After Kamio Tatsuya finished speaking, the entire Class D fell silent.
Chabashira Sae looked at the students who either sat in silence or lowered their heads so they wouldn't have to meet her eyes. She was shaking with anger, but there was nothing she could do.
After giving Kamio Tatsuya a complicated look from the podium, she left the classroom through the back door.
In reality, Kamio Tatsuya didn't have many bargaining chips. He merely held the lifeline in the hands of the Class D students.
But that lifeline could save any one of them, so no one was willing to stand up and speak for Chabashira.
At the moment, none of the students in Class D dared to resist Kamio Tatsuya, each for their own reasons.
No one in Class D was willing to drop out. Hirata might have been willing to sacrifice himself so everyone else could stay.
But he knew that even if he volunteered to drop out, quite a few people in the class would probably vote to keep him. Those votes were the result of all the trust he had built up by helping his classmates.
That was exactly why he hadn't suggested the plan. It simply wouldn't work.
Ever since Ike and Yamauchi had been expelled one after the other, Hirata had understood that innocence and kindness didn't always work.
As for Koenji...
Hirata didn't know how to judge him either. Well, Koenji didn't care about being expelled, so there was no point thinking about him for now.
Looking at the expressions on the Class D students' faces, Kamio Tatsuya's lips curled into a faint smile.
He knew very well that many of them hated him, but he didn't care. Who would care about the pointless barking of a bunch of weaklings?
No. Rather than hatred, it was jealousy.
They had all started out as students in Class D, so why was he the one enjoying a good life? Why could he, just a student, force a teacher to give in?
But it didn't matter. No matter how jealous they were, the facts wouldn't change.
"All right. Now that the person getting in the way has left, we can discuss the terms of this deal." Kamio Tatsuya spoke loudly.
"Since this is a deal, both sides have to give something. I'll start with what I can offer. I can lend you twelve million private points.
What can you offer me in return? Do you have anything that can satisfy me?"
The Class D students looked at one another, then fell silent.
"We can pay interest."
In the end, Horikita was the one who answered.
But when Kamio Tatsuya heard her answer, he burst out laughing.
"Interest?" Kamio Tatsuya's voice was openly mocking. "Are you joking?
"With Class D having barely more than a hundred class points, it would take you nearly thirty months just to repay the principal I lent you. How much interest could you possibly pay during that time?
"Forget the interest. I'm not even sure you can repay the principal at all."
"Our class currently has only a little over a hundred class points, but that doesn't mean we'll still have only a little over a hundred in the future.
"We'll work hard in our future exams to earn more class points and increase our income.
"That way, we'll earn more class points, and the number of private points we receive will increase as well."
Horikita's expression didn't waver in the slightest. That was honestly what she was thinking too. She planned to borrow some points from Kamio Tatsuya to get through this crisis, then work hard in the upcoming exams to earn more class points and receive more private points.
After hearing Horikita's words, most of the Class D students brightened up. They felt that her plan might actually work. But some of them immediately realized that Horikita had said the wrong thing.
Ayanokoji, for example, had a feeling that Kamio Tatsuya was about to use Horikita's own words against her.
"Are you saying you plan to defeat the higher-ranked classes in the class competition?" Kamio Tatsuya wore a half-smile.
"Of course!"
Looking at Horikita's serious, determined face, Kamio Tatsuya covered his mouth.
"Pfft!"
He couldn't do it. This was too funny. Kamio Tatsuya really couldn't hold it in.
"Hahaha! Hahahaha! Horikita, you're really something." Horikita's answer had put him in a good mood. "Before saying all that, shouldn't you first prove that you can actually do it?
"Since I left Class D, we've already had several special exams. The Sports Festival and the Paper Shuffle both ended with Class D suffering crushing defeats, didn't they?
"Did getting some class points in the forest exam make you think you were capable again?
"That was only because I changed my target from you to my former class. Do you really think you won because of your own ability?
"Or are you really confident that you can keep increasing Class D's class points while I'm targeting you?"
Oh, this was bad. This felt way too good. At this rate, I was going to get farther and farther down the path of a villain.
"I..."
Horikita opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She knew that, at this moment, she had no confidence that she could defeat Kamio Tatsuya.
If this had been the start of the school year, she would have been extremely confident.
No. Maybe that hadn't been confidence. Maybe it had been arrogance.
Arrogance born from ignorance.
But after nearly a year of school life, Horikita's understanding had broadened. She had come to recognize her own shortcomings and how small she really was.
She was no longer as arrogant, or as confident.
She still wanted to move up a class and prove herself, but she had to admit that she wasn't Kamio Tatsuya's equal.
She had the courage to face him, but not the confidence to win.
Kamio Tatsuya glanced at Horikita, then at the silent Class D students below him, and laughed.
"It seems you haven't decided what you're willing to give me in exchange for the twelve million private points I'm lending you.
"Well, that's understandable. You have nothing right now. You simply can't offer anything worth twelve million points."
Just as Kamio Tatsuya was mocking the Class D students, someone stood up and asked him a question.
"Kamio, what you just said about being willing to lend us twelve million private points is true, right?"
Kamio Tatsuya raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kushida, who had stood up from her seat.
"Of course. I never joke about things like this."
"If that's true, then it means we must have something you want badly enough to lend us twelve million points, right?
"We don't know what you're after, but whatever it is definitely exists.
"I simply don't believe you're the kind of person who would help an enemy for nothing."
There wasn't the slightest trace of uncertainty in Kushida's voice. She sounded completely sure.
Kamio Tatsuya couldn't help looking at Kushida in a new light. She hadn't seen through his specific goal. She had analyzed his usual behavior and figured out the situation.
He had originally planned to have Karuizawa bring this up if no one else noticed it, but Kushida had actually figured it out herself.
