Chapter 36: Horikita Suzune, Let's Make a Bet
Katsuragi Keima adjusted his glasses, his gaze turning serious.
"They are indeed very likely to become burdens; no, they are already dragging us down."
Horikita Suzune crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Keima with a stern expression.
"The class has already been docked so many points precisely because of these people—sleeping in class, whispering, playing on their phones..."
Horikita bit her lip, paused for a second, and then continued:
"Even though you play games, at least the students wouldn't have known about the rules without you. Not to mention you reached an agreement with the teacher, so you don't count—but they are tangibly holding us back, which is why we..."
"Horikita, aren't you a student of Class D yourself?"
At that moment, Keima directly interrupted her.
The corner of Horikita's mouth twitched slightly. Keima's words felt like a driven nail, but she quickly defended herself:
"I don't acknowledge this so-called class distribution system. Something must have gone wrong; I have confidence in my entrance exam scores."
"You've got it wrong, Horikita. Class placement isn't just based on grades; it's also about personality."
Keima's expression remained perfectly calm.
"What?"
"Students assigned to Class D all possess personality flaws to some degree."
Keima stated. After Chabashira Sae had mentioned the class distribution earlier, Keima was essentially certain of this. The students brought to Class D weren't judged on grades alone, as there were several students whose academic performance could be considered excellent.
There was only one reason: the existence of defects in other areas. For instance, personality.
Horikita Suzune's arrogance, Sakura Airi's social anxiety, and the behavior of the others around them were sufficient to prove Keima's hypothesis.
Kushida Kikyo and Hirata Yousuke seemed perfect on the surface—good personalities, decent grades—but Keima was certain they also harbored hidden secrets. For example, Kushida's obsession with Horikita and the shifts in her affection levels served as evidence.
"Some people are aware of their own problems. For example, me—I lack social skills, lack exercise, immerse myself in games, and completely isolate myself from the real world. Of course, I personally don't see the latter as a flaw, but that is the reason I was placed in Class
But you, Horikita, are the type who is oblivious. You view your own position too highly and thus believe everyone else is dragging you down. If you keep going like this, it's impossible for you to rise to Class A."
Keima's words were incredibly sharp, even making Sakura Airi feel worried. Horikita's expression grew increasingly grim, and a suffocating atmosphere began to permeate around them.
"And why are you striving so hard to reach Class A? Is it because of pride?"
Keima's gaze pierced through his lenses, landing on Horikita's face, taking in every detail of her expression. After a one-second pause, Keima spoke again:
"Is it... to prove yourself to someone—"
"Enough!"
It was as if a switch had been flipped. Horikita stood up abruptly, her meal completely untouched.
"It seems seeking you out was indeed a mistake!"
She packed her things and turned to leave. Horikita didn't notice that the moment she turned in agitation, the corner of Keima's mouth curled upward.
A certain hypothesis in his heart had been proven.
"Horikita, how about we make a bet?"
"What?"
Horikita stopped in her tracks and looked back at Keima, wanting to see what else he could possibly say.
"Let's hold separate study groups. How about we use the scores from the end-of-the-month mock exam as the stake? It's not the midterm, so it shouldn't—and won't—have a massive impact on Class Points."
Keima said slowly.
"If the average score of my study group members is better, then from now on, if you want the class to be promoted, you must follow my lead. Conversely, if your side's scores are better, you can make me do whatever you want. Additionally, if the study group cannot be sustained or if you can't find anyone within a week, you also lose."
"Why should I participate in such a boring bet?" Horikita said crossly.
"If you can't even handle something like organizing a study group, then there's essentially no hope for you to rise to Class A."
"That only proves some people deserve to be expelled. After they are gone, our class's average might even be better."
"Haven't you considered the possibility that if a student is expelled, Class Points will also be deducted?"
Horikita furrowed her brows and didn't answer immediately.
"Are you afraid you can't beat me?"
"That kind of boring provocation won't work on me."
"Then what would your brother, the Student Council President, think if he knew you were stuck in Class D—"
"What did you say!"
The moment she heard Keima's words, Horikita became even more agitated, her sharp eyes glaring fixedly at him.
"Fine. I'll bet with you!"
After a moment of silence, Horikita spat out those words through gritted teeth and turned to leave the cafeteria. Watching her retreating back, Keima simply smiled.
Who said provocations don't work? This one worked perfectly!
"Nii-sama, isn't this a bit much?" Elsie said to Keima with concern.
At this rate, her affection level was bound to take another massive hit.
"No, this is for the best," Keima replied.
For the time being, Horikita Suzune could be categorized under the Tsundere archetype, but currently, she was all "Tsun" (harsh) and no "Dere" (sweet). To make that sweet side show, one needs to find her weakness.
Through the probing in their conversation, Keima was basically able to confirm that Horikita wanted to prove herself. And in this school, there was only one person who fit the profile.
The one responsible for the speech at the entrance ceremony: Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.
Keima had noticed the identical surnames immediately; it wasn't hard to guess their relationship. Siblings. The provocation just now further validated his theory. Horikita Suzune's personality was formed by a desperate desire to prove herself to her brother.
Whether it was the main mission to capture her or the side mission to promote the class, entering Horikita Suzune's heart was an indispensable step.
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