"No, just hear me out first."
Seeing Horikita's expression grow increasingly sour, Hikigaya hurriedly tried to defend himself.
"This is called... yeah, driving a tiger to swallow a wolf! Think about it—right now, Class C is the one blocking our way. If they lose this time, doesn't that mean our class gets to move one step forward?"
"...Is that so?"
But Horikita didn't seem too convinced by that explanation.
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then narrowed her eyes and said, "Hikigaya-kun, why do I get the feeling that it would be more beneficial for us if Class B lost instead?"
"Eh..."
Hikigaya's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Horikita to say that.
Truth be told, he'd thought the same thing—but obviously, there was no way he could admit that now.
Still, Horikita had grown a lot over the past year. Her perspective had widened.
If this were the old her, she'd insist on beating Class C first, then slowly climbing her way up from there. She never would've realized that the actual order of opponents didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Unfortunately, this also meant she'd become a lot harder to fool.
As Hikigaya scrambled to think up a counter, he responded, "That's not it—Class C is still a real pain to deal with. Especially since their style clashes hard with ours."
"No matter how bad they are, they're still not more of a threat than Class B," Horikita shot him a side-eye glare. "Even if Ryuuen-kun is always pulling underhanded tricks, their class's overall strength still doesn't compare to ours. Don't tell me you haven't realized that."
"I mean... I kind of... Agh, okay, I admit it—I didn't have much of a choice."
Under Horikita's intense stare, Hikigaya couldn't hold out any longer and decided to come clean.
"At the time, Hashimoto kept bugging me, saying he was being targeted by Albert. Ryuuen had also started sending people to harass their class. He asked me to think of a way out... So I just did what any responsible student council member would do."
He said this with such righteous conviction that even he nearly believed it himself.
But Horikita shot him down without mercy. "Hmph, cut the crap. I bet you just got annoyed with how smug Ryuuen-kun was acting and wanted to mess with him a little, didn't you?"
"...Absolutely not."
Hikigaya instinctively looked away.
Damn it, she saw right through me.
Though if we're being honest, that wasn't the only reason... maybe just 90% of it.
"Seriously, I really wish you'd stop helping other classes so casually," Horikita sighed, staring at him in exasperation. "Or at least, if you're going to do it, try to show some restraint... like, I dunno, maybe let me know first?"
"It's not a big deal."
Knowing exactly what Horikita was worried about, Hikigaya quickly tried to reassure her.
"Hashimoto's not an idiot. He won't leak anything to Class A ahead of time. And even if Ryuuen's guys find out, it won't be until the first phase of the exam is over, after all four classes have announced their chosen events. By then, even if Class A finds out, it won't make any difference."
The real point was, this particular tactic only worked if they used it against Class D.
If Class A happened to pick something like a written test as their critical event, it could be devastating for the academically weakest students in Class D. A serious blow to morale.
"Let's hope it plays out like that... Say, Hikigaya-kun," Horikita suddenly gave him a sharp look, "Since you're so eager to help other classes, isn't it about time you helped your own for once?"
"...You're talking about this exam, right?"
"Bingo. So? Can you?"
"I can, yeah," Hikigaya replied with a somewhat strained expression. "But did you forget what I said earlier? Our class has no chance of winning this time."
Even if Tsukishiro didn't want to expel Ayanokouji, he'd still put on a convincing performance.
Otherwise, what would be the point of coming all this way to act as interim chairman? If he didn't do something, he'd look like a complete joke.
"...I've already thought about that."
After a brief silence, Horikita's face suddenly hardened with determination.
"I still find it a little hard to believe, but I've decided to trust you, Hikigaya-kun. So... for this exam, I'll step in as the strategist in Ayanokouji's place."
"...Are you sure about that?"
Hikigaya wasn't particularly surprised. The moment he revealed the truth, he had a vague feeling this was where things would go.
Horikita was just that kind of person. Her desire to win was stronger than anyone else's.
At least she wasn't so naïve as to think she could just charge in and stop the school's schemes head-on.
