Should We Join Forces?

Hikigaya was bewildered, his mind reeling from the unexpected turn of events. He had crafted an absurd story so far-fetched that no one in their right mind would believe it—or so he thought. But now, watching Ichinose and Ayanokoji nodding thoughtfully, he realized the error in his logic. The ridiculousness of the tale had somehow lent it an air of truth.

You've got to be kidding me. Can't you guys even entertain a shred of doubt?

"Uh, Ichinose," Hikigaya began, searching for a way to salvage the situation. "Liking Pretty Cure is a very personal hobby, so it's not something you can just bring up with Ryuuen… you get what I mean, right?"

Ichinose's eyes sparkled with mischief as she winked at him. "Of course! I wouldn't ask Ryuuen-kun directly; that would embarrass him. Boys are usually pretty sensitive about these things."

Hikigaya started to relax. "Yeah, so I think we should just lea—"

"But!" Ichinose cut him off, her enthusiasm undiminished. "I'll casually mention it in front of him. That way, Ryuuen-kun will have the chance to bring it up himself. Then, he'll open up about it, right?"

No, he definitely won't!

Hikigaya sighed internally, resisting the urge to voice his exasperation. Whatever, it's not like it matters anyway. He tried to convince himself. Besides, if Ryuuen, a healthy high school boy, really likes Pretty Cure, it's not the end of the world.

But waiting was another matter altogether. The Dragon Group was taking far too long, and Hikigaya's patience was thinning. According to the rules, after the mandatory one-hour discussion, anyone was free to come and go as they pleased. He considered barging in, but that would be too conspicuous.

Instead, Hikigaya sent a quick text to Ryuuen, urging him to hurry up and get out here. Shortly after, the door finally creaked open. However, it wasn't Ryuuen who emerged, but three of his lackeys. One of them approached Hikigaya.

"Ryuuen-san asked for you to come in," the lackey informed him.

"…Oh," Hikigaya muttered, feeling a mix of annoyance and resignation. How typical of Ryuuen to act so high and mighty, he thought.

As he was about to enter, Katsuragi emerged from the room, followed by several Class B students. He noticed Hikigaya and gestured for his classmates to leave, then approached him.

"Is this one of those forced conversations?" Hikigaya mused aloud as Katsuragi drew nearer.

"It's Hikigaya… and Ichinose too. You two don't seem like you ended up here by coincidence," Katsuragi remarked.

"Why do I always feel like an afterthought?" Ichinose chuckled wryly. "Katsuragi-kun, how did your discussion go? If you don't mind, could you share with us?"

Katsuragi's expression turned grave. "There's not much to say. I'll do my utmost within the Dragon Group to secure benefits for our class."

"And what about the other groups?" Hikigaya interjected, unable to hold back.

"I believe they'll make reasonable decisions," Katsuragi replied, his tone uncertain.

"That doesn't sound like you," Hikigaya noted bluntly. "It seems like you've already given up on leading the other groups, which isn't exactly the mark of a competent leader."

"No, I've decided to step down from leadership," Katsuragi stated plainly. "I never intended to lead in the first place. I only opposed Sakayanagi's methods because I believed they were wrong. But now that we've lost our standing as Class A, someone has to take responsibility."

"Yeah, on the surface, it looks like the blame falls squarely on you," Hikigaya said, his words carrying a hidden meaning. In truth, the students of the former Class A had simply been caught up in Sakayanagi's twisted games.

"If you truly cared about your class, you wouldn't be stepping down, especially now that you've seen her true nature."

Katsuragi's face showed a flicker of regret. The island exam had been a devastating blow to his class, with losses reaching into the millions each month, like a slow bleed. Deep down, he longed to regain his position and lead his class once more. But the reality was that most of his classmates no longer trusted him. In this situation, stepping down seemed like the best way to prevent further internal chaos, even if it meant submitting to Sakayanagi for the sake of the class.

In this sense, Katsuragi was not so different from Ichinose.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye… So, I'll be going now," Katsuragi said, his voice tinged with complex emotions as he walked away.

"Ahaha, I feel like I've done something bad," Ichinose muttered, scratching the back of her head with an embarrassed smile.

Perhaps, in her mind, she bore some responsibility for Katsuragi's downfall.

