Chapter 145: Something's Wrong With Them
Though shocked, there was almost no objection. The entire class simply filled out their papers as Sakayanagi had instructed.
Those confused were probably more than just one person. If anyone would have found the current situation more unimaginable than Katsuragi, it would have been Hashimoto.
After all, he had never heard of anything like this before. And just in the past few days, he had been assisting Sakayanagi, always a core member of her radical faction, yet now…
Hashimoto: "W-wait… wait…"
"Princess-sama, what does this mean?"
The homeroom sensei of Class A, Mashima, who was overseeing the tally, had already anticipated the result. After briefly collecting the students' papers, he left the classroom, sighing helplessly before departing.
Hashimoto still couldn't believe it was real. All this time, although he had entertained rebellious thoughts, he had never done anything harmful to Sakayanagi.
He had always regarded himself, Kitō, and Kamuro as Sakayanagi's capable subordinates. But only now did he finally realize it wasn't the case.
Whether it was Kamuro, Kitō, or anyone else, even himself, they were nothing more than pieces on Sakayanagi's chessboard. Once they lost their usefulness, they would be discarded instantly.
Yet, Hashimoto's thinking was flawed.
Though Sakayanagi had indeed treated them as pieces, there was one thing he misunderstood: she was still human, with normal emotions. If it were possible, she would never truly abandon her pieces, after all, she could not be completely heartless.
It was just that…
Hashimoto's actions had been fully known to Sakayanagi all along. She had even given him chances, but he had squandered them, instead tell he choose to conceal his deeds and pursue his own schemes. This was extremely detrimental to Class A.
Sakayanagi had once valued him, but he had not reciprocated. He repeatedly broke the commands she issued. Now, he had lost his last chance.
Sakayanagi would never wait for him to actually betray her instead she would abandon him first. Even before the thought of betrayal could arise, she would preemptively eliminate the threat.
Now, Katsuragi would no longer compete for Class A's status, and he had a reason to obey her, but Hashimoto did not.
Being watched by someone like him every day would inevitably result in a knife in the back someday. Sakayanagi had foreseen this, so this outcome was not unexpected for her.
She just smiled, made no response, and watched Hashimoto step by step leave the classroom, finally departing Class A entirely.
From today onward, Hashimoto Masayoshi would no longer be a student of Class A.
---
[Inside the chatroom, everyone who saw the expelled students from their classes felt immense emotions. But if anyone found it the most unbelievable, it was the classes of Horikita and Sakayanagi.]
[Who would have thought that the two who originally plotted to harm Hikigaya would both be expelled at this moment? Witnessing it firsthand, Hashimoto and Yamauchi were even more incredulous.]
[Yet, out of fear, Yamauchi dared not act against his classmates and only gave them a chilling stare.]
[Sudou's gaze was entirely fixed on Yamauchi. He would never allow what happened in the video to happen in real life. No matter who got hurt, it would never be a good thing.]
[Perhaps seeing his own miserable outcome, Yamauchi was not as furious as his video counterpart. But for Hashimoto, it was completely different.]
[His hands trembled with anger. Though clenched into fists, they could not contain the surge of rage.]
["Sakayanagi… why did you do this…"]
["You actually abandoned me… If I continue to follow you now, one day you'd abandon me anyway, wouldn't you?"]
[It seemed Hashimoto was angry, but unlike Yamauchi, he wasn't foolish enough to act immediately. He was clearly questioning the one he had once followed: why.]
[Sakayanagi just shook her head, her smile unchanged: "No. In reality, one day you would betray me anyway."]
[Hashimoto slammed the table in fury, about to protest with "I wouldn't," but froze for a moment, he realized he had indeed thought that. Whenever necessary, he would plan a way out for himself. And if Sakayanagi failed, he would switch sides without hesitation.]
[Yet, the scariest part was that Sakayanagi had already seen through all of this.]
[Hashimoto finally calmed down. To him, the video was still just a video. If it could secure information for reality, it was worth it.]
["If you knew, why use me?"]
[This time, Sakayanagi laughed. Though only a soft chuckle, it was still an indifferent smile.]
["Hashimoto, are you really that foolish? From the start, our relationship was one of mutual use. Since you lost your value, I naturally no longer needed you."]
[Hashimoto knew he could not argue with Sakayanagi. Continuing was meaningless, so he turned to Kamuro and Kitō: "Hear that? She's been using you both like this. Following her won't end well."]
[One must know: without the others, Sakayanagi was a half-disabled person, struggling even to stand or walk. Perhaps none could surpass her in intelligence, but with brute force, she was defenseless.]
