Gazing at the expressionless Ayanokouji.
Hikigaya was a bit nervous.
He still didn't know what Ayanokouji's true strength was.
However.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi, as the former second-in-command of the country.
Experience, cognition.
Must all be far above his own.
To be called a masterpiece by such a person, Ayanokouji's strength was undoubtedly above his own.
Based on the strength Ayanokouji had displayed during this period.
This gap.
Was far more vast than imagined.
Hikigaya still had this much self-awareness.
Conventional means couldn't win against Ayanokouji, and Hasebe Haruka naturally even less so.
"It's nothing, just a small misunderstanding."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. If there's anything else that needs checking, you can contact the school at any time."
"Understood, thank you Teacher Mashima."
Listening to the conversation between Komachi and Instructor Mashima, Hikigaya quickly realized that everything should be fine.
Clearly.
Hasebe Haruka's tactic of planting evidence had not succeeded; Ayanokouji had obviously noticed her intention and handled it.
Not appealing to the school.
Showed that Ayanokouji didn't have the intention to pursue it.
Although he didn't know what Ayanokouji was thinking, at least he could judge this.
After Instructor Mashima left.
After a moment's hesitation.
Hikigaya walked up to Ayanokouji, feeling somewhat awkward.
"Sorry to have caused you trouble. "
"More importantly, graduation is almost here. If this continues, you won't be able to graduate from Class A. Is that okay with you?"
Ayanokouji said expressionlessly.
The implication was still testing if Hikigaya had any other strategies.
Although Ryuuen and Katsuragi were still in the exam, they seemed to have some intention of despairing and giving up.
Only Hikigaya remained.
Although he didn't have any special movements, he didn't feel like he had negative emotions either, and was the only guy Ayanokouji felt he couldn't quite see through.
If even Hikigaya gave up.
Then staying in this school any longer wouldn't have any meaning.
In the end, everyone was only at this level.
"Well, I'll do my best."
Hikigaya breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Just testing Ayanokouji's reaction to Hasebe Haruka, he seemed not to have taken it to heart at all.
"I promised the people in my class that as long as no one does anything to harm the class, I won't take action against anyone."
Ayanokouji looked into Hikigaya's eyes and said.
The implication was.
He would not take action against Hasebe Haruka, Karuizawa, and the others.
He wouldn't apply any pressure to Hikigaya, Ryuuen, Katsuragi, and the others.
He's just standing here.
Show whatever skills you have.
However.
Just by standing here.
With superior physical ability, knowledge, and learning capacity, Ayanokouji was already invincible.
It's like the sport of baseball.
Although it's a team sport.
As long as every hit can be a home run.
Even if the others are just standing on the field, Ayanokouji alone is enough to end the game.
"Look forward to it. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched.
Yes, yes, yes, you're amazing, you're the best.
After saying that.
Hikigaya turned and left.
His words also revealed that he had no intention of admitting defeat.
The encrypted dialogue between the two was also undetectable to Hasebe Haruka and the others.
Inside the elevator.
Komachi still had to go back to school to write a report.
Therefore.
Only Hikigaya and Hasebe Haruka were in the elevator.
Looking at Hasebe Haruka, who looked a bit unhappy, Hikigaya began to feel worried.
"Are you okay?"
"Eh? Why do you ask?"
"Ayanokouji didn't do anything excessive to you, did he?"
"Not really, it's just that guy is truly too much. Even for an apology or something, he says we have to wait until after graduation."
"..."
Hearing this.
Hikigaya let out a slight sigh of relief.
After all, Ayanokouji clearly had no reverence for friends, family, or rules.
No one knew what Ayanokouji might do.
As long as the person was safe, it was fine.
However.
Hasebe Haruka clearly still did not understand the severity of the problem.
Knowing she was safe and sound, Hikigaya's tone immediately became serious.
"I've already heard roughly what happened from Komachi. Why did you do that?"
"Because I really couldn't stand it. Why should they still be able to graduate from Class A? It's just too unfair."
One plan failed.
Hasebe Haruka was still a bit unhappy.
She had clearly put it in properly, so how did it suddenly disappear? Obviously, Ayanokouji had sensed her motive.
From the moment she entered the door, he had already begun to guard against her.
Their former friendship.
Was completely beneath mention in Ayanokouji's eyes.
Realizing this, Hasebe Haruka became even more disappointed.
Whether it was Hikigaya, Sakura Airi, or Ayanokouji, she seemed to be the only one still brooding over it.
In fact, she really was the only one.
"Whew..."
