Although Sakayanagi's intended target was Horikita, who had become wealthy after Ryuen reported her, there were actually quite a few students in Class D whom Hachiman was concerned about...
For example, his loyal Karuizawa.
Sakura, who had helped him.
And Kushida, who was constantly being set up.
If Horikita had not been attacked, but any one of those three had been targeted instead... then if they did not have enough points, there was a high chance that Hachiman would pay for them as well.
So.
Sakayanagi's move was practically a direct strike at Hachiman's weak spot.
"I don't think I can accept that proposal," Kushida immediately said.
She had already noticed that Hirata also seemed unwilling to accept it.
After all, nobody wanted to be expelled.
Since under such a proposal, Hirata might end up on the expulsion list too.
"Kushida, are you saying you're only willing to watch Class A suffer huge losses while your class gets a free ride? Don't you think that's excessive? Or are your usual actions all just hypocrisy?" Sakayanagi, however, used moral pressure on Kushida.
And that tactic... really did work on Kushida.
Because she was publicly seen as a pure-hearted saint, everyone's little angel. If she rejected Sakayanagi here, her standing with some of the Class A students would probably decline.
Kushida even wondered whether Sakayanagi was settling a personal score.
Whether she was deliberately trying to target her.
If she were expelled, then the recommendation to Class A slot Hachiman had previously submitted for her would be used to offset the expulsion penalty.
But Sakayanagi was willing to pay fifteen million, Ichinose's class would pay part of it too, and Ryuen's class would not pay a single cent.
That meant she would have to pay 7.5 million.
So.
Either lose 7.5 million