out… So why the hell did they have to interfere?!
At the very least, they could have given him a heads-up!
More importantly—stop adding things to his black history!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Especially since, the moment class ended, Kikyo-chan and Matsushita—who usually found excuses to stick around—had bolted at record speed.
Even Horikita's younger sister, who usually acted normal, was walking faster than usual.
No doubt, those three were behind this…
But there was simply no way to ask them about it—after all, if they stubbornly refused to admit it, what could Hikigaya even do?
...Sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh.
Even though he had received the most appreciation votes in the entire grade, in the end, all he could do was sigh helplessly.
And then there was Kamuro... Just kill me already.
At this moment, Hikigaya didn't even dare to think too much about it, fearing that his brain might completely crash.
This situation was just way, way, way, way, way, way too embarrassing!
Alright, that settles it!
As soon as he got back, he was going to roll around on his bed for at least half an hour before dealing with reality!
Just as Hikigaya was about to escape from reality, a voice suddenly called his name from beside him.
"Hikigaya-kun, if you keep sighing like that, happiness will slip away, you know?"
"Don't be ridiculous, where would I even—Ichinose?"
Halfway through his sentence, Hikigaya suddenly realized.
Standing in front of him was none other than Ichinose, her face slightly flushed. A short distance behind her, Shiranami and a few other girls from Class A were watching curiously. It seemed like she had specifically come over to greet him.
...But why?
"Your friends are waiting for you. You should go back."
"You're kicking me out as soon as you show up?!"
Ichinose first responded to Hikigaya's reaction with her usual playful tone, but then her whole body tensed up, and an obvious look of unease appeared on her face.
...So what exactly is this about?
"Uh, um... Hikigaya-kun." Ichinose gripped the hem of her uniform tightly, her voice slightly trembling.
"A-Are you... mad at me?"
"...What?"
Their conversation felt completely out of sync—at least, Hikigaya had no idea why he would be angry.
Was she worried he was upset about her class secretly voting for him?
But if he said that, wouldn't that just make him seem ungrateful?
"I-I mean... the deal with Nagumo-senpai..."
Ichinose's voice was barely above a whisper, but Hikigaya still caught it.
So it was about that, huh?
At this point, it was confirmed that this was the handiwork of Kikyo-chan and Matsushita-san meddling where they shouldn't.
There was nothing Hikigaya could do about it, so he simply shook his head and said, "I don't have any reason to be mad at you. And I just dislike Nagumo's way of doing things—it's not like I did this for your sake, so you don't need to overthink it."
To be honest, if Nagumo was just using money to boost his popularity with his cute underclassmen before trying to court them, that would be a pretty normal move.
Hikigaya might've even found that somewhat admirable. At the very least, Nagumo wasn't a completely irredeemable bastard.
But in the end... No, this guy needed to be put in his place at some point.
"...Eh?"
However, upon hearing Hikigaya's words, Ichinose looked as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
She had assumed he would be mad at her, or at least lecture her a little. But instead, he just brushed it off so nonchalantly.
"I-I see..." Ichinose forced out an awkward laugh. "Ahaha, Hikigaya-kun really is kind, huh? You don't look down on me at all."
She was so easily forgiven… but she couldn't feel relieved at all.
Instead, her emotions were unusually complicated.
"Not really, how should I put it…"
Hikigaya scratched the back of his head, momentarily at a loss for words.
He truly didn't mean to look down on Ichinose.
Perhaps, in the eyes of the world, sacrificing oneself for classmates was incredibly foolish. But it was like how some people would treasure plastic model figures above all else…
Even if he couldn't understand it, Hikigaya didn't want to judge other people's values so easily.
If Ichinose truly considered her classmates the most important thing in her life, then why would that be impossible?
"So… I just don't think I have the right to be angry at you. And more than anything… I feel sorry for you."
"Eh…? S-Sorry for me?!"
The moment he said that, Ichinose nearly jumped in shock, her face flushing bright red.
