"Hey, Horikita, just say whatever you want to say."
Hikigaya didn't even have time to react before Horikita grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the classroom.
"I'll keep it short. This time, I need you to lend me your strength."
Without looking back, Horikita dragged Hikigaya along as she quickly climbed the stairs.
"Hmm… That sounds familiar."
Wait, do you also watch that tokusatsu show about the debt collector who borrows people's powers?
"What are you talking about?"
"Aren't you asking to borrow strength? Did I misunderstand?"
"I mean… I need your help to stop Sudou from getting expelled!"
Horikita answered seriously, even though she had no idea what Hikigaya was rambling about.
"???"
Not long after, Horikita, out of breath, finally stopped in the hallway outside the faculty office. Ahead of them stood Chabashira-sensei and Ayanokouji, leaning against the window, seemingly in conversation.
"We've gathered the 300,000 private points, so Chabashira-sensei, please keep your promise and sell us the three points for Sudou's English test!"
Horikita stepped forward decisively, speaking between gasps.
Hikigaya: "???"
So I was dragged here just to be the sucker who foots the bill?!
"Oh? So the person Horikita said she could borrow money from turned out to be you, Hikigaya."
For some reason, there was a deeper meaning behind Chabashira-sensei's words. But aside from Hikigaya, neither Ayanokouji nor Horikita seemed to pick up on it.
"Hikigaya, here's what happened…"
Horikita glanced at Hikigaya apologetically before briefly explaining the situation. In short, she and Ayanokouji had approached Chabashira-sensei, offering to buy the three points Sudou was missing for his English test. Chabashira-sensei set the price at 100,000 private points per point, meaning they needed a total of 300,000 points.
"So, I'm just here to be the sucker?"
Hikigaya's face twitched.
"I know you must be shocked right now… Huh? Wait, you're not surprised that test scores can be bought?"
Horikita suddenly froze for a moment, as if her brain had short-circuited. The explanation she had prepared was suddenly unnecessary.
"Huh? Wait, you can actually buy test scores?!"
Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes widened in exaggerated shock. The room fell into silence.
Horikita gave him a look that screamed, "Could you be any more fake?"
"Well, whatever. This school already allows things like selling test questions, which would be illegal anywhere else, so buying grades doesn't seem that crazy."
Hikigaya clicked his tongue, looking like this was just another day at this absurd school.
Everyone could hear the sarcasm in his voice, especially Chabashira-sensei, who, as a teacher, looked a bit awkward. But she still maintained her usual cold expression.
"So, Hikigaya, please lend me 200,000 private points to stop Sudou from getting expelled!"
For once, Horikita looked genuinely sincere.
"Why should I lend you— wait, hold on, Horikita, how are you so sure that I even have 200,000 private points?"
Only now did Hikigaya realize the biggest flaw in all of this.
Normally, Horikita would ask someone like Hirata or Kushida for help, not a loner like him.
"Horikita originally planned to ask Hirata or Kushida, but Chabashira-sensei said that the only student in class who could come up with 200,000 private points was you, Hikigaya."
Ayanokouji, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke.
Hikigaya widened his eyes at Chabashira-sensei. Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, but they all boiled down to one thing: *Silence is golden.*
"Ayanokouji and I combined only have about 100,000 at most, so we had no choice but to ask you for help, Hikigaya."
Asking for help like this made Horikita feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable. In fact, this was the first time she had ever asked someone outside her family for help. Even so, she did her best to suppress her unease and looked Hikigaya straight in the eyes.
Maybe because of the shift in her mindset, Horikita noticed something for the first time—Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes actually had a strangely oppressive aura.
Hikigaya could tell how reluctant and uneasy she was. For someone who was used to being alone and proud, asking for help was incredibly difficult, almost like betraying their former self. He understood that feeling all too well. But still…
"Give me a reason that will convince me."
He didn't agree right away. Instead, he stared intently at Horikita, trying to find a reason in her answer that would convince even himself.
He felt nothing for someone like Sudou, who never improved. At most, he felt a bit of pity—pity that even his right to stay in this school was in someone else's hands. Compared to Sudou, Hikigaya was more interested in what had driven this prideful girl to lower herself like this. He still remembered how she treated her classmates that afternoon in the courtyard.
"Hikigaya, isn't it normal for classmates to help each other when they're in trouble?"
Surprisingly, Ayanokouji was the one who spoke up.
"So… why did you phrase that as a question instead of a statement?"
Aside from the incident in the alley, this was probably the first time Hikigaya had spoken directly to Ayanokouji. "Or do you think guilt-tripping me is going to work?"
For some reason, Hikigaya found Ayanokouji's words irritating. It wasn't that he cared about the 200,000 private points. Even Sudou trying to get violent with him earlier didn't stir much emotion. It wasn't that Hikigaya was forgiving or kind—he just didn't see the point in wasting energy on things like that.
Real hatred isn't anger or malice. Real hatred is indifference.
