Suzune Horikita's face grew increasingly gloomy, and the hands resting on her knees clenched tightly into fists.
Two hundred thousand personal points. Averaged out to every person in Class D, that was only five thousand points. It was vastly different from the figure she had expected in her heart.
This was not merely a gap in money, but a thorough denial of her ability and judgment.
The figure Honami Ichinose offered was precisely stuck on the blurred boundary between "charity" and a "transaction."
Suzune Horikita found it difficult to accept, because this was equivalent to admitting her own incompetence, and the benefits obtained were truly too few.
But... she had no way to refuse.
The current Class D really needed personal points.
This was the guarantee to stabilize internal operations within the class.
Moreover, because the class points had been cleared to zero, students would definitely encounter quite a few problems in their daily lives.
Especially for students like Ken Sudo.
She subconsciously looked toward her companions beside her.
Yosuke Hirata had a difficult look on his face. He looked like he wanted to speak but stopped. He obviously felt that this condition fell too far short of expectations, but his personality was gentle—at least on the surface. Furthermore, Honami Ichinose was from another class and was helping out of goodwill; he was not good at making a tough stance in such a situation.
Kikyo Kushida maintained that worried appearance, even casting a gaze of understanding toward Honami Ichinose. Then, she looked at Suzune Horikita with that almost identical gaze, as if approving of the other party's efforts.
In reality, Kikyo Kushida was ecstatic in her heart.
She couldn't wait to see the look of Suzune Horikita eating humble pie. The uglier the other party's face, the more refreshed she felt.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was expressionless, seeming as if the matter did not concern him.
As for Subaru... he continued to lean there, his eyes calm and waveless, as if this negotiation concerning Class D's dignity and practical interests before his eyes was just a slightly dull play to him.
Originally, he was just here to watch the excitement.
Looking at her companions, a mix of emotions—humiliation, anger, and frustration—surged within Suzune Horikita's chest.
But she also knew she had no better choice.
Returning empty-handed meant that the little prestige she had just built up in the class would likely vanish, and it might even trigger greater dissatisfaction and chaos.
Accepting these two hundred thousand would at least temporarily stop the wagging tongues, even if it solidified the fact that her negotiation had failed and she was forced to accept relief.
"Horikita-san,"
Honami Ichinose's voice sounded again, gentle as always, yet carrying a meaning that allowed no delay.
"What do you think? We have other arrangements afterward. If possible, please give us an answer."
Ryuji Kanzaki's gaze also focused over, carrying scrutiny:
"If Horikita-san cannot accept it, let's cooperate next time. This is already the greatest sincerity we can offer."
Suzune Horikita felt her throat go a bit dry.
She forced herself to straighten her back. Her gaze looked straight at Honami Ichinose, her eyes filled with unwillingness, but she was also clear that she had no better choice.
"...I accept."
Two words, almost squeezed out through her gritted teeth.
A smile bloomed on Honami Ichinose's face:
"That's great. Then, regarding the specific transfer of points and some simple intentions for subsequent cooperation, we can confirm the details via the terminal later. I am very glad to be able to cooperate with you."
She glanced at the girl responsible for recording, who quickly noted down the key points.
However, there wasn't even a shred of joy on Suzune Horikita's face.
"If there are no other matters..." Honami Ichinose said politely.
"Then—"
"Then we will leave first."
Suzune Horikita simply used a cold tone and stood up abruptly, the chair legs making an ear-piercing sound as they rubbed against the floor.
She didn't even look at Honami Ichinose again. She turned and walked toward the door, her steps hurried and her back stiff.
Yosuke Hirata hurriedly nodded in apology to Honami Ichinose and the others, then hastily followed.
Kikyo Kushida also revealed a sweet smile filled with apology to Honami Ichinose, whispering,
"Thank you, Ichinose-san. Horikita-san's temper... is a bit eccentric. I'm really sorry!"
"It's okay! After all, with that kind of thing happening, no one would feel good. I can understand."
Honami Ichinose did not express any dissatisfaction with Suzune Horikita's reaction. On the contrary, she still expressed concern for her.
"Then we'll be going first!"
"Mn, goodbye!"
Kikyo Kushida said this to Honami Ichinose before walking away quickly.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood up silently and followed at the end.
