Simple Reasons

"Heh, seems like a collaboration is off the table. What a shame," Ryuuen remarked, though his tone suggested he wasn't truly disappointed. After all, his real objective had already been achieved.

Without further ado, he stood up and exited the room. But just before leaving, he threw a glance at Hikigaya, a look that was far from casual. What was he scheming?

As Ryuuen left, the atmosphere became tense, leaving only the members of Class A and Class D in the room, an awkward silence hanging in the air.

"Come on, everyone, no need to feel this way," Ichinose stepped in, trying to ease the tension. "I wasn't planning on agreeing to Ryuuen's proposal in the first place. Besides, since we haven't formed any cross-class alliances during this exam, it doesn't count as betrayal."

Strictly speaking, she was right—this wasn't a betrayal. But just as Ryuuen hadn't truly betrayed Katsuragi, everyone still felt a sense of unease.

"Koenji filled in a name at random because he didn't want to participate in the exam… what a hassle," Horikita sighed.

She genuinely seemed to believe that Koenji had acted recklessly. And it wasn't just her—almost everyone in Class D thought the same. No one believed that anyone could identify the "preferred" student on the first day.

But those foolish enough to dismiss Koenji's actions were overlooking something important. If he truly wanted to avoid wasting time on the exam, he could have ended it during the first discussion—or even right after receiving the text about the "preferred" student.

"Aha, so it was him, huh? Well, that explains it," Ichinose laughed weakly, clearly familiar with Koenji's notorious reputation as a free spirit, unbound by any rules.

Hmm… Ending things here doesn't feel quite right, Hikigaya thought to himself. He had brought up the subject not just because he couldn't stand seeing honest students get bullied, but also because he had his sights set on the Rabbit Group.

If his hunch was correct, the "preferred" student in that group was Class D's Kei Karuizawa. Of course, Hikigaya couldn't reveal this to Ichinose directly, but he intended to subtly bolster her resolve.

Once everyone left the Dragon Group's room, they dispersed and headed back to their quarters. Hikigaya purposely lingered behind and then called out, "Ichinose, Kanzaki, could I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure," Ichinose replied, a bit surprised that Hikigaya had initiated a conversation. Kanzaki, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, staring blankly into space.

That's unusual, Hikigaya noted, but decided not to pry. As long as Ichinose could answer, that was enough.

"What kind of discussions have you been having in your group?" he asked, adding quickly, "Of course, if it's something you'd rather not share, that's fine. I'm just curious."

"Oh, it's nothing confidential," Ichinose smiled. "Mostly, we've been trying to figure out who the 'preferred' student might be. But everyone's been so cautious, not saying much. So, we ended up playing cards instead."

"I see… Trying to gauge your opponents' personalities through games, huh?" Hikigaya mused, stroking his chin.

"Haha, no, it was just to pass the time," Ichinose replied, though Hikigaya knew she was only half-joking. She was the type to give her all for her class, so she wouldn't waste time on something meaningless.

"What about you, Hikigaya-kun? I'm curious about what the members of the Rooster Group have been up to."

"…Haven't you heard anything from your classmates?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled.

"Nope," Ichinose shook her head. "I feel like this exam is something each person has to handle on their own, so I didn't want to interfere with their thoughts or decisions."

That response was so… typically her, Hikigaya thought. Ichinose wasn't lying; with the affection she commanded in her class, she didn't need Ryuuen's tactics to understand what was going on. But precisely because she respected her classmates, she deliberately avoided being too involved.

Hikigaya sighed inwardly. Ichinose was probably a lot like Hirata—she wouldn't issue orders, but if someone sought her advice, she'd offer it.

"Our group mostly just daydreamed. Nobody had much motivation," Hikigaya said, concealing the fact that he was the main cause of the group's lackluster effort.

"Yeah, that's understandable with you in the mix," Ichinose chuckled.

"…Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Of course it is!"

Though she praised him, Hikigaya didn't feel any joy from it. Whatever, time to get to the point.

"By the way, Ichinose," Hikigaya suddenly called her name, his voice dropping low enough for only her and Kanzaki to hear, "The 'preferred' student in the Monkey Group… it's Chihiro, isn't it?"

Ichinose froze for a moment before scratching the back of her head with a wry smile. Kanzaki, who seemed to have snapped out of his daze, silently observed the exchange.

