Chapter 38: Hush Money
"You there, how long are you going to hide?"
Horikita Manabu's voice interrupted the quiet conversation between the two. Hikigaya cast an inquiring look at Yukinoshita.
After a few seconds of thought, an apologetic look appeared in Yukinoshita's azure eyes. She motioned with her hand for Hikigaya to leave first, then prepared to step out from around the corner.
"Well, don't hang up the phone just yet... I'm a little tired from running. I'll rest here for a bit."
Seeing that Yukinoshita was ready to step out and confront them now that she'd been discovered, Hikigaya sighed softly.
Just in case, he didn't hang up the phone, but waved his cell phone at Yukinoshita, leaned his back against the wall, minimized his presence as much as possible, and waited quietly in place.
"Is that so... I understand."
Although surprised by Hikigaya's action, Yukinoshita gently nodded. Under the gaze of the Horikita siblings and Ayanokouji, she stepped out with an indifferent expression.
"It's Yukinoshita-san..." Horikita Manabu gently pushed up his glasses, immediately recognizing the girl who had been to the Student Council twice.
Yukinoshita didn't reply.
Instead, she first looked at the central figure who triggered the dispute—the black-haired girl hiding behind Horikita Manabu. She had waist-length black hair, with a bow and a long braid on the right side. If one had keen observational skills, one could see that her facial features resembled Horikita Manabu's. At the moment, her narrow, fox-like eyes were slightly teary, making her look somewhat timid.
Yukinoshita had seen this girl in the library last Saturday afternoon. The girl was holding a study session with the brown-haired boy named "Ayanokouji," and she seemed to have had an argument with her classmates.
At that time, she was radiating an aura of "don't talk to me," keeping people at a distance, and she openly showed contempt for her classmates with poor academic ability, giving the impression of a bristled... hedgehog.
Yukinoshita cast a sharp gaze at Horikita Manabu: "Horikita-senpai, you emphasized in the Student Council office before that we should lead by example and avoid bringing shame to the Student Council... However, as the Student Council President, you specifically resorted to violence against another person at this time, in this place with no cameras. Doesn't this violate the Student Council's code of conduct? If the news of the Student Council President
deliberately committing violence against a first-year student were to spread, it would not only affect the school's and students' assessment of you, but it's not impossible for you to be disciplined or even expelled."
Although Yukinoshita spoke respectfully to Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President, everyone present could hear the sarcasm. Upon hearing Yukinoshita's words, Horikita Manabu hadn't spoken yet, but his sister appeared visibly shaken.
Horikita Manabu glanced at Yukinoshita's phone, which was still on a call: "It seems you came prepared... Well then, how much do you want for the hush money?"
"...No, I just need a few small favors from you, President Horikita."
Yukinoshita and Horikita Manabu walked away to talk privately for a while and successfully reached an agreement. Then, she sent a text message to Hikigaya waiting around the corner, bought two bottles of juice from the self-serve beverage machine, and then walked away without looking back, ignoring the conversation between the Horikita siblings and Ayanokouji behind her.
.
.
.
"Hikigaya-kun, I remember you didn't participate in the online discussion last night, so why do you look tired all day today?"
In the Class A classroom, Sakayanagi looked at the sleepy-eyed Hikigaya and asked curiously.
"Well, you know, I did glance at those actual exam questions last night..." Hikigaya stammered out an excuse.
"Is that so... Hikigaya-kun is quite serious. Speaking of the actual exam questions, President Horikita agreed to block the news about past exam papers and also promised to crack down on the buying and selling of actual exam questions... That was truly unexpected. I was already preparing the points to go talk to President Horikita."
Sakayanagi only realized she had overlooked the third-year students when she was discussing with Yukinoshita last night. She originally planned to use points to get Horikita Manabu to block the information, but when she came to school today and discussed it with Yukinoshita-san, she said she had already persuaded President Horikita.
"Yes, I... reached an agreement with President Horikita," Yukinoshita nodded but didn't elaborate.
In fact, besides the agreement, Horikita Manabu also provided Yukinoshita with 500,000 points, saying it was for insurance. Yukinoshita originally wanted to split half with Hikigaya. After discussing for a few minutes, Hikigaya eventually only took 30%.
In any case, the two of them had received the "hush money" and naturally couldn't reveal what happened yesterday.
"I see... We owe a lot to Yukinoshita-san's help." Seeing that Yukinoshita was unwilling to say more, Sakayanagi didn't press. Instead, she turned to Hikigaya: "Well then, Hikigaya-kun, you haven't forgotten about our work, have you?"
'I don't want to hear it. I absolutely do not want to hear that word.'
I should preemptively state my unwillingness to work.
"Work, huh... Sakayanagi-san, actually, I have a disease where I'll die if I work..." Hearing Sakayanagi's words, Hikigaya began to desperately try to escape the task.
"Hikigaya-kun, I've never heard of such a disease. Could it be... that you made it up?"
Sakayanagi-san actually refuted him so seriously. Does that mean she's never watched One Piece?
Seeing Hikigaya's surprised look, Sakayanagi asked with some confusion: "What's wrong, Hikigaya-kun? Is there something on my face?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Sakayanagi-san, don't worry about this man's words. He has no human rights anyway, just force him to help."
'It seems the Japanese Constitution doesn't apply to me. What kind of black company is this?'
"...Um, Sakayanagi-san, how about we hand the negotiation with Class C over to Katsuragi-kun's side?" Seeing that the work was about to fall on him, Hikigaya, in a flash of desperate inspiration, decided to pass the buck again.
'That's right, kick the ball away first. Don't worry about whose hands it ends up in, as long as it's not mine.'
As long as he's not the last one who has to do the work, he's definitely the winner; it's just a matter of how much he wins. If there isn't a bigger idiot willing to put in the effort to be his "successor," then he becomes the biggest slave. This is the "Biggest Company Slave" theory that Hachiman believes in.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you think I can't secure a contract with Class C?" Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes, seemingly feeling underestimated.
"H-How could you think that? I just figured since Sakayanagi-san said she can do it, I shouldn't interfere," Hikigaya quickly denied, scrutinized by Sakayanagi's gaze.
Yukinoshita propped her chin, assessed Hikigaya, and then said, as if she had reached an important conclusion: "Indeed... If you went, Hikigaya-kun, the results might have been different."
"Hey!"
"However, Hikigaya-kun's suggestion is indeed viable, and it's also an opportunity to test the loyalty of the Katsuragi faction..." Ignoring the bickering between Yukinoshita and Hikigaya, Sakayanagi slightly lowered her head, muttering to herself while thinking.
'Did Sakayanagi-san just say words like "test" and "loyalty"? Does this person actually see herself as a princess? Or the kind involved in court struggles?'
"Fine, we'll follow Hikigaya-kun's suggestion and let Katsuragi-kun handle this matter."
'Yay! No work! Long live Princess Sakayanagi!'
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