Volume 12, Chapter 6: The Sound of Expulsion Part 1

By the way The meetings at 9, right? Arent we way too early?

There was still about half an hour until the promised time.

Its fine. I want to get there early.

Sud couldnt quite understand Horikitas reasoning, but he kept his mouth shut and followed along.

Perhaps she wanted to be on the lookout for some sort of foul play, or maybe she just wanted some time to compose herself.

Either way, Sud only thought of our opponent as a first-year student, whereas Horikita didnt seem to be lowering her guard in the slightest.

It might even seem like she was being excessively cautious, but since our opponent was Hsen himself, there was no such thing as being too careful.

After receiving a slip of paper with the room number and the receipt from an employee, the three of us headed off to our designated Karaoke room.

Could you let Nanase-san know were here for me?

Alright.

I sent a message to Nanase, telling her that we had already arrived, along with our room number.

She replied not long after, saying that they should be here by the scheduled time.

Lets go ahead and order our own drinks first then.

Shouldnt we wait for them?

Its fine.

After we each picked out a drink from the drink menu, she directed our attention to the food menu.

You can order something if you want. What would you like?

Then Id like me some fries. That alright?

Thats fine with me.

With that, Horikita went to the landline telephone that came furnished in every Karaoke room and placed the order.

Feeling somewhat relieved by the fact that food was on the way, Sud went and nervously picked up the microphone from the table.

Ehm, well, weve got some spare time and all so how bout singing a song or two? Eh Suzune?

Im not interested.

Not interested?

Horikita made the three of us arrive early, and then asked us if wed like to order food and drinks.

For Sud, singing a couple of songs probably felt like the next logical step, and had it been someone else, they most likely wouldve agreed.

The feeling of disappointment was written all over his face, probably because he wanted to hear Horikitas singing voice.

Sud-kun. Just to remind you again, absolutely do not say anything unnecessary, okay?

I-I understand, but like, shouldnt you be tellin Ayanokji that too?

Hes not the type of person to talk when it isnt needed. Rather, he doesnt even talk when he ought to.

Instead of praising me, Horikita took this opportunity to vent her complaints.

Sud pouted his lip, seemingly displeased with Horikitas answer.

After a while, once the appointed time arrived, Nanase showed up at the rooms entrance.

Sorry to keep you all waiting.

Outta the way Nanase.

A voice rang out from behind her, forcing her a step further inside as Hsen Kazuomi finally made his appearance.

So you came on time. I was nearly certain that youd be late.

Horikita was saying that she wouldnt have been surprised if Hsen had arrived late on purpose just to irritate her, much like how Miyamoto Musashi had arrived late for his duel against Sasaki Kojir on Ganryjima.

Imma punctual guy when I wanna be. I dont like chumps who tryn make shit difficult just cuz youre a little late. That aside, seems to me like you got here mighty early Were ya really that afraid of keepin me waitin for ya? Dont be such a pussy.

What a selfish interpretation. We were just taking advantage of this rare opportunity to enjoy ourselves.

With that, Horikita motioned for Hsen to take a look at the state of the room.

There were several drinks, some empty, on the table along with some half-eaten food.

All of it set up to look as though we had been enjoying a Karaoke session only moments earlier.

Looks like it.

Albeit informally, the battle between the two of them had already begun.

Well whatever. Well find out whether yer lyin or not soon enough.

Hsen slouched down on one of the sofas and spread out his legs, taking up about three peoples worth of space all for himself.

He sat in a way that one would expect from a bigshot, making it difficult to imagine that the man in front of us was actually a first-year student.

So? From what Nanases told me, sounds like you lot want my class to help ya out.

From the sound of it, he seemed to think that Class 1-D was already completely under his control, his property.

It had only been about two weeks since he came to this school, and yet he spoke without even the slightest hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Its slightly different from that. Were looking to have our two classes collaborate with each other. There would be no difference in status between us, a relationship of equality so to speak.

Oh really? So you arent gonna bring up the fact that youre one grade up on us, eh? Aint lettin yer seniority get to yer head. Smart move.

As Hsen spoke, Nanase quietly observed without expressing any of her own thoughts on the matter.

Given that she had taken up the crucial role of a mediator and that she was the only person that Hsen had brought with him to the discussion, it was probably safe to assume that Nanase was someone that Hsen acknowledged.

I found myself wondering if he was impressed with her courageous ability to state that she wouldnt yield to his threats of violence or if it was something else entirely. Either way, there was still a way to force her hand and pull Nanase over to our side.

Im well aware that a certain number of first-year students dont care very much about their classmates being in trouble. However, if you take a look at us, at our class, Im sure youll understand that sooner or later there will come a time when youll need the assistance of your peers.

So, yer sayin we should work together and avoid havin anyone flunk out? That right?

