Horikita Manabu Sets His Terms / How Horikita Suzune Can Reach Class A

"I..."

Faced with the sudden question, Horikita Suzune reacted like a child being called on by the teacher in class; her expression changed slightly, but she answered without hesitation, "I... I also learned something."

"Then tell me."

Horikita Manabu Gently stirred the coffee in his cup with a spoon, his tone nonchalant.

Chapter 222 Horikita Manabu Offers Conditions

Faced with her brother's sudden question, after a brief moment of surprise, Horikita Suzune cleared her throat and began to answer.

"After these two exams, I roughly understand the school's policy: they want to select students who can still think and make decisions when faced with unexpected situations."

After calming down, the black-haired girl spoke quite logically, after all, she had done a serious review after the exam, and Horikita Suzune had never let up in order to gain Horikita Manabu's approval.

"Whether it's the Uninhabited Island Exam or the VIP Exam, judgment and critical thinking skills are key. Only by excelling in these two areas can one receive awards from the school."

"... Your analysis makes some sense,"

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly, but his expression didn't soften at all. "However, what I'm more concerned about is, after these two exams, do you understand your classmates better?"

"This..."

Horikita Suzune's expression became somewhat awkward. If she had to say she knew anyone, she could only match their names and faces; she hadn't had any other contact with them.

After observing her like this, Horikita Manabu said rather coldly, "This is your limit. Although you've summarized a lot of experience, what's the use? If you can't control the class, you'll continue to taste failure in the next exam."

"I... I..."

After stammering for a while, Horikita Suzune's delicate face flushed slightly, but she still couldn't utter a complete explanation.

"Hehe, I think this takes time. Horikita probably hasn't found the method yet."

Hashiba Hikaru tried to smooth things over, wanting to take control of the conversation. After all, he hadn't come here to listen to the Horikita family's older brother scolding his younger sister; he had his own purpose.

"More importantly, since we've finally managed to sit with Horikita-senpai today, I think we should make the most of this opportunity."

"That's true. So what do you want to ask?" Horikita Manabu took a sip of coffee, then his sharp gaze fell directly on Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"If Horikita-senpai provides me with information, would that be a violation of the Student Council rules?" the boy asked the most crucial question.

"What if I say it's up to you?"

Horikita Manabu observed the boy's expression and could see the boy's inner desires. However, if he wanted to achieve his goal, he certainly couldn't just give him the information directly like that.

"In that case, is there any way to make an exception?" Hashiba Hikaru took out her phone and smiled. "Since Private Points can be used to buy exam answers, we should be able to ask some information from upperclassmen, right?"

"That's certainly possible, but I don't recommend you do it."

"Why?"

"Because the Student Council actually has the right to supervise students' use of their Private Points, both to prevent people from using extortion to force others to transfer points," Horikita Manabu said slowly, "And it can also be used as a key criterion for assessing students' abilities."

"Does this have anything to do with my question?" Hashiba Hikaru narrowed her eyes. Since the other party was explaining this to her, it meant that he, too, had come with a purpose.

That's good; discussion and compromise are the prerequisites for negotiation.

"Of course it's relevant. If you're a member of the Student Council, telling you information is considered an internal work arrangement. It doesn't break the rules and can even save you points."

Horikita Manabu knew that Hashiba Hikaru the type to not act until he saw a tangible benefit, so rather than waiting for him to make demands, he decided to state his own thoughts now.

Upon hearing these words, Horikita Suzune's expression changed once again. If she remembered correctly, this was the second time her brother had invited the other person to join the Student Council in front of her.

What kind of magic does this Classmate Hashiba possess?

The girl, biting her lip, shifted her gaze slightly, unable to resist looking at Hashiba Hikaru's profile.

"That is indeed a solution, but since Horikita-senpai has already brought it up, there's no point in me pretending to be ignorant any longer." Hashiba Hikaru shrugged and said calmly, "What do you need me to do?"

"Ha, you really are an Akito."

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly, then told him his thoughts.

"Around the middle of the second semester, the school will hold an election for a new Student Council President, as is customary. If nothing unexpected happens, Nagumo will take over as the new Student Council President at that time."

"Horikita-senpai isn't asking me to stop him, is he?"

"This matter is already a done deal, so there's no possibility of change. His abilities are sufficient, but his personality is a bit troublesome." Horikita Manabu's expression was somewhat serious. "You should understand what I'm talking about, right?"

