Nagumo: "It's Not That I Look Down on Class D's Students! They Really Are That Bad!" / Sakayanagi: "Katsuragi Is Steady, But His Dogs Are as Dumb as Pigs!"

Just.

"Student Council President, I'd like to ask something. A student in my class damaged a camera. Will they be punished? If they have to pay compensation... how will it be calculated?" Hachiman's voice came from inside.

"..." Katsuragi.

So he really was asking whether there would be punishment for damaging a camera.

First-year Class D really was hopeless.

It seemed Sakayanagi had misjudged them too.

Nagumo: It's Not That I Look Down on Class D Students! They Really Are That Bad!

Hachiman walked into the Student Council.

The office was spacious, with the work area connected directly to the reception area.

However, he noticed that the windows on one side were covered by blinds. Beyond them was where the students had swimming lessons.

So that really was the case. Kushida's information had been correct.

If one joined the Student Council, there really would be opportunities to watch girls from other classes during swimming lessons.

Of course, judging by the character Manabu Horikita had displayed, Hachiman did not think he was that kind of person.

He probably just found moving offices too troublesome, so he had not changed locations.

Hachiman also noticed that there were currently three people in the Student Council office.

Aside from Student Council President Manabu Horikita and secretary Akane Tachibana, whom he had met once before—

There was also a handsome, athletic-looking guy with short blond hair whom he had never seen before.

That handsome guy looked rather flashy.

There were no other identifying markers on anyone's desks, but the desk he was sitting at had a nameplate reading [Vice President Nagumo].

Among them—

Manabu Horikita sat at the president's desk, while Akane Tachibana, the Student Council secretary Hachiman had met before, stood behind him like a follower.

Though that was not a very flattering way to put it.

Hachiman had gotten used to it over the past few days.

Like Kamuro following Sakayanagi Arisu around, or the green-haired Yahiko he had just seen following Katsuragi around.

And now Akane Tachibana was following Manabu Horikita around.

Of course, since Manabu Horikita was Suzune Horikita's brother, he probably did not mean anything by it. But this secretary clearly followed his lead in everything.

"What is it...?"

Manabu Horikita had been sitting at his desk with a fountain pen in his left hand. When he noticed a student entering, he put down the pen.

Then he looked toward the student who had come to the Student Council.

Since it had the word "student" in Student Council, it naturally would not stop students from coming in.

However—

"Hachiman Hikigaya of First-year Class D, are you here to submit an application to join the Student Council as well?" Manabu Horikita asked.

"Oh?"

The moment he heard the president mention First-year Class D, the handsome blond guy in the Student Council turned around.

What caught Hachiman's attention, however, were the words "as well" and "join the Student Council."

That "as well" alone indicated that Katsuragi had probably come to the Student Council just now for that very reason.

In other words—

This President Horikita was pretty interesting.

You'd just gone easy on him.

You'd leaked Katsuragi's information.

However—

"What are the benefits of joining the Student Council?" Hachiman asked.

"As a Student Council member, you receive a monthly living allowance of 50,000 points."

"And if you become president, you receive an allowance of 100,000 points."

"One hundred thousand is a good number."

Manabu Horikita said.

Becoming Student Council President came with 100,000 points every month.

For new students, 100,000 points was the standard amount distributed upon enrollment.

And Hachiman Hikigaya had some history with this President Horikita. The points Horikita had transferred to make him keep quiet—the hush money for teaching his younger sister—had also been 100,000.

And now he was bringing up the number 100,000 again.

In other words, he was reminding Hachiman not to say things he should not say.

"..." Hachiman.

Hachiman glanced toward Vice President Nagumo.

Then he kept quiet.

"However, I do not believe you currently possess the qualities necessary to join the Student Council."

"So even if you submitted an application, I would not accept it," Manabu Horikita added.

Oh.

Then why had he brought it up?

Hachiman said,

"Student Council President Horikita, I came here for a consultation."

"Regarding a student in my class damaging a camera—will there be a punishment, and if compensation is accepted, how much will it be?" Hachiman asked.

"..." Manabu Horikita.

"..." Vice President Nagumo.

"..." Katsuragi.

The moment Katsuragi heard Hachiman's request, he immediately left with his people.

Vice President Nagumo seemed surprised at first, then appeared to be holding back laughter.

Since Sakayanagi Arisu had already provided them with insight into the school's rules—

To those who already understood the school's true nature, Class D was the worst. And now, Hachiman's First-year Class D had only been enrolled for five days, yet they had already caused trouble.

They had directly broken a camera?

So anyone who had wanted to think highly of or pay attention to Class D or Hachiman Hikigaya would only think... Tsk, tsk.

It was not that they wanted to think so. Class D really was just that terrible.

"Your junior is pretty interesting."

The blond Vice President Nagumo spoke up. "Since you've only just enrolled, I think you should behave yourselves."

"By the way, why are you the one here asking? Did your friend break the camera? If so, you should have brought him along too," Nagumo said.

"I was the one who accidentally broke the camera," Hachiman said.

Oh.

Then never mind.

So the guy who had no sense of boundaries and stirred up trouble was you, huh?

"President, I have something to do, so I'll head back to class first." Vice President Nagumo felt there was no need to stay in the Student Council any longer today.

It was as if he had lost interest.

He wanted to leave first.

"Mm." Manabu Horikita's expression did not change.

Thus, after Katsuragi left, Vice President Nagumo also left the office.

Now only three people remained in the office.

Hachiman Hikigaya, Manabu Horikita, and Akane Tachibana.

Their gazes met.

Sakayanagi: Katsuragi Is Steady, but His Dog Is Dumb as a Pig!

The three remained in the Student Council office.

"Hachiman, you're quite clever," Manabu Horikita said. "You understood my hint just now."

"Vice President Nagumo was promoted by me, but there are still some things that are better left unsaid around him," Manabu Horikita said.

?

Meanwhile, secretary Akane Tachibana looked somewhat bewildered.

She had already recognized Hachiman as the junior she had encountered on the first day of school, the one who had gone with his classmates to scout the third-year building.

She remembered that the president had thought quite highly of him back then.

However—

She could not understand it now.

Because she had not noticed President Horikita giving this First-year Class D junior any sort of signal just now.

And—

There were things that could not be said? Did President Horikita have some connection with this First-year Class D junior, or perhaps... did the two of them share a secret they could not tell others?

Akane Tachibana stood there with a completely confused expression.

Of course, she did not know that Manabu Horikita had merely been protecting information about his younger sister.

This school was a Meritocracy, and the goal was clear: graduating from Class A was everyone's ambition.

So once competition arose, even underhanded tactics could be used.

Thus, if Suzune Horikita's relationship with Manabu Horikita as siblings were exposed, it was very likely someone would make use of it.

Manabu Horikita had stopped Hachiman from mentioning anything related to it and demanded his silence.

In other words, there were people in the Student Council whom Manabu Horikita could not handle.

It seemed being Student Council President was not easy either. Even after reaching that position, he still could not simply have the final say in everything.

In other words, were people who were too upright and insisted on maintaining their principles always fighting against all sorts of things?

That sounded exhausting.

Hachiman thought to himself.

"Then what was your purpose in coming here today?" Manabu Horikita asked. "The matter with the camera just now was merely an act, wasn't it? Pretending to be an idiot to lower everyone's guard."

"No," Hachiman said. "I really came to ask what the consequences would be if someone damaged a camera."

??

"You really did something that reckless?"

Manabu Horikita nearly rose from his seat.