"I just heard someone say they were going to kneel."
Hikigaya glanced around at everyone in the room, then let out a cold laugh.
"Looks like the only one here who should be kneeling is you, Ryuen."
The moment Ryuen saw Hikigaya, his face darkened. But then he smirked.
"Hikigaya, you really don't get it, do you? Right now, I can ruin Suzune's reputation whenever I feel like it. So I've changed my mind—if you kneel and beg me right now, maybe I'll let her go."
"Ryuen!!"
Horikita glared at him, about to snap back, but Ryuen cut her off.
"Shut the hell up."
At the same time, Kushida hurried over to Hikigaya, explaining everything that had happened and trying to persuade him.
"Hikigaya-kun, it's best not to make things worse. This is about Horikita's future, after all."
"Is that so?"
Hikigaya stared at Kushida for a long moment. She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. But then, just as quickly, he looked away.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
Everyone in the room froze.
"This is Horikita's problem, not mine."
Hikigaya spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"If you really want to escalate this, then go ahead. Report it to the school, bring in the student council. Oh… I almost forgot. I'm part of the student council too."
He sneered at Ryuen.
"Didn't you say you were going to report this? Well, I can officially accept Class C's complaint right now."
"Deadfish eyes, you think I won't do it?!"
Ryuen glared at Hikigaya, his expression twisted with rage.
"We have the witnesses and the evidence. If this gets reported and reviewed, Suzune is as good as finished! You'll regret this!"
"Seriously… do you not understand human speech?"
Hikigaya sighed impatiently.
"I don't care about the outcome. It's not like I'm the one reviewing the case. Whether she sinks or swims isn't my problem. I'm just asking—are you reporting this or not? Stop yapping like some old lady on the street."
"You—!!!"
Ryuen's eyes burned with fury, but Hikigaya remained completely unfazed.
At first, some people didn't understand what Hikigaya was doing, but they gradually noticed something unusual. Chabashira-sensei was the first to catch on, and a hint of approval flashed in her eyes as she looked at Hikigaya.
"If you won't decide, then I'll do it for you."
Hikigaya showed a 'disappointed' look, then turned to Kinoshita Minori, who was sitting in a wheelchair. Under his gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.
"Kinoshita Minori from Class 1-C, right? Are you sure you want to report Horikita Suzune from Class 1-D to the student council for intentionally knocking you down and injuring you during the match?"
"I… I…"
Kinoshita stammered, instinctively looking toward Ryuen.
"You don't have to be afraid. The school and the student council will never let a bad person get away, and they won't falsely accuse a good person either. So, there's nothing to worry about!"
Hikigaya then suddenly smacked his forehead, as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh, I see now. You're worried because the student council president is Horikita's older brother, right? Don't worry, the student council is fair. Isn't that right, President?"
Hikigaya's words made everyone freeze for a moment. They subconsciously followed his gaze, only to see a serious-looking young man wearing glasses standing at the doorway.
"Onii-san…"
Horikita looked at the figure in shock, instinctively shrinking back.
Not just her—everyone was startled by the sudden appearance of Horikita Manabu.
"I heard everything you just said."
Horikita Manabu responded calmly.
"See? Even the president said so. There's no way he would bend the rules. In fact, because he's Horikita's brother, he's even less likely to show favoritism. He won't twist the truth, nor will he secretly punish you afterward out of revenge. Isn't that right, Kinoshita?"
Hikigaya smiled at Kinoshita as he spoke.
But instead of feeling reassured, Kinoshita looked even more anxious and terrified. She avoided Hikigaya's gaze as if she were staring at something horrifying.
"Huh? What's wrong, Kinoshita? I know you're on the track team. Not long ago, you even competed in an event and got a pretty good result. You're an important asset to the school. Now that your leg is injured, that's a loss for the school. If someone deliberately hurt you, don't worry—even if you're too kind to pursue it, the school won't sit by and do nothing! Such a terrible act must result in expulsion to set an example for others!"
Hikigaya glanced between Kinoshita and Ryuen, his smile half-mocking.
"Even if the culprit is the president's sister or the principal's daughter, there are no exceptions! What do you think, Kinoshita? Ryuen? Does that sound fair?"
Hikigaya's words were clearly aimed at Horikita, but everyone could hear what he truly meant. Kinoshita, in particular, was trembling, her expression panicked.
Ryuen's face also darkened.
But—
"Hahaha! Hikigaya, do you really think these little tricks can scare me?!"
Ryuen glared at Hikigaya with a sinister look.
"You think I won't take this to the top? You're betting that I won't, huh? Fine! I'll blow this whole thing up today! I'll make sure you lose everything, and I'll get that Suzune girl expelled!"
"That's great!"
Hikigaya clapped his hands in excitement.
"If you can really get Horikita expelled, that would be amazing. You have no idea how much the president wants to kick his foolish little sister out. If you can help with that, I'm sure the president will be very grateful to you!"
Ryuen: "…"
Horikita's face also looked strange, her eyes practically shooting flames. Meanwhile, Horikita Manabu remained completely unfazed, as if none of this concerned him.
"You really think I won't do it?!"
Ryuen gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
"What's stopping you?"
Hikigaya's expression grew colder.
"This whole thing has nothing to do with you anyway. If anything happens, it'll be either Horikita or Kinoshita who faces the consequences. One of them will get expelled—it won't affect you at all. So what's there to be afraid of?"
Kinoshita's face turned deathly pale.
"Um… I think…"
She started to speak, but the moment she saw Ryuen's murderous glare, she quickly covered her mouth, too scared to say another word.
Ryuen stared at Hikigaya, trying to read something from his expression.
But all he saw was cold indifference—along with a hint of mockery.
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