"Haha, well, even if you ask me…"

"You don't need to answer," Hikigaya interrupted. "I just wanted to share that with you."

"…I see."

If Chihiro and Ichinose were close, Chihiro would have surely shared her identity as the "preferred" student. Hopefully, this information would give Ichinose the push she needed to secure a victory.

Returning to his room on the third floor, Hikigaya had just sat down on his bed when his phone buzzed with a message. It was from Kushida, asking to meet at the café on the basement level at midnight.

…Seriously? Hikigaya doubted this was some romantic encounter; it was more likely she wanted to vent her frustrations. This exam wasn't easy—Kushida not only had to manage her group but also field concerns from her classmates. The pressure was undoubtedly mounting, especially considering… that.

Sigh… might as well go, Hikigaya thought, resigning himself to the meeting. He had some things to clarify with Kushida anyway.

It was still early, not even ten o'clock, so he decided to take a nap before the meeting.

---

"Ah! That damn Horikita is so infuriating! No matter what I say during discussions, she always contradicts me! Why doesn't she just drop dead already!"

As Hikigaya had predicted, the moment he sat down at the café, Kushida unleashed her fury.

"And everyone else keeps praising her, saying how amazing Horikita is! It's so annoying! Are they blind or just brain-dead?"

Not only did she badmouth Horikita, but she also didn't spare her classmates from her rant, occasionally kicking Hikigaya's shin in frustration—it stung a bit.

"Sigh…"

Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by Kushida.

"What's that for? We haven't even been talking for ten minutes, and you're already giving up?"

"Please don't phrase it like that—it sounds wrong… I just feel like you're more agitated than usual," Hikigaya said, hesitating before voicing his thoughts.

"I'm not," Kushida replied, spreading her hands. "I still hate Horikita's fake attitude just as much as ever—it's still disgusting to the point of making me sick. Nothing's changed."

"No, the fact that you're emphasizing that point already says something."

"…What are you trying to say?" Kushida's voice turned icy as she glared at Hikigaya.

"I'm just wondering… What's bothering you?" Hikigaya asked, his expression neutral. "Is it the exam? Or is it something else?"

"I already told you! It's Horikita—" Kushida began to repeat herself, but Hikigaya cut her off.

"No, Horikita's always been like that. It's not enough to make you this agitated… or anxious."

"Ugh…" Kushida fell silent, the weight of Hikigaya's words pressing down on her.

After a long pause, she sighed deeply. "Haah… You see right through me… It's disgusting."

"That's a classic case of self-awareness overkill," Hikigaya pointed out, trying to be helpful.

"Shut up! Just listen quietly!"

Kushida snapped but then fell silent again.

Hikigaya waited patiently, not pushing her to speak.

"I… I…" She hesitated several times before finally admitting, "I'm the 'preferred' student in the Dragon Group… I already told Ryuuen."

"I see, that's why you're so… Wait, what?" Hikigaya was stunned mid-sentence.

Kushida… She just admitted it?

Hikigaya hadn't anticipated this turn of events, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Heh, I know what you're thinking," Kushida laughed self-deprecatingly. "You must find it unbelievable, right? But I had to do it, and it won't be the last time..."

"No, wait a minute."

Seeing that she was about to launch into a self-absorbed monologue, Hikigaya quickly interrupted.

"Uh... why did you just come out and say it?"

"Do you still find it hard to believe?"

"No, it's just that... how do I put this... your involvement with Ryuuen... I already knew about it."

To be more accurate, he had suspected it.

"...Huh?" Kushida was equally stunned.

This is troublesome.

Hikigaya had originally planned to expose Kushida and then rightfully declare his intention to stay out of the matter.

When it came to betraying the class, he was the most serious offender. More importantly, he didn't care at all about what happened to Class D; Kushida could stir up as much trouble as she wanted.

Of course, if things escalated to the point where she got expelled, that would simply be her own doing, with no one else to blame.

But he never expected Kushida to voluntarily confess... What could this mean?

Could it be... trust?

Impossible! Impossible!

Hikigaya was startled by his thoughts. His relationship with Kushida was twisted and bizarre from the start, built on lies from the very beginning.

In a relationship so full of falsehoods, how could there be trust?

