Natsuki Subaru and Suzune Horikita gave the same answer almost in unison.
However, Natsuki Subaru's answer was somewhat airy, carrying a laziness that suggested it was none of his business, as if he were merely refusing an inconsequential invitation.
Suzune Horikita, on the other hand, was different. Cold, crisp, with absolutely no room for negotiation.
Faced with Natsuki Subaru and Suzune Horikita's refusal, the smile on Yosuke Hirata's face stiffened for a moment; he clearly hadn't expected to be rejected by both of them at the same time.
Yosuke Hirata opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted by Haruki Yamauchi nearby.
"See!"
"I knew it!"
The negative emotions in Haruki Yamauchi's heart seemed to find a target all of a sudden, pouring out in Suzune Horikita's direction.
"You were just saying pretty words earlier."
"All that about 'act now' and 'systematic review,' it's easy to say when you don't have to do anything."
"Now that we're asking you to do it for real and help with tutoring, you show your true colors right away, don't you!"
Natsuki Subaru was one thing; they had almost no interaction with him. But Suzune Horikita, who Yamauchi and the others felt had been making snide remarks earlier, had also refused at this moment, which naturally aroused their anger once again. Suzune Horikita's refusal all but confirmed the point that she was just making snide remarks earlier.
"Show my true colors?"
"Haruki Yamauchi, there is a fundamental deviation in your comprehension ability."
Suzune Horikita adjusted her sitting posture slightly, her arms still crossed over her chest.
"The reason I refused to tutor is not out of the 'unwillingness to help' or 'making snide remarks' that you imagine."
"Your mindset at this moment is typical of dependence and avoidance. I do not expect you to achieve any good learning results in such a state."
"Finally, and most importantly."
"Help is not an unconditional obligation. My time is equally precious. Investing it in actions that are destined to be ineffective and where the other party lacks self-awareness is, no matter how you look at it, a highly unqualified behavior."
"You... you..."
Haruki Yamauchi pointed at Suzune Horikita, somewhat speechless.
From start to finish, Suzune Horikita was reasoning with Haruki Yamauchi and the others, but precisely because she was reasoning, it made Haruki Yamauchi break down even further.
Just like that, the commotion continued until class officially started, at which point it finally quieted down.
Because everyone now knew the reason that poor daily class performance would result in a deduction of class points, even though the current class points were already zero, everyone paid a little more attention.
As for the homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira, who came to teach the class, she merely gave a somewhat disdainful cold laugh, then continued to teach expressionlessly as if nothing had happened.
She looked exactly like an emotionless corporate drone.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Is there something you find amiss?"
While listening to Sae Chabashira's lecture on the podium, Suzune Horikita issued a query to Natsuki Subaru.
Because she was born with relatively strong senses, Suzune Horikita had sensed Natsuki Subaru's gaze even while she was talking to Haruki Yamauchi and the others earlier, so she asked directly.
Regarding Natsuki Subaru, even though she had been rejected by him time and again, and couldn't imagine how to stimulate his drive for the time being, Suzune Horikita still maintained a relatively high level of attention on him.
Moreover, Natsuki Subaru sat right next to her. It would be somewhat difficult not to pay attention.
"I'm just a little surprised, that's all."
"I thought that after saying so much to them just now, you were preparing to spare some of your own time to tutor them."
Hearing Suzune Horikita's question, Natsuki Subaru smiled and offered a couple of sentences of explanation.
"Surprised?"
Suzune Horikita paused briefly, then said, "Given your powers of observation, you should be able to understand my judgment."
"So, Natsuki, why did you refuse?"
'There is nothing wrong with the judgment itself.'
'However, it was unnecessary.'
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who was sitting in front of Natsuki Subaru, also evaluated Suzune Horikita in his mind.
Suzune Horikita's series of actions just now were completely superfluous and meaningless. If she believed from the start that Haruki Yamauchi and the others were hopeless, then there was no need to say those 'motivating' words in the beginning; it would only invite unnecessary trouble for herself. But if she felt they could be saved, yet wasn't prepared to spend her own time tutoring them, then that was even more true.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had always found Suzune Horikita's thought logic somewhat hard to understand. In terms of basic cognition and ordinary understanding, Suzune Horikita's grasp was very much in place, but once it came to actual daily communication and interaction, she completely blew it. She completely failed to bring that cognition into play.
"No reason. A refusal is a refusal."
"I don't care if Haruki Yamauchi and the others get expelled."
Natsuki Subaru smiled and said indifferently, "Literally speaking, I don't want to waste time on them."
"You spend most of your free time going to the library."
As Natsuki Subaru's voice fell, Suzune Horikita suddenly felt she had found an anchor point. She turned her head and asked somewhat seriously, "In other words, in the library, there is something worth you spending a lot of time on, is that right?"
After several exchanges with Natsuki Subaru, Suzune Horikita had gained some understanding of Natsuki Subaru's superficial logic of action.
Natsuki Subaru simply wouldn't do anything he wasn't interested in. In other words, Natsuki Subaru going to the library itself was something Natsuki Subaru wanted to do. Perhaps from this aspect, she could better understand Natsuki Subaru's logic of action.
So as to pull Natsuki Subaru into her team and work together to become Class A.
"That's right."
Natsuki Subaru nodded and didn't deny it.
"Before, you cooperated with Kikyo Kushida to go out to a café and let her run into me."
"On that matter, you spent some of your own free time. Do you think that was also a worthwhile thing?"
Suzune Horikita stared fixedly at Natsuki Subaru. As she constantly combed through past memories, Suzune Horikita discovered that the logic of some things was gradually becoming clear. For a guy like Natsuki Subaru who had no fighting spirit, what counted as a 'worthwhile' thing?
"Hmm..."
This time, Natsuki Subaru was truly a little surprised.
Looking at Suzune Horikita, who seemed to have suddenly discovered a blind spot, the smile on Natsuki Subaru's face grew stronger as he said, "Horikita-san, if you want to understand it that way, there is no problem."
___
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