[Yet Sakayanagi's brilliance lay in this: even though Kamuro and Kitō knew the outcome, they refused to abandon her. Her skill in winning hearts could rival, and perhaps surpass, Ryuen.]
[Seeing that Kamuro and Kitō remained unmoved, Hashimoto stopped, leaving slowly.]
[He knew he could not be expelled like this, yet also knew he could not stay in Class A. If he wanted to rise again, only Ryuen could take him in.]
[Only a madman could join another madman. If Ryuen's plan was to defeat Ichinose and Sakayanagi, he would surely accept him.]
[Ike: "Poor Hashimoto, just abandoned like that."]
[Yukimura adjusted his glasses, his face serious: "There's nothing pitiful about it. We, as observers, saw everything Hashimoto did. Though the others in the video didn't. In the end, but Sakayanagi did right."]
[Hasebe seemed uninterested, resting her chin on her hand, expressionless: "If he had obeyed Sakayanagi from the start, this wouldn't have happened."]
[Shinohara: "Anyway, now Class A is weak. Losing a core member gives an opportunity for a single decisive strike, its value would be immense."]
[At Shinohara's words, everyone grew excited, placing their hopes on Hikigaya from the video. Yet some, like Horikita, remained frighteningly calm, quietly analyzing the situation.]
[Horikita could not deny Shinohara's words, but neither could she fully agree. They had already defeated Class A before; it wasn't about losing a core member. The strength came purely from Sakayanagi.]
[Hikigaya listened, feeling a headache coming on. The first-year troubles were truly endless. Yet he felt no guilt about Yamauchi's expulsion, a rare feeling for him.]
[Yukinoshita Haruno: "Hikigaya-kun, you really are ruthless."]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka, slightly pitying, looked at the video and replied calmly: "It can't be helped. For them, this exam was life or death."]
[Yukinoshita Haruno merely lowered her head slowly, as if remembering something. Finally, she gave a bitter smile: "Sometimes the world is just this dark. If you truly follow that path, can you still trust your own heart?"]
Hikigaya sighed lightly. Though the result had been predictable, seeing his classmates like this still tugged at him.
But he didn't think he could do anything; he was never the center of attention, let alone someone to give an inspirational speech.
According to them, it was simply because his deadpan eyes were too dark.
Only one person seemed unaffected: the blonde boy grabbing his bag, preparing to leave.
Hikigaya didn't hesitate. Picking up his own bag, he immediately followed.
In the corridor, the two walked side by side, while Kōenji deliberately slowed his pace.
"Yo? Isn't this Hikigaya BOY? Following me so closely, does this mean you like me?"
'What a terrifying hell of a joke…'
Hikigaya touched his nose, trying to remain composed but failing, finally saying: "Never thought you'd ever help the class."
Kōenji smirked lightly: "I'm not helping the class. I do this for myself."
'Feels familiar… where have I heard that before…'
Hikigaya shook his head, denying it.
"You deliberately took all the hatred onto yourself, not just at the end, from the start, that's what you did."
"Oh? And then?"
"If you hadn't taken the anger yourself, Yamauchi might have taken it out on others nearby."
Thinking of Sakura, sitting next to Yamauchi, Hikigaya felt the first stirrings of revenge in his heart.
"Because of what you did, in the end, when Yamauchi completely lost reason, you became the target for venting."
Hikigaya had wanted to shoulder all this himself, but Kōenji had clearly taken it on instead.
Kōenji laughed, purely and confidently, looking at Hikigaya: "Since you say so, I'll admit it. But don't be curious, I never imagined I'd voluntarily help this class one day."
Hearing this, Hikigaya realized he had unknowingly become one with the class. Helping them required no reason anymore.
And Kōenji could do it whenever he wanted.
Watching the blonde boy stride away, Hikigaya simply watched, seeing his own former self.
Only when the boy disappeared down the corridor did Hikigaya exhale; it was over.
Though the next exam loomed, this brief moment of relief was a rare pleasure.
He gently opened his eyes and turned around, seeing Sakura, Karuizawa, Kushida, and Horikita standing behind him.
Karuizawa, holding her bag, came straight to him and hugged him without a word.
"So great… none of us got expelled."
Hikigaya was momentarily bewildered, but Sakura's relief, Kushida's ease, and Horikita's joy all reached him deeply.
Yes, none of them were expelled. That was the best outcome.
For them, Hikigaya's actions had caused enough worry. Though they knew his plan, one slip, and he could have left the school. Now, it was finally over.
For Kushida, Karuizawa, and Sakura, they didn't fear losing, returning to Class D with Hikigaya would have been fine, but they did not want to experience this exam again.
For Horikita, her feelings were complex. She wanted to rise to Class A, knowing she couldn't without him, and understood her feelings went beyond that.
