Kushida Comes Clean: Suzune Horikita's Wager.

"Do you have any evidence for this? You say there was an intelligence leak, so why were you the only one targeted when others weren't?"

While trying to retaliate, Kushida Kikyo glanced at Hashiba Hikaru of her eye, but she noticed that the boy remained calm and composed, as if he didn't care about such things at all.

"Because your initial target was me, and it had nothing to do with anyone else!"

Horikita Suzune stared at Kushida Kikyo's pretty face and slowly uttered a sentence that nearly drove the short-haired girl crazy.

"I only just remembered... I had a student like that in my junior high school, and she was Kushida, wasn't she?"

These words were like opening Pandora's box. Kushida Kikyo didn't even have time to react before she saw Hashiba Hikaru suddenly stop what she was doing and look up at her.

"I don't understand what you're saying at all. Are you trying to make me guess a riddle?"

Kushida Kikyo was already regretting coming along. If it were just her and Horikita Suzune confronting each other alone, she wouldn't be worried at all, but with Hashiba Hikaru present, it was a completely different story.

If the other party finds out about that, the girl will no longer be able to pretend, and even her close relationship with the other party may change, which is something that Kushida Kikyo absolutely cannot accept.

"Have you forgotten Kushida? Let me remind you."

Horikita Suzune had no intention of letting her off so easily. The girl knew that Kushida Kikyo and Hashiba Hikaru were probably quite familiar with each other in private, and she could continue to pressure her until she admitted it.

"There was a very capable female classmate in my junior high school who almost single-handedly..."

"Shut up!!!"

Kushida Kikyo finally couldn't take it anymore. She shouted, interrupting Horikita Suzune's voice, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.

"So you admit it? You deliberately framed me?"

Horikita Suzune's voice was cold.

But just then, she heard the sound of a chair being pulled out. Turning around, she saw that Hashiba Hikaru had already stood up from her seat.

"Seriously, didn't we agree to have dinner together? Why are we suddenly arguing?"

The boy's voice was calm, as if the confrontation and accusations had never happened.

"Hashiba..."

Kushida Kikyo nervously raised her head, looking at the boy who was getting closer and closer. She was terrified that he would hate her, since what she had just done was basically an admission of framing him.

But soon, the short-haired girl saw Hashiba Hikaru raise her hand to her. She was familiar with this gesture; it was a secret signal unique to the two of them.

"Hmm."

Kushida Kikyo could no longer hold back. The next moment, she rushed into the boy's arms. Feeling the intoxicating warmth, the girl stretched out her arms and tightly hugged Hashiba Hikaru's waist, burying her head in his chest.

"It seems Horikita- san was telling the truth... Did you frame her?"

"Um."

"There needs to be an explanation for this. You can decide how to handle it yourself."

Hashiba Hikaru reached out and cupped Kushida Kikyo's small face, gazing into her eyes as she said, "Once something is done, there's no going back. I hope you two can resolve this yourselves. As for the rest, I didn't hear anything."

"Um."

Kushida Kikyo clung tightly to Hashiba Hikaru, as if all her strength had been drained away. She nuzzled the boy's hand and softly replied, "I understand."

"That's a good child."

Hashiba Hikaru touched her face gently.

Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune, who witnessed the whole process, was completely dumbfounded. She had originally thought that Kushida Kikyo and Hashiba Hikaru had a good relationship in private, but she never expected it to be this kind of "good relationship".

Isn't Classmate Hashiba's girlfriend Ichinose?

What exactly happened?

309

Chapter 309 Kushida's Showdown, Horikita Suzune's Bet.

"I said, have you hugged enough?"

Horikita Suzune stared coldly at the two people embracing in front of her, her expression slightly unpleasant.

This scene was indeed beyond the girl's expectations, but she wasn't a gossipy person. In any case, she and Hashiba Hikaru were just business partners at the moment, and her romantic relationships were not something she cared about.

"Did you hear that? This is Horikita's dorm room!"

Hashiba Hikaru Hashima released her arms from Kushida Kikyo, signaling that it was time for her to act.

"Okay, I understand."

After reluctantly leaving the boy's embrace, Kushida Kikyo straightened her wrinkled clothes and looked at the black-haired girl standing beside her.

"If that's the case, then let's talk things out."

"What did you say?"

Horikita Suzune asked a question.

"It's about my past and why I'm targeting you."

After being gently comforted by Hashiba Hikaru, Kushida Kikyo calmed down. Since he had clearly stated that he didn't care about what he had just heard, she could just lay her cards on the table.

"Is that so? Then I'll listen to what your reasons are for targeting me."

Horikita Suzune briefly recalled her experience at the beginning of the school year. This Kushida in front of her had been trying to get close to her all along. Was he finally going to explain why?

"It's because of that thing you didn't finish saying, about... my past."

Kushida Kikyo paused for a moment, then calmly explained, "After I found out that you and I graduated from the same junior high school, I didn't want you to reveal my past to others, which is why I took the initiative to contact you in the first place."

"I won't do such a pointless thing; your worries are meaningless."

Horikita Suzune replied quickly.

"Such a statement is meaningless to me. My initial intention was to get closer to you, and if possible, to understand your social circle so that you could prevent me from revealing my past."

A smile suddenly appeared on Kushida Kikyo's lips, "But later I discovered that you don't have a social circle at all; the only person you connect with is him."

At this point, the short-haired girl glanced at Hashiba Hikaru standing next to her. If it weren't for this reason, she really wouldn't have had so many entanglements with him and developed such a close relationship.

"You mean Classmate Hashiba?"

