Chapter 144: We Are All Sinners
The usually gentle and refined Hirata suddenly took such an action, and the group of girls in the class who always just watched the drama all showed expressions of disbelief. Even Chabashira frowned deeply.
"Shut up, just shut up!"
"I've long been disgusted by you repulsive, ugly people."
"The rights of the class members are equal. We have no right to judge others."
"If someone must be expelled, then expel me. Expel me! I've long wanted to leave you all!"
"You people have no idea how exhausting it is to keep serving you like this!"
"Protecting me brings you no benefit. To be honest, I'm already tired of being with you. Selfish, scheming, and losing faith in this class, so, let's end it. Let's be freed."
Although his tone was the same as usual, his words were chillingly cruel and heartless.
In the corner, one person loudly voiced agreement.
To tell the truth, in a situation like this, few people wouldn't be frightened.
Even Hikigaya, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, broke into a cold sweat at the sight of this side of Hirata.
But the result wasn't going to change no matter what happened.
Horikita had clearly been startled as well, but she didn't back down. True to her nature, she straightened her back and spoke calmly.
"If that's truly what you think, I have no objections. However…"
Horikita took out a USB drive, the one that had once belonged to the recording device exchanged between Karuizawa and Hirata.
That recording had been kept by Hikigaya, who had been waiting precisely for this moment.
A requested Hirata would definitely act for Yamauchi's sake, Hikigaya had predicted that much.
And if they wanted everyone to firmly vote for Yamauchi's expulsion, this was the killing move.
No one stopped Horikita, not even Chabashira, who stepped down from the podium. Horikita's eyes were firm.
"I told you, I wouldn't let you be expelled."
"Hirata, you deceived me! You actually told them everything!"
"No, it wasn't me! I didn't say anything!"
"...."
The recording continued to play. The voices in it were unmistakably Hirata's and Yamauchi's.
By the time it ended, the truth was laid bare.
The two of them had thought they could hide it from everyone, but somehow, it had already leaked.
At that moment, Yamauchi collapsed powerlessly into his seat, glaring resentfully at Hirata.
Hirata himself was dumbfounded. He never expected Horikita to have obtained the recording.
Horikita returned to the podium.
"This is the truth. Hirata, you knew all of this but still chose to conceal it."
"Perhaps we can't completely blame Hirata. But Yamauchi… the evidence against you now stands."
"Does anyone else have any questions?"
The atmosphere in the classroom was the complete opposite of what it had been earlier. Now, only silence remained.
Everyone seemed to have already made up their minds about who to vote for in this special exam, yet no one spoke.
Yamauchi broke the silence, "This is fake! It has to be! You spliced that audio together afterward! Heh, Horikita, did you really think this would scare me?"
Horikita's expression was cold, as if she no longer wished to waste even a single word on the boy before her.
"Real or fake, you'll find out soon enough."
Sensing that the atmosphere in the classroom had shifted against him, Yamauchi hurriedly spoke up, trying to rally the others: "L-let's all vote Hirata out instead! Think about it, he's already lost faith in us! He wants to leave, doesn't he?!"
No one responded. He stood there like an idiot, frozen.
Hikigaya already knew the outcome. From the moment he'd withdrawn from the group's discussions, the result had been sealed.
So…
When Chabashira announced the restart of the exam, all eyes turned toward the stage. The long-awaited vote was finally about to begin.
At the same time, similar scenes were unfolding in the other classes.
Following the school's orders, all discussions were halted. Since this was only a voting exam, everyone merely had to write down a few names, it didn't take long. The students sat quietly, waiting for the result.
But one person was visibly different: Yamauchi. His legs were shaking uncontrollably. Even someone as foolish as him could sense what was coming.
And perhaps there was one more, Hirata, who had earlier flown into a rage. Now, unable to accept reality, he wrote Horikita's name on his slip of paper.
Everyone was tense except Kōenji.
From beginning to end, Kōenji had never been involved. He casually wrote two names, then propped his feet up on his desk, an attitude so arrogant that even his classmates couldn't help but glare.
Of course, Kōenji's target was only one person.
"It seems there's no need to be nervous. From my point of view, your defeat is already decided. Most of the class has written your name down."
