One of Us Has to Drop Out

The school day ended, and it was time for their rescheduled meeting.

By the time Makoto Nishikado arrived with Yuki Himeno, Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo were already there.

It was the same café where they had run into each other last time. The two girls had already ordered him a cup of coffee.

"Teacher Ximen, sorry for the trouble again."

When Makoto Nishikado and Yuki Himeno came in, Horikita Suzune immediately stood and bowed slightly.

"Don't be so formal. Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry about that... Himeno, take a seat."

Makoto Nishikado pulled out a chair and sat down, then noticed that Yuki Himeno was still standing.

"I'd rather stand."

Yuki Himeno shook her head. A follower ought to act like one.

Makoto Nishikado stared at her, baffled. He'd thought she had some illness that kept her from sitting down.

"Nishikado, you were really impressive today. Everyone's talking about you, and someone even asked me for your contact information."

Kushida Kikyo smiled brightly.

Unlike before, this time she was praising Makoto Nishikado sincerely.

Even a creep like Yamauchi Haruki had to fear someone as villainous as Makoto Nishikado.

It was a case of a villain getting what was coming to him.

"I went in there and chewed him out. I figured the girls would be too scared of me to approach me."

Makoto Nishikado hadn't expected that.

At Sakurajima, it was quite rare for someone to point at a peer and berate them.

"Now that we're all here, I'll get straight to the point. Kushida, I'd like you to join my team. Let's work together to lead Class D."

Horikita Suzune had no interest in more small talk and went straight to business.

"Lead Class D? I didn't know you had that kind of ambition, Horikita."

"So what exactly would we be doing?"

Kushida Kikyo's lips twitched as she asked curiously.

She hadn't realized Horikita Suzune cared so much about the class.

"Is it all right if I tell her?"

Horikita Suzune turned to Makoto Nishikado.

Once he gave her permission, Horikita Suzune explained the situation to Kushida Kikyo.

"I see. The classes compete against one another, and perhaps only students in Class A will be guaranteed a one-hundred-percent rate of advancement to higher education or employment."

Kushida Kikyo understood, without doubting Horikita Suzune's explanation.

She wasn't stupid and had noticed that something was unusual about the school.

After Horikita Suzune explained it, the whole picture became clear.

"That's right. If we want to make Class D a united whole, then I need your help."

Horikita Suzune spoke bluntly, without hiding anything.

Normally, laying out her intentions so plainly would give Kushida Kikyo a chance to take advantage of her.

Someone new to the world might see it as sincerity; a seasoned veteran would say that it wasn't a good approach.

But Makoto Nishikado didn't oppose it, either, and didn't remind Horikita Suzune to be careful.

Sincere people might make slower progress, but perhaps they could go farther.

"Did Nishikado say he'd make Horikita and me friends for this reason?"

Kushida Kikyo didn't answer directly. Instead, she turned to Makoto Nishikado.

Working toward the same goal was certainly a good way to become friends.

But knowing Makoto Nishikado, Kushida Kikyo suspected there was more to it than that.

"Would that reason alone be enough? After all, Kikyo, you want Horikita to drop out."

[Triggered Yuki Himeno's emotions, gaining 2,113 emotion points.]

[Triggered Horikita Suzune's emotions, gaining 4,763 emotion points.]

Makoto Nishikado took a sip of his coffee. He preferred it a little sweeter.

He didn't care that his words had made all three girls' expressions change.

The smile on Kushida Kikyo's face instantly froze. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and she didn't even notice Horikita Suzune studying her.

"You really know how to joke, Nishikado."

After a long moment, Kushida Kikyo managed to force out a smile, though her voice still sounded strained.

Even though she knew her smile couldn't fool anyone now, she still chose to put on an act.

"Kushida, is there some history between us?"

Horikita Suzune had a thousand questions.

She'd realized long ago that Kushida Kikyo might dislike her, but she hadn't known the other girl hated her this much.

As classmates who had only just met, Kushida Kikyo shouldn't have been so hostile toward her.

But Horikita Suzune was certain she'd never known Kushida Kikyo before and was barely familiar with her.

That sense of unfamiliarity meant that, at most, they'd crossed paths once.

She hadn't expected Kushida Kikyo to remember her—and hate her this much.

Where had all that hostility come from?

"Don't say that. Nishikado was only joking."

After a moment, Kushida Kikyo had regained her usual composure.

But when she turned to Makoto Nishikado, her gaze was still charged with emotion.

"Nishikado, why would you say something so mean? I never had any intention of doing that."

Kushida Kikyo's performance was composed and convincing.

Unfortunately, Makoto Nishikado knew the story and could see the system notifications, so there was no chance she could fool him.

"Horikita, the two of you were classmates before. She caused quite a stir."

"Even if you don't know exactly what happened, you must have heard something about it, right?"

"She's afraid those things will come to light, so she wants you to drop out."

Makoto Nishikado smiled calmly as he explained it to Horikita Suzune.

His words brought some old memories back to Horikita Suzune.

"...You're the one who brought that class to a complete standstill?"

Horikita Suzune understood and looked at Kushida Kikyo with a hint of realization.

If it was about that incident, then she could understand a little.

When Kushida Kikyo saw that Horikita Suzune really did remember, she clenched her fists.

"Kikyo, you're looking at me like you want to eat me alive."

Makoto Nishikado was both surprised and delighted.

He'd thought the most he could get from a single emotional reaction was a little over a hundred thousand points.

This was the first time he'd seen more than two hundred thousand.

"Nishikado, this isn't what we agreed on."

Though she hated him with all her heart, Kushida Kikyo kept smiling in public.

If she got the chance, she'd gnaw the bones right out of Makoto Nishikado!

"I said I'd make you and Horikita friends. That hasn't failed."

Makoto Nishikado shook his head, denying Kushida Kikyo's claim.

He, Makoto Nishikado, was always an honest young man. He kept his word.

Of course, he got to decide what "friends" meant.

"Are you kidding? Now that this is all out in the open, even Horikita... huh?"

Kushida Kikyo frowned and looked at Horikita Suzune.

To her surprise, even after remembering what she was really like, Horikita Suzune's gaze hadn't changed at all.

She should have hated her, avoided her, feared her.

"Kushida, what happened in the past doesn't matter. I still want you to help me."

Horikita Suzune spoke earnestly, her expression unchanged.

To her, Kushida Kikyo was irreplaceable.

As long as her goal was to lead Class D forward, Kushida Kikyo was indispensable.

Kushida Kikyo was deeply moved by Horikita Suzune's words, then turned her down.

"No, Horikita. One of us has to drop out now."