No matter what, the power difference between students and the school board was astronomical. Even Ayanokouji never considered confronting Tsukishiro directly. All he could do was counter the moves as they came.
"But there's just no other option, is there?" Horikita said firmly. "If we lost because we weren't good enough, that's one thing. But I refuse to sit back and let our class lose for no damn reason."
"Have you thought about what happens after?"
"After?"
Ah, so she's only focused on this exam. And here I was, just praising her for seeing the bigger picture...
Hikigaya sighed and explained, "Even if you step in this time and save Ayanokouji from getting targeted, what about the next exam? Tsukishiro's not going to let up. All he has to do is exercise his authority a little, and he can keep forcing us to lose—until Ayanokouji is expelled."
"That's..."
Horikita hesitated.
"That special exam with the class vote? Tsukishiro rigged that specifically to get rid of Ayanokouji," Hikigaya revealed bluntly. "To put it harshly, right now Ayanokouji is like a tumor. Cutting him out will hurt—but keeping him around could bring even more devastating consequences later."
It wasn't that he had a problem with Ayanokouji personally. He was just laying out the cold, brutal logic.
Think about it: even if they lost this exam, as long as they managed their points properly, they'd just lose 30 points and Ayanokouji. All things considered, that wasn't too steep a price.
No more threats from the acting chairman. No more absurdly unfair exams.
They still had two years left. A comeback wasn't out of the question.
After hearing him out, Horikita sat silently for a long time, as if unsure how to respond.
Hikigaya didn't push her. From the start, he hadn't cared either way.
He was only offering insight because she'd asked for his advice. He simply laid out the situation from an impartial, third-party perspective.
On one side was the predatory interim chairman.
On the other hand, a powerful ally who refused to lift a finger.
Even an idiot could figure out which to choose.
After a long pause, Horikita finally spoke.
"Hikigaya-kun... do you remember back during the class vote exam?"
"Hmm? What about it?"
"You asked me back then—if I were in my brother's shoes, would I choose to save someone like Tachibana-senpai, right?"
"...Ayanokouji isn't nearly as valuable to the class as Tachibana-senpai was."
"True. All he ever does is hide his real abilities." Horikita gave a faint, bitter smile. "But that's not what matters to me. What mattered most was what you said after... You asked me what kind of person I wanted to become. And you said you'd support my decision, no matter what... I was happy when you said that."
Her voice grew softer and softer, until it was barely audible.
But even so, her message came through clearly.
And somehow, that made Hikigaya a little embarrassed.
"You're blowing it way out of proportion... I didn't even do anything helpful back then."
"That's not true. What mattered was the sincerity behind it."
Horikita smiled gently, locking eyes with Hikigaya with unshakable determination. "So this time too... will you support me again? Support my decision?"
"You've made up your mind...?"
"Mm. I want to become the kind of class leader who earns both my brother's... and your recognition."
"...You don't leave me any choice, do you?"
Hikigaya let out a long, exaggerated sigh, trying to cover up his bashfulness.
No matter how you looked at it, standing up to the acting chairman just to protect Ayanokouji wasn't a smart move for the class.
But... he didn't dislike this stubborn side of Horikita.
"So? What do you need me to do?"
"Help me evaluate this."
With Hikigaya's support secured, Horikita beamed with happiness and pulled a notebook from the desk beside her, handing it over.
"This is the strategy I've been working on for D Class over the past few days. I'd like you to check if I've missed anything."
"...Don't expect too much from me, okay?"
"It's fine! Just think of it as a casual chat."
Since Horikita had put it that way, Hikigaya stopped making excuses and opened the notebook.
Inside, the pages were filled with dense notes about the upcoming exam.
D Class's tentative ten events were: English, basketball, archery, swimming, tennis, table tennis, typing, soccer, piano, and shogi. For each one, she'd listed the best candidates and their estimated win rates, followed by her conclusions based on the data.
You could tell from a glance just how seriously Horikita had taken this.
"So? What do you think?"
After a brief pause, Horikita asked expectantly.
