"Are you curious why I am holding onto Class D and won't let go?"
Hikigaya said with a flat expression.
He had no intention of hiding his inner thoughts.
"That's right."
Horikita Suzune responded coldly; this was the one thing she could never figure out.
Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi on the side were also quite curious.
"A very simple reason."
Hikigaya explained in a heavy voice:
"When Horikita-senpai graduated, he entrusted twenty-seven million to me, asking me to give you a pull when I judge that you have gone astray."
"Although this partially includes the reason that Horikita-senpai sought my help during the forest training camp."
"But he did not leave these private points to you; instead, he entrusted them all to me."
"Do you understand?"
Hikigaya finally understood somewhat; this stupid younger sister, who was like a blank piece of paper, was indeed very worrying.
"Brother..."
Horikita Suzune was suddenly a bit dazed.
She never expected the reason would be this.
The cause actually lay with her?
But why?
While she didn't expect her biological brother to leave her private points, why would he leave that sum of private points to Hikigaya?
Could she really have done something wrong?
Impossible!
As long as one maintains a certain level of rationality.
As a combat asset, Kushida Kikyo is definitely more valuable than Sakura Airi.
Hikigaya's perspective cannot represent Horikita Manabu's opinion either.
"Stop joking around."
Horikita Suzune's voice trembled slightly:
"Given the situation at the time, choosing to cut Sakura was definitely the most correct move; even Brother would surely have understood me."
She insisted.
"That is entirely your subjective view, isn't it?"
Indeed.
All of this was Hikigaya's subjective judgment.
It was just that he felt Class D—felt Horikita Suzune's methods—were disgusting and extremely foolish.
Hikigaya knew very well.
Losing one's morality and falling to the bottom would lead to a crisis, a dead end that no one would be able to reverse.
But in the eyes of people like Ryuen and Ayanokouji.
They all felt what Horikita Suzune did was right; instead, they felt Horikita Suzune had grown to a terrifying level, quite impressive.
They were all firmly convinced.
That as long as one's strength is great enough, all problems can be solved.
Hikigaya also found it difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong.
Only two points were certain.
This was definitely a weight Horikita Suzune could not bear; she did not understand the severity of the problem.
Furthermore.
Among the students.
Except for Hikigaya, who had stayed at the very bottom for years.
No one understood the severity of the problem.
Secondly, Horikita Manabu would definitely be on his side.
"Do you remember the Forest School Training camp exam?"
Hikigaya said coldly: "Your brother was the kind of senior worthy of respect who, even at the final moment before graduation, would choose to discard three hundred class points and twenty million private points to save a comrade."
"And you, even if it is as you say and you didn't want Sakura to be expelled, you chose to sacrifice a comrade to avoid losing three hundred class points."
"Are you worried that without those three hundred class points, you won't be able to graduate from Class A in the future?"
"Does this mean you have no confidence at all in your own strength, or the strength of Class D?"
"You are far beneath your brother!"
In the final analysis.
This was still Hikigaya's subjective judgment.
But he believed that even at the final moment before graduation, Horikita Manabu would not abandon any comrade.
All of this stemmed from Horikita Manabu's confidence in his own strength and his trust in the comrades he had spent three years honing alongside.
Even if they didn't rise to Class A.
They could still successfully achieve their dreams; they would never stop moving forward because of a little setback.
This kind of confidence and composure born from the heart.
Horikita Suzune had learned none of it.
However.
Since Horikita Manabu himself was not present, Horikita Suzune was free to explain it however she liked.
"Don't speak as if you understand my brother so well; you have only met Brother a few times."
Horikita Suzune's expression was cold; she felt this was beyond ridiculous.
That was her biological brother; could Hikigaya really understand him better than she did?
However.
In reality.
Having been distanced by Horikita Manabu since childhood, Horikita Suzune and Horikita Manabu were no different from the closest of strangers.
"Whew..."
Taking a deep breath, Horikita Suzune still judged that solving the problem was more important.
"Stepping back, even if you think I did wrong, you are only acting because of my brother's request, feeling that Class D's business originally had nothing to do with you, right?"
"That's right, if it weren't for the agreement with Senior Horikita, and receiving so many private points, I wouldn't even bother with you."
"Then that's fine."
Horikita Suzune said in a heavy voice:
"Then in my capacity as his sister, I ask you to stop; that way there shouldn't be any problem, right? You don't have to take the agreement with Brother to heart at all."
Hikigaya looked at her with even more disgust.
It was true; since Horikita Manabu wasn't here anyway, they might never meet again in the future.
Even if he pretended nothing happened, there wouldn't be a problem.
But some things, once promised, must be properly carried out.
"Unfortunately, that's impossible."
Hikigaya said with some disdain: "I don't know what you're thinking, but at least in the eyes of an outsider like me, all your calculations up to now have been built upon exploiting the kindness and sincerity of those around you; it's quite repulsive."
"Even stepping back."
Gazing at Horikita Suzune across from him, Hikigaya had no intention of continuing the conversation with her.
"According to your logic, this is all about strength, so how about you frankly accept the current situation? There is no need to continue trying to persuade me."
"But besides wasting Class B's private points, this offers no benefit to you at all."
Horikita Suzune pressed her hands on the table, also somewhat angry.
"Benefit..."
Hikigaya didn't know what it was.
Once he disliked someone, the more he looked at Horikita Suzune, the more he disliked her.
This way of thinking—where every word is about "benefit" and all thoughts align with profit—was a bit disgusting.
"Forget it."
Hikigaya took a deep breath, fixed his gaze on Horikita Suzune, and asked:
"In short, you feel you haven't done anything wrong, right?"
"Yes, the one in the wrong is you; Brother would certainly understand my thoughts better. Don't you think you are being very arrogant by denying someone's methods based entirely on subjective judgment?"
"Then I will tell you plainly."
Hikigaya stared into Horikita Suzune's eyes and said in a cold voice:
"Horikita, you cannot rise to Class A. I said it."
Saying this.
Hikigaya turned and left with the somewhat frightened Sakura Airi and Hasebe Haruka.
Until now.
The two of them were still a bit confused.
They didn't know what Horikita Suzune and Hikigaya were arguing about.
Since Horikita Suzune felt she was right.
Then she should be prepared to take the hit.
Exploiting Sakura Airi's kindness, exploiting Hasebe Haruka's easy-going personality, her mind filled with calculations while still thinking she was very smart.
In this school, it might not be much.
But once out in society.
Not everyone is as kind as Sakura Airi and Hasebe Haruka.
By continuing this way of acting.
Horikita Suzune would definitely experience the consequences of these actions in the future.
Hikigaya was merely placing the possible outcome she might face right in front of Horikita Suzune.
If Horikita Suzune still maintained this style of conduct.
Then Hikigaya wouldn't care anymore.
Anyway, he had done his best.
Although there was the agreement with Horikita Manabu, Hikigaya wasn't Horikita Suzune's parents and didn't need to care too much.
The one who needed to make a choice was Horikita Suzune herself, and any consequences would be borne by her.
"Dammit..."
Watching Hikigaya's retreating back, Horikita Suzune was nearly exploding with anger.
This is the person Brother said was worthy of her entrusting her life to?
Setting aside the fact that he's a womanizer.
He simply has no rationality to speak of.
Persisting in something that clearly has no benefit and completely ignoring the class.
Horikita Suzune was indeed quite angry.
Fine.
Thinking that publicizing this everywhere can deal with Class D?
Simply naive.
Big idiot.
Since Hikigaya was so stubborn, Horikita Suzune was determined to overcome this difficulty to prove she was right.
Hikigaya would have to pay the price for his naivety!