Yamauchi trembled even harder at those words.
At this point, it seemed that all of the class's resentment had been concentrated solely on him. Feeling that suffocating tension, Hirata let out another weary sigh.
If it could all just end like this, that would be best.
Once again, Hirata stood up and spoke calmly: "I will never let one of my classmates be expelled. No matter what."
Yamauchi looked at Hirata with deep emotion, while the others, having finished filling out their papers, all turned their eyes toward him.
"I know he did wrong," Hirata continued. "Even so, I won't abandon him. Not just him, no matter who it is this time, I won't abandon them. You can call me twisted, but I simply can't bear to see him leave."
Hirata's words were sincere. But they could no longer move Class C.
Hirata sighed again, "No matter how you feel about Yamauchi, it doesn't matter. I'll protect him. The moment I promised him, I already contacted the other three classes. I arranged for him to receive a large number of praise votes. I'm sorry for acting without permission like this. But… with so many praise votes from three classes, Yamauchi absolutely won't be expelled. So please, reconsider. Expel me instead. I'm begging you."
After saying that, Hirata bowed deeply to everyone.
Yamauchi was moved to tears, having believed just moments ago that Hirata had betrayed him by revealing the secret to Horikita.
He laughed idiotically, "Hahaha! You hear that? I'm not getting expelled!"
Kōenji smirked, "Some people are already standing at death's door and still have no idea how dire their situation is."
Without hesitation, Kōenji handed in his paper. The others, however, seemed unmoved by Hirata's words.
Hikigaya looked at Yamauchi's stupid grin and could only shake his head helplessly before submitting his own paper.
"W-what did you say, Kōenji? Don't think I don't know you, you're all talk! What gives you the right to say that about me?!"
Kōenji flicked his hair, "My affairs don't concern you. Rather, you should be worrying about whether you'll actually receive those praise votes you're counting on."
"Yeah," Yamauchi sneered. "No matter what I say, no matter what Hirata says, you people won't change your minds. But… as long as I get enough praise votes, I'll stay!"
Kōenji smiled lazily, "Oh? How amusing. You sound confident, but your heart is trembling. Be honest, you don't actually believe those votes will go to you, do you?"
"The basics of negotiation require a formal contract, at least. You didn't do that. Neither did Hirata. So I really don't think…"
"Enough!"
Yamauchi slammed the desk, shouting furiously, cutting off Kōenji's words. His veins bulged as if ready to burst.
But, Chabashira, having finished tallying the results, walked back into the classroom from the front door, stopping the chaos in its tracks.
She said nothing unnecessary, arms crossed, expression calm.
"First, I'll announce the top three in praise votes."
"Third place: Horikita Suzune."
A few of the smarter Class C students, aware that Hirata might cause trouble, had anticipated such a result and voted for her. It made sense, Horikita truly deserved that recognition.
Hikigaya listened absentmindedly as Chabashira read out the names, glancing at the girl beside him.
She's been improving all along. It's only natural she earned everyone's praise. After all, her efforts have been visible to everyone.
"Second place," Chabashira continued, "Hirata Yōsuke."
Upon hearing this, Hirata's last trace of hope vanished. He closed his eyes softly, and a single tear slid down his cheek.
He felt no joy in this result, because whether or not Yamauchi was first, it meant someone from their class would still be expelled.
So many people didn't believe Hirata's words earlier. They probably thought he was just emotional. The image of the kind, honest Hirata is already deeply imprinted in their minds.
Besides, if he were to leave, Class C would only sink deeper into chaos. This outcome isn't surprising.
For Class C, it was natural that these two names appeared at the top. Either could have taken first place.
Then… who is first?
Hikigaya wondered. Not just him, the entire class grew tense.
If Yamauchi was really first, then an innocent student would be expelled.
None of them wanted that.
Even Horikita's hands were clenched tight now, clearly, she too had no confidence in what was coming.
It could be said that only Kōenji remained perfectly composed.
Yamauchi stammered, "F-first place… it has to be me!"
Chabashira didn't rush to read the name. When she finally looked at it, her face showed both inevitability and mild surprise, followed by a faint, calm smile.
