Chapter 174: Nagumo Miyabi's Absolute Dominance
The two of them finally leaned against the wall in silence.
Asahina tossed her hair, quickly pulling herself back from her previous state.
Hikigaya: "Just say what you need to say..."
Asahina didn't hide anything and spoke directly, as Hikigaya had guessed: "You're not a fool. Since you know Nagumo Miyabi and I grew up as childhood friends, you should have guessed that I came here for him."
Hikigaya gently nodded without saying anything.
Asahina's face still held a cheerful smile, as if her mood was written all over her face, completely devoid of ulterior motives.
"Although Nagumo hasn't told me about you, I have my own information brokers. For example, your previous conflict with Nagumo, including the Old Maid incident this time. Time and time again, you are challenging Nagumo's bottom line."
Hikigaya frowned slightly: "So, you're here to give me a warning?"
Asahina slapped Hikigaya's shoulder with displeasure, staring at Hikigaya with an expression that said, 'Do I look like that kind of person?'
"Nagumo Miyabi has essentially become the sole monarch in this school. It's impossible to overthrow his rule. In the second year, quite a few students were expelled for opposing Nagumo, leading to a very high expulsion rate in the second year now."
"The remaining second-year members might still have some dissatisfaction, but they don't dare to resist. Such people have lost all strategic value. And I, of course, am completely loyal to Nagumo, and even... have completely entrusted myself to him."
Hikigaya: "I still don't understand. If that's not the case, why are you looking for me? What is the meaning of saying all this? Since you stand with Nagumo, why are you coming to me and exposing this information to me...."
His gaze also began to sharpen, constantly trying to find a flaw named 'lie' on the girl in front of him...
Unfortunately, after a brief observation, Hikigaya was quite sure that Asahina-senpai in front of him showed no signs of lying. She came to him just to say these words.
Asahina was still as straightforward: "To be honest, I don't know why I came to you. Maybe it's for Miyabi, or maybe it's for you. I'm not like Nagumo. I don't have such great ambitions. A large part of the reason I got into Class A was because of his help."
"And his rule cannot be broken. I know that before stepping down, Horikita Manabu prevented most first-year students from joining the Student Council. The biggest reason was to prevent Nagumo's power from infiltrating the first year. Otherwise, Nagumo would have probably imposed control a long time ago."
"Since Horikita-senpai took such pains, I simply hope you cherish this rare 'freedom'. If you rashly oppose Nagumo, you will eventually become a bird with clipped wings."
Hikigaya was a little speechless: "Although I thought you were a bit unreliable just now, ultimately, you are giving me a warning... Don't worry, I won't be so overestimating my own abilities."
Asahina pouted and unhappily tapped Hikigaya's head again with her hand: "How dare you talk to your senior like that? To be honest, even if you were serious, I don't think you could win against Miyabi."
Hikigaya: "The senior speaks the truth."
Asahina folded her arms across her chest: "Don't think I'm trying to discourage you. As your senior, I have more information than you. Besides, you might not know this... Third-year Class B and Class A are only separated by 300 class points, and their overall strength is actually similar. Nagumo has been secretly supporting Class B, yet they still haven't been promoted. The ultimate reason for this is the existence of Horikita Manabu."
"That man is single-handedly propping up the entire third-year Class A, fighting against five, or even seven classes. Unless you can do the same as him, otherwise... I'm telling you this for your own good. You have a long road ahead of you. There's no need to get yourself expelled just to fight to the death."
Hikigaya: "I'm getting more and more confused. Asahina-senpai, whose side are you on?"
Asahina: "That would, of course, be Miyabi's side. Would I help you deal with my childhood friend?"
Having said that, Asahina made a face at Hikigaya.
She put her hands behind her back and skipped her way into the depths of the corridor. Finally, just as she was about to disappear, she suddenly turned her head and showed a cute smile: "If Hikigaya-kun truly thinks he can win against Miyabi, then by all means, try. Don't worry... I don't think I was giving you a warning. As a childhood friend, what I hope for isn't just his victory. Maybe when the time comes... I'll even lend you a hand!"
'What a troublesome senior...'
[Nagumo: "Natsumi, you're being a bit nosy..."]
[Asahina Natsumi: "For your future, I still think it's necessary to greet the junior."]
