Suzune Horikita Gets Serious

It was a little after eight in the evening. It probably wouldn't count as bothering Horikita Suzune if he messaged her now.

Phone chat.

Hashiba Hikaru: Horikita, are you busy right now?

It took about three minutes for a reply to arrive.

Horikita Suzune: Hashiba, may I ask what you need?

Hashiba Hikaru: There's something I need you to agree to.

Horikita Suzune: What is it?

Hashiba Hikaru: Tomorrow, Kushida from your class will probably invite you to join the study group she's organizing. You can join.

Horikita Suzune had just finished showering in her dorm room. Her long black hair fell freely down her back as she held her phone, apparently unsure what Hashiba meant.

Horikita Suzune: Why?

Hashiba Hikaru: It's a little complicated to explain, but all in all, doing this will definitely benefit you.

Horikita Suzune: Can I say no? I can study on my own. I don't need anyone else's help.

Hmph, that wasn't up to her. Enter Horikita Manabu!

Hashiba Hikaru chuckled softly, opened the contact page for Horikita Manabu, and took a screenshot of the "typing" indicator.

Hashiba Hikaru: Image sent.

As soon as Horikita Suzune saw the picture he'd sent, her heart tightened. If she refused, he'd message Horikita Manabu and tell him she was going back on their previous agreement.

The girl didn't want to disappoint her brother, so she couldn't let that happen.

"Damn it..."

Ever since they'd met that evening, Horikita Suzune had had a feeling that the seemingly mild-mannered Hashiba was definitely no good.

His presence might have rivaled her brother's, but his way of doing things was completely different. He'd actually resorted to openly threatening a girl. What a despicable guy.

Hashiba Hikaru: Well, Horikita, have you thought it over? Have you changed your mind?

Horikita Suzune: ...

Horikita Suzune: I'll do it. Is there anything else you want to tell me? You can say it all at once.

Hashiba Hikaru: Don't rush me. I promised Horikita-senpai I'd help you, and I won't go back on my word. Joining the study group is a good start.

Horikita Suzune: What do you mean?

Hashiba Hikaru: Once you join the study group, you can use the opportunity to get to know the other students in your class and expand your influence.

Horikita Suzune: I'm not interested in that. If that's all you wanted, I'll agree tomorrow. That's enough for now. I'm going to rest.

"Seriously, I wasn't finished."

Hashiba Hikaru couldn't help shaking his head. No wonder Horikita Manabu had repeatedly emphasized that Horikita Suzune would never make it to Class A on her own. Being a lone wolf at this school would cause all kinds of trouble.

Unless you were so powerful that you surpassed everyone else and could crush every opponent in every way, it was better to have companions. That way, people would surely follow you even if you didn't seek them out.

Otherwise, it was nearly impossible to rely on your own strength to reach Class A. Even the two-million-point route would be difficult.

After all, collecting Private Points wasn't easy. Even if future Special Exams offered Private Points as a reward, without companions, it would be hard to carry out any plans.

"Whatever. She agreed, so that's enough for now."

Hashiba Hikaru didn't intend to dwell on it. Once she hit a wall, she'd probably understand.

Then he picked up his phone and messaged his next target.

Hashiba Hikaru: Kushida, are you busy right now?

This time, the reply came much faster than Horikita's—less than ten seconds. It seemed the popular little angel had plenty of free time. Was she just on her phone all the time?

Kushida Kikyo: What is it, Hashiba? I'm free right now.

The short-haired girl had already changed into her pajamas and was lying on her bed, bored, scrolling through her chats. She had plenty of group conversations on her phone, most of them small groups of girls, along with Class D's group chat and others.

Hashiba Hikaru: Oh, I wanted to ask if you've figured out what to say to Horikita tomorrow about the study group.

The moment Kushida Kikyo saw his message, she sprang up from her bed. Hashiba's concern made her a little wary.

Kushida Kikyo: I'm still worried. What should I do if Horikita refuses?

Hashiba Hikaru: Don't worry. I'm sure you can handle it, Kushida. After all, it's a great opportunity that benefits the class.

Hashiba Hikaru: Have you decided who else will join the study group?

Kushida Kikyo: Yeah, I've chosen them. They're all students who aren't doing well in class. I discussed it with Hirata, and he supports the idea.

Hashiba Hikaru: I see.

Kushida Kikyo: Mhm, I'll do my best.

After reading her reply, Hashiba Hikaru put down his phone.

Meanwhile, the short-haired girl across from him waited a long time, but when Hashiba didn't send another message, confusion crept over her pretty face.

What was he after? Why had he suddenly gone quiet?

If he really wanted something from me, he could say so now. Was there something else I didn't know?

Kushida Kikyo thought back over everything that had happened since she first met Hashiba Hikaru, including their meal together today. Apart from the time she'd seen him lying, he'd been very friendly most of the time.

Could he be helping me because he wanted to be friends?

The instant the thought crossed her mind, Kushida stamped it out.

The girl had always believed one thing: aside from family, no one treated another person well for no reason. She and Hashiba had only just met.

After learning about the school's Deep Rules, Kushida Kikyo understood how important class competition was. She'd invited Hashiba Hikaru to eat with her because she wanted to see if the boy could be used to help her gather information on Class B.

But after their meal today, Kushida felt as if he'd been leading her around.

What's more, he was so invested in her plans that it was hard not to wonder what he was really after.

Was he trying to gather information on Class D?

But it didn't really seem that way, since everything Hashiba Hikaru said had been focused on her.