"Of course, please continue."

"Although there aren't many people in the Student Council, they've roughly divided into corresponding factions. It's a very simple principle: power comes from the bottom up. If no one is doing things for you, just having a title is useless."

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses again. "Once Nagumo becomes the Student Council President, he will most likely implement some new policies. Although they may not affect you, they could cause quite a stir among the first-year students."

"I think I understand what Horikita-senpai means. If we want to limit him, joining the Student Council is the best solution, right?"

"It depends on how you interpret it; the choice is yours."

Horikita Manabu stared into the boy's eyes, and he already had a general idea of what was going on.

"The two students you recommended before were competent as pawns, but they wouldn't be effective against Nagumo. He wouldn't even let them access core decision-making. So, if you want to obtain more important intelligence, you'll have to go yourself."

"Hehe."

Hashiba Hikaru took a sip of her still-warm coffee and smiled faintly, "Since you've put it that way, wouldn't it be rude of me to refuse?"

"If you agree, I can provide you with some information that will allow you to cultivate your own network of relationships in advance." After saying this, Horikita Manabu looked at Horikita Suzune next to him again.

"Suzune, could you please leave for a moment?"

"... Okay." Upon hearing her brother's instructions, the black-haired girl instinctively stood up.

"Etc."

Hashiba Kojo suddenly stopped her, looking at Horikita Manabu and saying, "Since Horikita-senpai hopes your sister can grow, I think this is a great opportunity."

"She is not..."

After saying a few words, Horikita Manabu's expression suddenly changed.

Sharing the information with Hashiba Hikaru would limit the scope to their cooperation, but telling Horikita Suzune, who was unaware of it, would be tantamount to actively showing favoritism, especially since the other party is a family member.

This is leverage.

This is a prerequisite for Hashiba Hikaru to feel comfortable cooperating.

After swallowing the rest of his words, the man smiled faintly and instructed Horikita Suzune, "Then you can sit here. You can listen in later, but don't interrupt."

"Oh well."

Completely bewildered, Horikita Suzune sat down again and noticed that Hashiba Hikaru next to her was actually smiling.

Are they speaking in cryptic language? Why can't I understand them?

Chapter 223 How Horikita Suzune Gets Promoted to Class A

After Horikita Suzune sat back down in her seat, he heard Horikita Manabu speak again.

"So, Hashiba- kun agrees to my proposal?"

Although the man had guessed before the meeting that the other party was quite likely to agree if he explained the pros and cons, the communication process still surprised him somewhat.

The overall qualities displayed by Hashiba Hikaru on the other side are indeed quite outstanding. If he were Second Year student, I should be able to hand over the baton with peace of mind.

"You've already hinted so many times, wouldn't it seem petty of me to refuse again?" Hashiba Hikaru said with a smile. "I agree to join, but before that, I need to get those two classmates in my class to withdraw from the Student Council."

Are you planning to give up your assistant?

"Of course not. I think it's better to let them leave the scene for now until I'm completely confident, since their presence could potentially create a loophole."

Hashiba Hikaru's attitude was very serious. If he really wanted to compete with Nagumo for control of the Student Council, then the best course of action would be to leave no weaknesses, so as to avoid more troublesome situations.

"That's a good point, but when you say you're absolutely certain, you don't mean..." Horikita Manabu looked the boy up and down again, paused slightly, and then continued, "That's a bold choice."

"I should have plenty of time left, enough to make thorough preparations."

"That's settled then. This is your own business, and I won't restrict you."

The Student Council President thought it was a minor issue and didn't need much explanation, "Since you've made your decision, let them submit their resignation applications. I'll approve it for Tachibana."

"Thank you for your cooperation Horikita-senpai." Hashiba Hikaru smiled with satisfaction. "I'll send my membership application over tomorrow. I heard that the Student Council works even during summer vacation, right?"

"Yes, so regarding the information you want to know, I can only provide part of it, because the rules change more or less every year, so no one can know the complete rules before the Special Exam is announced."

That's enough.

After seeing the boy nod, Horikita Manabu glanced at the black-haired girl who was nervously listening to their conversation and said to her, "This information is an opportunity for you if you want to climb into Class A."

"I... understand," Horikita Suzune replied weakly.

After turning his gaze away from his younger sister, Horikita Manabu looked at Hashiba Hikaru's face and began to recount the information.