"Ichinose… if it were you, what would you do?" Hikigaya suddenly asked.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"I mean if you were in charge of your class… Never mind, we should head inside."

As he pushed open the door to the Dragon Group's meeting room, Hikigaya found the three classes seated at a distance from one another, creating an air of mutual distrust. Ryuuen, Kanzaki, and Horikita were the most prominent among them, like representatives chosen to speak for their respective classes.

…So, Kushida's not up to the task, after all, Hikigaya thought with a sigh. He had expected as much. Hirata's lack of ambition was one thing, but Kushida, who constantly tried to undermine Horikita, could not take control in such a scenario. Within her class, she might have had some influence, but when it came to negotiating with students from other classes, no one took her seriously.

"Hey, Dead-Eyes! What took you so long?" Ryuuen called out, waving lazily. "Were you chatting with Katsuragi just now? Or maybe discussing something with Honami? Why don't you share it with the rest of us?"

With everyone's attention now on him, thanks to Ryuuen's loud greeting, Hikigaya felt the pressure of their gazes. Great, he thought. Just what I need—more attention.

He decided the best course of action was to deflect with a joke. "Oh, nothing much. I was just plotting with Ayanokoji to kill you," Hikigaya deadpanned.

Ayanokoji blinked in confusion. "???"

Ryuuen frowned slightly. "Ayanokoji…? Oh, you mean that guy."

He glanced dismissively at Ayanokoji, clearly not taking him seriously.

This isn't good, Hikigaya mused. I'll have to correct Ryuuen's misconceptions later.

"Alright, enough fooling around," Ryuuen said, shifting to a more serious tone. "And since Honami is here too, I've got an interesting proposition."

His gaze swept over everyone before finally landing on Hikigaya.

"How about our three classes join forces to take down Class B?"

A stunned silence fell over the room. No one immediately agreed or disagreed.

"What a boring proposal," Horikita was the first to speak. "Ryuuen-kun, do you think anyone would trust you when you talk about cooperation?"

It was a fair point. If the classes were like companies, Ryuuen would undoubtedly be the CEO of a corrupt, untrustworthy firm.

"But it's not a bad idea, is it?" Ryuuen countered. "If we share information about the 'preferred' students among our three classes, we can expose the school's rules and ensure that each class earns fifty points from Class B. No one loses."

Hikigaya had to stifle a laugh. He hadn't expected Ryuuen to take his bait so thoroughly. But this proposal wasn't sincere, was it?

"It's a bold idea," Ichinose chimed in, smiling. "But I don't think it's practical. Why target Class B, Ryuuen-kun? Is it just because they're in your way? I don't think it's that simple."

Her words carried an underlying message: even if all three classes benefited from attacking Class B, from Class C's perspective, allowing Class A to gain more points would be detrimental. Ryuuen was too clever to overlook this, so there had to be a catch.

"Hehehe, I know you don't trust me," Ryuuen said with a sly grin. "That's why I called Dead-Eyes here."

He pointed at the bewildered Hikigaya.

"We'll make Dead-Eyes the mediator between our three classes, ensuring that everyone's interests are equally represented. No one can complain about that, right?"

"…Me?" Hikigaya echoed, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected to be dragged into this mess.

Who wants to be a mediator? Not me!

Before he could voice his objections, Horikita spoke up. "I don't understand. What's the point of bringing Hikigaya-kun into this?"

"Ah? You don't get it?" Ryuuen chuckled. "Think about it. If we choose him as our representative, none of us can back out easily. And since Dead-Eyes is more neutral than any of us, it ensures fairness. If he screws up, it's his fault, not ours."

Horikita frowned but remained silent.

Hikigaya sighed inwardly, recognizing that he was being used as a pawn in Ryuuen's schemes. Great, now I'm the scapegoat, he thought bitterly.

Yet, as much as he wanted to refuse, the idea had merit. If he could manipulate the situation correctly, he might turn this into an opportunity to gain leverage over Ryuuen.

"Alright, Ryuuen. I'll play along for now," Hikigaya said, his voice resigned but resolute. "But don't think for a second that I trust you."

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way," Ryuuen smirked. "Let's see how long you can keep up, Dead-Eyes."

As the meeting continued, the alliance between the three classes began to take shape. The road ahead was filled with uncertainty and potential betrayal, but Hikigaya was determined to navigate it as best as he could.