Subaru was the last to stand up.
His movements were unhurried, and he even adjusted his cuffs.
When he walked past Honami Ichinose, his steps paused slightly, and he turned his head to look at her.
Honami Ichinose was also looking at him. Within those azure eyes were inquiry and a trace of imperceptible vigilance, but the smile on her face did not diminish:
"Natsuki-kun, do you have any advice?"
Subaru shook his head gently:
"Nothing."
After speaking, he prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment, Natsuki-kun."
Just then, Honami Ichinose called out Subaru's name.
Subaru stopped and turned his head to look at Honami Ichinose.
Almost the majority of boys in the school would subconsciously have their gazes attracted by Honami Ichinose's beauty.
But Subaru seemed not to care at all.
"Hmm?"
"Natsuki-kun, did you come today just to accompany Horikita?"
Honami Ichinose was somewhat curious why Subaru hadn't made any moves.
"Just dropped by to take a look since I was on the way."
"I see."
"If there's nothing else, I'll go first."
"Mn..."
Honami Ichinose seemed to want to ask something more, but eventually, she just nodded.
Subaru said no more and stepped out of the conference room.
Watching Subaru's retreating figure, Ryuji Kanzaki also breathed a sigh of relief.
When he saw that Subaru had come along, he had thought the other party would take some action.
After all, no one knew what Subaru actually wanted to do.
But Subaru had done nothing.
Even so, Ryuji Kanzaki still felt immense pressure.
He didn't know the reason himself; it was as if Subaru naturally emitted a special aura.
"Truly a person one cannot see through..."
In the hallway outside the door, the atmosphere was oppressive.
Suzune Horikita stood a few steps away, her back to the conference room door. Her shoulders heaved slightly; evidently, she was trying hard to calm her emotions.
Yosuke Hirata stood beside her, wanting to comfort her but not knowing where to start.
Kikyo Kushida lowered her head, playing with the tips of her hair, her expression unclear.
"Horikita, this can already be considered the best result."
The expressionless Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood beside Suzune Horikita, speaking in a calm tone.
"In terms of results, we achieved cooperation and obtained points. This is enough."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had also already guessed the outcome of this negotiation.
However, he had not stopped or persuaded Suzune Horikita.
After all, regardless of the process, the result would only be largely the same.
When Subaru walked out, Suzune Horikita seemed to sense it. She turned around abruptly, looking at him with a burning gaze. That look was filled with interrogation and resentment:
"You anticipated this long ago, didn't you?"
Subaru met her line of sight and said frankly:
"I said it before: I wasn't optimistic about the negotiation. You were too confident yourself, Horikita-san."
"You..."
Suzune Horikita's chest heaved violently. She recalled that light "Good luck to you" from Subaru earlier; hearing it now, it sounded incomparably ear-piercing.
But in the end, she didn't say anything more. She just glared fiercely at Subaru, then turned her head away again.
She knew that Subaru had no obligation to remind her, and even less obligation to help her.
This disastrous defeat was rooted in her own misjudgment and naivety.
After a few seconds, Suzune Horikita seemed to have calmed down slightly and turned her head to look at Subaru again:
"That's right, your previous analysis was correct. I misjudged the big picture; this is my own responsibility."
"Horikita-san has also done her best!"
Kikyo Kushida stepped forward, pretending to care, but soon changed the subject.
"What do we do now, Horikita-san?"
She asked, looking somewhat worried.
"Two hundred thousand points... although it can solve the immediate urgency, compared to what the classmates expected..."
"I will explain the situation to them."
Suzune Horikita's voice was somewhat hoarse but carried a cold hardness of burning one's bridges.
"The responsibility lies with me. The points... distribute them first to the ten students with the fewest points to stabilize the situation. I will also take responsibility myself and divide a portion of my personal points... I don't know what action Class C will take next."
Just then, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji suddenly spoke, his voice flat and waveless:
"Class C might not stop."
"What?"
Suzune Horikita looked at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji with some surprise.
She had already suffered Class C's retaliation; theoretically speaking, they were even.
Moreover, Class C's self-destruct tactic was about exchanging the fewest points for the opponent's greater loss.