That's right!

It's too early to jump to conclusions!

"Oh, so you already figured it out."

Kushida, who had regained her composure, didn't react much. She simply rested her head on the table, occasionally nudging Hikigaya's leg with her foot.

"If you knew, you should've said something earlier. I wasted so much effort... I guess that idiot Ryuuen must've slipped up somehow."

"...Is it okay for you to share such a big secret with me?" Hikigaya asked, perplexed.

Kushida's expression turned odd. "Why bother saying that now? You already know what kind of person I am."

"No, this time, you're betraying the class. Isn't that particularly serious?"

"It's not special at all. To me, it doesn't matter what's exposed—the outcome is the same."

It wasn't arrogance; Kushida genuinely believed that. She was as obsessive as ever.

"Sigh." Hikigaya sighed helplessly. "So you've decided to team up with Ryuuen to find an ally against Horikita?"

"Ah, I want to get Horikita expelled. That's the one thing I'll never change my mind about," Kushida said resolutely.

"That's fine, but I'd like to hear the reason."

"I've told you before, that girl and I went to the same middle school..."

"No, I want to hear the reason, not the excuse," Hikigaya cut her off. "You know deep down that Horikita doesn't care about you. Even if she had dirt on you, she wouldn't use it to threaten you. She might not even know about your past."

"...But you can't rule out the possibility, can you?"

Kushida still refused to reveal the truth.

Well, that's fine.

Since there's no trust between them, there's no need to—

"Hikigaya-kun... You're a special person, so you can't possibly understand how I feel."

Kushida suddenly spoke again.

This made Hikigaya, who had been about to stand up, sit back down.

"I'm nothing special."

"Enough with the act," Kushida said impatiently. "Do you think Ryuuen chose you as the intermediary for no reason? Why didn't he choose Horikita or me? It's because you have a value that no one else does!"

She almost shouted the last sentence.

"Do you know how much I envy you? I crave attention so much that I can't stand it. I want to be noticed so badly that it's unbearable. I want to be praised so desperately that it's agonizing. Only when I achieve those goals can I feel the height of my worth, and it feels amazing to be alive."

Kushida's voice was almost like a murmur, filled with a sense of delirium.

"But I know my limits. No matter how hard I study or train, I can't be number one. And being second or third won't satisfy me. So I thought I might as well do something that no one else could imitate. Then I discovered that I could be kinder than anyone, more approachable than anyone else."

Hikigaya had realized this months ago when he saw Kushida's true nature.

The kindness she showed was purely for self-satisfaction.

But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing; Hikigaya could at least understand that sentiment.

Being kind to others might sound easy, but it's incredibly difficult to actually do.

Just imagine having to smile even at someone like Yamauchi...

It's an unbelievably tough task!

"Thanks to that, I became a popular person." Kushida closed her eyes slightly as if reminiscing. "Both boys and girls liked me. I felt the joy of being relied upon and trusted. My elementary and middle school years were so much fun, which is why I can't tolerate Horikita's existence. That woman threatens my way of life."

"I see... Thank you for telling me all this."

Even as he spoke, Hikigaya knew that Kushida still hadn't revealed the whole truth.

Maybe he should give her a push... Should he do that?

"No, I should be the one thanking you."

Kushida smiled—a genuine smile, not the fake one she usually showed.

"Back then, it was really tough. The pressure kept building up every day, and I felt like I was going to go bald. Sometimes, I'd get so frustrated that I'd pull out my hair or vomit. I thought I'd face the same situation here, too. At first, I could only relieve the stress by cursing, but then I met you... and you know the rest."

"...Yeah, I know."

Hikigaya exhaled deeply, as if making some kind of decision.

"I understand now why you're so determined to get rid of Horikita."

"Heh, as long as you understand."

Kushida's expression reverted to that fake smile as she said firmly, "I love being respected and admired by everyone. That's my reason for living. So, even the slightest chance that Horikita might know about my past is unacceptable..."

"No, like I said, that's just an excuse," Hikigaya interrupted her. "You're not trying to get rid of Horikita because of such a trivial reason. You're doing it for an even more trivial reason."

Ignoring her glare, he bluntly stated his conclusion.

"All this talk about your dark history is just you making excuses. The truth is, you simply hate Horikita. That's all there is to it."