COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

The potential to threaten Class A—was that value enough? 

Even after Hikigaya finished speaking, the student council office remained completely silent. 

But there was still no change in Horikita Manabu's expression. No one could guess what he was thinking—his emotions were completely unreadable. 

The sudden quiet was so intense that it felt like they could hear each other breathing.

This kind of invisible pressure was overwhelming for Hikigaya as an interviewee. It was the aura of someone in a higher position, a psychological weight. Just like how some bosses pause before speaking to assert their authority, Horikita Manabu was creating the same kind of tension. 

But Hikigaya had a strong mentality. Just like Horikita Manabu, he kept a cold and indifferent expression. In fact, combined with his dead-fish eyes, he wasn't losing in presence at all… to the student council president?! 

The pressure was so intense that Tachibana Akane suddenly got goosebumps. 

The two of them stood still like statues. 

"…Ahem." 

Haruno coughed a few times from the side, breaking the heavy silence. At the same time, Horikita Manabu finally moved, adjusting his glasses as he examined Hikigaya and spoke slowly. 

"You're twisting concepts, making sweeping generalizations, forcing connections, and confusing the argument." 

His words were blunt and direct. 

"But… interesting." 

The sudden change in tone felt like a rollercoaster. If it were someone with a weaker mindset, they would have already broken into a cold sweat—either nervous or pleasantly surprised. But surprisingly, there was no change in Hikigaya's expression. 

Completely calm, unaffected by gain or loss. 

In truth, Hikigaya didn't feel much of a stir inside either. If anything, he had expected Horikita Manabu's sudden shift. 

He had already categorized the student council president as a "mature adult." With enough mental preparation and experience dealing with similar personalities, the way Horikita Manabu spoke felt very familiar—something you'd expect in a corporate setting. 

Horikita Manabu glanced at the time. Tachibana Akane immediately understood and informed Hikigaya that the interview was over. He would receive the result via email within a week. 

Hikigaya promptly got up and left, but out of the corner of his eye, he instinctively glanced at someone. 

Haruno was already waiting for this, waving with a bright smile and mouthing, "I'll find you later." 

The dead-fish-eyed boy instantly bolted! 

… 

"Hikigaya. That student is interesting, isn't he?" 

Haruno chuckled as she watched Hikigaya flee. 

Horikita Manabu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he fell into silence, deep in thought. 

Tachibana Akane frowned slightly at his reaction and finally spoke. 

"The student council's selection process is very strict. Hikigaya did well just now, but the other interviewees weren't much worse. In terms of academics and social skills, the others were actually stronger. And… and also—" 

"You mean because he's from Class D?" Haruno cut in, still smiling. "So far, the student council has never accepted a Class D student, right?" 

"The fact that this thought even came up already says a lot, doesn't it?" 

"I… I…" 

Tachibana Akane opened her mouth, about to say something, but Horikita Manabu suddenly raised a hand to stop the conversation. 

"Apart from the top candidate, all the other interviewees are superior to the Class D student in various aspects." He gave a fair evaluation based on his judgment. Then, after a brief pause, he added with a hint of reflection, 

"But… in terms of understanding the school's rules, this Class D student had the deepest grasp of them all." 

"Are you satisfied with Hikigaya's performance?" 

Horikita Manabu didn't answer Haruno's question right away. Instead, he was silent for a moment before shaking his head. 

"No… not yet." 

Haruno's expression didn't change. She was still smiling as if nothing had happened. But Tachibana Akane, standing beside her, looked surprised. 

A moment ago, Haruno's words had swayed Tachibana's opinion of the Class D student. Given what she knew about the president, she had assumed he was also impressed by Hikigaya. 

So why the sudden 180-degree shift? 

Did she still not understand the president enough? 

"Hehe… Maybe." 

Haruno suddenly thought of Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes. Her lips curled into a grin. 

"That guy… he's a good liar." 

With that, she stood up, waved, and left the student council office. 

Horikita Manabu furrowed his brows slightly as he watched her leave. 

"She really knows how to hold back." 

He had thought Haruno would keep pressing him, but she had stopped so abruptly. 

Had his intentions been too obvious? 

Now, only Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane remained in the office. 

Seeing Haruno leave, Tachibana felt an odd sense of relief. Then, she instinctively turned toward Horikita Manabu. 

"President…" Tachibana hesitated before finally asking, 

"Why did you invite Yukinoshita to join the student council? If we're talking about academics and social skills, during the initial evaluation, Katsuragi and Ichinose were clearly more qualified…" 

"Tachibana." 

Horikita Manabu interrupted her softly. His gaze seemed to be looking straight ahead, but his eyes were fixed on something much further away. 

"There are things far more important than what meets the eye. As for Yukinoshita's abilities… I've experienced them firsthand." 

"She's a very dangerous person."

Tachibana Akane frowned at those words, suddenly feeling a sense of danger. 

"President, if you think she's so dangerous, then why..." 

"You know, dangerous animals aren't scary. What's scary is letting dangerous animals roam free." 

"Are you saying... the student council is her cage?" 

Tachibana Akane looked shocked. It was the first time she had seen the president speak so highly of someone—no, not just highly, but almost as if he was afraid of her. 

"I never expected that her family would actually agree to let her attend this school. If I had already stepped down, it wouldn't be my problem..." 

As he spoke, for the first time in what felt like forever, a change appeared on Horikita Manabu's face. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. 

"If we let her do as she pleases, the consequences might be just as bad as what Nagumo could bring. But everything has two sides. At the very least, after we third-years step down, someone will be there to counter and restrain Nagumo. That way, the student council won't just become his personal stage." 

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