Bathed in moonlight, Hikaru stared at Manabu.

  Even though he had just witnessed him pressuring his own sister, the student cil president remained pletely posed.

  Rather than showing the slightest sign of distress, Manabu spoke with calm precision.

  "Hikaru-kun, you should already know that at the end of the sed semester, I will be stepping down as student cil president, and Nagumo will take over."

  As he adjusted his gsses, a rare flicker of subtle emotion crossed his face at the mention of Nagumo.

  "I know. Nagumo-senpai, as the vice president, is naturally the best successor after you. He's already started gathering followers, hasn't he?"

  "...So you've noticed that already?"

  Manabu's gaze lingered on Hikaru, a glimmer of surprise fshing through his usually stoic expression.

  "You truly never fail to impress."

  He tinued, "Nagumo and I are not the same. His ideology is to transform this school into a true meritocratic battleground. Do you uand what that means?"

  "True meritocracy…?"

  Hikaru stroked his , eg the dots.

  He recalled hearing about sed-year students being expelled. If Nagumo was responsible for that, then his iions were clear.

  Hikaru's expression darkened, his sharp gaze log onto Manabu.

  "So… you're saying that Nagumo-senpai's pn is to actively force students to drop out?"

  "He has already secured trol over the ey of the sed-year students and has ducted his experiments. By enf a lowest-rank elimination system, he has systematically expelled those who couldn't keep up."

  Manabu's words were firm, but Hikaru didn't miss the way his gaze flickered toward his sister.

  Standing to the side, Suzune looked utterly stunned, uo process what she was hearing.

  Student cil transitions?

  A person she had never even heard of, Nagumo?

  And more importantly…

  Why did Hikaru, a fellow first-year, seem so familiar with all of this?

  He wasn't just speaking to her brother like an uppercssman—he eaking as an equal.

  She even heard her brother implying that he wanted Hikaru to help with something.

  Why?

  When did this happen?

  What happeo my brother that I don't know about?

  "So that's his goal," Hikaru muttered, pieg it all together.

  "Expel those who don't meet his standards—cut out the weak and leave only the strong."

  His expression hardened.

  If Nagumo truly meant to enforce a survival-of-the-fittest system, then once Manabu graduated, it was likely that he would push the school's expulsion system even further.

  As student cil president, he would wield signifit influence over the administration.

  It wasn't impossible for him to iate new methods with the school to intensify the dropout process.

  Hikaru had seen firsthand how much power the student cil held during the hearing regarding Ryuen.

  It was clear that they could manipute school policies in ways ordinary students couldn't.

  "He's already making moves," Manabu tinued.

  "And he's still gathering more followers."

  The president narrowed his gaze at Hikaru.

  This first-year had already seen through the school's system on the very first day and was now orchestrating a massive Private Point recovery operation.

  If someone could stand against Nagumo, it was likely him.

  "...So, what is it that you wao do?"

  Hikaru met Manabu's gaze head-on.

  "What exactly are you asking of me?"

  "Hmm…"

  Manabu turned his head, gng at his sister, who was still pletely lost in the versation.

  Her expression stiffened, and whe her brother's cold stare, she blurted out—

  "Brother, do you wao do something?"

  "..."

  Manabu sighed.

  He hadn't e here to force her out because he hated her.

  There was a deeper reason.

  But he wasn't ready to expin it just yet.

  That would have to wait until he graduated.

  "Hikaru-kun, what I'm asking of you is simple."

  "You've been actively moving sihe very beginning, haven't you?"

  "I want you to take Suzuh you."

  "Make her uand her own weaknesses—pletely."

  "How about it?"

  Silence.

  Hikaru blinked.

  Suzune's expression instantly ged.

  The sed, she protested in arm.

  "Brother! I don't need anyone's help! I will make it to Css A on my own! Just wait and see—"

  "No."

  "This is not up for discussion."

  Manabu's chilling gaze swept over his sister.

  "You have always misuood the differeween pride and isotion."

  "That's why you fail tnize your own fws."

  "If you think you make it to Css A with your current abilities, yravely mistaken."

  "Get that through your head."

  "..."

  Suzu down hard on her lip, swallowing the words she wao say.

  Again.

  Again, her brother rejected her.

  No matter what she said, he always looked down on her.

  "…Hikaru-kun."

  Turning his attention away from his sister, Manabu looked back at Hikaru, his tone heavy with meaning.

  "I've given you the details about Nagumo."

  "You should uand why I told you this."

  "…Yeah."

  Hikaru processed it quickly.

  Onagumo took over as student cil president, he would undoubtedly target the weak—and Css D would be his first victims.

  As her older brother, Manabu must have realized that Suzune wouldn't reach Css A within two semesters.

  If she remained in Css D, she would be in serious danger when Nagumo took trol.

  It made sense—Suzune had been pced in Css D for a reason.

  That meant the school had identified signifit fws in her.

  "…I see what yetting at, Horikita-senpai."

  "But that's not the only reason, is it?"

  Hikaru g Suzuhen looked back at Manabu.

  "If you wao help, just be straight with me."

  "Stop beating around the bush."

  "...Hah."

  For the first time, Manabu smirked.

  He liked this kid.

  "Of course, that's not all."

  He adjusted his gsses, his tone sharpening.

  "Nagumo's ideals are pletely opposed to the school's inal i."

  "This school was built to nurture well-rounded, highly capable individuals."

  "Every student admitted here is specially reended—regardless of their entrance exam scores."

  "As long as they meet the sele criteria, they are brought here for a reason."

  "This school was desigo houdents of different talents, pushing them to refiheir strengths in a closed enviro and emerge as eveer assets to society."

  "That is what this institution was meant to aplish."

  Manabu's gsses reflected a sharp glint.

  He was fully aligned with the school's vision.

  This was why he had bee student cil president in the first pce.

  "If Nagumo's system takes hold, it will severely derail the school's pn."

  "And in doing so, it will rob tless students of their potential."

  "…I see."

  Hikaru now uood why Manabu opposed Nagumo.

  As vice president, Nagumo was already in a position of power.

  And without substantial cause, Manabu couldn't simply remove him.

  Even Suzuanding nearby, was starting to grasp the bigger picture.

  "…So?"

  Manabu locked eyes with Hikaru.

  "You refused to joiudent cil before."

  "What about now?"

  "Are you still going to turn me down?"

  "…No."

  Hikaru smirked.

  This information was valuable—something that could be used to seize the advantage.

  But if he was going to help, there was one more thing.

  "I'll accept, Horikita-senpai."

  "But in exge… what do I get?"

  ~~~

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