If you really do possess so much authority over your class that youve come to see your classmates as your own property, then that only makes this whole process that much more convenient. All it should take is one command and youd have most of your classmates ready to follow, right?

Instead of answering, Hsen thrust his left pinky finger into his ear and started twisting it around for a bit.

And then, once he was done, he held it up and blew on it in Horikitas direction.

Suds expression hardened immediately, but he kept in line with Horikitas warning and did his best to put up with it.

His clenched fists were shaking, pressed up against his thighs.

However, Horikita simply accepted Hsens blatantly vulgar conduct head-on.

Would you stop?

In the first place

It wasnt clear if Hsen completely ignored Horikitas question or not, as he began to speak with what seemed like a different topic in mind.

Youre the leader of Class 2-D, yeah?

He finally got down to business, verifying that Horikita was somebody worth speaking with.

You could say that.

I dont think theres anything out of place about Horikita-senpai being the leader, given her abilities.

For the first time since they arrived, Nanase opened her mouth and directly addressed Hsen.

Then Ill give this leader here a warning. I aint got any intention of cooperating with this retarded equality shit of yours.

It didnt seem like he was going to make this easy for us after all.

It was inevitable that there would be some sort of contrast between us, who wanted to protect our classmates at any cost, and Hsen, who didnt particularly care about his.

Not to mention, between expulsion and three months without private points, there was far too much of a difference in our respective penalties for failing the exam.

Is that right? Well I suppose that is the type of person you are.

If you can figure out that much, then why dontcha stop being so fuckin stingy then? Im all ears.

All ears? What are you expecting? Do you really think well pay you in order to get you to help us?

Despite the fact that we were in a less than favorable position, Horikita didnt back down, refusing to concede an inch.

Youll pay. Im sure you will. There aint jack shit you can do without spendin at this point. Nanase. Water.

Hsen voiced his demands to Nanase as he skimmed over the Karaoke menu.

To this, Nanase nodded and placed an order for some water over the phone.

I know that Im repeating myself here, but our proposal for you is based on equality. It has nothing to do with either of us handing over points, goods, or any other form of compensation.

If youre gonna keep spoutin off that shit, then I guess I dont gotta stick around waitin for the water to get here.

There wasnt a shred of hesitation on his face as he began making a show of brushing nonexistent dust off his thighs, implying that he would soon stand up and leave.

Please hold on a moment, Hsen-kun. I think you should wait for Horikita-senpai to finish first.

Nanase, who had been quietly listening off to the side, prompted him to stop.

Let her finish? That shit aint necessary.

No, it is. If we continue as things are now, our class will never be able to come together.

Horikita stoically observed as the two first-years made their exchange.

Who gives a fuck? Disobedient trash should be left to rot. It aint much of a problem if we lose some nobodies anyway.

Thats not right.

Nanase, are you an idiot?

Hsen exhaled loudly, seemingly more so out of exasperation than anger.

I dont get anythin from accepting their conditions like some little bitch. Whats in it for me?

I understand what youre saying, Hsen-kun, I do. Its certainly true that Horikita-senpai and the other second-year students are more desperate to protect their classmates than we are. In fact, theres even a reason as to why they have no choice but to protect them. If we dont lend them a hand, their classmates run the risk of being expelled. Even if theyre pretending to be tough right now, at some point theyll have to concede, and thats exactly what youre waiting for, isnt it?

Based on her words, it seemed like Nanase had chosen to speak because she knew exactly what Hsen was trying to do.

I dont think theres anything necessarily wrong with your strategy, Hsen-kun. While the other classes were scrambling to search for partners, you stayed firm, intentionally foregoing the early stages of inter-class negotiations. All of it done for the sake of securing yourself the upper hand later on.

As the deadline inched closer and closer, the remaining second-year students who hadnt found partners would begin to feel more and more impatient.

And as a result, even students who werent originally worth spending any points on would suddenly find themselves going for a decent rate.

Since youre so clear on it already, how bout you tryn tell me why I should throw this Horikita chick a bone then?

A relationship of mutual trust.

Nanase turned and looked toward Horikita for a moment, to which Horikita nodded in response.

Dont make me laugh. Mutual trust? Thats some good-for-nothin shit right there. Fuckin useless.

Are you sure about that?

Nanase took Hsen head-on, challenging him as she proceeded to speak once again.

Its true that we may not need to give up very much for this special exam. However, the same might not be true for future exams, right? If you end up making enemies out of all of the second-years now, then its possible that you might not be able to find yourself a partner later, regardless of how many points you offer them. While youd be fine if you just had to deal with taking the 5% penalty, what do you think would happen if the person you end up together with intentionally flunks the exam? You wouldnt be able to avoid being expelled. Thats what.

Ha! You really think some chump has the balls to sacrifice themself like that?

