"Heh."
Hearing Hikigaya's words, Miyake Akito gave a cold laugh.
"I thought you wanted to say something else. Naturally, we didn't want Airi to be expelled either, but that was a choice where there was no other way."
"A guy like you can't possibly understand the feelings of our Class D. You only stand on the side and say sarcastic words; stop being so sentimental as to think you understand us."
"Indeed."
Hikigaya's expression remained flat:
"I don't understand. You clearly seem to like Haruka very much, and you know how much she cares about Airi, so why would you vote in favor? Weren't you worried that Haruka would distance herself from you because of it?"
"Heh."
Miyake Akito also still had a cold look on his face as he said:
"In a situation where Kushida was protected by Horikita, and everyone else unanimously agreed to expel Sakura Airi, expelling Sakura was an unavoidable choice."
"I knew that by voting in favor, Haruka might throw a bit of a tantrum."
"But if we didn't vote, and we lost three hundred class points by failing the exam."
"Not only would we be unable to rise to Class A, but everyone else would also blame Airi and Haru-chan, pushing the responsibility onto them. At that time, Haruka and Airi would also feel guilty."
"Expelling Sakura was the best choice at the time. In the future, Haruka will surely understand and will definitely be grateful to us."
As he spoke.
Miyake Akito became angrier as he talked; the veins on the hand grabbing Hikigaya's collar pulsed.
"If you hadn't taken advantage of the situation, how could it have turned out like this?"
"Is that what you think?"
Hikigaya let out a sneer, pulled his phone from his pocket, operated it with one hand, and showed the personal points page to Miyake Akito.
"Here are 15 million personal points. As long as you show a little restraint in the future, saving up 20 million personal points to transfer to Class A will be very easy."
"Now, I'll give all these personal points to you. From now on, you are not allowed to take another step near Hasebe Haruka."
"How about it?"
Hikigaya mocked.
Naturally, he wouldn't actually give it.
Strictly speaking.
In Miyake Akito's eyes.
He had stolen Miyake Akito's girlfriend, and was even a scumbag who played with the other party's girlfriend.
The hatred of killing one's father or taking one's wife is irreconcilable.
However.
At their first meeting.
Even in anger, Miyake Akito could maintain restraint.
No matter how grandly he spoke, he was destined to be an ungrateful wolf.
Hearing this.
Miyake Akito couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
Naturally, he knew Hikigaya wouldn't actually give it, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at that 15 million.
"What, heart is racing?"
Saying that.
Hikigaya easily pulled away Miyake Akito's hand; Miyake Akito was still in a daze.
Just now.
He actually felt a moment of excitement.
Although it was only for a split second, he actually felt a moment of excitement.
Even Miyake Akito himself couldn't understand why.
He clearly liked Hasebe Haruka so much, yet he would have a moment of excitement for that 15 million?
"I believe in your feelings for Haruka"
After all, Haruka is his woman now; Hikigaya said coldly:
"If the person being expelled was Hasebe Haruka, you definitely would have voted against it, right?"
"I..."
Miyake Akito snapped back to reality.
If the person being expelled was Hasebe Haruka, he naturally would have voted against it.
But before Miyake Akito could speak, Hikigaya sneered:
"Voting in favor, to put it bluntly, is simply because your relationship with Sakura Airi isn't that close. Whether she is expelled or not doesn't have much to do with you, or with any of you."
"The only one who truly treated Sakura Airi as a friend was Hasebe Haruka alone!"
No matter how many nice-sounding reasons there were.
Even after playing together for over a year, agreeing to vote in favor showed that their relationship with Sakura Airi was just average.
They never viewed Sakura Airi as an indispensable friend.
"So what?"
Miyake Akito said somewhat angrily.
He vaguely felt what Hikigaya wanted to say, but he probably didn't want to hear those kinds of words.
"It's not much."
Hikigaya said with a flat expression: "You aren't the only one who voted in favor."
However.
Among them, there was a significant difference.
After hearing Sakura Airi's description of the events, Hikigaya already had some views.
Like Yukimura.
Also being a friend of Hasebe Haruka.
Also voted in favor.
In Hikigaya's eyes.
His perception of Yukimura was much better than his perception of Miyake Akito.
After all, Yukimura was very straightforward.
In order to rise to Class A, he could give up everything.
