COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

Hikigaya firmly demanded that Ryuen report the matter to the school. Strangely enough, the same Ryuen who had been shouting about making a big deal out of it and escalating the issue for the school to review suddenly changed his attitude. 

His sudden shift in behavior naturally raised suspicions. When Horikita first saw Hikigaya, she felt like a drowning person who had just grabbed a life preserver. But in the next second, Hikigaya's actions and words felt like he had heartlessly kicked her away right after she had grabbed hold of it, filling her with despair. 

So, no one was actually coming to save her… 

But now, Horikita realized that he wasn't abandoning her—he was making her learn how to save herself. 

Compared to when she had been misled by Ryuen and couldn't see the full picture, Horikita was now gradually piecing everything together. 

"The student council president is here, and so is a teacher. Since Class C believes this incident is Class D's fault, you can report it right now and have the school review it. Isn't that exactly what you wanted? What happened to all that confidence you had earlier?" 

Hikigaya didn't care about the dark expression on Ryuen's face and slowly walked over to Kinoshita Minori. 

"Kinoshita, your foot must hurt a lot right now. You must be full of anger toward the person who hurt you. After all, you were a strong candidate for the track team. Judging by your injury, you'll need at least a month or two of rest, and there's no telling if there will be any lasting effects. That must be really frustrating for you." 

Kinoshita bit her lip and lowered her head. Hikigaya's words seemed to hit her right where it hurt the most. 

"That's why I completely support you in speaking up for yourself. The student council will absolutely ensure justice is served—any necessary punishments and compensation won't be overlooked. Of course, that's assuming this incident was a premeditated attack." 

But then, Hikigaya's tone suddenly changed. 

"However, I also have a duty to remind you of something—lying and making false accusations are serious matters. If you're caught, the consequences will be severe. Maybe it wouldn't go as far as expulsion, but… it would definitely be a huge obstacle in your future career plans." 

"Of course, I'm just laying out the risks so you can make an informed decision. So, Kinoshita, what's your choice?" 

"Hey, dead-fish eyes, this is a Class C matter—" 

Ryuen spoke with an annoyed expression. 

"Shut up!" 

Hikigaya turned around and glared coldly at Ryuen. 

"I wasn't asking you." 

"You little—" 

Ryuen was furious at Hikigaya's dismissive attitude. He clenched his fist as if he was ready to start a fight. 

"First-years, watch your words." 

Horikita Manabu, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke. He had been so quiet that he almost seemed like a bystander, but now his words made Ryuen freeze in place. Even though it was just a short sentence, it was clearly a warning. 

If Ryuen made a move in front of the student council president, no matter what excuse he had, he wouldn't be able to get away with it. 

That one sentence was enough to intimidate even someone like Ryuen, who didn't even care about teachers. 

"I… I…" 

Kinoshita looked up at Ryuen. He looked like a beast ready to tear someone apart, and being stared at by him felt like she could be devoured at any moment. 

But when she thought about Hikigaya's words, she realized that compared to this beast, he was even scarier—like a black hole. 

One was fear of strong. The other was the fear of the unknown. 

"I… I don't know." 

Kinoshita curled up tightly, like a wounded rabbit filled with helplessness and unease. 

"Alright then. You're injured, and what you need right now is rest. So just focus on recovering for now." 

At that moment, a girl hurried over to the doorway. 

"Hiyori, please take care of Kinoshita."

Hikigaya spoke to the girl at the door. 

It was Hiyori. She first glanced at Ryuen, who looked like he had just swallowed a fly, then at Kinya, who was sitting in a wheelchair, filled with fear and anxiety. After that, she gave Hikigaya a small nod and prepared to take Kinya away. 

"Hey, Hiyori, do you even understand your position?" 

Hiyori didn't turn back. With her back facing Ryuen, her tone was surprisingly cold. "Right now, all I know is that Kinoshita needs a quiet place to rest, not to be put on display like a tool. And before we talk about positions, shouldn't we first talk about what's right and wrong?" 

With that, Hiyori ignored Ryuen, whose face had darkened, and left with Kinoshita. 

Bang! 

Suddenly, Ryuen kicked over a nearby chair, then strode up to Hikigaya and stopped abruptly. His gaze was sharp and heavy as he stared at Hikigaya in silence before finally walking away. 

The moment Ryuen left, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief. Horikita, in particular, felt like she had just escaped from a deep pit. 

"Hey, Horikita." 

A lunchbox was suddenly handed to her. 

"I got this for you. Didn't expect things to go south so fast while I was gone." 

Hikigaya held a plastic bag in his hand and continued, "Looks like that idiot king has set his sights on you. Be careful from now on." 

"I… I…" 

Horikita bit her lip in shame. This time, she had really messed up. If Hikigaya hadn't stepped in, she might have fallen right into Ryuen's trap, and there would've been no way out. 

"Some things aren't as simple as you think. The more you assume, the easier it is to fall into someone else's trap. After this, I'm sure you've figured out where you went wrong." 

Horikita looked up at Hikigaya, her eyes filled with complicated emotions. 

It was true. Without Hikigaya stepping in, she never would have noticed Ryuen's real plan. 

Even if this situation had been reported to the school, the likely outcome would have been a "settlement." Even if she lost, the punishment might not have been severe. But Ryuen wasn't after punishment itself—he was using the situation to shake Horikita's confidence and make her hesitate. 

In other words, he had targeted her biggest weakness: her unwillingness to drag others down, especially her brother. That was how he had tried to pressure her into submission. He knew Horikita had a strong sense of pride, which is why he crafted this plan. 

On the surface, it looked like he was using Kinoshita to frame her, but in reality, it was all about exploiting her mental weaknesses to break her down step by step. 

Horikita hadn't realized this and ended up playing right into his hands. But Hikigaya had seen through it and flipped the situation on its head. 

Since Ryuen wanted to use Horikita's weakness, Hikigaya decided to "help" him with that. If Ryuen wanted to make a big deal out of this, Hikigaya would help him blow it up even more. 

By doing so, he backed Ryuen into a corner, forcing him into a situation where he had no choice but to retreat. That was how Horikita finally saw through Ryuen's scheme. 

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