Suzune Horikita realized that the reason she kept hitting a wall with Natsuki Subaru was because she hadn't figured out what he truly wanted.
No matter how she tried to persuade him, Natsuki Subaru showed no interest in leading Year 1, Class D to overtake and become Class A. That was simply because she hadn't grasped what Natsuki Subaru actually desired.
And now, although she still didn't understand why Natsuki Subaru would waste his free time on such inexplicable things, she at least had a rough target.
The Library could be set aside for the moment.
After all, the library was a fairly serious place. Going there was perfectly normal.
But teaming up with Kikyō Kushida and staging that 'accidental' encounter with her at the café—that had some meaning behind it.
Natsuki Subaru's behavioral logic was completely different from Kiyotaka Ayanokōji's.
Through her time interacting with Kiyotaka Ayanokōji lately, Suzune Horikita had gotten a general sense of some of his thoughts.
After all, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji needed to learn about ordinary cognition and definitions from her, so Suzune Horikita had some understanding of his ideas and behavioral logic.
The reason Kiyotaka Ayanokōji had cooperated with Kikyō Kushida last time and invited her to the café was simply because Kikyō Kushida had asked him. It was straightforward.
Natsuki Subaru was different.
Natsuki Subaru was the type to refuse. If he wasn't interested in something, he wouldn't agree to Kikyō Kushida's request. In other words, accompanying Kikyō Kushida to 'accidentally' run into her was suspicious in itself.
'For Natsuki Subaru, pretending to bump into me by chance with Kikyō Kushida was valuable?'
'Why?'
'Why would Natsuki Subaru think going to a café with Kikyō Kushida was more meaningful than leading Year 1, Class D to become Class A?'
Although she had detected Natsuki Subaru's possible behavioral logic, Suzune Horikita found herself even more confused.
Suzune Horikita simply couldn't understand the significance of Natsuki Subaru willing to waste time with Kikyō Kushida.
"So, if something makes you see it as valuable and worth your time..."
Suzune Horikita looked at Natsuki Subaru with a tone of slight certainty.
"Even something like leading Year 1, Class D to become Class A, which you refused before, you would spend time on it, right?"
No matter what, understanding some of Natsuki Subaru's behavioral logic was a good thing.
At the very least, Suzune Horikita now knew that Natsuki Subaru wasn't truly uninterested in everything—he just wasn't interested in things he didn't care about.
All she needed to do was find a way to make Natsuki Subaru interested in 'leading Year 1, Class D to become Class A.'
"If Horikita-san can pique my interest..."
"Then yes, I would do it. Of course, only if it interests me."
Natsuki Subaru immediately affirmed Suzune Horikita's speculation once again.
If she could really spark his interest, something like making Class D into Class A was trivial. Sparking interest itself was the real big deal.
Forget small things like that—even something bigger, like making Suzune Horikita the richest person, would be fine.
However, Natsuki Subaru didn't hold much hope that Suzune Horikita could actually motivate him or pique his interest.
After all, Suzune Horikita herself had no color, and the potential for her to gain color in the future was low.
Natsuki Subaru couldn't get interested in someone without color or potential.
The fact that Natsuki Subaru would chat with Suzune Horikita in non-essential situations already made her one of the top-tier fakes among the countless impostors.
Someone like Arisu Sakayanagi, a fake among fakes, couldn't even compare to Suzune Horikita.
To this day, Natsuki Subaru had never felt even a shred of killing intent toward Suzune Horikita.
That was Suzune Horikita's greatest strength.
"I see."
Suzune Horikita nodded and fell silent, focusing seriously on Sae Chabashira's lesson on the podium.
As for Natsuki Subaru, he didn't say anything more either. Instead, he gazed at the black-and-white world outside the window, letting his thoughts drift.
Compared to the matters at hand, Natsuki Subaru was thinking more about the hardcover novel Hiyori Shiina had given him yesterday, The Devotion of Suspect X.
Unlike the lighthearted, almost escapist Night on the Galactic Railroad she had recommended last time.
The Devotion of Suspect X was not a light story. Even just reading the opening part, Natsuki Subaru could already feel the suffocating heaviness within it.
She had recommended a light novel out of worry when he was reading Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, but this time she went in the complete opposite direction with such a contrasting work.
'Hiyori Shiina...'
'What are you trying to tell me through this book?'
...
In the days that followed, Year 1, Class D entered a phase of dull, oppressive tension.
Every afternoon after classes, Yōsuke Hirata organized study sessions.
He asked the academically strong students in the class to tutor those who were weaker.
Everyone began to muster some drive for the upcoming midterm exams.
After the previous incident where Yōsuke Hirata's request was refused, Natsuki Subaru and Suzune Horikita were subtly excluded.
If before it had just been Natsuki Subaru and Suzune Horikita not joining in voluntarily.
Now, it could tentatively be called a form of bullying.
Even Kiyotaka Ayanokōji's current relationships in Year 1, Class D were slightly better than Natsuki Subaru's and Suzune Horikita's—partly because Kiyotaka Ayanokōji had actively joined the study sessions.
Through his time learning from Suzune Horikita, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji had come to understand part of what 'ordinary' meant.
For instance, as a truly ordinary person, someone like Natsuki Subaru, who was completely indifferent to Year 1, Class D's final outcome throughout, was the real outlier.
On the contrary, not being content with being labeled a 'defective' Class D was what ordinary people should feel.
Based on this, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji had appropriately adjusted his behavioral logic to align more with the definition of ordinary—for example, actively participating in Yōsuke Hirata's study sessions.
Or showing a slight change in attitude toward Year 1, Class D's current situation, giving Suzune Horikita appropriate hints. These were all small changes.
___
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