After the class's trio of idiots had all left.
Horikita Suzune gathered her study materials, preparing to leave as well.
Then, realizing that a classmate was still beside her, Horikita asked in a cool voice, "Ayanokoji, are you staying here?"
"Horikita, are you leaving?" Ayanokoji's tone was flat, as if he had just woken up.
"The people I was supposed to tutor have already given up. There's no reason for me to stay."
The thought of it made Horikita a little angry.
She had practically begged those guys to come and study, yet they had still acted so carelessly.
What a waste of time.
"But if someone in our class gets expelled, we might not be able to make it to Class A," Ayanokoji said, using the same argument he had used to persuade Horikita earlier.
Those words had been what pushed Horikita to take action and invite the annoying trio of idiots to study.
But by the second time she heard them, Horikita had already grown somewhat immune to that argument.
"Then I won't lead the class to Class A."
The black-haired girl spoke firmly. "Dokuho from Class A collected twenty million personal points in the first month. That proves the school must have provided a way to collect twenty million personal points."
"If Dokuho could collect twenty million personal points, then I have a chance of collecting enough points to make it to Class A, too."
After hearing her, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka commented in an even voice, "But last month, at the convenience store, you also said you could collect 1.6 million personal points. In the end, you didn't find anything at all."
Horikita furrowed her brows, looking displeased. "I didn't expect you to remember that... It's true that last month I kept an eye out for opportunities to earn personal points quickly, but all I found was that the swimming instructor would give five thousand personal points to the winner of the class competition."
"Other than that, I didn't find any other ways to earn points."
Did you really "find" that?
The swimming instructor had told you outright.
Ayanokoji was speechless. He couldn't understand how Horikita could be so confident despite knowing nothing.
Just as he was about to talk Horikita into continuing to tutor the trio of idiots, someone from another class approached.
"Suzune, I thought I just heard someone calling my name." Dokuho Kouya walked over with a smile. "Any idea what that was about?"
They had just mentioned Dokuho.
And now he had appeared in person.
Horikita didn't look intimidated. Instead, she frowned and said with some annoyance, "Dokuho, eavesdropping on people isn't a good habit."
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Dokuho said with a chuckle. "You were speaking so loudly that I could hear you from where I was sitting nearby."
"Then why were you sitting nearby?" Horikita continued. "That doesn't prove you don't have a habit of eavesdropping."
"I just happened to be nearby, tutoring Chihiro and Kozue from my class. I heard some noise coming from over here, so I came to see what was going on." Dokuho pointed to the two girls sitting some distance behind him.
Seeing them, Horikita realized he hadn't been lying. She let out a soft breath. "Sorry. We were speaking too loudly just now and disturbed your studying."
The library was supposed to be a quiet place for reading.
But Sudo had completely failed to read the room, and Horikita had been angered by those guys too, so she had indeed raised her voice.
When you did something wrong, you had to own up to it.
Horikita was quite polite, at least.
"Speaking of which, I really didn't expect you to volunteer to tutor your classmates, Suzune." Dokuho smiled faintly, his gaze falling on the brown-haired boy beside her. "Was this Kiyotaka's suggestion?"
Ayanokoji denied it expressionlessly. "No. It was Horikita's decision. She just dragged me along to make up the numbers."
That was a lie.
But with Horikita's personality, she probably wouldn't call him out.
At Dokuho's comment, Horikita narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Why would you think Ayanokoji suggested it?"
"If I hadn't dragged him here, he'd probably be wasting time in the dorm instead of studying."
Ayanokoji was a little speechless. "Horikita, you don't have to put it so harshly. That actually hurt."
"Really? Then I'm sorry."
"But your tone doesn't sound apologetic at all."
"That's just your imagination."
After Horikita finished bickering with the boy beside her, Dokuho spoke up. "Knowing Suzune's personality, I doubt she'd want to help the weak, much less Sudo and the others."
"Even Suzune a month ago wouldn't have expected that she'd be helping them a month later, would she?"
Horikita froze for a moment.
He did have a point.
In fact, it wasn't just the version of herself from a month ago. Even the Horikita from two days ago would never have imagined that she'd be tutoring Sudo and the others now.
But admitting it would put her at a disadvantage in the conversation.
So Horikita stubbornly replied, "After learning the truth about the school, I started changing my approach."
"Although I didn't want to tutor them, I judged that even their strength was necessary to reach Class A, so I took action and helped them study."
"If you think I'd keep following my previous approach after learning what this school is really like, then you're completely wrong."
After hearing her, Dokuho smiled. "Suzune, you're quick-witted. You came up with a pretty convincing excuse in such a short time."
"A stranger might believe you. But someone who knows you would probably see right through it."
Horikita furrowed her brows, looking displeased. "Dokuho, you make it sound as if you know me well."
"But we've only met a few times. It's awfully presumptuous to judge me based on such a small impression."
Horikita didn't believe Dokuho had seen through her personality.
"Then hear me out," Dokuho said with a smile. "Although I haven't spent much time with you, I can tell you're not someone who gives up easily."
"If you'd really decided to tutor Sudo and the others, you wouldn't have given up after failing once. You'd have kept trying to persuade them."
Dokuho paused, then continued with a teasing smile, "Or did I get you wrong, and you're actually the type who can't take a setback and gives up as soon as things get tough?"
Before you continue