"According to the school's schedule, the annual Sports Festival will be held in the second semester, and the Sports Festival will basically be used as the examination venue for Special Exam."

"Yeah?"

Upon hearing the words "Sports Festival, "Hashiba Hikaru stroked his chin. Since he had started training a long time ago, his current stamina of 6 points should be no problem for the Sports Festival.

However, to ensure nothing goes wrong, the plan to exercise every morning must continue.

When Horikita Suzune heard about the Sports Festival, her expression also changed. She had excellent athletic ability, so she wasn't worried about failing, but immediately thought of the members of Class C.

After spending a semester with them, the black-haired girl had long realized that these people were incapable of uniting. Even during Special Exam where there was a chance to get Class Evaluation Points, everyone would still prioritize their own needs.

Unity? Dedication to others?

This is absolutely impossible.

"The Sports Festival is a large-scale event that the entire grade must participate in, so everyone will have to attend. Based on the rules from previous years, there is one rule that might surprise you."

What are the rules?

"The school will divide all students from all three grades into Red Team and White Team. All students in classes A and D will be in the Red Team; all students in classes B and C will be in the White Team, and they will compete against each other in groups."

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses and stated this rule, which was quite important for the Sports Festival.

"Hiss... So that's how it is?"

After hearing this explanation, Hashiba Hikaru instantly understood why Horikita Manabu had chosen this time to invite her to join the Student Council: it was because Miyabi Nagumo was a member of Class 2-A.

In other words, they will belong to the same camp when the Sports Festival is held.

"Are classes B and C going to cooperate?"

After hearing this information, Horikita Suzune immediately fell into deep thought.

If this arrangement is indeed made, then it is necessary to communicate with other classes and at least establish a temporary relationship of trust, because there are some areas where cooperation is required.

Class B was demoted from Class A, while Class C was promoted from Class D. Whether it's to reclaim first place or to maintain their ranking and keep moving forward, this exam is one they absolutely cannot give up on.

"Then there are the events for the Sports Festival. Because there are many events every year, there will be rotations and adjustments. I can only tell you that the ways to participate in the competition are either full participation or recommended participation."

"All participation means everyone must participate, while nominations are decided within the class. But ultimately, regardless of the participation method, it must be decided within the class first."

Horikita Manabu looked at Hashiba Hikaru. He knew that the other party was the key decision-maker behind Class A of the First Year, so he would definitely be the one to handle these rules.

"Understood. The order of the competition needs to be decided by the class. A detailed rotation schedule needs to be made for each event so that everyone can take the exam in an orderly manner, right?"

Hashiba Hikaru nodded. Actually, the list of participants in this competition order has another layer of meaning. In sports competitions, each group will produce a first-place winner, so the order in which the participants are selected becomes quite important.

The principle of Tian Ji Horse Racing has been universally applicable from ancient times to the present, and perhaps this will become a key point of competition between classes.

"Finally, an overall ranking will be compiled, and you'll find out the specific rules then."

After Horikita Manabu finished explaining, his gaze swept over the two people sitting in front of him. "The details about the Sports Festival will most likely be announced after the start of the second semester, so if you plan to take the initiative, you have about ten days left to prepare."

"That's enough. Horikita-senpai's timing is really clever. If I go to the Student Council tomorrow, I should be able to see Nagumo- senpai, right?"

"Of course, as the Vice President, he has to report every day." Horikita Manabu understood the deeper meaning in the other person's words. "You should know what you should do."

"Of course, since it's a collaboration, we should naturally try our best to build a good relationship."

Hashiba Hikaru wore a bright smile, but her mind was already racing.

If the rules of the Sports Festival are that the teams are divided into red and white, then their side will include Class A from all three years and Class D from all three years. Although they don't know much about the strength of the second and third year seniors, it is obviously unrealistic to expect anything from the students in Class D from all three years.

What's more, there's Class 1-D involved. Ibuki and Ryuen might still be fighting, but now they're actually going to cooperate with them?

"That concludes our discussion. Does Mr. Hashiba have any further questions?" Having achieved his goal for the day, Horikita Manabu intended to wrap up the meeting.

"Perhaps Horikita- san still has some questions she wants to ask." Hashiba Hikaru noticed the change in the black-haired girl's expression beside her and knew that she probably still had something to say.

"Yeah?"