[Nagumo: "The me in the video clearly hasn't discovered his playability yet, but now... I'm really looking forward to a confrontation with him."]
[Asahina: "By the way, about Ichinose matter, you were just playing around, right?"]
[Nagumo's expression immediately changed: "Of course. That kind of thing was just a joke."]
[Asahina glared at him but didn't take it to heart: "That's fine..."]
On the evening of the sixth day, all the students in Hikigaya's group were lying in bed. After the lights were turned off as usual, they surprisingly started having a heart-to-heart talk.
Of course, the initiator was Ryūen.
"I say, Hikigaya, what's your take on the second years?"
Hikigaya held his head with both hands, unsure how to answer his question for a moment: "Whether Nagumo's rule is a good thing or a bad thing is still not a definitive conclusion, even now. It's just that in the future... the battles across different years will continuously increase."
Ryūen: "I had a brief cooperation with Nagumo before. That guy is someone who will go to any lengths for victory. He has a common ground with me, but... I feel that, fundamentally, he is also completely different from me."
Hikigaya silently nodded. If it were at the beginning of the school year, he would definitely think there was no difference between Ryūen and Nagumo. But now, after more than half a year, even just as an enemy, Hikigaya was very clear that this guy was completely unlike what he looked like on the surface.
Although fierce, despite being a monarch, he went to great lengths to protect the rights of every class member, even making a deal with Nagumo to prevent class members from being expelled.
He was not someone who would casually abandon his companions.
And as Asahina said, Nagumo would expel everyone who resisted him.
Kitō: "How have you been feeling during this time?"
Tokitō: "I feel like I've entered a temple, staying away from women."
Kitō: "Who asked you that? I was talking about our bond... hasn't it increased dramatically?"
Hirata: "Kitō, saying that makes it sound like we're all gay..."
Kitō: "Hey, who's gay knows deep down!"
Kitō: "Be serious. Hikigaya also said that there will be more cross-year battles in the future. At that time, it probably won't be a simple confrontation between grades. No matter what the future holds, this seven-day friendship shouldn't disappear."
Upon hearing Kitō say this, everyone lamented. Although this forest training camp was a bit tough, it had passed quickly.
Yahiko: "Um, Hikigaya, I'm sorry. I never apologized for what happened on the uninhabited island."
Hikigaya shook his head: "It's too long ago. Let it go."
Ryūen: "Heh heh. At that time, who would have thought that a weak-looking guy would turn out to be such a pervert, seeing right through my underwear. Otherwise, who would provoke you? It would have been better to let Class D at that time fend for itself."
In a sense, it was Ryūen and his group's constant harassment that gave Hikigaya an opportunity to act. Otherwise, given the situation in Horikita's class before, they would have likely self-destructed in no time, and Hikigaya would not have had any intention of intervening in the end.
Yahiko: "Regardless, I was definitely wrong about that incident. My mind got heated, and I punched you. How about you punch me back now?"
Hikigaya: "No, no, no. Fighting within the group will lead to point deductions."
There are no eternal enemies; that is correct.
Yahiko: "Just as Kitō said, the points of our four classes are so close now. There is no longer any so-called hierarchy of high or low status. What's more important, instead, is whether we can unite when facing cross-year battles."
Ryūen: "In my opinion, that shouldn't be difficult... Of course, I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about you, right, Hikigaya?"
Hikigaya: "Please, don't dump this mess on me..."
Just like that, the group talked about things from their class to their past experiences, and then to a lot of past embarrassing stories and the reasons they came to this school. They even completely strayed from the topic in the end and talked about their future plans.
However, when discussing this point, Kōenji, who had been sleeping with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and joined the conversation.
...
The time finally came to the seventh day, the final dinner. Karuizawa slumped listlessly on the table. Her usual high yellow ponytail looked flat, as if it had lost its vitality.
Hikigaya: "What's wrong?"
Karuizawa: "Nagumo's clutches finally reached us. Our large group is in trouble now!"
Hikigaya: "Are you at risk of expulsion?"
Karuizawa: "Not me, since the large group won't cause that kind of effect, but Tachibana-senpai... there probably won't be a good outcome for her. Sakura has also been frantic with worry recently."
