"How do you have so many private points?!"
Kushida stared at Hikigaya in disbelief, trying to find a clue in his expression. But he only gave a meaningful smile before taking back his phone.
Kushida was already uneasy about how little she knew about Hikigaya. Now, seeing his account balance, she felt an overwhelming fear—like standing alone in the dark.
It was fear of the unknown.
While everyone in Class D struggled to get private points, Hikigaya somehow had over a million without anyone noticing. How did he do it? Where did the points come from? And most importantly…
Who exactly is Hikigaya Hachiman?!
Her mind was in chaos. The plan she had carefully put together was completely thrown off by this unexpected development.
"This isn't something you need to know," Hikigaya said casually. He sat back down, watching Kushida with interest. "Now that you have this leverage, do you feel safer?"
Kushida froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. "This… this is an 'exchange'?"
Hikigaya nodded. "You're scared because you don't have anything to use against me. Now you do. A guy at the bottom of the class holding this many private points? No one would believe it if I said there was nothing shady about it, right?"
Kushida understood exactly what he meant. She knew what kind of people made up Class D. If they found out that the so-called bottom-feeder of their class had more private points than all of them combined, most of them wouldn't be able to accept it.
No one likes the idea of someone they look down on suddenly doing better than them—especially if it means admitting they're even worse off than the person they thought was beneath them.
It's the same old story: it's fine if your friend is struggling, but if they suddenly pull up in a luxury car, that's a different matter entirely. And Hikigaya wasn't even their friend.
Jealousy is a terrifying thing once it's unleashed. Kushida knew this all too well.
She could already picture it—the class turning against Hikigaya, shunning him, criticizing him. And, of course, demanding that he "do the right thing" and share his wealth for the good of the class. Or worse, reporting him for "illegally obtained" points and getting him expelled.
Just imagining these scenarios made Kushida's throat go dry. This was something that could completely ruin Hikigaya.
But instead of feeling satisfied that she finally had dirt on him, she found herself staring at him warily. "What's your angle? Why would you tell me this secret?"
Maybe she didn't even realize it herself, but there was a slight tremor in her voice.
"The answer is obvious," Hikigaya said calmly. "This is my bargaining chip."
Hikigaya's face showed no emotion. "This way, you don't have to worry about me exposing your… well, your other side. And I don't have to deal with you hanging over me all the time. It's a win-win for both of us, isn't it?"
It sounded logical at first, but Kushida wasn't stupid enough to believe it so easily. She frowned. "No way! Who in their right mind would willingly reveal their own 'weakness' to someone else? Even idiots like Ike and Yamauchi wouldn't be that dumb!"
There was something else she didn't say out loud—why would Hikigaya, who clearly had the upper hand, do something so reckless? No matter how she looked at it, it felt like a trap. But… if it was really a trap, wasn't it a little too real? After all, that million-plus private points on his phone couldn't be faked.
"Dumb, huh?"
Hikigaya chuckled. "Yeah, if I weren't that dumb, I wouldn't be stuck at the bottom of the class. So go ahead, Kushida. Try exposing my 'weakness.' Then everyone can see for themselves whether it's real or not."
"But…"
His voice suddenly turned ice-cold. "You better be ready to go down with me. Got it, Class D's little angel?"
"…"
Kushida opened her mouth, but no words came out. For a moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe. The dead-fish-eyed guy in front of her suddenly looked like a demon, ready to drag her into an endless abyss.
It was both a compromise and a threat.
Just like last night.
"Fine! Deal!"
She still didn't understand Hikigaya's true goal, but in the end, she decided to temporarily trust him. As for whether she'd actually expose his 'weakness,' she had to admit she had considered it. But she also knew that if she did, one of them would have to be completely destroyed.
So… was this a temporary safe zone?
No.
Kushida still had a burning question, and she had to ask while she had the chance.
"Hikigaya, are you just like that annoying woman? Do you also want to get into Class A?"
"Class A? No. Unlike Horikita's little sister, I have no interest in Class A."
Kushida carefully watched Hikigaya's expression, but as expected, she couldn't read anything from his blank face.
"There's actually a student in this school who isn't interested in Class A?"
Her voice was full of mockery. "Then why did you even come here? If that's the case, Hikigaya, you might as well just drop out."
"Drop out, huh…"
For the first time, Hikigaya's expression changed slightly. "To be honest, I did consider that option when school started."
Kushida's face lit up, and she quickly pushed further. "Exactly! You don't care about Class A, you got stuck in Class D, and you're constantly looked down on by those idiots in class. So why stay in this school?"
Hikigaya didn't seem to notice Kushida's attempt to manipulate him.
"Yeah… why am I still in this awful school?"
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly opened them again. His gaze was clear, deep, and completely unwavering.
"Because I can't betray the expectations of that idiot who tried to protect me."
Kushida's frown deepened, her frustration obvious. She had almost gotten through to him. She was about to press him further when Hikigaya suddenly cut her off.
"Hey, Kushida… don't you think it's about time? Your little tricks should end here, don't you think?"
"W-What do you mean? I don't understand."
For a split second, a hint of panic flashed across Kushida's face.
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