How could this happen?
She wanted to find like-minded friends too. If this recording leaked, potential friends would surely avoid her.
As Hiyori processed this revelation, she noticed Houtarou opening his student ID.
『Houtarou Oreki』
『Student ID: 1008610010』
『Class: First Year, Class A』
『Personal Account: ¥ 52,334,500 Pts』
Hmm. There it is.
As always, an impressive number.
Hiyori watched as Houtarou accessed the transfer function.
He entered an account number: 1046900
Wait... Isn't that her account?
Being friends meant her name appeared instantly when he entered the number.
But what was he doing?
Ding!
Hiyori's phone vibrated.
『1 Point has been credited to your account!』
『Sender - Z1008610010』
The transfer was from Houtarou.
"Oreki-kun?" Hiyori blinked softly, confused by his intention.
"I have no desire to help Horikita grow. If she encounters problems and comes to me, that's the quickest solution. She only needs to know the extent of your involvement behind the scenes. And then it ends there. But..." Houtarou said, "I'm very curious about who's really behind this."
Hiyori: "..."
Houtarou was the school's heartthrob, incredibly wealthy, good at making money, handsome with refined features, athletically gifted, and even somewhat of a fighting prodigy.
But what was truly frightening was his mind.
His words were unsettling — why would he want Suzune to depend on him rather than grow? Was he trying to control her?
Wasn't he supposed to be acting for Kei's sake?
Yet Hiyori knew this wasn't the time to worry about Houtarou's romantic interests.
His attention had turned to something more concerning: discovering who was pulling the strings.
"Behind... what?" Hiyori asked, feigning confusion, "What else is behind this?"
"Stop pretending." Houtarou said, "Only Class D students would be foolish enough to spread rumors about Horikita and the Student Council President's relationship. Anyone with sense would realize this information can't be verified yet.
But if these rumors prove true, it wouldn't just offend her — it would anger the Student Council President himself. And what kind of person is he?
This school's most outstanding Student Council President, a formidable leader who kept all 39 of his classmates firmly in Class A without losing a single one.
So, offending him would be extremely problematic, wouldn't it? In other words..."
Houtarou continued, noting how Hiyori's face grew pale.
"Who gave you the courage to do this, and what did they offer in return? What made you willing to take the blame?"
Hiyori: (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥⋆)
"Fine." She said, her expression conflicted, as if considering a cute defense before abandoning the idea, "Since you've figured this out, Oreki-kun, I hope we can stop here. If someone could make me do this, then betraying them would have severe consequences for me."
She had drawn her line — she wouldn't reveal who was behind this.
"What if I play back your earlier self-incriminating statements?" Houtarou said.
He pulled out a blue pen from his pocket — a voice recorder.
He had recorded her confession about the rumor incident.
Hiyori: "..."
So this was Houtarou's true nature?
After Kakeru's withdrawal, she had visited Mio, who explained what happened on the rooftop.
Back then, he had brought four voice recorders to lower Kakeru's guard before initiating the fight.
And now... Houtarou was still carrying voice recorders?
"I can't do it." Hiyori said, "Even if it means not making friends at this school, I still can't reveal who's behind me. My fate would be terrible if I did."
She was protecting herself — the questioning had reached her limit.
"I have a theory about who's behind this." Houtarou said, "Though their motives aren't clear to me yet. I'll ask them directly later. But Shiina-san, since I've already figured it out, I just need you to confirm their identity."
He was merely seeking verification.
Hiyori: "...This kind of thing. Oreki-kun, I'm still very sorry..."
She wouldn't budge.
But at this moment, her phone vibrated again.
『100,000 Points have been credited to your account!』
『Sender - Z1008610010』
An immediate transfer had appeared.
Hiyori: "..."
"Um, no, Oreki-kun, I'm not the type who can be bought with just a few points..." Hiyori quickly explained.
The clever girl had seen through his attempt to bribe her.
And she couldn't accept it — betraying them would bring severe consequences.
『500,000 Points have been credited to your account!』
『Sender - Z1008610010』
Hiyori: "..."
It was clear now — Houtarou was determined to buy her cooperation.
Since entering school, Kakeru's class had never received their full point allowance. Their bully lord always took a cut.
Between that and funding various schemes, having no money simply wasn't an option.
For Hiyori, 100,000 points was tempting enough. And 500,000...
『1,000,000 Points have been credited to your account!』
『Sender - Z1008610010』
This amount was twenty times what Kakeru's class received from the school.
Hiyori knew she could transfer the points to shopping district cards and hide them without anyone knowing.
But...
"No, Oreki-kun..." Hiyori said firmly, "I'm not that kind of person."
"Plus 200,000 monthly living expenses until graduation." Houtarou added, "This is a long-term meal ticket. If you don't want to continue studying after graduation, I can pay you an additional year's living expenses."
Hiyori: "..."
Was he trying to buy her loyalty? How could she stoop so low?
Yet one minute later, cornered and seeing no other choice, Hiyori typed out the mastermind's name on her phone.
Houtarou looked at the revelation.
| Manabu Horikita |
Just as he had suspected — a name carrying immense weight, yet making perfect sense.
⍟⍟⍟
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