Ill have you know that Ive heard that this school has something known as protection points.

At that, Nanase shifted her gaze away from Hsen and locked eyes with Horikita for the first time.

Protection points. The very thing that I had mentioned at the end of our conversation in the library on Friday.

Although Horikita was slightly surprised to hear Nanase talk about them, she immediately grasped what Nanase was going for and nodded along in agreement.

Nanase-san is correct. They are a special type of point that can waive one single instance of an expulsion penalty.

From the look on Hsens face, there was no doubt that this was also the first time he had heard of them.

Its understandable that youve never heard of them before, given that you only just enrolled here. Thats why you should keep them in mind. If there happens to be some sort of similar exam to this one in the future, if the person you partner with is in possession of a protection point, then well, depending on the situation, you might end up being forcibly expelled all by yourself.

If youre one to make enemies with others, the more you make, the more likely you are to receive the shorter end of the stick.

It follows that, the more someone hated Hsen, the more likely theyd be to use whatever means necessary to get him expelled.

Thats why its important to start building up trust with others, wouldnt you agree?

I see. So you two retards had a few stupid tricks up your sleeves to tryn deal with me, eh?

I am a first-year student, so naturally my top priority is Class 1-D. Plus, Hsen-kun, I believe that youre vital for the wellbeing of our class, so I dont want you to make the mistake of being shortsighted.

Horikita had put in the effort to understand Hsen before turning her focus over to Nanase.

She had managed to get Nanase to cooperate with her, and together, they delivered the final blow.

The tides had started to turn ever so slightly.

All that remained was to wait and see if Hsen would accept our proposal once he fully understood everything.

To see if hed still ask for some sort of compensation, resolved to face the disadvantages that would come later.

I get that the two of ya went through the trouble of comin up with all this, but I aint gonna cooperate on equal footing.

Horikita and Nanase had gone through the effort laying out all of the groundwork to get him to agree.

And yet, Hsen turned the two of them down without even pretending to think about it.

Oi Hsen. You seriously sure youre prepared to make an enemy out of us second-ye

Suds temper began to flare, but Horikita held him back before he could finish.

Stop. He still hasnt left the negotiating table just yet.

The girls right. Dont go jumpin to conclusions.

Hsen was still slouched back on the couch, showing no signs of leaving any time soon, his attitude as bullish and arrogant as ever.

Then whats next? We have no intention of forming a non-equal relationship.

No shit. Youve made that fuckin clear already. Youve got guts, Ill tell ya that.

He slowly clapped his hands in applause, seemingly praising Horikita for her strenuous efforts.

That said, this shitty relationship idea of yours aint even equal in the first place.

So youre saying that if we can prove that our offer is equal, youll cooperate with us?

Eh, you could say that.

Well now Im confused. Why dont you think itd be equal? Wed both be under the same conditions.

Youve got some nerve to tryn play up this trusting relationship crap, but that shits gotta go both ways. And that aint enough for me, either. Its real nice of ya to tell us about how we might end up in a similar situation at some point. Brings fuckin tears to my eyes. But thats just you comin up with shit, nothin you can say for sure, isnt it?

Hsen certainly had a point here.

At a fundamental level, Horikitas proposal was based on the premise that our classes would support one another. However, we were the ones who really needed the help right now. The deal would only truly become equal once Class 1-D needed our help at some point in the future.

It was an insurance policy, so to speak, and there was a good chance they wouldnt be able to make use of it.

So I see. Well, since youre at it, how about you tell us what exactly it is you want then? Just as a reference.

Fork over a million private points as collateral. If we ever come cryin to you guys for help, Ill gladly pay ya back in full.

The amount was quite reasonable compared to how much it would cost us to strike a deal with the other classes.

However, if they never ended up making use of the insurance policy, theyd essentially just be getting a million points for free.

In short, every last point would end up directly in Hsens pocket.

If this trusting relationship shit of yours is really all that important, then whats the big deal?

If they really ended up needing our help later on down the line, then the deposit would definitely find its way back to us at some point.

If yer worried, how bout I put it in writing?

While a written contract would be recognized and enforced by the school, that was based on the premise that Hsen actually asked for our help in the first place.

There was a chance that he might resort to using it if he found himself at risk of expulsion, but it didnt seem very likely that hed give up so many points just to help his classmates.

In other words, it would be far more dangerous than simply handing over some points and signing a contract.

Hsen wasnt just some cocksure musclehead. He had made his move with the utmost skill and precision.

A calculating, formidable opponent, just like Ryen.

Its true that what youre saying isnt completely unreasonable. That said, I still cannot agree to your terms.

That so? What a pity. I went through the effort of showin you a way outta this, and yet here you are makin shit difficult still.

Indeed.

