Soon.
Club time ended.
Sudo Ken was carrying a single-shoulder bag, holding vocabulary cards in his hand, memorizing words while leaving the club.
No one imagined his level of effort.
Ever since last year's Sports Festival started.
Whether it was the break time after club time ended, or during the winter and summer vacations.
Sudo Ken would continuously study.
Although there was the reason for Horikita Suzune within it, gradually Sudo Ken also understood the pleasure of studying.
He felt the sense of accomplishment brought by studying.
Even for socializing, he would now start to pay attention to the feelings of the people around him.
Every time he thought of these.
Sudo would feel how foolish his past self was.
And this.
Besides his personal effort.
It was undoubtedly all the credit of Horikita Suzune and Ayanokouji.
Soon.
Ichinose and the others came to meet him.
"Sudo-kun, is it convenient to disturb you for a moment?"
"Hmm?"
Sudo looked up at the few people, and his gaze landed on Hikigaya with some disgust.
After all.
The matter of Class D's unanimous exam last time was exposed by Class B.
This added a lot of trouble to Class D.
During this period of time.
As long as it was in a public setting.
One could hear some indirect discussions and ridicule every day.
Although they were all facts.
One would still inevitably feel a bit uncomfortable after being scolded a lot; fortunately, with Horikita Suzune's instructions, they were all doing their best to endure.
He believed this dark time would pass soon.
In this more than one year's time.
Class D had indeed grown quite a bit.
At least no one would cause trouble for the class because of personal emotions anymore; more would consider for the sake of the class.
Sudo still maintained his calm and said:
"It's fine, what business do you have with me?"
"It's nothing."
Ichinose explained with a smile: "It's just that for this Sports Festival, with Sudo-kun's strength, there is a great possibility you will get first in the individual competition."
"I want to understand, if you get the Class Transfer Ticket, which class do you think, Sudo-kun, is most likely to rise to Class A?"
"I see."
Sudo also reacted and said with some emotion:
"You want to come and recruit me. However, to tell you the truth, even if I get first, my goal is the two million personal points, not some Class Transfer Ticket."
"The one that can finally rise to A will definitely be our Class D."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going first."
Sudo's tone revealed a strong confidence.
This was not only trust in Horikita Suzune and the others, but also the confidence brought by his growth over this nearly one year.
After all.
With so many strong people in Class D, it was normal to have confidence.
"Is that so."
Kanzaki hurriedly spoke up: "If your goal is the two million personal points, then how about this: as long as you can give up on participating in the Sports Festival, we can give you three million personal points!"
"???"
Sudo's head was full of questions, looking at the few people as if looking at idiots, and after confirming they were serious, he said with some speechlessness:
"You want to use personal points to bribe me?"
"That's not it; we just hope you can rest more, Sudo-kun."
"Heh heh."
Hearing Hikigaya's words, Sudo shook his head and laughed:
"No matter what you want, I will absolutely not betray the class. I advise you to save your breath."
As he spoke.
Sudo bypassed the few people and directly got up to leave.
"Wait, the price is still negotiable—five million! How about it?"
Hikigaya hurriedly spoke up: "Ten million? How about ten million?"
He naturally couldn't actually give that much money.
He just wanted to test to what point Sudo had grown.
As soon as these words came out.
Sudo couldn't help but stop in his tracks, the veins on his forehead throbbing and his face flushed red; he was simply about to explode with anger.
What did this mean?
They felt they could use personal points to bribe him into betraying the class?
They simply had no understanding of him.
After a long time.
"Whew..."
Sudo finally took a deep breath, turned back to stare coldly at the few people, and punched his chest with his right fist, saying coldly:
"Please stop. Whether it's for Suzune or for myself, it's impossible for me to betray the class."
"This Sports Festival, I won't just get individual first; I will also help the class get first place. You can save your breath."
"What you just said was simply an insult to me."
"Hmph."
With a cold snort.
Sudo Ken directly turned to leave, without getting angry or shouting, and certainly without agreeing.
Thought they could bribe him?
Simply laughable.
"It failed..."
The few people looked at Sudo Ken's departing back, and Ichinose shook her head with some helplessness, while Kanzaki was similarly a bit dumbfounded.
He didn't expect that in just over a year.
Sudo was already like a different person from when school started.
Not only was he already able to restrain his emotions, but he would also consider for the sake of the class.
"Was that really Sudo..."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched, and he truly had a headache.
He originally thought Koenji, who was hard to handle, was easily handled, while Sudo, who he originally thought was easy to handle, was actually impossible.
Even ten million couldn't move him at all, and he even felt it was an insult to him.
Is this person really still Sudo?
Undoubtedly.
It must be because of Horikita Suzune that Sudo was able to make such a change and become the trustworthy person he is now, right?
Licking dogs don't get a house...
"What should we do now?"
Kanzaki turned to look at Hikigaya and said: "Do you have any other methods?"
"Hmm..."
Hikigaya pinched his chin and thought.
Clearly.
Wanting to persuade Sudo Ken was already an impossible thing.
Wanting to use personal points to let Class B get first also seemed a bit impossible; who could have expected Sudo to have such a big change.
Having seen Sudo's performance in the basketball club just now, Shibata would probably find it hard to be Sudo's match.
"Hmm..."
With a slight thought.
Hikigaya still thought of a way.
But looking at Ichinose before him, he felt it would be best not to let her know about this matter.
But if he didn't say it.
He was afraid it would keep Kanzaki and Ichinose's hearts hanging, which might slightly affect the Sports Festival.
When becoming a leader.
One would always encounter such dilemmas.
"Just leave this matter to me."
Hikigaya looked up and stared at the two.
"Does this mean."
Kanzaki frowned and said: "You already have a way, right?"
"Tentatively, yes."
"..."
After not waiting for Hikigaya's reply for half a day, Kanzaki and Ichinose also reacted.
"All right."
A smile appeared at the corner of Ichinose's mouth as she said: "Then if Hikki has any place where you need to use everyone, you can tell us anytime."
"Thanks."
Hikigaya nodded slightly.
Fortunately, Ichinose and the others wouldn't ask further.
Although Sudo had grown a lot, even to the point where his academic grades had almost caught up with his.
However.
Academic grades cannot represent wisdom, just like Horikita Suzune is actually quite stupid.