Chapter 137 The Tiger Group's VIP is Kamuro Masumi
"Hey, Kamuro! What exactly did Hikigaya say to you?"
"Who is the VIP? You could at least tell us!"
Yahiko questioned Kamuro Masumi with a face full of impatience.
However, Kamuro Masumi only spared him an expressionless glance: "I have nothing to say to you."
"Yahiko, is that the attitude of someone asking for a favor?
At least use a dogeza!" Hikigaya grinned, opening fire with his mockery.
"You bastard, are you intentionally playing with us?" At this point, Yahiko didn't even have the energy to complain about Hikigaya calling him by his given name.
'He really was...'
In truth, Hikigaya had no idea who the VIP was. He had pretended to whisper to Kamuro Masumi, while actually using his peripheral vision to scan the expressions of everyone present.
He was trying to find the hidden VIP by "beating the mountain to scare the tiger."
However, to his complete surprise, everyone's expressions were normal, and he couldn't find anyone suspicious. Instead, it was Kamuro Masumi's reaction that made him very concerned...
'No way? No way, right?' He had just taken a random swing; did he actually strike the VIP?
Right now, Kamuro Masumi appeared calm on the surface, but internally she was panicking. Under the table, the foot she used to step on Hikigaya's foot inadvertently increased its pressure! Hikigaya already had his answer.
He also carefully noticed that a few beads of sweat had appeared on Kamuro Masumi's forehead; she looked very nervous.
'This psychological fortitude won't do, Miss Kamuro... You'll be seen through easily.'
In order to divert everyone's attention, Hikigaya had to speak up again.
"Hmph hmph~ Do you really want to know who the VIP is?"
Hikigaya intentionally put on the look of a petty person who had achieved success: "Come and beg me!"
Everyone was fuming with rage at the sight. Only the honest people of Class B actually followed through.
"Onegai~ Hikigaya-kun!" Seeing this, the people from the other classes also grew anxious.
"I beg you, Hikigaya!"
"I want to get those points!"
The Class D members shamelessly knelt in a split second; their transition from arrogance to servility was laughable! Except for Tokito Hiroya, the Class C students also expressed their pleas. Except for Yahiko, the Class A students bowed their heads as well.
"Yo~ it seems Tokito-kun and Yahiko have quite a bit of backbone!
Then you can guess for yourselves." Hikigaya aimed his spearhead at the two of them.
"Yahiko! Don't let your emotions get in the way!"
"..."
"For the honor of Class A!"
Wrapped up by his companions, Yahiko very reluctantly bowed his head to Hikigaya: "I-I suppose I'm begging you..."
"Tokito, don't forget our mission."
"Tch! Damn it..."
Tokito Hiroya's face was dark. However, looking at his repressed expression, it wasn't because he was being coerced by his classmates, but because he himself had the desire to secure results for Class C.
"Please, Hikigaya!"
Hikigaya glanced at Tokito Hiroya with a hint of surprise. A truly tough person is never the one who is stubborn from beginning to end, but rather the one who can bend and stretch! Hikigaya could conclude that this guy was ambitious; he likely harbored thoughts of overthrowing Ryuen Kakeru's rule.
Seeing that he had successfully focused everyone's attention on himself, Hikigaya spoke non-committally.
"Since you've asked so sincerely and wholeheartedly, I shall show mercy and tell you!" Hikigaya paused after every phrase, once again keeping everyone in suspense. Only Kamuro Masumi, sitting beside him, felt uneasy, as if she were a criminal standing on an execution ground!
However, at her moment of peak tension, she suddenly felt a warmth in her palm, as if something had enveloped it. Eh?! Kamuro Masumi looked down and discovered that under the table, Hikigaya had actually grabbed her hand.
'Why? Especially at a time like this...' Kamuro Masumi's brain momentarily stalled.
"The Tiger Group's VIP is—Kamuro Masumi!"
The moment Hikigaya said this, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
"I-It's actually Kamuro?!"
Everyone instinctively looked toward Kamuro Masumi. They found that she had no reaction whatsoever. Her eyes were vacant, as if none of this had anything to do with her.
"Damn it! Are you taking us for fools?"
Yahiko shouted out in rage. Anyone with eyes could see that the relationship between Hikigaya and Kamuro Masumi was not ordinary. Everyone would rather believe Hikigaya would backstab Class D than believe he would backstab Kamuro!
"I've already told you the VIP; whether you believe it or not is up to you~" Hikigaya spoke the honest truth with a straight face.
"Ah?"
Only then did Kamuro Masumi snap out of it with a delayed reaction. She was shocked to find that Hikigaya had actually publicly revealed her identity as the VIP! However, perhaps because her mind had been rattled by Hikigaya suddenly holding her hand, her level of shock was greatly reduced.
"Hikigaya-kun, you can't be like this, can you? We are Ichinose's friends!"
The cuties of Class B watched him with aggrieved faces.
Only Himeno Yuki murmured softly: "Is there a possibility... that he's telling the truth?"
This gave Hikigaya a start; he wondered if someone had seen through his "deceptive maneuver."
"Whoa!" Tokito Hiroya suddenly stood up, staring at Hikigaya with bloodshot eyes. Specifically, from the angle where he stood, he could just see Hikigaya holding Kamuro Masumi's hand under the table.
"m@#%******!!"
Tokito Hiroya's blood pressure instantly hit the ceiling, and he began spewing profanities. Remembering how he had humbled himself to beg Hikigaya just to get intelligence, he felt even more humiliated and was fuming with rage!
With the anger rushing to his head, he grabbed a chair and swung it toward Hikigaya.
"Hey! Why are you getting so worked up?" While dodging, Hikigaya let go of Kamuro Masumi's hand.
"I'm going to slaughter you, Dead-Fish Eyes!!" Tokito Hiroya was beyond furious, continuing to chase and strike at Hikigaya frantically.
"No, don't fight..." Everyone else backed away in fear, avoiding being caught in the crossfire.
"That's enough already. Do you really think you're that good at fighting?"
Hikigaya performed a joint lock on the wrist and arm, firmly seizing the other's limb.
"Hikigaya!!" Tokito Hiroya's face turned bright red; anger had made him lose his reason, and he refused to give up no matter what.
However, at that moment, Kamuro Masumi suddenly delivered a hand-chop from behind, striking heavily against the back of his neck! Tokito Hiroya's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious on the spot.
"Uh, Kamuro... was it necessary to hit him that hard?" Hikigaya couldn't help but swallow hard.
'Does this kid look a bit angry?'
"Hmph! This guy is annoying as hell! Getting physical over a disagreement, just like a thug!" Kamuro Masumi looked down at the fallen Tokito Hiroya with furrowed brows and disdain.
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