It didnt seem like Horikita intended to compromise if it meant letting Hsen line his own pockets. But with the way things were headed, it seemed like we might end up having to let our partners be decided at random. In which case, wed have no choice but to have our classmates with low Academic Ability ratings flee to the other classes, even if it meant burning the necessary funds to do so.

Ha!

After forcing out a short laugh, Hsen leaned forward from his slouched position on the couch for the first time since he sat down.

And then, he reached out at Horikita and grabbed the collar of her shirt.

The first one to react to this was Sud, who had been attentively keeping watch from right beside her.

With a seething glare in his eyes, he grabbed the brawny first-year students arm.

Oi, bastard Dont raise your hand against a girl.

Oho, so the biggest retard heres finally taken center stage?

Cool it Sud-kun.

But!

No buts. Negotiations arent over yet.

While it seemed as though negotiations had broken down, Hsen hadnt yet explicitly stated so himself.

Youve got eyes fulla confidence there. You really think I wont beat the shit outta a girl? Or maybe youre trynna abuse the fact that yer a lowly bitch so you can beat me?

What an inappropriate thing to say in this day and age. How about dialing back on the misogyny to avoid turning the women of the world against you?

Well then how bout I give you a better option. If you can beat me in a fight, Ill agree to yer little proposal. Hows that?

At that, Hsen presented us with a rather childish offer.

How bout I take you up on that then? Got a problem with that?

It can be you, that dull-lookin Ayanokji guy over there, or even this bitch. Fuck it, why not all three of you at once?

Hsen spoke brazenly.

Its fine, right Suzune? If I win, well be done with all this crap. Besides, Im really, really fuckin fed up with this bastard already.

Sud was reaching the limits of his patience with Hsen, whose hand was still clutched onto Horikitas collar.

Deciding the outcome of this negotiation with a fight is far too absurd. Even if its the only card we have left to play, we still shouldnt agree to it.

Why not? The bastard said he was fine with it, I dont see a problem.

Ignoring Suds objections, Horikita calmly put her thoughts into words.

I really thought youd be a little smarter than this, Hsen-kun. Not too long ago, back when you first showed up outside of the second-year classrooms, the things you said gave me the impression that you wanted our classes to work together. I felt the same. I felt like itd be wonderful if we could cooperate as fellow Class D students.

Well, I mighta said somethin like that.

But It seems like that was just a misunderstanding on my part. You didnt actually think that at all.

Horikita closed her eyes for a moment and calmed herself before continuing.

This discussion is over.

In the end, it was not Hsen who ended up calling off the negotiations, but Horikita herself.

The moment the words crossed her lips, slight traces of anger peeked through Hsens previously untroubled expression.

Then, Hsen released his grip on Horikitas shirt, and seeing this, Sud swallowed his anger, let go of Hsens arm, and began to resituate himself in his seat.

But less than a split second later

Splash! Droplets of water scattered throughout the Karaoke room.

Hsen had picked up his cup of water and had splashed it on Horikitas face.

There was probably no way that Horikita couldve seen it coming before it happened.

But, before she could make even a single sound, Sud was already up on the table, moments away from throwing himself at Hsen.

You motherfucker!!!

Sud had already been doing whatever he could to keep his temper in check before this, but he finally lost all sense of reason due to what had just taken place.

Nobody could blame him for losing his cool, after all, the girl he liked had just been humiliated before his very eyes.

Hsen, on the other hand, remained as smug and contemptuous as ever.

Stop!

As Sud charged at him, bellowing with rage, Horikita called out with a stern voice, drawing him to a stop.

If she had called out even one second later, Suds fist wouldve smashed directly into Hsens cheek.

Sud-kun Dont fall into his trap so carelessly.

I know dammit, but still!

Horikita locked eyes with Hsen without even bothering to dry her wet hair.

If youre displeased with the fact that negotiations have broken down, then perhaps you shouldve conducted yourself a little better.

Horikita had wanted to establish a cooperative relationship with Hsen no matter the cost.

And yet, at this point, even she understood the futility of any further discussion.

After a short staredown between the two of them, Horikita turned and looked away, as if to say she had seen everything she needed to.

Lets go.

R-really?

Although Sud was frustrated, he asked Horikita again, just to make sure.

Are you sure, Hsen-kun?

Nanase asked Hsen the same question at nearly the same time.

Yeah?

I personally think we shouldve cooperated with Horikita-senpai.

Hah! Theyre the ones who called it off. You want me to go over there and stop em?

And so, the discussion ended without Hsen saying anything further, and just like that the two parties dissolved.

I discreetly cast a sidelong glance over at Horikita. After all, todays failure would undoubtedly create a lot of problems moving forward.

But from where I stood, Horikitas expression didnt seem discouraged at all.

Judging by the look on her face, it didnt seem like this was over just yet.

(Part 1 End)