Yet, due to her pride, she had only regarded Hikigaya as a familiar "friend."
Of course, that was just Horikita's perspective.
But the next moment, she would think differently. Karuizawa, in the corridor, seized the moment, kissing Hikigaya while he had no room to resist.
Hikigaya's eyes widened, but he could not resist. His hands were firmly held by Karuizawa. In moments like these, a girl's strength was always a mystery.
Kushida was furious. This girl was acting so shamelessly again, an outsider might think they were a couple.
Horikita tried to remain indifferent, but her feelings could not lie. When she looked at Hikigaya again, only resentment remained.
"This guy…"
Sakura, though slightly anxious, remained composed compared to the other two. To Kushida and Horikita, this was utterly abnormal.
Everyone knew Sakura cared only about Hikigaya, and only him. Among the four, she was the most devoted.
Finally, Kushida could not take it anymore and stepped in, pulling the two apart. For Hikigaya, it was a relief; for Karuizawa, a nightmare.
She crossed her arms, pretending to be angry. Horikita was to her left, Kushida to her right, both watching her carefully. At the slightest misstep…
"Karuizawa, please consider the reputation of our class."
"Karuizawa, you shameless fool!"
In the end, Karuizawa reluctantly gave up, switching to whispering in their ears about old stories they had heard countless times.
Kushida, fed up, shifted the topic to Sakura.
"Sakura, what's your deal? Normally, you'd be the first to separate these two, right?"
Sakura blushed, recalling yesterday's events. She became flustered, stammering, barely able to speak.
"No… it's not that… it's just that Karuizawa-sama is happy, haha."
Horikita noticed something off. Why had Sakura reverted to how she was when they first met?
Kushida and Karuizawa, on the other hand, didn't think that much. After hearing Sakura had no objections, they casually said as they compared notes: "You see, Sakura is so sensible! And today's such a happy day."
Kushida's forehead was already showing black stress lines. Setting aside what was wrong with this girl, just because of the word "happy," Karuizawa could run wild. If it got any happier, would Karuizawa even end up on Hikigaya's bed?
Listening to the conversation among the four girls, Hikigaya just walked ahead, unconsciously picking up his pace.
Not to mention Sakura easily blushes, even Hikigaya's heart would race uncontrollably when thinking about what happened yesterday.
Kushida was momentarily at a loss over Sakura, though most of her attention was still on Karuizawa.
At some point, Sakura had already run ahead of Hikigaya, and the two of them walked side by side, talking and laughing, occasionally falling into sudden silence. All three of them saw this.
Kushida: "Hey, don't you think Sakura's acting weird?"
Horikita: "Though… it really does seem a bit off. I noticed just now, Sakura didn't stutter at all, and then she suddenly reverted to how she was before. Do you think… they're hiding something from us?"
Karuizawa was caught in the middle and seemed to have realized something. She quietly said to the two of them: "Hey, do you remember? This morning at school, these two arrived at class at the same time. They never usually arrive late, I've observed them, but this time, they were late together."
Because for a while, Karuizawa had gone to school with Hikigaya and had a certain understanding of his habits, and after a short moment of thought, Horikita also nodded in agreement.
Since she had always been Hikigaya's deskmate, she paid attention to when he would enter the classroom.
Kushida: "I say, could it be that these two…"
Karuizawa didn't dare think further. She just shook her hands nervously and whispered excitedly: "Don't say it, don't say it… there's no way. Hikigaya is so honest; how could he do something like that?"
Horikita: "Maybe we're overthinking. Even though their behavior today was off, it shouldn't be to that extent. And… thinking of the usual Hikigaya, I really can't imagine that scene."
Kushida's expression was serious. At this moment, she looked like a detective, observing every move of the two. This ambiguous distance, the hands that wanted to reach out but kept retracting, all of it pointed to one thing.
These two had definitely done something!
Kushida: "I don't want to think that way either, but I still advise you: never underestimate that guy. And… there's no reason for me to hide it from you anymore. Maybe we've already been beaten to it."
Hearing Kushida's words, Karuizawa and Horikita were thoughtful, while Sakura and Hikigaya simply walked side by side, the distance between them no longer deliberately maintained as before.
After a simple gathering and a simple dinner, the five finally parted ways in front of a room.
Hikigaya stretched lazily, deciding he must clear his mind tonight. Tomorrow happened to be a day off, so he really needed to rest.
Both physically and mentally, too much had happened recently, and it felt like it never stopped, constantly draining Hikigaya's energy.
Tired… really tired.
Thinking this, Hikigaya, after a quick shower, almost without hesitation, lay down on his bed…
(End of this chapter)