Afraid of any misunderstanding, Hikigaya hurriedly clarified, "Of course! I know I don't have the right to pity others either, but… even if it's just my own selfish thoughts, even if you like Nagumo, I still hope you can have a proper—"
"That's not it!" Ichinose cut him off abruptly, her voice so loud that even she was startled. "I don't like Nagumo-senpai! And I've already made things clear with him. From now on… there shouldn't be any more misunderstandings about that."
"Misunderstandings…"
Hearing that word, Hikigaya was momentarily stunned. But then, as if realizing something, he understood.
Ichinose probably believed that Nagumo's feelings for her were "love," that a relationship could only exist if both parties agreed. That's why she thought everything would be fine as long as she rejected him.
But in reality, what Nagumo felt for her was just desire—he didn't care about her feelings at all. And she had probably never even considered that possibility.
Otherwise, someone who truly liked another person wouldn't put them in a difficult situation, would they?
…Well, not that Hikigaya really understood these things either.
After all, he had never been in love before.
"Sorry, I think I got a little too worked up."
Noticing her own outburst, Ichinose lowered her head and spoke softly, having calmed down. "I just… feel really ashamed. I told myself I wouldn't rely on you this time, Hikigaya-kun, but in the end, it's just the same as always… Ahaha, even I feel embarrassed just thinking about it."
"Uh…" Hikigaya found his feelings incredibly complicated at that moment.
Or rather, he felt a deep sense of self-loathing.
On one hand, he genuinely felt sorry for Ichinose.
But on the other hand… he longed for this side of Ichinose.
If she had asked him for money…
Forget everything else—Hikigaya knew he wouldn't have had a reason to lend it to her.
He didn't owe Ichinose anything, he wasn't some devoted follower of hers, and their relationship wasn't particularly special.
Two million points wasn't a big deal for him, twenty million was also within his reach.
If that were the case, then why should he only lend money to Ichinose to save her classmates, and not to other students facing the same exam?
Ichinose was gathering funds, but Hirata had also swallowed his pride to ask his seniors for help. And it wasn't like Sakayanagi and Ryuuen hadn't considered saving their classmates… probably.
At the end of the day, in Hikigaya's mind, the students of Class A weren't any more noble or more deserving of aid than those in other classes.
His being willing to lend the money was one thing. Ichinose asking for it was another.
Of course, he knew his character well.
If she had asked, he probably would have caved in and lent her the money.
But if that had happened… the two of them would have truly become strangers after that.
Hikigaya had a strong feeling about that.
So the choice Ichinose ultimately made… It made him feel both heartache and relief.
Even in such a dire situation, she remained the kind-hearted angel who always thought of others.
And yet, deep down, Hikigaya also knew that this thought of his was nothing more than ugly self-righteousness.
The only thing he could do was to not impose his thoughts onto others. At the very least, he absolutely couldn't repeat the mistakes of middle school.
"…Hikigaya-kun, actually, about this exam, I have some personal thoughts. I feel like I have to tell you."
At that moment, Ichinose suddenly spoke up, though she hesitated slightly.
"I just hope you won't get mad after hearing it."
"No promises. Just say it."
"Uh… okay."
Seeing his unpredictable response, Ichinose let out a wry smile before composing herself.
"If I'm not mistaken, you deliberately had Class D concentrate their critical votes on you, didn't you? I know I don't have the right to judge your decision, but… Didn't you once tell me? That this class is just an illusion to you… So why would you do something so self-sacrificing?"
Ichinose genuinely believed that Hikigaya didn't care about Class D.
But after this exam, she wasn't so sure anymore.
From the results, Hikigaya had probably received praise votes from the other three classes, meaning his actions could have been a way of demonstrating his power to Class D.
Others might have believed that.
But because it was Hikigaya, Ichinose couldn't bring herself to think that way.
"No, you've got it wrong. I had no intention of sacrificing myself." Hikigaya shook his head decisively.
"But! But if you look at your actions, it's exactly what I said, isn't it?"
Ichinose seemed to be making a "judge actions, not intentions" argument.
But that wasn't the issue.
