With Horikita's firm rejection, what was supposed to be a settled dispute was suddenly thrown back into deadlock. Tensions flared up again, with both sides arguing furiously—neither willing to admit who had started the fight.
Hikigaya watched everything unfold from the sidelines. As an observer, he had a broader and clearer view of everyone's actions.
Horikita's transformation was particularly striking. At first, she had seemed completely detached, but now, she had boldly refused to settle. Hikigaya had taken note of every change in her behavior. Of course, he had also caught someone else's subtle actions throughout the process.
From bringing the distracted Horikita back into focus…
To 'reminding' Sudou at just the right moment to use Sakura as a bargaining chip in the negotiation…
Especially at the end—although it wasn't clear what Ayanokouji said to Horikita, her sudden change in attitude was definitely connected to him.
And if you add in the situation with Sakura, it was clear that Ayanokouji had been pulling the strings behind the entire dispute.
So, that feeling from the beginning of the school year wasn't wrong. This guy was definitely dangerous.
With that thought, Hikigaya instinctively glanced at Horikita Manabu, who was seated in the middle of the negotiation table. His face remained expressionless, but Hikigaya noticed that his gaze had been fixed on Ayanokouji for quite a while.
As expected, the student council president had also sensed something was off.
But it had to be said—Horikita Manabu was incredibly composed.
The dispute had reached another deadlock. As the judge of this discussion, Horikita Manabu finally spoke.
"Since neither side is willing to compromise, and based on the testimonies just now, one of you is clearly lying in a serious way."
His tone was strict as he once again asked both Class D and Class C to confirm the truthfulness of their statements. The result was the same as before—both sides insisted they were telling the truth.
Horikita Manabu looked at the students on both sides with a cold expression and spoke slowly.
"In other words, one of you is deliberately deceiving the school. I assume you understand the seriousness of that. So, I will give both sides one day. Tomorrow at 4 PM, we will reconvene for the final decision."
"If neither side can provide clear evidence proving the other is lying, or if no one steps up to take responsibility, I will make a final ruling based on the existing evidence. This ruling may include, but is not limited to, expulsion. That is all."
Horikita Manabu had essentially drawn a clear line—he had already given both sides enough time and space to negotiate, but since neither was willing to back down, he had no choice but to lay down the law.
Everyone in the room already understood what was really going on. Class C had basically admitted defeat by proposing a settlement. If Class D had just accepted it, everyone could have walked away satisfied—except for the students who would still face suspension.
But Horikita refused to back down, tearing apart the fragile peace. And since she had chosen this path, Class C naturally wouldn't sit back and take it. After all, as Horikita Manabu had pointed out, if Class C were found guilty of lying and deception, the consequences would be far worse than a simple suspension.
And so, the hearing on Sudou's fight ended with neither side reaching an agreement.
The way things had played out was beyond many people's expectations. As the students left the room, Hikigaya watched Ayanokouji's back, lost in thought, before sending a message to someone.
Now, only three people remained in the conference room.
Horikita Manabu suddenly spoke.
"Hikigaya, let's have a chat?"
Tachibana Akane, quick to read the mood, excused herself, saying she was thirsty and would go buy some drinks. In an instant, only Horikita Manabu and Hikigaya were left in the room.
"You didn't look too good earlier."
As expected, Horikita Manabu was sharp enough to notice that Hikigaya had been in a bad state when he first entered the room.
"Just haven't been getting much sleep lately."
Seeing his response, Horikita Manabu didn't press further. After a brief silence, he spoke again.
"It seems this year's Class D is different. Suzune will learn a lot from this."
"Aren't you angry?"
Hikigaya asked, testing the waters.
"You mean about Suzune being deliberately led by that Ayanokouji student?"
Horikita Manabu seemed to have seen right through Hikigaya's thoughts. His face remained unreadable as he said,
"When you're weak, you have to learn from those who are strong, absorb what you can, and grow. If you put a wolf among sheep, it may easily rule over them, but in the end, it is still just leading a flock of sheep."
Hearing this, Hikigaya couldn't help but smile bitterly. Was he saying that both he and Ayanokouji were wolves?
At the same time, he understood Horikita Manabu's expectations for his sister—he didn't want her to just be satisfied ruling over weaklings. He wanted her to be able to compete among wolves.
That was why he wasn't bothered by Ayanokouji's actions. In fact, he was happy to see his sister growing in such a harsh environment. Clearly, her performance in the hearing had met his expectations.
"President, just a personal question—if tomorrow neither side can provide decisive evidence, which side will you choose?"
Hikigaya was suddenly curious about Horikita Manabu's decision.
Would he favor Class D because of his sister?
Or would he lean toward Class C because of Sudou?
Or would he go for a middle ground to appear fair and impartial?
"Does the result really matter?"
Horikita Manabu's response was unexpected, but Hikigaya immediately understood what he meant.
From beginning to end, the student council president had never really cared about the outcome of this dispute. What he cared about was the growth of Horikita Suzune through the process.
Sudou's fate—whether he would be suspended or expelled—didn't really matter. In fact, Horikita Manabu had never even acknowledged Sudou's existence.
Hikigaya also understood one thing clearly: Sudou's outcome had been decided from the start.
Even if Sudou managed to clear his name in this incident, there was still the additional punishment from the student council. He would still face suspension, which meant that no matter how Ayanokouji tried to help him, the result wouldn't change. Sudou still wouldn't make it onto the basketball team.
The only difference was whether he left on his own or was forced out.
Hikigaya had given him a way out earlier, but since Sudou refused to take it, he had no choice but to guide him down the other path.
Besides, this whole incident wasn't really Hikigaya's concern—it was a matter between the Horikita siblings.
But when Ayanokouji dragged Sakura into it, things changed. Now, it had everything to do with him.
Sudou, this is just the beginning. If you want to blame someone, blame Ayanokouji.
And as for you, Ayanokouji...
Hikigaya's gaze grew colder.
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