Hikigaya nodded. Sure enough, Nagumo had made his move. He didn't hesitate to detonate the final blast, causing the girls' side to completely flare up, and the ultimate victim was only one person: Tachibana Akane.
Hikigaya quickly finished his dinner. After saying goodbye to Karuizawa, he followed Sakura's information and came to an unnoticed corner.
The purple-haired girl was sitting crouched there, hugging her thighs, her head completely buried, but tears couldn't stop falling.
Compared to her usual self, this was too different, causing Hikigaya to be slightly stunned for several seconds.
Hikigaya found a corner and leaned down as well, then handed the coffee in his hand to the girl beside him.
Tachibana slowly looked up, her expression first showing surprise, followed by shyness.
Her curled limbs, her helpless eyes, she felt embarrassed because all of this had been discovered.
She took the coffee from Hikigaya's hand but didn't open it, just placing it between her legs.
"Is it really okay to not consult with Horikita-senpai and hide here to cry, Tachibana-senpai?"
Tachibana wiped the tears from her eyes: "If I go to the President for everything, I'll become annoying, just like you."
'That comparison is not very good...'
Hikigaya: "I won't interfere with what you want to do, but I know that as long as you ask him for help, Horikita Manabu will definitely provide assistance."
Tachibana: "You won't understand. For the President, I would rather sacrifice myself than cause the President any trouble."
Hikigaya didn't try to persuade her further, because at this point, nothing could be salvaged.
He simply gently opened the MAX Coffee he had been holding, then took a big gulp.
Seeing this, Tachibana also opened the MAX Coffee placed between her legs and took a small sip.
"So sweet..."
"Life is already so bitter. It would be a crime not to drink something sweet."
"So, Hikigaya-kun likes to drink this. Sakura-chan didn't spare any effort for the introduction of this coffee."
"Sakura, huh..."
From the start, Hikigaya guessed that this coffee couldn't appear out of thin air, and those with the authority to do so were probably few.
Tachibana looked as if she had recalled something happy, and slowly regained her composure:"Yes, Sakura-chan. She said that Hikigaya-kun loves to drink this the most and talks about it every day, so she hopes to introduce this coffee to the campus in the future. Sure enough... you can't put it down. This proves that Sakura's efforts were not wrong."
Hikigaya put down the MAX Coffee in his hand, his heart filled with emotion. At this moment, countless words of gratitude were welling up inside him.
Tachibana: "She is a very obedient girl and often works hard late into the night for her duties. Now, she is already a true secretary. Hikigaya, I just hope that after I am expelled, you can take good care of her."
Hikigaya: "Isn't it too soon to decide on your own expulsion? Even if I agreed..."
"I don't agree."
Horikita Manabu slowly walked out from the other side. He was still as serious and dignified as ever. His tall figure and perfect posture, coupled with his black semi-rimless glasses, made his demeanor truly impressive.
Seeing Horikita Manabu, Tachibana was completely stunned.
"Pr... President..."
Horikita Manabu: "I will not let you be expelled. You should know that very well."
Her inner emotions finally became unbearable, completely pouring out like a tide.
She kept sobbing, lowering her head: "But... but, I... I... I dragged down the entire class."
Horikita Manabu gently held Tachibana's hands and helped her up: "You have never dragged down anyone, including me. Without you, it would have been impossible to reach this position; it would have been impossible to grow to this extent."
"President...."
Tachibana's body lost its last strength, and like a deflated ball, she completely collapsed into Horikita Manabu's embrace. Finally, with a 'Waaah', she burst into tears.
Horikita Manabu gently stroked her head, his eyes showing absolute determination: "Don't worry. We will definitely graduate from Class A."
Hikigaya tactfully left the area. If he had a role in the scene moments ago, then with the arrival of Horikita Manabu, his role as a bystander had completely disappeared.
Just as Horikita Manabu had said at the beginning, he only needed to be a spectator this time, to watch everything, and to completely engrave it in his mind.
Nagumo Miyabi, who broke the agreement, no longer had the right to a confrontation, and although Horikita Manabu fell into Nagumo's trap in this exam, as he himself said, even facing seven classes, he, Horikita Manabu, would absolutely not lose.
So... the final cross-year exam, let's wait and see.