Unable to figure it out, Kushida Kikyo fell back onto her bed. The short-haired girl lifted her phone and saw her reflection on its screen: delicate, captivating features that could stir a man's imagination with the slightest change in expression.

Could it be...

Kushida Kikyo carefully recalled Hashiba's manner when he was with her. If that was the reason, it would make sense. Plenty of boys had confessed to her since the start of the school year, after all. But could it really be that simple?

She still wasn't sure, but for the moment, she couldn't think of any other possibility.

When morning came, Kushida Kikyo sat up in bed, looking exhausted.

She'd spent until two the night before trying to figure out why that guy wanted to help her, but she still hadn't worked it out. They weren't even in the same class. In the end, she'd been so tired that she'd fallen asleep.

After getting up, the girl washed and changed as usual. Standing in front of the mirror, Kushida Kikyo noticed the dark circles under her eyes and couldn't help cursing Hashiba Hikaru. She hadn't slept well because of him.

Regardless, today she had to invite that woman, Horikita Suzune, to her study group. It was what mattered most to her right now, so she needed to take it especially seriously.

As soon as she entered Class D's classroom, Kushida Kikyo was greeted by everyone.

"Good morning, Kushida."

"Morning, little Kushida!!"

Boys and girls alike greeted her. After smiling and responding to everyone, Kushida Kikyo spotted her target: the lonely girl sitting at her desk as if she existed in a world apart from everyone else—Horikita Suzune.

"Whatever. I'll give it a try."

Kushida Kikyo took a deep breath. She knew Horikita had a terrible opinion of her, and her attempts to talk to her had failed several times before, so she couldn't help feeling nervous.

"Um, good morning, Horikita."

"?"

Horikita Suzune lowered the book in her hands. She immediately remembered the message Hashiba Hikaru had sent yesterday, so she calmly nodded at the short-haired girl to show her agreement.

"Horikita, I have a favor to ask. I hope you'll agree."

"I'm planning to organize a study group. You're doing so well in class, Horikita. Would you like to join us? We can help our classmates improve their grades together."

"..."

Seeing that the other girl still looked cold, Kushida Kikyo's heart leapt into her throat.

"Sure. I'll join. Just come get me when you hold the study group."

"Really?"

The moment she heard Horikita agree, a delighted smile spread across the short-haired girl's face. "Got it. I'll come get you then."

Meanwhile, in Class B, Hashiba Hikaru was taking his textbooks out of his desk when he suddenly heard the system notification.

[Horikita Suzune has joined Kushida Kikyo's study group. Though Kushida Kikyo is wary of you, she wants to keep using your abilities. Kushida Kikyo's stock has risen by 10 points. Current stock price: 20.]

"She's wary of me?"

Hashiba Hikaru was stunned when he saw the system message.

Was it because my eagerness to help had made her suspicious?

What a troublesome girl.

This was the butterfly effect of being in different classes. They'd only just met, so Hashiba Hikaru couldn't earn Kushida Kikyo's trust right away. But if he wanted her stock price to rise, he couldn't avoid approaching her.

After thinking for a while, the boy rubbed his chin and murmured, "Either way, this is a good start. It proves that approaching Horikita Suzune is the right move."

"But how do I get Kushida Kikyo to let down her guard? I need to come up with a reasonable explanation first."

Chapter 64: The Serious Horikita Suzune

Inside the classroom of Class 1-B, Hashiba Hikaru was thinking about how to deal with this problem.

"I have to give Kushida a reason she can accept for my actions. I didn't think that through carefully enough before."

Hashiba Hikaru tapped lightly on his desk, lost in thought.

"What excuse should I use..."

A few minutes later, he thought of a simple explanation. It fit what boys and girls their age cared about, and it would easily explain why he'd gone out of his way to help her.

But would she really believe it?

"Good morning, Hashiba!"

A familiar greeting came from beside him. Hashiba Hikaru looked up at Ichinose Honami as she walked over and smiled.

"Good morning, Ichinose."

"Mm-hm."

After yesterday's heart-to-heart, the girl no longer wore that gloomy expression. Her face was gentle, and she gave off an air that made people trust her.

"Then let's start by reviewing yesterday's information." Hashiba Hikaru took out his notebook. Since he'd already told a lie, he had to make it convincing.

"Okay. I'll go first."

Ichinose Honami's expression grew more serious as she began, "First, about Sakayanagi's attitude: she doesn't agree to an alliance. Or rather, she looks down on the idea of forming one."

"Looks down on it?" Hashiba Hikaru asked, puzzled.

"Yes. She said Katsuragi's attempt to form an alliance with us was like playing house, and she's very confident in herself." Ichinose Honami recalled her conversation with Sakayanagi the day before and continued, "She seems to think that whether it's the class competition or her struggle against Katsuragi, she'll be the one to win in the end."

"That's how it seemed to me."

"I see."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded. After thinking for a while, he said, "It seems this Classmate Sakayanagi will be a difficult opponent in the future. Her physical disability is obvious, which means she's effectively given up on all sports classes and exams."

"Yet she still got assigned to Class A. That says a lot."

Ichinose Honami looked troubled. She'd already realized how formidable Sakayanagi was yesterday. Although they'd exchanged a fair amount of information during their conversation, Ichinose still felt she couldn't see through her.

"What about the alliance? What do you think, Hashiba?" the girl asked.

"Let's put it off for now. We already know Sakayanagi's attitude, and Katsuragi doesn't have complete control over Class A. Cooperating under those circumstances would be risky."