Chapter 014: It's Over, Class D Seems to Have Already Lost!
On the rooftop, Class D's Horikita Suzune and Chabashira Sae stared at each other.
"200,000 points lost just like that," Horikita Suzune said. In her hand, her phone showed a remaining account balance of 88,900 points—this was what was left of her initial 100,000 points after ten days since enrollment.
She wasn't someone with high material demands to begin with; finding many free daily necessities in the school's shopping district, she had simply chosen those.
Yet, despite being so frugal, she had just fallen into a debt of 200,000 points.
Yes.
A single question from Class B's Hikigaya-kun was worth 200,000, and since she had chosen to receive the answer, she naturally had to pay 200,000 points.
However, he didn't empty her account on the spot, but said he would collect it later. After all, she had already been assigned to Class D; if her points were zeroed out now, her situation would likely become quite dire.
More than just dire—being assigned to Class D could still be blamed on the school's own flawed placement system; she didn't admit to being that weak.
But.
If her points were cleared and she even... fell into debt, once her brother found out about this, she would definitely be treated as a useless failure again.
Therefore.
This Hikigaya from Class B was, to some extent, a good person.
Even though his inner thoughts were a bit rude, he really was a good person.
Horikita Suzune discovered that she didn't feel ill will toward him; instead, she had developed a bit of a favorable impression.
However, just as she was thinking this, her phone suddenly vibrated, and an unfamiliar number called.
Horikita frowned slightly; she didn't answer unfamiliar numbers, as they were very likely harassment calls.
Yet, just after she hung up the first time, the party called again. Horikita was somewhat displeased but chose to answer.
The moment the call connected, a familiar voice came through.
"Suzune." The voice on the other end seemed somewhat majestic and slightly cold.
But Horikita Suzune reacted instantly.
"Bro... Brother—" Horikita Suzune's face turned pale in an instant, because she had seemingly just hung up on her brother's phone call.
"I have paid the 200,000 points to Hikigaya on your behalf," Horikita Manabu's voice came out.
This caused an even greater look of shock to appear on Horikita Suzune's face. Why did her brother know about such a thing? And he had even paid for her.
"Is your homeroom sensei still with you?" her brother asked next.
"..." Horikita quickly glanced toward Chabashira-sensei, who was still lost in her own thoughts.
Yes.
Chabashira was also thinking.
After Horikita was hustled—no, actually, Horikita came out ahead because Hikigaya from Class B had indeed shown mercy.
While buying answers from a teacher was high-priced, the circulation of answers between students who already knew them could fluctuate in price.
He could have demanded 500,000 or 600,000 points since Horikita had fallen for the trap from the start.
But.
How did Hikigaya know that Horikita was Horikita Manabu's sister? She had only discovered it by checking Horikita's files.
Was Hikigaya deliberately told by Chie?
Or was it like before, where Chie still wanted to destroy her ambitions?
Is she now starting to attack Horikita Suzune, the one person she held high hopes for?
"Give the phone to her," Horikita Manabu said calmly.
"Okay—" As the "useless" sister, the sister who had just hung up on her brother, the sister whose debt was already known, and the "useless failure" sister whose debt had to be cleared by her brother, Horikita Suzune's confidence was suffering an unprecedented blow.
Horikita Manabu, huh.
Chabashira quickly took the phone.
"This is Chabashira—" As soon as she took the phone, Horikita Manabu spoke rapidly.
"Someone is trying to use my sister. Chabashira Sae-sensei, are you aware of this? Or perhaps, you are also involved?"
Chabashira: "..."
Indeed, after confirming the intelligence that Horikita Suzune was actually Horikita Manabu's sister, Chabashira had wanted to give her a heavy responsibility.
After all, her brother was so strong; as the sister, her data profile wasn't bad—she was just marked with an 'X' in interpersonal relations. But as long as she had the help of someone like Kushida, who excelled at socializing, to complement her, Class D might be able to be patched together.
So Chabashira did indeed want to incite Horikita Suzune to lead Class D to Class A. But it hadn't reached the level of "using" her yet.
Because if one was assigned to Class D and didn't want to rot away, there was no choice but to climb up to prove oneself.
"Do not think of using her," Horikita Manabu continued.
"There is another, even more formidable person in your class. And my sister has already lost in her confrontation with Class B.
Earlier, while answering Suzune's questions, Hikigaya had already called me, so I heard the contents of your conversation," Horikita Manabu explained why he had called back with such accuracy.
I see.
Chabashira now understood why Horikita Manabu could quickly settle Horikita Suzune's debt.
At the same time, it was indeed as Horikita Manabu said: in the confrontation with the Class B student just now, Class B had made a huge concession, so Horikita Suzune had indeed lost.
But.
"Did you also pay a high price on your end?"
As a former student of this school who had taken her class to Class B, Chabashira's experience and insight were many times greater than Horikita Suzune's.
Just now, she thought Hikigaya might have been kind enough to let Horikita Suzune off the hook. But seeing now that he was on a call with Horikita Manabu at the time, he naturally couldn't treat the other's sister too harshly.
Therefore, his true purpose was to sell a favor to Horikita Suzune, thereby making Horikita Manabu owe him a favor.
"Mm." Horikita Manabu nodded. "Aside from some small bargaining chips, he took one of the qualifications for the next Student Council President candidates."
"..." Chabashira fell silent.
In other words, Class B's Hikigaya's ambition was truly not small.
As a teacher who had taught at the school for six years, she was well aware that every Class 3-A in previous years had produced a Student Council President.
So, having the Student Council President as a classmate—how massive of a help would that be for a class?
Horikita was shaken just now because of the "truth of the school" that would be announced in 14 days, but on the first-year side, Class B had already made a move to secure a candidacy for the next Student Council President.
Once the other party becomes the next Student Council President, Class D has even less of a chance.
Now it wasn't just Horikita Suzune who had lost; Chabashira felt... Class D was likely going to lose too.
Because.
Starting off with less than 500 evaluation points remaining, and with even the Student Council advantage held by the opponent—how could Class D still win?
As for the "even more formidable person in Class D" mentioned by Horikita Manabu...
Was it Koenji Rokusuke? The heir to the Koenji Conglomerate.
Or perhaps, Hirata Yosuke?
But she always felt their hearts weren't in leading Class D through class competition, and even if they could do it, there wasn't much chance of winning now.
Thus, with her heart somewhat dead, Chabashira didn't continue listening to Horikita Manabu talk about who else was capable in Class D, and handed the phone back to Horikita.
"Brother—" Horikita Suzune's weak voice rang out.
Horikita Manabu: "..."
Horikita Manabu originally wanted to say that there was a more formidable person in Class D named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—not only was he specially admitted by the Chairman, but he also received extremely high praise from him.
Yet, the boy was slacking off significantly. If he could be made to put in effort, perhaps there would still be hope for Class D. But seeing now that they didn't seem to care, he decided not to mention it.