Well, Kamio Tatsuya hadn't really tried to hide it. If he had truly wanted nothing from Class D, he wouldn't be wasting his time here.
It was obvious, then, that he had some plan involving Class D.
And if he had a goal, it was only natural for someone to notice.
In fact, Hirata and Horikita should both have been able to figure it out. Horikita was clearly too confused at the moment, while Hirata might not have thought of it yet—or might have had another plan.
"Y-Yeah. Given his personality, if he didn't want something from us, he would've left already, right?"
"Exactly. I don't believe for a second that this guy is being kindhearted."
...
Listening to the Class D students' discussion, Kamio Tatsuya smiled and raised both hands to applaud.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
"Well, I'll give you credit for figuring that out. Too bad there's no reward."
Kushida sighed.
"Then what exactly do you want, Kamio? If it's something we can give you, and it lets us keep our classmates here, I'll agree to anything."
"Kushida..."
Tsk, tsk, tsk. She'll agree to anything? That's a dangerous thing to say.
Kamio Tatsuya looked Kushida up and down, then glanced at the other Class D students. They all looked deeply moved.
"What do the rest of you think?"
"I have no objections. As long as it keeps my classmates here, I'll do anything too."
Hirata was the second person to respond.
So that's how it is. He was waiting for Kushida to speak first. That made sense. Kushida was the one better suited to suggest something like this.
"I-I support Kushida's idea too."
"Me too. I support it."
At that, Kamio Tatsuya looked over the Class D students, contempt clear in his eyes.
Kushida said it because she wanted to build up her reputation. Hirata said it because he was genuinely willing to pay any price to protect his classmates.
But as for the rest of you, don't make me laugh. You just want to close the deal as quickly as possible because you don't want to be expelled, do you?
As for Horikita, she hadn't said anything, but she no longer had a chance to speak.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Kamio Tatsuya was now standing on the podium. He lightly tapped the desk there, quieting Class D.
"Since that's the case, I want Class D to surrender to me completely."
Kamio Tatsuya's voice wasn't loud, but to the Class D students, it sounded like thunder.
"W-What did you say?"
"I said I want Class D to surrender to me—com-plete-ly!" Kamio Tatsuya emphasized each word. "Do you have a problem with that, Yukimura?"
"Are you kidding? Do you want us to give up our hope of moving up a class?"
Yukimura frowned, apparently no longer able to hold back his anger.
"Yes. Is there a problem? You can choose for yourselves: be expelled now, or give up your chance to move up a class."
"Even if someone gets expelled, only one of us would be lost. That doesn't necessarily mean we'd lose our chance to move up a class!"
Looking at Yukimura arguing so forcefully, Kamio Tatsuya gave him a pitying look.
"You're right. Even if Class D loses one student now, it doesn't necessarily mean we'd lose our ability to compete for promotion.
"You've all been completely crushed before, but what if a miracle happens later?"
"So let's return to the question. Who here is willing to sacrifice themselves for Class D, hmm?"
At that point, Kamio Tatsuya suddenly slapped his forehead.
"Oh, right. Hirata would definitely be willing to drop out on his own. But I don't think many of you would vote against Hirata, would you?
"That's why Hirata didn't immediately say, 'Let me drop out.' What a foolish idea that would have been."
Then Kamio Tatsuya laughed.
"Besides, I wouldn't object to Hirata dropping out. After all, without Hirata, you wouldn't just have no chance of moving up a class—you'd probably be living on mountain vegetable meals every day.
"That would count as complete surrender too. And I wouldn't even have to lend you twelve million points that you might not be able to repay. What a happy ending. Congratulations, congratulations."
After hearing Kamio Tatsuya's words, Yukimura turned around and looked at the Class D students. No one dared meet his eyes. They might not have dared look at Kamio Tatsuya on the podium either.
At that moment, Yukimura felt despair as well. In the entire Class D, not one person dared to stand against Kamio Tatsuya.
Almost everyone was thinking only about how to survive this exam.
It's over. Class D is finished!
After realizing that, Yukimura returned to his seat in a daze.
"Or are you saying you want to leave the game here, Yukimura?" Kamio Tatsuya looked at Yukimura after he sat down, apparently unwilling to let him off. "If you drop out, they might have a chance to move up a class. Want to bet on it?"
Yukimura stayed silent. But his tightly clenched fists made it clear that he didn't want to leave the game.
"See? You aren't willing to drop out yourself. What right do you have to demand that they sacrifice themselves for the rest of the class?"
Kamio Tatsuya's tone was full of mockery and arrogance, but no one in Class D could refute him.
Those without the courage to drop out naturally didn't dare stand up and oppose him. And the people who did have the courage to drop out were mostly the ones Kamio Tatsuya wouldn't mind seeing expelled.
Either way, Kamio Tatsuya could accept the outcome.
Because in the end, Class D would be eliminated here. There was no second possibility.
Kamio Tatsuya once again looked over the Class D students one by one, but no one stepped forward.
"Since no one objects, I'll take that as all of you agreeing. Is that okay?"
Hearing Kamio Tatsuya say that, Horikita Suzune felt conflicted. She had been the one who decided to find Kamio Tatsuya and borrow points from him.
But things had developed into a situation far beyond anything she had expected.
She had anticipated that Class D might have to pay a heavy price, but she had never imagined that it would lose its chance to move up a class because of this.
Did I make the wrong move somewhere?
That was what Horikita Suzune was thinking.
Her concern wasn't wrong. She had simply made one mistake.
From the moment Kamio Tatsuya stepped into this classroom, everything had already begun moving according to his rhythm. It no longer had anything to do with her.
From the moment she entered the Class D classroom, the way Class D had ended up now had already been fated.
It had nothing to do with how Horikita responded afterward.
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