It felt like she was fishing for praise... which wouldn't have been too hard to give, but Hikigaya figured being honest was probably the better call here.
"Horikita, this is just my personal guess, but swimming, tennis, table tennis, soccer, and piano—those five events... you're using them as smokescreens to confuse Class A, aren't you?"
"Eh? W-Well, not necessarily…"
Horikita, who had been looking rather pleased with herself, wilted immediately after hearing that.
At this stage, the exam was still in the phase of submitting event selections, so no one knew which events were actually their main focus. She hadn't told anyone yet.
And yet, Hikigaya saw right through her plan in a single sentence.
"That was way too easy to see through," Hikigaya let out a small sigh. "Besides, there are some pretty glaring flaws in those smokescreens. Soccer requires large-scale team training. Piano, tennis, and table tennis all need specialized spaces to practice. In other words, if Class A sends even one person to quietly observe, they'll know what's real and what's not."
And there was one more crucial point: both tennis and table tennis were sports regularly covered in PE class. But as far as Hikigaya could recall, no one in their class was particularly good at either of those.
Unless, of course, they were hiding their abilities like Ayanokōji... but come on, that's not happening.
"Then… then what about swimming? Onodera-san is the ace of the swim team," Horikita retorted, still unwilling to give in.
"On the surface, sure. But the issue is—she's a girl."
Once again, Hikigaya saw right through her line of thinking.
"If she ends up facing an athletic guy, Onodera pretty much has no shot at winning. You were considering that too, right? That's why you didn't plan on letting her participate."
Class A had its share of athletic powerhouses—Kanzaki, Shibata, just to name a few. Onodera wouldn't have any real advantage against them.
Even if she was the ace of the swim team, she was still just an amateur. That gap in physical ability between boys and girls wasn't something she could make up for.
You only had to look at the class's PE records to see that.
"…Sigh. You got me, Hikigaya. You saw through all of it."
Horikita had nothing left to say. She pressed her fingers against her forehead in surrender.
"I thought I could at least fool you on one or two of them... Hey, Hikigaya-kun."
"What?"
"If our class loses this time... would you be willing to keep leading us afterward?"
"..."
It seemed Horikita was starting to doubt herself after that blow.
And who could blame her? After putting so much effort into carefully selecting ten events, someone had just dissected which ones were fake in mere seconds.
Still, Hikigaya swore he hadn't meant to do it maliciously…
"Horikita, I really think you should take it easy," Hikigaya said, carefully choosing his words. "It's only been a few days since the exam was announced, and you've already done all this. Originally, the strategy should've been discussed by the whole class. You don't have to carry everything on your own... If you're feeling pressured by the possibility of expulsion, we can think of another way."
"…It's not just that."
Horikita slowly shook her head, biting her lip.
"This is the last exam of the year. I know I won't be able to show my brother that I've made it to Class A... but at the very least, I want him to be able to leave this school with peace of mind."
So that was it. She wanted to give her brother a satisfying answer before he graduated—that's why she was so invested in this exam.
And yet, right up to this moment, she hadn't asked Hikigaya to take over as the strategist... Even though if they lost, it could all be over.
"I've always looked up to my brother since I was little," Horikita said, her voice tinged with self-mockery.
"I know now that he wants me to surpass him, but... I've always doubted whether I really could."
"…It's fine even if you don't. There's nothing wrong with the you that you are now."
"Eh…?"
Horikita looked genuinely startled by Hikigaya's response—like it had completely caught her off guard.
She quickly let out a dry laugh, like she was trying to play it off. "Heh... I didn't expect you of all people to say something so flattering."
"Mmm…"
"Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. I've already made up my mind."
Maybe for Horikita, taking on the strategist role wasn't just about winning—this was a trial she'd set for herself.
If she passed, she'd move one step closer to her brother.
And if she failed... she'd accept it and drop out, go home, give up on it all.
That kind of all-or-nothing resolve... reminded Hikigaya of the sports festival.
"Horikita, I'm not here to judge your thoughts. But… back in middle school, I went through something kind of similar."