Whether it was in the past or now in this class, people had insulted, slandered, and rejected him. But he had never once tried to argue or *prove himself*. Because from the very start, Hikigaya understood one thing—trying to convince someone is the dumbest thing you can do.
People only believe what they want to believe. In the end, you'll just trap yourself in an endless loop of self-justification.
Like how Sudou loses his temper so easily—deep down, he just wants to *prove himself* to others. But since he doesn't have the ability to back it up, that desire turns into a twisted obsession with *dominating others* instead.
One lives in his own world. The other is forced to live in someone else's.
Ever since he was reborn, Hikigaya had felt something strange—like he was becoming more and more detached from the world around him. Fewer and fewer things could stir any real emotion in him.
To Hikigaya, Sudou's situation was no different from a stray dog barking at him on the street. A normal person wouldn't bother barking back.
Of course… if that dog actually tried to bite him, Hikigaya wouldn't hesitate to put it down. Not even Jesus could save him. Hikigaya would make sure of that.
"This time, you want to use 200,000 private points to help Sudou. But what about next time? Or what if it's someone else?
Right now, this is no different from dealing with a gambler. The real problem isn't whether I lend you the points—it's whether those points will actually make him change.
If they won't, then it's better for Sudou to get expelled and remember this as a painful lesson. That would be the best outcome. Not me helping you achieve the result you think is right."
Hikigaya's sharp words left Chabashira-sensei and Horikita in silence.
Honestly, Hikigaya believed that getting expelled was actually the best thing for Sudou. Compared to the temporary pain of expulsion, staying in this school under what was basically charity would make him Horikita's lackey forever.
From that moment on, Sudou would lose his freedom—his right to refuse. He wouldn't belong to himself anymore.
But aside from Hikigaya, no one else seemed to realize this.
Instead, they all thought this was a win-win situation—saving Sudou while preventing the class from losing points. They convinced themselves they were doing the right thing.
From one angle, it really was a win-win.
But the price… was that someone lost their right to say no.
Sudou, how pathetic.
"So Horikita thinks Sudou is valuable to the class. And after this, you believe he'll change, right?"
Ayanokouji still looked completely emotionless, his thoughts unreadable.
"A valuable person?"
Hikigaya let out a cold laugh. At this moment, he felt like he finally understood how Ayanokouji thought.
"Then, Ayanokouji, can you guarantee that for me right here, right now?"
"..."
"That's why I'm asking Horikita, not you, Ayanokouji."
Seeing Ayanokouji stay silent, Hikigaya chuckled. This guy had been trying to "guide" him with words from the start—did he really think he wouldn't notice?
Hikigaya turned to Horikita. "So, Horikita, what's your answer?"
Horikita was quiet for a moment before speaking. "From my perspective, Sudou did make an effort to improve for the midterms. Even though the final result was still disappointing, that's just the consequence of his past actions catching up to him. So I won't deny the outcome."
"But... in the process, I saw Sudou's determination to change. And just like Ayanokouji said, this school doesn't only need students with high academic ability—it also values those with other talents."
"Like you said that day, a fair evaluation of someone should consider multiple aspects. From what I see, Sudou is one of the top three in our class when it comes to physical ability. That could be a crucial asset in future exams. I still remember what you told me that day—'abandoning someone is always the worst choice.' At least for now, I don't think Sudou's value has dropped to the point where he should be abandoned."
"I can promise you, Hikigaya, Sudou won't turn into the gambler you described. I'll make sure you see his change. So please, lend me your strength this time!"
As Horikita spoke, her eyes grew brighter. From initial uncertainty and doubt to firm conviction, she was no longer just clinging to right and wrong, staying aloof. She was taking her first step toward change.
"...Looks like you've finally started to understand this school's rules."
Hikigaya suddenly smiled. He wasn't sure if he felt helpless about this outcome that seemed inevitable or if he was just sentimental. Even he couldn't quite tell. But one thing was clear—Sudou was about to become a "dog" for real.
Still, Horikita's last words threw Hikigaya off a little.
"So… Horikita, are you sure you're not a fan of some debt king?"
"?"
Hikigaya found his own random question ridiculous. While Horikita was still trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning behind it, his phone suddenly received a transfer notification.
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
He waved a hand and started to go, but Ayanokouji suddenly called out to him, a hint of curiosity in his calm gaze.
"Hikigaya, were you moved by Horikita's words?"
"Sorry, but no. I still don't believe Sudou will change."
Horikita, who had just looked pleased, froze.
"Then why..."
Ayanokouji was even more puzzled.
"Because I believe in Horikita Suzune."
Of course, part of it was also because of the student council president. After all, Hikigaya had gotten some useful intel from Horikita Manabu this time too.
"As for you, I don't trust you."
"Why?"
"Why? Maybe because you're a guy, and I'm a guy too. Same poles repel."
"That's it?"
"That's it? If you turn into a girl, I'll take back what I just said."
"..."
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