Horikita Suzune also looked at the relaxed-looking boy standing to the side. He seemed completely unconcerned that the topic had suddenly shifted to her, and even had a faint smile on his face.

"In short, after some events, my idea has become that you should drop out of school. Only by dropping out can this hidden danger be completely eliminated."

At this point, Kushida Kikyo suddenly let out a long sigh of relief. Although this plan had failed, there would be many more opportunities in the future.

The confrontation was a minor issue; more importantly, she now had a close ally, and the girl believed that Hashiba Hikaru would always be by her side.

"Is this your reason for betraying me? What a pointless worry."

After understanding the other party's sinister intentions, Horikita Suzune felt less annoyed. After a moment's thought, she continued to ask, "So, will you continue to carry out this plan in the future?"

"Of course, I've already explained the reason clearly. If you want medical expenses or compensation, I can pay you personal points, but I won't apologize to you."

Kushida Kikyo spoke in a somewhat forceful tone. What she had been worried about was actually Hashiba Hikaru's attitude. Now that she had no more worries, the girl immediately revealed her true feelings.

"I see, then I understand."

Horikita Suzune rested her delicate chin on her small hand, mentally reviewing the events.

Now that she understood the other party's thoughts, she needed to resolve this issue. After all, her goal was to reach Class A, and she naturally didn't want to continue being targeted for no reason. Moreover, as the most popular person in the class, Kushida's destructive power was not to be underestimated.

"In that case, I have a new idea that might solve Kushida's problem."

"What's the special reason?"

Kushida Kikyo stared at the girl's face, her expression utterly indifferent.

"Let's make a bet about the competition, and the stake is exactly what Kushida cares about most."

Horikita Suzune spoke each word clearly and forcefully, "If I win, you'll never be able to target me again."

"Oh? What if you lose?"

Kushida Kikyo suddenly became interested and squinted as she examined the black-haired girl's pretty face.

"If I lose, I will choose to drop out of school."

Upon hearing this, even Hashiba Hikaru, who was standing next to him, was somewhat surprised. However, he did not speak at this moment because the core issue stemmed from Kushida Kikyo's obsession with the past, which was like a tangled knot that could only be untied once the final result was obtained.

Are you serious?

Kushida Kikyo's expression had become quite serious. She could tell that the other party was not joking. If she really won, as long as Horikita Suzune dropped out of school, no one would ever know her past again.

"Of course, I don't want people constantly stabbing me in the back in the back. Isn't this the perfect idea?"

Horikita Suzune crossed her arms and said coldly, "This bet needs to be bound by a contract, and it needs a witness to supervise it."

"How about we let Classmate Hashiba be the witness?"

The black-haired girl turned to look at Hashiba Hikaru, who was standing to the side watching the commotion.

"I have no objection, but do you really want to make this kind of bet?"

Hashiba Hikaru Hashima shrugged. He glanced at Kushida Kikyo, who was deep in thought. It seemed the suggestion had really appealed to her; after all, it was an option that could resolve all her concerns. But would it really be that easy?

"This wasn't a plan I came up with on a whim. Since Kushida isn't going to give up on targeting me, this is the only way. I won't lose."

Horikita Suzune appeared quite confident, her eyes gleaming with unwavering determination. "I will definitely get promoted to Class A. This is something I must do."

"Hehe, then I'll play along to the end."

After some thought, Kushida Kikyo finally agreed to the bet, but she still cautiously asked, "How do you plan to compete?"

"I haven't thought of a competition format yet, but since this school frequently holds Special Exam, let's settle this in the next Special Exam."

Horikita Suzune looked into Kushida Kikyo's eyes and slowly said, "As for the specific details of the competition, we'll discuss that after the Special Exam is announced."

"Okay, I accept your bet. If I lose, I won't target you anymore."

It's a deal.

Looking at the two girls who had suddenly reached a consensus, Hashiba Hikaru couldn't help but rub her temples.

Things feel like they're getting weirder, but doing this is at least a result, at least it makes Kushida Kikyo clearer about the direction of her efforts. We'll have to wait for the school's next Special Exam announcement to find out.

"Well, since you've reached an agreement, I'll continue eating now. After all, we can't waste food."

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the two people staring at each other, then pulled out a chair and sat down again.

"Of course, this was originally prepared for you."

After reaching a preliminary consensus with Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune also turned around, preparing to go eat her own dinner.

When the short-haired girl standing next to her heard this, her expression instantly froze.

"Wait, what do you mean it was originally prepared for Classmate Hashiba? What have you done behind the scenes?"

"This is none of your business, Kushida. Didn't I just say that we're not friends? I don't need to explain these things to you."

After filling her own bowl with rice, Horikita Suzune sat down at the table as well.

"Snort!"

Kushida Kikyo ignored the woman and instead turned her gaze to Hashiba Hikaru. The boy still maintained a smiling expression, which instantly ignited her anger.

"Then you come and explain to me!"

Without hesitation, the short-haired girl quickly moved closer to him and immediately sat on Hashiba Hikaru's lap.

"?"

On the other side, Horikita Suzune slowly typed a question mark.

"What's wrong?"

Hashiba Hikaru's tone remained gentle. He opened his arms to let the girl sit more comfortably on his lap, then placed the bowl in front of her.

"What exactly is your relationship with this woman?"

Kushida Kikyo turned her head to observe Hashiba Hikaru's face up close. If this guy was a womanizer again, she would have to bite him hard.

"To paraphrase Horikita, we're just partners."

"Partner?"

Kushida frowned, somewhat displeased, and asked, "Why did you choose to cooperate with her?"

"These things are a bit complicated. Since it's a collaboration, there are many things that can only be known between the two of us. If I told you, wouldn't that be a leak?"