Hikigaya, Nagumo Miyabi, Horikita Manabu, the grievances of the three years, culminating in a final decisive battle involving 12 classes, was unavoidable.
Finally, the long-awaited test day arrived. After the training camp, everyone seemed quite confident in their respective groups, but when looking at Hikigaya's group...
Well, they were completely going their separate ways.
Horikita seemed to notice the truly difficult-to-evaluate results of the training camp and walked over, her eyes wide.
"I say, Hikigaya, are you guys really going to be okay?"
Before Hikigaya could answer, Ryūen walked over: "Yo? Isn't this Horikita chick? Relax, no problem, right, Kitō?"
Kitō: "Although I'm annoyed by what you called me, if we're talking about the group, I think we're going to win for sure!"
Horikita was so baffled by the two of them that she didn't know how to respond. For a moment, she just pressed her temples and shook her head helplessly: "I hope that's truly the case..."
The exam consisted of many parts, most of which were related to the training they received during this time, but the majority focused on sports and academics. The specific exam scores would not be made public, so... as long as they didn't go too far, it was fine.
Undoubtedly, the first place belonged to the large group led by Horikita Manabu. No one seemed surprised by this result. Nagumo also seemed to have already planned this and remained still, quietly waiting for his plan to be executed.
Second place went to the large group that Nagumo was in, and Hikigaya's group was also part of this large group. Although most of the students in Nagumo's large group were from Classes C and D, getting this result was still somewhat unexpected. And Hikigaya and his group effortlessly took second place without even exerting much effort...
As for Hirata, he was even happier.
Putting aside the large and small groups, the combination of four classes, plus Hikigaya as the reward for the leader, would instantly bring a large amount of point rewards to Class C.
The intermediate rankings also appeared successively. People like Horikita, Kushida, Kamuro, Sakura, and even Ichinose were almost all clustered here. When it came to the final critical ranking, Nagumo's smile became more rampant. Horikita Manabu, because of the events of the previous day, already knew his plan very well.
From the beginning, he hadn't planned on confronting him directly. His goal was to force him into this situation, exploiting Tachibana's self-confidence and her desire to earn points for the class, then bribing the students of third-year Class B to completely manipulate the last place in this exam.
"Last place... Tachibana Akane."
The moment the name appeared, the third-year seniors in the same group as Horikita Manabu instantly couldn't sit still and furiously shouted Nagumo's name.
"Didn't we agree not to involve others! Nagumo, you bastard! Liar, scumbag!"
Nagumo just shook his head, his smile very calm.
"I didn't break the agreement. I didn't involve anyone, nor did I drag anyone in. It's an exam, and there's bound to be a last-place finisher. It seems Tachibana-senpai was just a little unlucky!"
"You!"
Horikita Manabu held back the impulsive third-year senpai, merely adjusting his glasses slightly.
Another third-year student wearing glasses also walked out and held back the impulsive classmate.
"Calm down, Sumi. Tachibana isn't the leader. As long as the school makes a fair judgment, nothing will happen."
However... just as the Class A students were holding onto this thought, the news that Tachibana was the one being expelled instantly spread.
At this, not only the third-years but also the first-years couldn't sit still anymore...
Karuizawa: "How is that possible..."
Kushida: "Did this guy, just as Hikigaya said, already buy off the school staff..."
Sakura: "No... Don't the others have any objections? Even if they were bribed... would the school intervene in a situation like this? Something's wrong."
Hikigaya shook his head: " The school didn't intervene this time."
Horikita: "What exactly is going on?"
Hikigaya: "From the very beginning, it was Nagumo's scheme. The people in the same group as Tachibana-senpai were almost all Nagumo's people. So... as long as he bribed the others, controlling everything wouldn't be difficult."
Ichinose: "This... just to expel one student? Just for the battle with Horikita Manabu?"
Hikigaya: "I finally understand. This guy is different from everyone I've ever confronted. He is such a terrifying person. He can even move the upperclassmen, bribe the upperclassmen, and take action at the cost of expulsion...."
On the other side, Asahina stood alone in the corner, listening to the discussions of her classmates, but only sighed helplessly. Her eyes were full of disappointment, and the cheerful smile was gone.
"Miyabi... did you really have to go this far..."
(End of this chapter)