"That..."
Ichinose's expression looked complicated after listening to Hikigaya's analysis.
"I feel like Werewolf isn't supposed to be a game like that."
"Huh? Is that so?"
Hikigaya was momentarily stunned. He had always thought it was a game about pretending to fit into a small group.
"So, what do you think we should do, Ichinose?" Hikigaya returned to the topic seriously. "Should we submit the answer to the school now?"
"Before that..."
Ichinose held her snow-white chin thoughtfully. "Hikigaya, you don't have conclusive evidence to prove your theory."
"True." Hikigaya nodded in agreement. "But as long as this test doesn't meet the fundamental rule of 'strict regulation,' there can never be solid evidence, right?"
Even if someone put the school's official text message in front of him, Hikigaya was sure he wouldn't believe it. And others were likely to feel the same. Trusting something, especially when it involves personal interests, is never easy.
Unless people are allowed to discover the answers they want on their own, preferential treatment in this test will always be a gamble. No matter how much analysis is done, as long as the school's selection process for preferential treatment remains unclear, gambling will always be part of the equation.
"Yeah..." Ichinose nodded in agreement. "But, Hikigaya, you seem eager to submit the answer to the school."
"Yes." Hikigaya's tone was calm. "If I guess wrong, we lose 50 class points. If I'm right, we gain 500,000 personal points and 50 class points. Any rational person would take that chance. Besides, there's no punishment for individuals who make a wrong guess."
"However, I will listen to you. If you agree, I'll send the email to the school. If you don't, then we forget about it."
After all, it's the entire class that bears the risk. Hikigaya would never put the class at risk for his own selfish desires.
He acknowledged that there was only one leader in the class—Ichinose, the one everyone trusted.
"Hmm..." For some reason, Ichinose frowned for a long time before speaking seriously. "Hikigaya, I appreciate you coming to me about this. But I have a question. Can you answer me seriously?"
"Oh, sure." Hikigaya nodded, a bit puzzled. Was this really something difficult to answer?
"If someone comes to me seeking advice because they're troubled, I'm happy to help."
Ichinose looked at him earnestly.
"But, Hikigaya, even though you seem certain and are ready to send the answer to the school, you still came to me for my opinion. Why is that?"
"Why?" Hikigaya frowned, feeling even more puzzled. "Because if I'm wrong, we'll lose fifty class points. And since you're the class leader, it's only natural to ask your opinion. Isn't that common sense?"
He really couldn't see what was strange about it. When making a decision that carries risk, seeking the leader's approval is just common sense in society, right? If you act on your own, the boss won't appreciate it, and you might even get fired.
"I see..." Ichinose pursed her lips before speaking again.
"Hikigaya, do you know what Kanzaki or the others would do if they were in your position?"
"Of course, they'd discuss it with you." Hikigaya's tone was almost dismissive.
Why did it feel like their conversation wasn't on the same wavelength?
"No, they wouldn't." Ichinose shook her head slightly. "If Kanzaki or the others have any doubts or need help, they'll discuss it with me. But if they're certain of their decision, they'll act on their own. The same goes for everyone else."
"Wait, wait, wait." Hikigaya raised his hand. "Isn't that wrong? Making decisions without the leader's consent just feels... irresponsible."
"It's not wrong." Ichinose continued to shake her head. "That's because Kanzaki and the others know I will always support them. And I trust them, too."
"But..." Ichinose's expression turned slightly bitter. "It seems we haven't earned your trust yet, Hikigaya."
"No, it's not—"
"There's no need to explain. I'm not angry." Ichinose looked at his dead-fish eyes and spoke calmly.
"In your eyes, Class B is like a company, and I'm just your superior. Right?"
"Well..." Hikigaya was speechless. She wasn't wrong. He did treat the class like a company, but wasn't that how the school was structured?
"But." Ichinose gently took Hikigaya's hand and continued softly.
"We are in the same class. There's no hierarchy. I'm the class president because everyone trusts me. We're all partners who will spend three years together. I don't want to look back on these years and only see cold, transactional relationships."
"Hikigaya, I don't know what you've been through. But we all hope you can treat us as friends and partners, not as colleagues and superiors. Do you understand?"
Hikigaya felt her soft hand tightly gripping his own, refusing to let go.
Wait, wait, wait! This was too weird. Was he the one with the problem?
Is he too cold and distant, treating the class as a company and Ichinose as his superior? Had he failed to see them as companions?
No mutual trust... It felt strange, no matter how he looked at it.
"What about the exam?" Hikigaya asked, his face still puzzled.
"That's for you to decide."
Ichinose showed him a bright smile.
"If you guess wrong, then we'll just work together to earn the points back, right?"
"It's not that simple..." Hikigaya muttered, feeling a headache coming on.
"You're right." Ichinose nodded with a gentle smile. "The other classes aren't easy to deal with. But as long as we trust and support each other, I believe we can reach Class A. That's why our class is so united, isn't it?"
"Uh... I guess so." Hikigaya hesitated, then nodded.
"Great!" Ichinose released his hand, stood up, and smiled.
"I've got something to do with the Rabbit group, so I'll be off. See you tomorrow!"
"Okay." Hikigaya nodded absentmindedly, watching her walk away.
Friends... That word echoed in his mind. Something about all this felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint what.
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