"In middle school?"
"It was during the school culture festival. I had a friend—well, not really a friend. More like someone I just happened to know."
Hikigaya corrected himself with a bitter chuckle.
"She was the executive committee head for the festival. With her skills, she could've easily handled everything and organized the event perfectly. But she let her pointless competitiveness get the better of her. Trying to catch up to her older sister, she took on too much and ended up overwhelmed."
"Hikigaya-kun, you…"
At that moment, Horikita could feel it clearly—Hikigaya was looking straight at her.
Almost like he was looking at her, and yet not at the same time.
"Did… did you help that person back then?"
"…That's not the point," Hikigaya brushed off her question. "I just want to tell you: don't push yourself too hard. No matter what happens, don't forget—you're not meant to compare yourself to your brother or anyone else. The person you should be measuring yourself against… is who you were yesterday. There are so many geniuses in this world. If you keep comparing yourself day in and day out, you'll just get crushed, right?"
Horikita had been listening seriously… until the end, where she couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
"Was that your way of bragging?"
"Not at all. Why would you think I see myself as a genius?"
"But you've already made Sakayanagi-san, Ayanokōji-kun… even President Nagumo stumble."
"A win here and there doesn't mean anything," Hikigaya said, shaking his head. "Not just those three. You, Ryūen… honestly, there are way too many monsters in our year."
The most terrifying opponents are the ones who keep getting back up after every loss.
Ryūen especially—Hikigaya found his underhanded tricks annoying, but he still respected the guy.
Right from the start, Ryūen had taken Class C straight into the abyss with that merger stunt. And yet, instead of lying low, he came back stronger every time.
That kind of mental toughness isn't something just anyone has.
Just look at the second-years—they were completely tamed by Nagumo. Even when provoked by Hikigaya, they didn't have the guts to fight back.
If it were Ryūen, he'd throw up a middle finger and yell, "I'll crush you next time!" no matter how badly he lost.
Even if he didn't have the resources, just that cockroach-like survival spirit put him leagues ahead of most people.
"Horikita, maybe your smarts can't match Sakayanagi's. Maybe you're not as good at rallying people as Ichinose, or as cunning as Ryūen."
"…Why do you sound exactly like Ayanokōji-kun? Do you just enjoy putting people down?"
"Don't lump me in with him," Hikigaya replied irritably. "Anyway, even if you're not the best at anything, that doesn't mean you can't win… The key is using the resources around you."
"Resources around me?"
"Yeah. For example, if you're going to replace Ayanokōji as the strategist… couldn't you leverage that position to make him do something for you?"
At Hikigaya's suggestion, Horikita suddenly understood.
She couldn't help but smile. "So you're telling me to treat Ayanokōji-kun like a weapon?"
"That depends on how you want to play it."
Just because someone was a "masterpiece" didn't mean you couldn't use them. The trick was knowing their weak spot.
Like right now—could Ayanokōji really refuse Horikita's request?
Could he even step up as strategist?
Nope. He didn't have what it took—plain and simple.
"In that case... I think I'd like to ask you first, Hikigaya-kun, to help revise the battle plan," Horikita said sweetly.
"…I was telling you to strong-arm Ayanokōji, not me."
Hikigaya shot her a glare, thoroughly annoyed.
Not to mention, he wasn't some guy you could bend to your will like Ayanokōji.
Nobody controls Hachiman!
But Horikita pointed to the dishes in front of him. "You already ate my meal, didn't you?"
"…You really are good at picking things up on the spot, huh?"
"Hehe, must be because I have a good teacher."
"Sigh…"
With Horikita praising him so sincerely, Hikigaya wasn't even sure whether to feel annoyed or happy.
"Fine, fine. Go grab a pen, I'll help tweak it a bit."
"I'll do the writing. You just eat while you explain."
"Do you have to go this hard...?"
Hikigaya let out a helpless smile and began to explain his thoughts one by one.
Well, what could he do? If only for the sake of his upperclassman Horikita-senpai, he couldn't let her little sister drop out just like that.