Looking at the scene before him.
Watching Sakura Airi as she wiped away tears from time to time, and listening to her heartfelt confession, Hikigaya's face looked grim.
This could already be considered verification of the guess in his heart, right?
Otherwise, Sakura Airi wouldn't use a word like "once"; she had already made the resolve to be expelled.
He didn't expect.
They really did it!
Horikita Suzune really did it!
Discarding a companion in exchange for those measly hundred class points!
Those class points.
Are they really so important?
Although he didn't know the details of what happened, Hikigaya dared to assert that this was a terrible move.
More importantly.
Is this the person in Horikita Manabu's mouth?
The Horikita Suzune who is gentler than anyone?
Clearly.
Resorting to any means for the sake of profit, and easily discarding class companions for the sake of rising to Class A.
Horikita Suzune has gone astray.
Although he didn't know if it was under Ayanokouji's influence, Horikita Suzune had strayed to an extremely outrageous extent.
But this was truly too inconceivable.
Whether from an emotional perspective or from the perspective of pros and cons.
This didn't look like a decision a normal person would make.
"Sakura, were you forced to drop out by Horikita and the others?"
Hikigaya truly couldn't believe it.
Besides.
Expelling someone wasn't easy; it would have been fine as long as Hasebe Haruka persisted in voting 'Oppose'.
However.
There was only one reason that could make Sakura Airi drop out.
Utilizing Sakura Airi's kindness to make her feel guilty toward the class, feeling that she was someone the class didn't need and thus voluntarily dropping out.
How could Horikita Suzune do such a thing?
"It's not like that."
Sakura Airi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, constantly shaking her head and sobbing:
"I volunteered to drop out."
While she didn't want to cause trouble for Hikigaya rationally, after her confession, she couldn't control herself emotionally.
Clearly, Hikigaya couldn't do anything about it either.
Aside from causing trouble and weighing on Hikigaya's heart, there was no benefit.
But the tears just couldn't be controlled.
Thinking that she was still so useless, Sakura Airi's tears fell even more.
Hearing this.
Hikigaya gave a helpless sigh; clearly, this wouldn't do.
If it were at the start of the school year, he might have believed whatever others said, as he didn't care about the truth anyway.
But now.
He had some growth after all this year or so; he knew very well that Sakura Airi was lying, and she clearly didn't want to drop out.
"You don't want to drop out, do you?"
Sakura Airi still kept shaking her head, and just then, Chabashira Sae walked over with a complex expression.
Although Sakura Airi was already destined to be expelled.
But at the moment of parting.
As long as the attitude was good.
The school was still willing to give these expellees a little time to make up for the regrets in their hearts.
It also allowed them to learn a lesson so they wouldn't make the same mistake in the future.
"Sakura, time's up."
"I understand. I'm sorry, Teacher Chabashira, for causing trouble for everyone at the end."
"Don't worry about it."
Chabashira Sae shook her head.
Even after being a teacher for ten years, she had seen the scene before her countless times, yet her heart still didn't feel good.
"Teacher Chabashira."
Hikigaya couldn't help but speak in a heavy voice: "Was Sakura chosen as the expellee by Class D?"
"Yes, your relationship with Sakura seems good, but don't take it too much to heart."
Chabashira Sae nodded, her attitude being fairly friendly.
Although the person being expelled certainly wouldn't feel good, the students staying behind wouldn't feel good either.
If it were Ike Kanji and the others, they might recover in a few days, but kind-hearted students like those in Class B would likely feel even worse.
Even.
In the past, there were many people from Class B and Class A.
Who became despondent from then on because a companion was expelled.
However.
This was reality.
Such things were all too common in society.
If one cannot learn to adjust one's own mindset, one will only end up as a shut-in, becoming a failure in society.
"Then what will happen next?"
"I will take Sakura to complete the withdrawal procedures; this should be the last time you see her."
Chabashira Sae raised her right hand and glanced at the time on her wrist.
"There's still a little time; if there's anything you want to say, be quick."
The most painful thing in life is nothing more than parting.
Chabashira Sae didn't mind giving some time for this; the school wouldn't hold her accountable either.
"Hmm?"
Hikigaya breathed a sigh of relief.
Not having completed the withdrawal procedures meant that Sakura Airi was still a member of the school right now.
Hikigaya confirmed.
"That is to say, Sakura is still a member of the school right now, correct?"
"Hmm? Hikigaya, what do you mean by this?"
Chabashira Sae frowned, and Sakura Airi on the side was also somewhat puzzled.
Even if she were still a member of the school now.
That wouldn't have any meaning, right?
"It's nothing."
Hikigaya took out his phone and said solemnly: "I've heard that as long as one spends twenty million private points, one can obtain the right to transfer classes. I want to spend twenty million to transfer Sakura to our class; that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Hmm?"
Chabashira Sae was instantly stunned, wondering if she had misheard: "You want to spend twenty million to help Sakura transfer classes?"
Setting aside whether Hikigaya had that much money and where that money came from.
In the past.
Transferring classes wasn't something that hadn't happened at the school before.
For the sake of rising to Class A or to snatch talents from other classes, class transfers weren't rare either.
But Sakura Airi, aside from being beautiful.
Clearly lacked strength.
In other words.
The moment Sakura was expelled by Class D, it meant she had no value to continue staying, and wasn't suited for this school.
Now.
Someone actually wanted to spend twenty million just to save a friend with no value, and even a friend from another class?
Chabashira Sae's gaze at Hikigaya was somewhat off.
She seriously suspected.
That this guy was blinded by lust, his head turned by Sakura Airi's beauty.
"How about it?"
"Uh..."
Chabashira Sae knit her beautiful brows and thought carefully for a moment:
"I... am not very sure either. If you insist on doing this, the class transfer also requires Sakura's consent, and I also have to ask for the school's opinion."
There was no other way.
Strictly speaking.
Sakura Airi had already dropped out, and only the withdrawal procedures were left; she was no longer a member of Class D.
To say it was canceling the expulsion penalty was fine, but to say it was a class transfer was also somewhat incorrect.
From which class would she be considered transferring to Class B?
Canceling the expulsion penalty required twenty million.
Transferring classes also required twenty million.
That would be forty million in total.
However.
Regardless of whether Hikigaya was blinded by lust or for whatever reason.
Advanced Nurturing had never had a case of using twenty million private points to transfer classes just to save someone.
Thinking back carefully.
Chabashira Sae only then realized.
The school actually had no rules in this regard.
After all.
There was no other way.
Strong people won't be expelled, and weak people have no value to be saved after being expelled.
The amount of private points.
To a certain extent, represents a person's individual strength.
Even if blinded by lust, a person with strength wouldn't lack a girlfriend, not to mention Hikigaya didn't lack one to begin with.
As long as it's a normal person, they wouldn't do this.
Hikigaya's question.
Truly exceeded the expectations of Advanced Nurturing.
"Then please ask for me, teacher."
Hikigaya nodded.
He knew this clearly wasn't something a normal person could do.
But if it were just simply canceling the expulsion penalty, wouldn't that just be doing Class D a favor?
Why should he!
He wasn't Class D's babysitter.
As for exactly how many private points were needed, that would depend on what the school said.