Horikita and Matsushita both froze.
Koenji was right. Whether they went all-in to approve and open the branch, or all-in to oppose, either option was still way better than the current state—this ticking bomb of a classroom about to detonate.
At worst, they could stall until time ran out and eat the -300 class points penalty. That was the absolute rock-bottom outcome, and no matter what, it was always available as the final escape route.
But if they let things keep escalating into a full-on class brawl—students actually throwing hands—then Class D would be finished. Not struggling, not behind, but permanently broken. No future. No hope.
The pressure hit them like a truck.
This was the moment they had to decide.
"…Fine. I agree," Horikita said—before Matsushita could even finish wavering.
Matsushita stared at her, stunned. "Suzune…?"
Once they agreed, it meant stepping onto the track where someone could genuinely be expelled.
Horikita shook her head, firm. "Like Koenji said, even if we all vote to approve and open the branch, it doesn't mean anyone has to be expelled."
"As long as we refuse at the final step and stall until the clock runs out, nobody gets expelled."
"And no matter what, it's still better than letting the class turn into a street fight. If that happens, we don't just lose points—we lose our future."
She was being charitable.
Because everyone knew the truth: if they devolved into a brawl under cameras and a strict proctor, Class D wouldn't be thinking about climbing to Class A anymore—they'd be lucky to ever crawl up to Class C.
Horikita couldn't accept that. Not even as a hypothetical.
Not with the expectations placed on her by Manabu Horikita… and not with the hunger she'd carried since day one—to catch up to, and eventually surpass, Yukio.
She'd never once abandoned the goal of reaching Class A. Not for a moment.
She could accept almost anything.
But the class losing all hope? That was the one outcome she would never allow.
Matsushita blinked slowly, watching Horikita like she was seeing her for the first time.
And somewhere deep inside, she let out a quiet sigh.
Of course.
She wasn't suited to be the one who carried the class.
She had self-awareness. She was good at analysis—she could be a strong strategist. But when it came to taking responsibility, making the decision when everything was burning?
She couldn't match people like Yukio, Sakayanagi, or Ichinose.
And honestly… even Horikita beat her there.
Right now, Matsushita's head was a mess. Every option felt cruel. She didn't have the courage to commit to any of them.
"I… understand," she said at last, weakly nodding.
Then she moved—fast.
She went straight to Kei Karuizawa, pulled her in, and with Maya Sato and Satsuki Shinohara helping rally the girls, they forced the room to calm down.
The boys who'd been seconds away from swinging finally stopped—because the decision had come from Matsushita, the class's public leader.
The ones who'd been voting approve were secretly thrilled. This path aligned with their interests.
The ones who'd been voting oppose exploded.
"What?!" someone shouted. "Matsushita, are you serious?! Even you are approving expelling someone?!"
"This can't be right! We didn't misjudge you—there's no way you'd ever—"
"Enough!" Matsushita snapped.
She had to.
She wasn't great at making the crisis call, but once a decision was made, her ability to manage the room was as strong as anyone's.
"Think!" she barked.
"If I keep insisting on 'oppose,' does anything change? Or do I just stand here and watch you all start a fight?"
"There are cameras. There's a proctor right there. If you start brawling, you'll get expelled for violence—a whole bunch of you, not one!"
"So yes—first we reach unanimity. You calm down. Then we decide what comes next—whether we refuse at the final step or ride the timer out."
"It's still better than you idiots throwing punches in the classroom!"
The boys went silent, shaken.
Matsushita was usually elegant, soft-spoken—proper. Seeing her like this, rare and hard-edged, made the room instinctively back off.
And she wasn't wrong.
If they really fought and got expelled by the school, it would be a humiliating disaster.
That strange silence lingered for about a minute. Then the next vote began.
Class D finally reached unanimity—approve, with thirty-seven votes.
They opened the branch, and among the second-years, Class D became the only class that unanimously chose to open it.
The moment the branch opened, everyone's face changed. Even though they'd chosen it, the reality still hit like a punch to the gut.
There were about ninety minutes left. At most, that meant around nine more vote cycles.
In an hour and a half, either someone would be expelled or time would run out, and the class would take the -300 class points penalty.
No matter which ending they got, it was brutal.
"…The branch is open…" Chabashira whispered.
She'd already been sitting there with her eyes closed, swallowed by pain. Now she was dragged straight back into old memories.
Everything was the same.
Everything was exactly like eleven years ago.
Back then, Class D—hers and Hoshinomiya's—had argued and argued, nearly fought, and eventually opened the branch too.
Was the third Class D she'd taught… going to walk the same road she once did? Was history going to repeat itself under her watch?
While Chabashira struggled to breathe through the weight of that thought, Yosuke Hirata couldn't sit still anymore.
"Everyone!" he pleaded, half-standing. "If we're doing this… then expel me!"
"I don't want to see this class missing any of you!"
He was exhausted. He'd spent himself trying to keep people from tearing each other apart. And now, the only thing he had left was to offer himself up—so no one else would be sacrificed.
"Ahem."
The proctor swept a strict look over the room. He didn't punish Hirata—just issued a sharp warning.
Voting for the branch was over. The branch vote had started. No discussion allowed.
The class fell into bitter silence as the phones updated.
Hirata's profile picture appeared on everyone's screen.
Below it, two options:
Approve / Oppose
[Expulsion Branch — Round 1 Result]
Expel Yosuke Hirata: Approve 5 / Oppose 31