That expression alone startled the class.
"First place: Hikigaya Hachiman."
"After deducting negative votes, the final total is 123 points."
"….."
Silence.
Then, an explosion of chatter started.
"W-what? 123 votes?!"
"Wait, how many people are even in our grade again? I didn't vote for him!"
"No way, something's wrong! I mean, I don't mind, but still....!"
"I didn't vote for him either! This doesn't make sense!"
"sensei, there must be some mistake!"
Chabashira's expression turned stern, "These are the final results, tallied by all faculty. There is no mistake."
To most of the class, it was pure shock.
But to Yamauchi, it was the death sentence.
He collapsed limply into his chair, muttering madly: "There's a conspiracy! This school, it's unfair to me!"
Even Hikigaya's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably.
He'd done the math. 123 positive votes meant he'd received nearly all the votes from the other three classes, plus some from his own.
No need to guess, it must've been Sakura and the others.
But still, that number was terrifying. Even Horikita looked shaken; she hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
The problem was, he hadn't done anything. Why would he get so many votes, from the entire year, no less?
In the end, all he could do was give a helpless smile.
From start to finish, only Kōenji remained as relaxed as ever, as though everything had gone exactly as he'd foreseen.
After the announcement of the praise votes came the reveal of the top three negative vote counts.
Chabashira shook her head regretfully.
"Third place: Ike Kanji, -10 votes."
"Second place: Sotomura Hideo, -13 votes."
"First place: Yamauchi Haruki, -33 votes."
With an overwhelming margin, Yamauchi completely crushed the other two students with negative votes. Yet, at that moment, he still didn't seem to understand what was happening, only mumbling over and over again: "Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! How could I possibly be expelled by this garbage school and its garbage exams?! I'll appeal this!"
"You're all corrupt! There's definitely a conspiracy! I don't believe it!"
No matter what he said, no one responded to him anymore. Everyone had already treated him as trash. Chabashira didn't waste words either; she simply walked over and tried to pull him out of the classroom.
Since the expulsion had already been confirmed, there was nothing left to say.
But as soon as she reached out, Yamauchi violently shook off her hand. Even faced with a sensei, he could no longer accept the reality before him.
Chabashira's gaze turned cold as she stood before him and said: "The result is final. You are no longer a member of this class."
Yamauchi's face was bright red, completely overtaken by rage. He shouted incoherently, "Damn it! Damn it! Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Hirata, what the hell?! Didn't you say they'd all vote to give me praise points?!"
"You liars! You're all liars! With people like you, there's no way you'll ever make it to Class A! You're all worthless trash! How dare you deceive me, every single one of you!"
"Unforgivable! I'll never accept this result!"
Chabashira could only shake her head helplessly and replied calmly, "Go now. You should begin the withdrawal procedures."
Kōenji didn't even glance back at Yamauchi. Instead, he spoke aloud for everyone to hear: "Honestly, you're nothing but an ugly insect. Your story might qualify as a tragedy, but you yourself are an irredeemable piece of garbage. How disgusting."
Kōenji's provocation completely ignited the already furious Yamauchi. Before anyone could even react, he grabbed his chair with all his strength and hurled it directly at Kōenji's head.
Bang!
However, Kōenji didn't even bother to turn his head. With one hand, he caught the chair midair with ease. His movements were smooth and elegant, but in Yamauchi's eyes, it was nothing but an act of pure mockery.
Ignoring the enormous difference in their abilities and physical strength, Yamauchi lost all sense of reason. He charged at Kōenji like a raging demon, roaring incoherently. Even Chabashira, who stood in front of him, was accidentally struck as he lunged forward.
Once again, faced with this rampaging demon, Kōenji didn't even look him in the eye. He simply set the chair down and, with just three fingers, stopped Yamauchi's full-force charge effortlessly.
"Sudo!"
Hikigaya, noticing that something was wrong, immediately shouted to the red-haired boy some distance away.
Sudo reacted instantly. The moment he heard Hikigaya's voice, he dashed forward.
In the next instant, Kōenji lifted Yamauchi off the ground with ease and, without hesitation, performed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.
At that moment, Yamauchi finally felt fear, perhaps, finally, he regretted everything he'd done. Regretted his own arrogance, and the foolishness of charging at Kōenji.
The massive gap in power became painfully clear, perhaps only now did he truly understand it.
Bang!
Just in time, thanks to Hikigaya's call, Sudo managed to rush over.
He didn't foolishly try to counter Kōenji's strength. Instead, he threw himself in between them, shielding Yamauchi with his own body and taking the full brunt of the fall.
As a result, nearly all the damage that should have hit Yamauchi was absorbed by Sudo. Even so, Sudo couldn't stand up for a while afterward.
Kōenji chuckled lightly. "Oh my, my apologies, Red-Haired Boy. I didn't notice you were there."
Sudo forced out a strained response, "I-it's fine…"
After all, with the whole class watching, as the athletic representative of Class C, he still had to maintain some dignity.
Yet, deep down, he understood perfectly, the gap between him and Kōenji was vast, an unreachable chasm. Thankfully, Hikigaya's timely shout and his own well-trained physique kept him from being seriously injured. Had Yamauchi been the one to take that fall, Sudo was certain the boy would've broken several bones.
Even Sudo couldn't help but feel admiration for Kōenji. Whether in academics or physical ability, Kōenji stood far above him. He once thought himself a naturally gifted athlete, born to play basketball, but now… he realized there were always higher mountains and greater people. He wasn't a genius, so he could never afford to stop learning.
Kōenji, instead of acting arrogant, reached out a hand to Sudo and pulled him up firmly. As for Yamauchi, he was trembling uncontrollably.
A puddle of yellow liquid slowly spread from his pants, the stench quickly filling the entire classroom. The arrogance in his eyes was gone, only pure terror remained.
Chabashira sighed helplessly. Since no one had been injured, she decided to pretend nothing had happened.
Still, figuring out how to deal with this disgraceful sight of Yamauchi was giving her a headache.
Even though she was a so-called "leftover woman", a sensei nearing thirty with no marriage prospects, that didn't mean she was immune to headaches like this.
Dragged along by Chabashira's disgusted expression, Yamauchi finally broke down completely. He burst into tears with a loud "Waaah!", leaving behind an ugly, shameful memory as the class's final impression of him.
Unless something unexpected happened, this would likely be the last time Hikigaya ever saw him.
Thus, Class C's special exam finally came to an end.
….
Ten minutes before.
In Class D.
Ryūen sat casually atop the podium, speaking in his usual indifferent tone. "Everyone, cast all your negative votes for me. Don't worry, I won't be expelled. No one in our class will leave. As for the praise votes, give them to Hikigaya from Class C. He probably won't be expelled anyway, but if he were to leave, this school would lose a lot of entertainment."
Meanwhile, in Class B, Ichinose was saying her final farewells to everyone. Starting today, she will officially become a member of Class C.
However, no matter when or where, if any of Class B's students ever had a problem, they would surely still come to her. After all, that was just the kind of kindhearted angel Ichinose was.
Kanzaki spoke with determination, "When our class points are high enough, we'll definitely bring you back! Definitely!"
Ichinose nodded firmly, tears brimming in her eyes.
Everyone else looked the same, eyes red and glistening, tears rolling down their cheeks. Some couldn't hold back anymore and cried openly, hugging Ichinose tightly.
Kanzaki continued, "As for the praise votes, after discussion, we decided to give them to Hikigaya. Over there, only he can really look out for you. And after hearing your story, I believe in his character too. So, he absolutely must not be expelled!"
Ichinose nodded again. She had no objections to this suggestion.
You could say that Classes B and D both managed to pass this exam in their own ways, and avoided any expulsions.
Finally, let's turn our attention toward Class A…
Sakayanagi, as usual, sat in her seat, simply smiling as she watched everyone.
And everyone waited for Sakayanagi's command.
Whether it was Katsuragi or Yahiko, with just a single order, they would vanish from this school.
Katsuragi himself realized it; he was about to leave, yet he offered no resistance.
It was just…
"All of Class A…"
"Votes for: Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Votes against: Hashimoto Masayoshi."
(End of this chapter)