Whether it was Sakura Airi, Hasebe Haruka, or Miyake Akito.
As long as an expulsion was useful for rising to Class A.
Yukimura would cast a vote in favor without hesitation, but Miyake Akito wouldn't.
One is a true villain, the other a hypocrite.
In fact.
Even Miyake Akito himself hadn't noticed his own hypocrisy.
He felt good about himself.
Thinking he was making the most correct choice for Haruka's sake.
This was normal.
After all, everyone in Class D feels good about themselves; Hikigaya was already used to it.
"Although I really hate your Class D's self-righteousness."
"But in order to rise to Class A, voting in favor isn't incomprehensible."
Hikigaya walked up to Miyake Akito and looked him straight in the eye.
"But while you claim to like Haruka, you don't consider Haruka's feelings at all. You don't care about her thoughts, or her relationship with Airi."
"You just blindly force your feelings onto Haruka, thinking it's for her own good."
"Even just now when you wanted to hit me, you were considering avoiding making a scene, weren't you?"
"To put it bluntly."
"The only one you love is yourself."
Hearing his words.
Miyake Akito's face froze; he didn't know what to say.
What he did was very simple.
Knowing full well that Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi were like sisters, he still forcefully let Sakura Airi be expelled.
This in itself wasn't much.
Being profit-driven is being profit-driven; there's nothing to hide.
Just like Yukimura Teruhiko.
However.
Claiming to love her.
Yet completely failing to consider the other party's feelings, and being unwilling to sacrifice even a little for her.
Can that be called love?
Maybe it counts as love, it's just that Miyake clearly loves himself a bit more.
Because.
Before Hasebe Haruka expressed her stance, Miyake Akito had already expressed his.
"Now."
Hikigaya pulled out his phone and said with a flat expression:
"I'll give you one more chance. 15 million or Haruka—which one do you want?"
Miyake Akito stood in a daze without responding.
Knowing full well that Hikigaya wouldn't give it, he found that he was still somewhat moved and hesitant, suspecting that one-in-a-million possibility.
However.
Miyake didn't want to admit he was such a selfish person.
Until just now.
He had always felt he made the correct choice, that it was for Haruka's good, and that Haruka would eventually understand.
But now.
Whether he truly liked Haruka, or just liked himself.
Miyake Akito couldn't tell.
"However, you were right about one point."
Looking at the bewildered Miyake Akito before him, Hikigaya put away his phone and said:
"I am indeed a scumbag. Currently, I can't say I like Haruka that much. If she wants to break up with me, I have no objection."
"But if Haruka wants to be with me, I will definitely take full responsibility for her and won't let her suffer any harm."
Looking at Hikigaya's departing back and hearing such a scumbag speech.
Miyake Akito still didn't move.
He was made somewhat "autistic" by Hikigaya's words.
From start to finish.
Miyake Akito didn't think he was such a selfish person.
But it seemed difficult to refute Hikigaya's words.
In fact.
Hikigaya knew very well.
Miyake Akito isn't bad.
According to what Hasebe Haruka meant.
Miyake is helpful, upright, and possesses a strong sense of justice.
He often helps people who are being bullied; he even helped Class B when he heard the rumors about Ichinose.
However.
One's nature cannot be changed.
Usually, he is considered excellent, but when it comes to critical moments, Miyake Akito will make choices advantageous to himself.
In fact.
This isn't really a problem; most normal people would be this way.
Expecting the other party to be an angel like Ichinose.
That would be the real problem.
Hikigaya also knew very well that there's no need to be so strict with people; someone like Miyake Akito is already quite good.
If not for this school.
In today's peaceful society, it's basically impossible for Miyake Akito to encounter such a dilemma.
If it were an ordinary school.
Miyake Akito would probably become a very excellent person.
However.
The other party came knocking on his door.
Hikigaya could only point out the other party's nature; he couldn't just take a beating for real.
Maybe Miyake Akito indeed liked Haruka more than he did, but Haruka clearly liked Hikigaya more.
If you don't even consider the feelings of the person you love.
Why should the other party like you?
He isn't particularly handsome, doesn't have much money, and his abilities aren't very outstanding.
Although he is a scumbag, Miyake Akito isn't much better than him.
There are very few people in the world who can have an accurate self-awareness and frankly accept their own weaknesses and shortcomings.
Wanting to come and warn him.
Miyake Akito is not qualified yet.