COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

Due to Ryuuen's long-standing rule of violent dictatorship, Class C had never lacked voices of discontent.

Some students even openly resisted him, and Hiroya Tokito was one of them.

Until now, Ryuuen had used forceful means to suppress any rebellion.

But such an approach was like pressing down on a spring—once circumstances changed, all the pent-up resentment would erupt at once.

That moment had arrived.

Although Class C hadn't suffered any direct losses from the rooftop incident, the impact was undeniable.

Most significantly, Ryuuen's tyrannical image had been utterly shattered.

No one cared if he fought other classes over a girl, or even if he led his subordinates to gang up on someone.

That was simply Ryuuen's style.

But losing a four-on-one fight? That was something Class C students could not accept.

Instead of thinking, Ryuuen did his best, but Ayanokoji was too strong, they began to wonder if maybe Ryuuen wasn't that impressive after all. Maybe they could do better.

When the tide recedes, you see who's been swimming naked.

Even if Ryuuen had won the battle, his reputation was already in ruins.

Of course, none of these students dared to challenge Ayanokoji directly, but they had plenty of courage to mock Ryuuen.

Even someone like Manabe, who had kept her head down until now, began stirring up trouble in the shadows.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Faced with Tokito's probing, Manabe instinctively chose to evade.

After all, most people had only learned about Ryuuen's defeat two days ago. The shock was overwhelming, and they needed time to process it.

Even if they had thoughts of rebellion, they would wait to see how things unfolded.

But Tokinari was impatient. He frowned and asked again, "Let me rephrase—are you really going to keep following someone like Ryuuen?"

"I told you, I don't understand—"

"Oh, come on. Don't play dumb." Tokito sneered, cutting her off. "Of all people, you should want Ryuuen gone the most… Right, traitor?"

"W-What are you talking about?!"

Manabe's face flushed red. She clenched her fists as if she'd been struck in a sore spot. "Ryuuen-kun already forgave me in front of the whole class! He said no one should bring it up again! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll report you!"

"Go ahead. Tell Ryuuen if you want."

Tokito didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

"But let me remind you—just because Ryuuen says he forgave you doesn't mean he did. And even if he has, do you think everyone else has forgotten what you did?"

He was right. Betrayal was never forgotten.

Even if Ryuuen truly no longer cared, he couldn't control the thoughts of every student in Class C.

And Manabe knew that.

"I'll be blunt. I've hated Ryuuen since the first day of school," Tokinari said coldly. "His leadership is a mess. He's more of a thug than a student. If we keep following him, this class will eventually collapse. If we want to take him down, this is our best chance."

"…This has nothing to do with me," Manabe's resistance was weakening.

"So if Ryuuen falls, you won't help him?"

"T-That's not what I meant."

Manabe hesitated but eventually nodded.

Then, as if trying to make sense of Tokito's words, she asked, "What exactly are you saying? If Ryuuen-kun were really in trouble… wouldn't Ishizaki-kun and the others still stand by him? I heard they're still following him."

"Yeah, those guys are completely loyal," Tokito smirked. "But what about the rest of the class? Do you think they'll continue tolerating Ryuuen's ways? A lot of people are fed up with him."

Manabe hesitated. Tokito pressed on.

"Think about it. As long as Ryuuen stays in power, no one will forget what you did. Your position in the class has already suffered. Even the girls don't see you as a group leader anymore."

"Shut up! That's none of your business!" Manabe gritted her teeth in frustration.

It seemed that no matter the class, female social circles were complicated.

That said, Tokito had done his homework.

Hikigaya couldn't help but think that at this rate, Tokito might succeed in swaying Manabe.

Because he had hit the key point—if Ryuuen were ousted, Manabe's betrayal wouldn't matter anymore.

It sounded absurd, but reality often worked that way.

If Ryuuen, the dictator, were overthrown, everything he had done—good or bad—would be completely negated.

People rarely viewed things objectively.

If Ryuuen was a good guy, then Manabe, the traitor, was bad.

But if Ryuuen was bad, then Manabe was good.

For most people, it was that simple.

"Hey, Hikigaya, what's going on over there?"

Nagumo, unaware of the situation, listened in confusion.

Hikigaya didn't hide anything. He briefly explained Manabe's betrayal.

After all, the incident was tied to Ayanokoji, so it didn't hurt for Nagumo to know.

That said, Hikigaya was careful not to mention Karuizawa. He simply stated that Ayanokoji had blackmailed Manabe into betraying Ryuuen.

"Ayanokoji again… He's something."

Nagumo stroked his chin, his amused expression fading into one of contemplation.

This was exactly what Hikigaya wanted.

Even though Ayanokoji's academic and physical abilities had been exposed, those were just surface-level traits. Someone like Nagumo might not take them seriously.

After all, Horikita Manabu was also strong in both academics and combat, yet Nagumo was confident he could outmaneuver him through strategy.

Hikigaya needed Nagumo to realize that Ayanokoji wasn't just an elite student—he was someone who could play just as dirty as Nagumo himself.

He had to make sure Nagumo didn't underestimate Ayanokoji and ended up falling into his trap.

For now, as long as Nagumo and Ayanokoji were locked in a stalemate, Hikigaya had time to weaken Nagumo's hold over the school.

"By the way, do you know this Tokito guy?"

Nagumo casually asked while keeping an eye on the conversation unfolding ahead.

