"If I decide to do something, I'm the kind of person who shows up on time. I don't like people who try to give me a hard time over being just a little late. But it looks like you got here pretty early... relax."
Hosen Kazuomi entered the private room, with Nanase Tsubasa following behind him.
"Could you stop making assumptions? We just wanted to make the most of this rare chance to enjoy some karaoke." Horikita Suzune picked up the drink in front of her and took a sip, then pointed to the two untouched drinks. "Would you like something to drink?"
"I'll pass." Hosen Kazuomi walked around the table to the other side and sank his entire body into the sofa, like a mob boss in a TV drama.
"From what Nanase told me, you want to ask my class for help, right?"
"You've misunderstood slightly. What I actually proposed was joining forces with your class—in other words, a completely equal relationship."
"Oh, so that's it. You're saying you won't pull rank on us as upperclassmen. Smart move." Hosen Kazuomi seemed to have only just understood Horikita Suzune's intentions and nodded thoughtfully.
Nanase Tsubasa sat to one side without offering any opinions of her own.
"I'm well aware that some of the current first-years don't care about the difficulties their classmates face. But one look at the second- and third-years should make it clear that no classmate should be abandoned," Horikita Suzune said slowly.
"You mean I should help keep my classmates from failing, and working with you would let me do that, right?"
"Working with another class would accomplish the same thing. It's just that you've already missed the best opportunity. The second-year Classes A and B have more or less finished forming their pairs." Horikita Suzune