Hikigaya had a bit of a headache:
"haruka, you should know that Ayanokouji isn't as simple as you think. Even if you can't stand it, you can't use this method."
"What if Ayanokouji catches some leverage on you and does something to you?"
"It's nothing, at worst I'll just be expelled."
Hasebe Haruka still didn't take it to heart.
She wasn't an idiot either.
Anyway, there was less than a month left. Before deciding, she had already prepared herself for expulsion and was completely impossible to threaten.
Only then did Hikigaya realize.
The key disagreement was that he hoped Haruka would have a complete high school life, while Haruka didn't care much about that.
As long as everyone could be happy together.
Even more.
It was for the sake of helping them rise to Class A that she thought of ways to deal with Ayanokouji. From a rational level, it was impossible to persuade Haruka.
After all.
There was less than a month left until graduation.
If one doesn't even care about expulsion, they naturally have nothing to fear.
"But..."
Thinking of this, Hikigaya's headache grew worse.
Hasebe Haruka was too attached to her feelings; this was her strength and also her weakness.
Like Sakura Airi, just once.
She knew very clearly that Ayanokouji was beyond saving, yet Haruka simply could not let it go.
"Even so, you can't use that way to frame him. Don't you find it disgusting?"
"Hmm?"
Hasebe Haruka froze for a moment before reacting, then a smile involuntarily appeared on the corner of her mouth.
"It's fine, those panties were newly bought. How could I possibly give my own panties to another boy?"
Although it was a small matter, being able to feel Hikigaya's cherishing of her made Hasebe Haruka even happier.
Thinking of this.
Hasebe Haruka affectionately hugged Hikigaya's arm.
"Don't be angry, I won't do that again in the future."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched with helplessness.
Clearly, Hasebe Haruka still didn't understand the main point, and there was a possibility of repeating the same mistake in the future.
Whatever she wanted to do was Hasebe Haruka's freedom.
Hikigaya naturally didn't want to restrain her; instead, he would fully respect Hasebe Haruka's choices.
However.
"A person like Ayanokouji is too dangerous. I just don't want you to get close to danger. Getting close to Ayanokouji will sooner or later lead to getting hurt."
"Moreover, your little tricks are useless against him."
Hasebe Haruka was suddenly stunned.
What Hikigaya cared about wasn't whether those broken panties were new, nor was he scolding her for acting on her own.
He was simply worried about whether she would be in danger.
He might seem harmless normally, but whenever a critical issue was touched, no one knew what Ayanokouji would do.
Approaching such a person, getting hurt was only a matter of time.
Sakura Airi clearly already knew, while Hasebe Haruka clearly did not.
Being too persistent.
Was not good for Hasebe Haruka.
Realizing this.
Hasebe Haruka suddenly felt a stir in her lower abdomen.
Because, she indeed could not stand the current class and hoped even more that Hikigaya and the others could graduate from Class A.
"But... then what about you guys? Hikki really wants to graduate from Class A, right?"
Hasebe Haruka said somewhat hesitantly.
Even she could see that Ayanokouji's strength was invincible.
The disparity in strength was too vast.
It left Ryuuen, Katsuragi, and the others completely without a counter-strategy.
Ayanokouji was like a superman.
She couldn't even imagine a way to defeat him in her mind.
"Didn't I say, I have my own way."
Looking at Hasebe Haruka's still worried eyes, Hikigaya finally realized.
Blindly avoiding letting them get involved in the conflict was not the solution.
Their worry.
Might cause things to develop in an uncontrollable direction.
Even though it meant gambling with the class's future.
But after thinking for a moment.
Hikigaya still whispered his plan into Haruka's ear.
"Honestly, if you had such a method, you should have told me earlier."
Listening, Hasebe Haruka's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her grip on Hikigaya's arm tightened.
"Do you think it can succeed?"
Hikigaya was somewhat concerned. To be honest, he wasn't very sure this time and could only try his best.
After all.
Everything else was fine.
Ayanokouji's learning ability and teaching ability were simply too ridiculous.
In any field.
He only needed a few short days to completely master it beyond normal people, and he could even teach others.
However.
As long as it was a large-scale exam.
The school would regardless give students a few days to understand.
Those few short days.
Were a chasm that no rules could change.
"It can, it definitely can."
"Whew..."
Gaining Haruka's approval, Hikigaya also let out a slight sigh of relief.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have worried blindly."
Hasebe Haruka became somewhat excited, standing on her tiptoes to lean close to Hikigaya's ear, breathing like orchids.
"Let's go back to the dormitory, I want it."