Inside the bathroom.
Horikita Suzune took off her clothes and removed her black over-the-knee socks.
Standing under the showerhead, she turned on the faucet, letting the flowing water wash over her slender body. The warm water made her feel a wave of relaxation.
After washing up.
Horikita Suzune wrapped herself in a bath towel and returned to the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. She then lay back, her fair hand resting against her forehead as she stared at the ceiling.
"So tired... should I get a SPA this weekend...?"
Horikita Suzune murmured to herself.
Yukimura had already been appeased.
Wang Meiyu was mostly considering whether to apologize to Sakura Airi; talking to her again later shouldn't be a problem.
Beyond physical exhaustion, it was more about the mental pressure.
Facing the overwhelming ridicule and doubt from those around her every day.
Even if Horikita Suzune didn't care and believed she was right, she still felt a sense of fatigue, let alone the others.
As for Karuizawa and Hasebe Haruka.
Those two probably wouldn't be a problem either.
However.
As women connected to Hikigaya, certain precautions were necessary.
Even if Hikigaya truly had no intention of using them, as a leader, Horikita Suzune had to remain vigilant.
Rather.
She hadn't expected Karuizawa and Hasebe Haruka.
To be so low behind the scenes, playing so wildly with Hikigaya.
Two women immersed in desire.
It felt like they wouldn't be able to achieve anything great.
Thinking of this.
Horikita Suzune's cheeks turned slightly red. She lay on her side and picked up her phone, opening that screenshot of Hikigaya.
Her gaze was inevitably drawn to that "pitch-black holy sword."
Strictly speaking.
Having chased after her brother's back since childhood.
Horikita Suzune had always been diligent in her studies; she was considered a late bloomer.
Although she knew certain things, she had never tried them.
It was just a waste of time and had no meaning.
Horikita Suzune's fair hand instinctively reached toward the towel.
The next day after school.
The school garden.
Looking at Ayanokouji, who had come looking for him, Hikigaya was somewhat confused.
However.
Having clarified the intentions from above.
With the backing of the Sakayanagi family background, Hikigaya wasn't that afraid of this guy anymore.
"Is there something you need?"
"You should be well aware, it seems you have been harassing the people of Class D lately."
"I see, so you came to find me for that? Is there a problem with that?"
Ayanokouji did not respond.
After all.
There was no problem.
What one chooses to do with their personal points is personal freedom; whether they betray the class depends on themselves.
"Hikigaya."
Ayanokouji stared at Hikigaya in front of him, saying expressionlessly:
"Do you really think this is okay?"
"What do you mean?"
Hikigaya frowned.
Two similar dialogues; this likely referred to something else.
"Up until now."
Ayanokouji's expression was flat: "You have taken the class's affairs upon yourself, solving most problems with your own power, leaving Ichinose and the others with no growth. Do you really think that's good?"
Since.
Hikigaya liked to mess with people's mindsets.
Then he would try to mess with Hikigaya's mindset as well, to avoid letting those around them feel that Class D only took beatings without hitting back.
Hikigaya did not respond.
His gaze scrutinized Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in front of him.
It was true.
Strictly speaking, Ichinose and the others could be said to have had zero growth.
After all.
Every time a critical issue arose.
Hikigaya would directly provide the answer, leaving no room for Ichinose and the others to grow.
While academic grades and physical abilities had improved somewhat, spiritual growth was almost zero, or perhaps even regressing.
If it were before.
He might have been stumped by Ayanokouji's question, or stubbornly claimed that Ichinose's affairs had nothing to do with her and everything was just what he wanted to do.
After all, if he truly wanted the best for Ichinose and the others, there should have been better ways to let Ichinose think of solutions herself.
But now, Hikigaya already knew the answer.
Only.
"Are you qualified to say that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You mean if it were for Ichinose's own good, there would be a better way, right? Isn't it?"
"Yes, so what's the problem? What does that have to do with whether I am qualified?"
"Are you serious?"
Ayanokouji was truly a bit speechless. His calm gaze fixed on Hikigaya, waiting for the other's response.
Hikigaya, however, looked at the "masterpiece" before him with deep eyes.
Could it be that making Sakura Airi drop out was also for her own good?
How can you be so shameless?
Ayanokouji's words did make sense.
But while the logic was sound, there was a problem with the person speaking.
The same logic.
Coming out of different people's mouths produces different effects.
Ayanokouji saying it's for the other's own good.
How could that have any credibility?
Although Ayanokouji didn't explicitly say it was for the other's own good, he had asked it in the form of a question.
But having done such a thing.
He had lost the qualification to say such words.
"So, you're saying making Airi drop out was also for her own good?"
"I see..."
Ayanokouji finally understood what Hikigaya was saying. His expression was flat as he said:
"Naturally, I wouldn't say it's for the other's own good; it's just that for the class, it was a good plan. Furthermore, does the statement itself being problematic have anything to do with whether I have the qualification?"
"It does... at least in my eyes, you no longer have the qualification to talk about being for someone's own good."
Hikigaya said in a heavy voice.
Perhaps because Sakura Airi was his woman, Hikigaya held a certain prejudice against Ayanokouji; he didn't deny this point.
But this judgment was definitely correct.
Ayanokouji's clumsy lies.
At most, they could only fool people like Ike Kanji or the students in the school; trying to fool an adult like Tsukishiro, who had fought his way through society.
Clearly, it would be difficult.
Ayanokouji's body simply reeked of the word "hypocrisy."
On the surface, nothing would be said.
But if one were to become friends with Ayanokouji, they would certainly refuse; even approaching him would be in pursuit of profit.
"I see. So once a certain thing is done, one loses the qualification in that regard? I've learned something."
Ayanokouji nodded.
It was likely Hikigaya's prejudice against him; after all, despite being relatively cold to his surroundings, he could still interact with Hirata, Matsushita Chiaki, and others.
Only.
There were indeed people in the world like Hikigaya with a "spiritual cleanliness" complex.
They are quite strict regarding interpersonal relationships.
Arguing with Hikigaya about this was meaningless; rather, it was highly probable that Hikigaya was changing the subject.
"In other words, you feel you are doing it for Ichinose's own good by taking everything upon yourself?"
"How is that possible? How could I be that great?"
A smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of Hikigaya's mouth:
"Although in your view I am the one leading the class, in reality, I have also received a lot of help from Ichinose. Both Ichinose and I have areas where we are lacking."
"Everyone supporting each other is the only way to go further."
Hearing this.
Ayanokouji remained expressionless.
He hadn't expected that after half a year of little contact, Hikigaya's changes would be so great. He was indeed influenced by Ichinose.
However.
It didn't matter.
Today he just came to mess with Hikigaya's mindset and take the opportunity to deeply understand Hikigaya to prepare for the future.