"No, I simply followed the essence of this exam." Hikigaya's voice was unwavering. "No matter how unreasonable this exam is, we are students. And as students, we have to abide by it. That's why I seriously thought about it."
"And your conclusion is…?"
"If you view it from a class-wide perspective, the students who should be expelled in this exam fall into two categories: those who lack ability and those who don't fit in."
"…Huh?"
"I believe I fall into the latter category."
Without acknowledging Ichinose's stunned expression, Hikigaya continued, "Of course, 'not fitting in' is just a broad way of putting it. In reality, it refers to students who refuse to contribute to the class. If that's the case, then my expulsion would be completely reasonable. After all, I'm a student this class doesn't need."
"W-Wait! That's ridiculous!"
"What's ridiculous about it?"
"Everything is ridiculous!"
For once, instead of her usual gentle manner, Ichinose pouted and acted like a child.
"I don't think you being expelled is normal at all! If anything, you're the most valuable student in this school!"
"…That's just because I helped you. That's why you think that way." Hikigaya didn't accept her reasoning.
"No! That's not it!" Ichinose shook her head furiously. "A-And! Don't you think this is way too self-centered?! If someone had to be expelled, shouldn't the whole class discuss it together?! Why did you arbitrarily decide that you're unnecessary?!"
"…Aren't you the same?"
Hikigaya let out a sigh and then, with certainty, gazed at Ichinose.
"If no one was willing to lend you money, didn't you also consider dropping out?"
"I… I did think about it."
Under Hikigaya's gaze, Ichinose found it hard to lie. More than that, she didn't want to lie to someone she liked.
But she quickly added, "But that's only because I made a mistake! It's my fault the class lost two million points, which is why we're short on funds. And I… That's why I have to take responsibility."
"Then what if you hadn't done anything wrong?" Hikigaya pressed further. "What if your class simply couldn't gather the twenty million, and no one was at fault? What would you do then?"
When someone makes a mistake, in an extreme situation, choosing to abandon them isn't that difficult.
But if no one is at fault, and yet someone still has to be sacrificed, a leader must set aside all emotions—only cold rationality can lead to the correct choice.
However, Ichinose's response left Hikigaya deeply disappointed.
"We already discussed this long ago. We decided to draw lots. If we still couldn't find a way to prevent an expulsion by the deadline, then we'd write the names of three randomly selected people on the criticism votes. As for the praise votes, we wouldn't plan that in advance—we'd decide on the spot… That's the strategy we settled on."
"I see…"
Hikigaya fell silent for a few seconds before sighing in exasperation.
"That's honestly a plan that fits your class's atmosphere perfectly. It looks fair on the surface, but it's just pretentious nonsense… Ugh, I'm really glad I didn't end up in Class A. I think I would've puked on the spot."
"…Huh?"
Ichinose was momentarily stunned before quickly sinking into disbelief.
That was a brutally harsh evaluation… Why did he have to put it so harshly?
Seeing her look as though she was about to cry, Hikigaya sighed again.
"Let me give you an example. Say you, Kanzaki, and Shiranami got selected in the lottery. Who do you think would end up expelled?"
"T-That's…"
"There's no need to hesitate—you already know it'd be Shiranami." Hikigaya's voice was unwavering. "See? Even if you think this method is fair, and that it doesn't rank students by ability, the moment a situation like this arises, the result is obvious. You already understand that."
"But…!"
"No buts. I know this is the best solution you could come up with."
Hikigaya cut off Ichinose's argument without hesitation.
"If you really wanted to leave it up to chance, then why not include yourself in the lottery and pick just one person from the whole class to be expelled? If the decision ultimately comes down to merit anyway, then why not just do that from the start? In the end, this is a burden the leader is supposed to bear—a responsibility that comes with guilt. But instead, students like you and Kanzaki, who are usually respected, have chosen to shift that burden onto the entire class. All so you can maintain the illusion of harmony."
Simply put, this method might be fair to everyone, but it's even fairer to some.
Ichinose and Class A might think they were prepared to make the tough choices. But in reality, they were only halfway there.