Chapter 052: Horikita: I May Not Trust Kushida, But I Trust Him!
Kushida Kikyo knew well that her dark history from middle school was anything but honorable.
Because she exposed the secrets of her entire class—and even the teachers—she triggered a mass boycott incident. The severe punishment that followed—three months of suspension, a permanent stain on her record, and a long period of house arrest—had become a shadow she never wished to revisit.
It wasn't until she heard about this special school from the principal that she felt she had been given a new life to escape her past, determined to start over here.
However, the hidden desire and distorted sense of pleasure that drove her to make friends and collect secrets had never been extinguished. To her, controlling others' secrets was like wielding a unique authority, bringing her a sense of irreplaceable satisfaction and validation from the world.
But after coming to this school—specifically, after meeting Class B's Hikigaya Hachiman—she discovered she possessed a unique trait: she could actually hear Hikigaya's inner voice.
This setting was so special that it made Kushida feel special herself.
But.
Did it have to be like this?
Judging from Horikita's subtle expressions and reactions, Kushida realized that Horikita seemed to be able to hear Hikigaya's heart as well.
This meant her "specialness" was no longer unique; she shared the same ability as Horikita, which made her... feel disgusted.
She disliked Horikita. Horikita was always the same on the inside as she was on the outside, which was something Kushida could never achieve.
So she hated her.
She hated Horikita's perpetually cold face and her disregard for Kushida's outward warmth. Even more, she worried that Horikita might find out about her dark history and expose it, destroying the "little angel" image and the social network she had worked so hard to build.
However, the immediate problem wasn't whether Horikita knew her past, but rather: since Horikita could hear Hikigaya's inner thoughts, could she find out about Kushida's past directly from him?
At this moment, Kushida just wanted to scream like a groundhog.
The atmosphere on the scene became unexpectedly awkward. No one spoke.
"I'll be leaving first," a voice suddenly rang out.
It was Kanzaki Ryuji, with his slightly wavy purple hair.
Well.
His presence in class wasn't particularly strong. Although his academic and physical abilities were high, he was actually quite poor at socializing.
When he wasn't familiar with someone, he gave off an introverted vibe.
Facing two girls from Class D now, he naturally felt out of his element and chose to retreat.
Watching him leave like that, his awkwardness with girls made Hikigaya think that, as expected of this school, there were actually people even more socially stunted than himself.
However, the subtle atmosphere did not relax with Kanzaki's departure.
'Now Ichinose, Horikita, and Kushida have all bumped into each other. If Shiina Hiyori and Class A's Sakayanagi Arisu were here too, the top female powerhouses of this world would be fully gathered. After all, they already represent the elite of the first-year girls.'
Hikigaya's inner voice rang clearly in Kushida's mind.
"Speaking of which, I think I saw Class C's Shiina-san just now," Ichinose suddenly said.
"..." Horikita.
"..." Kushida.
Horikita didn't know any Shiina-san, but Kushida did.
Moreover.
Hikigaya hadn't spoken Shiina's name out loud, yet Ichinose suddenly brought her up.
Could it be...
Not just Horikita, but even Ichinose—this popular, protagonist-like girl who crushed her in every aspect—could also hear Hikigaya-kun's heart?
Was she, Kushida... just a commoner by the roadside?
"If you mean the girl who likes reading and borrowed textbooks, then yes, she was here," Horikita Suzune said. At the same time, her gaze shifted toward the computer equipment near the bookshelves.
Clearly, Horikita was smart. Before borrowing books, she had checked the shelves and naturally searched the borrowing records. She had seen the name "Shiina Hiyori" there.
From this perspective, Horikita truly had some skill. Despite her cold demeanor, she was not an average student.
'Horikita is actually quite reliable in this regard. She's a worthy representative of Class D in the original story. Even though she was pushed forward as a shield by the male lead, she couldn't
have held the position without real ability. On the other hand, while Kushida's social skills are strong and she can rally a crowd, her vision as a class representative is far too narrow and petty.'
Kushida: "..."
Kushida felt attacked.
Horikita: "..."
Horikita felt praised.
Horikita's expression shifted slightly. She even felt a spark of excitement internally because if these were Hikigaya-kun's true thoughts, did that mean she had earned his recognition?
But.
That excitement didn't last.
She suddenly remembered that Class D was at 0 points—all 1,000 points were gone in just one month.
Could this class really be led upward? Was it even possible?
Perhaps the "hell-mode" plan Hikigaya mentioned before—gathering 20 million points to go solo—might actually be easier.
Thus, Horikita's excitement instantly retracted.
The reason she was here in the library, and with Kushida, was because Kushida claimed to have obtained critical intel and speculated that this exam would likely be a reuse of old questions.
If that were true, the laggards in class would be in grave danger.
Therefore, Kushida had pleaded for Horikita's help on the grounds that she "couldn't bear to see classmates expelled."
Classmates being expelled?
That didn't move Horikita at all.
Horikita couldn't understand why anyone would fail to do something as basic as listening to a lecture. Her instinct was to refuse Kushida because she had already realized that Class D was unleadable.
It was truly unleadable. This was hell difficulty.
And she... did not have the strength.
Furthermore, Horikita didn't trust the intelligence Kushida had brought. Even though Kushida seemed to want to get on her good side, Horikita instinctively felt that Kushida harbored malice toward her.
However, Kushida told her that the intel came from Hikigaya.
After a bit of thought, she chose to agree.
Because, while she didn't trust Kushida, she did trust Hikigaya.
Or rather, Hikigaya was the first person to make her suffer a defeat since entering this school. It was impossible not to remember him—especially since she still hadn't paid off the 200,000-point debt her brother had paid him on her behalf.
Just as Horikita fell into brief contemplation, a set of clear, slightly hurried footsteps approached.
Everyone looked toward the sound to see a tall girl with long legs and striking purple hair walking quickly toward them.
The girl's defining features were the two delicate hairpins in her hair. In her hand, she clutched a pure white envelope.
Almost instantly, the socially savvy Kushida and Ichinose identified her: Kamuro Masumi.
Kamuro noticed that Hikigaya was surrounded by three girls, but she kept her face stiff and expressionless. She walked straight to Hikigaya and thrust the letter into his hand.
"Sakayanagi told me to give this to you."
Before the words fully landed, she had already turned around, as if eager to escape something, and quickly disappeared past the end of the bookshelves.
With a hint of confusion, Hikigaya held the white envelope, his fingertips brushing its smooth surface. He tore it open and pulled out the stationery.
The girl's elegant handwriting came into view.
"I originally had no intention of interfering with this exam, but... I accept your challenge. I shall provide a perfect answer sheet.
— Sakayanagi Arisu"
"..." Hikigaya gripped the paper, his brows slowly knitting together.
Huh?
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
He clearly wanted Sakayanagi to stay quiet and not cause trouble during this exam. But what was written between these brief lines was clearly... a proactive provocation?
No, he had challenged her? And apparently, he had succeeded.
But since when?
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