After finally making even a tiny bit of progress on the cross-grade team-up special exam, Matsushita and Horikita's mindset became a little more positive.
They started running into Nanase a lot—at the cafeteria, the library, and pretty much anywhere they could corner her.
Because they'd realized something: Right now, the most suitable ally for Second-year Class D was First-year Class D.
First, both classes were "Class D" by position—naturally sharing that same drive to climb upward together. Second, the two sides could complement each other.
The top students on both sides could pair up with the other side's weaker students, making it easier to clear the exam without paying a massive price.
So they kept trying to negotiate with Nanase.
Compared to Housen—an impossible brute—Nanase looked like the kind of serious, proper person you could actually talk to.
And Nanase was easy to talk to. She stated, properly and plainly, that cooperation between the two Class Ds was the best approach.
But right after that, she'd repeatedly deflect.
She said she couldn't make decisions for First-year Class D. Even though Housen had been beaten badly by Yukio and his prestige had dropped, he still held the class firmly together through raw violence.
No matter how unhappy the class members were… they couldn't beat Housen.
In the end, there was no choice.
They had to go through Nanase and set up a meeting with Housen—an actual negotiation about the two Class Ds cooperating to clear the special exam.
During this period, Matsushita and Horikita approached Nanase at least several more times. And before they realized it, time slipped into May.
That night, in a certain café, when Horikita met up with Matsushita, Matsushita gave Horikita a surprised look—then glanced at the classmate following behind her: Ayanokouji.
Matsushita had vaguely noticed Ayanokouji wasn't simple. But since Horikita brought him along, it meant he had the ability needed here.
Besides, ever since last year, Ayanokouji had been trending toward the role of Horikita's helper, so Matsushita didn't really have the standing to say anything.
Soon, the agreed time arrived.
Housen walked in with that same cocky, swaggering gait—but his nose still had a medicated patch on it, making him look downright ridiculous.
Nanase followed behind him step by step, looking extremely proper.
"Tch. Nanase kept yapping nonstop… so it was you guys." Housen didn't care about their feelings at all. His tone was dripping with contempt. "In the end, you seniors still have to bow your heads and beg us first-years, huh?"
Unfortunately for him, Horikita, Matsushita, and Ayanokouji weren't the type to get angry or impulsive.
Faced with Housen's deliberate provocation, Horikita stayed icy, Matsushita maintained a polite smile like she'd auto-filtered his words out, and Ayanokouji was even simpler—his poker face didn't shift at all.
"No need to waste time with pointless words." Horikita didn't bite. She stared at Housen coldly. "Housen—back at the start of the school year, the reason you came to pick a fight… wasn't it because you also wanted to cooperate with our Class D?"
"If you were truly just a mindless brute looking to vent violence—short-sighted and stupid enough to offend upperclassmen everywhere—wouldn't it have been better to pick a fight with Second-year Class A instead? Wouldn't that have been a better way to spread your reputation as a delinquent?"
It was a perfectly reasonable inference.
If Housen really was that stupid and arrogant—just blindly not knowing his place—then why target Second-year Class D specifically?
Picking on Class A would bring even more fame.
Which could only mean one thing: from the beginning, he'd come to probe Second-year Class D, to observe whether cooperation was worthwhile.
At that point, Horikita and Matsushita exchanged a knowing look. This was the conclusion they'd reached together—there was no way it was wrong.
They just didn't know about Tsukishiro's secret evaluation assigned to a small group of first-years.
Housen snorted in disdain. "That's it? No way. You dragged me here just to say something that pointless?"
"I go wherever I feel like going. I don't need a reason."
"You can analyze all you want—it's useless. I picked a fight that day because I felt like it! Got it, you stupid seniors?"
Horikita's face stiffened. She felt, deeply, that this underclassman was impossible to communicate with.
Matsushita stepped in at that moment. "But Housen-kun, you understand this too, right? The other three classes in second year and the other three classes in first year have basically all found partners already."
"If you don't team up with us… then who exactly can your entire class go to next?"
"Why would I need to find anyone?" Housen acted like a king, arms spread across the café chair, one leg crossed and swinging lazily. "The school will auto-assign after the time limit. Worst case, some idiots in my class won't get private points for three months, that's all."
"It's not like second-years—where it's as serious as getting expelled."
This is bad.
That was the same thought in both Horikita and Matsushita's minds.
The scariest thing was a first-year using this kind of shameless, deadbeat strategy. This special exam was massively favorable to first-years, and massively unfavorable to second-years.
Still, the negotiation had to continue.
Matsushita pushed forward, trying to win something for their class.
"But Housen-kun, you need to understand: this is only the first special exam after you enrolled."
"This time, first-years have a slight advantage. But what about the next time? And the time after that? Who can guarantee the school will 'take care' of first-years every single time?"
"I can tell you some information—though you might also hear it from Ichinose's class. Special exams don't happen just once. There are quite a few cases where all three grades get mixed into the same special exam."
"When that happens, if your class only cares about immediate profit and ends up at a disadvantage… no one will reach out a hand to save you."
"Instead of being helpless when you need help later, it's better that our two classes become each other's support right now. In this special exam, you help us. Then if First-year Class D runs into trouble in the next exam, our Second-year Class D will help you too."
"Don't make me laugh!" Housen slapped the table, drawing glares from other customers. But seeing his gorilla build, no one dared complain outright.
Facing Matsushita's argument, Housen just grinned.
"Come on. We're not kids. Sure, senpai's got a point… but do you really think I'm gonna believe you unconditionally just because you flap your mouth and say you'll help next time? Huh?"
"People like me—what I trust the least is verbal promises. So how about this: if you really want to cooperate, send me a two-million private points deposit first."
"Next special exam, if our First-year Class D actually runs into something and needs help from you… I'll return the two million. How's that? That'll prove sincerity. For you second-years, that shouldn't be hard, right?"
Horikita and Matsushita's expressions grew heavy almost at the same time.
They were starting to realize it—this guy had zero intention of cooperating.
Their initial judgment might have been wrong. A two-million deposit sounded "reasonable," but what if Housen took it and spent it?
Even if they signed a school contract to restrict it…
If later it was someone else in First-year Class D—like Nanase—who ran into trouble, would Housen really return two million to save Nanase?
There was no way.
Housen was the type who acted only for his own benefit—he'd never sacrifice for someone else.
Which meant it ran completely counter to Horikita and Matsushita's plan of mutual support between the two Class Ds.
In other words—Housen had no sincerity at all.
This negotiation was basically a failure.