Class D had no points at all right now; continuing to act would bring absolutely no benefit to Class C.
"Ryuen is a person who disregards consequences. The things he does are not merely retaliation, but also to establish authority and display military force to all sides."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji spoke slowly.
"At the same time, it is also to probe, I suppose."
"Probe?"
Suzune Horikita was somewhat puzzled.
"Probe our Class D, to see if there are more hidden cards."
While Kiyotaka Ayanokoji spoke, his peripheral vision moved quietly to Subaru.
He guessed in his heart that Kakeru Ryuen's series of behaviors might be a probe directed at Subaru.
He wanted to see if Subaru would make a move if he acted against Suzune Horikita.
Clearly, Suzune Horikita was not that important to Subaru.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's almost imperceptible peripheral glance was, however, captured by Subaru.
That impenetrable gaze.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji moved his gaze back to Suzune Horikita and continued:
"Of course, this is just my conjecture. There is no substantial evidence."
Hearing Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's words, Suzune Horikita's brows furrowed tightly.
Just then, unhurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by a light chuckle.
"It seems I missed a good show?"
Everyone looked towards the sound, only to see Miyabi Nagumo strolling over leisurely. His face wore that customary, slightly cynical smile.
His gaze swept over Suzune Horikita, whose face was ugly, grazed past the variously expressed Hirata, Kushida, and Ayanokoji, and finally fixed on Subaru. The interest in his eyes grew thicker.
"Nagumo-senpai."
Yosuke Hirata and Kikyo Kushida hurriedly greeted him.
Suzune Horikita merely nodded stiffly. She was in no mood right now to deal with this second-year senior who had a reputation outside.
Subaru looked at Miyabi Nagumo; his expression showed no change, nor did he speak.
Miyabi Nagumo walked up close, seeming not to perceive the heaviness of the atmosphere, and said to himself:
"I heard the fighting in the first year has been quite lively recently. Even President Horikita's sister got dragged in? Really, the temper of the current juniors is truly big."
He changed the subject and looked at Subaru.
"However, the one who interests me most is still you, Junior Natsuki. How about it? Interested in having a chat with me? About this school, about... how to play a bit more interestingly?"
He was obviously not just passing by, but came specifically for Subaru.
He spoke faintly.
"What does Nagumo-senpai want to talk about?"
Subaru's voice had no fluctuations, neither enthusiastic nor cold, merely stating a question.
Miyabi Nagumo seemed to enjoy this scrutiny very much. He took a few steps closer, lowering his voice, yet it was enough for the people around to hear:
"Nothing special. I just feel that you, Junior, are very interesting. In this school, people like you... who are transcendent and detached are rare. Interested in chatting with me? Maybe we can find some 'common pleasures.' Moreover, on certain matters, Natsuki-kun's thoughts are the same as mine."
"What?"
"This school is really too loose, isn't it? And you did something no one has ever done in the school."
What Miyabi Nagumo was referring to was precisely the matter of Subaru getting Haruki Yamauchi expelled.
Miyabi Nagumo believed that the current school was not strict enough.
Clearly, there were so many people just making up the numbers, yet they could graduate with gold-plating.
Such people only deserved to be expelled.
Although Manabu Horikita appeared strict, in reality, he had always advocated providing protection to weak students.
This made Miyabi Nagumo feel very displeased.
He even mocked Manabu Horikita for being too benevolent, believing that the school's rules and regulations needed reform to achieve a school of true "supremacy of ability."
This was also the reason he and Manabu Horikita were like water and fire.
In Miyabi Nagumo's eyes, Subaru might be someone who shared his aspirations.
After Manabu Horikita graduated, Miyabi Nagumo would become the Student Council President. At that time, he could practice his philosophy as much as possible.
But it was not enough, far from enough.
After he graduated himself, someone would still be needed to inherit his position.
Subaru was that person.
Especially the matter of him spending points to expel a certain student in the class.
Getting rid of trash; this coincided with his own philosophy.
His invitation carried a clear meaning of recruitment and probing.
Subaru's answer, however, was simple and direct, without a shred of hesitation. He even turned his gaze to another place:
"No interest."
____
New Story: ZZZ: Mr. Ethereal Does Not Want to See a Tragedy
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan