Ryūen sneered, "Heh... Horikita from Class D?"
"If I remember correctly, the Student Council President's name is Manabu Horikita."
Kaneda Satoru calmly analyzed, "I see. So she came to this school following in the footsteps of someone close to her?"
"I came to this school of my own volition. It has nothing to do with that Student Council President." Suzune Horikita crossed her arms, unconsciously adopting a defensive posture as she tried to distance herself from the connection.
"It'd be best if that were the case."
Ignoring her words, Ryūen shifted his gaze to Hiyori Shiina, taunting with schadenfreude, "To make you say something like that... should I say that's just what I'd expect from Class D trash?"
"Say what you will, Ryūen, but your timing was pretty good." Symon glanced at Horikita and Ayanokōji, maintaining a safe distance, and spoke in a light, airy tone.
"Who do you think I am?" Ryūen scoffed, recognizing the implied praise in her words but showing no appreciation for it.
Seeing he had said as much, Symon gave him a nod, then turned and left, leaving the two who had popped up out of nowhere for Ryūen to deal with.
Watching "Hiyori Shiina" depart, Ryūen snapped his fingers in satisfaction and leaned down to look at Suzune Horikita. "Now, can you tell me why you stopped someone from my class?"
Suzune Horikita said coldly, "Before you speak to someone, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
Kakeru Ryūen scoffed, "So now you decide to remember your manners."
Seeing the delinquent before her mock her for her lack of manners, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Suzune Horikita's eyes, and for the first time, she began to doubt her own way of doing things.
However, the girl quickly composed herself, casting the thought aside and issuing a warning instead, "I heard what you said while I was looking for a book. If you're coveting the Student Council President's position, I will stop you."
"No need. I'll crush you before that happens. I'll crush your entire Class D."
Ryūen stated this calmly.
He had no interest in playing games with Class D, but if it was the Student Council President's sister, that was another matter entirely. It would be a good opportunity to see what the Student Council was made of.
As for why he wouldn't follow Manabu Horikita's wishes and investigate this so-called 'hostile force'—that was because if they thought he'd become an obedient lapdog just for the promise of a pie in the sky, they were severely underestimating him, Ryūen.
Meat that hasn't reached your mouth is never truly yours—he was well aware of this fact.
With that thought, Ryūen looked up towards the library entrance, confirmed that Hiyori Shiina was long gone, and only then waved for Kaneda to follow as he turned and left.
After the two had left, Suzune Horikita turned to Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, who had remained silent the entire time, and said, "I need to know about this 'Behavioral Standards Exam' they mentioned, and what the significance of getting to Class A is."
Ayanokōji's gaze was calm. "Are you asking me to investigate for you?"
"The 100,000 private points per month, the free items everywhere, Sudō being mocked as 'defective' in front of the convenience store, and what that girl said just now..."
At this point, Suzune Horikita met Ayanokōji's unfaltering eyes and said, "You're curious too, aren't you? About what this school is really hiding."
If I say I'm not interested now, she'll probably threaten me with a karate chop, Ayanokōji thought, and nodded.
"By Tuesday, I need to know everything," Horikita gave him a deadline.
"That's a pretty short timeframe... In return..."
As he spoke, Ayanokōji said in a calm tone, "Kushida-san asked me for a favor. She wants to get on good terms with you."
Suzune Horikita raised her hand for a chop, her gaze icy. "Is that why you've been following me all day?"
Kiyotaka Ayanokōji calmly rubbed his side where he'd been struck, his tone as impassive as ever. "That hurts a little."
It was impossible to tell if he was telling the truth or not.
——————————————
Meanwhile—
Far from the library, Hiyori Shiina, having regained control of her body, asked anxiously in her mind, "Mr. Ghost, are we just leaving like that?"
"Ryūen will handle it for us."
Symon's voice explained, "Saying that back then was my true intention, but I also wanted to test Ryūen's mettle and see if he'd step up when it mattered."
"The moment I left, we de facto formed a partnership. From now on, we'll help him analyze problems, and he'll shield us from those who aren't quite right in the head."
"Whether Ryūen realizes it or not, this model of cooperation has already been subconsciously approved by him, and our future collaboration will continue in this manner."
Hiyori Shiina was confused. "But what if those two had impulsively attacked us?"
Symon replied confidently, "Don't worry, I maintained a safe distance of three steps. I definitely could have run to the librarian."
A hint of resentment flickered in the girl's eyes. "Mr. Ghost, I'm actually terrible at sports. Really, really terrible."
Symon recalled the girl's frail physique and realized the problem. His thoughts began to race, looking for a solution. "Let's go buy pepper spray, a personal alarm, and a taser right now. And starting tomorrow, we'll get up early for a morning run."
"No way, Mr. Ghost. You're being too paranoid."
"Alright, it's not like I've ever been a girl. Is it my fault?"
The reply from her heart was Symon's helpless and slightly frustrated voice, which made Hiyori Shiina's lips curve into a smile.
Just as she was about to move on from the topic, Hiyori Shiina paused. A thoughtful look flashed in her violet eyes, and she tentatively said in her mind, in the gentlest tone possible, "We have 130,000 points left... we can only buy one item, you know."
"Hiyori, are you an angel?"
"..."
Hiyori Shiina didn't respond. As she walked toward the shopping mall, passing group after group of students, the girl discovered for the first time that her feelings could be so complex.
Just a moment ago, her girlish intuition had sent her an almost frantic warning—Say yes to him! Say yes to him! Say yes to him!
In that instant, Hiyori Shiina, who considered herself "perceptive" and had always been praised by Symon for being "perceptive," suddenly realized:
Ever since two weeks ago, the other soul coexisting with her had never once asked her for help, nor had he ever expressed a desire of his own.
If she missed this chance, she might never get another one.
—This was Hiyori Shiina's unique intuition.
____
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