"I've crossed paths with him before," Hikigaya replied. "He's been unhappy with Ryuuen since the summer break. I figured he'd take action sooner or later. I just happened to run into him and decided to listen in. Pure coincidence."

"Haha, don't be so modest. It's because of your sharp instincts that you're always gathering valuable intel."

"…Thanks, I guess."

"But this is getting interesting."

Nagumo studied Tokito's back as if evaluating him.

"He's still a bit green, but I respect his courage to stand up for himself… I hope he succeeds."

That last remark was probably a question rather than a statement.

There was no need to lie.

"Unlikely. Tokito is nowhere near Ryuuen's level," Hikigaya said before adding, "Unless, of course, he gets external support."

"You mean…?"

"This time, Ayanokoji and Ryuuen fought to a draw. I doubt either side will let it end here."

At first glance, his response seemed unrelated to the current situation.

But Nagumo immediately caught Hikigaya's implication and smirked.

"I see. Ayanokoji might use this opportunity to finish Ryuuen off… Given his previous moves…"

"Additionally, there's a possibility that Tokito might actively reach out to Ayanokoji. On his own, he doesn't have the strength to overthrow Ryuuen." Hikigaya added.

"Hmm... that's true."

Nagumo pondered for a moment before stepping out from around the corner, striding toward Tokito and his companion.

With a smile, he said, "Mind if I interrupt for a moment?"

"You're… the student council president?"

Caught off guard by Nagumo's sudden appearance, both Tokito and Manabe grew cautious—especially the latter, whose expression betrayed a hint of unease.

She was probably worried that their conversation had been overheard.

Fortunately, that concern was unnecessary.

"That's right, it's me," Nagumo admitted readily. "I happened to overhear your conversation just now. It sounded pretty interesting, so I thought I'd come over and say hello."

"Eh? Ehh?!"

Manabe visibly flinched, but Tokito remained indifferent.

Instead, he sneered, "Oh? So, what? Are you planning to use this to threaten us? Save yourself the trouble. I hate people like you who act all high and mighty. If you want to run off and tell Ryuuen, then go ahead."

"Haha, you've got it wrong. I think you made a good point."

Nagumo flashed a grin.

"Even as second-years, we hear Ryuuen's name all the time—and never in a good way. His reckless behavior is a burden to his class and a bad influence on other students. As student council president, I find it quite troublesome."

With just a few words, he skillfully lowered Tokito's guard.

"So, you're saying… you hate Ryuuen too?"

"Hate might be too strong a word. I just don't want him stirring up trouble endlessly." Nagumo said matter-of-factly. "That day on the rooftop, when he fought Ayanokoji, I repeatedly warned him to attend the disciplinary hearing. But he ignored me with some excuse—that ticked me off."

Tokito and Manabe exchanged glances, unsure of what the other was trying to do.

Then, Nagumo provided the answer.

"During the deliberation that day, I carefully observed everyone's performance and found that your Class 1-C has some outstanding individuals. That girl, Shiina—I believe she's more than capable of taking on a leadership role. What do you think?"

"Yeah, that girl is pretty smart… but she's also just another one of Ryuuen's followers."

It seemed that Tokito not only disliked Ryuuen but also held a negative attitude toward his subordinates.

Well, he was free to think however he wanted… but Hikigaya was curious—if Ryuuen were overthrown, who would lead the class then?

Neither Tokito nor Kaneda was quite up to the task. Those two were better suited as advisors.

If they wanted to topple the current leader, they at least needed to decide on a successor first.

Nagumo understood this as well, but instead of pointing it out, he simply played along.

"If your plan succeeds, have you considered who will replace Ryuuen?"

"Uh… anyone would be better than him!"

At the very least, Shiren had enough self-awareness not to put himself forward.

Otherwise, he'd be nothing more than a walking disaster waiting to happen.

"Oh, I see. So you haven't decided yet?"

"What's wrong with that?! Anyway, I have nothing more to say to you!"

Faced with Nagumo's faint smile, Tokito likely felt his pride had been wounded. He threw out a disgruntled remark and turned to leave.

But Nagumo grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I don't dislike guys like you. You just seem to lack a little confidence."

"…What do you mean?"

"In situations like this—"

Nagumo deliberately dragged out his words, a fearless grin appearing on his face.

"As a man, you should step up and declare that once Ryuuen is taken down, you'll be the one to lead the class."

"This…"

"Otherwise, how do you expect anyone to believe in you?"

As he spoke, Nagumo turned his gaze toward Manabe, flashing her a gentle smile.

"Am I wrong? Girls don't like indecisive guys, after all."

"Y-yeah…"

Caught off guard, Manabe stammered and instinctively nodded.

But she quickly realized something was off.

Wait… how did things end up like this?

She had only planned to humor Tokito a little. That guy was competitive, stubborn, and honestly not much better than Ryuuen.

Her plan was simple—side with whoever had the advantage.

More importantly, Tokito lacked influence. He had few friends in class and wasn't capable of causing much of a stir.

The whole thing would likely fizzle out on its own.

But now, out of nowhere, the student council president had barged in and seemed intent on supporting Tokito.

To be honest, Manabe didn't see this as a good thing.

If they weren't careful, Class C might end up hurtling straight into an abyss.

She certainly didn't believe Nagumo had approached them out of goodwill.

And yet, Tokito was quickly taken in by his smooth words, especially when Nagumo offered to help him take down Ryuuen and even invited him to join the student council.

What was this guy after?

Then, Nagumo casually waved a hand and called out an unexpected name.

"Hikigaya, come over here for a second."