"I can't come up with one hundred thousand to lend her," Yamauchi Haruki muttered, curling his lips.
Yamauchi's reaction represented everyone else's.
After hearing that Chabashira Sae's price would be halved if they waited just one more day, almost everyone instinctively thought:
Then let's just ask tomorrow.
Likewise, after Ike Kanji suggested lending Horikita the money, most of the class also felt that didn't sound too bad.
After all, Horikita Suzune had already spent twenty thousand to confirm the information.
Spending another hundred thousand didn't seem impossible.
There were forty people in the class.
If they had to pay one hundred thousand or even two hundred thousand for information, it would still come to at least five thousand per person.
Even though they received one hundred thousand every month, five thousand wasn't a small amount for students.
If they could avoid paying, then of course it was better not to.
'It'd be best if Horikita just covered it all herself.'
Though no one said it out loud, that was what most people were thinking.
"Um…" Suddenly, Kushida Kikyo raised her hand cautiously.
"I remember Horikita said earlier, 'We're already seriously behind'… right?"
"What does that mean?"
That opening line everyone had ignored was brought up again by Kushida.
"…Class B and Class C already know about the special exam," Horikita said calmly.
Her voice was steady, as if she were stating something completely ordinary.
But Kushida had no intention of letting it slide.
"How do you know that?" she asked. Then, realizing it might sound like she was doubting Horikita, she hurriedly waved her hands.
"Ah, I'm not saying I don't believe you! I just think if you explain where the information came from, everyone will find it easier to accept."
Horikita: "..."
'The diary told me.'
…Even if she said that, no one would believe her.
Unknowingly, the diary appeared on the podium again.
Horikita reached out, picked it up in front of everyone, flipped to yesterday's updated page, then turned it around and tried to show it to the class.
"It's written here."
"..."
Although she had done something quite extraordinary, not a single student reacted.
It was as if they hadn't seen anything at all.
As if they hadn't heard her.
They just looked at her, waiting for an answer.
"Horikita?" Seeing that she hadn't replied, Kushida called her name again.
"..." Seeing that everyone was completely indifferent to the diary in her hands, Horikita let out a quiet sigh and put it down.
As expected, this kind of cheating-like method wouldn't be acknowledged.
Pressing her forehead in frustration, she said softly:
"I have my own sources."
"Do you really enjoy digging into other people's privacy, Kushida?"
It was like she had grabbed Kushida by the throat, leaving her unable to speak.
Who didn't like prying into others' privacy?
She loved it.
She loved being trusted.
She loved people confiding in her.
She loved hearing secrets no one else knew.
That feeling of absolute, defenseless trust was intoxicating.
"…I just wanted everyone to trust what you're saying more," Kushida lowered her head dejectedly.
Disappointment.
Regret.
Sadness.
As if she were genuinely worried about Horikita and the class.
Horikita replied coldly, "With Chabashira-sensei here, there's no need to worry about that."
Whether Horikita believed it or not didn't matter.
The others believed it.
Not only that, they turned on Horikita instead.
"Kushida was just trying to help. Aren't you being too harsh, Horikita?"
"Yeah, yeah. Kikyo cares about her so much, and this is her attitude."
"So ungrateful."
"Everyone…" Kushida first showed a grateful expression, then quickly turned sad.
"Please don't attack Horikita because of me. I believe she didn't mean it…"
She couldn't betray the support she'd received.
But she also couldn't let Horikita become her outright enemy.
"…Since little Kushida says so."
"You should thank Kikyo for her generosity, you know?"
For some reason, perhaps because Horikita hadn't fought back, those who felt they'd won lifted their chins arrogantly.
"..." Horikita sighed silently.
"In any case, we're already behind."
"If we don't want to keep falling behind in class competition, we need to buy the exact rules of this special exam."
Being one step behind might still be manageable.
But if they fell further, she couldn't guarantee anything.
Not to mention, the diary had mentioned a "connected student" who had been placed into Class A.
No matter where it was, connections were always terrifying.
They ignored fair rules and manipulated outcomes through powerful backing.
Horikita trusted her own ability.
But she didn't believe she could compete against power itself.
Unless Class D produced undeniable results that forced the school to withdraw its invisible hand.
Or used the unquestionable rule of transferring with twenty million points.
…If she remembered correctly, her brother was in Class A.
"Pay up. Five thousand each," Horikita said decisively, tapping the podium.
"If you don't trust me, you can transfer it to Kushida or Hirata and let them hand it in."
It was only the third day.
Surely no one was so broke they couldn't spare five thousand points.
"..."
"..."
"N-No-no-no-no-no," Yamauchi was the first to jump up.
"I don't know what nonsense you're talking about, but you can't just decide this on your own!"
"If we wait one more day, it'll be one hundred thousand! Why pay today?!"
"And this 'falling behind' thing is just your opinion, right? Why does it suddenly become class competition?"
"Yeah, yeah," Ike chimed in.
"If you think we're behind, then you pay for it yourself. We all get another hundred thousand next month anyway."
With those two leading the way, the classmates who had been hesitating between two hundred thousand and one hundred thousand immediately made up their minds.
"That's right, we can just lend you the money."
"Buying it tomorrow is the same anyway."
"Seriously, why does the teacher even charge students?"
The same arguments.
The same opinions.
Once again, they filled the entire first-year Class D classroom.
...
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