For the moment, setting aside Horikita Suzune's reaction, Horikita Manabu fell into thought.
He truly intended to have Horikita Suzune expelled from this school, for two reasons.
First, Horikita Suzune had misunderstood what excellence meant. On her path to growth, she had blindly imitated him, even following in his footsteps to Advanced Nurturing High School, living entirely in his shadow.
Second, just as he had previously been unwilling to let first-year students join the Student Council, he had not seen Horikita Suzune display the ability to survive at this school. Moreover, he needed to face Nagumo Miyabi's attacks. If his relationship with Horikita Suzune were exposed, Nagumo would certainly find a way to exploit that weakness.
"I won't drop out..." Perhaps because her sore spot had been struck in front of others, Horikita Suzune's emotions suddenly tensed, and her tone became especially firm.
"At this school, you cannot avoid expulsion simply because you do not want to leave. Sudo Ken from Class D does not want to drop out either, but there are only two weeks until the next exam. Can he really pass in his current state?"
"My grades could never fall that far..."
"Even students with excellent grades cannot rest easy. Otherwise, with Horikita's grades, why was she not in Class A from the start?" Shiraishi Makoto rejected Horikita Suzune's naive assumption. "Our homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya, is a graduate of this school. She once took an exam where the entire class had to vote one student into expulsion."
"Faced with that situation, would Horikita still be completely confident?"
"How could there possibly be an exam like that..."
"There really is such an exam." Horikita Manabu interrupted Horikita Suzune's doubts. "I took it as well. As long as one student was expelled, the class received 100 points. For a class with only a small gap separating it from a higher-ranked class, those 100 points would undoubtedly be a lifeline, wouldn't they?"
The two of them tacitly concealed the requirement for unanimous consent in that exam, deliberately exaggerating its difficulty.
"Just as it would be only natural to eliminate students like Sudo and Ike, whose academic ability was lacking, in an exam that tested scholastic aptitude, would it not also be only natural to eliminate Horikita, who had not made a single friend so far, in an exam that tested interpersonal relationships?" Shiraishi Makoto wore a brilliant smile.
That was right. Even now, Horikita Suzune had "not a single friend." Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had the best relationship with her, had never explicitly said that they were "friends."
Horikita Suzune believed none of that mattered, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, though he acted as if he longed to make friends, still adhered to the ways of an "avoidance-minded person."
"Guh..." Even her beloved older brother had confirmed it. Horikita Suzune could only swallow this humiliation. "I'll do it. Something this simple..."
"Still not getting it?" Horikita Manabu rubbed his forehead helplessly, his eyes filled with disappointment.
"Class competition is the norm at this school. If he is willing to do it, Shiraishi has plenty of ways to get you expelled. Why not go take a look at the Second Year classrooms? See how many students their lower-ranked classes lost under Class A's attacks."
"Just as the president said, you are currently incapable of surviving at this school." Shiraishi Makoto added the closing remark. "President, it is getting late, so I'll return to the dormitory first."
"Go." Only after watching Shiraishi Makoto enter the elevator did Horikita Manabu slowly speak.
"Shiraishi Makoto is the first-year student I think most highly of. Leading Class B past Class A in the very first month proved his ability. If you continue clinging to such foolish ideas, then wait to be driven out of this school."
"However, if you can change and withstand Shiraishi's attack, then in my eyes, you can be considered to have grown."
After saying that, Horikita Manabu left as well.
Horikita Suzune stood there alone, unable to calm her emotions for a long time. Only after a while did she return to the dormitory with heavy steps.
Only after everyone had left did Ayanokoji Kiyotaka emerge from the darkness.
The next day was a day off. At Palette Cafe, the most popular cafe in the school, Shiraishi Makoto found a quiet corner, ordered two coffees and several delicate, delicious desserts, then arranged to meet a girl alone.
"Good morning, Shiraishi." The lively girl with short light-brown hair arrived at the meeting place. Since it was still early, and Shiraishi Makoto had deliberately chosen a corner table, the surroundings were fairly quiet and private.
"Good morning, Kushida." Shiraishi Makoto gave a slight nod.
"I wonder what Shiraishi wanted to see me about?" Kushida Kikyo wore a sweet smile throughout, radiating astonishing friendliness. That was why she was known as the "little angel of Class 1-D."
During the first month, she had been making friends like mad. Besides her classmates, she had gotten to know many students from other classes, and she had had a few brief interactions with Shiraishi Makoto before.
Looking at the coffee and desserts spread across the table, many guesses arose in her mind, but she did not show any of them.
"I would like to show Kushida something. Please make sure to wear the headphones." Shiraishi Makoto took out a player and handed it to Kushida Kikyo.
With curiosity on her face, Kushida Kikyo put on the headphones and turned on the player. Then, the smile on her face suddenly froze.
The content on the player was the footage Shiraishi Makoto had sent Kamuro Masumi to secretly record yesterday afternoon.
Having shed her disguise, Kushida Kikyo viciously kicked the railing, her tone malicious and cutting as she endlessly cursed and complained about classmates such as Horikita Suzune and Sudo Ken, completely tearing apart the mask of her usual gentleness and kindness.
"I suppose this is why Kushida was assigned to Class D?" Shiraishi Makoto commented from beside her.
Kushida Kikyo put down the player, abruptly rose to her feet, and quickly closed in on Shiraishi Makoto, her eyes filled with icy hostility.
"Watch yourself a little. There are cameras here." Shiraishi Makoto pointed at a surveillance camera in the distance.
Realizing that, Kushida Kikyo's original idea was instantly abandoned. Unable to think of a good solution for the moment, she could only sit back down.
"So what do you want?" Kushida Kikyo's voice had completely lost its gentleness.
"Could Kushida smile again? Otherwise, it will feel a little OOC." After saying that, Shiraishi Makoto placed two fingers at the corners of his mouth and lifted them upward, demonstrating how to smile.
"You bastard..."
"Stop, I'm done joking." Seeing that Kushida Kikyo had brought her emotions under control, Shiraishi Makoto got to the point. "If Kushida does not intend to be despised by everyone for the next three years, or get expelled over this, I suggest you listen to what I have to say first."
"I hope to cooperate with Kushida. In exchange, I will never leak this video from now on," Shiraishi Makoto said.
"How do you want to cooperate?" Kushida Kikyo forcibly steadied herself and asked with feigned calm.
Before you continue