Over.
Sunday.
Dormitory building, thirteenth floor.
Hikigaya hid in the fire escape, secretly observing the hallway; the surveillance equipment was pitch black, clearly having been smeared with spray paint.
It was only a million.
It's just a small amount of money.
Since Sakayanagi and Ryuen could do this.
He naturally could as well, though it might not be very effective.
In less than a moment.
The door to a bedroom opened outward, and Kamuro Masumi poked half her head out to look left and right; only then did Hikigaya walk out of the fire escape and quicken his pace to enter the bedroom.
The two walked silently to the bedroom.
On a girlish pink bed, a small figure was sleeping soundly.
It was precisely Sakayanagi Arisu.
And this was naturally Sakayanagi Arisu's bedroom.
"How is it?"
Hikigaya took a deep breath, his eyes asking coldly.
"No problem."
Kamuro Masumi said indifferently: "Guaranteed she won't wake up within five hours; hurry up and start."
After all.
Sakayanagi had difficulty moving her legs.
Although she seemed very strong and didn't need the care of those around her.
She wouldn't refuse help if it were available; previously, it had always been Kamuro Masumi assisting Sakayanagi, so drugging her was simply too easy.
Hearing Kamuro Masumi's words.
Hikigaya took a deep breath, unbuckled his belt, and walked toward the soundly sleeping Sakayanagi Arisu, tearing all the clothes off her body in one go.
Since Sakayanagi was unkind, she couldn't blame him!
And Kamuro Masumi pursed her lips, picking up a camera on the side to film a video.
...
Half an hour later.
"Coward..."
Looking at Hikigaya, who had changed his clothes, Kamuro Masumi was truly somewhat speechless.
She thought this guy was something special.
After all that trouble, it turned out he just stripped Sakayanagi's clothes off, then pressed down on her to output for a while, filming a set of fake videos?
"Eh?"
Kamuro Masumi patted the back of Hikigaya's hand and smiled playfully:
"Do you really hate her to this extent? Or do you think Sakayanagi isn't good-looking enough to fit your taste?"
"I think she's quite beautiful; she should fit the taste of quite a few boys."
"Since you're going to threaten her anyway, why not make the fake act real? Isn't this a waste of an opportunity?"
Truly.
Judging solely by appearance, Sakayanagi Arisu was indeed cute; if there were an opportunity, one would surely sleep with her first and talk later.
Seeing that Hikigaya was actually just pretentiously covering her with a sheet and arching a few times on Sakayanagi.
For some reason.
Kamuro Masumi felt somewhat relieved yet somewhat disappointed.
Relieved that Hikigaya was indeed a good person, yet somewhat disappointed not to have seen Sakayanagi's forced side.
Actually, she was quite interested.
"It's not necessary."
Hikigaya took the video from Kamuro Masumi's hand and sighed slightly in relief, saying:
"This video is enough, right?"
In the footage.
Although covered by a sheet.
He could also be seen pressing down on Sakayanagi Arisu's body and surging.
The two had already agreed on a counter-strategy.
That is.
Mutually assured destruction.
Using the same method to conversely threaten Sakayanagi Arisu.
After all.
Sakayanagi's ultimate goal was to return to the position of Class A leader.
If this video were exposed.
Hikigaya would certainly go to jail, but being in a position where he was already being threatened, it didn't make much of a difference anymore.
But the blow to Sakayanagi's prestige would be more than just a little bit.
There might indeed be many people who would sympathize with Sakayanagi, but it would be almost absolutely impossible for her to become the Class A leader again.
A leader who can't even protect themselves well.
Who would still believe she has the ability to lead the class up to Class A, especially since Katsuragi is leading the class so well now.
Leading by a wide margin.
The gap is constantly widening with the lower-ranked classes; who would still support Sakayanagi? Wouldn't they be sick?
However.
Even though he already hated Sakayanagi to the extreme in his heart.
Hikigaya still couldn't bring himself to force a sleeping girl.
Even if blackened.
Hikigaya's kind nature had not changed.
Speaking of which.
Being skilled at stripping a girl's clothes was already quite excessive, right?
With this video.
It should be enough.
"Who knows."
Upon hearing this, Kamuro Masumi instead sneered for some reason.
"You still don't understand Sakayanagi enough; she isn't that easy a fellow to deal with, she never lets a single flaw pass."
"She specifically stares at others' weaknesses or handles until the other party is controlled as her own chess piece."
"With your half-hearted resolve, I advise you to think it over properly."
Half-hearted resolve
In Kamuro Masumi's eyes, it was probably like this.
Blackened but not thoroughly, it could easily become an even bigger flaw.....
But.
There was nothing to worry about.
After all, in such a closed space, Sakayanagi had no ability to turn the tables.
Hearing her words.
Hikigaya couldn't help but fall into silence.
Actually.
Besides her looks.
Sakayanagi Arisu actually didn't have the slightest leadership charm in Class A.
After all.
Back in the school opening period.
In the competition with Katsuragi for the leader position.
Sakayanagi Arisu had already failed.
The vast majority of Class A members were originally on Katsuragi Kohei's side.
It's just.
Sakayanagi Arisu used various means to control several chess pieces.
Either standing together with those whose interests aligned, like Kamuro Masumi, or controlling through threats, like him.
Relying on these few chess pieces, she ignored the interests of the class.
Ultimately.
Only then did Sakayanagi force the Katsuragi faction to compromise.
At most, she could only bully an honest man like Katsuragi.
But even so, in the event of consecutive defeats in the deserted island exam, the Katsuragi faction held out until the pairing exam before yielding.
Even during the mixed training camp.
Katsuragi still retained a certain amount of say, showing he had very high prestige in Class A.
Even at a dead end.
There were still people like Totsuka willing to follow.
Such leadership charm.
Was definitely not something Sakayanagi's petty cleverness could compare to.
When interests align, there's no problem.
When interests do not align.
People like Kamuro Masumi can easily defect, and Sakayanagi will inevitably stumble.
Even with great ability.
People without enough virtue will eventually stumble sooner or later.
However.
Sakayanagi Arisu's style of action could also be seen from this.
Viewing all the people below as chess pieces.
Her attitude toward subordinates was one of control and threat, at most hypocritical emotional solicitation.
It was visible that Sakayanagi was a sufficiently rational person.
Was it really possible she would be bluffed by such half-hearted resolve?
But.
Hikigaya truly couldn't do the thing of using force on a woman; looking at Sakayanagi's sweet sleeping face, she was probably dreaming of something good.
She was probably well protected since childhood.
To be able to play with all living things so innocently, romantically, and joyfully, viewing them as chess pieces.
Truly hope she isn't someone who likes to bring trouble upon herself.